Final Fantasy XIV Game Script

Current progress: MSQ 2.0 through 7.1 complete! Currently working on raid questlines; seasonal events are completed as they happen.

For now, most text is given for a female Miqo'te archer, but is slowly being updated to include conditional dialogue, optional dialogue, and so forth. Eventually I hope to get to more side content as well as removed content (e.g. the ARR trim)! I've used my best judgement for what to include, as it's not 100% black and white what's part of the “script” and not (e.g. I tried to include system messages that are part of the storytelling but not ones explaining controls).

There may be errors; hopefully I'll catch any on subsequent passes as I add more. If you see anything off, please message me on Tumblr.
If this script has helped you, feel free to tip me; I'd really appreciate it!

Please do not use this site to train AI.

Filters | |
  1. Main Scenario Quests
    1. A Realm Reborn
    2. Heavensward
    3. Stormblood
    4. Shadowbringers
    5. Endwalker
    6. Dawntrail
  2. Raids
    1. Eden (ShB)
    2. Pandæmonium (EW)
  3. Alliance Raids
    1. Crystal Tower (ARR)
  4. Job/Role Quests
    1. Archer/Bard
    2. Physical DPS
  5. Seasonal Events
    1. Heavensturn
    2. Valentione's Day
    3. Little Ladies' Day & Hatching-tide
    4. The Make It Rain Campaign
    5. Moonfire Faire
    6. The Rising
    7. All Saints' Wake
    8. Starlight Celebration
    9. Collaboration Events

A Realm Reborn (Limsa Lominsa Starter Quests) (2.0)

??? (Hydaelyn): Hear... ??? (Hydaelyn): Hear... Feel... ??? (Hydaelyn): Hear... Feel... Think...
??? (Brennan): ...Oi! Y'all right, lasslad? Grizzled Passenger (Brennan): You were moanin' in your sleep an' sweatin' buckets besides. Rollin' of the ship got your stomach churnin', has it? Grizzled Passenger (Brennan): Hmmm... Don't seem like seasickness, now that I look at you. It'll be the aether, then, I reckon. Grizzled Passenger (Brennan): Some are more sensitive to the stuff than others, see, an' we ain't too far from Vylbrand now, which is chock-full of aetherytes. Grizzled Passenger (Brennan): No need to fret, though. You'll soon get used to it. Grizzled Passenger (Brennan): Eurgh. Might as well have been bloomin' seasickness... Ship's leapin' around like a demented chocobo today. Grizzled Passenger (Brennan): I reckon I might head out on deck─get meself a breath of fresh air. Grizzled Passenger (Brennan): Limsa Lominsa's still a fair way off, in case you were wonderin'. Seein' as you're awake an' all, how's about you keep me company till we get there? Grizzled Passenger (Brennan): Them young'uns don't much care for conversation, see. Brennan: Anyroad, Brennan's the name, an' peddlin's me trade.
Brennan: Ah, smell that salty sea breeze! Brennan: Now then, lasslad, judgin' by your unusual garments, I'd say you were one of them new adventurers. Am I warm? Brennan: I knew it! Goin' wherever the wind blows, seekin' fortune an' glory─now that's what I call livin'! Brennan: So long as you can avoid dyin', I mean. Ain't no secret that adventurin's a risky business─these days especially. Brennan: What was it that first attracted you to it?
  • Why did you become an adventurer?
  • To gain power. Brennan: ...Power? As in, er...power to do good? Like protectin' the weak, an' fightin' for what's right, an' all that? Aye, I thought that's what you meant. Well, adventurers do get up to a lot of fightin', that's for sure. You'll never be short of a chance to polish your warcraft in the adventurin' business. Brennan: Once we make port, you'd best sign yourself up at the Adventurer's Guild–they'll set you on the right path. Brennan: An' it wouldn't hurt to join a guild, neither. Brennan: Limsa's home to a few, so if you fancy learnin' how to swing an axe, or even sling a spell, you should think about seekin' one out.
  • To win glory. Brennan: Glory, eh? Well, if you're willin' to take on them tasks as other folk ain't, an adventurer such as yourself can win fame what coin can't buy. Brennan: When you arrive in town, you'll want to report to the Adventurers' Guild. Brennan: You can find out everythin' you need to know about the adventurin' business in there.
  • To amass a fortune. Brennan: Fortune, eh? Well, it's a dream we've all had at one time or another. Brennan: Once you've learned to handle yourself in a fight, you'll want to pay a visit to whichever craftin' or gatherin' guild tickles your fancy. Brennan: Limsa Lominsa's renowned for its smitties an' armorers, not to mention its fisherfolk. An' then there's its cooks, of course. Brennan: Adventurin' ain't just about killin' things, after all. A peaceful pastime may well help you make your fortune!
  • ... Brennan: Well, if you ain't inclined to tell, I ain't about to pry. Might be as ol' Brennan's a chatterbox, but he sure as hells ain't no busybody. Brennan: We all have a secret or three, don't we? Me? Dozens. Brennan: An' I'd rather they stayed secret, too—which is why I don't go stickin' me nose where it ain't welcome.
Brennan: Just remember, though: there're more important things than fortune an' glory. Such as breathin'. Ain't no profit in bein' dead, an' that's a fact. Brennan: Uwaaah! Stalwart Sailor: Ships off the starboard bow! Pirate colors! Brennan: Pirates? Bloody hells... Stalwart Sailor: Have ye no sense!? Get below!
Brennan: What is the world comin' to...? Pirates firin' on a ship flyin' Lominsan colors! Bastards either have a boatload of balls, or bugger all for brains. Stalwart Sailor: Ye can rest easy, friends! We've made it out o' cannon range, an' no buccaneer's bark'll catch this flighty temptress once the wind's in her sails. Brennan: That was too bleedin' close... Glad one of us kept herhis head on herhis shoulders─I reckon I'd've lost mine, otherwise. Brennan: If them pirates gave up the chase, we must be close to port. Let's head up on deck an' have us a look, shall we?
Brennan: By the by, is this your first trip to Limsa Lominsa?
  • Is this your first trip to Limsa Lominsa?
  • Yes. Brennan: Is it!? Well then, let this journeyed itinerant tell you the ins an' outs of your destination. Ahem!
  • No. Brennan: Thought not! Ah, but I'll wager there've been some changes since your last visit. Allow a journeyed itinerant to apprise you of the current state of affairs. Ahem!
Brennan: Limsa Lominsa prides itself on bein' Eorzea's foremost naval power. Brennan: Weren't too long ago that the place was ruled by pirates, but thanks to the current Admiral's civilizin' influence, the city-state could almost pass for a respectable nation. You'd never guess she was once a rum-swillin' buccaneer herself! Heh heh! Brennan: 'Course, most folk ain't so quick to change, an' with a town full of liberty-lovin' ruffians, you can imagine how many naysayers an' troublemakers she's got to deal with─like them pirates who took a fancy to us just now. Brennan: An' if that weren't bad enough, I've heard the Sahagin are raidin' the coast just as bold as you please. Them're the sea-dwellin' beastmen the locals call “fishbacks,” 'case you didn't know. Brennan: Ah, at long last. Land ho! Brennan: Behold Limsa Lominsa, a nation blessed by the ocean's bounty an' beloved of Llymlaen, goddess of navigation.
Louisoix: On a windswept isle in the southwestern corner of the realm,
amidst the rolling waves of the Rhotano Sea, lies the maritime city-state of Limsa Lominsa. Louisoix: To this haven for bandits and brigands, cutthroats and curs, seekers of both freedom and fortune, comes a lone adventurer. Louisoix: Lone, yet not alone, for the hero's arrival has drawn the gaze of the nation's patron deity Llymlaen. Louisoix: What realm-shaking fate has She descried in the churning waters of this mortal's future? Brennan: An' here's where we part ways, lassson. Brennan: I'm off to the markets to deliver me wares, then it's on to the highroad for me. Brennan: Here, I want you to have this─by way of thanks for savin' me arse earlier. Brennan: Hey─you never did tell me your name, did you? Well, here's an idea... Brennan: Become the sort of storied personage I can brag about havin' met, an' I'll consider us square. Louisoix: Through peril and hardship, discovery and triumph, may the Navigator guide this brave soul on herhis life's voyage... Louisoix: Till sea swallows all. Final Fantasy XIV
Yellowjacket Infantryman (Ryssfloh): Hey! You there! Yellowjacket Infantryman (Ryssfloh): Aye, I mean you. This is my district, and I make it my business to know all the scum that washes up in it. Yellowjacket Infantryman (Ryssfloh): Ah, an adventurer fresh off the boat, is it? Well then... Ryssfloh: Allow one of Limsa Lominsa's finest to set you on the right path. Hop to it, lasslad, I haven't got all day!
Welcome to Limsa Lominsa, a bustling city-state filled with scoundrels and brigands, the rough-cut diamond of the Rhotano Sea.
Ahldskyf: I'm the hired captain of the Orion. She's a fine vessel, true, but a hired captain can love his ship only as much as a paid bride can love her betrothed. Ahldskyf: A ship of my own is all I've ever wanted. Was a gil away from buying one when the Calamity struck, but how can I complain when so many lost so much more?
Ryssfloh: Hey, where in the bleedin' hells do you think you're goin'!? I told you to get over here!
Coming to Limsa Lominsa To be recognized as an adventurer in the city–state of Limsa Lominsa, you must register yourself with the Adventurers' Guild.
Ryssfloh: Now then, I'm sure you're itching to explore, but adventurers are required to register their presence in the city...and without a bit of local knowledge, you're like to get your throat slit in some piss-stinking alley. Ryssfloh: So before you do anything else, get yourself over to the Drowning Wench and enroll with the Adventurers' Guild. Ryssfloh: It's not far─just head straight down this street and speak with Grehfarr. He'll show you how to work that big moving platform we call the Crow's Lift, and that'll take you up to the pub. Ryssfloh: Once you're there, look for a fellow by the name of Baderon─he's the proprietor of the Wench. He might curse like an ale-sodden sailor, but the man's got a soft spot for wide-eyed newcomers like yourself. He'll set you straight. Ryssfloh: Got all that? Good. Now run along, and may the Navigator guide you on your journey.
Ryssfloh: Were you able to find the Drowning Wench? Baderon there will help get you started here in Limsa Lominsa.
Ahldskyf: That's far enough, lasslad. You want to adventure in Limsa Lominsa─and survive your first day─then I strongly suggest you visit the Wench and speak with Baderon first.
F'zhumii: Halt right there, adventurer. If it is Baderon and the Drowning Wench you seek, then you'd best speak with Grehfarr.
Abylfarr: Signed yourself up at the Adventurers' Guild, have you? I didn't think so. Turn around and march yourself over to the Crow's Lift. Baderon'll want a word with you.
Grehfarr: Welcome to Limsa Lominsa. If you've a mind to visit the Drowning Wench, the Crow's Lift will take you there.
  • Take the Crow's Lift?
  • Yes
  • No Grehfarr: Might I remind you that all newly arrived adventurers are required to register with the Adventurers' Guild? Until you have done so, you will struggle to find employment in these parts.
Skaenrael: Heading down so soon? Best you sort out your affairs here before you start gallivanting about. I'll let you use the lift soon enough.
Skaenrael: Bit premature for you to leave, don't you think? Or have you already heard everything that shady bloke behind the big desk had to say? If so, then you should know it's only polite to spare a moment for those in need─like the Lalafellin lass at the table who's staring at you right now.
S'dhodjbi: Newly come to Limsa Lominsa, adventurer? Then I suggest you speak with Baderon, the owner of the Drowning Wench. Think of him as a guide to our fair city.
S'dhodjbi: I don't mean to be rude, missmister, but I know a green adventurer when I see one. Trust me when I say you'd be better off having a chat with all the folk here before you start wandering the city like some wide-eyed farmer's get.
Quentenain: 'Old up there, lasslad. Afore ye trot out the door an' straight into some scrag's ambush, ye might want to partake of the Wench's wisdom─proprietor and patrons both.
The Smith: As one of the Smiths, I provide guidance for those just starting out on the path of the adventurer. For the present, I suggest you learn your way around the city─an endeavor with which Baderon shall no doubt wish to aid you.
Baderon: Greetin's to ye, lasslad. Baderon: What'll it be? ...Ah, but you ain't 'ere fer the drink, are ye!? Ye've come with a mind to try yer 'and at 'venturin', I reckon! Well, ye'll find no shortage o' work 'ere in Limsa. Baderon: The name's Baderon, an' this most 'ospitable of 'ostelries is the Drownin' Wench. Baderon: 'Tis also the 'ome o' the 'Venturers' Guild, 'ere in Limsa. That's why we've got a desk 'specially fer 'andlin' guild business─an' why I seem to spend more time savin' the necks o' whelps like yerself than wettin' the throats o' me regulars. Baderon: 'Venturers 'ave a knack fer findin' trouble, see. Baderon: Not that they need it in these parts, on account o' there bein' trouble wherever ye look. If ye manage to steer clear o' the fishbacks an' the kobolds outside the city, the pirates on the inside will get ye instead. Baderon: An' if they don't manage, there's always the Garlean Empire to finish the job. Oh, no one knows what they're plannin', o' course...but if they're plannin' anythin', ye can be sure it's to kill the lot of us. Baderon: Aye...this town seems peaceful at a glance, but look again, an' ye'll see a people livin' in fear o' what tomorrow might bring. Baderon: ...An' who can blame 'em, after everythin' that's 'appened? Eorzea took a mighty blow durin' the Calamity, but our 'omes weren't the only things what got wiped off the face of existence by that thrice-damned bastard of a dragon. Baderon: It took our bleedin' memories, too. An' no one's been able to explain it in a way as makes an onze o' sense. Baderon: None o' the folks what saw it an' lived to tell the tale seem to agree on 'ow the tale actually goes. 'Tis all foggy...like recollections from an 'ard night on the ale. Ye can imagine why people might fear fer the future if they can't rightly recall the past. Baderon: But there is one thing we all remember, an' that's the group o' 'venturers what laid down their lives to drag Eorzea back from the brink, when she was bound fer the abyss. Baderon: Well, I say we remember... Truth is, though we ain't forgotten what they did fer us, this godsdamned Calamity-spawned memory loss robbed us o' their names... Baderon: It won't even let us picture their damn faces. 'Tis like starin' at a gull flyin' in front o' the sun─all ye see in yer mind's eye is a shadow set against a blindin' glare. An' that's 'ow every bugger describes it, by the way...give or take the odd gull. Baderon: It's this what's got people callin' these 'eroes the “Warriors o' Light.” Baderon: If Limsa's ever goin' to put this time o' darkness behind it, it's goin' to need 'venturers to 'elp banish the fear. It's goin' to need new 'eroes like the ones we lost. Baderon: Maybe one day ye'll be one of 'em. An' that's why any aid we can give to a 'venturer is effort well spent. What say ye, lasslad? Ye willin' to lend us yer strength? Baderon: Me thanks to ye, an' to the Navigator an' all! I knew She'd steered ye my way fer a reason. Baderon: Ah, but listen to me, yatterin' on like a sun-touched fishwife. 'Tis 'igh time we got yer mark in me book. Baderon: Put yer scrawl right there. Baderon: Forename Surname, is it? An' a fine name it is. Baderon: Congratulations. Yer now an upstandin' member o' the 'Venturers' Guild. Yellowjacket: You there─adventurer. You sailed in on the last ferry, did you not? Yellowjacket: The captain reported being attacked by a pirate vessel. And several witnesses have testified independently that a passenger matching your description went out on deck mere moments before the incident took place. Sending your friends signals, were you? Baderon: Now 'old on a just a moment there, officer. Ye've got the wrong lassbloke. Baderon: This fine, upstandin' young ladygent is me dear departed grandma's sister's niece's cousin's closest companion. The lasslad wouldn't be caught dead fraternizin' with such unsavory elements. Yellowjacket: ...Is that right? Ahem. You are surely aware of the recent kidnappings? Respectfully, then, we cannot be too trusting of outsiders at a time when the loyalty of even our closest friends is in doubt. Baderon: Aye, ye make a good point there, officer, a very good point. Very wise. Ye needn't worry, though─I keep one eye open at all times, me, an' two more often than not. Now, sir, what say ye to a tankard o' me finest ale afore ye return to yer duties, eh? Yellowjacket: Not a watered-down cup of piss like last time, I should hope? Baderon: Ain't got the faintest idea what yer on about, officer. The Wench might offer some o' the cheapest grog this side o' the Strait o' Merlthor, but that don't mean it won't get ye good an' pickled! An' look, there's a chair over there just cryin' out to be sat on, so kick off them 'eavy boots, eh!? Baderon: Ye'll 'ave to excuse these eager bloody Yellowjackets. There's been a spate o' kidnappin's, see, an' they ain't got a clue who's behind 'em. Naturally, they've taken to clappin' irons on anyone who looks vaguely suspicious, which means 'venturers, visitors...an' pretty much every bugger else in this town. Baderon: Don't take it personal, though. Us Lominsans can be an 'eadstrong bunch o' bastards, 'tis true, but given time, we'll grow on ye. Now, where was I...? Baderon: Oh aye! Welcome to Limsa Lominsa, where the sea's as green as the faces o' me patrons after a few too many Blackbelly whiskeys! Baderon: Now, take a moment to gather yer wits, an' we'll get started with learnin' ye the ways o' the city.
Close to Home Baderon, proprietor of the Drowning Wench, wants you to perform three tasks that will help you learn the fundamentals of adventuring.
Baderon: Right, then. Let's start ye off nice an' easy with three tasks what'll 'elp ye get used to life 'ere in Limsa. Baderon: Firstly, if ye 'ead down a floor then point yer nose to the west, ye'll get an eyeful o' the great glowin' crystal in the middle o' the courtyard. Baderon: That's an aetheryte─a device what can move ye from one place to another in the blink of an eye. Ain't no swifter way to travel─providin' there's an aetheryte where ye want to go, o' course. Baderon: 'Ave a chat with the Yellowjacket on guard down there an' ye'll be treated to a lecture on the workin's o' the device. 'Fore ye do that, though, remember to touch the thing. Strange as it sounds, it won't work till you 'ave.
Baderon: Second on the list is the marketplace. Ye'll find weapons an' armor an' all yer 'venturin' bits an' pieces fer sale in the district what lies beyond the aetheryte.
Baderon: Second on the list is the marketplace. Ye'll find weapons and armor and all yer 'venturin' bits and pieces fer sale in the district what lies beyond the aetheryte.
Baderon: Don't go throwin' yer gil around just yet, though, or ye'll get fleeced quicker'n ye can say, “Why's me coinpurse so light?” 'Ave a word with Swozblaet, instead. 'E's the 'ead o' the Merchants' League, by the way. Baderon: Give 'im this old octant, an' 'e'll treat ye well.
Baderon: Fer the last o' me 'elpful 'ints, I suggest ye meet some fellow axe-wielders at the Marauders' Guild. Baderon: I guarantee ye'll learn a few new tricks fer swingin' that 'ead-splitter o' yours if ye join their crew. Blauthota at the front desk is the one to get ye started.
Baderon: Fer the last o' me 'elpful 'ints, I suggest ye meet some fellow spell-slingers at the Arcanists' Guild. Baderon: I guarantee ye'll learn a few new tricks fer yer tome if ye decide to join their crew. Murie at the front desk is the one to get ye started.
Baderon: Got all that, lasslad? Seein' to them three tasks'll take ye on a little jaunt 'round the city, an' 'elp ye work out where everythin' is. Now, I've best be gettin' on. Run along, eh? Baderon: Bugger it! There I go, sendin' ye off without tellin' ye summat crucial. That bloody Calamity's made a right mess o' me memory, I swear. Well, that or the ale... Anyroad, while yer out, if ye 'appen to pass any poor sods what look like they might need yer 'elp, consider givin' their tale o' woe a listen, eh? Baderon: Sounds like a chore, I admit, but ye never know what interestin' opportunities could be lurkin' out there, just waitin' fer ye to stumble on 'em. Fer example, Niniya over yonder's been castin' glances at ye since ye waltzed in.
Why not lend an ear an' see what she 'as to say? Aye, yer like to find yerself runnin' odd errands in the beginnin', but once ye build a reputation as a man folk can trust, the jobs'll get 'arder an' the rewards more generous. Baderon: If ye've the time, I'd also seek the advice o' the Smith 'ere in the Wench. The lads as bear that title 'ave some fine advice fer them what're just startin' out in the profession. An' that, my lasslad, is 'ow ye go about becomin' a legend among 'venturers.
Baderon: Ye can get to the aetheryte by takin' the lift over to me left. Afore ye 'ead down, though, ye oughta introduce yerself to the lads an' lass 'ereabouts. Might be as they'll 'ave a juicy piece o' gossip to share with ye.
Skaenrael: You wish to visit Bulwark Hall below? The Crow's Lift is ready when you are.
  • What will you say?
  • Yes
  • No Skaenrael: If you mean to make Limsa Lominsa your home, then I'd suggest you take the lift down to the lower decks and attune yourself to the aetheryte.
You attune to the aetheryte. ??? (Sundhimal): Ah, another novice adventurer. Aye, Baderon has sent more than a few of your kind this way of late. Sundhimal: I am Sundhimal, one of the Yellowjackets tasked with keeping the peace in the city. It is also my charge to provide guidance in the use of this device. Fear not, I shall be brief. Sundhimal: Aetherytes are crystalline structures that tap into aetherial energies. They are primarily used as a means to travel swiftly from one place to another. Sundhimal: Return and Teleport─the most common transportation spells─make direct use of the aetherytes and their connection to the flow of aether. Sundhimal: And as these devices are found in almost every corner of Eorzea, any adventurer worthy of the name will wish to seek out and attune himself to each one. Sundhimal: Once you have expanded your horizons beyond the walls of the city, you will soon find yourself performing the act of attunement as a matter of course. Sundhimal: There is, however, no need for unseemly haste. The aetherytes found in and around the city will be sufficient for the present, I assure you. Sundhimal: Should you wish to learn more about aetherytes or transportation magic, I will be here to answer your questions.
Swozblaet: A fine morningdayevening to you, madamsir! Welcome to the most replete marketplace in the grand realm of Eorzea, where every shelf groans under the weight of wonders borne from all four corners of the world! Swozblaet: Pray browse the stalls until your eyeballs ache from ogling the overabundance of unbelievable bargains! Now, as much as I would love to elaborate upon the unrivaled quality of our merchandise, I must tend to some cargo but recently arrived at the docks─ Swozblaet: Hm? You bear a gift from Baderon? Whatever could it─ Ah! My octant! By the Navigator, I must have left it behind in the Wench─along with a week's pay and several bells' worth of intoxicated memories!
Rusted Octant An instrument widely used in maritime navigation. This one appears to have been a victim of the elements.
Swozblaet: I am most grateful to have it back! This tool is a keepsake from my days as a ship captain, you see. Needless to say, your good deed must be repaid, and what better recompense than the wisdom of a master merchant? Swozblaet: If it is simple and sturdy adventuring equipment you seek, you need look no further than the East and West arms of Hawkers' Alley. Swozblaet: Lest you doubt, each gil you invest in arms and armor will be money well spent. Adventuring is, after all, a dangerous profession by its very nature. Swozblaet: It goes without saying that Hawkers' Alley boasts stalls specializing in the tools of every martial discipline imaginable. Swozblaet: And within but a few steps are bazaars and apothecaries that will most amply supply all your potion and perishable needs. Swozblaet: Our keen-eyed agents procure a frankly befuddling range of wares during their sojourns to distant shores, so it pays to become familiar with the type─and price─of the goods offered by each stall. Swozblaet: Such knowledge will serve you well if your purse is light or your time is short. Swozblaet: Ah, but verbal instruction of this kind will only profit you so much. Experience has ever been the surest teacher─if not the kindest. I invite you to explore the markets for yourself.
Blauthota: Ho there, adventurer. Curious about the Marauders' Guild, are ye? Blauthota: Any axe worth swingin' needs two hands on the haft, an' has a blade what can make short work of a galley's mast. That's the kind o' weapon our members train to use with deceptive swiftness an' all too predictable force. Blauthota: Are ye interested in hearin' more, lasslad? Then why don't I give ye the short version o' the guild's foundin' history, an' we can go from there. Blauthota: It all started with ships, ye see. What've ships got to do with axes, ye ask? Well, buildin' 'em would be pretty bloody difficult without a sturdy tool to lop down trees for timber. Blauthota: An' since only the Navigator Herself knows when a ship'll run afoul of a storm or worse, it makes sense for the crew's carpenter to carry an axe on board. Aye, it all started with shipbuildin' an' ship repair. What? Am I borin' ye? Blauthota: Hmph. As I was sayin', any tool on a ship can become a weapon, an' the axe was perfect for hookin' yerself over the rail of an enemy vessel, lettin' loose in a whirl o' steel, an' generally layin' waste to all about ye. Blauthota: As more seafarers took up the axe as their weapon o' choice, so did the bloody art o' the marauder begin to take shape─'specially among pirates, where strength an' skill decided yer place in the world. Blauthota: With an eye to assemblin' crews o' battle-ready raiders, the pirates started teachin' the proper way to wield a choppin' blade to their new recruits. An' that's how the Marauders' Guild first came to be. Blauthota: But once the Galadion Accord was signed to unite the Maelstrom an' the pirates against Limsa's enemies, the whole game changed. Blauthota: The accord itself was a dismal failure, o' course, but the Marauders' Guild was never the same─it was taken over, restructured, an' purged of its pirate elements. It had been reborn as an institution dedicated to naught but the teachin' of axe fightin'. Blauthota: The members o' this new Marauders' Guild weren't no greed-driven cutthroats, neither─they were warriors what sought to use their martial prowess for the good o' society. Blauthota: If masterin' the axe is yer heart's desire, then ye'll find no better arena in which to practice yer swings. Blauthota: Think it over, then let me know if ye fancy joinin' our ranks. I've a feelin' I'll be seein' more o' ye soon, lasslad.
Murie: Welcome to the Arcanists' Guild. It is here that we research and develop the field of arcanima. Murie: Arcanima is the science of employing “arcane geometries”─intricate patterns that map the unlocked mysteries of existence─to draw forth and manipulate the body's aetheric energies. Murie: Ah, but if I am not mistaken, you already possess some rudimentary understanding of the craft. Shall I deepen your knowledge of our history, as well? Murie: The roots of arcanima can be traced back to the esoteric calculations practiced by the people of the south sea isles. It was these island folk that first discovered a method to express natural phenomena in mathematical terms. Murie: Building on this process, the existing mathematical formulae were further developed into arcane geometries─precise patterns that allowed a practitioner to weave aether into specific magical effects. The mages who invoked this new form of magic became known as “arcanists,” and the school of arcanima was born. Murie: Many such mages, wishing to expand their understanding of the world, took to the seas aboard trading vessels. Upon their arrival in Limsa Lominsa, arcanists found themselves welcomed into the academic elite, and soon secured positions in the realms of governance and counsel. Murie: The knowledge of an arcanist, however, is traditionally passed on from master to chosen disciple. As such, Admiral Merlwyb, counting several wielders of arcanima among her personal staff, became concerned that this exclusionary practice would lead to the eventual extinction of the art. Murie: So, at the Admiral's express orders, an official Arcanists' Guild was established, and funding was provided for research and training. Murie: The complex and demanding nature of arcanima, however, remains the greatest threat to its own future. If you would continue your study of this challenging discipline, then I must insist that you indicate your commitment to joining our guild.
Baderon: Ah, there ye are, Forename. Enjoy yer jaunt 'round the city, did ye? Baderon: If ye mean to base yerself in Limsa Lominsa, that won't be the last time ye'll visit them three places. Baderon: An' now ye've got some idea o' what's where, ye can start explorin' the rest o' the town. Baderon: Ye've shown a good ear fer listenin', lasslad. Stick with ol' Baderon, an' ye'll go far.
On to Summerford Baderon, proprietor of the Drowning Wench, wants you to lend a hand at Summerford Farms.
Baderon: Still in Limsa, are ye, Forename? 'Ow'd ye fancy a trip outside the city walls? Baderon: I'd like ye to visit an orchard by the name o' Summerford Farms. Ever 'eard o' the place? The owner, Staelwyrn, is an old mate o' mine. Baderon: 'E's got 'imself a crew o' mostly reformed pirate types, if ye can believe that, and 'as been tryin' to bring a bit o' life back to the fields after the Calamity ruined the soil. 'E mentioned needin' another 'and or two, and yer name sprang to mind. Baderon: I gave ye a glowin' recommendation, so make sure ye work 'ard and impress the old bastard. Ye need directions? The place ain't 'ard to find: just take the Zephyr Gate out o' the city, and follow the road northeast.
Staelwyrn: Ah, you must be the adventurer Baderon promised to send along. Forename Surname, wasn't it? Staelwyrn: You honored his word, so that's a good start. I'm Staelwyrn, the “old bastard,” as Baderon likely described me, and this here is my humble orchard. Staelwyrn: A good number of the lads and lasses workin' here once terrorized the high seas. And if you're wonderin' why I employ these scrags, well, they used to crew my pirate ship. Staelwyrn: But the Calamity did for our ship, like it did so many others, and I was sore wounded into the bargain. Staelwyrn: I had to feed myself and my crew somehow, and Admiral Merlwyb's initiative to get us landlocked buccaneers workin' the fields seemed too fine an offer to refuse. Staelwyrn: Well, it turns out you can take the pirate away from the sea, but you can't take the sea away from the pirate. A lot of my blokes just never took to tendin' the soil, you see. Staelwyrn: And unfortunately, the botanists I called in to train 'em have been wringin' their hands in black despair. With so much work pilin' up, I need a tougher soul like you to step in and help where it's needed.
Dressed to Call Staelwyrn, owner of Summerford Farms, wishes to inspect your equipment and thereby gauge your readiness for the tasks he has in mind.
Staelwyrn: I've a mind to set you a task, Surname, but before I do, I need to be sure you're properly kitted out. Staelwyrn: Pirates don't care to parley with dandies, you understand. It might well be that the ones here have traded in their cutlasses for coulters, but they're still rogues at heart. Staelwyrn: I know a solid set of gear when I see it. Come back when you think you're more suitably equipped.
Staelwyrn: No, no, lasslad, I fear I can't give you work lookin' like that. It's not about just handlin' yourself in combat. You want to dress in such a way as to terrorize your foes, causin' them to regret challengin' you in the first place.
Staelwyrn: Let's have a look at you, shall we? Staelwyrn: Oho! As long as you're this well covered, I won't feel any guilt throwin' you to the sharks. Staelwyrn: Erstwhile buccaneers are an ornery lot. They rage in love for the sea, and care little for the laws of the land. Staelwyrn: But they respect strength, and by the looks of you, I'd say you'll have little trouble gettin' their attention.
Lurkers in the Grotto Staelwyrn, the owner of Summerford Farms, has a task for a competent adventurer.
Staelwyrn: Ah, Surname. That aura of confidence tells me you've not been idle since last we met. Staelwyrn: I hope I've read you aright, for I've a task that requires the attention of a capable adventurer. Might that adventurer be you? Staelwyrn: Good to hear. Then I shall lay before you the sorry tale. Staelwyrn: You will have heard rumors of the abductions. Aye, citizens have been disappearin' from every corner of Limsa Lominsa, as if plucked from the face of Hydaelyn, boots and all, by an unseen hand. Staelwyrn: And what's this got to do with Summerford Farms, you might ask. Well, that remains to be seen, but it seems a collection of right unsavory fellows with azure-tattooed faces has been creepin' up to the edges of the fields and spyin' on my yeomen. Staelwyrn: Now, I doubt anyone would enjoy bein' scrutinized by such savages at the best of times, but the farmhands are convinced that they're the kidnappers of rumor, come for their hides. Staelwyrn: Needless to say, they're beside 'emselves with worry, and their work's sufferin' for it─which is the very last thing I need when my old crewmen are still gettin' used to their new jobs. 'Tis a struggle to get 'em to leave the farmhouse of a mornin'. Staelwyrn: That is, as they say, where you come in. Would you be willin' to investigate these tattooed thugs for me? Staelwyrn: Good lasslad. The sooner we get to the bottom of this, the sooner this place will start to resemble a workin' farm again. Staelwyrn: I suggest you begin by havin' a look around Seasong Grotto. If reports are to be believed, our unwelcome visitors have occupied the place. Staelwyrn: Be careful, though, Surname─I couldn't say for sure what manner of miscreants we're dealin' with here. If they are the kidnappers...well, just be on your guard, all right?
??? (Y'shtola): I am the waves that bear.
I am the winds that guide. ??? (Y'shtola): I am the evening stars.
I am the morning sky.
I am born of the sea.
And there shall I die. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): Thus reads the Sailors' Requiem carved into yonder stone. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): Such words well describe the manner in which the citizens of Limsa Lominsa live their lives. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): It is both a litany against misfortune for those out on the waves... Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): ...and a prayer that the souls of those who perish on land might find their way back to the sea. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): Ah, you are the adventurer I've seen around Summerford Farms. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): I thought myself on the trail of the kidnappers, but it would seem I have missed my mark. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): ...Or perhaps not. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): As I suspected, the aetheric disturbance here is no natural occurrence. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): Nor is it a coincidence that the two of us should come here in search of those responsible for the disappearances only to be attacked. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): But who stands to benefit from the keeping of this secret? Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): Such thoughts must wait. Let us attend to the task at hand, unpleasant though it be.
Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): I sense something awry with this creature. Be on your guard. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): Ware! The disruption of the aether draws others to the fray! Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): Keep your focus on the battle!
Leave the tending of wounds to me. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): More unwelcome visitors?
Slay them quickly lest we be overwhelmed. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): The creature falters.
Press the attack and the battle will soon be won. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): Mayhap we are overmatched...
Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): Whew!
??? (Hydaelyn): Hear... Feel... Think... ??? (Hydaelyn): Crystal bearer... Hydaelyn: I am Hydaelyn. All made one. Hydaelyn: A Light there once was that shone throughout this realm...yet it hath since grown dim. Hydaelyn: And as it hath faltered, so hath Darkness risen up in its stead, presaging an end to Life. Hydaelyn: For the sake of all, I beseech thee: deliver us from this fate! Hydaelyn: The power to banish the Darkness dwelleth in the Crystals of Light. Journey forth and lay claim to them. Hydaelyn: By thy deeds shall the Crystals reveal themselves to thee. Hydaelyn: Only believe, for the Light liveth in thy heart. Hydaelyn: Go now, my child, and shine thy Light on all creation.
Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): Awake again, are we? Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): Aha. The poor creature's fury was kindled with cruel forethought. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): See this blade? I found it in the goobbue's back. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): I have seen knives of this kind before─they are most commonly used for the cutting of rope. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): It would appear our culprits are seafaring men of some persuasion...piratical being the most probable. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): In any event, you seem much recovered from your sudden...affliction. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): I confess, I was rather taken aback when you collapsed at the very moment of our victory. Mayhap a surfeit of aether...? Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): I beg your pardon? A “towering crystal”? I'm sure I don't─ Oh. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): Well, well... This has been a day of unexpected revelations. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): I must continue my investigation. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): In the meantime, I suggest you deliver this knife to your patron, along with a warning concerning the pirates' probable involvement in this murky business. Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): The days ahead promise little rest, I fear... Cultured Conjurer (Y'shtola): May our paths cross again under the light of the Crystal.
Staelwyrn: Surname! Right glad am I to see you safely returned! Staelwyrn: My lads were all gabbin' about hearin' what sounded like all seven hells breakin' loose near the grotto, and I feared I'd sent you to your death. Staelwyrn: If you were in the middle of that commotion, I hope it yielded somethin' of interest. I'd hate to think you'd risked your life for naught.
Blunt Sailor's Knife From cutting rope to removing barnacles, from gutting fish to gutting boarders—on a ship, there are thousands of uses for a knife.
Staelwyrn: Hmmm... A blade pulled from the back of a creature you slew at the cave, eh? Staelwyrn: Aye, I'd agree that such a knife would be part of any seafarin' man's kit. Staelwyrn: I'm startin' to think that these ruffians are pirates, come to lure my farmhands back to a life of plunder. Chances are, they didn't take kindly to your appearance on their doorstep, and set a maddened goobbue on you. Staelwyrn: Aye, the pirates have been addin' to their numbers of late. I'd best warn the lads and lasses in my employ to be on guard against their schemes. Staelwyrn: ...Hm? You met someone else at the grotto? A woman with a strange contraption...? Ah...Y'shtola! Staelwyrn: She's been in Limsa Lominsa for a good while now. Her studies of the aether often bring her out to Summerford, so her presence at the grotto is hardly unusual. Staelwyrn: She's an odd-lookin' lass, I grant you, but she's not the kind to associate with kidnappers. You may take my word for that. Staelwyrn: Where trust should be lackin' is in those yeomen of mine who have yet to wholly relinquish their pirate pasts. The temptation to return to the free and easy life of a buccaneer may prove too strong to resist. Staelwyrn: You have my thanks, Surname. If it weren't for the efforts of stalwart adventurers like yourself, this farm would be in a far worse state than it is. Staelwyrn: Just you keep on lendin' your talents to those in need, eh? Help bring Limsa the brighter future she deserves.
Washed Up Staelwyrn is up in arms, as his hired hands are nowhere to be found.
Staelwyrn: That sea-sloth Sevrin and his lot─never around when there's work to be done! Staelwyrn: I'd sooner hire you for the sake of gettin' things done, but then the rapscallions would never learn. Staelwyrn: Round them up and let them know that Staelwyrn would like a word... And don't take no for an answer!
Wauter: Work? Ha! Can't work when me hands are full liftin' this mug. Ye know, I'd wager me last gil ye'd never guess what I'm drinkin'.
  • What do you think is in his mug?
  • Swill water.
  • Swill wine.
Wauter: Well, yer right about the “swill” part. I reckon it might be worth a day o' doin' Staelwyrn's chores if it'll afford me a taste o' proper grog.
Sozai Rarzai: <groan> How am I supposed to work on an empty stomach? Go on, have a guess at what I had for breakfast.
  • What did he eat for breakfast?
  • Breaded sticks.
  • Ash tuna.
Sozai Rarzai: Wha─ Gods, how'd you know!? It's my breath, ain't it? It probably smells as wooden as the food tasted... But I know why you're here. <sigh> I'd just as soon get some real food in me, but I ain't one to reject a summons from the cap'n.
Eyrimhus: Axes were made for splittin' skulls, not stumps! You know what I did in my sailin' days?
  • What did he do in his sailing days?
  • Skirmishing.
  • Wanton slaughter.
Eyrimhus: You bet your bosombeard I did, lasslad! Aye, those were the days... <sigh> I reckon now I'll have to be satisfied takin' my axe to the trees.
Aylmer: So, Staelwyrn sent you. And what do you reckon I say to that?
  • What do you reckon he says?
  • Work is for the weak and witless.
  • I've saucier seeds to sow.
Aylmer: Damn right! Didn't get where I am by takin' guff from any glorified gardeners! ...But I s'pose I could see what he wants to get him off my back.
Sevrin: Aye, I'm Sevrin. You the old man's errand girlboy, now? Sevrin: Tell my dear old captain not to wet his britches. I'll be along. Sevrin: Oh, and just so we're clear─I don't care for landlubbers. Go find the chocobo you rode in on, and ride on out.
Staelwyrn: You continue to impress, lasslad. All but Sevrin are accounted for. Staelwyrn: It's no fault of yours he squirmed out. I've let that worm wriggle through my fingers more times than I can count. Staelwyrn: But rest assured, the next time I see him, I'll put him squarely in the dirt, where all such worms belong.
Double Dealing Staelwyrn worries his sack of oranges will not reach the La Thagran Checkpoint as planned.
Staelwyrn: Pains me to say, but all the gil in the world can't buy loyalty. There are some, like you, who can be trusted. But then there are others... Staelwyrn: Until now, I've had no choice but to rely on that charlatan Sevrin, even though I am full aware he's been doin' shady deals behind my back. More than once I've heard tell of improper tradin' with goblins. Staelwyrn: I wouldn't be the least surprised if that were happenin' right now. Not a bell ago, a sack of oranges vanished, as did Sevrin. I want you to find and confront the bastard for me, Surname. I'm sure there's wrongdoin' afoot, so be sure to doubt anythin' that comes out of his mouth.
Sevrin: Bloody hells! I'm up the strait without a paddle!
You question Sevrin. Sevrin: What's this now? Staelwyrn sent you for the oranges? Huh... So the old bugger had known all this time... Argh, what does it matter anyway? Sevrin: Listen, you're one o' those goody-goody adventurer types, right? Go rescue me mates from those double-dealin' goblins! They're just over yonder by the bonfire.
Sevrin: You save me mates and, by the Navigator, you'll have your sack o' scurvy snacks!
You sense a hostile presence!
Aylmer: I owe you one. Would've gotten away meself if not fer Sevrin shovin' me aside.
Eyrimhus: Sevrin sent you? Hah! The way he flew out of here, I was sure he'd sold us down the river!
Sozai Rarzai: If you hadn't come, my dodo would've been cooked! Mmm...cooked dodo.
Sevrin: You saved me mates, and for that, I owe you. Sevrin: S'pose I should be ashamed I couldn't clean up my own mess... Sevrin: ...But a pirate knows no shame! I've no qualms about goin' back on my word! I'm only givin' you this sack 'cause I like the cut of your jib. Take it to Ossine, an' send him my regards.
Ossine: What have we here? A delivery from Summerford Farms, and as scheduled? Hah! There's a first time for everything!
Sack of Oranges A burlap bag packed chock-full of juicy, ripe La Noscean oranges.
Ossine: Well, look at that... Not a single one missing, either! About the only things not here are those bagmen, and I don't miss them one bit. Ossine: Here's Staelwyrn's payment in full. With you, I can trust it'll reach him!
Staelwyrn: Back in one piece! That's a relief. How did you fare, Surname?
Sack of Gil Payment for the sack of La Noscean oranges.
Staelwyrn: Ah, this is what I was aimin' for! Looks to be all I was owed, all right. Though, I'd be tellin' you false if I claimed I had not held out more hope for Sevrin. Staelwyrn: I was even willin' to overlook the skimmin' off the top, but to sell us all short in favor of those godsforsaken goblins... <sigh> Staelwyrn: You'd do well to mind yourself around that two-gil cheat. If he'd leave his own mates for dead, there's no tellin' what he'd do to you.
Loam Maintenance Gurcant seeks fertile soil to improve the yields of his newly plowed fields.
Gurcant: Blast! At this rate, the crops will never be ready for harvest. Gurcant: If only we had blackloam... Just a bit could send our stalks soaring! Gurcant: I'll bet Rhotwyda knows where you might find some. Perhaps you might pay her a visit in the orchard?
Rhotwyda: That Gurcant's got a head of cabbage if he thinks I'm fetchin' him any blackloam! Rhotwyda: But if you dare to pinch some from the Cookpot, then be my guest. Just mind you don't get trampled upon by the aurochs that dwell there. Rhotwyda: Once you've three bushels' worth, take the blackloam to Pfrewahl at Tiller's Rest. He'll know what to do.
Pfrewahl: Argh, even the weeds wither and die in this desolate dirt.
Blackloam Quite literally a steaming sack of shite.
Pfrewahl: But a bit of this blackloam ought to change all that! I haven't seen any in ages. Gathering blackloam's not for the weak of will...nor the weak of stomach, eh? Hahaha! Pfrewahl: ...Oh, don't tell me Gurcant and Rhotwyda neglected to mention where blackloam comes from. Pfrewahl: Well, surely you figured it out on your own from the cloying stench! It comes from the aurochs' lair, of all places! Pfrewahl: Ahem, well, why dwell on who misled whom about what? What matters is that your efforts have brought us the blackloam, and we can expect a bountiful harvest as a result. Thank you!
Plowshares to Swords Pfrewahl needs stolen farm tools recovered.
Pfrewahl: Confounded pirates! They know nothin' of tillin', only killin'! Stealin' our shovels to melt and forge into axes, of all things. Pfrewahl: They're bitin' the hand that feeds 'em, the mangy mongrels. I'd love to teach those curs a lesson in obedience myself, if I hadn't sworn to Staelwyrn that I wouldn't fight no more. Pfrewahl: So I need you to bring back our farm tools, and make sure those dogs reap what they've sown!
Pfrewahl: I wonder what those sea dogs will try an' steal when there's no harvest!
Stolen Farm Tool Without tools like these, the tillers who frequent Tiller's Rest would have a hard time tilling.
Pfrewahl: Ah, good to see the tools back, and in serviceable condition. Which will be more than we can say of Sevrin when we get our hands on him. The wretch likely had a role in the theft. Pfrewahl: Spied him meetin' the pirates in secret, I did. I couldn't care less if the wastrel won't work, but when he consorts with cutpurses that take our tools away, he's crossed the line! Pfrewahl: Staelwyrn ought to know what sort of scalawag he's dealing with. Take word to him, would you?
Staelwyrn: Pirates makin' off with our tools? Pfrewahl did well not to take matters into his own hands. Last thing I need is blood on my crops. Staelwyrn: But I'll be damned if Sevrin thinks he can take us for fools. His treachery won't go unpunished.
Just Deserts Staelwyrn has reason to believe that Sevrin is up to no good. Something must be done.
Staelwyrn: I've come to expect a great deal from you, lasslad, and you've never once let me down. Staelwyrn: Yet what I'd ask of you now goes beyond aught I've asked before. Would you hear my plea all the same? Staelwyrn: It eases my mind to have your ear. Staelwyrn: You're no doubt familiar with that scoundrel Sevrin by now. Staelwyrn: Well, the schemin' scapegrace is at it again. Since that letter came for him, he's been skulkin' about in that manner he does when he's up to no good. Staelwyrn: Now he's rounded up his rogues and buggered off, with nary a word to anyone. Staelwyrn: I've grown accustomed to his insolence, but somethin' tells me this is different. It ain't exactly damnin', but when last I had words with him, he didn't look defiant so much as hunted. I can't help thinkin' he's gone lookin' for trouble and found more than he wanted. Staelwyrn: So I was hopin' you might hunt his sorry hide down and drag it back here before it's too late. Staelwyrn: The ungrateful little cur bites me every chance he gets, but I can't quite bring myself to cut him loose. I s'pose he reminds me a bit of my younger self. Staelwyrn: Suffice it to say, I'd rather he didn't come to a sticky end. As for how to find him, I'd try askin' Grynewyda at the aetheryte. She was the last one to see him. Staelwyrn: I daresay she'll be able to tell you where he was headed.
Grynewyda: Nothing that passes through those gates escapes my notice! Grynewyda: I saw the rouser and his rabble set out for Woad Whisper Canyon not long ago, singing about drinking themselves stupider. Cheeky sods said I should join them! Grynewyda: I told them I'd rather shrivel up than sip whatever it was that had pickled their brains. If you find the idle swine, be sure and give them a cuff 'round the ear from me, will you?
Sevrin: It ain't safe here! Take the others an' get out while you still can!
Tattooed Man (Serpent Reaver): Resistance is futile!
Aylmer: Of all the dirty, deceitful, downright dastardly deeds that slippery bastard's done! Aylmer: Claimin' to take the lads out for a drink, only to lead us straight into a bloody trap! It don't get no lower than that! Aylmer: 'Course, I've learned to stay a step ahead of ol' Sevrin, so I was ready─but the others weren't so lucky. You've got to help 'em!
Sevrin: Can't move...my leg. Leave me. Save the others.
Tattooed Man (Serpent Reaver): At long last, you will have the dog's death you deserve...deserter.
Eyrimhus: My axe may as well've been a white flag for all the good it did... Hope you fare better, or the sorry bastards in there are done for.
Sozai Rarzai: Sevrin might've got us into this mess, but I ain't about to let him give his life for us. I'd sooner bow to a fishback than be in that connivin' bastard's debt! To arms!
Tattooed Man (Serpent Reaver): A true knave! You betray even yourself, Sevrin. Sevrin: Ugh... Tattooed Man (Serpent Reaver): We were prepared to overlook the matter of your desertion on the condition that you provided us with suitable replacements. That was the agreement. Tattooed Man (Serpent Reaver): Yet your latest change of heart leaves your debt to us unpaid.
Few are they who betray the Serpent Reavers twice. You will not do so a third time. Tattooed Man (Serpent Reaver): Cowering behind your protector will only delay the inevitable. Honorless wretch...your life is all you have left. Tattooed Man (Serpent Reaver): And worthless though it be, we shall take it! Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): O mournful voice of creation! Send unto me a creature of the abyss, my thrall to command, that I may smite mine enemies! Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): O mournful voice of creation! Grant ye this humble stone a soul, that it may wake to life!
Clay Golem: <rumble> <rumble> ??? (Black-masked Ascian): You are strong. But are you strong enough to withstand this? Clay Golem: Graaarrrgh! ??? (Black-masked Ascian): Surrender! Surrender to the Darkness! Clay Golem: <rumble> Clay Golem: GRAAARRRGGGH! ??? (Black-masked Ascian): Impossible! Never has the golem been so sorely tested!
Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): That the golem could be vanquished... Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): That womanman is no ordinary adventurer.
Y'shtola: <sigh> ...The snake slithered away. Y'shtola: I am only glad he did not have the chance to sink his fangs more deeply into you.
Y'shtola: Those pirates do not belong to any of the known Lominsan factions... Whom then do they serve? The beast tribes? Surely not. Y'shtola: But the timing of their appearance coincides all too neatly with the recent surge in Sahagin and kobold activity... Something is afoot. The question is: what? Y'shtola: ...Could it be that the tribes are planning to summon their primals? Y'shtola: Twelve help us if it should prove so. Limsa would be hard-pressed to keep a single primal at bay, let alone two. But all is yet speculation. I must needs find evidence.
Y'shtola: The seas continue to rise... Y'shtola: While the lesser moon continues to fall... Y'shtola: And ilm by ilm, the world becomes ever more unlike itself. Y'shtola: It is as Louisoix foretold... Y'shtola: The coming of chaos has rendered the laws of nature mutable, blurring the boundary between the material and aetherial planes... Little now stands between us and the primals. Y'shtola: ...But they are not here yet.
“Though time be against us, hope shall ever be on our side.” Y'shtola: Never did the creed of Sharlayan ring more true.
Y'shtola: Never did I dream that I would possess the means to see aether...yet now that I do, I do begin to take it for granted. How swiftly do the wonders of Sharlayan seem commonplace... Flower Girl: Um... Flower Girl: Here, for you. Have you come for the festivities? Flower Girl: Today the Maelstrom officially makes that great hole in the sea its training ground. Join in the celebrations! Y'shtola: Wait. A disturbance in the aetheric flow. But whence does it emanate? Y'shtola: ...Seasong Grotto, perhaps?
Y'shtola: What have we here...? Can you walk? Y'shtola: 'Tis I.
Regrettably, no. He eluded me.
Understood. I will inform the commodore. Y'shtola: You collapsed from your exertions. Are you suitably recovered? Y'shtola: Sevrin here has apprised me of all that transpired. His account shed some light upon how you came to be attacked by a golem of all things. Y'shtola: A golem is a mindless automaton, inert save when commanded to be otherwise. Common pirates could not hope to control such a thing, so arcane are its workings. Y'shtola: But then these tattooed wretches are no common pirates─they are the minions of the Sahagin. As to their purpose...well, I shall get to the bottom of it. Y'shtola: But first I must escort Sevrin back to his place of employment. I daresay Staelwyrn will be wondering what has become of him. Y'shtola: And you too, for that matter. I will bear word to him of your preservation, but I am certain he would like to thank you in person. Pray pay the man a visit. Y'shtola: Ah...he told me of you, but perchance he did not tell you of me. My name is Y'shtola. Y'shtola: I am...a naturalist of sorts, surveying the aether in the hope that it might offer up some clue as to our predicament. Sevrin: I'd say I owed you my life...but that don't cover it. If it weren't for you, my friends would be dead, an' all... Sevrin: 'Tis a debt I can never repay. But I'll not make things worse by runnin' away. Take me to Summerford Farms, an' I'll face the consequences. Y'shtola: For reasons I cannot fathom, you seem...
Forgive me. Mayhap we shall have a chance to speak again when I have marshaled my thoughts. Y'shtola: Until our paths next cross, farewell.
Sevrin: An' yours an' all, adventurer. I've caused more than my fair share o' trouble durin' my time here─not that you need tellin'.
Staelwyrn: Lo! I knew you'd return. Staelwyrn: Y'shtola delivered Sevrin a bit ago. Tales of your heroic deeds precede you! Staelwyrn: The rest came shufflin' back, too─the lot of 'em sportin' the same haunted expression. Sevrin: It's me who's to blame for that─that an' the rest. Sevrin: I was once a Serpent Reaver. Staelwyrn: ...A thrall to the Sahagin? Seven hells... Reavers may look and sound and act like pirates, but they're naught but the fishbacks' flunkies. Sevrin: Us pirates ain't much for laws, but there's things we won't do. We've got a code, see─but the Reavers've never followed a word of it. A few years back, they started snatchin' law-abidin' Lominsans. Sevrin: I'd only just taken my oath when our captain bent the knee to his new Sahagin masters. I knew I had to get away. Sevrin: So I crept off one night, got myself a new name, an' found myself a new home─Summerford Farms. Trouble is, secrets don't stay secret for long 'round here, an' word soon spread...all the way back to the sea. Sevrin: The penalty for desertion is death, but the Reavers offered me a way out instead─my freedom in exchange for my mates'. Staelwyrn: The letter... Sevrin: I dunno what I was thinkin'... <snort> I wasn't bloody thinkin'. Too busy soilin' meself. Staelwyrn: Aye, but you got there in the end, didn't you? When the time came, you made the right decision. Staelwyrn: The men say little to me, but I hear 'em talk of how you stood up to the Reavers at the last─of how you tried to give your life to save theirs. Sevrin: Be that as it may, no deed, however good, can atone for the crime of betrayin' your brethren. Sevrin: I know that─I do. That's why I'm going to hand myself over to the Yellowjackets. I'll bring shame to the farm no more. Staelwyrn: Hm. You'll hear no arguments from me. Each man must sail accordin' to his own moral compass. Staelwyrn: I just hope yours guides you back here someday. There will always be a place for you at Summerford Farms, lasslad. Sevrin: An' I'll always be in your debt, Staelwyrn.
Staelwyrn: I owe you a debt too, Forename. Not once have you let me down. Thank you for savin' the men of my farm. Staelwyrn: If I could ask one more favor of you, it'd be this: tell Baderon what's happened, from start to finish. I'm certain he'd put in a good word for Sevrin if he knew the whole story. Staelwyrn: And he's one of the few people I know who the Yellowjackets'll listen to. Staelwyrn: Well, I reckon I've asked all I can possibly ask of you. Safe travels, lassson.
Baderon: ...Bloody 'ells! Life on the farm ain't quite 'ow I pictured it! Baderon: Ah, but ye needn't worry yerself over young Sevrin. The Yellowjacket as 'ands out the punishments is a good mate o' mine. If I ask 'im nice, I reckon 'e'd be willin' to commute the lad's sentence from 'angin' to keelhaulin', kindly gent that 'e is.
...Ah, I'm only jestin' with ye! I'll see 'e's treated fair. Baderon: Now, it sounds to me like ye've done everythin' ol' Staelwyrn asked o' ye an' more─justifyin' me generous finder's fee in the process. Much obliged, lasslad! Baderon: As fer a reward...well, she's a lonely lady, this Drownin' Wench o' mine. 'Ow'd ye fancy keepin' 'er company fer a spell...with free room an' board? Baderon: 'Venturin's a tryin' business, after all. Them as don't rest their bones every now an' again tend to end up with broken ones. An' take it from me: fightin' ain't nearly so much fun when yer nursin' a shattered arm. Got that? Good. There'll always be a free bed fer ye, so make use of it. Baderon: Not that ye'll 'ave much time fer lyin' around, what with all the leves ye'll be doin'. Oh, didn't I mention? I'm puttin' yer name down fer leves. Baderon: Our guild draws all manner o' clients, offerin' all manner of odd jobs. Honestly, ye'd be amazed 'ow much folk'll pay to avoid doin' an honest day's labor. Baderon: Just give T'mokkri a shout whenever ye feel like makin' a few extra gil. She'll always 'ave some task or other fer ye to do. Baderon: Oh, an' it's all above board, 'case yer wonderin'. We're careful to stay on the Admiral's right side in 'ere─unlike some pirates I could mention... I tell ye, if it turns out they 'ad aught to do with them kidnappin's, there'll be seven hells to pay. A proper bleedin' reckonin'... Baderon: Mayhap that's what Limsa needs, though. On rough seas, sometimes ye 'ave to rock the boat to right it. Baderon: But we'll 'ave time fer such talk when yer well an' rested. Till then, enjoy the Wench's 'ospitality!
Sky-high Baderon, the proprietor of the Drowning Wench, has a suggestion to put you on the road towards new adventures.
Baderon: 'Ow do ye fare, Forename? Rested and ready to expand yer 'orizons? Baderon: Well, then, I've an idea o' where ye might try 'eadin' next. 'Ave ye 'eard o' the Skylift out in middle La Noscea? Baderon: If ye've ever visited Woad Whisper Canyon, then ye must've been up and down the thing at least once. It's that big bleedin' scaffoldin' attached to the Descent. Baderon: Ye've likely seen the lads and lasses out there usin' it to 'aul cargo up the cliff face. 'Ard labor, that, and I 'ear they could use an enterprisin' soul to pick up the odd jobs what no other bugger 'as time to deal with. Baderon: Track down the 'ead o' the operation─bloke by the name o' Wyrkrhit─and 'e'll be sure to put ye to work on a task or two.
Wyrkrhit: Baderon sent ye out here, did he? Then consider yerself welcome at the Skylift. Wyrkrhit: Look at that bloody cliff, will ye? One blast o' fiery hell from that huge dragon was all it took to split the ground in half. Wyrkrhit: Cargo still needs to get through, though, so this mess o' wood an' pulleys was our solution to the problem. Wyrkrhit: Well, one of 'em, at least. If the gods were kind─an' they ain't─I'd have about a dozen more workers to handle me growin' list o' headaches...
Thanks a Million Wyrkrhit, a Skylift operator, needs you to recover a cargo load abandoned by a terrified wagon driver and deliver it to its intended recipient.
Wyrkrhit: Glad I am to see ye again, lasslad. A wagon driver just returned in a great bloody hurry, screamin' about some monstrosity what sprang out from a millioncorn seedling in his cargo. Wyrkrhit: Seems the gutless bastard tossed it over the side afore turnin' tail an' runnin' for his life. I need ye to head down the road, recover that seedling, an' deliver it to Lyulf over at Swiftperch in western La Noscea. Wyrkrhit: Whatever he pays ye for the cargo is yers to keep. After all, I don't rightly know what else is lurkin' inside that plant, an' ye deserve to be rewarded for yer troubles. Wyrkrhit: Oh, an' ye'll also find an aetheryte in Swiftperch, so the journey should be worth yer while.
You sense a hostile presence!
Lyulf: Has Nymeia Herself forsaken this desolate land? Though I understood there were risks in gambling my entire fortune on a crop of millioncorn, I at least expected the seedling to be delivered before disaster struck!
Millioncorn Seedling This strain of millioncorn has been bred over generations to grow in even the rockiest of soils.
Lyulf: Is...is that my millioncorn seedling!? O joyous day! It may seem a paltry beginning, but the yield of this particular variety of crop plant is nothing short of astonishing. Lyulf: As you have undoubtedly noticed, Swiftperch lacks a certain, shall we say, vital energy? Thus I mean to restore a modicum of hope to its residents by growing a veritable ocean of corn! Lyulf: You, sir, seem fit to burst with vim and vigor! Might I persuade you to abide a while and help nurture this ailing settlement?
Relighting the Torch Fraeloef, a Yellowjacket on guard duty in Swiftperch, wants you to visit the Brewer's Beacon and investigate the reason behind the waning light.
Fraeloef: You there. Adventurer. Cast your eyes towards the Brewer's Beacon. Does the light not seem uncommonly weak? Fraeloef: It cannot possibly be bright enough to guide the ships sailing in the bay. I would march over to the lighthouse and investigate myself, but I am duty-bound to remain at my post. Fraeloef: I would consider it a favor if you could make a visit to the Brewer's Beacon and see if aught has befallen Khanswys, the lighthouse keeper.
Khanswys: Ye say a Yellowjacket sent ye here? Eh? Me light's grown dim, has it? Well, o' course it bloody has! Khanswys: The bomb what fuels me furnace has up an' buggered off, ye see. If I don't get that beacon fixed up soon, there'll be trouble on the water... Khanswys: I know yer just the messenger, lasslad, but I can tell a 'venturer when I see one. I'm goin' to need ye to chase down that bomb an' bring back a claw what ye ripped from its smolderin' corpse. Khanswys: Take this here iron brazier an' set her down in the middle o' the Flock─somewhere near the scarecrow, I'd say. Ye get a nice fire goin', an' that frisky bomb'll soon be about. Watch ye don't singe yer eyebrows, lasslad.
Iron Brazier When lit, this receptacle will not only produce light, but provide heat to the immediate area.
You sense a hostile presence!
Khanswys: All ye need do is take down that runaway bomb an' bring me one of its little claws.
Bomb Claw Unbearably hot to the touch, this remnant of a voidsent bomb will set aflame nearly anything it comes in contact with.
Khanswys: Ah, ye got the ashy bastard, did ye? Once I put this little firecracker in the furnace, that should keep things runnin' for a while. Khanswys: I had meself a bit of a look while ye was gone, an' Llymlaen curse me if the furnace weren't all bent an' broken. Small wonder the bloody bomb was able to escape. Khanswys: I patched things up as best I could, but I ain't no smitty. Ye might want to have a chat with that Yellowjacket friend o' yers in Swiftperch, an' have him pass the word back to someone in Limsa.
Fraeloef: The furnace is damaged, is it? Very well, I shall write up the relevant reports, but these repairs must needs be effected without delay. Fraeloef: It seems I have another favor to ask of you, adventurer. Take yourself straightway to the Armorers' Guild in Limsa Lominsa and explain the situation to Forgemaster H'naanza.
H'naanza: The furnace in the Brewer's Beacon needs repairs? Byregot's beard, I just sent someone out to tinker with it not a week past. Mayhap the bomb Khanswys had trapped in there was a touch too volatile...? H'naanza: I'll have an artisan visit the lighthouse and pay special attention to reinforcing the casing of that furnace. Your work is done here, adventurer. May the Navigator guide you on your journeys.
On to the Drydocks Forgemaster H'naanza, head of Naldiq & Vymelli's, wants you to assist with the workload over at the Moraby Drydocks.
H'naanza: What say you to taking on some work from Naldiq & Vymelli's? We've a great hulking warship to build and could certainly use an extra hand for any number of tasks. H'naanza: For your first job, I need you to run this missive over to Ahtbyrm, the head shipwright at the Moraby Drydocks. H'naanza: We forge most of the ship's bits and pieces here at the Armorers' Guild, but the actual construction takes place at the docks found in the south of lower La Noscea. H'naanza: That's also where you'll find the main offices of Naldiq & Vymelli's. The Moraby Drydocks is one of Limsa Lominsa's most important districts─at least as far as I'm concerned─and I'm sure you'll not regret attuning yourself to the area's aetheryte. H'naanza: If you've no confidence in your sense of direction, you'd be best served making use of the chocobo porters. First floor of the Mizzenmast, in case you were wondering. H'naanza: Should you choose to make the trek on your own two feet, leave the city through the Tempest Gate and follow the road south. May the Navigator guide your steps.
Ahtbyrm: You have a missive for me from Forgemaster H'naanza? I assume it pertains to the pending arrival of the materials I ordered over a moon past. Let's see it, then.
Naldiq & Vymelli Missive An important message entrusted to you by Naldiq & Vymelli's forgemaster, H'naanza with orders to deliver it to Victory shipwright Ahtbyrm.
Ahtbyrm: Blast and botheration! Another delay? I am well aware of the shortage of skilled artisans, but this is insufferable! Ahtbyrm: <sigh> My apologies. The messenger does not deserve to bear the brunt of my frustration. Might I have your name? Ahtbyrm: Forename, is it? Well, Forename, this proud maiden you see taking shape before you is the Victory, the first new vessel to grace the docks since the Calamity. Ahtbyrm: We may have lost the bulk of our ships that fateful day, but starting with this beauty, we will restore the Maelstrom's fleet to its former glory. The Victory is more than a simple warship─it is the symbol of Limsa Lominsa's rebirth from the wreckage wrought by the coming of the Seventh Umbral Era. Ahtbyrm: Thus we are striving to complete her construction as swiftly as possible, even going so far as to hire veteran shipwrights from outside the thalassocracy. Ahtbyrm: Yet even with such unprecedented measures, there are never enough hands to handle the abundance of tasks. Should you choose to linger at the docks for a time, there is no end of odd jobs for a hardworking adventurer. Be you fair warned─there is no place here for layabouts and troublemakers.
Without a Doubt Ahtbyrm is looking for a member of his crew and the items he was supposed to deliver.
Ahtbyrm: Where in the seven hells is that man!? Not once in twelve moons has he been late with a shipment, and now two whole turns of the sun without a single word. Ahtbyrm: A shipwright of mine─a young man named Fyrilsmyd─recently left Candlekeep Quay to retrieve several crates of supplies ordered from Limsa Lominsa...but has yet to return. Ahtbyrm: I have sent several missives to Haldbroda, but his replies are always the same. He does not recall ever seeing the wright, nor the supplies he was scheduled to collect. That man knows something, and I severely doubt he is telling me the whole truth. Ahtbyrm: As I cannot leave my post, I would ask you to travel to Candlekeep Quay in my stead and inform Haldbroda that if he insists on playing these games, I will personally see that he is transferred to Turtleback Island, where he can rot alone in the middle of the sea for eternity.
Haldbroda: Eh? Does that self-righteous dog Ahtbyrm doubt that I've never told him anything less than the truth!?
You question Haldbroda. Haldbroda: Turtleback Island!? He cannot do that...can he? Haldbroda: I swear on my poor nana's grave, Navigator rest her soul, I know naught of this Fyrilsmyd, nor his precious supplies. Haldbroda: Hells, we here at the Quay have had enough trouble these past few suns, what with the sinking of that Lominsan cargo ship off the Salt Strand. I haven't the time to take a proper piss, let alone make note of every scrag that wanders in off the Grip.
Righting the Shipwright Haldbroda has a suggestion for the kind adventurer who came bearing foreman Ahtbyrm's message.
Haldbroda: Now, the way I see it, if you have time to be standing here questioning my character, then you most certainly have the time to get that arse of yours down to the Salt Strand and help us search for survivors of the wreck. Haldbroda: Who knows? You may just run across this Fyrilsmyd everyone seems so eager to find. Here's to hoping the Navigator hasn't found him first.
Fyrilsmyd: Aye, I'm Fyrilsmyd. Ye say the foreman's wonderin' on me whereabouts? I thought he might be. But ye must know, I cannot show me face at the Drydocks until I've righted the terrible wrong I caused. Fyrilsmyd: Two nights past, I made the trip from the Drydocks to Candlekeep Quay, just as the foreman asked. The seas were right rough, and the cap'n of the cargo ship was wary of bringin' her too close to the cliffs, so I paid a few coins to a fisher to take me out to meet her. Fyrilsmyd: By the time we was halfway 'twixt shore and ship, the swells had risen to nigh on ten yalms, and 'twasn't long afore the waves had hold of us. Try as we might to steady the boat, nature's grip was too tight, and we was flung headlong into the Lominsan galley. Fyrilsmyd: When I awoke, both ships were gone, and the cargo I was to collect lay strewn across the Salt Strand. I's made every effort to salvage it, but the sands are crawlin' with Qiqirn, and I ain't a one with a sword. And now ye see why it is I cannot return to the Drydocks...
You are discovered by a Qiqirn!
Fyrilsmyd: That night, I was tossed into the sea like some doll of rags, and it weren't long afore the world 'round me faded to black as I slipped deeper into the abyss. But lo, the Navigator wouldn't see me to the gates of the seven hells, and I woke to find meself washed ashore. And here I's been, ever since, waitin' for a chance to salvage me master's cargo.
Folded Sailcloth A piece of nautical equipment intended for the Victory and sought after by shipwright Fyrilsmyd.
Brass Helm Wheel A piece of nautical equipment intended for the Victory and sought after by shipwright Fyrilsmyd.
Knot of Tangled Rigging A piece of nautical equipment intended for the Victory and sought after by shipwright Fyrilsmyd.
Fyrilsmyd: The missin' parts! I-I don't know how I can repay you! Fyrilsmyd: I'll deliver the supplies right away...but first I must stop by the Quay so that I might pay me respects to the widow of the brave fisher who gave his life fer a handful o' coin. Fyrilsmyd: Could ye tell Ahtbyrm that I'll be back at the Drydocks by nightfall? Many thanks, adventurer! I will not forget this kindness!
Ahtbyrm: I am relieved to hear that both Fyrilsmyd and the supplies are unharmed, though it was foolish for him to believe that I would blame him for that which was obviously out of his hands. Ahtbyrm: You see, there was no storm that day, and the seas here adjacent the Drydocks were as calm as a slumbering child. This leads me to believe that the trouble the ships encountered off Candlekeep Quay was of a less natural sort─the sort which the Sahagin have been known to conjure.
Do Angry Pirates Dream Victory foreman Ahtbyrm is considering recommending you for an important job involving drydock security.
Ahtbyrm: Forename. While I originally had doubts about your motives, you have repeatedly proven yourself an asset to Naldiq & Vymelli's. I still do not like you, but that does not mean I do not trust you. Ahtbyrm: Ghimthota, head of the watch here at the Drydocks, believes that pirates may be plotting an attack on the Victory, and she requires assistance investigating a group of unsavory individuals making camp nearby. I have recommended you for the task. Ahtbyrm: Despite all Limsa Lominsa endured before, during, and following the Calamity, the fact that there are still those who would turn their backs on the city-state so that they might line their pockets with a few handfuls of coin... Just the thought of it sickens me.
Ghimthota: Ah, yes. I had a feeling you would be the one Ahtbyrm sent. Since you first arrived at the Moraby Drydocks, I have had my men watch you. Oh, there's no need to get angry. I make it a point to keep an eye on all those new to the area. It is simply protocol. Ghimthota: And you'll be pleased to know that nothing...incriminating was found. You appear to be a model citizen. That, and the foreman seems to think somewhat highly of you...which I must admit is quite shocking. The man doesn't even trust his own mother. Ghimthota: Very well, then. I assume Ahtbyrm informed you of what your task would entail. The pirates we believe are conspiring to raid the Drydocks were last seen making camp near an ancient stone called the mark of the Spinner. I would have you approach the men, posing as a lost adventurer, and see if you cannot somehow learn of their intentions. C'nangho stationed at the rear gates can provide you with an exact location of the camp.
C'nangho: Forename! Ha ha! I knew it! No more sardines for C'nangho. Tonight, I shall dine on the finest salmon on the peninsula! Why? Well, I had a little wager going with some of the other guards on who Ahtbyrm would recommend for the next job. My money was on you! C'nangho: Ah, the job. Yes, of course. If you follow the road past the gates to the southeast, you will eventually come to a barren cape with a single large stone half-buried in the cliff overlooking the sea. Followers of the Twelve say it's a holy place dedicated to Nymeia, the Spinner. I'd be surprised if the pirates camped up there were aware of that, though.
Loyal Scrag: What do we 'ave 'ere? A li'l lost lamb come lookin' for 'er'is mummy? We's a nice fire goin'. Why not come and sit yer tender arse down by old One-Tooth? I'll keep ye all warm an' toasty, like. Heh heh heh.
Loyal Scrag: Bugger off, ye unbloodied whelp. Ye reek of an old maid's teats, and it's makin' me wine taste more sour than it already is.
Disreputable Pirate: I'm givin' ye to the count of nine to step back on that path, and carry yer 'venturin' arse back down to whatever rock it is ye crawled out from under. Disreputable Pirate: Ye see, I's 'ad it up to me ears with yer type, roamin' the 'ills like they was yers to roam. It's gettin' to be that a man cannae enjoy a mug o' rum wivout some shite-breath outlander runnin' up askin' which is the way to the local levemete. Seven 'ells if I know! I'm a bloody pirate, godsdammit! Disreputable Pirate: Thal's balls! Once we 'ave me boy back, I'm puttin' this godsforsaken piss'ole of an island so far behind me, ain't no one'll remember I was ever 'ere. Come on, scrags. We's knives to sharpen.
Ghimthota: So the trespassers are indeed pirates, and they are indeed planning something. But what is this talk of getting “me boy back”? Ghimthota: Could it be that their target never was the Victory? Ghimthota: Something is not right, and I won't sit by idly waiting for those pirates to make the first move. I shall order increased patrols immediately. Thank you again for your help, Forename. It appears we were wise to put our trust in you.
Victory in Peril Ghimthota, a captain of the watch at the Moraby Drydocks, wishes your aid in dealing with potential intruders.
Ghimthota: I am concerned, Forename. It appears that the pirates I had you investigate are on the move. Ghimthota: They creep ever closer to the Drydocks, so I must assume they mean to target the Victory herself. Ghimthota: That ship is the symbol of everything Limsa Lominsa strives to become, and I will not allow these base scoundrels to lay a single finger upon her hull. Ghimthota: We must apprehend them before they put their plans into motion! And you, Forename, are just the womanman to do it. Ghimthota: Without your capable assistance, I fear the security of the Drydocks cannot be guaranteed. Ghimthota: Not moments ago, my guards submitted reports of suspicious activity in the area. Pray begin your efforts by listening to one of their accounts firsthand. Ghimthota: It matters not whom you choose to speak with, but be sure to question either Urswyrst at the front gate or C'nangho at the rear. Ghimthota: Any suspect saboteurs you encounter during the course of your investigation are to be interrogated. Report any and all findings directly to me.
Urswyrst: Ghimthota sent you to follow up on my report? Urswyrst: Well, it was not too long ago that I saw some unsavory sort slinking along the top of the bluff near Empty Heart, just over yonder. Urswyrst: It may be that he's still about. If you've got the time, adventurer, I'd much appreciate you getting up there to take a look.
C'nangho: Hail, adventurer. Glad to have another hand aboard to help shore up security. C'nangho: The gods know our reports would sit on Ghimthota's desk gathering dust if it weren't for the assistance of those such as yourself. C'nangho: Speaking of reports, though, I saw one of those mangy pirates lurking around the cliff near Empty Heart. I'd take a closer look before he has a chance to cover his tracks.
Shifty-eyed Sailor: Bah, spotted me, did ye? Well, yer too late─what's to 'appen is already 'appenin'.
Ghimthota: So, you found me one of those pirates, did you? Ghimthota: I knew you were the right adventurer to ask for aid. Ghimthota: But what could these knaves be planning? “What's to happen is already happening”...? Storm Soldier: Captain! Ungh... Trouble...at the shipyard... <pant> Ghimthota: Easy now, soldier. Who did this to you? Storm Soldier: <pant> Pirates... Out of nowhere... <cough> Stuck me good... Ghimthota: Gods below, we are not prepared for this! Ghimthota: The pirates, soldier, how many do they number? Storm Soldier: Not sure... More than I could quickly count... Seemed to be carrying...explosives... Ghimthota: Explosives!? Then there is no time to lose! Ghimthota: Forename, you heard the situation. Make your way to the shipyard and engage these intruders! Ghimthota: I will see to this man's wounds, then follow after. Ghimthota: Make haste, now!
Roegadyn Axeman: P-P-Pirates! Frightened Roegadyn: Go on, then! Knock some sense into them! Frightened Miqo'te: Perhaps this isn't the best place to hide... Roegadyn Axewoman: The docks... You must... secure the... <cough>
Ahtzapfyn: Gahahaha! Never reckoned it'd be this easy! Still don't trust those slimy bastards, but their plan worked like a charm! Ahtbyrm: Da! What are you doing, you great bloody fool!? Ahtzapfyn: Shut yer trap, boy. Ahtzapfyn: This'll all be over soon. All that's left now is to blow this ugly pile o' driftwood into splinters. Ahtbyrm: Why would you do such a thing!? Have you any idea how important this ship is? What it represents? Ahtzapfyn: Aye, an' that's what makes it all the sweeter! Whatever it takes to knock some sense into me treacherous, backstabbin' son! Ahtzapfyn: Imagine, a boy o' mine givin' up the pirate life to become a shipwright! An' buildin' a bleedin' Maelstrom vessel at that! What under Llymlaen's wide, green ocean made ye take up with these self-righteous shites!? Ahtbyrm: You're the one with no bloody sense, Da! Don't you see? The pirates had their glory days, but that era is over! Ghimthota: Ah! I wondered why Ahtbyrm never spoke of his father. I never would have thought... Ahtzapfyn: This ship's a symbol alright─of everythin' what went wrong with the world. An' I mean to shatter it into a hunnerd thousand pieces! Ahtbyrm: Ghimthota! Forename! Pray beat the tar out of this bloated sea slug, and make sure no harm comes to the Victory!
Ahtbyrm: Da, this is madness! Ahtzapfyn the Absorbed: A pirate don't abandon 'is treasures! Ahtbyrm: My father... You must stop him! Storm Captain Ghimthota Sthalmoenwyn: Leave him to us.
Forename, C'nangho, to me! Mamool Ja Mercenary Head: As we agreed, Ahtzapfyn! Storm Private C'nangho Enah: Mamool Ja mercenaries!? Storm Captain Ghimthota Sthalmoenwyn: I'll take the Mamool Ja. You focus on Ahtzapfyn. Miqo'te Axewoman: <pant> <pant> Hyuran Axeman: Me gut... Wafufu: Take me, but leave the lunches! Ahtzapfyn the Absorbed: Ye've no idea who yer up against! Storm Private C'nangho Enah: Ware, adventurer!
Ahtzapfyn has a crazy glint in his eye... Ahtzapfyn the Absorbed: Now, outta me damn way! Ahtbyrm: Please! You cannot let him win! Storm Captain Ghimthota Sthalmoenwyn: Protect the ship... Storm Private C'nangho Enah: Captain, I...ugh...
Ahtzapfyn: I...I must be gettin' old, lettin' some green 'venturer get the best o' me. Ahtbyrm: Da... Ahtzapfyn: <cough> That's one big bloody ship. Big...an' nasty lookin'. Ye made that, did ye...?
Ahtbyrm: My thanks, Forename. I shudder to think what may have become of the Victory without your intervention. Ahtbyrm: <sigh> The pirates have made a right mess of things─I'd best get to sorting out the docks. Ahtbyrm: ...And my thoughts could use some sorting out as well. Ever did my father have a way of turning my life upside down. Ahtbyrm: Pray convey my thanks─and my apologies─to Ghimthota.
Ghimthota: How fare you, Forename? I cannot begin to thank you for the role you played in preventing this madness. Ghimthota: You defended more than a simple ship─you saved the budding hope of Limsa Lominsa from a violent demise. The day was yours. Ghimthota: It seems our security regimen will require much in the way of improvement if we are to truly keep the Drydocks safe. Ghimthota: ...Ahtbyrm apologizes? Well, I suppose I can understand why he would feel responsible for his father's actions. Of all those involved, this incident was hardest on him. Ghimthota: But, in time, I believe he will come to a single conclusion: the most fitting way of moving past his anguish is to see the Victory completed and in the water. Ghimthota: Ah, by the by, the pirates we defeated have been handed over to the Yellowjackets. Reyner's men will be taking over the investigation. Ghimthota: Before the Yellowjackets moved in, however, we recovered a most unusual object. Should you have the time to spare, I would ask of you another favor...
Men of the Blue Tattoos Ghimthota wishes to entrust you with an important task.
Ghimthota: Forename. In light of your role in recent events, there are few others to whom I would entrust this task. Ghimthota: Since last we spoke, a curious missive has been discovered amongst the personal effects of Ahtzapfyn, the pirate behind the plot to sabotage the Victory. Ghimthota: This missive was penned in the most unusual script─a script we believe to be some manner of code. Ghimthota: Needless to say, anything which a proven enemy of Limsa Lominsa deems worthy of enciphering is like to be of great interest to the Maelstrom. Unfortunately, none among us can make any sense of the message. Ghimthota: In cases such as this, I am told the Yellowjackets are wont to turn to Baderon and his convenient...connections. Ghimthota: Thus I would have you deliver this missive to the proprietor of the Drowning Wench. Into his hand, and no other, do you understand?
Ghimthota: I would thank you again for rescuing the Victory from an explosive end, but mere words could never fully express my gratitude. Ghimthota: The pirates' attempt at sabotaging the hope of Limsa Lominsa may have failed, but they did succeed in exposing the chinks in the armor of our vigilance. If we are to prevent any such incident from happening again, we cannot allow our lack of resources to serve as an excuse for negligence.
Baderon: Ahoy there, Forename! I've been 'earin' about your deeds at the Drydocks! Baderon: Ahtbyrm laid out the entire tale fer me. Poor sod was still reelin' at 'is old man's part in the business, but at least ye kept the Victory from bein' sunk afore she'd sailed. Baderon: An' fer that, I owe ye me thanks! Baderon: Ye've really made a name fer yerself 'ere in Limsa, lasslad. Folk know that when they need summat doin'─ Baderon: Eh? You need summat doin'? An' what might that be?
Arcane Epistle Whatever language this missive is written in, it is one you are not familiar with.
Baderon: ...Ye want someone to read a message writ in funny letters fer ye? An' Ghimthota thought I might know a man as could? Well, let's see it, then! Baderon: Aye... Baderon: ...I reckon I might know a canny bugger what can read stuff like this. Ugly sod by the name o' Baderon. Baderon: Ye know, yer like one o' me regulars now, Forename. Baderon: Ye've never let me down yet, an', Navigator 'elp me, I reckon I can trust ye. Baderon: Ghimthota was right to want this message deciphered... We've got us some trouble brewin', 'ere, an' no mistake. Get ready fer action, an' I'll explain.
Feint and Strike Baderon has a task for a trusted adventurer.
Baderon: Good to 'ave ye aboard, lasslad. Now then...where to start? Baderon: Back when I was younger an' nastier, I earned me livin' as a sellsword. In that business, if ye wanted to know what yer enemy was up to, you 'ad to learn to read the orders ye prised from the cold dead 'ands of 'is mates. That's 'ow I came to know 'ow to read yer message. Baderon: Truth be told, the script was only too bloody familiar. Them's Sahagin letters, lasslad. An' I should know─I've gutted more fishback messengers than I can count. Baderon: It gets worse, though... The plan to blow up the Victory is all in 'ere, right down to the fine details. Baderon: Looks like they meant to raise eight kinds of 'ell in western La Noscea, then 'it the Maelstrom's new flagship in the confusion. Baderon: The point bein', the attack on the Victory weren't the act of a few rebellious pirates─'twas a key part o' some canny bastard's grand plan. Baderon: But if I'm readin' this aright, the attack itself came much too early. I'll wager they panicked when they saw ye was on to 'em, rushed in to do the job, an' buggered it up. Baderon: Hmmm... Them tattoo-faced bastards as they say was payin' Ahtbyrm's old man, they're with the Serpent Reavers, right? ...But none o' their crew was there, was they? Did they 'ave summat better to do, or what? Baderon: ...Seven 'ells! I've got it all backwards! That mess at the Victory─that was meant to be the bloody distraction! Baderon: The fishbacks ain't interested in the Maelstrom's baby! They're after men, just like they've always been. They're sendin' their pirate lackeys after a civilian target. Baderon: This bit about raisin' 'ell in western La Noscea...that's where it'll be. Summat tells me Swiftperch is about to get 'it, an' 'it 'ard! Baderon: 'Ere's a rough translation o' the message. Baderon: Take it to Commodore Reyner at the Coral Tower, an' tell 'im 'e's in fer a busy day. Baderon: Oh, an' give 'im an 'and, eh? Ye can be damn sure 'e'll need one.
Reyner: Yes, I am Reyner. Ah, you must be the adventurer whose name seems to be on everyone's lips. Reyner: You are to be commended for your part in thwarting the plot to destroy the Victory. Now, what can I do for you this day? Reyner: You bear an urgent message from Baderon? Why do I get the feeling that my hopes for a quiet morningafternoonevening are about to be cruelly dashed? Tell me, what is afoot?
Baderon's Jottings A small slip of paper with Drowning Wench proprietor Baderon Tenfingers's unintelligible writing scrawled all about it.
Reyner: An assault on Swiftperch!? But we've seen nothing to suggest the Serpent Reavers are massing for an attack. Reyner: Even so, it would be foolish to discount the possibility─Baderon is rarely wrong about such matters. Reyner: I will marshal the Yellowjackets for battle immediately. Reyner: The only question is where to send them. While I concur with Baderon's assessment that the attack on the Drydocks was intended as a diversion, Swiftperch is but one of several possible targets for the main thrust. Yellowjacket: Commodore, sir! Reyner: Report. Yellowjacket: It's the Sahagin, sir! They've mounted a large-scale assault on South Tidegate, and threaten to overwhelm our defenses within the day. The garrison requests immediate reinforcements. Reyner: By the Navigator... It seems my decision has been made for me. Reyner: Muster the troops and give the order to march. Reyner: Aye, the Serpent Reavers are in league with the Sahagin. Reyner: ...Which means there is every chance this assault on Tidegate may yet prove to be another feint. The fact remains, however, that we can ill afford to ignore it. And that leaves Swiftperch vulnerable to those pirate traitors. Reyner: It is at times such as these that I wish the Warriors of Light yet walked among us. But wishes will avail us naught. Surname, you must serve in their absence. Make for Swiftperch with all haste and lend your strength to the squads I can spare for the settlement's defense.
Glazrael: Feint after bloody feint! Those pirates are getting too damn clever by half!
Yellowjacket: You've come to aid with the defense? Then well met, and well come!
Yellowjacket: Come on, you gutless bastards! Let's see how you fare against trained soldiers!
Ryssfloh: Commodore Reyner sent word we'd be getting reinforcements, but I didn't expect him to send you! You certainly look like you've seen your share of action, though─you bear little resemblance to the wide-eyed whelp I met fresh off the ferry. Ryssfloh: In any case, do you know what you're fighting for here? This place─Swiftperch─it was rebuilt by folk who stood strong in the face of every hardship the Calamity threw their way. Ryssfloh: And we're not about to let some fish-fancying scum claim the honor of being the ones who finally broke their spirits. Don't give those pirate bastards one bloody ilm, you hear me?
Glazrael: Here they come! Serpent Reaver Deckhand: 'Ere now, I thought all them Yellowjacket worms was meant to be busy. That useless scrag ain't followed the plan, 'as 'e? Serpent Reaver Deckhand: Now what? Pull back and wait for our Sahagin brothers? Baenryss: Piss on that! We ain't turnin' back empty-handed! Baenryss: Remember, no killin' the smallfolk, or it'll be your blood what stains Lord Leviathan's altars! Baenryss: The Yellowbellies ye can butcher at will! Them dirt-eatin' slugs'll be crushed under the full might o' the Serpent Reavers! Ryssfloh: Seems Swiftperch was the main target after all, eh? Ryssfloh: Squads One and Two, protect the townsfolk! Squad Three, you're our rear guard! Ryssfloh: The rest of you─we meet their charge where we stand! Let us bear the commodore word of our victory, or no word at all! Yellowjacket Infantry: For Limsa Lominsa! Baenryss: Rargh! I'll gut all you Yellowbellies an' dance on yer gizzards!
Ryssfloh: Leave no pirate scum standing! Show 'em how a Yellowjacket fights! Glazrael Saltwind: Bwahaha! Time to split some heads, adventurer! Let's start with the frontline fodder! Ryssfloh: More of the bastards!? Come on, then! Yellowjacket: So cold... Yellowjacket: I'm done for... Ryssfloh: Traitorous snakes! Glazrael Saltwind: You're mine! Baenryss of the Deep: All right, ye scurvy bastards... Here's a trick to make ye soil yer breeches! Yellowjacket: So cold... Baenryss of the Deep: Dweller o' the Abyss, yer master calls! Heed me words an' smite me foes! Ryssfloh: Is that a bloody voidsent!? Hold steady, lads! Glazrael Saltwind: Keep on pummeling him! He can't take much more of this! Glazrael Saltwind: Least I went down fighting... Ryssfloh: Damn...
Ryssfloh: Well fought─the Reavers are beaten and scattered. Ryssfloh: I'll take some men and hunt down the stragglers. Oh, but there may be more of them lurking about, so don't let your guard down just yet. Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): The source of her(.+) strength becomes clear... Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): You may have bested the golem, but you will not fare so well this day. Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): O mournful voice of creation! Send unto me a creature of the abyss, my thrall to command, that I may smite mine enemies! Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): Your very being imperils the plan. You cannot be suffered to live.
Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): Soon, you shall take your vile gifts to the grave! Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): Mwahahaha! Writhe as the venom eats its way through your veins! Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): Whence springs this preternatural might!? Y'shtola: A fearsome opponent...against whom you shall not stand alone! Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): An unwelcome guest. No matter, all shall fall before me! Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): No mortal should possess such strength! Y'shtola: His power wanes! Afford him no chance to recover!
Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): Unnngh... That the wisdom of the Paragons should be brought low...by mere mortals... Y'shtola: “Paragons,” did he say? Then it is as I feared. Y'shtola: They are known as the Bringers of Chaos...or Ascians, to give them their proper name. Y'shtola: It would seem our suspicions were correct─it is they who have been manipulating the beast tribes. Y'shtola: Pardon? You would know if we Sharlayans have encountered Ascians before?
...I have never spoken to you of my homeland. How did you know whence I hail? Y'shtola: Wait. I do begin to see. You have been blessed with a special gift. Ryssfloh: Are you all right, lasslad!? If I'd known a mean bugger like that was hiding in the bushes, I would've left a squad or six to keep you company. Ryssfloh: Well, at least now we can call this kidnapping investigation to a close. Those Reavers were the ones spiriting folk away in the dead of night, and this bastard here was pulling all the strings. Y'shtola: A trifle simplistic, but not inaccurate. Y'shtola: I came as soon as I sensed his presence, but I never thought to find such a scene of carnage. Yet we prevailed. And thanks to your heroic actions, I have learned much. Ryssfloh: Aye, “heroic” is the word. I don't want to think about what would've happened if you hadn't been here, friend. Ryssfloh: And your assistance is much appreciated, too, Lady Y'shtola. Please give our regards to the Scions. Y'shtola: I am glad to have played a role in bringing what I hope is an end to this disturbing spate of abductions. Y'shtola: The thread of your fate forms a part of a most intriguing tapestry. Mayhap we will be afforded the chance to speak more in the near future. Y'shtola: For now, however, you must see this particular tale to its conclusion. Pray send my greetings to Commodore Reyner.
Reyner: Surname, eagerly have I awaited your return! Reyner: Word of your exploits is already spreading through the ranks. My troops and I owe you a great debt of gratitude for your timely assistance. Reyner: You have shown yourself to be possessed of a sure arm, a strong spirit, and sound judgment. Would that Limsa Lominsa had more of your like. Reyner: I have little doubt that you shall one day join the ranks of Eorzea's greatest adventurers. It is but a matter of time. Reyner: Clearly, Baderon's eye for potential remains as sharp as ever, though I doubt even he imagined you capable of such feats. Reyner: Might you favor me with your own account of the day's events? Such victories bear retelling!
Reyner: Y'shtola has been working with us for quite some time, you see. Reyner: And she was only too willing to assist the Yellowjackets in the kidnapping investigation, proving herself a stalwart ally of Limsa Lominsa yet again. Reyner: Needless to say, after your part in thwarting the attempted sabotage of the Victory, and the small matter of your deeds at Swiftperch, you too have proven yourself a valued friend of the thalassocracy. Yellowjacket: Admiral! Reyner: May I present to you Admiral Bloefhiswyn. Merlwyb: So this is the adventurer I've been reading about in the field reports. Merlwyb: I am Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn, Admiral of Limsa Lominsa. Merlwyb: On behalf of my people, I bid you thanks for the deeds you have done this day. Merlwyb: A token of our gratitude. What worth is high regard without just reward, after all? Ha! Merlwyb: Since you first set foot in our city, my good friend Baderon and Commodore Reyner have taken turns at regaling me with tales of your exploits. Merlwyb: Safe to say, they left an impression. Join me at the coming banquet. Merlwyb: A seat of honor at the celebratory feast is the least I can offer the womanman who foiled the Sahagin. Yellowjacket: Oho! Yellowjacket: A seat at the feast! Merlwyb: Oh, and don't be late. Merlwyb: Your fellow guests will be eager to take the measure of their newest hero, and some do not take kindly to being kept waiting. Till then, may you walk in the light of the Crystal.
High Society Commodore Reyner wishes to speak with you regarding the forthcoming banquet.
Reyner: I am not sure you understand just how unusual it is for the Admiral to invite an adventurer to a state banquet. Reyner: It is a highly coveted honor. Why, even the officers under her direct command are rarely afforded such recognition! Reyner: But I will not deny you have earned it. Many of the tasks you have performed in service to the thalassocracy have been both difficult and dangerous. Reyner: This is a reward for all of your efforts─a nod to your many achievements, both large and small. Reyner: Has the enormity of this moment yet to sink in? Perchance you will realize its significance when you stand before the assembled dignitaries of Limsa Lominsa! ...And now that I have imagined the scene, I realize that you will require attire suitable for the occasion. Reyner: I suggest you visit the Wench and see what Baderon can arrange. He is surprisingly knowledgeable about such things.
Baderon: Well, well...if it ain't Merlwyb's guest of 'onor! 'Obnobbin' with the 'igh an' mighty, now, is it? Baderon: I tell ye, lasslad, I damn near snorted ale out me nose when I 'eard the news. Ye've come a long bloody way, you 'ave, an' that's the truth. Baderon: Well, one thing's fer sure─ye'll not want fer decent grub. These banquets are catered by the bleedin' Bismarck, no less. Baderon: 'Tis a grand chance to fill yer belly to burstin' with fine an'─more importantly─free food. Baderon: But we can't have ye turnin' up in yer shite-caked 'venturin' gear. Baderon: No, the 'ero o' the hour needs to 'ave a touch o' refinement about 'er'im─if only to stop folk complainin' when she'e stuffs 'er'is face with cake. Take yerself over to the Octant an' speak to J'nasshym o' the Brugaire Consortium. She'll furnish ye with summat ladylikegentlemanly to wear. Baderon: I've already 'ad a word with 'er, so all ye need do is pick up the goods, then bring 'em back 'ere, so as I can tell ye what's what.
J'nasshym: Good morningdayevening, misssir. I assume you're the underdressed “lady“gentleman”” Baderon mentioned? J'nasshym: <sniff> I see he was not exaggerating... J'nasshym: Ahem. I've chosen these especially for your debut in polite society. Fear not, I'm certain you will absolutely adore them.
Baderon: Been to see J'nasshym, 'ave ye? Let's 'ave that box, then.
Raxa-lined Box A small lockbox entrusted to you by J'nasshym of the Brugaire Consortium.
Baderon: 'Ere we go...a nice pair o' dress shoes fer ye. Baderon: A lassbloke mightn't 'ave much else to 'er'is name, but so long as she's'e's got a decent pair o' shoes on 'er'is feet, there ain't nowhere she'e can't go. Baderon: Think of 'em as a gift from me an' all the other folk ye've done right by along the way. Baderon: Aye, aye...'tis a very movin' gesture, I know. Just don't go wellin' up on me, eh? Wouldn't do fer Limsa's new 'ero to turn up at the banquet soaked in 'er'is own tears an' snot. Anyroad, that's yer garb sorted. Now, ye just need to settle yer nerves. Tell me when yer ready, an' I'll tell ye where yer meant to go.
A Mizzenmast Repast Baderon wants you to let him know when you are ready to depart for the banquet.
Baderon: Yer ready, then, are ye? Good. The banquet'll be startin' soon. If ye'd waited any longer, I'd've considered it me civic duty to 'it ye over the 'ead an' drag ye there. Baderon: Now, make sure yer wearin' them fancy shoes when ye turn up, all right? Carryin' 'em won't do no good. They're meant to make ye look like a ladygentleman, remember, not a lady'sgentleman's bleedin' lackey. Baderon: As fer directions, the feast's bein' 'eld on the Bridge, in the Admiral's briefin' room. Baderon: Speak with Zanthael in Bulwark Hall, an' 'e'll show ye the way. Baderon: Just keep that 'ead 'eld 'igh, lasslad. After everythin' ye've done fer Limsa, ye've good reason to be proud─an' don't let no 'ighborn bugger tell ye different.
Zanthael: Dress shoes... Fancy dress shoes. An adventurer wearing fancy dress shoes... Zanthael: Godsdammit, Baderon, why could you not have told me this mysterious guest's name, or their hair color, or even their bloody gender!? I'd have settled for a distinctive facial scar! I know nothing about shoes, much less fancy─ What? You say you're the adventurer I'm looking for? Zanthael: Then where are these “fancy dress shoes” that Baderon described to me in such excruciatingly unhelpful detail? Surely you didn't...? Ahem. He mentioned that if you were so careless as to misplace them, I was supposed to tell you to “get your arse back to J'nasshym, and beg fer another pair.” I never imagined I'd actually have to say it, though...
J'nasshym: What's this? Are you struggling to tell me you have lost the fine pair of shoes I chose especially for you? J'nasshym: Fortunately, I have another such pair available. You may have them out of the kindness of my heart...and the loathing in my soul I bear for your usual “attire.”
Zanthael: Dress shoes... Fancy dress shoes. An adventurer wearing fancy dress shoes... Zanthael: Oh! Now those are some fancy dress shoes. Come, adventurer, I will show you to the briefing room.
Merlwyb: Brothers and sisters of the sea! Merlwyb: Join me now in honoring this womanman for herhis services to our great nation! Merlwyb: May the Navigator guide and protect herhim on herhis journey till sea swallows all!
Merlwyb: These pirates you encountered with the tattooed faces... They call themselves the “Serpent Reavers.” Their ranks are formed of cutthroats and madmen who have pledged themselves body and soul to the primal Leviathan. Merlwyb: From what we have gathered, they sought to swell their numbers by spiriting away any soul unfortunate enough to cross their path. Merlwyb: I need not tell you the depth of the animosity between us and the Sahagin. How any seaman worth his salt could devote himself to the fishbacks' god is a question for a more temperate mind than mine. Merlwyb: But thanks to you, our citizens may once more go about their daily lives, safe in the knowledge that they will not be dragged into the darkness by those execrable curs. Y'shtola: Such an extraordinary glow... Y'shtola: This...is one of the Crystals of Light. Merlwyb: By the Navigator... Y'shtola: After our encounter with the goobbue, you had a vision, did you not? Of a towering crystal? Y'shtola: You bathed in Her Light... Merlwyb: Y'shtola's conclusion is clear, and I see no reason to doubt it. You are the vessel of a higher power. Merlwyb: This...being from your vision was the Mothercrystal. Your description matches what little we know of Her. Merlwyb: And if She has chosen you, then your deeds may yet shape the fate of nations. Merlwyb: As once did the deeds of the Warriors of Light. Merlwyb: Know you the tale? Like you, they were not of these lands, yet they fought to protect us all 'gainst the corruption of the primals. Merlwyb: When the Garlean Empire began its conquest of the realm, these heroes joined the Grand Companies, and helped reforge the Eorzean Alliance. Merlwyb: And at the Battle of Carteneau, they took the field beneath our banners, to fight for everything we hold dear. Merlwyb: It was on that day, in the midst of that hell...that we lost them. Merlwyb: Every soul who survived that battle will never forget how it was to fight beside them. We are proud to call them our comrades. Merlwyb: Yet, whenever we try to shout their names, the sound dies in our throats. Merlwyb: And whenever we strain to see their faces with our mind's eye, naught but their shadows appear to us, set against a blinding light. Merlwyb: Ask any true Eorzean who knew them, and the story will be the same. It is for this reason that we call them “the Warriors of Light.” Merlwyb: When I look upon you, I cannot help but be reminded of them. Merlwyb: Keep that Crystal safe. Merlwyb: In time, I believe the Mothercrystal will make clear Her reasons for bestowing it upon you. Merlwyb: Heed well Her words, adventurer. For it is Hydaelyn Herself who speaks.
Raubahn: Flames, to the fore! Raubahn: Victory belongs to the bold! Show those imperial whoresons what we're made of! Merlwyb: The left flank buckles! Divert the Barracudas! Merlwyb: Bid 'em hold that position though it cost 'em their lives! Kan-E-Senna: The Yellow Serpents are in need of succor. Pray send the White Wolves to their aid. Kan-E-Senna: The adventurers risk life and limb for our cause. We must not fail them. Merlwyb: Is aught amiss? Kan-E-Senna: No... It is nothing. Flame Soldier: Uwaaah! Flame Soldier: Bloody hells! Raubahn: The barrier won't go down so easily! Eyes forward! Kan-E-Senna: We are being watched... Raubahn: Raging Bull calling Blood Thorn! Blood Thorn, respond! Respond, damn you! Raubahn: Arrrgh!!! Jakys Ryder: Raging Bull! This is Mad Snake! Respond! Raubahn: Ryder!? This is Raging Bull! What news!? Jakys Ryder: We're surrounded by a blaze! There's no way out! Gods preserve, what is that thing!? Raubahn: What's going on!? Speak to me! Jakys Ryder: Godsdammit! We cannot hold much longer! Jakys Ryder: AaaaaaAAAAAAAAAH!!! Raubahn: Mad Snake!? Mad Snaaaaaake! Answer me! Raubahn: Damn it! Damn it all to the seventh hell! Merlwyb: What of the Barracudas? Can they not be reached? Storm Runner: Sorry, Admiral─shell's not workin'! Kan-E-Senna: What of our own? Serpent Runner: I cannot say, my lady! That monstrosity appears to be disrupting our communications! Kan-E-Senna: We must keep trying. Call till they respond. Serpent Runner: Yes, my lady! Kan-E-Senna: Admiral, General─we can do no more. We must give the order to withdraw. Raubahn: I will not forsake Louisoix! Kan-E-Senna: General, please! Victory may belong to the bold, but there will be no victor this day! Kan-E-Senna: You know this to be true. Let us not sacrifice lives in vain. Kan-E-Senna: The adventurers fight bravely, but to no avail. Let them withdraw, and let us be the ones to stand with Louisoix. Merlwyb: Belay previous orders! All Maelstrom units are commanded to fall back, effective immediately! Merlwyb: Give the Foreign Levy priority! Let the main host cover their retreat, and bring up the rear! Raubahn: Damn it... Relay the order: all Flames are to withdraw.
I don't care if our linkshells are useless! Raubahn: You still have a working pair of legs, don't you!? Well, use 'em, you bloody half-wit! Kan-E-Senna: The outcome of this battle was long since decided. Kan-E-Senna: Better to retreat now, than risk a massacre. Kan-E-Senna: This dark, stifling presence... Who...or what...? Kan-E-Senna: We go to take our place beside Archon Louisoix! To your positions!
??? (Lahabrea): That I should live to behold Bahamut once more... ??? (Lahabrea): Magnificent. The eons of imprisonment have only made him hungrier. ??? (Lahabrea): I am aware of them. Pay them no mind. They are powerless to act. ??? (Lahabrea): It has begun. Soon the planet will regain its true form. ??? (Lahabrea): Ahahaha... Ahahahahaha!
Baderon: Mornin', sunshine. All a bit much fer ye, was it? Baderon: ...What 'appened? Ah, ye don't remember, then. Baderon: Ye keeled over in the middle o' the banquet, an' caused a right stir. 'Ad to carry ye back to the Wench meself. Well, I say “carry”...'twas more a matter o' draggin' an' rollin'. Too much cake, I reckon. Baderon: Anyroad, don't fret─'tis little wonder ye was exhausted after everythin' ye've been through lately. Baderon: Yer little nap seems to 'ave put some color back in yer cheeks, though, so I'll leave ye to it. Baderon: ...Bugger! I almost forgot: the Admiral wants to 'ave a word with ye. Baderon: When ye feel up to it, talk to Zanthael an' 'e'll let ye in to the command room. Oh, an' stay awake, eh? I'm told ol' Merlwyb was in the middle o' tellin' ye a story when ye started snorin' last time, an' I doubt she'd look kindly on it if ye repeated the trick!
Zanthael: Greetings, Forename. Admiral Bloefhiswyn awaits you in the command room. Shall I announce you?
  • Enter the command room?
  • Yes
  • No Zanthael: Still not recovered from your...er...sudden illness? I find a brisk walk along the waterfront always helps to blow away the cobwebs. The smell down there could wake the dead...
Merlwyb: Ah, Forename, it is good to see you on your feet again. You are recovered? Merlwyb: Then let us waste no time. I have a task that needs doing─one I would entrust to no other.
The Lominsan Envoy Merlwyb wishes to entrust you with an important task.
Merlwyb: The duty I have in mind for you requires some explanation. I do hope you have not made other plans. To business, then. Merlwyb: I have penned a letter to each of my counterparts in the Eorzean Alliance. Merlwyb: The Battle of Carteneau and the Calamity that followed claimed countless lives. Merlwyb: It has been five years since those of us who were spared dragged ourselves from the ashes to look upon an Eorzea we scarcely knew... Five years, and yet the people still suffer. Merlwyb: Their lives are fraught with worry and hardship, and the Warriors of Light who might once have given them hope are gone. Merlwyb: Yet we must press on regardless. We will never truly do so, however, till we have faced our past. Merlwyb: To that end, I am proposing that a memorial service be held in each of the city-states on the fifth anniversary of the Battle of Carteneau. Merlwyb: These letters contain the details of said proposal. Merlwyb: And I would have you deliver them to our allies as my personal envoy. Merlwyb: You have proven yourself a staunch and able ally to Limsa, but that is not my only reason for choosing you. No. I choose you because you possess a quality which puts me in mind of history's champions. A quality I feared lost. Say that you will perform this duty. Merlwyb: I knew you would not disappoint me. Merlwyb: This task shall take you far from the borders of our nation, to the city-states of Gridania and Ul'dah. Merlwyb: A grueling journey, to be sure...were you to travel by sea and land. But I mean to have you take to the skies. Merlwyb: An airship pass, to be used at your discretion. Merlwyb: Airships bound for the nations of our allies leave from the landing connected to the Bridge. But before you depart, I suggest you trouble Baderon for a few pearls of wisdom regarding each of your destinations. The old bastard is nothing if not well traveled. Merlwyb: 'Tis a pity I cannot issue such passes with a freer hand, as I did in more peaceful times, when berths were not so limited. But in these times of war, every craft we commit to the clouds risks drawing the eye of the Empire, and every voyage must needs be born of necessity. Merlwyb: Lest you doubt, I consider your place well deserved. Merlwyb: Nor am I alone in that opinion. There were other parties who would see you granted the privilege of air travel. Merlwyb: Aye, Forename, your deeds do not go unnoticed. Merlwyb: Full many see great promise in you. But I have flattered you enough. Merlwyb: On behalf of Limsa Lominsa and her people, I bid you go forth, adventurer. Merlwyb: Discover the realm for which so many have fought and died. Merlwyb: Wonder and danger await you in equal measure, but turn not from either. Only by braving the unknown will you achieve the greatness of which you are surely capable. Merlwyb: The light of the Crystal guides you, and I wager that your destiny will be no small thing.
Merlwyb: Limsa Lominsa is not unique in her suffering; all the nations of Eorzea struggle with a multitude of hardships. Merlwyb: The difficulties of this age will not be surmounted without the aid of you and your fellow adventurers, thus I pray that your eagerness and compassion never wane.
Baderon: Back from yer meetin' with the Admiral, are ye? Baderon: Personal bleedin' envoy!? Baderon: So ye'll be carryin' the word o' the Admiral 'erself to the leaders o' the Alliance!? Baderon: Bugger me... I knew ye was goin' up in the world, but I didn't realize ye'd got that bloody 'igh! Baderon: I'm proud o' ye, lasslad! Thinkin' of 'ow far ye've come...why, 'tis enough to bring a tear to me eye! An' that ain't the ale talkin', neither─well, not just the ale, at any rate... Baderon: Bless the Navigator fer steerin' ye my way. Baderon: 'Course, this is only the start! Now ye've got yer 'ands on an airship pass, the 'ole of Eorzea's laid out before ye, like a fair maid on a feather bed! Baderon: An' she's a big girl, too, with plenty of enticin' nooks an' crannies! Baderon: If ye think us Lominsans are characters, just wait till ye cross paths with the grim forest dwellers o' Gridania, or trade coins with the crafty merchants of Ul'dah. Baderon: An' then there's the wild places where the beasties rule, an' no bugger with an onze o' sense sets foot... Baderon: But yer a 'venturer, so I wouldn't let a little thing like that 'old ye back. Baderon: 'Course, it ain't all explorin' an' excitement. Baderon: There's an 'eap o' troubles what plagues every nation, see─'tain't just ours. I'm talkin' intrigue an' infightin', beastmen an' their godsdamned primals─aye, there's an ugly side to life, an' sooner or later, yer bound to walk into it. Baderon: ...But I'll wager there's bugger all out there as you can't 'andle. Summat tells me yer goin' to be just fine. Baderon: The realm's 'ad it rough, 'tis true, but folk're beginnin' to recover from the beatin' the Calamity dealt 'em. Call me an 'opeless optimist, but it wouldn't take much to turn things 'round. Baderon: 'Tis the perfect time fer a 'venturer like yerself to get out there an' make a difference!
...Well, what are ye waitin' fer!?
Baderon: Well, well, look what the coeurl drug in! From all I 'ear, ye've been makin' a fine name fer yerself! Baderon: An' to think, when ye first wandered into the Wench, ye could barely find yer way to the privy!
L'nophlo: Greetings, madamsir. This is the counter for passengers traveling to Gridania. L'nophlo: ...Wait, aren't you that famous adventurer? It's Forename Surname, isn't it? I thought I recognized you! You are an inspiration to us all, madamsir! Highwind Skyways is at your disposal! Will you be traveling with us today?
  • Proceed to the landing area?
  • Yes
  • No L'nophlo: Take your time, madamsir. I'll be glad to assist you when you're ready.
  • Board the airship?
  • Yes
  • No
Airship Attendant: Attention, all passengers: the airship bound for Gridania is about to depart. Please make your way to the boarding gate. Baderon: Good fortune to ye, Forename. Baderon: The day'll come when yer name means the same as “'ero” to the folk o' this realm. Baderon: May ye walk in the light o' the Crystal...
Castrum Occidens ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): It has been fifteen years, but the bitter taste of defeat lingers still...
Fifteen years since the imperial fleet set course for Mor Dhona,
led by the Agrius, mightiest of all vessels.
Silvertear Lake lay ripe for the taking,
and all of Eorzea would soon be ours...
...or so we believed.
But an innumerable host of dragons met us that day,
at the heart of which flew the great Midgardsormr.
Though we succeeded in slaying that lord among wyrms,
the dread serpent's defeat was bought at too high a price.
Our invincible flagship was lost,
and all hope of victory with her.
So ended our glorious conquest. ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): Eorzea... A blighted realm, riddled with false gods... ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): Twice now it has eluded the Empire's grasp. ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): For all the destruction it wrought, even Meteor, the Great Sin, failed to yield us control over it. ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): And for this failure, the realm has sunk deeper into depravity. ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): It is twisted beyond all reckoning─rotten nigh to the core. ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): Yet it must be saved. ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): Only Garlean rule can bring order to Eorzea. It falls to us to deliver the misguided masses from their ignorance. All (Rhitatyn sas Arvina, Nero tol Scaeva, and Livia sas Junius): We are of one mind, Lord van Baelsar. Loudspeaker: Senior engineers, please report to magitek research following the scheduled inspection. Midlander Engineer (Hummingway): Hey. Is the legatus really planning to take another tilt at Eorzea? Highlander Engineer: Eh!? What hole have you been hiding in? We're in the midst of preparing for a new campaign, and a huge one at that! Midlander Engineer (Hummingway): But...I thought the Emperor had given up the western lands for lost after Carteneau. What could the legatus possibly hope to gain by acting alone? ??? (Nero tol Scaeva): I sense you harbor certain doubts over the wisdom of the legatus's plan. Midlander Engineer (Hummingway): M-My lord! Nero tol Scaeva: Please, call me Nero. Tell me, where were you born? Highlander Engineer: Othard, milord! Midlander Engineer (Hummingway): Ala Mhigo, my lord! Nero tol Scaeva: Ah, Codename Hummingway, I presume? Midlander Engineer (Hummingway): I-I don't know what you─ Nero tol Scaeva: Silence. Your denials will not change your fate. Nero tol Scaeva: I assure you─Frumentarium sees all. Midlander Engineer (Hummingway): Argh... Nero tol Scaeva: Clean up this mess. And do not miss any, or I shall be most displeased. Highlander Engineer: A-At once, milord! Nero tol Scaeva: Garlond... Soon you will be made to know the true power of magitek.
Arrivals Attendant: Ah, you must be the envoy from Limsa Lominsa. Welcome to Gridania, madamsir. The Elder Seedseer awaits your arrival.
  • Leave the landing area?
  • Yes
  • No Arrivals Attendant: Please let me know if you require any assistance.
Serpent Honor Guard: Greetings, good madamsir. Serpent Honor Guard: You are the Lominsan envoy, are you not? I have received instructions to assist you. Serpent Honor Guard: Pray make your way into the city proper, and identify yourself to the conjurer at Nophica's Altar. She will admit you to the Lotus Stand, where the Elder Seedseer awaits.
Silent Conjurer: You are the Lominsan envoy? Begging your pardons, madamsir, but might I inspect the missive you bear?
Letter to the Elder A letter addressed to Gridanian Elder Seedseer Kan-E-Senna.
Silent Conjurer: Verily, this is the seal of the Admiral of Limsa Lominsa. Please come with me.
Kan-E-Senna: So you are the Lominsan envoy. Kan-E-Senna: And an adventurer besides. The realm owes much to you and yours. Kan-E-Senna: On behalf of our fair nation, I bid you welcome. Kan-E-Senna: Please. Kan-E-Senna: Allow me to introduce myself. Kan-E-Senna: I am Kan-E-Senna, Elder Seedseer of Gridania, and leader of the Order of the Twin Adder, our nation's Grand Company. Kan-E-Senna: I understand you bear a message from the Admiral. Kan-E-Senna: A remembrance service for the fallen of Carteneau... Kan-E-Senna: To think that five years have already come and gone... Kan-E-Senna: It seems like only yesterday that the Garlean Empire attempted to seize all that we hold dear. Kan-E-Senna: Rising in resistance, the city-states of Eorzea formed the Grand Companies, and joined hands in alliance. Kan-E-Senna: But unbeknown to us, the Garleans sought not to best us in battle, but moved instead to enact a terrible plot: the Meteor project, by which the lesser moon, Dalamud, would be torn down from the heavens to annihilate all life below. Kan-E-Senna: In a desperate bid to save the realm from certain destruction, our forces marched for the Carteneau Flats, and there met the VIIth Imperial Legion. Kan-E-Senna: More bloody a battle I have never seen, and would never wish to see again. Yet the carnage was but a prelude to the atrocity which followed. Kan-E-Senna: For despite our best efforts, Dalamud continued its descent, and from it emerged the elder primal Bahamut, who proceeded to rain fire upon Eorzea. Kan-E-Senna: The VIIth Imperial Legion was consumed in the blinking of an eye, while our own forces fared little better... Kan-E-Senna: That any among us were spared defies explanation. All seemed sure to perish. Kan-E-Senna: As the flames converged upon us, I prepared myself for death...only for a brilliant light to envelop me, relieving me of my senses. Kan-E-Senna: When at last I awoke, Bahamut was gone, and the land, which had but moments before been aflame, now seemed to me a place unknown─not simply ruined...but changed. Kan-E-Senna: Archon Louisoix may well have been able to shed light upon these mysteries, but he, like so many, never returned from Carteneau. Kan-E-Senna: And so we were left with countless questions, and no prospect of an answer. Yet such matters did not long occupy our thoughts, for we had far graver concerns. Kan-E-Senna: The Calamity, as the devastation wrought by Bahamut has come to be known, laid our nations nigh to waste, and to this day we struggle to rebuild our lives and homes. Kan-E-Senna: To compound matters, the beast tribes continue to summon their primals, while the Empire encroaches upon our borders, consolidating its foothold in Eorzea. The outlook, in short, is bleak. Kan-E-Senna: In the wake of the Calamity, it has been all each nation could do to nurse its own wounds. Kan-E-Senna: Yet if we are to weather the coming storm, we must needs stand united once more. A remembrance service may well present an opportunity to rekindle the spirit of unity which first gave rise to the Alliance. Kan-E-Senna: I wholeheartedly approve of the Admiral's proposal. The necessary provisions shall be made for a service here in Gridania. Kan-E-Senna: You have done the people of Eorzea a fine service this day, and I would not put you to further trouble. I shall see that my reply reaches the Admiral anon. Kan-E-Senna: You, meanwhile, are bound next for Ul'dah, are you not? Kan-E-Senna: Please send the Flame General my regards. Ah, and if you would be so kind, I should appreciate it if you would inform him that a pet of mine has been ill behaved of late─my wolf, to be precise. Needless to say, he must be brought to heel, and I would very much welcome the General's counsel on how this might be achieved. Kan-E-Senna: I thank you for coming. May the Twelve see you safe to Ul'dah and beyond.
Lionnellais: Greetings, madamsir. This is the counter for passengers traveling to Ul'dah. Lionnellais: Oh, are you not Forename Surname, the Lominsan envoy? On behalf of all at Highwind Skyways, may I say what an honor it is to serve you! Will you be flying with us today?
  • Proceed to the landing area?
  • Yes
  • No Lionnellais: Very well. When you are ready to board, please let me know.
  • Board the airship?
  • Yes
  • No
Arrivals Attendant: Ah, you must be the envoy from Limsa Lominsa! Welcome to Ul'dah, madamsir. The Flame General awaits your arrival.
  • Leave the landing area?
  • Yes
  • No Arrivals Attendant: Please let me know if you require any assistance.
Flame Honor Guard: Welcome to Ul'dah, madamsir. We have been expecting you. Flame Honor Guard: Flame General Raubahn will receive you in the Fragrant Chamber. Please take the lift down to the Hustings Strip and speak with Bartholomew at the Royal Promenade.
Flame Honor Guard: The lift over yonder will take you to the Hustings Strip. From there, proceed south to the Royal Promenade, and speak with Bartholomew to gain admittance to the Fragrant Chamber.
Bartholomew: The Lominsan envoy, I presume? Would you be so good as to allow me to inspect the missive you bear, madamsir? My thanks.
Letter to the General A letter addressed to Ul'dahn Flame General Raubahn Aldynn.
Bartholomew: Ah yes, the Admiral's seal. Please proceed.
Raubahn: Ah, a guest from Limsa. I thought I smelled stale ale. Raubahn: I won't hold it against you. If you're half the warrior Merlwyb says, 'tis a wonder you don't reek of dead Sahagin. Raubahn: Welcome to the sultanate of Ul'dah. I am Raubahn Aldynn, General of the Immortal Flames. Raubahn: But you did not come all this way to trade formalities. Raubahn: ...Carteneau. Aye, I remember bloody Carteneau. Raubahn: Do you know what happened that day, adventurer? When we took the field against the Garleans? Raubahn: So my counterparts have educated you. Raubahn: Hm? Kan-E's pet is giving her trouble, is it? Well, she should already know my mind on that subject. Raubahn: Wolves are beyond taming. 'Tis but a matter of time before they bare their teeth. Raubahn: So it was with the Garleans, fifty years ago. Raubahn: No sooner had they learned how to use magitek than they began seizing territory from their neighbors. Raubahn: Led by then legatus Solus zos Galvus, they swiftly brought the other nations of Ilsabard to heel. And so the legatus became an emperor, and his republic an empire... Raubahn: An empire which then set its sights upon Eorzea. Eline Roaille: But the conquering emperor is now an old man of four score winters. His health is failing, and he has no clear successor. Like as not, this is why the Garleans have been quiet of late. Raubahn: But the XIVth Imperial Legion is still entrenched within our borders. Raubahn: And their commander, Legatus Gaius van Baelsar, has long harbored ambitions of conquest. Raubahn: Were he to strike now, I fear we would fall like so many others before us. And not only Ul'dah, but Gridania and Limsa Lominsa as well. Raubahn: For the Calamity brought the lot of us to our knees, and we've yet to get up. We barely have the strength to stand against the beast tribes, never mind the primals they mean to summon. Raubahn: We are a realm divided, adventurer. An alliance in name only. Raubahn: But the wolf cares not for the plight of its prey. Raubahn: The Garleans stir, and the Elder Seedseer would not let it go unnoticed. Raubahn: All other concerns pale in comparison to the Empire─even the beast tribes and their bloody primals. Raubahn: We must stand united once more, that much is clear. And if we're to do so, we must remember the cause which last brought us together. Merlwyb will have her memorial. Raubahn: We will honor the memory of the fallen. We will remind the people what their brothers and sisters fought and died for. Eline Roaille: Shall I inform the sultana and the Syndicate? Raubahn: I will speak with Her Grace myself. Eline Roaille: Very good, sir. Raubahn: The Admiral will have my reply anon. Raubahn: My thanks to you, adventurer.
Call of the Sea Bartholomew has information that may be of interest to you.
Bartholomew: Ah, my ladylord envoy. I trust your stay in the sultanate has been pleasant. Now, if you do not mind my asking, do you perchance have plans to visit Limsa Lominsa in the near future? If so, I have information that may be of interest to you. Bartholomew: I once accompanied the Flame General on an official visit to the seaside city-state, during which time I became acquainted with Baderon, the proprietor of the Drowning Wench. Well, the man sent word just now that he has a job for a capable adventurer. Bartholomew: I can think of none with better credentials than you. Baderon would doubtless be pleased were you to offer him your services.
Baderon: Welcome to the Drownin' Wench! Sit wherever ye like, lassmate. I'll be with ye in a─ Baderon: Well, well, if it ain't the one an' only Forename Surname! Baderon: I was told a distinguished 'venturer might be reportin' fer duty. Fancy that 'venturer bein' you, eh!? Baderon: Just so yer fairly warned, though, this ain't no job fer the faint of 'eart. Things're liable to get downright bleedin' 'airy. But if ye think yer still interested, let me know, an' I'll fill ye in on the details.

A Realm Reborn (Gridania Starter Quests) (2.0)

??? (Hydaelyn): Hear... ??? (Hydaelyn): Hear... Feel... ??? (Hydaelyn): Hear... Feel... Think...
??? (Bremondt): ...Oi! ??? (Bremondt): Y'all right, lasslad? Grizzled Passenger (Bremondt): You were moanin' in your sleep an' sweatin' buckets besides. Grizzled Passenger (Bremondt): That'll be the aether, I reckon. Some are more prone to the sickness than others. Grizzled Passenger (Bremondt): No need to fret, though. You'll soon get used to it. Furry Creature (Kuplo Kopp): Feeling better, kupo? Furry Creature (Kuplo Kopp): Aha! You can see us! I had a feeling you could, kupo! Moogle (Kuplo Kopp): We're moogles, and we live in this wood. Moogle (Kuplo Kopp): Normal folks can't see or hear us─which makes you special, kupo! Moogle (Kuplo Kopp): And seeing as how you're special, maybe you can tell us something. Moogle (Kuplo Kopp): The wood's been restless of late─lots of strange things happening. Have you chanced to witness anything suspicious, kupo? Moogle (Kuplo Kopp): But of course you haven't─you've only just arrived. Moogle (Kuplo Kopp): Well, there's nothing for it, then─we'll just have to keep looking. Nice to meet you, kupo! Grizzled Passenger (Bremondt): Gridania's still a fair way off, in case you were wonderin'. Seein' as you're awake, how's about you keep me company till we get there? Grizzled Passenger (Bremondt): Them young'uns don't much care for conversation, see. Bremondt: Bremondt's the name, an' peddlin's me trade. Bremondt: As for your good self, judgin' by your unusual garments, I'd say you were one of them new adventurers. Am I warm? Bremondt: I knew it! Goin' wherever the wind blows, seekin' fortune an' glory--now that's what I call livin'! Bremondt: So long as you can avoid dyin' I mean. Ain't no secret that adventurin's a risky business─these days especially. Bremondt: What was it that first attracted you to it?
  • Why did you become an adventurer?
  • To gain power. Bremondt: ...Power? As in, er...power to do good? Like protectin' the weak, an' fightin' for what's right, an' all that? Aye, I thought that's what you meant. Well, adventurers do get up to a lot of fightin', that's for sure. You'll never be short of a chance to polish your warcraft in the adventurin' business. Bremondt: When you arrive in town, you'd best enroll at the Adventurers' Guild─they'll set you on the right path. Bremondt: An' it wouldn't hurt to join a guild, neither. Bremondt: Gridania's home to a few, so if you fancy learnin' how to fight with a bow, a polearm, or even spells, you should think about seekin' one out.
  • To win glory. Bremondt: Glory, eh? Well, if you're willin' to take on them tasks as other folk ain't, an adventurer such as yourself can win fame what coin can't buy. Bremondt: When you arrive in town, you'll want to report to the Adventurers' Guild. Bremondt: You can find out everythin' you need to know about the adventurin' business in there.
  • To amass a fortune. Bremondt: Fortune, eh? Well, it's a dream we've all had at one time or another. Bremondt: Once you've learned to handle yourself in a fight, you'll want to pay a visit to whichever craftin' or gatherin' guild tickles your fancy. Bremondt: Gridania's renowned for its leatherworkers an' carpenters, not to mention its botanists. Bremondt: Adventurin' ain't just about killin' things, after all. A peaceful pastime may well help you make your fortune!
  • ... Bremondt: Well, if you ain't inclined to tell, I ain't about to pry. Might be as ol' Bremondt's a chatterbox, but he sure as hells ain't no busybody. Bremondt: We all have a secret or three, don't we? Me? Dozens. Bremondt: An' I'd rather they stayed secret, too—which is why I don't go stickin' me nose where it ain't welcome.
Bremondt: Just remember, though: there're more important things than fortune an' glory. Such as breathin'. Ain't no profit in bein' dead, an' that's a fact. Wood Wailer: Halt! Go no further! Bremondt: What's this, then? Bremondt: Uwaaah! Carriage Driver: Wh-What's going on? Wood Wailer: A skirmish has broken out up ahead with the Ixal! For your own safety, you must remain here until─ Wood Wailer: Bloody hells! We shall hold them here! Try to break clear!
Bremondt: That was too bleedin' close... Bremondt: Nice of the Ixal to send us a welcomin' party though, eh? Bremondt: Jokin' aside, this won't be the last time you meet those feathered fiends, so just you take care, all right? Bremondt: By the by, is this your first trip to Gridania?
  • Is this your first trip to Gridania?
  • Yes. Bremondt: It is!? Well then, let this journeyed itinerant tell you the ins an' outs of your destination.
  • No. Bremondt: Thought not! Ah, but I'll wager there've been some changes since your last visit. Allow a journeyed itinerant to apprise you of the current state of affairs. Ahem!
Bremondt: The city of Gridania lies slap-bang in the middle of the Black Shroud─the biggest, lushest forest in all Eorzea. Bremondt: Though it ain't near as lush as it used to be, sayin' that. Not since the Calamity laid half of it to waste. Bremondt: The destruction prompted a herd of new nasties to move in, an' gave the Ixal unneeded encouragement. Birdman raids've become a daily occurence. Bremondt: Ah, at long last. Bremondt: Behold Gridania, the forest nation blessed by the elementals!
Louisoix: The Black Shroud--the ancient forest close to the heart of Eorzea. Louisoix: Beneath the boughts of its towering trees lies the woodland city-state of Gridania. Louisoix: Once a sanctuary from the world beyond the Hedge, even the mighty elementals, eternal guardians of the forest, could not forestall the coming of the Seventh Umbral Era. Louisoix: However, the goddess Nophica was never one to foresake Her children, and today She welcomes another brave soul... one who may yet play a telling role in the tale of this great realm. Bremondt: An' here's where we part ways, lassson. Bremondt: I'm off to the markets to deliver me wares, then it's back to the highroad for me. Bremondt: Here, I want you to have this─by way of thanks for keepin' me company. Bremondt: Hey─you never did tell me your name, did you? Well, here's an idea... Bremondt: Become the sort of storied personage I can brag about havin' met, an' I'll consider us square. Louisoix: May the Matron take herhim to her Bosom, that shehe may never want. Louisoix: And in herhis heart sow serenity, purity, and sanctity. Final Fantasy XIV
??? (Bertennant): You there! Yes, you! Wood Wailer (Bertennant): Your face is not known to me. Newly come to the city, no doubt. Bertennant: I am Bertennant, a Wood Wailer of Gridania. Bertennant: It is my duty to protect our nation from her enemies while welcoming those who may yet prove her friends. Let us see which you are.
Welcome to Gridania, a vibrant forest nation cradled in the bosom of nature.
Bertennant: Didn't you hear me? Come here and I shall guide you.
Coming to Gridania To be recognized as an adventurer in the city-state of Gridania, you must first register yourself with the Adventurers' Guild.
Bertennant: Anotheer green adventurer, I presume? Bertennant: I thought as much. We cannot allow strangers to wander Gridania unchecked and untested. Bertennant: Before you rush off and begin pestering every second citizen for work, I suggest you make yourself known at the Carline Canopy. That's the headquarters of the local Adventurers' Guild, in case you were wondering. Bertennant: The Carline Canopy is the building you see behind me. Speak to Mother Miounne within, and she will take you in hand.
Bertennant: Make yourself known at the Carline Canopy, where the local Adventurers' Guild is headquartered. Speak to Mother Miounne within, and she will take you in hand. Bertennant: So long as you are within Gridanian territory, you must abide by Gridanian laws. Go now, and do as I have instructed.
Ulta: That's as far as you go, son. Head on over to Bertennant, and mind you do as he says.
Ulta: Where do you think you're going? The Adventurers' Guild is the other way!
Capucine: I don't believe I've seen your face before. New to Gridania, I take it? Capucine: Then you're required to register at the Carline Canopy. Don't let me catch you strolling about until you've done so.
Capucine: Halt! Unregistered outsiders are not permitted beyond this point. If you wish to remain in our city, you must obey our rules and proceed to the Carline Canopy at once.
Honoraint: Ah! Give a man a bloody fright, sneakin' up on me like that... Honoraint: Hm? Newly come to Gridania, are ye? Then I suggest ye continue on yer merry way to the Carline Canopy just behind me. Mother Miounne will want a word with ye.
Tatasosa: <crunch> Hm...? <crunch> Shouldn't you be speaking with...<crunch>...Mother Miounne? <crunch> <crunch> <crunch>
Spinning Blade: They say the Seventh Umbral Era is corrupting the wildlife in the woods─making the beasts stronger, more aggressive. I look forward to meeting them.
Celestine: Gridania can be such a bore sometimes. All the people talk about is trees and elementals... Celestine: Perhaps I should try my fortune in a city with a touch more excitement. They say the streets of Ul'dah are paved with gold, and the pirates of Limsa Lominsa will slit your throat as soon as look at you!
Leuric: Bland cuisine apart, I have begun to grow fond of this city and its people. Leuric: The women, especially. I would not have believed the Black Shroud concealed such grace and beauty!
Eral: New in town, eh? You and me, we must be fond of the road indeed to brave the journey to this godsforsaken city.
Nojiro Marujiro: I thought a remote town like this would be the perfect place to turn a profit. But it seems that no matter where you go, success is invariably achieved through the usual combination of labor and luck. Hmph.
Gontrant: Another adventurer in search of work, are we? Ah, if you have but recently arrived in town, I must insist that you first register your presence with Miounne.
Antoinaut: The number of visitors in Gridania is on the rise with every passing day. A pity their arrival seems to bring an equal share of trouble...
The Smith: As one of the Smiths, I provide guidance for those just starting out on the path of the adventurer. For the present, I suggest you learn your way around the city─an endeavor with which Mother Miounne shall no doubt wish to aid you.
Erkenbaud: Ah, a new adventurer. I do so love meeting fledgling heroes─so young, so daring, so ambitious!
Tell me, have you made a will?
Mother Miounne: Well, well, what have we here? Mother Miounne: A wide-eyed and wondering young adventurer, come to put your name down at the guild, I assume? Mother Miounne: Welcome. Miounne's my name, or Mother Miounne as most call me, and the Carline Canopy is my place. Mother Miounne: As the head of the Adventurers' Guild in Gridania, I have the honor of providing guidance to the fledgling heroes who pass through our gates. Mother Miounne: No matter your ambitions, the guild is here to help you attain them. Mother Miounne: In return, we expect you to fulfill your duties as an adventurer by assisting the people of Gridania. A fine deal, wouldn't you agree? Mother Miounne: To an outsider's eyes, all may seem well with our nation, but naught could be further from the truth. The people live in a state of constant apprehension. Mother Miounne: The Ixal and various gangs of common bandits provide an unending supply of trouble─trouble compounded by the ever-present threat of the Garlean Empire to the north. And that is to say nothing of the Calamity... Mother Miounne: Even now, the wounds have barely begun to heal. Ah, but I speak of it as if you were there. Forgive me. Five years past, Eorzea was well-nigh laid to waste when a dread wyrm emerged from within the lesser moon, Dalamud, and rained fire upon the realm. It is this which people call “the Calamity.” Mother Miounne: Scarcely a square malm of the Twelveswood was spared the devastation. Yet despite the forest's extensive wounds, not a soul among us can recall precisely how it all happened. Mother Miounne: I am well aware of how improbable that must sound to an outsider... It is improbable. But it's also true. For reasons we can ill explain, the facts surrounding the Calamity are shrouded in mystery. There are as many versions of events as there are people willing to recount them. Mother Miounne: Yet amidst the hazy recollections and conflicting accounts, all agree on one thing: that Eorzea was saved from certain doom by a band of valiant adventurers. Mother Miounne: Whatever else we've misremembered, none of us have forgotten the heroes who risked life and limb for the sake of the realm. And yet...whenever we try to say their names, the words die upon our lips. Mother Miounne: And whenever we try to call their faces to mind, we see naught but silhouettes amidst a blinding glare. Mother Miounne: Thus have these adventurers come to be known as “the Warriors of Light.” Mother Miounne: ...Ahem. Pray do not feel daunted by the deeds of legends. We do not ask that you become another Warrior of Light, only that you do what you can to assist the people of Gridania. Mother Miounne: Great or small, every contribution counts. I trust you will play your part. Mother Miounne: All that's left, then, is to conclude the business of registration. Here's a quill. Scrawl your name right there. Mother Miounne: Oh, and I would appreciate it if you used your real name─there is a special place in the seventh hell for those who use “amusing” aliases. Mother Miounne: ...Forename Surname, hm? And you're quite sure that isn't an amusing alias? Mother Miounne: Very well. From this moment forward, you are a registered adventurer of Gridania, nation blessed of the elementals and the bounty of the Twelveswood. The guild expects great things from you. Wood Wailer: Look at what just arrived─another godsdamned adventurer... Mother Miounne: Don't you start with that. Adventurers are the very salve that Gridania needs. Mother Miounne: The Elder Seedseer herself bade us welcome them with open arms. Do you mean to disregard her will? Wood Wailer: Of course not! Lest you forget, it is my sworn duty to uphold the peace! Am I to blame if outsiders bring mistrust upon themselves? Wood Wailer: You─adventurer! Mind that you do not cause any trouble here, or I shall personally cast you out of this realm and into the seventh hell. Mother Miounne: Ahem. Pay that outburst no mind. He meant only to...counsel you. Suspicious characters have been prowling the Twelveswood of late, you see, and the Wood Wailers feel they cannot afford to take any chances. Mother Miounne: As is often the way with folk who live in isolation, Gridanians are wont to mistrust things they do not well know, your good self included. Fear not, however─given a catalog of exemplary deeds, and no more than a handful of years, the locals will surely warm to you. Mother Miounne: On behalf of my fellow citizens, I welcome you to Gridania. May you come to consider our nation as your own in time. Mother Miounne: Now then, you may depend on old Mother Miounne to teach you a few things that every adventurer should know.
Close to Home Miounne, proprietress of the Carline Canopy, wants you to perform three tasks that will help you learn the fundamentals of adventuring.
Mother Miounne: Let us begin at the beginning, shall we? Now that you are a formal member of the Adventurers' Guild, we must be sure you have a firm grasp of the fundamentals of adventuring. To that end, I have three tasks I wish you to perform. Mother Miounne: Your first task is to visit the aetheryte. This massive crystal stands in the middle of the aetheryte plaza, not far from the Carline Canopy. Mother Miounne: As a device that enables instantaneous transportation, the aetheryte plays a key role in the life of the ever-wandering adventurer. Mother Miounne: Once you have located the crystal, all you need do is touch its surface. A member of the Wood Wailers will be present to offer further instruction.
Mother Miounne: For your second task, you are to visit the Conjurers' Guild. Mother Miounne: There is no better place to learn the arts of conjury. Speak with Madelle, and she will explain the benefits of joining the guild.
Mother Miounne: For your second task, you are to visit the Lancers' Guild. Mother Miounne: There is no better place to learn the arts of the polearm. Speak with Jillian, and she will explain the benefits of joining the guild.
Mother Miounne: For your second task, you are to visit the Archers' Guild. Mother Miounne: There is no better place to learn the arts of the bow. Speak with Athelyna, and she will explain the benefits of joining the guild.
Mother Miounne: For your third and final task, I would have you visit the markets at the heart of Old Gridania's commercial district. There you shall find weapons and armor, and all the various items that an adventurer might need on herhis travels. Mother Miounne: There is, however, more to the markets than buying and selling goods. Speak with Parsemontret, and listen well to his counsel. Mother Miounne: The master merchant can be...uncooperative at times, so be sure to offer him one of my famous eel pies. Like so many men, he is much more charitable when his stomach is full. Here, I made a batch not long ago. Mother Miounne: You have your tasks, Forename. May Nophica guide your path. Mother Miounne: Ah, and one more thing: should you happen to come across any citizens in need, don't be afraid to proffer a helping hand. I am certain they will be pleased to meet an adventurer in whom they can confide their woes. Mother Miounne: Granted, the work they offer is unlikely to be of realm-shattering importance─but prove your worth and build a reputation, and in time folk will be more inclined to entrust you with matters of moment. Mother Miounne: I also suggest that you lend an ear to the Smith here in the Canopy. The Smiths are trusted representatives of the Adventurers' Guild, and are an invaluable source of advice for neophyte heroes seeking to attain greatness.
You attune to the aetheryte. Nicia: Greetings, adventurer. I see you are faithfully following Mother Miounne's instructions. Nicia: Allow me to offer you a bit of instruction myself. I am Nicia of the Wood Wailers, and I know a thing or two about the aetheryte─yes, that big crystal right there. Nicia: Aetherytes are devices that tap into aetherial energies, and are primarily used as a means to travel swiftly from one place to another. Nicia: Return and Teleport─the most common transportation spells─make direct use of the aetherytes and their connection to the flow of aether. Nicia: And as these devices are found in almost every corner of Eorzea, any adventurer worthy of the name will wish to seek out and attune herselfhimself to each one. Nicia: Truly, few things in this world are so useful to an intrepid explorer. Nicia: But you need not locate them all at once. Before rushing out into the wilds, I suggest you start with the aetherytes found here in Gridania. Nicia: Should you wish to learn more about the aetheryte or transportation magic, I am here to answer your questions.
Madelle: You seek the secrets of conjury, adventurer? Then search no longer, for you have found your way to the Conjurers' Guild. Madelle: It is at Miounne's request that you have come? Then allow me to provide you with an overview of what it is to be a conjurer. Madelle: Conjury is the art of healing and purification. Its practitioners harness the power of nature, that they might bring about change in the form of spells. Madelle: Primitive magic such as that once wrought by individuals known as mages—meaning those with the ability to manipulate aether—has existed since the dawn of time. Madelle: It was not until some five centuries ago that conjury emerged from this shapeless agglomeration of spells and charms—an event which led to the founding of Gridania. Madelle: In those dark days, the elementals would not suffer man's presence in the Twelveswood, forcing our forebears to make their homes beneath the earth, in the great subterranean city of Gelmorra. Madelle: But their desire to settle in the Twelveswood continued to burn fiercely; time and again they sought to curry the elementals' favor. Madelle: Unlike men and other creatures bound in temples of flesh, the elementals are beings of pure aether. Recognizing this, the mages of eld reasoned that their talent for aetheric manipulation might allow them to commune with these theretofore enigmatic entities. Madelle: It took five long decades, but our forebears finally succeeded. Their reward: the elementals' permission to dwell in the Twelveswood. So it was that the nation of Gridania was born. Madelle: Since that time, the elementals have taught us to live as one with nature, speaking to all Gridanians through the Hearers—those mages who are able to commune with them. Madelle: And for their intimacy with the elementals, the Hearers would go on to attain greater mastery over the forces of nature. Thus did they conceive the art of conjury. Madelle: I hope this has helped you gain a greater understanding of the Conjurers' Guild. Madelle: Should you wish to delve further into the mysteries of conjury, then I urge you to consider joining our ranks. Madelle: I can begin your initiation whenever you desire. Call upon me when you are ready to take the first step.
Jillian: Welcome to the Lancers' Guild. I see you brought your own spear. Jillian: If you seek to refine your skills with the polearm, then you have come to the right place. Jillian: Here at the Lancers' Guild, spear wielders gather to train with one another, and further hone their abilities under the tutelage of our fine instructors. Jillian: More than just an instrument of war, the spear is also a tool for hunting, and with game ever plentiful in the Twelveswood, the weapon has been the mainstay of the locals here since before the founding of Gridania. Jillian: With the passing of time, our nation became a gathering place for spearmasters from across the realm—many eager to test their mettle against the famed might of our Wood Wailers. Jillian: And it was here in Gridania that their myriad fighting styles came into contact, eventually giving rise to the art taught here today. Jillian: That spear technique could be formalized at all owed much to the founding of the Lancers' Guild by Wood Wailer captain Mistalle nigh on a century past. Jillian: The tradition of accepting students from without as well as within Gridania's borders persists to this day, ensuring that the art of the polearm may not only survive, but also continue to evolve. Jillian: Well, there you have it. I hope this brief history of the guild has helped settle any doubts in your mind. Jillian: The Lancers' Guild is always eager to welcome new initiates. Jillian: If you've a will to enlist, speak with me again and we can begin the enrollment procedures.
Athelyna: Greetings, friend. You have found your way to the Archers' Guild. Do you seek to uncover the secrets of our art? Athelyna: Ah, now that I think on it, you have the look of one who has received Mother Miounne's “gentle” instruction. Very well, I shall give you a brief introduction to archery and the Archers' Guild. Athelyna: The skills practiced by our archers allow them to gauge an enemy's weaknesses from afar, and turn the tide of a battle with a single, well-placed arrow. Should you join us, you will be taught to do the same. Athelyna: Archery as practiced in Gridania was born of two distinct styles of bowmanship. Athelyna: The first was devised by the longbow sentries of the Elezen who once ruled the lowlands, while the second belonged to the shortbow hunters of the formerly nomadic Miqo'te. As you will doubtless be aware, both races ultimately came to call the Twelveswood home. Athelyna: Though the two peoples began as rivals, they gradually learned to live together in harmony. During this time, they learned from one another, their two schools of archery intermingling to give birth to the art as it is known today. Athelyna: For a time, the bow was used primarily for hunting. But as the hunters vied with one another to prove who was the better shot, there emerged a group of archers whose ultimate goal lay not in the practical pursuit of prey, but in perfection. Athelyna: Thus was the Archers' Guild born from the ranks of the Trappers' League. Athelyna: It is the way of the guild to promote greatness in archery through friendly competition. And the results of our methods can be seen in the vaunted archers of the Gods' Quiver, many of whom spent their formative years loosing arrows at the guild's practice butts. Athelyna: I hope this gives you a better idea of who we are, and what we do here. Oho, did I see the spark of ambition flare within your eyes? Athelyna: If you wish to draw a string with the finest archers in Eorzea, look no further than the Archers' Guild. Athelyna: Before you can enlist, however, you must gain the approval of the guildmaster. Once you are ready to proceed, speak with me again and we can begin seeing about your enrollment.
Parsemontret: By what right does a fledgling adventurer presume to address Parsemontret, master of the markets? Parsemontret: You think you can stroll in here, bold as you please, and demand my hard-earned knowledge? Hah! A merchant does naught for naught, especially when dealing with would-be heroes. Parsemontret: If, on the other hand, you had some tasty “morsel” to curry my favor, then I might reconsider your request. Parsemontret: Come now, this whole encounter reeks of Miounne's handiwork─and more specifically her baking. Don't look so surprised, lassson─I smelled that eel pie of yours a malm away. Hand it over!
Handmade Eel Pie Mother Miounne's realm-famous eel pie. Served only in her fine establishment, the Carline Canopy.
Parsemontret: Mmm, that flaky crust...just divine. Very well, I am a man of my word. Pay close attention, for I shall only explain this once. Parsemontret: The aspiring adventurer need look no further than the Rosewood and Ebony Stalls. Both are but a short stroll from where we stand. Parsemontret: If you mean to do battle, you'd best be prepared with a quality set of weapons and armor. Parsemontret: Such goods are the province of the Rosewood Stalls, directly south of here. You will be pleased to learn that the merchants of Gridania are exceedingly particular when it comes to craftsmanship, so you needn't fear defective straps and the like. Parsemontret: If it is potions and paraphernalia you seek, head north to the Ebony Stalls. Parsemontret: The shelves there are lavishly stocked by widely traveled Ul'dahn merchants, and I may truly say that I have seen things amongst their myriad wares that I scarce knew existed. Parsemontret: Do you follow me thus far? The first step in any purchase is to select the stalls that meet your needs. Then you may concern yourself with price and profit. Parsemontret: There is little more I can teach you with mere words. Go, peruse the stalls, and see for yourself what wares they offer. There is no substitute for firsthand experience, after all, and I am weary of talking...unless you have another eel pie?
Mother Miounne: The conquering hero returns. You have completed my little tasks, I trust? Mother Miounne: The three locations you visited will feature prominently in your life as an adventurer─it is best you grow familiar with them as soon as possible. Mother Miounne: And you took the time to listen to the woes of the citizenry? I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to lend your talents to one and all, no matter how trivial the matter may seem. Mother Miounne: I am thankful that you are an obliging sort, Forename. It is adventurers like you who will win the hearts of the locals and pave the way for those who follow. I pray Gridania can rely on your aid in its struggles to come.
To the Bannock Miounne wishes to send an adventurer to the instructor at the Bannock.
Mother Miounne: Forename, have you visited the Bannock on your wanderings? Mother Miounne: It is a training ground found just outside the city where the soldiers of the Order of the Twin Adder are drilled in swordplay and other martial matters. Mother Miounne: I mention this because an acquaintance of mine─a gentleman by the name of Galfrid─is an instructor there, and I think you may be of use to him. Go and introduce yourself, and find out if there is anything you can do to help. Mother Miounne: Mind you do not stray far from the path─the Twelveswood is no place for merry strolls through the underbrush.
Galfrid: Greetings, Forename Surname. Miounne sent word to expect you. Galfrid: My name is Galfrid, and I am responsible for training our Twin Adder recruits. Galfrid: I thank you for volunteering your assistance. The Twelveswood is much changed since the calamitous arrival of the Seventh Umbral Era five years ago. Galfrid: The power of the elementals wanes, and the harmony of the forest gives way to chaos. A great abundance of life has been lost as the strong run rampant, stifling the weak and new-sprung. Galfrid: Though it may not appear so to the eyes of an outsider, the Twelveswood is ailing─its once rich variety a fading memory. Galfrid: For the citizens of Gridania, the restoration of the forest is a sacred duty. And it is my hope that adventurers such as you will offer to aid them in their struggle. Galfrid: Listen to their requests, and do all that you can. May the elementals bless your endeavors, Forename Surname.
Passing Muster Galfrid, chief instructor at the Bannock, wishes to inspect your equipment and thereby gauge your readiness for future missions.
Galfrid: I see you are eager to lend a hand, Forename. That is well. But I cannot in good conscience send you into the forest until I have established that your equipment is equal to the task. Galfrid: It bears repeating that, in the five years since the dawn of the Seventh Umbral Era, many of the Twelveswood's creatures have transformed into vicious, bloodthirsty monsters. Venturing into the forest without the proper gear is tantamount to suicide. Galfrid: I suggest you take some time to evaluate your equipment. Once you deem your armor to be of sufficient quality, present yourself to me for inspection.
Galfrid: Ready for inspection are we? Right, then! Eyes forward! Back straight! Galfrid: <sigh> You may as well be strolling around in your nameday suit. Come back when you've acquired some sturdier gear.
Galfrid: Ready for inspection are we? Right, then! Eyes forward! Back straight! Galfrid: Hmmm... Yes, I think you pass muster. Galfrid: You would be surprised at how many young, promising soldiers get themselves killed by rushing off into the woods without first donning a decent set of armor. Galfrid: Your equipment, however, should provide the required degree of protection. Consider yourself ready for duty, Forename.
Chasing Shadows Galfrid needs an adventurer to investigate suspicious activity in the Twelveswood.
Galfrid: Ah, Forename. By your tireless efforts, you have proven yourself a friend to Gridania. I believe you can be trusted with sensitive intelligence. Galfrid: I would assign you a mission of considerable import, yet the need for secrecy prevents me from disclosing its details until you have pledged your participation. I am authorized to tell you only that it concerns suspicious activity in the Twelveswood. Say that you will lend us your aid, and I shall proceed with the briefing. Galfrid: Good. Time is of the essence, so listen well. Galfrid: You will by now have heard that a suspicious individual has been seen prowling the Twelveswood. Galfrid: And you may also be aware that Ixali activity has risen sharply in the region of late. What you may not know is that this increase coincided almost exactly with the first recorded sighting of the aforementioned individual. Galfrid: Suspecting a connection, we tightened our surveillance in hopes of tracking down our unknown visitor. Alas, our quarry is proving to be exceedingly elusive─almost as if he knows our movements ahead of time. Galfrid: But where whole units have failed, a lone adventurer may yet succeed. Acting independently and covertly, you may be able to close in on our quarry unnoticed. Galfrid: Fear and anxiety are beginning to take their toll upon the citizenry, Forename. For their sake, I ask that you aid us in this investigation. Galfrid: You have my gratitude. With your help, I am hopeful we will shed light upon this mystery. Galfrid: Begin your search at Lifemend Stump. It is there that the majority of the sightings took place. Galfrid: Be forewarned: my people cannot offer you support, lest our quarry catch scent of our presence and evade us yet again. Proceed with caution.
??? (Lyse): Look! Someone's already here! Animated Pugilist (Lyse): Oh dear. Is that a sword in the stump? Bad idea. Really bad idea... Animated Pugilist (Lyse): It takes a lot less than that to incite the greenwrath, you know. Why, the first time we came to the Twelveswood, we almost ended up as a treant's dinner just for crashing our airship in the wrong place. It was all Papalymo's fault, of course. Though he'd sooner swallow his staff than admit that he's wrong. Short-tempered Thaumaturge (Papalymo): Is this our dark stranger? Moogle (Kuplo Kopp): No, no, not this one. Not even close, kupo! Animated Pugilist (Lyse): Hm? You know herhim, Kuplo Kopp? Kuplo Kopp: Well, not exactly, but we did once share a carriage. Isn't that right? Animated Pugilist (Lyse): How are the readings? Short-tempered Thaumaturge (Papalymo): Same as the last. There is a disturbance here as well, and newly manifested at that. Short-tempered Thaumaturge (Papalymo): Kuplo Kopp seems convinced of your innocence. But if this isn't your doing, whose is it? Animated Pugilist (Lyse): Ever since the Calamity, the forest's been really sensitive. Animated Pugilist (Lyse): The slightest disruption to the aetheric flow... Animated Pugilist (Lyse): And this sort of thing happens! Short-tempered Thaumaturge (Papalymo): It seems we have little choice...
Short-tempered Thaumaturge (Papalymo): Do you want to get eaten!? Hit them harder! Animated Pugilist (Lyse): I'm trying, I'm trying! Animated Pugilist (Lyse): There's more! Be careful! Short-tempered Thaumaturge (Papalymo): If you value your life, stay close! Short-tempered Thaumaturge (Papalymo): Curses! Not now! Short-tempered Thaumaturge (Papalymo): Well done! We're almost there!
??? (Hydaelyn): Hear... Feel... Think... ??? (Hydaelyn): Crystal bearer... Hydaelyn: I am Hydaelyn. All made one. Hydaelyn: A Light there once was that shone throughout this realm...yet it hath since grown dim. Hydaelyn: And as it hath faltered, so hath Darkness risen up in its stead, presaging an end to Life. Hydaelyn: For the sake of all, I beseech thee: deliver us from this fate! Hydaelyn: The power to banish the Darkness dwelleth in the Crystals of Light. Journey forth and lay claim to them. Hydaelyn: By thy deeds shall the Crystals reveal themselves to thee. Hydaelyn: Only believe, for the Light liveth in thy heart. Hydaelyn: Go now, my child, and shine thy Light on all creation.
Short-tempered Thaumaturge (Papalymo): You fainted. A surfeit of aether, no doubt. Animated Pugilist (Lyse): Hm? And what have we here? Short-tempered Thaumaturge (Papalymo): Our culprit, it would seem. An Ixal. And no ordinary Ixal, either─a chieftain. Short-tempered Thaumaturge (Papalymo): That they would venture this deep into enemy territory... The beastmen may indeed be acting under orders. Short-tempered Thaumaturge: This is Papalymo. We've found the culprit─it was an Ixali chieftain. Yes, we'll seek Brother E-Sumi-Yan's cooperation in the matter. Yda? Oh, loud, tactless─much the same as always. Animated Pugilist (Lyse): How are we feeling, then? Better? Good! Animated Pugilist (Lyse): Giant crystals? Can't say I've seen any... Are you sure you're feeling better? Short-tempered Thaumaturge (Papalymo): ...Understood. Over and out. Short-tempered Thaumaturge (Papalymo): Kuplo Kopp. Please bear word of these developments to Brother E-Sumi-Yan. We shall soon return to give a full report. Kuplo Kopp: Understood! Over and out, kupo! Short-tempered Thaumaturge (Papalymo): Here is where we part ways. Till next time, take care! Animated Pugilist (Lyse): I think that sword might be a clue! You should definitely pull it out and take it back to the Bannock! Animated Pugilist (Lyse): You don't suppose that adventurer could see Kuplo Kopp, do you!? Short-tempered Thaumaturge (Papalymo): And this occurs to you NOW!? Short-tempered Thaumaturge (Papalymo): Yes. It seemed that way. Time will tell... Animated Pugilist (Lyse): Well, time will have to, because you won't! You never tell me what's really going on! Unless...you don't know what's going on either! Short-tempered Thaumaturge (Papalymo): Bah! You'd like that, wouldn't you!?
Galfrid: Forename! It is good to see you back! Galfrid: One of our patrols sent word that you had been spotted doing battle with enraged treants. I am relieved to find you none the worse for the experience. Galfrid: But tell me, what were you able to discover at Lifemend Stump?
Magicked Blade An ornately decorated sword found thrust into Lifemend Stump.
Galfrid: A sword in the stump, and a dead Ixal? Hmmm... Galfrid: I can say with absolute certainty that this blade is of Ixali origin. It is of a kind used exclusively in the beastmen's rituals. Galfrid: The Ixal rarely set foot in the Central Shroud, so tight is our guard over the area. What purpose could have driven them to take such a risk? I fear something is afoot... Galfrid: What's that? A dubious couple sporting peculiar spectacles? Hah hah hah! Galfrid: So you have finally been acquainted with Yda and Papalymo! Lay your suspicions to rest─Gridania counts them among her staunchest allies. Both are scholars hailing from a distant land, and have been with us since before the Calamity. Galfrid: Their garb may appear outlandish, and their exchanges baffling, but never once have they given us cause to doubt them. Galfrid: Indeed, they often assist the Gods' Quiver and the Wood Wailers in their work─much as I hope you will in the days to come, Forename. Galfrid: Although our unknown visitor eludes us still, owing to your efforts, we have acquired important intelligence on the Ixali threat. You have my gratitude. Galfrid: We are fortunate indeed to have a capable adventurer such as you aiding us. I pray you will continue to serve the people of Gridania in whatever capacity you are able.
Eggs over Queasy Galfrid, chief instructor at the Bannock, wishes you to collect chigoe egg sacs.
Galfrid: Forename, injuries to several of my men have left me shorthanded, and I require a capable sort to complete their unfinished duty. Galfrid: The task is simple: put down as many of the local chigoe population as necessary to acquire three of their egg sacs. Galfrid: Having done so, you are to deliver them to Monranguin at Gilbert's Spire. He will answer any queries you might have. Now, I have other business to attend to.
Monranguin: Ah, you must be the adventurer standing in for our injured companions. Terribly unfortunate business, that.
Chigoe Egg Sac This translucent sac appears to be filled with thousands of tiny pearl-shaped eggs.
Monranguin: It seems, however, that you had little trouble gathering the egg sacs in their stead. Excellent work. I shall have them sent over to the Trappers' League immediately. Monranguin: Lest you wonder, these egg sacs are not destined for the dinner table! Members of the Twin Adder and the Wood Wailers are assisting the League by collecting the samples they need to check for signs of sickness. Monranguin: The chigoe, you see, is one of the few creatures capable of transmitting the disease known as the Creeping Death. Until relatively recently, any Hyur who contracted this ghastly illness would almost invariably perish. Monranguin: Indeed, a single outbreak once claimed the lives of a third of the Hyuran population here in Gridania. That was a long time ago, of course. With the medicines available to us now, the Creeping Death is not the killer it once was. Monranguin: Even so, it is best to halt any new outbreaks before they occur. Thus we gather chigoe eggs on a regular basis in order to assist the Trappers' League with their ongoing research. Your timely assistance is most appreciated.
Surveying the Damage A guard at Gilbert's Spire named Monranguin needs you to recover the surveying equipment left behind in a cave by a startled recruit.
Monranguin: Such an embarrassing turn of events... I sent a recruit from the Bannock on a surveying expedition only for the craven to turn tail and flee at the first sign of trouble. Monranguin: This is not how we treat requests from the conjurers! And as if such a poor showing weren't bad enough, the lily-livered half-wit left behind the surveying equipment provided by Hearer Pauline herself! Monranguin: While I attempt to instill some backbone into this so-called “soldier,” would you mind recovering the survey gear and returning it to Hearer Pauline at Gabineaux's Bower? Monranguin: According to my recruit's tale of woe, there should be a set of survey records, a surveyor's rope, and two boxes of surveyor's instruments strewn about the interior of a cave to the south of here. <sigh> It's a wonder the damn fool didn't lose his boots... Ahem. Matron watch over you.
Pauline: Yes, may I assist you with some matter?
Survey Records A sprawling list of numbers which appear to be coordinates of some sort.
Surveyor's Instruments A wooden box containing various tools used by surveyors, including an alidade, a plumb, and a block of marking wax.
Surveyor's Rope A thin rope used by surveyors to measure distance.
Pauline: Oh? But this is the equipment I left with the soldiers of the Bannock... Pauline: Fled at the first sign of danger, you say? I see...
Well, all is not lost: it appears the recruit managed to complete the surveying assignment. The records are actually quite detailed. Pauline: With the changes wrought by the Calamity, I thought it wise to send the Order of the Twin Adder on a number of expeditions to map the region's topography. As fortune would have it, the officers saw these tasks as an excellent opportunity to train inexperienced soldiers. Pauline: We can no longer rely on our past knowledge of the Twelveswood. If we are to survive these troubled times, we must reacquaint ourselves with our surroundings, that we may better discern the threats we face. Stay vigilant, adventurer.
A Soldier's Breakfast Pauline at Gabineaux's Bower needs an adventurer to cull the growing anole population, as well as gather one of the scalekin's eggs.
Pauline: I hesitate to make such a dangerous request, but might you assist us in thinning the number of anoles on Naked Rock? Pauline: In our efforts to commune with the elementals, we conjurers often find ourselves in the area. Of late, however, our meditations have all too frequently been interrupted by unprovoked anole attacks. Truly, the beasts grow more aggressive by the day. Pauline: Their numbers have continued to grow since the advent of the Seventh Umbral Era, you see, forcing packs of the scalekin to come down from the mountains in search of food. If you could slay a handful of the beasts, that should lessen their need to hunt and also serve as a warning to the anoles to remain within their territory. Pauline: But I am afraid you must do more than thin the existing population. If we are to truly break this spiraling growth, then we must also target their future offspring. Bring me one of their eggs, and you will have played your part in returning balance to this area of the forest.
Pauline: Ah, you have returned. Now might my brothers and sisters continue their meditations undisturbed. You have my thanks. Pauline: As for the egg, may I ask you to deliver it to Tsubh Khamazom at the Bannock? Pauline: Anole eggs are both large and filled with nutrients─the perfect meal for a soldier. She will be more than a little pleased to see you, I should imagine.
Tsubh Khamazom: Who goes there!? Oh, Forename, it's you. Hm? Another delivery?
Anole Egg This melon-sized egg of the violent scalekin known as the anole is still slightly warm.
Tsubh Khamazom: I'm not certain I should be the one to─ By Nophica, that's an anole egg! The troops will be glad indeed to see one of these at table! And you say Hearer Pauline sent you on this errand? Tsubh Khamazom: I hear the anoles are more numerous than ever, yet you appear to have managed the task with your skin intact. Your skill and bravery continue to amaze me, Forename.
Spirithold Broken Galfrid, chief instructor at the Bannock, would entrust you with the task of investigating Spirithold.
Galfrid: Forename! Thank the gods you've come! Galfrid: We have a potential crisis on our hands, and I would appreciate your assistance. Will you hear me out? Galfrid: Listen well, for we haven't much time. Galfrid: To the southeast of here lies a dungeon known as Spirithold. It was all but destroyed during the Calamity. Galfrid: Desiring to offer the ruins back to the forest, a Hearer ventured inside to carry out the Rite of Returning. Galfrid: Alas, it would seem something has gone awry. Word arrived just moments ago that the Hearer and his guards have been attacked by a towering shadow. Aye, you heard me true─a shadow. Galfrid: On any other day, I would dispatch my best Quivermen to provide support, but I sent them to repel an Ixali incursion in the West Shroud nary a bell ago. Galfrid: The timing of these events cannot be mere coincidence. I fear the Ixal somehow caught wind of our plans, and are attempting to disrupt the rite in an effort to weaken the bond between man and elemental. Galfrid: They must not be allowed to succeed. And so I bid you go to Spirithold and do whatever is necessary to resolve the situation. Please, say you will help us. Galfrid: I knew you would not let me down. You will have all the support I can muster. Galfrid: Now, we are racing against time, so you had best make haste.
Alestan: Who goes there? An adventurer, is it? Alestan: Here at Instructor Galfrid's request, you say? Thank the Matron! Alestan: Doubtless you already know this, but a towering shadow manifested without warning and attacked the Hearer in the midst of the rite. Alestan: Most of his party has been successfully evacuated, but five remain unaccounted for. Alestan: Please find them, and see them out of harm's way.
Injured Hearer: Do not mind me... Save the others...
Worried Wood Wailer: <groan> A great shadow...towering over me... What in the Twelve's good grace? Worried Wood Wailer: A-An adventurer!? Please, you must save the Hearer!
Witless Wood Wailer: Galfrid...sent you? Witless Wood Wailer: I am no longer...of use here. Pray help the Hearer...in my stead.
Overwrought Wood Wailer: Away, vile fiend! Away, I say! I defy you! I defy yooouuu!!!
...Uh? ...Oh! An adventurer! Overwrought Wood Wailer: W-We were ambushed─ambushed in the midst of the ritual! And then... And then...I'm not sure what happened.
Cool-headed Conjurer: ...You were sent to help? I fear you are too late─the ritual has failed. Cool-headed Conjurer: I must needs return to Gridania. The Seedseers must know of this.
Confused Conjurer: That thing was no elemental, but a being born of darkness. Confused Conjurer: The Hearer languishes alone in the depths. You must help him!
??? (Black-masked Ascian): O mournful voice of creation! Grant ye this humble stone a soul, that it may wake to life!
??? (Black-masked Ascian): You are strong. But are you strong enough to withstand this? ??? (Black-masked Ascian): Impossible! Never has the golem been so sorely tested!
??? (Black-masked Ascian): That the golem could be vanquished... ??? (Black-masked Ascian): That womanman is no ordinary adventurer.
Papalymo: Damnation! He has eluded us yet again! Yda (Lyse): Oh, fancy meeting you here! How are things?
Papalymo: Hm? Whatever are you─ Yda (Lyse): Shhh! More birds! This makes it how many times today? Seven? Papalymo: Their movements are beyond our fathoming. Yda (Lyse): Hmmm. Do you think maybe...they're trying to summon their primal? Papalymo: I hope not, for all our sakes. Yet we must be prepared for the worst.
Papalymo: Withered. The same fate has befallen Emerald Moss. Papalymo: It is as we feared: Dalamud's anomaly is affecting life in the Twelveswood. Yda (Lyse): You mean the disturbance in the aetheric flow? Papalymo: The very same. The Garleans have a lot to answer for. Papalymo: The imbalance they have created is plunging the land into chaos, just as Louisoix forewarned. Yda (Lyse): It's no wonder the primals have started appearing... Papalymo: Time is against us, but there is still hope for the land. Papalymo: We must hold fast to that hope and fight to the very last. Yda (Lyse): Agreed!
Yda (Lyse): Waaah! Yda (Lyse): Ack! Stupid things... Papalymo: These stupid things happen to be the very latest in Sharlayan innovation! Show some respect! Yda (Lyse): But they're so uncomfortable and...and...ugly! Papalymo: If you ask me, they're an improvement over that mask of yours. Yda (Lyse): <sigh> Hard to believe it's already been five whole years, isn't it? Papalymo: Already? Five years is but a heartbeat in the life of the planet! Yda (Lyse): I suppose you're right... Now that I think about it, the Twelveswood's barely recovered at all, and the Gridanians still have the same old problems. Papalymo: Aye, along with some new ones. Just in case the Ixal and Garuda weren't troublesome enough, the sylphs had to go and invite Ramuh, didn't they? Yda (Lyse): ...Do you ever think about those adventurers who fought alongside us? I do. And then five years seems like ages... I wonder what became of them. Yda (Lyse): Ah... Papalymo: Yda, look. Yda (Lyse): Hm? Yda (Lyse): Golly!
...And this is what, exactly? Papalymo: Yet another disturbance in the aether, and freshly manifested at that. Papalymo: It seems to be emanating from Lifemend Stump. We must hurry!
Yda (Lyse): Are you all right? Your eyes glazed over for a while there. Papalymo: The good news is that the Hearer is unharmed. Somewhat dazed, yes, but whole of mind and body. The bad news...concerns everything else. Papalymo: Lest you forget, the Twelveswood is the domain of the elementals; it is by their leave that man abides in the forest and avails himself of its bounty. The ground which the dungeon occupies is no different. Papalymo: Having no more use for the dungeon, the Gridanians sent a Hearer to offer the place back to the elementals by way of the Rite of Returning, which is essentially an expression of gratitude. Papalymo: Alas, he failed to complete the ritual for obvious reasons. Papalymo: While the poor soul cannot be blamed for this, the fact remains that unless the elementals are given their due, they may well consider it a slight. And the very last thing the Gridanians can afford to do in these uncertain times is risk alienating the Twelveswood's eternal guardians. Papalymo: But you have more than done your part. We shall see the Hearer to safety, and send for his peers to finish the rite. Papalymo: In the meantime, please make your way outside and report to Alestan. Papalymo: Ah, but where are my manners? Papalymo: I am Papalymo, and the tactless woman beside me here is─ Yda (Lyse): Yda! Yda (Lyse): Papalymo and I are surveying the Twelveswood together! Yda (Lyse): Pleased to meet you! Papalymo: Yda, give me a hand, would you? Papalymo: Wait. There is something...familiar about you. Could it be that you are...? Papalymo: N-Never mind. Doubtless my eyes are playing tricks. Till we meet again!
Alestan: All this happened inside Spirithold? Twelve preserve us... Alestan: Who was that masked mage, and by what dark ambition is he driven? So many things shrouded in mystery... Alestan: Well, I shan't find any answers on my own. I must needs discuss this with Galfrid. The matter warrants a full investigation, if I am any judge, and that shall certainly be my recommendation. Alestan: Your courage has saved many lives this day, adventurer. For this you have my deepest gratitude. Alestan: Pray return to Gridania and seek out Miounne. Alestan: I understand she wishes to thank you for your efforts on our behalf.
Mother Miounne: Welcome back, Forename. A little bird tells me that the Hearer and his party owe you their lives. Mother Miounne: A tale for the tavern if ever there were one!
...It is only a shame that I must ask you not to tell it─for the time being, at least. Do I make myself clear? Mother Miounne: Until the Hearers have made their will on the matter known, it would be best to avoid unsettling people with stories of walking statues. Mother Miounne: Now then, you must have suitable recompense for your valiant service. Mother Miounne: For the first half of your reward, I give you leave to make use of the accommodations here at the guild. Mother Miounne: Arrangements have been made, so all you need do is speak with Antoinaut whenever you crave the comfort of a firm bed and a soft pillow. Mother Miounne: For the second half of your reward, I offer you another path to fame and fortune: guildleves. Mother Miounne: Guildleves are records of the various requests we receive from the citizenry. They outline all manner of tasks which ambitious young adventurers like you can elect to undertake. Mother Miounne: Gontrant is our guildleve official, or “levemete,” here at the Carline Canopy. I have spoken with him regarding your knack for solving challenging problems, and he is eager to make your acquaintance. Mother Miounne: By the way, have you perchance heard about the coming festival? It is truly a splendid occasion, looked forward to by young and old alike, and one I heartily recommend that you take the time to enjoy. Mother Miounne: Don't be too disappointed if the recent troubles cast a shadow over proceedings, however. I fear nothing short of the mysterious interloper's apprehension can prevent that... Mother Miounne: But we were talking about you, Forename. You have made Mother proud. I expect great things of you, young ladyman!
On to Bentbranch Impressed by your progress, Miounne wishes to send you on to Bentbranch Meadows, where you will find further opportunities to learn.
Mother Miounne: How is my favorite fresh-faced adventurer? Oh, do not scowl so─I speak out of habit. You've come a long way since first you walked through my door, and I'll not deny it. Mother Miounne: As a matter of fact, I think it's about time you made yourself useful at Bentbranch Meadows in the Central Shroud. Mother Miounne: Unlike the recruits you see at the Bannock, the men and women out at Bentbranch are fully occupied with their own work. As such, I imagine there are more than a few who would welcome the assistance of a rapidly maturing adventurer like yourself. Mother Miounne: Bentbranch is also home to a very usefully situated aetheryte. It is, in other words, the perfect place for you to begin the next stage of your journey as an adventurer. Mother Miounne: And what better time than the present!? Leave the city via the Blue Badger Gate, and continue to the southwest until you come to a bridge. Mother Miounne: Cross it, and when you spy an aetheryte in the distance, you may congratulate yourself on having successfully found Bentbranch Meadows. Mother Miounne: If you so fancy, you may also make use of the chocobo porter service, doubtless the safest way to get to your destination. Chocobokeep Cingur should not hesitate to lend his birds to a capable adventurer like you. Mother Miounne: Oh, and be sure to introduce yourself to Keitha, the head chocobo wrangler, when you arrive.
Keitha: You must be the 'venturer Miounne sent word about. I'm Keitha, head wrangler 'round these parts. Keitha: I've heard many and more things about you─good things, lest you worry. Keitha: When the Elder Seedseer bade us welcome 'venturers, 'tis fair to say we had our doubts─till hardworkin' folk like yourself set about provin' us wrong, that is. Consider me a convert! Keitha: Anyroad, you've a mind to help out at the ranch, have you? Good. We could always do with a hand or two to keep the place runnin' smoothly. Keitha: As a matter of fact, I've a task right here that wants doin'. Keitha: Let me know when you're ready to get busy. Oh, and you come highly recommended, so don't go lettin' no one down, eh?
You Shall Not Trespass Keitha, the head wrangler at Bentbranch Meadows, appears most distraught. See if there is anything you can do.
Keitha: Seven hells! Some bastard Qiqirn has gone and broken one of me chocobo eggs! Keitha: The filthy little thief was busy lootin' the barn when a guard startled it, promptin' the damn thing to drop the egg it was clutchin' and run. Some of the lads gave chase, bless 'em, but when three more of the vermin appeared, me lot had no choice but to turn back. Keitha: Somethin' has to be done about those Qiqirn...
Would you mind headin' over to the Matron's Lethe and havin' a word with a soldier named Roseline for me? The ratmen nest in her neck of the woods, see... She'll know what to do.
Roseline: You're here on Keitha's behalf? Hm? I see. Broke one of her eggs, you say? And there were four of the creatures? Roseline: The Qiqirn are a nuisance at the best of times, but we must now add trespass and chocobo murder to their list of transgressions... They have forced our hand. Our retribution must needs be swift and decisive. Roseline: And who better than you to deliver it, adventurer? Find the lair to the west of here and make an example of exactly four Qiqirn scramblers. We can send no clearer message.
Roseline: The deed is done? Good. A grim task, but a necessary one. Roseline: You have shown them the folly of inciting the wrath of those who consort with adventurers. Perhaps now the Qiqirn will think twice before giving in to their larcenous proclivities.
Don't Look Down Osha Jaab, a Wood Wailer at the Matron's Lethe, is looking for a sure-footed adventurer to pluck blue trumpets from the root of the nearby heavenspillar.
Osha Jaab: Ho there, adventurer. You seem light on your feet. Fancy a quick skip along the root of the heavenspillar here? I need someone to pick off a blue trumpet or two. Osha Jaab: I know what you're thinking: it's naught more than a mushroom, so why the commotion? I'll tell you why. You allow that fungal menace to multiply, and within a moon they'll be covering the whole damn root and rotting the wood clear through. Osha Jaab: Just watch your step while you're up there, though─the diremites on the ground won't waste any time adding insult to falling injuries. Osha Jaab: Once you're done, head up to the top end of the root and report to Theodore. He'll be glad to hear someone's taken care of one of his more dreaded chores.
Theodore: Oh, you've cleared the root of blue trumpets? Wonderful! To be quite honest, I have this teeny-tiny problem with heights. <sigh> No, this is not my ideal posting, but we all do what we must. Theodore: Keeping the root passable is an important job, you see. It's one of the few ways folk can traverse the Central Shroud since the Calamity all but split the area in twain. Theodore: It is not, perhaps, the easiest pathway to walk, but there are those who believe the will of the Matron Herself caused this tendril of a heavenspillar to remain thus suspended, that it might serve the forest's people. I'm rather fond of the notion, myself.
In the Grim Darkness of the Forest Theodore is looking for an adventurer to deliver a message.
Theodore: It is─regrettably─my duty to stand watch over the road from here to Bentbranch Meadows. Theodore: The ranch has become a veritable institution of Gridania, so any threats to its continued operation are taken quite seriously by the Wood Wailers. Theodore: Which reminds me─mayhap it was my imagination, but I believe I caught a glimpse of some shadowy fellow not too long ago. Would you mind passing word to Roseline down below? I would go myself but, well...it's hard enough marshaling the courage to walk the root for my shift...
Roseline: A shadowy fellow? Hmmm...now that you mention it, I may have seen something. Roseline: I dismissed it as a trick of the light before, but I thought I saw a shadow in the forest to the north. Still, I suspect it is nothing more than a Qiqirn thief on the run. Roseline: If you must sate your curiosity, by all means investigate. Should you actually find something of note, I would like very much to see it.
Roseline: Hmmm? Have you found something?
Leather Bag A tattered leather satchel you found lying near a gutted campfire.
Roseline: Remnants of a campfire and a forgotten bag...this could belong to any adventurer or traveler. And inside we have...a chocobo grooming brush and roseling oil? Roseline: But wait─why would a traveler make camp here, when it would be far safer to beg the hospitality of Bentbranch Meadows? Roseline: Bugger me, I think this belongs to that stranger said to be meddling with the chocobos! Thank you, adventurer. We have been lax in our duties, but no longer─I swear we will find this shadow.
Threat Level Elevated Roseline would like you to warn other sentries of the stranger's activities.
Roseline: We cannot allow other sentries to dismiss similar sightings─they must know what we have learned. To that end, I've prepared this letter containing everything we know about our mysterious stranger. Roseline: I need you to show it to my comrades throughout the Shroud. Once each sentry has committed the details to memory, have them write their name at the bottom for confirmation. Roseline: Start with Elmar at the Bannock, then find Bernard at the eastern gates of Bentbranch Meadows. They ought to relay the information to the others. Roseline: Finally, make sure Eylgar sees the letter. He stands watch within the stables, so if this stranger's aim is to harm the chocobos, Eylgar may have to personally put an end to it.
Elmar: You don't look like you're here for training...
Roseline's Missive Information regarding a suspicious individual compiled by Roseline of the Wood Wailers.
Elmar: A shadowy figure... Understood. I'll pass word to the recruits as well as the sentries. Elmar: Let me just make my mark...there, that should do. Elmar: If you follow the road south, you'll find Bernard by the bridge to Bentbranch. Godsspeed, adventurer.
Bernard: You have business with me, adventurer?
Roseline's Missive Information regarding a suspicious individual compiled by Roseline of the Wood Wailers.
Bernard: Roseline is right to be cautious. For this stranger to venture so close, yet go to such great lengths to remain undetected, is highly suspicious. They clearly have designs on Bentbranch. Bernard: We appreciate the help. I should write my name here, yes? Bernard: And...here, take it. You'll find Eylgar in the stables, past the aetheryte.
Eylgar: Mind the birds, adventurer. They get nervous around strangers.
Roseline's Missive Information regarding a suspicious individual compiled by Roseline of the Wood Wailers.
Eylgar: What's this? A shadowy stranger near the Matron's Lethe... You've already shown this to Bernard and Elmar, I see. Good, good. Eylgar: Then all that's left is to inform the staff here. Not everyone here is a Wood Wailer, true, but even our stableboys wouldn't hesitate to take up arms to defend these chocobos.
Migrant Marauders Eylgar would like to impose upon the kindness of an adventurer.
Eylgar: You're quite the compassionate adventurer, by the sound of it. Well far be it from me to look a gift chocobo in the mouth─I have need of a capable womanman like yourself. Eylgar: We received a peddler at the gates the other day─an excitable Lalafell that was sweating and swearing that he had been attacked by large winged beasts. Yet other than hornets, I know of no flying creatures in this region. Eylgar: If there's any truth to what he said, it might prove problematic for other travelers. Follow the road south and see if you can find any evidence to support his claim. Eylgar: And, should you find something, kindly tell Lothaire to patrol his area sometime instead of just standing beneath the spire and staring at the godsdamned road. In those words.
You hear the beating of wings...
Lothaire: ...A northern vulture? Two? And they were defending a nest!? Lothaire: Well, I, uh...perhaps we could omit that last detail from any official reports. I would rather not give Eylgar any further cause to be cross. Lothaire: Thank you for slaying the beasts. You may rest assured that I will not permit this to happen again.
A Hearer Is Often Late Lothaire, a guard at Galvanth's Spire, wants you to visit the Hedgetree.
Lothaire: I have another task for you, adventurer. I need you to head to the Hedgetree to the southwest of here and speak with Hearer Leonnie. Lothaire: After tending to the Hedgetree, the Hearer was scheduled to board a boat from the Mirror Planks... Well, the vessel's departure time has come and gone, but there is still no sign of her. Lothaire: Knowing how absorbed the Hearer becomes in her work, I am not unduly concerned. Armelle, however, was responsible for organizing Leonnie's transportation and is likely wondering if her wayward passenger is ever going to arrive. Perhaps a gentle reminder is in order?
Leonnie: Yes, what troubles you, my de─? Ah. Yes. The boat. I had quite forgotten. Leonnie: Hm? Oh, my task with the Hedgetree is well and finished, but the elementals murmur of a malevolent presence in the vicinity of the Tam-Tara Deepcroft. Leonnie: I must abide a while longer, that I might better divine the source of the elementals' distress. Please inform Armelle that I shall be late in arriving.
Leonnie: I must linger here a while longer. Please head to the Mirror Planks and convey my apologies to Armelle.
Armelle: You bear a message from Hearer Leonnie? An evil presence in the Deepcroft? That does sound grave, indeed. Armelle: I shall organize a vessel for a later time, then. Perhaps a bell from now? Two? Better make it three, just to be safe. Thank you for your trouble.
Salvaging the Scene Armelle, a local at the Mirror Planks, wishes you to salvage cargo from a wreckage on the road.
Armelle: Might you assist me with another matter, miladysir? A wagon that departed from Quarrymill was overturned on the road when some large, ill-tempered forest beast chose that moment to defend its territory. Armelle: By Nophica's grace, the driver escaped without serious injury, but the wagon's cargo was not so fortunate. With none willing to risk another encounter with the creature, I can only assume the goods remain strewn across the ground where the incident occurred. Armelle: Simply follow the road here to the south and you should come across the wreckage. Salvage what cargo you can, and deliver it to Keitha at Bentbranch Meadows if you would be so kind.
You feel the ground tremble beneath your feet...
Keitha: You have a delivery for me?
Fallen Cargo Though the crate is splintered in several places, it does not appear that its contents were damaged in the fall.
Keitha: Ah, this's the shipment I was waitin' on from Quarrymill. I heard the wagon ran afoul o' some great monstrosity just up the path from the Mirror Planks, but I see you've managed to scrape together a few bits and pieces. Keitha: Seems I can't get through two bells these days without hearin' some new tale o' horrors in the Deepcroft or bandit cutthroats prowlin' the woods hereabouts. Keitha: Makes me wonder if me chocobos are safe at night, it does. If we're ever in need of a 'venturer's skills, I hope you'll be around to lend a hand.
Leia's Legacy Luquelot at Bentbranch Meadows seeks your assistance in finding a lost chocobo egg.
Luquelot: No! Oh, please gods, no! Leia's egg! Luquelot: Forename, you must help me! I stepped out of the stables for but a moment, and when I returned it was gone! Luquelot: I─ What was gone? An egg! Sorry? You are sure the chocobos will lay another!? Gah! You do not understand─the egg is extremely valuable! I must find it! Luquelot: You will help me, won't you, Forename? Oh, thank you, thank you! Luquelot: Someone must have made off with it. There can be no other explanation. I shall scour every ilm of the stable once more just to be sure. While I do so, I should be very grateful if you would ask the others if they noticed anything unusual.
Ewmond: See anyone actin' suspicious? I most certainly did, lasslad. A man, it was, runnin' off towards the Tam-Tara Deepcroft. Ewmond: Hm? You say an egg was took? Then I'd say that there was yer culprit. Ewmond: But why would anyone pinch a chocobo egg? Without the proper learnin', it's damn near impossible to get one to hatch.
Leodaire: A chocobo egg has gone missing? Hm, well let me think. Leodaire: Now that you mention it, the chocobos were making quite a racket earlier. So much so, in fact, that I ran over to check on them, almost flattening a passing peddler in my haste. I didn't find anything out of the ordinary, though. Leodaire: Hm? Could I describe the peddler? Oh...he was an Elezen fellow─didn't recognize his face. Seemed awfully twitchy. Oh gods, you don't think he...? Why in the hells didn't I accost him!?
Bernard: Have I seen any odd characters about? Aside from yourself, you mean? Not that I recall. Bernard: I did see someone calming the birds, but only from a distance. I assumed it was Luquelot... Bernard: But if you say he was away from the stables at the time...then who was that with the chocobos?
Luquelot: There can be no mistake, then. The egg was indeed stolen. Luquelot: And from what you have told me, this was no simple robbery. Luquelot: That the culprit should take only Leia's egg and disregard all the rest tells me we are dealing with someone well versed in chocobo breeding. I am sorry to say that the individual in question is like to be a citizen of my native Ishgard. Luquelot: Leia, you see, is of the bloodline of Ouranos─one of the greatest birds ever to grace an Ishgardian stable. Luquelot: Many a man in my homeland would give his right arm to possess one of Leia's eggs... Gods, I should have foreseen this! We must give chase at once! Keitha: Hold your chocobos, Luquelot! If this egg thief's from Ishgard, like you say, why'd he go runnin' off towards the Tam-Tara Deepcroft? Unless I've got me mental map upside down, that's the opposite direction. Luquelot: W-Well, yes, but...he may seek to lay a false trail, or...uh... Bah! The why of it is not important! Leia's egg is all that matters! Adventurer, I beg of you, hunt the scoundrel down and take back what he stole! Keitha: Well, at least you ain't plannin' on chasin' after him yourself...wherever he's from. Keitha: We may work wonders with our birds, Forename, but acts of derrin'-do ain't exactly our field. If you don't mind, we'll leave that end of things to you. Luquelot: With luck, you may catch the thief on the road to the Tam-Tara Deepcroft, but do be careful─we cannot be certain he is working alone in this.
Janremi Blackheart: <pant> <wheeze> I have caught you at last, you spiteful imp! Now hand over the egg! Kuplu Kopo: You can't have it, kupo! This egg belongs to Luquelot! Janremi Blackheart: Who in Halone's bloody fury are you? Ah, those sops at Bentbranch hired themselves an adventurer, did they? Janremi Blackheart: Yet another complication. This farce has gone on long enough. Kill the moogle and the farmers' hireling, and bring me that damned egg!
Janremi Blackheart: Meddlesome wretches... Prepare to die! Kuplu Kopo: You'll not have Leia's egg, kupo! Janremi Blackheart: Ugh... SheHe's tougher than shehe looks... Janremi Blackheart: You'll feel this one, you obstinate cur! Kuplu Kopo: You're winning, kupo! Kuplu Kopo: Look out! He's up to something extra nasty, kupo!
Kuplu Kopo: Thank you, kupo. Kuplu Kopo: What's that, kupo? How did I come to be out here? Kuplu Kopo: Ah, well, this egg here is Leia's. Leia is a very special chocobo, in case you didn't know. Anyway, I was having a nap in the stables when that nasty fellow crept in and tried to steal it, kupo! Kuplu Kopo: So I snatched it up as quickly as I could and made a run for it. I was planning to take it back to Bentbranch Meadows myself, but it might be safer if you did it. I'm sure Luquelot will be very happy to see you, kupo!
Luquelot: Do you have the egg!? Is it safe!?
Leia's Egg You must deliver this egg, adventurer. It's our only hope!
Luquelot: Yes, it has the right coloring, the right weight... It is most definitely Leia's egg. Luquelot: I know not how to thank you. Keitha: You had me worried for a bit there, Forename. 'Tis good to see you and the egg back safe and sound. Luquelot: ...So I was correct in my assumption that an Ishgardian was involved─albeit one who did not, in fact, make off with the egg. Well, I could hardly have anticipated the intervention of a moogle! Keitha: Bugger me... It couldn't be the same one...could it? Luquelot: Might you have encountered our unlikely savior before, Keitha? Keitha: Could be, aye. One of 'em saved my hide back when the Calamity struck. Keitha: I was in a part of the woods what we now call the Standin' Corses that day. Seemed like the whole bleedin' forest was ablaze, and I couldn't see a yalm in front of me for all the smoke. Well-nigh given up hope, I had. Keitha: Then, all of a sudden, a moogle appears out of nowhere, tugs at me smolderin' sleeve, and leads me straight to a bit of the wood where the fire hadn't taken hold. Keitha: And now you know why the business is named “Moogle's Gift Mounts.” Seemed like the least I could do. I'd be dead if it weren't for that plucky little bugger. Luquelot: Incredible. It may well be that the moogle has stood vigil over us ever since that day... Keitha: Ha! We'd better get back to work, then. Wouldn't want to go lettin' our guardian angel down, would we? Forename, you have our thanks. Oh, and I believe Luquelot wants to give you a little somethin' for your troubles.
Luquelot: Leia's egg is irreplaceable. I cannot well express to you the depth of my gratitude. Luquelot: And yet, I find that I am still troubled... While this whole regrettable episode unfolded, I bore witness to a sight that greatly concerned me...
Dread Is in the Air Luquelot appears to be in need of assistance.
Luquelot: My thanks for your kindness earlier. I hate to impose again, but I have need of your assistance in another matter─one of grave import, I fear. Luquelot: Of late, I have noticed that Ixali dirigibles have been appearing over the Twelveswood with increasing regularity. The frequency, however, does not bother me near so much as where they choose to fly─the patch of sky directly above the Guardian Tree. Luquelot: The tree is a sacred site, or so I was given to believe when first I came to Gridania, and thus I naturally assumed that the elementals would not suffer the Ixal to profane it. Yet the birdmen have been coming and going as they please, with nary a sign of protest from the guardians of the Twelveswood. Luquelot: And it was that which set me to thinking... Ever since the appearance of the much-talked-about “suspicious individual,” many and more strange things have been occurring in the forest. Could it be that he did something to the elementals? Luquelot: In case it proved useful, I have committed the details of my sightings to parchment, and would ask that you deliver the document to Mother Miounne. Luquelot: Please make all haste─I have an irrepressible feeling that something terrible is about to happen.
Luquelot: Have I mentioned that Leia's egg has hatched? We have yet to settle on a name, but the chick is healthy, spirited, and incurably inquisitive. She will receive the finest care, and shall one day grow into an exceptional chocobo.
Keitha: Ah, hullo again. I've been meanin' to thank you, friend. Chocobo breedin' has always been rewardin' work in its own right, but knowin' those moogles are watchin' over us and our birds makes it all the more so.
  • What will you ask?
  • What do you do here? Keitha: You'll be happy to know that Leia's egg hatched with nary a hitch. A spirited chick, that one is─struttin' about the meadow like 'twas the highlands of Coerthas. She'll do her mother proud, I reckon. Keitha: ...And I daresay she's not the only one. Yes, what with the fine flock we've been raisin', people have finally come to accept and appreciate Gridania-bred birds. Keitha: It's not easy work, but with every cheerful “kweh” I hear, I know there's no place I'd rather be. This is my callin', and I'll see it through till we're breedin' the happiest, heartiest birds the realm has ever seen.
  • What kind of place is this? Keitha: The meadows're dedicated to the breedin' and raisin' of those majestic birds we call chocobos. 'Twas built with the blessin' of the elementals followin' the Calamity. Keitha: In addition to the stables, we've got fields for growin' gysahl greens, and all manner of amenities to ensure that our birds grow clever and strong. Keitha: Raisin' fine birds and findin' good homes for 'em─nothin' gives me and my ranch hands greater joy.
  • Nothing.
Mother Miounne: Hello there, Forename. Word of your tireless efforts at Bentbranch Meadows has reached my ears. The folk there have naught but the highest praise for you! Mother Miounne: You certainly have a knack for making Mother proud. Mother Miounne: Keep up the good work, you hear? Mother Miounne: Hm? A letter...from Luquelot?
Luquelot's Letter A sealed envelope entrusted to you by Bentbranch Meadows chocobokeep Luquelot.
Mother Miounne: I haven't the slightest inkling what this could be about... Mother Miounne: Gods be good... Mother Miounne: I have a mission for you, Forename. Suffice it to say, it is urgent. Mother Miounne: I fear it may also prove dangerous, however, so you must be prepared. Mother Miounne: Make what arrangements you can, and report back to me the moment you are ready.
To Guard a Guardian Miounne has a mind to assign you a mission of great import.
Mother Miounne: Time is of the essence, so I shall speak plain. Mother Miounne: Based on Luquelot's observations, the Ixal have designs on the Guardian Tree, and they mean to act soon. Mother Miounne: The tree is the oldest living thing in this ancient forest, and it is held sacred by every forestborn Gridanian. Mother Miounne: Should it come to any harm, the elementals would fly into a rage beyond pacifying. I dread to think of the chaos that would ensue. Mother Miounne: There isn't much time. We must act quickly. Mother Miounne: Forename, please see this letter to the hands of Bowlord Lewin, at the Seat of the First Bow in Quiver's Hold. Should the need arise, pray put yourself wholly at the man's disposal. I strongly suspect he will need all the able-bodied souls he can muster. Mother Miounne: The fate of Gridania hangs in the balance. Go swiftly, Forename.
Gods' Quiver Bow: An urgent message from Mother Miounne? Very well, you may enter.
  • Proceed to the Seat of the First Bow?
  • Yes
  • No Gods' Quiver Bow: Mayhap the messenger has forgotten the message? Should you gather your wits, I will be here.
Lewin: So you are Forename Surname, the adventurer of whom I have heard so much. I understand you wish words with me. Lewin: Miounne has information on the Ixal, you say? Speak freely─you have both my ears.
Miounne's Letter A sealed envelope entrusted to you by Mother Miounne of the Carline Canopy.
Lewin: ...Matron forfend! They mean to defile the Guardian Tree? Lewin: Before Nophica, I swear those filthy birdmen will not touch it─nay, not so much as a single leaf! Lewin: Twelve help me! How can it be that neither the Wood Wailers nor the Gods' Quiver caught wind of this? Lewin: I cannot help but think this plot bears the mark of the masked devil who has eluded us for so long. We must be wary─this incursion may be more than it seems. Lewin: Ah, would that the Warriors of Light were still with us...
But this is no time for such idle thoughts. I thank you for delivering this message. You may assure Miounne that I will dispatch a unit of my best men to investi─ Gods' Quiver Bow: My lord! Lewin: What is it!? Gods' Quiver Bow: It's the Ixal, sir! The Ixal have amassed at the Guardian Tree! Lewin: Already!? Bloody hells... Lewin: Forename─Miounne believes you capable, and I can think of no better judge than she. Lend us your strength this day─aid in the defense of the Guardian Tree!
Gods' Quiver Instructor: The Bowlord sent you, yes? Good to have you with us! Gods' Quiver Instructor: The birdmen have completely surrounded the Guardian Tree, and their calls grow more urgent by the minute. Gods' Quiver Instructor: Whatever it is they mean to do, we cannot let them go through with it. They must be stopped, no matter the cost!
Ixali Occultists: O mournful voice of creation!
O mournful voice of time! Ixali Chieftain: Squaaawk! Attend me, all! Ixali Chieftain: To us, this forest, Tinolqa, belongs! Ixali Chieftain: Wisdom of Paragons, we possess! To our former glory, restore us it will! Ixali Chieftain: From this tree, a great crystal we take! Unto Garuda, an offering we shall make! Ixali Chieftain: Unfeathered ones and elementals, banish we shall! Our ancient home, reclaim we will! Squaaawk! Lewin: First squad, left flank. Second and third, right flank. Lewin: The rest, form the main host with me. It is high time we reminded our Ixal guests why we Quivermen are to be feared! Lewin: This position is yours, adventurer. May the elementals keep you! Ixali Chieftain: Squawk!? Ixali Chieftain: Interrupt us, you dare!? In your own blood, you shall bathe!
Galfrid the Gallant: The enemy chieftain is mine! Miraudont the Madder: We shall engage the main flock! Galfrid the Gallant: Another wave!? Where are they coming from!? Gods' Quiver Bow: I was...careless... Quzal Huatotl the Shrieker: Wisdom of Paragons, almighty is!
Perish, unfeathered ones shall! Quzal Huatotl the Shrieker: Creature of the abyss! Mine enemies, strike down! Galfrid the Gallant: A voidsent!? Th-This bodes ill! Miraudont the Madder: Hold fast! We almost have him! Quzal Huatotl the Shrieker: To us, all this forest belongs! Galfrid the Gallant: Begone! Quzal Huatotl the Shrieker: To survive, no chance you have! Miraudont the Madder: Ha!
Gods' Quiver Bow: Impressive work, adventurer. Gods' Quiver Bow: The Bowlord bids you hold this position. Enemies may yet lurk near, so stay on your guard. Gods' Quiver Bow: We go to bolster the left flank, where the battle yet rages. Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): The source of herhis strength becomes clear... Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): You may have bested the golem, but you will not fare so well this day. Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): O mournful voice of creation! Send unto me a creature of the abyss, my thrall to command, that I may smite mine enemies! Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): Your very being imperils the plan. You cannot be suffered to live.
Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): Soon, you shall take your vile gifts to the grave! Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): Mwahahaha! Writhe!
Writhe as the venom eats its way through your veins! Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): How is this possible...? Papalymo: I trust you won't object to our assistance! Yda (Lyse): Looks like you could do with a hand! Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): Unwelcome guests... No matter, all shall fall before me! Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): Whence comes your strength!? Papalymo: It is past time we finished this! Yda (Lyse): Come on! We're almost there!
Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): Unnngh... That the wisdom of the Paragons should be brought low...by mere mortals... Papalymo: ...Paragons? Yda (Lyse): That's what I heard. Papalymo: The Bringers of Chaos...or Ascians, to give them their proper name. Papalymo: It would seem our suspicions were correct─it is they who have been manipulating the beast tribes. Lewin: Forename, are you unharmed!? Had I known this creature was near, I would have sent men, not called them away! Gods' Quiver Bow: There is no mistake, sir─he is the one who stirred the Ixal from their nest. Our intelligence was reliable. Lewin: So this is the man who has eluded us for so long? Yda (Lyse): Right! We finally got him! Papalymo: We sensed an ominous presence, and came here as swiftly as our legs would carry us. Yda (Lyse): Well, it's good to know what we're up against, anyway. Lewin: My thanks as ever, friends. Lewin: Quivermen! Move out! Lewin: To say you played an instrumental role in the success of this mission would scarcely do justice to your efforts this day, adventurer. Upon your return to Gridania, pray visit me at Quiver's Hold. I will see to it that you receive the thanks you are due. Yda (Lyse): Hmmm...you're probably wondering why we always seem to appear when there's trouble, right? Yda (Lyse): Well, trust me when I tell you that it's almost never our fault. Despite what it looks like, Papalymo and I are actually helping the Gridanians. And we've been doing so for a good few years, too. Oh! Did I mention that we're not from around here? Yda (Lyse): Hm? Why, yes, we are Sharlayans! However did you know? Papalymo: So I wasn't mistaken... Yda (Lyse): Mistaken? About what? Papalymo: Nothing. Nothing at all. Yda (Lyse): Awww! You always do that! Mumble something loaded with meaning, only to keep it to yourself when someone asks! It's unfair! And it's especially unfair when the someone is me! Papalymo: Oh, do calm down! I'll tell you later. Yda (Lyse): Hmph! I bet you won't. Anyway, all's well that ends well. Papalymo: ...Quite. We'd best be on our way. Yda (Lyse): See you later!
Gods' Quiver Bow: Welcome back, adventurer. Your exploits at the Guardian Tree are the stuff of songs. The Bowlord awaits you within.
  • Proceed to the Seat of the First Bow?
  • Yes
  • No Gods' Quiver Bow: Let me know when you are ready to proceed, and I will admit you.
Lewin: I have awaited your return, Forename. Allow me to thank you again for helping us to defend the Guardian Tree. Lewin: Not only did you put the invading Ixal to rout─you confronted the masked mage and his fell minion, and emerged the victor. Lewin: I have good men and women under me, none of whom give me cause for complaint─but you, Forename, are a class apart. Lewin: Your strength, your determination, your heart... Lewin: You have all the makings of a great adventurer. Miounne is seldom mistaken in her appraisals, and she is plainly not mistaken now. Lewin: Gridania is stronger for your presence. The Elder Seedseer will doubtless be pleased to learn that a capable adventurer like you has come to us. Lewin: Once more, I thank you. Owing to your valor, disaster has been averted. Quiverman: Elder Seedseer! Quiverman: My lady! Kan-E-Senna: I am come to express my gratitude for your valiant efforts before the Guardian Tree. Kan-E-Senna: I am informed that an adventurer of singular talent now walks amongst us. You are shehe, are you not? Kan-E-Senna: My name is Kan-E-Senna, and it is my solemn charge to watch over all who call Gridania home. Kan-E-Senna: Well met and well come to our fair nation. Kan-E-Senna: It was your valor that won us the day, I believe. On behalf of all Gridanians, I offer you my humblest thanks. Kan-E-Senna: This gift I present to you as a small token of my gratitude. I hope that you will ever remain a friend to Gridania. Kan-E-Senna: Greenbliss is coming. It is an age-old ceremony to renew the bond between man and elemental. Kan-E-Senna: Over the centuries, it has blossomed into a joyous festival encompassing Gridanians from every walk of life. Kan-E-Senna: I should be most gratified if you would participate in the ceremony as Emissary. Quiverman: <gasp> Lewin: Such a great honor! Kan-E-Senna: I look forward to seeing you on that most joyous of days. Kan-E-Senna: Till then, fare you well. May you walk in the light of the Crystal.
Festive Endeavors Bowlord Lewin has information regarding your role in Greenbliss.
Lewin: None in Gridania can doubt your worth, Forename... Lewin: But to receive such praise from the Elder Seedseer herself! Lewin: And nor is that the half of it! She chose you to play the role of Emissary, for gods' sakes! You! An outsider! Do you have any idea what this means!? Lewin: <sigh> But of course you don't. You are not forestborn...which is rather the point. Mistake me not, I think you worthy, but your selection is all but unprecedented. And I'll wager you have not the faintest inkling what is required of you... Lewin: There are preparations that the Emissary must needs complete ahead of time. I suggest you consult Miounne regarding the matter─she is overseeing the arrangements for the event. Lewin: Now, you had best get going─the ceremony cannot commence without the Emissary.
Oh, and, Forename...don't make a hash of this!
Mother Miounne: Well, well, if it isn't the Emissary herselfhimself! Had I known you were coming, I would have baked a pie! Mother Miounne: You truly are full of surprises, Forename. Next you'll be telling me you're one of the Warriors of Light, back from a half-decade long holiday! Mother Miounne: But let's speak of preparations. As you doubtless already know, Greenbliss is an age-old ceremony for strengthening the bond between man and elemental. These days, though, the name also refers to the festival at large. Mother Miounne: In the ceremony, the Emissary serves as a conduit─a bridge between the people and the guardians of the Twelveswood. Suffice it to say, it is no small responsibility─nor does the Elder Seedseer choose mankind's representative on a whim. Mother Miounne: Seldom in history have non-forestborn been chosen for the role─which should give you an idea of the magnitude of the honor being accorded you. Mother Miounne: For your part, you are required to wear a ceremonial artifact, which is presently in the keeping of Timbermaster Beatin. Mother Miounne: Go to the Carpenters' Guild and collect it from the man, then return to me for further instructions.
Beatin: So you are the Emissary-to-be. Miounne sent word that you would be coming to collect the ceremonial artifact. Beatin: The good news is that it's ready─painstakingly crafted by these very hands, and from the rarest of materials. Beatin: Take it, along with this warning: get so much as a scratch on the thing, and I shall make an unceremonial artifact out of you.
Mother Miounne: Back from your trip to the Carpenters' Guild? Let's see what you have in that box.
Wooden Lockbox As long as the lock is intact, we may never know for certain what Timbermaster Beatin placed inside.
Mother Miounne: Ahhh...this is by far the finest Monoa mask I have ever laid eyes upon. The timbermaster has truly outdone himself this time. Mother Miounne: In case he didn't mention, the mask is crafted from consecrated lumber rendered up by the Guardian Tree, solely for use in the ceremony. In other words, it is priceless─Mother bids you to handle it with care. Mother Miounne: And with that, your preparations are complete. The venue should just about be in order as well. If you have any questions, now's the time to ask them.
Renewing the Covenant Miounne has some final words of advice to offer regarding your role in Greenbliss.
Mother Miounne: Now that you have the Monoa mask, all that's left is to participate in the ceremony. Mother Miounne: Perchance you are feeling nervous, but never fear─despite all the pomp surrounding the role, there really is nothing to being Emissary. Mother Miounne: All you are required to do is wear the mask, stand up straight, and look dignified. The more involved aspects of the proceedings will be handled by others. Simple, no? Mother Miounne: The ceremony will be held at Mih Khetto's Amphitheatre. When you are ready, make yourself known to the caretaker there─a woman named Estaine. Mother Miounne: Oh, and be sure to wear your mask or she may not recognize you. Now, off you go, Forename, and good luck!
Estaine: Ah, you must be the Emissary. Estaine: I have been instructed to escort you to your place. You just need to put on the Monoa mask, and the ceremony may commence. Estaine: You do have the mask, don't you? If you have misplaced it, you must needs speak with Timbermaster Beatin at once. And gods help you if you don't have a compelling excuse...
Beatin: Twelve as my witness... I will not bother speculating how you lost the mask, though I find it hard to believe it was not intentional. Beatin: See that you don't lose this one. Now stop wasting time and continue your quest. This minstrel's tale cannot reach its climax till all the players be assembled.
Estaine: Ah, you must be the Emissary. Estaine: I see you have come prepared. That is well. Estaine: I have been instructed to escort you to your place. Please follow me.
Gridanian Citizen: Look! Gridanian Citizen: The Elder Seedseer! Gridanian Citizen: Twelve bless her heart! Kan-E-Senna: May shehe find favor with the elementals! Kan-E-Senna: This radiance... Kan-E-Senna: Could it be...a Crystal of Light? Kan-E-Senna: Tell me true─has the Mothercrystal revealed Herself to you? Did you bask in Her Light? Kan-E-Senna: Have you perchance experienced sensations akin to aether sickness of late? Kan-E-Senna: That Hydaelyn would speak directly to this womanman... Kan-E-Senna: There once were dauntless adventurers who fought in the name of Eorzea. Kan-E-Senna: When the primals threatened to bleed the land dry, these brave men and women rose to face them. When the Garlean Empire resumed its war of conquest, they rushed to the realm's defense. Kan-E-Senna: And when it was foretold that Dalamud would fall, they fought with all their strength to deliver us from certain doom. Kan-E-Senna: Yet as strong and as brave as they were, they─like so many─disappeared amidst the flames at Carteneau. Kan-E-Senna: None have forgotten the heroes who gave all for the sake of a realm not their own. Kan-E-Senna: Yet when we try to recall their names, we find the pages of our memories are blank, as if bleached by the sun. Kan-E-Senna: And when we try to recall their faces, we see them only in silhouette, as if they stood betwixt us and a blinding glare. Kan-E-Senna: Hence have these heroes come to be known as the Warriors of Light. Kan-E-Senna: Beholding you, illuminated by the glow of the Crystal, I could not help but be reminded of them. Kan-E-Senna: The Crystal has chosen you for a purpose. Kan-E-Senna: Trust to its guiding light, and all shall be revealed to you in good time. Kan-E-Senna: Though none can say for certain what the future will bring, it is my belief that you may yet play a telling role in the tale of this great realm. Kan-E-Senna: ...For the power of the Echo resides within you.
Raubahn: Flames, to the fore! Raubahn: Victory belongs to the bold! Show those imperial whoresons what we're made of! Merlwyb: The left flank buckles! Divert the Barracudas! Merlwyb: Bid 'em hold that position though it cost 'em their lives! Kan-E-Senna: The Yellow Serpents are in need of succor. Pray send the White Wolves to their aid. Kan-E-Senna: The adventurers risk life and limb for our cause. We must not fail them. Merlwyb: Is aught amiss? Kan-E-Senna: No... It is nothing. Flame Soldier: Uwaaah! Flame Soldier: Bloody hells! Raubahn: The barrier won't go down so easily! Eyes forward! Kan-E-Senna: We are being watched... Raubahn: Raging Bull calling Blood Thorn! Blood Thorn, respond! Respond, damn you! Raubahn: Arrrgh!!! Jakys Ryder: Raging Bull! This is Mad Snake! Respond! Raubahn: Ryder!? This is Raging Bull! What news!? Jakys Ryder: We're surrounded by a blaze! There's no way out! Gods preserve, what is that thing!? Raubahn: What's going on!? Speak to me! Jakys Ryder: Godsdammit! We cannot hold much longer! Jakys Ryder: AaaaaaAAAAAAAAAH!!! Raubahn: Mad Snake!? Mad Snaaaaaake! Answer me! Raubahn: Damn it! Damn it all to the seventh hell! Merlwyb: What of the Barracudas? Can they not be reached? Storm Runner: Sorry, Admiral─shell's not workin'! Kan-E-Senna: What of our own? Serpent Runner: I cannot say, my lady! That monstrosity appears to be disrupting our communications! Kan-E-Senna: We must keep trying. Call till they respond. Serpent Runner: Yes, my lady! Kan-E-Senna: Admiral, General─we can do no more. We must give the order to withdraw. Raubahn: I will not forsake Louisoix! Kan-E-Senna: General, please! Victory may belong to the bold, but there will be no victor this day! Kan-E-Senna: You know this to be true. Let us not sacrifice lives in vain. Kan-E-Senna: The adventurers fight bravely, but to no avail. Let them withdraw, and let us be the ones to stand with Louisoix. Merlwyb: Belay previous orders! All Maelstrom units are commanded to fall back, effective immediately! Merlwyb: Give the Foreign Levy priority! Let the main host cover their retreat, and bring up the rear! Raubahn: Damn it... Relay the order: all Flames are to withdraw.
I don't care if our linkshells are useless! Raubahn: You still have a working pair of legs, don't you!? Well, use 'em, you bloody half-wit! Kan-E-Senna: The outcome of this battle was long since decided. Kan-E-Senna: Better to retreat now, than risk a massacre. Kan-E-Senna: This dark, stifling presence... Who...or what...? Kan-E-Senna: We go to take our place beside Archon Louisoix! To your positions!
??? (Lahabrea): That I should live to behold Bahamut once more... ??? (Lahabrea): Magnificent. The eons of imprisonment have only made him hungrier. ??? (Lahabrea): I am aware of them. Pay them no mind. They are powerless to act. ??? (Lahabrea): It has begun. Soon the planet will regain its true form. ??? (Lahabrea): Ahahaha... Ahahahahaha!
Mother Miounne: Ah! Look who's back in the land of the living! Mother Miounne: Hm? You mean to say you don't remember a thing? Mother Miounne: You collapsed in the middle of the ceremony─gave us all a good fright. So we carried you back here. I must say, you're heavier than you look! Mother Miounne: You've hardly stopped of late─your exertions must have caught up with you. Mother Miounne: But you adventurers are nothing if not resilient! Seeing as the worst is past, I shall take my leave and return to my duties. Mother Miounne: Oh, I almost forgot─the Elder Seedseer told me she'd like to see you when you felt well enough. Mother Miounne: The gentle soul was almost as worried about you as I was, bless her. When you're back on your feet, be sure and visit her at the Lotus Stand.
Silent Conjurer: Ah, you are Forename Surname, are you not? I bid you welcome, my ladysir. The Elder Seedseer left word that you would be joining her at the Lotus Stand. May I show you in?
  • Proceed to the Lotus Stand?
  • Yes
  • No Silent Conjurer: Very well. Yet know that it is not meet to keep the Elder Seedseer waiting.
Kan-E-Senna: I have looked forward to your coming, Forename. But tell me, are you recovered? Kan-E-Senna: I am most glad of that. Now, I hope you will not doubt the earnestness of my concern...but I would ask a favor of you. Nor can I deny that I summoned you here in part with this in mind. Know, however, that I proceed only upon the understanding that you are rested and well.
The Gridanian Envoy Kan-E-Senna would entrust you with a task of great import.
Kan-E-Senna: Thank you for hearing me out. Kan-E-Senna: I have written a letter to my counterparts in the Eorzean Alliance. Kan-E-Senna: The Battle of Carteneau and the Calamity that followed claimed countless souls, and left countless more bereft and alone. In the dark days that followed, many were the survivors who thought themselves less fortunate than the dead. Kan-E-Senna: Five years have come and gone, but the land and the people still bear the wounds of the devastation. Kan-E-Senna: Nor are we any closer to learning the fate of the Warriors of Light. Kan-E-Senna: Yet so long as we live, never must we give up hope. We owe this to those who laid down their lives that we might behold another dawn. Kan-E-Senna: In remembrance of them, a memorial service will soon be held upon the anniversary of the Battle of Carteneau. This missive bears the details of that service. Kan-E-Senna: You graciously accepted the part of Emissary in the recent ceremony. Kan-E-Senna: Should you be so willing, I would now make you my envoy, and have you bear my message to our allies. Kan-E-Senna: Your dedication to the people of Gridania rouses fond memories in me, and I would choose no other for the role. Will you do me this favor? Kan-E-Senna: Humbly, I thank you. Kan-E-Senna: As you are no doubt aware, our partners in the Eorzean Alliance lie some considerable distance away. Nor are Ul'dah and Limsa Lominsa close to one another. Kan-E-Senna: Yet fear not, for I have no intention of subjecting you, mine own newly anointed envoy, to a journey which would take weeks by land. Kan-E-Senna: No, I mean for you to travel by air. Receive of me this airship pass. With it, you may make use of the skyways that connect the three city-states of the Alliance. Kan-E-Senna: The airship landing is situated upon the lower floor of the Carline Canopy. Simply show your pass, and you will be admitted to the departure area. Before you embark upon your journey, however, you would do well to seek the worldly wisdom of Miounne. Few forestborn Gridanians know more of the lands beyond the Twelveswood than she. Kan-E-Senna: In better times, airships were available for the convenience of one and all. Alas, the risk that our crafts may fall to imperial attack has forced a reduction in the number of flights. Kan-E-Senna: Consequently, it has become necessary to restrict air travel only to those whose need is great. Such individuals may petition the relevant parties to be issued an airship pass. As you may have deduced, I myself am one such party. Kan-E-Senna: ...Yet I was not alone in desiring that you be granted the privilege of air travel. Kan-E-Senna: Such is the potential you show. Kan-E-Senna: We have no doubt but that you will reward our faith in you, Forename. Kan-E-Senna: By the power vested in me, I bid you journey forth as my envoy into the great realm of Eorzea. Kan-E-Senna: Walk her fields, brave her seas, and strive to know her better. Kan-E-Senna: And wheresoever you go, go without fear, for the path shall ever be revealed to those who are true of heart. Kan-E-Senna: Guided by the Crystal's light, set forth, and discover your destiny.
Kan-E-Senna: Above all else, we Gridanians value harmony. By our example, we hope to guide the realm to an age of true peace. Kan-E-Senna: If man and elemental can work as one, so too can the peoples of Eorzea join hands in common cause. I pray you will continue to aid us in achieving this ideal.
Mother Miounne: 'Tis good to see you up and about again, Forename. Tell me, did you pay the Elder Seedseer a visit as I bade? Mother Miounne: Appointed personal envoy!? Mother Miounne: And now you are to bear the Elder Seedseer's missive to our allies... Mother Miounne: Well! It seems you've made an impression on the great woman! I can't argue with her judgment, though. You've earned this honor with tireless hard work, and anyone who says you don't deserve it had better not do so in my hearing! Mother Miounne: I find myself praising you often of late, but Mother is truly proud of you. Mother Miounne: Short of a Warrior of Light, I can imagine no better adventurer to represent us─and that, my girllad, is some compliment! Mother Miounne: But I've flattered you enough for one day. And I don't want your head to get too big, or you'll struggle to lug it around the realm. Speaking of which, Eorzea is a big old place. Mother Miounne: Now that you have an airship pass, you can really start to broaden your horizons. The sky's quite literally the limit. Mother Miounne: Even if your errand didn't call for it, I would strongly suggest visiting the two other city-states of the Alliance before you go anywhere else. They are, of course, Limsa Lominsa, city of pirates, and Ul'dah, jewel of the desert. Mother Miounne: Once you've acquainted yourself with them, you can turn your sights on whichever lesser-trodden region takes your fancy. Mother Miounne: The Calamity changed the face of Eorzea, and much of her now lies in shadow, beyond man's ken. It's a veritable playground for a wide-eyed adventurer like your good self. Mother Miounne: Mind you, it won't all be fun and games. Mother Miounne: Each nation faces its fair share of problems, from internal strife to conflict with the beast tribes and their primals. So don't be too surprised if you find yourself embroiled in the odd unsavory situation on your travels. Mother Miounne: But no matter what difficulties you encounter, I am confident that you will pull through, and emerge the stronger for the experience. Mother Miounne: These are interesting times for Eorzea, Forename. It's been five years now since the Calamity, but folk are finally beginning to look to the future. Mother Miounne: A period of great change is upon us, and you have a part to play in it. And if that prospect doesn't excite you, I don't know what will!
Mother Miounne: A pleasure to see you return, Forename. How fare you on your adventures? Mother Miounne: I must say, you've come quite far since you first walked through these doors, unknown and untested. Yes, hardly a day goes by that I don't hear your name on the lips of one of our patrons.
Lionnellais: Greetings, good madamsir. This is the reservation counter for Limsa Lominsa-bound flights. Lionnellais: Oh, are you not Forename Surname, the Elder Seedseer's personal envoy? We at Highwind Skyways are honored to serve you! Will you be flying with us today?
  • Proceed to the landing area?
  • Yes
  • No Lionnellais: Very well. When you are ready to board, please let me know.
  • Board the airship?
  • Yes
  • No
Airship Attendant: Attention, all passengers: the airship bound for Limsa Lominsa is about to depart. Please make your way to the boarding gate. Mother Miounne: Farewell, Forename. Mother Miounne: One day, minstrels will sing of your deeds. Mother Miounne: May you ever walk in the light of the Crystal.
Castrum Occidens ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): It has been fifteen years, but the bitter taste of defeat lingers still...
Fifteen years since the imperial fleet set course for Mor Dhona,
led by the Agrius, mightiest of all vessels.
Silvertear Lake lay ripe for the taking,
and all of Eorzea would soon be ours...
...or so we believed.
But an innumerable host of dragons met us that day,
at the heart of which flew the great Midgardsormr.
Though we succeeded in slaying that lord among wyrms,
the dread serpent's defeat was bought at too high a price.
Our invincible flagship was lost,
and all hope of victory with her.
So ended our glorious conquest. ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): Eorzea... A blighted realm, riddled with false gods... ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): Twice now it has eluded the Empire's grasp. ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): For all the destruction it wrought, even Meteor, the Great Sin, failed to yield us control over it. ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): And for this failure, the realm has sunk deeper into depravity. ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): It is twisted beyond all reckoning─rotten nigh to the core. ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): Yet it must be saved. ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): Only Garlean rule can bring order to Eorzea. It falls to us to deliver the misguided masses from their ignorance. All (Rhitatyn sas Arvina, Nero tol Scaeva, and Livia sas Junius): We are of one mind, Lord van Baelsar. Loudspeaker: Senior engineers, please report to magitek research following the scheduled inspection. Midlander Engineer (Hummingway): Hey. Is the legatus really planning to take another tilt at Eorzea? Highlander Engineer: Eh!? What hole have you been hiding in? We're in the midst of preparing for a new campaign, and a huge one at that! Midlander Engineer (Hummingway): But...I thought the Emperor had given up the western lands for lost after Carteneau. What could the legatus possibly hope to gain by acting alone? ??? (Nero tol Scaeva): I sense you harbor certain doubts over the wisdom of the legatus's plan. Midlander Engineer (Hummingway): M-My lord! Nero tol Scaeva: Please, call me Nero. Tell me, where were you born? Highlander Engineer: Othard, milord! Midlander Engineer (Hummingway): Ala Mhigo, my lord! Nero tol Scaeva: Ah, Codename Hummingway, I presume? Midlander Engineer (Hummingway): I-I don't know what you─ Nero tol Scaeva: Silence. Your denials will not change your fate. Nero tol Scaeva: I assure you─Frumentarium sees all. Midlander Engineer (Hummingway): Argh... Nero tol Scaeva: Clean up this mess. And do not miss any, or I shall be most displeased. Highlander Engineer: A-At once, milord! Nero tol Scaeva: Garlond... Soon you will be made to know the true power of magitek.
Arrivals Attendant: Ah, you must be the envoy from Gridania! Welcome to Limsa Lominsa, my ladylord. Admiral Bloefhiswyn awaits your arrival.
  • Leave the landing area?
  • Yes
  • No Arrivals Attendant: Please let me know if you require any assistance.
Storm Honor Guard: You are the Gridanian envoy? Welcome to Limsa Lominsa. Storm Honor Guard: The Admiral has been looking forward to your arrival. Storm Honor Guard: Please proceed to the Crow's Lift at your earliest convenience. It will take you to Bulwark Hall. Storm Honor Guard: Once there, pray speak with Zanthael. He will be pleased to show you in to the Admiral's command room on the Bridge.
Storm Honor Guard: Pray speak with Zanthael in Bulwark Hall. He will be pleased to show you in to the Admiral's command room on the Bridge.
Zanthael: Greetings, madamsir, and welcome to our fair city. If you would permit me to examine the seal on the missive you carry...
Letter to the Admiral A letter addressed to Limsa Lominsan Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn.
Zanthael: Yes, everything seems to be in order. My apologies. We cannot afford to be complacent, you understand. Please, step this way.
??? (Merlwyb): Enter. Merlwyb: I did not expect the Gridanian envoy to be an adventurer. It speaks highly of your character that the Elder Seedseer would choose an outsider to represent her nation's interests. Merlwyb: This way. Merlwyb: I bid you welcome. Merlwyb: I am Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn, Admiral of Limsa Lominsa, and commander of the Maelstrom. Merlwyb: Now, what news from the Black Shroud? Merlwyb: Hm. A memorial service to honor the fallen. Merlwyb: Seven hells... Has it been five years? Merlwyb: Five years since the Garlean Empire sought to wrest Eorzea from our grasp... Merlwyb: It was in answer to the imperial threat that the city-states formed the Grand Companies, and forged the Eorzean Alliance anew. But Garlemald was not content to wager all on a simple contest of martial might. They had other plans─the Meteor project. Merlwyb: Legatus Nael van Darnus─hells take him─intended to “cleanse” our realm by snatching the lesser moon, Dalamud, from the heavens and casting it down upon our heads. Desperate to prevent this lunatic scheme, we marched our forces to the Carteneau Flats and there met the VIIth Imperial Legion in battle. Merlwyb: Never have I seen a fight like the Battle of Carteneau─and I have seen full many. Merlwyb: But though we gave no quarter, spared not one onze of effort...we could not prevent what followed. Merlwyb: From inside the shell of Dalamud came a winged nightmare─a dragon the size of a bloody city. 'Twas the elder primal Bahamut, bent on making an eighth hell of Eorzea. Merlwyb: In the space of a breath, the legions of the Empire were set aflame, while our own armies fared little better. 'Twas as if the whole world was burning... Words cannot well describe the scene. Merlwyb: And yet...by some miracle, a few among us were spared. Merlwyb: Even as I steeled myself for death, a blinding white light enveloped me, robbing me of my senses. Merlwyb: When I regained them, the dragon was gone, and the still-smoldering land was warped beyond all knowing. Merlwyb: Were Archon Louisoix still with us, he would doubtless shed some light on these unfathomable happenings. Alas, he is not, and I fear we will want for his wisdom in the days to come. Merlwyb: For while our nations struggle to recover from the devastation, the beastmen call forth their damned primals to torment us anew. Merlwyb: Unless we put aside our differences and rebuild now, our foes will catch us unprepared. Merlwyb: And I speak not only of the beastmen. Do not imagine that the Empire has forsaken its claim on Eorzea. The imperials crowd our borders, waiting to strike. Merlwyb: Damn it all, we need champions to replace those we lost... Merlwyb: But such thoughts are worse than worthless. Time is short, and none will save us, save ourselves. It is the duty of every soul who survived the Calamity to work together for the good of Eorzea...and this memorial service may be the very thing to unite us. Merlwyb: Aye, Kan-E-Senna has the right of it. I accept her proposal. Merlwyb: Your duty is done here, adventurer─I will see to it that the Elder Seedseer receives my reply. Merlwyb: You travel next to Ul'dah, yes? Merlwyb: Pray give my regards to General Raubahn. Oh, and tell him the wolf has been sniffing around the stables. A private jest─and one in poor taste─but I would have you tell it all the same. Merlwyb: Fare you well, Forename. May the Navigator guide you on your journey.
L'nophlo: Greetings, madamsir. This is the counter for passengers traveling to Ul'dah. L'nophlo: A pleasure to serve you again, madamsir. Are you ready to board the airship to Ul'dah?
  • Proceed to the landing area?
  • Yes
  • No L'nophlo: Very well, madamsir. I'll be glad to assist you when you are.
  • Board the airship?
  • Yes
  • No
Arrivals Attendant: Ah, you must be the envoy from Gridania! Welcome to Ul'dah, madamsir. The Flame General awaits your arrival.
  • Leave the landing area?
  • Yes
  • No Arrivals Attendant: Please let me know if you require any assistance.
Flame Honor Guard: Welcome to Ul'dah, madamsir. We have been expecting you. Flame Honor Guard: Flame General Raubahn will receive you in the Fragrant Chamber. Please take the lift down to the Hustings Strip and speak with Bartholomew at the Royal Promenade.
Flame Honor Guard: The lift over yonder will take you to the Hustings Strip. From there, proceed south to the Royal Promenade, and speak with Bartholomew to gain admittance to the Fragrant Chamber.
Bartholomew: The Gridanian envoy, I presume? Would you be so good as to allow me to inspect the missive you bear, madamsir? My thanks.
Letter to the General A letter addressed to Ul'dahn Flame General Raubahn Aldynn.
Bartholomew: Ah yes, the seal of the Elder Seedseer. Please proceed.
Raubahn: Ah, a guest from Gridania. I thought I smelled leaf mold. Raubahn: I won't hold it against you. If you're half the warrior Kan-E says, 'tis a wonder you don't reek of dead Ixal. Raubahn: Welcome to the sultanate of Ul'dah. I am Raubahn Aldynn, General of the Immortal Flames. Raubahn: But you did not come all this way to trade formalities. Raubahn: ...Carteneau. Aye, I remember bloody Carteneau. Raubahn: Do you know what happened that day, adventurer? When we took the field against the Garleans? Raubahn: So my counterparts have educated you. Raubahn: Hm? Oh. Trust Merlwyb to make light of our wolf problem. Woman always did have a black sense of humor. Raubahn: Wolves are bloodthirsty beasts upon which one cannot turn one's back. 'Tis only a matter of time before they bite. Raubahn: So it was with the Garleans, fifty years ago. Raubahn: No sooner had they learned how to use magitek than they began seizing territory from their neighbors. Raubahn: Led by then legatus Solus zos Galvus, they swiftly brought the other nations of Ilsabard to heel. And so the legatus became an emperor, and his republic an empire... Raubahn: An empire which then set its sights upon Eorzea. Eline Roaille: But the conquering emperor is now an old man of four score winters. His health is failing, and he has no clear successor. Like as not, this is why the Garleans have been quiet of late. Raubahn: But the XIVth Imperial Legion is still entrenched within our borders. Raubahn: And their commander, Legatus Gaius van Baelsar, has long harbored ambitions of conquest. Raubahn: Were he to strike now, I fear we would fall like so many others before us. And not only Ul'dah, but Gridania and Limsa Lominsa as well. Raubahn: For the Calamity brought the lot of us to our knees, and we've yet to get up. We barely have the strength to stand against the beast tribes, never mind the primals they mean to summon. Raubahn: We are a realm divided, adventurer. An alliance in name only. Raubahn: But the wolf cares not for the plight of its prey. Raubahn: The Garleans stir, and the Admiral would not let it go unnoticed. Raubahn: All other concerns pale in comparison to the Empire─even the beast tribes and their bloody primals. Raubahn: We must stand united once more, that much is clear. And if we're to do so, we must remember the cause which last brought us together. Kan-E will have her memorial. Raubahn: We will honor the memory of the fallen. We will remind the people what their brothers and sisters fought and died for. Eline Roaille: Shall I inform the sultana and the Syndicate? Raubahn: I will speak with Her Grace myself. Eline Roaille: Very good, sir. Raubahn: The Elder Seedseer will have my reply anon. Raubahn: My thanks to you, adventurer.
Call of the Sea The serpent officer has information that may be of interest to you.
Bartholomew: Ah, my ladylord envoy. I trust your stay in the sultanate has been pleasant. Now, if you do not mind my asking, do you perchance have plans to visit Limsa Lominsa in the near future? If so, I have information that may be of interest to you. Bartholomew: I once accompanied the Flame General on an official visit to the seaside city-state, during which time I became acquainted with Baderon, the proprietor of the Drowning Wench. Well, the man sent word just now that he has a job for a capable adventurer. Bartholomew: I can think of none with better credentials than you. Baderon would doubtless be pleased were you to offer him your services.
Baderon: Welcome to the Drownin' Wench! Sit wherever ye like, lassmate. I'll be with ye in a─ Baderon: Hm? Aye, I'm Baderon, all right. Who's askin'? Baderon: Ah, 'eard as I've got a job fer a capable 'venturer, ye say? Well, yer bloody right! Baderon: Just so yer fairly warned, though, this ain't no job fer the faint of 'eart. Things're liable to get downright bleedin' 'airy. But if ye think yer still interested, let me know, an' I'll fill ye in on the details.

A Realm Reborn (Ul'dah Starter Quests) (2.0)

??? (Hydaelyn): Hear... ??? (Hydaelyn): Hear... Feel... ??? (Hydaelyn): Hear... Feel... Think...
??? (Brendt): ...Hey. Hey, you! Grizzled Passenger (Brendt): Y'all right, lasslad? Grizzled Passenger (Brendt): You were moanin' somethin' fierce for a while there. Grizzled Passenger (Brendt): Feelin' the effects of the aether, I reckon. Grizzled Passenger (Brendt): You'll get used to it, though, don't worry. Brass Blade Captain: You there─halt! Carriage Driver: What's all this about!? Brass Blade Captain: Inspection! Men, search the carriage! Grizzled Passenger (Brendt): I'm just an honest peddler, friend. So, er...don't be too disappointed if you don't find nothin', eh? Brass Blade: Mind your tongue, old man, lest I cut it out! Brass Blade: Sir, look! Somnus! Brass Blade Captain: Honest peddler, was it? Since when do honest peddlers deal in prohibited herbs? Brass Blade Captain: You're in a lot of trouble, old man. You'll rot in a dungeon till the end of your days...unless you can afford the fine. Grizzled Passenger (Brendt): Heh, business as usual... Grizzled Passenger (Brendt): Uwaaah! Brass Blade Runner: Amalj'aa! Amalj'aa! To arms! To arms! Brass Blade Captain: Seven hells... Consider this a warning! Now go─all of you!
Grizzled Passenger (Brendt): Phew... That kind of excitement ain't good for the heart. Grizzled Passenger (Brendt): You be careful 'round them Brass Blades, lasslad. Bastards'll have the shirt off your back if they fancy it. Like common bandits, they are, only less honest. Grizzled Passenger (Brendt): Thank the gods for sendin' some beastmen to the rescue, eh!? Grizzled Passenger (Brendt): Hey, seein' as we've still got a long ride ahead, you mind keepin' me company till we arrive? Grizzled Passenger (Brendt): Them young'uns don't much care for conversation, see. Brendt: Brendt's the name, an' peddlin's me trade. Brendt: An' judgin' by your unusual garments, I'll wager you're one of them new adventurers. Brendt: I knew it! Goin' wherever the wind blows, seekin' fortune an' glory─now that's what I call livin'! Brendt: So long as you can avoid dyin', I mean. Ain't no secret that adventurin's a risky business─these days especially. Brendt: What was it that first attracted you to it?
  • Why did you become an adventurer?
  • To gain power. Brendt: ...Power? As in, er...power to do good? Like protectin' the weak, an' fightin' for what's right, an' all that? Aye, I thought that's what you meant. Well, adventurers do get up to a lot of fightin', that's for sure. You'll never be short of a chance to polish your warcraft in the adventurin' business. Brendt: When you arrive in town, you'd best enroll at the Adventurers' Guild─they'll set you on the right path. Brendt: An' it wouldn't hurt to join a guild, neither. Brendt: Ul'dah's home to a few, so if you fancy learnin' how to fight with a sword, your fists, or even spells, you should think about seekin' one out.
  • To win glory. Brendt: Glory, eh? Well, if you're willin' to take on them tasks as other folk ain't, an adventurer such as yourself can win fame what coin can't buy. Brendt: When you arrive in town, you'll want to report to the Adventurers' Guild. Brendt: You can find out everythin' you need to know about the adventurin' business in there.
  • To amass a fortune. Brendt: Fortune, eh? Heh heh! Then I reckon you'll fit right in where we're goin'! Brendt: Once you've learned to handle yourself in a fight, you'll want to pay a visit to whichever craftin' or gatherin' guild tickles your fancy. Brendt: An' there're plenty to choose from, too. Whether it be weavin', alchemy, goldsmithin', or minin' that interests you, Ul'dah's got a place where you can learn your trade. Brendt: Adventurin' ain't just about killin' things, after all. A peaceful pastime may well help you make your fortune!
  • ... Brendt: Well, if you ain't inclined to tell, I ain't about to pry. Might be as ol' Brendt's a chatterbox, but he sure as hells ain't no busybody. Brendt: We all have a secret or three, don't we? Me? Dozens. Brendt: An' I'd rather they stayed secret, too─which is why I don't go stickin' me nose where it ain't welcome.
Brendt: Just remember, though: there're more important things than fortune an' glory. Such as breathin'. Ain't no profit in bein' dead, an' that's a fact. Brendt: By the by, is this your first trip to Ul'dah?
  • Is this your first trip to Ul'dah?
  • Yes. Brendt: It is!? Well then, let this journeyed itinerant tell you the ins an' outs of your destination.
  • No. Brendt: But of course it ain't! Still, might be as this journeyed itinerant has a few new things to teach you about your destination. Ahem!
Brendt: Ul'dah's ruled by the sultana in name, but as most folk know, the Syndicate holds all the real power. Brendt: Them and their Monetarist cronies would happily get rid of Her Grace altogether, but that won't happen while she still commands the loyalty of the Royalists─an' the Royalists are nothin' if not loyal. Brendt: These factions have long fought over power, throwin' the weight of their wealth against each other, an' they show no sign of stoppin'. Brendt: 'Course the lizardmen─that's the Amalj'aa─couldn't care less about Ul'dahn politics. They have their own interests, see─an' they ain't afraid to use force to serve 'em. Brendt: They say war is a gift to peddlers─need breedin' profit─an' though it shames me to say it, I'm inclined to agree... Brendt: Ah, at long last. Brendt: Behold Ul'dah, jewel of Thanalan, where folk turn sand into gold!
Louisoix: Deep in the sunbaked south, surrounded by the shifting sands of an endless desert, she rises. Louisoix: A solitary rose amidst the dust and rock. A symbol of defiance. Her name: Ul'dah. Louisoix: Even with the coming of the Seventh Umbral Era, hope springs eternal for the mongers and merchants who vie for lost fortunes in this bustling oasis. Louisoix: As the Twin Faces of Nald'thal maintain their vigil over all that has been and shall be, the present proffers a brave soul... Louisoix: One whose arrival could mark the beginning of a new era of prosperity for the realm. Brendt: An' here's where we part ways, lasslad. Brendt: I'm off to the markets to deliver me wares, then it's on to the highroad for me. Brendt: Here, I want you to have this─by way of thanks for puttin' up with me prattle. Brendt: You never did tell me your name, though. Hey, but here's an idea... Brendt: Become the sort of storied personage I can brag about havin' met, an' I'll consider us square. Louisoix: May the Traders nurture our fortunes as They kindle the flames which burn within us all. Louisoix: For by fire are we reborn. Final Fantasy XIV
??? (Wymond): Oi, 'venturer! Over here! ??? (Wymond): Aye, I mean you. ??? (Wymond): Fresh off the carriage, by any chance? Eh? How can I tell? Heh! Wymond: Name's Wymond, an' my business is knowin' every bugger else's! Wymond: Now then, what if I was to offer you some invaluable advice by way of welcome to our fair city? Free of charge, even─just this once, like.
Tutumoko: Thinking of leaving already, are you? At least have a drink at the Quicksand before you go.
Wymond: Don't be like that, friend! I promise I'll make it worth your while!
Coming to Ul'dah To be recognized as an adventurer in the city–state of Ul'dah, you must register yourself with the Adventurers' Guild.
Wymond: 'Tis plain to anyone with eyes that you don't know your way around here. Wymond: If I let you go wanderin' off down the nearest dark alley, you're certain to get mugged or worse, an' I don't want that on my conscience. Wymond: So before you do anythin' else, you'll want to head over to the Quicksand, an' speak with Momodi. She's the master of the Adventurers' Guild, an' can set you on the right path. Wymond: Just take those steps over yonder an' pass through the double doors. You'll find her inside. Wymond: ...An' that's as much as you're gettin' for free. Good luck with the adventurin', adventurer.
Wymond: Speak with Momodi inside the Quicksand. That'd be the wisest thing for you to do.
Tutumoko: Ul'dah not to your liking, newcomer? Why not partake of the Quicksand's hospitality before you decide to leave us?
Bubukkuli: I don't believe I've seen you around here before. New adventurer, am I right? Then make your way to the Quicksand and register at the guild.
Bubukkuli: Halt! You've not joined the guild yet, have you? I thought not. Head to the Quicksand, adventurer─registration is mandatory.
Yuyutazi: Try not to get lost, adventurer. Certain parts of this city are best left unexplored.
Yuyutazi: Hey, weren't you on the carriage that just arrived? All new adventurers are required to register at the guild before wandering off into the city.
Nanamuko: If you're lookin' to mingle with folk from all over, then the Quicksand is the place for you.
Papasu: Hello there, adventurer! You new to town? Best direct all your questions to Mistress Momodi then─she'll take care of you.
Botulf: Come, lasslad, is this your first visit to Ul'dah? Oh, you'll find it to be a fine city, with more chances to make gil than anywhere else! Botulf: If you'd like to earn a bit yourself, best go speak to Momodi about getting started. You'll find her just behind that counter, there.
The Smith: As one of the Smiths, I provide guidance for those just starting out on the path of the adventurer. For the present, I suggest you learn your way around the city─an endeavor with which Momodi shall no doubt wish to aid you.
Momodi: Why, hello there! Who might you be? Momodi: If you're lookin' to join the Adventurers' Guild, you've come to the right place. Momodi: Name's Momodi, and I own this fine establishment, if it please you. Momodi: I also manage the Adventurers' Guild here in Ul'dah. So you might say that lookin' after green adventurers like yourself is my vocation. Momodi: And lucky for you that it is. Without someone like me to steer you right, you'd soon find yourself out in the middle of nowhere, caught up in business you don't understand. Momodi: Like our conflict with the Amalj'aa, for example. They've been plaguin' the sultanate for nigh on, oooh...forever now. Momodi: Then there's the Garlean Empire. None can say for sure what they're plottin' these days, only that they are. Momodi: Aye, the people drink and make merry...but underneath it all, there's worry. Worry and a lingerin' feelin' of loss. Momodi: And little wonder. It's scarce been five years since the lesser moon cracked open like a giant egg, releasin' an abomination intent on turnin' the realm into an eighth hell... Momodi: So much was lost in the blink of an eye. 'Twas like the end of the world had come at last. Momodi: But then things begin to get foggy. Everyone's got their own version of what happened next─some of 'em, two or three... Momodi: You'd think people would remember somethin' like that─but the fact is, they don't. Nobody does. Momodi: There is one thing the survivors agree on, though: the part played by a band of adventurers who laid down their lives for a realm that wasn't their own. Momodi: They fought valiantly, and like so many others, they never returned. Deeds worth rememberin', I'm sure you'll agree. It's just a shame our recollections of those brave heroes are as jumbled as those of the Calamity itself. Momodi: Whenever we try to call their faces to mind, it's like they're standin' between us and the midday sun, permanently silhouetted... I'll bet that sounds poetic to you, doesn't it? Well it's not. It's bloody infuriatin'. Momodi: But even if we can't remember them, we'll not let 'em be forgotten, and so we call 'em the Warriors of Light. Momodi: And they'll forever stand as a shinin' example of what adventurers can achieve. That's why I welcome new arrivals like yourself to our fair city. Momodi: All I ask is that you lend a helpin' hand, and try to leave Ul'dah in a better state than you found her. If you can promise that, I'd be happy to let you join the guild. Momodi: All right, then! A promise is a promise, now! Momodi: I'm countin' on your help to put the past behind us. We need people workin' and spendin' and bickerin' like the old days! Momodi: And a happy and prosperous Ul'dah means more business for the Quicksand, too! Momodi: Anyroad, let's make this official. Momodi: Go ahead and write your name in the register─neat as you can. Momodi: ...Forename Surname. Well, ain't that a charmin' name. Just rolls off the tongue, it does. Momodi: All right, MissMister Surname! On behalf of the Adventurers' Guild, I officially─ Gullible Gambler: Please, sir, be merciful! Twelve as my witness, I swear to you, I'll bring you your money! Debt Collector: In the East, it is said that even a merciful god might be driven to vengeance if thrice blasphemed. Debt Collector: Be grateful you were given a fourth chance to offend. You two, attend to this scum. Gullible Gambler: No, please! Mercy! Momodi: Well, ain't that a sorry sight. Nor an uncommon one, if I'm honest. Don't worry, though─if you work hard, I doubt you'll end up like him. Momodi: Just the same, if you ever need a bit of advice about one thing or another, pay me a visit. Just don't go botherin' me every time you stub your bloody toe, all right? Momodi: 'Course, I do enjoy hearin' a lady muse on the many manhoods of her acquaintancetell of a gentleman's woes with the womenfolk from time to time... Momodi: Anyroad, welcome to Ul'dah, Forename! Momodi: Take a moment to catch your breath, and I'll teach you a little about our fair city.
Close to Home Momodi, the proprietress of the Quicksand, wants you to perform three tasks that will help you learn the fundamentals of adventuring.
Momodi: Before you go chargin' off to find your fortune, I've a few basic tasks I'd like you to perform so as to help you get to know the place. Momodi: First of all, I want you to visit the aetheryte plaza. To get there, head west from here till you reach Emerald Avenue, then look to the north. You should see a giant, floatin' crystal called an aetheryte. Momodi: If it weren't for aetherytes, travelin' around Eorzea would be a damn sight more troublesome than it is. 'Course, you still need to attune with 'em before you can use 'em, so be sure to do that with the one in the plaza. You ever attuned with an aetheryte before, Forename? If not, just lay your hand on the thing and you'll see what I mean.
Momodi: When you've done that, I want you to pay a visit to the Gladiators' Guild, over at the Coliseum. Momodi: Assumin' that sword ain't just for show, you might consider trainin' there.
Momodi: When you've done that, I want you to pay a visit to the Pugilists' Guild, over at the Platinum Mirage. Momodi: Assumin' those weapons of yours ain't just for show, you might consider trainin' there.
Momodi: When you've done that, I want you to pay a visit to the Thaumaturges' Guild, over at Arrzaneth Ossuary. Momodi: Assumin' that scepter ain't just for show, you might consider trainin' there.
Momodi: And finally, I want you to visit the Sapphire Avenue Exchange, over on the Steps of Thal. Momodi: Goods from all across Eorzea and beyond turn up there every day. You'll have no trouble findin' armor, weapons, or anythin' else a fledglin' adventurer like yourself might need. Momodi: You might say that everythin's for sale here in Ul'dah─as long as you've got the gil. Momodi: Just make sure as you don't pay more than you ought, Forename. Momodi: There's plenty as won't scruple to swindle unsuspectin' foreigners like yourself, 'specially if they think no one's lookin' out for their best interests. Momodi: Which is why I'm givin' you this letter. When you visit the exchange, find a gentleman named Seseroga and give it to him. He'll be happy to tell you about the markets once he's read it. Momodi: In short, then: visit the aetheryte plaza, the Gladiators' Guild, and the Sapphire Avenue Exchange. Simple. Momodi: In short, then: visit the aetheryte plaza, the Pugilists' Guild, and the Sapphire Avenue Exchange. Simple. Momodi: In short, then: visit the aetheryte plaza, the Thaumaturges' Guild, and the Sapphire Avenue Exchange. Simple. Momodi: Oh, but before you go, a word of advice: while there're more than a few unsavory characters out there who'll try to take advantage of you, there are also some with honest-to-goodness problems who you should consider offerin' a helpin' hand to. Momodi: A lot of folk are lured to this city by the promise of wealth and power. What many of 'em fail to realize is that instead of chasin' after gil the moment they get here, they ought to be makin' friends. Momodi: Let it be known that you're willin' to give as much as you get, and opportunities will come your way. Momodi: Speakin' of which, you should speak with the Smith over yonder─those lads always have some good advice for up-and-comin' adventurers. Otherwise, that's about it from me. It's past time you got goin'. Oh, and let me know when you've finished, will you? That way, I won't spend my days worryin' that you're down to your smallclothes without a gil to your name.
Otopa Pottopa: Good evening to you, adventurer. Do you seek lodgings at the Hourglass? Otopa Pottopa: Pardon me, what was your name again? Forename Surname? Hmmm...I've heard nothing from Mistress Momodi about this. Alas, without her express permission, I cannot permit you to stay.
Eustace: My apologies, ma'amsir, but I am not authorized to issue guildleves to those as new to adventuring as you appear to be. Perhaps you should speak with Momodi Modi across the hall and see if she cannot point you in the right direction.
You attune to the aetheryte. Nenebaru: Hail, adventurer! Might you have come at the behest of Miss Momodi of the Quicksand? Nenebaru: Excellent. Which brings us to the matter of the attunement fee─that will be one hundred thousand gil, if you please, madamsir. Nenebaru: ...AHAHAHAHAHA! Apologies, but I do so relish the opportunity to make that jest. The look on your face was absolutely priceless! Ah, but the fact that you were so easily deceived suggests to me that you are unfamiliar with the use of aetherytes. Allow me to explain. Nenebaru: These crystalline agglomerations tap into aetherial energies, and are primarily used as a means to travel swiftly from one place to another. Nenebaru: Perchance you have heard of Return and Teleport? Well, these transportation spells make direct use of the aetherytes and their connection to the flow of aether. Nenebaru: Given that there is an aetheryte in almost every corner of Eorzea, any adventurer with a mind to explore the realm will wish to seek out and attune herselfhimself to each and every one! Nenebaru: But even if you have no intention of wandering beyond the sultanate's borders, it would be prudent for you to attune yourself to any aetherytes you encounter from now on. Nenebaru: I pray you found that informative. Should you wish to learn more about aetherytes or transportation magic, I should be happy to answer your questions.
Lulutsu: Welcome to the Gladiators' Guild, friend! Lulutsu: Tell me, are you new to the thrills of mortal combat? Well, whether you are or not, you are new to us! Lulutsu: If you would take your place in these hallowed halls, you must be willing and ready to undergo the most rigorous training. You must endure cuts and bruises beyond counting, and like as not far worse. Lulutsu: A daunting prospect, I concede─but there is no other way if you mean to take to the bloodsands one day. And why wouldn't you? The Coliseum is only the most celebrated place of public entertainment in all of Ul'dah! Lulutsu: Where else could a poor man amass a fortune so vast as to one day allow him to claim a seat on the Syndicate? Lulutsu: Ahhh...there's not an Ul'dahn alive who isn't inspired by the rise of the self-made man. Lulutsu: And there is no truer embodiment of this than the gladiator who wins riches and fame with his sword. Lulutsu: Throughout its long and storied history, this guild has nurtured countless champions. Lulutsu: Our training methods are second to none, and our members ever strive to develop new techniques. Lulutsu: If you desire true glory─to fight and triumph, 'midst the roar of ten thousand voices─then this is where you belong, adventurer. Lulutsu: ...Think of it. Think of your legacy. And if your soul stirs...join us.
Gagaruna: Greetings and welcome to the Pugilists' Guild! Gagaruna: I see you already walk the path of the pugilist. Yet your journey has only just begun. Gagaruna: I highly recommend you add your name to our roll, for there is no better place in all the realm to train in our discipline than here. Gagaruna: The origins of pugilism as we know it can be traced back to the staging of bare-handed bouts at the Coliseum. Gagaruna: These contests attracted fighters from far and wide, bringing their myriad styles crashing together on the bloodsands. Gagaruna: Amidst this chaotic intermingling of styles, there rose a pugilist of singular strength and skill. This woman made it her life's mission to master every form she encountered, that she might refine her art. Gagaruna: Among her many song-worthy exploits, we pugilists remember her participation in a gladiator tournament most fondly. Back when bare-handed fighting was still seen as a pastime for peasants, she took on fully armed and armored gladiators, and effortlessly bested the lot of them. Gagaruna: Word of her feat spread across the realm like wildfire, of course, and Ul'dah swiftly transformed into a center of pugilism, with people flocking from all over to train under this master among masters. Gagaruna: The woman's name was Cornelia, and it is to her that the Pugilists' Guild owes its existence. The art practiced here is based on her all-encompassing style, and this training hall is modeled upon the one which she once built. Gagaruna: And there it is─a brief history of our guild. Gagaruna: I've told this tale a thousand times, but gods, it never fails to fan the flames of my fighting spirit! Gagaruna: Now then, should you wish to proceed with enrollment, you must first obtain the guildmaster's approval. Let me know if you would like to meet him.
Yayake: Welcome to the Thaumaturges' Guild. It is fate that has guided your steps here this day, friend. I see that you harbor arcane ambitions...though your journey has scarcely begun. Yayake: Within these hallowed halls, the arts of devastation are taught─primeval magicks with which to bring about an enemy's ruin. Yayake: If you would join our ranks and wield such power, you must needs know of our beginnings. Yayake: The nation of Ul'dah inherited its traditions from ancient Belah'dia, a city founded by the descendants of the first mages. Yayake: The secrets of these illustrious sorcerers were ultimately entrusted to the priests of the Order of Nald'thal, who have passed them down from generation to generation ever since. Yayake: Focused and refined over centuries of use in the Order's funereal rites, the arcane magicks of our ancestors eventually emerged as the art we now know as thaumaturgy. Yayake: A freezing blizzard to halt corruption; a raging fire to cleanse the corpse; a bolt of lightning to expel the sins of mortal life... The dweomers employed in the preparation of the dead are equally efficacious when applied to the living. Yayake: It is for this reason that we are feared and respected in equal measure. Thus does our guild thrive, ensconced in the catacombs of Arrzaneth Ossuary─a sanctuary devoted to Thal, divine arbiter of the afterlife. Yayake: What say you, then, adventurer? If you would plumb the abyssal depths of thaumaturgy, let our learned sages guide your descent! Yayake: Ah, but before you leap into the darkness, you must prove to our guildmasters that you are possessed of the spiritual fortitude necessary to look upon that which waits therein. When you are ready to submit to the judgment of our most eminent mages, say the word.
Yayake: Well, adventurer? Will you join our guild, or do you presume to ignore the urgings of impatient destiny? Yayake: A wise decision, indeed. To prepare for your initiation, I would have you study the volumes of fundamental thaumaturgical principle. All one hundred and eight of them. Yayake: ...Or at least, I would if such requirements had not been abolished. “Too great a deterrent to fresh novices,” they said. I suppose you shall just have to settle for calling upon the collective wisdom of our guildmasters. Yayake: We have five, you see─all brothers of the same house. Though they all wield supreme authority, it is the eldest who provides a singular voice for the guild when one is required. Master Coco... Cocoby...? Cocobygo! ...I believe.
Seseroga: And you are?
...Ho, a newly come adventurer. But of course. Yes, I am Seseroga. What can I do for you? Seseroga: Ah, you would have me teach you the ways of the marketplace? Very wise. As for my fee... What? You expect me to do it for free!? Surely you jest. Seseroga: My dear adventurer, when you ask an Ul'dahn for a favor, you should at least try to make it worth his while. Judging by your garb, I rather doubt you could afford my services, but the fact you offer nothing is laughable.
Letter of Introduction A slip of bound parchment entrusted to you by Quicksand proprietress Momodi Modi.
Seseroga: Oh. Mistress Momodi instructed you to seek me out, did she? Hmph. Consider yourself fortunate to have such influential friends. Seseroga: I shall be brief, and you shall be attentive. Seseroga: You stand in the Sapphire Avenue Exchange, the busiest and most profitable marketplace in the sultanate. Seseroga: Being advantageously situated in relation to the other city-states, Ul'dah's markets have ever served as both the literal and figurative centers of Eorzean commerce. Seseroga: All the great overland trade routes lead to our city, and the majority of maritime trade between Vylbrand and Aldenard passes through our ports. Seseroga: Because of this, countless companies and consortia have chosen Ul'dah as their base of operations. They see to it that this marketplace is awash with merchants and moneylenders, day and night. Seseroga: Anything a man could ever desire can be purchased here─provided as he has sufficient funds. Seseroga: Surely there's something you seek, adventurer? A deadlier sword, perhaps, or a shinier trinket? Whatever it is you want, the exchange will have it. Seseroga: To the north, you will find merchants peddling armor and accessories, curatives and crafting materials. Seseroga: And to the south, you will find weapons, tools, and an assortment of other useful items for sale. Seseroga: Seek out a particular merchant, or browse to your heart's content. But do try to remain aloof should you find something that piques your interest. Decisions made in the heat of the moment are usually unwise, especially where coin is concerned. Seseroga: Ahem. That is all the complimentary aid you shall have from me─and far too much for my taste. Seseroga: My regards to Momodi. Now, off with you!
Momodi: How was your tour of the city, Forename? Get lost, did you? Momodi: Aye, well, Ul'dah's a big place with lots to see and do─but wanderin' around aimlessly don't pay the bills. If you're serious about makin' a livin' here, you'll need to remember where things are. Momodi: So when you go explorin', explore like you've got a purpose, eh? Momodi: All right, then! All that's left is for you to work hard, make money, and spend it here at the Quicksand!
We Must Rebuild Momodi of the Quicksand wants to introduce you to a certain someone at the Ul'dah Dispatch Yard.
Momodi: Well, younglin', how are you findin' our fine Ul'dah, then? Got your bearin's about you yet? Momodi: If so, mayhap it's time you ventured beyond the city walls. The bustlin' streets of Ul'dah are one thing, but the wilds of Thanalan─that's another altogether. Momodi: I know a bloke you might fancy speakin' to, and he you. Name of Papashan. You'll find him over at the Ul'dah Dispatch Yard. No doubt he'll have some work for you. Momodi: The Dispatch Yard's over in central Thanalan. Just head out the door across the hall and you'll see the Gate of Nald staring right back at you. Pass through it and head east. You'll come upon it 'fore long. Momodi: There's dangers beyond the wall, though. More than I'd care to count. Nothin' too terrible, mind you, but feisty enough to attack if you draw near. Don't say nobody cared enough to warn you.
Papashan: Well, you certainly look the part of an adventurer, my friend. Might you be the good soul Momodi advised me to expect, hm? Papashan: I am Papashan, stationmaster of this humble Dispatch Yard. Papashan: An empty title, I assure you. I truly am no more than a tired old Lalafell passing his final years in quiet and solitude. Papashan: Twelve know there have been plenty of both these last five years since the Calamity struck. The devastation...was vast. Papashan: Yet now true Ul'dahns work together, doing all in our power to rebuild what was laid to ruin. By the sweat of our brows and the love of our home, we have rebuilt Ul'dah to the grandeur and majesty that you see today. Papashan: The railways which run through this Dispatch Yard, too, were born of the noble efforts of a great many souls. Papashan: But there is still much work to be done. The wounds left by the Calamity run deep. Isolated areas beyond our lines of supply remain, and there are places yet wanting for relief and restoration. Papashan: Ul'dah needs the aid of you and your brethren, friend. In fact, never has our need been more dire. Papashan: Which brings me to the point, I suppose. I do believe I may have some work suited to one of your ability.
Nothing to See Here Stationmaster Papashan has a simple task for a fledgling adventurer.
Papashan: Since you've come all this way, perhaps you can perform an errand for me. Papashan: It just so happens a number of sentries have been sent to guard the area. A dispatch to the Dispatch Yard, as it were. Papashan: They have long been away from the shade and featherbeds of the city. The hot days and cold nights can play hells on the mind and body out here. Papashan: It isn't much, but go and give them these twilight pretzels, would you? I find comfort food always helps when I feel like killing myself.
Serious Sultansworn: Halt! MadamSir, I'm going to have to ask you to put the pretzel on the ground and place your hands above your head!
Twilight Pretzel A traditional Dunesfolk bread twisted into the shape of a knot and sprinkled generously with coarse-ground salt before being baked to a perfect brown resembling twilight over Thanalan.
Serious Sultansworn: State your name and business! A twilight pretzel from Papashan? By the gods, forgive me! You could say this new post has my nerves in a...twist. Serious Sultansworn: I'm...I'm terribly sorry for that. Ahem, yes, well, you may rest assured that the Dispatch Yard is safe so long as I stand watch. Serious Sultansworn: Please give Papashan my thanks, and tell him that I only wish I could repay the favor...
Serious Sultansworn: Nothing to report, here. Peace reigns another day in central Thanalan.
Servile Sultansworn: Twelve save me. Scorching days... Freezing nights... This post will be the end of me.
Twilight Pretzel A traditional Dunesfolk bread twisted into the shape of a knot and sprinkled generously with coarse-ground salt before being baked to a perfect brown resembling twilight over Thanalan.
Servile Sultansworn: A twilight pretzel? Don't mind if I do! Servile Sultansworn: Ahhh, now that's a refreshing godsdamned pretzel! I feel reborn!
Servile Sultansworn: <sigh> Much as I hate to say it, though, the pretzel does nothing to change the fact that these cold nights are bloody intolerable...
Stern Sultansworn: Western front, clear! Eastern front, clear!
Twilight Pretzel A traditional Dunesfolk bread twisted into the shape of a knot and sprinkled generously with coarse-ground salt before being baked to a perfect brown resembling twilight over Thanalan.
Stern Sultansworn: For me? From Papashan? A twilight pretzel... My favorite! How did he know!? Stern Sultansworn: Can't fight on an empty stomach, now, can I? Actually...I can't fight on any stomach. I suppose you could say I have no stomach...for fighting.
Stern Sultansworn: Brigands beware! The Sultansworn are here to serve and protect!
Papashan: You've returned─and with a deal fewer pretzels, I see! Tell me, how fare our Sultansworn sentries? Did they have anything to report, anything at all!? Papashan: What? Nothing? Are you sure? I...oh, oh dear. Papashan: Take this for your troubles, then. And stay a moment─there is more I would ask of you.
Underneath the Sultantree Papashan is in dire need of your assistance.
Papashan: Forename, I have just this moment─ No! No, the time for concealment is past! The truth is, even before I had you deliver those pretzels, I was privy to some most unsettling news! Papashan: ...Which is the real reason I sent you to meet those Sultansworn. Papashan: A young noblewoman from a very prestigious family has run away from home, and I have been ordered to see to her safe return. Papashan: The Sultansworn you met earlier are assisting with the search. Alas, it seems they have found no trace of her. Papashan: I apologize for not being frank with you from the start, but we must proceed with caution─should word of her disappearance spread, I fear others with less honorable motives may join the hunt. Papashan: And should we allow her to come to any harm, not even a hundred beheadings would be punishment enough... Papashan: That cannot happen, Forename. It must not! Papashan: I need you to help me find her! Papashan: Praise the Twelve, I knew I could count on you! Papashan: I've instructed the others to expand the search, but Thanalan is vast and there are only so many of us. Papashan: The young noblewoman's name is Lady Lilira. I want you to go south and look for her in the vicinity of the Sultantree. Good luck!
Hooded Lalafell (Nanamo Ul Namo): O Sultantree...
Lilira (Nanamo Ul Namo): O Sultantree, hallowed spirit of my line, forgive my weakness. My failings have cost us dear... Lilira (Nanamo Ul Namo): Show yourself! ??? (Thancred): As you command, O Lilira. ??? (Thancred): Forgive my selfish desire to assure your welfare. Lilira (Nanamo Ul Namo): I don't recall requesting an escort! Simply pretend we never met and continue on your way. ??? (Thancred): We both know I can do no such thing. It isn't safe for you here alone. ??? (Thancred): It isn't safe for anyone─not with this aetheric disturbance... It's as though the dead are watching us... ??? (Thancred): And I'd prefer not to join them, if it's all the same to you. ??? (Thancred): Ah, you must be the one that Papashan mentioned. Congratulations on finding our elusive young charge. ??? (Thancred): You'll have to forgive Her Impetuousness. What she lacks in discipline, she makes up for in stubbornness. ??? (Thancred): You should return with us. The stationmaster will be eager to thank Lady Lilira's protector in person. ??? (Thancred): Alas, the stationmaster will have to wait. ??? (Thancred): Dear Lilira, for my sake, please stay out of harm's way. ??? (Thancred): As for you, dear friend─for Lilira's sake─please stay in harm's way!
Handsome Stranger (Thancred): Come, let's attend to our uninvited guest! Handsome Stranger (Thancred): Lovely, it brought friends! Handsome Stranger (Thancred): Leave the big one to me! You handle the rest! Handsome Stranger (Thancred): Stay close if you want me to heal you! Handsome Stranger (Thancred): More of them!?
Really now, there are limits to our hospitality! Handsome Stranger (Thancred): Just a little more...
Thancred: Whew!
??? (Hydaelyn): Hear... Feel... Think... ??? (Hydaelyn): Crystal bearer... Hydaelyn: I am Hydaelyn. All made one. Hydaelyn: A Light there once was that shone throughout this realm...yet it hath since grown dim. Hydaelyn: And as it hath faltered, so hath Darkness risen up in its stead, presaging an end to Life. Hydaelyn: For the sake of all, I beseech thee: deliver us from this fate! Hydaelyn: The power to banish the Darkness dwelleth in the Crystals of Light. Journey forth and lay claim to them. Hydaelyn: By thy deeds shall the Crystals reveal themselves to thee. Hydaelyn: Only believe, for the Light liveth in thy heart. Hydaelyn: Go now, my child, and shine thy Light on all creation.
??? (Thancred): Ah, coming around now. Lilira (Nanamo Ul Namo): Would you mind telling me what that was? ??? (Thancred): If I only knew. A denizen of the void, at any rate. Lilira (Nanamo Ul Namo): The voidsent? Here? But how? ??? (Thancred): The question isn't “how,” but “who”─we're not dealing with bookless bandits. ??? (Thancred): Don't suppose the answer came to you in a dream? ??? (Thancred): No sooner did you fell the beast than you fell asleep. Too much aether, no doubt. ??? (Thancred): Interesting... I hadn't considered the Crystal. ??? (Thancred): But of course... This changes everything. ??? (Thancred): Hm? Oh, just thinking aloud. At any rate, we haven't a moment to spare. I must return and report this at once. ??? (Thancred): I leave Lady Lilira in your capable hands! Lilira (Nanamo Ul Namo): How dare you pass me about like a swaddled babe! Lilira (Nanamo Ul Namo): I shall return and tell them myself! ??? (Thancred): As you wish, Your Impetuousness. ??? (Thancred): I suspect we shall meet again before long. ??? (Thancred): Until then, do try and stay awake!
Papashan: Thank the gods you've returned! You had us all so worried! Papashan: You do realize what would happen if a person of your noble stature were to be injured─or worse? Papashan: Why, Her Grace the sultana would be beside herself with grief─and so would her subjects! I daresay they'd be weeping in the streets! Lilira (Nanamo Ul Namo): But I have already given you cause to weep, Papashan...you and the people of Ul'dah... Papashan: Please, Your─ You're not to say such things! We will find it, I swear to you! Papashan: It is not my place to make demands, m-my lady, but I beg you, please stay out of harm's way. Lilira (Nanamo Ul Namo): ...I apologize for causing you undue worry, Papashan. I shall refrain from traveling unescorted in future. Papashan: I cannot thank you enough, Forename! Papashan: I understand you fought bravely to protect Lady Lilira from voidsent fiends. Papashan: For your gallant service, you deserve all the riches in the royal vaults. Alas, a small token of my gratitude is the best I can offer. Papashan: ...Hm? A sarcastic man with a strange contraption strapped to his shoulder? Papashan: I see you met Thancred. He's a scholar who spends his days investigating oddities in the aether. Rather too fond of the sound of his own voice for my liking, but perfectly harmless. Papashan: As for you, Forename─you're just the sort of adventurer we need around here. Papashan: I pray you show the same kindness to the people of Thanalan as you did to us today.
Step Nine Cicidoa needs a reliable adventurer to deliver a gift to the Coffer & Coffin.
Cicidoa: You're an adventurer, yes? If you're not otherwise occupied, I've a favor to ask. I've resolved to repay a debt of gratitude, which I owe to the owner of the Coffer & Coffin. Cicidoa: For this purpose, I've purchased from the Royal Plantations a prodigiously plump pumpkin─a particularly popular piece of produce. Cicidoa: Alas, I cannot part this place to procure and proffer the pumpkin. You see, the scheduled shipment from the Nanawa Mines, for which I wait, is late. Cicidoa: I would prevail upon you to pick up the pumpkin in my stead, and see it safely to the Coffer & Coffin. Present this receipt of purchase to Gagari at the Royal Plantations, and she will yield it to you. Cicidoa: I apologize for asking you to attend to this time-consuming task, but I truly appreciate your assistance!
Gagari: If Cicidoa doesn't come calling soon, this spectacular specimen shall sadly be past its prime...
Receipt of Purchase Exchange this slip at the Royal Plantations for one ripe pumpkin.
Gagari: Oh, so you're to deliver this decadent delight? I can say with confidence that any gourmand would be grateful for such a grand gift. Gagari: Here is the pumpkin. I hope it meets with Roger's approval. Gagari: Fresh produce is somewhat scarce in these parts, and as such we are always deluged with demand. Gagari: You know the way to the Coffer & Coffin, correct? It is beyond the bridge to the northwest. Look for a place where local laborers lounge.
Roger: Drink fer ye, lassieladdie? Ye won't get better ale or spirits fer yer coin than at me place.
Plantation Pumpkin It is believed that after eating pumpkin for the first time, the sultana fell in love with the nutty flavor and ordered all her royal plantations grow the vegetable.
Roger: What's that? Wee Cicidoa asked ye to bring this here to me? Ha! Heh, so even that foul-mouthed drunk knows the meanin' o' remorse. Reckon this is fer the time I carried his drink-sodden arse back home. Roger: But hells, an honest-to-gods pumpkin from the Royal Plantations! I can't wait to see what the cooks'll do with her. Roger: The lads here scoff down beastly amounts o' meat, an' it's startin' to tell on their health. It'll be good to get more vegetables in their bellies─assumin' I can get the stubborn bastards to try somethin' new. Thanks fer the help, lassieladdie!
Prudence at This Junction Roger hears all sorts of information in his line of work, some of which may be useful to you.
Roger: Word is, Black Brush Station's sorely undermanned. The Stone Torches there can't get a moment's peace. Roger: Bloke by the name o' Warin is hopin' to bolster their numbers for a short-term assignment or two. If you fancy puttin' a few extra gil in yer pocket, you could do a lot worse.
Warin: Looking for work, perchance? If so, you couldn't have come at a better time. Warin: We Stone Torches are sellswords hired by Amajina & Sons Mineral Concern to protect its interests. Our primary duty here is to keep the tracks clear of pests, and it is for this purpose that we require your aid. Warin: I should point out, however, that it can be messy work, and liable to get messier still if you're ill prepared. Warin: A single piece of gear can mean the difference between life and death. I'll not have it on my conscience that I sent an ill-equipped adventurer to an untimely demise. Warin: See to it that your arms and armor are in order. When you are ready, present yourself to me again.
Warin: So you are ready for inspection? Warin: By the gods, womanman! However in the seven hells did you survive the antlings equipped as poorly as you are? I cannot in good conscience send you to face savage beasts until your gear is in order.
Warin: So you are ready for inspection? Warin: Good. Everything appears in order. Warin: Yet know that naught is guaranteed in this world. Fate is a fickle mistress, after all. At any rate, capable adventurers like you are few and far between, and I would not have you throw your life away. Warin: I have had to bury too many comrades who brushed aside cracks in their hauberks and dints in their helms. No matter what you face, do not disregard the importance of gear.
Out of House and Home Warin has work for an adventurer willing to exterminate the coblyns attacking ore wagons.
Warin: Let's get to it then, shall we? Warin: Ore wagons pass through this station every day─but not without incident. Warin: Wagons coming and going from the Dispatch Yard to the south must pass through a tunnel by Fesca's Watch─a tunnel in which some genius saw fit to put an ore storehouse, creating ideal conditions for a coblyn nest! Warin: So now the ore-loving beasts have taken up residence in a tunnel we dug, and we're practically delivering meals to their doorstep! Warin: But no more. Inside the tunnel in question, you will find a narrow fissure where the coblyns hide. Use this silver ore cluster to lure out the creatures, then slay them.
Silver Ore Cluster Several chunks of silver which have grown together to form a sizable cluster.
A soft skittering sound begins to echo in the tunnel...
Warin: Well done! It shan't be easy work to keep the tunnel free of coblyns, but our wagons should be able to go unmolested for a time. Warin: Disruptions to ore shipments threaten not only the interests of Amajina & Sons Mineral Concern, but of Ul'dah herself. One might liken these train tracks to veins that bear our nation's lifeblood. Warin: If only we had more womenmen like you to lend a hand.
Way Down in the Hole Zuzumeda wishes to share with you a most amazing rumor.
Zuzumeda: Ah, the altruistic adventurer! I was hoping we'd bump into each other. Why? Because the most fascinating piece of news recently reached my ears, and I'm eager to share it! May I? Zuzumeda: Rumor has it that there is a vast, untapped vein of ore beneath the ruins of Sil'dih. Zuzumeda: But that is not all! Inconceivably, the Concern appears to be entirely ignorant of its existence. And even as we speak, a young upstart─a self-made merchant from Stonesthrow of all places─is moving to claim it! Zuzumeda: The fellow's name is Wystan, and he is a very, very ambitious young man. Not only does he intend to secure exclusive excavation rights, but they say his master plan is to use his new fortune to curry favor with the Sacrarium. Zuzumeda: Of course, the thaumaturges only consider the opinions of the most wealthy when drafting the laws of Ul'dah. If you would have your voice heard, you must be prepared to pay a sultan's ransom. Zuzumeda: One voice which is invariably heard belongs to Lord Lolorito. He has long lavished gil upon the thaumaturges, and some claim that he devises new laws with the express intention of ruining his competitors while protecting his own interests. Zuzumeda: Suffice it to say, if Wystan thinks he can compete with the likes of the Syndicate, he's in for a rude awakening. But that eventuality may yet be a little way off. For the present, he is moving ahead with his plans, and assembling a team to survey the site. Zuzumeda: I'm told he's at the Coffer & Coffin right now, recruiting able-bodied adventurers to escort his prospectors. Zuzumeda: Warin said you were looking for work. Mayhap you should meet Wystan and volunteer for his expedition?
Wystan: Come to join? Sorry, but you're too late. Wystan: Some Brass Blades looking for extra coin volunteered, and the team's already en route to the ruins. Wystan: But look, I know it's not easy to find work these days. If you're interested, there's something else you can do for me. Wystan: There are these children outside─little ones from Stonesthrow. I look after them when I've time to spare, and so they've taken to following me around, even when I tell them not to. Wystan: But what with overseeing the search for the vein, I barely have a chance to visit the privy at the moment, much less entertain younglings. Can you give them these ginger cookies and convince them to go home for me?
Wystan: Give the children those cookies and convince them to go home without me. I'll see that you're rewarded for your trouble.
Starveling Child: I ain't goin' nowhere, missusmister! I'm too hungry to move, besides, so you'll have to carry me!
Crumbling Ginger Cookie Straight from good Wystan's pocket. (Don't mind the lint.)
Starveling Child: A cookie!? ...Well, if Wystan really wants me to go home, then all right. But I want two next time!
Starveling Child: But Wystan always plays with us! Why won't he come out and play?
Crumbling Ginger Cookie Straight from good Wystan's pocket. (Don't mind the lint.)
Starveling Child: Wow, a ginger cookie! I'd better save some for my brother. I know─I'll go home and eat it with him!
Starveling Child: Wystan's kind to us. I like him.
Crumbling Ginger Cookie Straight from good Wystan's pocket. (Don't mind the lint.)
Starveling Child: This is for me? I want to eat it, but then again I don't, because then it'd be gone. Starveling Child: Tell Wystan thanks, and...tell him I'm sorry for getting in the way.
Starveling Child: I like playing with Wystan. He makes sure no one bullies us.
Crumbling Ginger Cookie Straight from good Wystan's pocket. (Don't mind the lint.)
Starveling Child: Wystan's worried about us? Oh, I don't want to make him worried. I'm a good girl, so I'll go home.
Wystan: Thank you, adventurer. I only wish I could do more. Stonesthrow is no place for a child. Wystan: ...Not that my childhood was much happier. Never enough food to go around, nor work to earn it─but no shortage of contempt from the great and the good. Wystan: I remember thinking things could only get better... Yet now, after the Calamity and everything else...for us refugees to be forced to live outside the gates like bloody beastmen is a disgrace. Wystan: They say with enough money you can change the laws here. So I'm going to make a fortune and do just that! Wystan: I'll buy the excavation rights and start my own mining business. Then I'll give my fellow refugees the work they're crying out for, and pay them fairly! Wystan: The mining companies have profited from our suffering for too long. But in their hubris they've grown complacent─presenting us with a golden opportunity. Wystan: And we will take it, adventurer─we will reclaim our dignity, and with it our place within those walls. Brass Blade: We found her! We found the vein! Wystan, ye must come an' see! Wystan: Already!? Amazing! We leave at once! Wystan: You should join me, my friend! Come and bear witness to history in the making!
Brass Blade: Thal's balls, son! A vein of ore in the middle of a ruined bloody city? Godsdamned idiot! Brass Blade: What did ye think was gonna happen? That ye'd strike it rich and get cozy with the Order, while the masters of Ul'dah looked on? No one crosses the Syndicate! Wystan: <pant> <pant> The...the Syndicate!? Brass Blade: Hah! Finally sunk in, has it? Brass Blade: Well look at this! Not all yer friends've deserted ye, it seems... Lucky boy! Now ye won't have to die alone! ??? (Black-masked Ascian): O mournful voice of creation! Grant ye this humble stone a soul, that it may wake to life! Brass Blade: Who's that spoutin' gibberish!? Show yerself! Brass Blade: This ain't part o' the plan! Bloody hells, does Lord Lolorito mean to kill us too!?
Clay Golem: <rumble> <rumble> ??? (Black-masked Ascian): You are strong. But are you strong enough to withstand this? ??? (Black-masked Ascian): Yesss...writhe! Writhe in eternal Darkness! Clay Golem: <rumble> ??? (Black-masked Ascian): Impossible! Never has the golem been so sorely tested!
??? (Black-masked Ascian): That the golem could be vanquished... ??? (Black-masked Ascian): That womanman is no ordinary adventurer.
Thancred: Damn, seems I've missed all the fun. Thancred: I see you didn't need my help this time.
Thancred: I would compose a ballad in your honor, but I fear no words would do you justice. The Songstress of Ul'dah herself could not rival your beauty. Mirthful Maiden: Oh, stop it! Thancred: I have oft heard it said that a blossom's beauty can move a man to love and long, but I never truly believed it until I met you two desert roses. Sunbaked Merchant: I hear they attacked another caravan... Tireless Trader: Aye, an' business is sufferin' for it. Bloody Amalj'aa... What's stirred 'em up, do you reckon? Thancred: Another raid...and I'll wager that caravan was carrying crystals, much like the last. Thancred: If they truly mean to summon a primal, we must act quickly. Mirthful Maiden: Are you coming, love? Forward Fille: You wouldn't keep a girl waiting, would you!? Thancred: Perish the thought! Thancred: So tell me, where in this marvel of a city might you lovely ladies be staying?
Thancred: At this rate, grain will soon be more precious than gold. Thancred: A result of the uncommonly bad harvests, to be sure... Thancred: And we have you to thank for them, do we not? Thancred: Aye, this weakening of the aetheric flow must surely be linked to Dalamud's descent. Thancred: And, of course, to the primals. Thancred: A fine mess. But we must not lose hope. Thancred: Louisoix will know what to do. We need only trust in his judgment.
Thancred: Truly a marvel of Sharlayan ingenuity... It's as if I could reach out and touch the aether. Thancred: Time to focus... No more gallivanting about like before. The Scions are counting on you. Thancred: Have faith. Just have faith. You can do this. Thancred: Hmmm... This disturbance is recent. Thancred: The Sultantree? Maybe Papashan will know something of it.
Thancred: Looks like they gave you quite a thrashing. Can you walk? Thancred: It's me. I was too late. Our person of interest had already quit the scene. The General? Very well. I shall be there anon. Thancred: My colleagues went to great lengths to provide me with the means to detect aetheric disturbances, but every time I find one, you seem to be in the middle of it. I'm starting to wonder if it might not be simpler just to follow you around. Sadly, I have business elsewhere. Thancred: Tread softly, my friend. The carefully laid trap you dismantled was clearly sanctioned by Lord Lolorito. I heard the Blades mention him as they fled. Believe me when I tell you that he is not a man to be trifled with. Thancred: The sultana's enemies grow bolder by the day, and I suspect they have the support of outside forces. Wystan: Thank you. If you hadn't come along, those bastards would surely have slaughtered us all. Wystan: I would speak with you further, but it isn't safe for us to linger here. Wystan: Find me at the Coffer & Coffin later. Until then, stay safe. Thancred: I shall accompany Wystan and his men. They need protection─and I need more information. Thancred: Ah, but where are my manners? I have yet to properly introduce myself. I am Thancred, a humble scholar surveying the flow of aether in Thanalan. Thancred: It is an honor and a privilege to make your acquaintance. I hope when next we meet it is under more auspicious circumstances. Farewell! Thancred: ...Ah. Wait a moment. It occurs to me that we may have... Thancred: Never mind. Fare thee well!
Wystan: Twelve bless you, my friend. You risked your life to save ours. Wystan: Betrayed by my own guards... Gods, I was a fool to trust those men. Wystan: Lolorito owns the godsdamned Brass Blades. I should've questioned their motives from the start. Wystan: Even so, I could hardly have predicted that the wealthiest man in Ul'dah would want me dead for the heinous crime of seeking to change the law! I'm just a merchant, for gods' sakes! Wystan: That ruthless bastard! And what of that monstrosity? Those were his own men! It beggars belief! Wystan: Well, that's it. I'm finished. If I stay in Ul'dah any longer, I'm as good as dead. Wystan: My associates, my friends─gods, even the children may not be safe if I don't disappear. And you...godsdammit, if Lolorito learns of your involvement, you'll be next. Wystan: I'll speak with the others and make sure your part in this stays secret. Beyond that, I don't know what to suggest... Maybe you should seek the counsel of Mistress Momodi. Wystan: She's helped countless adventurers in her time. Mayhap she'll know what to do. Wystan: Go quickly now, my friend. Lolorito's spies may be watching.
Momodi: Settle down, Forename. You've got nothin' to worry about. No one seems to know you were at the ruins. Momodi: Wystan, on the other hand, is now a pariah─about as welcome 'round here as a rabid wolf, poor bugger. Suffice to say, that boy risked the wrath of the wrong man. Momodi: Lord Lolorito: chairman of the East Aldenard Trading Company, generous contributor to the Order of Nald'thal, and member of the Syndicate. Momodi: Didn't get where he is by leavin' loose ends, that one. Momodi: Which is why he ain't above killin' his own men. Momodi: Hells, even if those Blades knew what was comin', it's not like they could refuse to do their benefactor's biddin'. Momodi: <sigh> Don't let this color your view of Ul'dah, Forename... It's true that there are some here who ain't afraid to crack a few skulls if it gets 'em what they want. But most of us are decent folk just tryin' to make ends meet. Momodi: You know, a lot of people would call you a damn fool for riskin' your life to save a marked man... Momodi: But I believe you did a good thing, Forename, and for that you have my respect. Momodi: Listen: you've been through a lot lately. Why don't you rest a spell? Momodi: I'll have the boys at the Hourglass set you up with a room, my treat. Just have a word with Otopa Pottopa whenever you feel like stayin'. Momodi: And when you've got your appetite for adventurin' back, consider takin' on a guildleve or two. Momodi: We've a lot of requests from locals lookin' to hire adventurers for various jobs. It'd be a good way for you to earn yourself some extra gil. Momodi: Eustace can tell you more about how the system works, so go and speak with him if you're interested.
Takin' What They're Givin' Momodi of the Quicksand has word of work for a willing adventurer.
Momodi: Look what the coeurl dragged in. Good to see you, Forename. I'd ask what brings you, but I reckon we both know the answer to that already. Momodi: Well, have I ever let you down before? Wait, don't answer that... Momodi: So happens I know a fella by the name of Dadanen who needs a hand. He's a merchant by trade, sellin' precious stones to those in Ul'dah with the means to buy them. Momodi: He's asked that I send any lookin' for work his way. You can find him over in Horizon, if you fancy. Momodi: That's in western Thanalan, mind you. Just cross the bridge north of Scorpion Crossing and the road will take you there. Momodi: Knowin' the circles he deals in, might be he'll have some talk of the royal family that'll interest you, as well. Momodi: And why not make use of a chocobo porter for the journey to Horizon? If you've the gil for it, that is. Momodi: You'll find the chocobo stables just across the way from my Quicksand. Find Mimigun─he'll set you straight. Momodi: Well, off you go, then. I haven't got all day to be holdin' your bloody hand!
Dadanen: Forename, I presume? Aye, Momodi said to expect you, and so I have. Dadanen: Welcome to Horizon. Ours is a trading settlement that sees goods in from the port of Vesper Bay to the west─and trade we do. Nary a day goes by that Horizon isn't bustling with some manner of merchants and officials. Dadanen: They keep us running about busy, they do. Enough so that I wish I had chocobo legs in place of my own. And that's why I've asked Momodi to send me any souls looking for work. Dadanen: Twelve know there is plenty of it to be done around here. Speak to me again when you are ready to make yourself of some use.
Supply and Demands Dadanen would like you to deliver a message to Copperbell Mines.
Dadanen: It so happens that I've a situation that must be resolved posthaste─and I do mean posthaste. Dadanen: I'm plumb out of premium product, and my latest order has yet to arrive! If I keep my customers waiting any longer, this could irrevocably damage my reputation! Dadanen: What's worse, I paid my man in advance for his services. Despite his assurances that it would be a simple affair, I've heard nothing since he departed for Copperbell Mines days ago. Dadanen: Find Drunken Stag and give him this notice. I cannot afford any further delay.
Drunken Stag: What do you want? Hm? Dadanen's product?
Dadanen's Final Notice A firmly worded reminder of delivery from the jeweler Dadanen.
Drunken Stag: He can send all the notices he likes, but it won't change a thing. Drunken Stag: The Concern has closed the mines due to some incident in the depths. Drunken Stag: It's a godsdamned shame too─lost a decent haul just over yonder during all the chaos...
Give It to Me Raw Drunken Stag needs someone to retrieve the raw Nashachite he dropped outside the mines.
Drunken Stag: The “product” you heard Dadanen going on about is a valuable gemstone known as raw Nashachite. I managed to dig up a goodly amount just before the mines were closed off, actually. Drunken Stag: Packed it up and hauled it out, even. But then them Twelve-damned coblyns came along. Not like any coblyns I'd seen before, and hungry only for the good rocks. They had eyes for my gemstones, so I had no choice but to oblige. Drunken Stag: The Stone Torches had their hands full evacuating the mines, so they ignored the beasts. Even now, they're only concerned with keeping people out. Please, friend, if you're willing to face the coblyns, would you bring me my Nashachite?
You sense a hostile presence!
Drunken Stag: How did you fare, friend? Did you find the raw Nashachite?
Raw Nashachite An extremely rare variety of malachite that gets its name from its deep green color—the same color as former Ul'dahn sultana Nanasha Ul Nasha's eyes.
Drunken Stag: Beautiful, isn't it? Rarer than many stones, and more expensive than most. They say the green is the same as the eyes of Nanasha Ul Nasha, who once ruled as the sultana. Drunken Stag: This should save Dadanen from his troubles...if there's enough left. There's far less here than what I found. I reckon those coblyns made a meal of the stuff. Bloody waste...
The Perfect Swarm Drunken Stag wishes to repay your kindness with some useful information.
Drunken Stag: You'd like a chance to make some money, right? Then I know just how I can repay you for your kindness. Drunken Stag: Swarms of sun midges have been harassing travelers along the road connecting Horizon to here. It's gotten so bad that the Brass Blades have started paying folks to keep the roads clear. Drunken Stag: If you find it hard to believe that swarms of tiny midges could be so troublesome, then you've never seen a chocobo driven into a frenzy by one. There've already been some terrible accidents. Drunken Stag: Do your part and slay a few swarms. After that, let Fufulupa know. He'll reward you for your trouble, and maybe even offer you more work.
Fufulupa: Greetings and salutations, adventurer. To what do I owe this─
What, you've slain how many swarms of sun midges!? Fufulupa: You have my sincerest thanks! The Brass Blades have been struggling to keep them in check, so your assistance is greatly appreciated. Fufulupa: Will you be staying in Horizon long? If so, there is much and more you can do to help here.
Last Letter to Lost Hope Fufulupa wants you to track down a missing courier.
Fufulupa: Pray allow me to enlist your aid, brave adventurer. I would have you ascertain the whereabouts of a missive I sent to Lost Hope the other day. Fufulupa: Captain Leofric is stationed there. Ever since he was transferred, we've exchanged letters, but never before has it taken this long to receive a reply. Fufulupa: And so I fear that the courier may have met with some misfortune en route. Fufulupa: She must have made it to central Thanalan, or the Brass Blades that patrol the roads between here and Scorpion Crossing would have seen something. But, if she made it as far as Black Brush Station, she would have surely delivered the letter by now. Lost Hope is practically on its doorstep... Fufulupa: I suggest you focus your search on the road to Black Brush Station, in central Thanalan. With luck, you will find her quickly.
Seseli: Huh? A letter? Aye, I've got Fufulupa's missive right here. Seseli: I won't be deliverin' it any time soon, though. Got to tend to my bird's injured leg first. Even the most minor of cuts can fester if ignored. Seseli: Fufulupa sent you, right? If this is a pressin' matter, why don't you take it the rest of the way? Seseli: Lost Hope's just past Black Brush Station, to the northeast. Look for the tents by the river.
Seseli: Head northeast, past Black Brush Station. Look for the tents. If you cross the river, you've gone too far.
Leofric: Just passing through, or will you be staying a while?
Letter to Leofric A sealed message written by Brass Blade Fufulupa of the Rose to his former captain Leofric.
Leofric: ...Fufulupa sent you all this way because of a late letter? <sigh> The boy is still far too earnest. Leofric: Despite my demotion, he continues to call me Captain. I suspect he has no idea what it means to be transferred to Lost Hope either. Leofric: The Brass Blades don't give a Qiqirn's arse about this settlement. No one in Ul'dah does. Leofric: All here have been forsaken, adventurer. The refugees, their protectors. And you will be, too, if you're seen associating with us. Leofric: Thank you for the letter. Now, for your own good, leave.
Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow Leofric has a request for an adventurer looking to do some good.
Leofric: I thought I told you to get out of here. What, looking for a chance to do some good? <sigh> I guess I can't force you to leave. Damn stubborn adventurers, the lot of you. Fine, then. Listen well. Leofric: A band of outlaws has taken up residence at the Quiveron Manse on the ridge to the south. Leofric: Their leader has styled himself heir to Eolande Quiveron, the Syndicate member who died in the Calamity. <spit> Leofric: The baron and his cronies are naught more than a pack of jackals. They prey on the people of Lost Hope, robbing them of what little they have. Leofric: I myself cannot act without endangering the refugees, as they know my face and will retaliate against Lost Hope. You, however, are not known to the bandits or their allies. If you wish to help us, then deal with the baron.
You sense a hostile presence!
Leofric: So it is done? Good. I hope that wretch died screaming. Leofric: Ul'dah is more prosperous than ever, some say. That may be true for the Syndicate, but none of that wealth has trickled down to the smallfolk. Leofric: It's all a mummer's farce. One day, I refused to play my part─and so I was made to leave the stage. Leofric: Aye, my time has passed. The Brass Blades of the Rose must look to others for guidance.
Passing the Blade Leofric would like you to deliver an item to Horizon.
Leofric: As you may have noticed, I'm in no shape to leave Lost Hope right now. So, in my stead, I'd like you to return to Horizon and give this dagger to Fufulupa. Leofric: Although it's just an old, ornamental dagger, it belongs with the Brass Blades of the Rose. Leofric: Aye, I should've given it to the boy before I came here...
Fufulupa: Ah, Forename! I received word from Captain Leofric the other day. Thank you for delivering the letter for me!
Antique Dagger This ornamental dagger has remained in possession of the Brass Blades of the Rose for centuries, traditionally passed down to a new captain when an old one retires.
Fufulupa: Wh-Why do you have that dagger!? Only a captain of the Brass Blades of the Rose is permitted to possess it! Fufulupa: Captain Leofric says I am to have it? There must be some mistake! Fufulupa: He couldn't possibly mean to tell me that─ No, no, of course not. I am not worthy to wield it. Fufulupa: Nevertheless, I shall respect the captain's wishes and take the dagger into safekeeping until he comes to reclaim it.
Following Footfalls Fufulupa needs you to assist his fellow Brass Blades.
Fufulupa: The Brass Blades of the Rose have need of your assistance once more, Forename! Fufulupa: Thaumaturges from the Ossuary are presently surveying the Footfalls for ancient relics. Fufulupa: As the area is rife with wild beasts, the Horizon garrison has been charged with their security. Fufulupa: But Captain Baldewyn sent only a handful of Brass Blades! Despite his assurances to the contrary, such a small unit cannot possibly be sufficient to protect our patrons. Fufulupa: I would have you offer your assistance to my comrades. Pray travel to the Footfalls and speak with Totoruna.
Totoruna: A bleedin' 'venturer, come to help? I ain't heard nothin' from Cap'n Baldewyn 'bout this. He said trusted men only... Totoruna: Anyroad, we've got this under control─an' besides, this operation ain't got nothin' to do with Fufulupa. Totoruna: Boy's got a stick up his arse the size of a sabotender. It's no wonder the cap'n told him to stay at Horizon...
Storms on the Horizon Nunuzofu wants you to deliver a message to Crescent Cove.
Nunuzofu: Hey, adventurer! Mind runnin' a message to Crescent Cove for us? Nunuzofu: Captain Baldewyn's plannin' some festivities for the thaumaturges, see, and he wants 'em treated to the finest food and drink. Nothin' but the best for our distinguished guests, eh? Nunuzofu: Head west and south to the village and tell Raffe that he's to deliver a bounty of fresh fish to Horizon for the feast.
Raffe: F-Fresh fish for Captain Baldewyn? Of course, of course! We will do our best, madamsir. Raffe: U-Unfortunately, we've had a poor catch in recent days on account of the rough seas. More boats should be returning soon, but I cannot promise that their catch will please. Raffe: But don't worry, miladysir! The captain will have his fish! I swear it!
Oh Captain, My Captain Merilda may have stumbled upon a secret...
Merilda: You are an adventurer, are you not? I know this is sudden, but I have no one else to turn to. Merilda: Last night, a gang of bandits from the Quiveron Manse were in their cups, and I overheard them discussing their plans... Merilda: It seems they've come to collect gemstones stolen from Copperbell Mines. Nashachite, I think I heard one say. They are to meet with their co-conspirator soon, at the Footfalls─ Fufulupa: Wh-Wh-What did you say!? Fufulupa: Illicit exchanges and shadowy dealings! The Brass Blades cannot abide such malfeasance! Fufulupa: Forgive my eavesdropping, Forename─I came to Crescent Cove merely to thank you in person. Fufulupa: I never imagined I'd uncover a criminal conspiracy right outside Horizon's gates! Fufulupa: We must act quickly if we are to apprehend these thieves! I will notify Captain Baldewyn at once! Merilda: No, wait! You mustn't! Oh, gods... Merilda: You must stop him before it's too late! Captain Baldewyn himself is working with the bandits!
Fufulupa: Captain Baldewyn, sir! I've discovered something shocking, something horrible! Fufulupa: Someone has been stealing gemstones from Copperbell Mines and─ Fufulupa: Wait, those gauntlets, those boots─why, you're one of Quiveron's men! Sir, that man is a thief and a scoundrel! Baldewyn: ...And? What of it? His coin's good, and that's what counts. Fufulupa: What!? Captain Baldewyn...are you working with these men!? It cannot be... Baldewyn: I told you to stay in Horizon, Fufulupa. It didn't have to be like this... Baldewyn: They'd get their Nashachite, I'd get my gil, and none would be the wiser. Fufulupa: B-B-But, sir, what if your crimes are uncovered!? What if Lord Lolorito finds out!? Baldewyn: You godsdamned fool, don't you see!? Baldewyn: I am acting under the authority of Lord Lolorito himself! Fufulupa: No... No! That can't be true... Baldewyn: Why do you think people join the Brass Blades, Fufulupa? To serve and protect? Hah! Baldewyn: We're not the bloody Flames here! We do this for the coin! Ser Baron von Quiveron IV Esquire: You there, adventurer! Do you remember me? Well, I remember you! Ser Baron von Quiveron IV Esquire: I am Ser Baron von Quiveron IV Esquire! You killed my brother, and now I'm going to return the favor! Baldewyn: Well, that settles it! It's clearly in everyone's best interests that both of you die!
Baldewyn Four Yalms: It's time to do your duty, Fufulupa! Time to die for your country! Fufulupa the Unbending: Why, Captain, why!? I trusted you! Baldewyn Four Yalms: Heh, you're stronger than I thought! Baldewyn Four Yalms: Damn you both, you're ruining everything! Fufulupa the Unbending: Ware his spear, Forename!
Leofric: That's enough, Baldewyn! Leofric: Your partner is dead and your plans are undone. You've no reason left to fight. Baldewyn: Stay out of this, Leofric! I don't take orders from you! Baldewyn: I may have spared your life before, but if you interfere, I will not show you mercy! Leofric: And what mercy will he show you, I wonder? You who have done so much in another man's name. Baldewyn: What are you blathering on about!? Leofric: Every fisherman in Crescent Cove knew about your meeting, you arrogant fool. Quiveron's men couldn't keep their mouths shut. Leofric: Imagine Lord Lolorito's surprise when he learned that a rank-and-file Brass Blade was using his name to advance a personal agenda... Baldewyn: He knows!? Seven hells! But I'm a captain, he wouldn't─ Leofric: I was once a captain too, remember? And we both know what happened to me. Leofric: Well fought, boy. You've done the Brass Blades of the Rose proud. Fufulupa: Captain Leofric! Captain Baldewyn, he...he said that Lord Lolorito─ Leofric: Lord Lolorito wouldn't waste his time on a small-scale smuggling operation. This is all Baldewyn's doing. Leofric: What else did he say? That all our brethren are no better, and that each and every one cares for naught but coin? Hah! Mere excuses to justify his schemes. Leofric: Aye, we've no shortage of greedy sods, some who'd probably sell their own mothers into slavery if the price was right. Leofric: But there are men like you, Fufulupa─men good and true, whom the smallfolk respect. Leofric: Which is why I gave you the dagger. The Brass Blades of the Rose need a leader with honor, and you're the most honorable man I know. Fufulupa: <sniffle> <sob> Captaaaaaain! Fufulupa: Thank you for all your help, Forename! The captain and I will escort Captain Baldewyn back to Horizon. Fufulupa: Pray visit me in town when next you return!
Fufulupa: Welcome back, Forename! So much has happened! Fufulupa: Captain─ahem, Baldewyn has been arrested and stripped of rank, which means the Brass Blades of the Rose no longer have a captain. Fufulupa: Until a new one is designated, I've been ordered to serve as acting captain of the Horizon garrison. Fufulupa: Though doubtless this is only a temporary arrangement, I will do my utmost to represent my brethren and protect the people of Horizon! Fufulupa: Thank you, Forename, for your service to the sultanate. You are a true hero!
Fufulupa: I know full well that Baldewyn's arrest was but the first step towards regaining the public trust. As acting captain, I will continue to do my utmost to repair the Brass Blades' reputation!
Secrets and Lies Fufulupa would entrust you with a matter of grave import.
Fufulupa: I salute you, honored friend. As acting captain, I should be much obliged if you would grant me a personal request. Fufulupa: In our efforts to ascertain the full extent of the former captain's corruption, we have been poring over his personal correspondence. Fufulupa: Our search unearthed this sealed letter addressed to a man named Owyne. Fufulupa: But he is one of the Sultansworn elite! I can think of no reason why he should have any dealings with Baldewyn! Fufulupa: We now know that the former captain was consorting with a coalition of criminals... Could it be that Owyne was, too!? Fufulupa: This letter may well serve as evidence of their collusion, and so I dare not tamper with it myself. Fufulupa: But given the events of recent days, I knew not whom to trust with this information─until now. Fufulupa: I have chosen you, Forename. Pray bear the letter to Mistress Momodi of the Quicksand, and relate the circumstances of its discovery. Fufulupa: Not only is she a staunch supporter of the sultana, but she is well acquainted with the Sultansworn. She will know how best to proceed.
Momodi: Ah, Forename! It's been too long! Dadanen tells me you've been keepin' busy in Horizon. Momodi: I want you to know that I'm grateful for everythin' you've done for the people of Ul'dah. Momodi: Even though you've seen the seedier side of our city, you've continued to help your fellow man. Believe me, the folk around here love you for it. Momodi: Hmmm? What is it? You look like you've got somethin' to say.
Letter to Owyne A letter addressed to Sultansworn elite Owyne.
Momodi: ...So that's what this is all about. Momodi: Fufulupa's thinkin' Owyne might've been in league with Baldewyn─that this letter could be proof of somethin' shady. Momodi: Well he needn't worry. Owyne's as loyal a Sultansworn as I've ever known. I haven't the foggiest what this says, but─ Momodi: Wait a minute. Wasn't Owyne the one who...? Momodi: Oh, hells... I've got a bad feelin' about this. Momodi: Listen, Forename─I think I know what this is all about, but I need you to swear to keep it quiet. Momodi: If you'd rather wash your hands of this business, I won't hold it against you. But if you're determined to see it through to the bitter end, say the word and I'll explain.
Duty, Honor, Country Momodi wishes to enlist the aid of a trusted friend of Ul'dah.
Momodi: Can I count on your discretion, Forename? If so, then listen closely... Momodi: The outside world believes Ul'dah to be a sultanate, ruled by Sultana Nanamo Ul Namo. Truth is, though, it's the six wealthiest citizens that hold the most sway─the Syndicate. Momodi: Be that as it may, the sultana's still got the support of the people... Momodi: But she might struggle to keep even that if a certain incident becomes public knowledge. Momodi: It pains me to say it, but Her Grace's crown, the symbol of the royal dynasty, has been stolen. Momodi: And Owyne...Owyne's the Sultansworn who was charged with guardin' it that night. Momodi: I'd bet anythin' this letter was written by the bastards who made off with the crown. Momodi: It can't be a coincidence that a man we know to have been fraternizin' with thieves had a letter for Owyne of all people, at this of all times. Momodi: You need to take this to the man himself, Forename. Tell him Momodi sent you, and that it concerns a lost heirloom. Momodi: If it looks as though the fellow needs help, I want you to lend it to him. The future of our fair city may depend on it.
Sultansworn Elite: The Heart of the Sworn lies beyond. State your business. Sultansworn Elite: ...Pardon? Did you say a lost heirloom? Ahem. Proceed.
  • Proceed into the Heart of the Sworn?
  • Yes
  • No Sultansworn Elite: What are you playing at, adventurer? Did Momodi truly send you? If this is some sort of prank, there will be consequences!
Owyne: Well met, adventurer. What business brings you here this day? Owyne: ...A letter? Very well, let's see it.
Letter to Owyne A letter addressed to Sultansworn elite Owyne.
Owyne: ...Have you read this, adventurer? Owyne: I see. But you have some inkling as to its contents, I think. Owyne: Mistress Momodi has doubtless explained to you the significance of the crown, and what its loss could mean for Her Grace the sultana... <sigh> This theft shames the Sultansworn─and me most of all. Owyne: The blame is mine, you see. I grew lax in my duties, and in a moment of carelessness... Owyne: No, it will do no good to recount the tale now.
Since the hour of the theft, we've searched frantically for any signs, any whispers as to the whereabouts of the crown. We have found nothing. Owyne: The identity of the thieves, and their motives, seemed fated to remain a mystery─until you arrived, bearing this ransom note. Owyne: In it, the criminals state their price for the return of Her Grace's crown. Owyne: And though it pains me to say it, I fear I have no choice but to acquiesce to their demands. Too much is at stake to do otherwise. The crown symbolizes Her Grace's birthright, and identifies her as the custodian of the Ul legacy. It must be recovered. Owyne: I will travel to the Unholy Heir and pay them their ransom. Owyne: Though I am not foolish enough to meet these men alone as they stipulate, I dare not bring a host of my comrades lest the thieves take fright. Friend─would you consent to be present for the exchange? Owyne: Mistress Momodi has always spoken of you in the most glowing terms, and I have never yet had reason to question her judgment. Owyne: On behalf of all those still loyal to the sultana, I beseech you─help us in our hour of need.
Owyne: Pray meet me at the Unholy Heir in central Thanalan, east of Black Brush Station. If the gods are good, the exchange will proceed without incident...
Owyne: I've come as agreed! Now, show me the crown! Garibald: Aye, you'll have your precious crown─once we've been duly compensated. Owyne: Do you think me a fool!? What assurance have I that you will honor your part of the agreement? Garibald: Now, now, Owyne...you're the least trustworthy man here. Not only was the crown stolen on your watch, but it looks to me as if you've violated the terms of our exchange. Did we not say that you were to come alone? Garibald: And given that you are not alone, what guarantee have we that there isn't a company of archers surrounding us even as we speak, ready to feather me and my men the moment they catch a glimpse of the crown? Garibald: You have made mock of our trust. The deal is off. Owyne: Wait! Here's your payment, as promised! Garibald: <sniff> <sniff> ...Aye, 'tis the real thing. Garibald: Ahahaha! A thousand thanks to you, boy! You've succeeded where scores of thieves have failed! Garibald: And now, at long last, we have it! The power to create an army of undying soldiers─The Traders' Spurn! Owyne: No...no, it can't be! What have I done!? Garibald: Surely you must have wondered what it was that you were handing over─what it was that seemed as valuable to us as the crown seemed to you? Or did you assume we were feeling charitable? Garibald: Ah, but you must feel terrible, knowing that you've brought us the doom of Sil'dih. Worry not, boy─we'll grant you a quick death and spare you further ignominy. Owyne: There's too many, Forename! Run! Run while you still can! I...I will do my duty. ??? (Papashan): It's your duty to serve the sultana, lad─and you'll be doing it for a good while yet! Papashan: Sultansworn! Put these thieves to the sword and secure the crown! Garibald: Sultansworn!? Hah! No matter! Kill them all!
Papashan: Fight for your sultana, boy! Fight for Ul'dah! Owyne: As you command, Master Papashan!
With me, Forename! Papashan: Stand your ground, Sultansworn! Garibald the Fargone: Meddlesome fools! You know not whom you face! Garibald the Fargone: Hearken to me, denizen of the abyss!
Slay these interlopers and feast upon their souls! Owyne: Is that a voidsent!? Papashan: Yield or be slain, thief! I will not ask again! Sultansworn Elite: I...I cannot... Owyne: The crown... We must... Papashan: Ugh...I have failed you...
Owyne: Master Papashan! But why...? How...? Papashan: The General saw you sneak into the vaults, Owyne. Papashan: He suspected something was afoot and ordered us to keep an eye on you. Owyne: The Flame General...? He ordered you to look after me? Sultansworn Elite: Master Papashan! More of them to the north! Papashan: After them, Sultansworn─they have the crown! This lot sought only to delay us! Owyne: Let us speak again back in the city! Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): The source of herhis strength becomes clear... Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): You may have bested the golem, but you will not fare so well this day. Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): O mournful voice of creation! Send unto me a creature of the abyss, my thrall to command, that I may smite mine enemies! Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): Your very being imperils the plan. You cannot be suffered to live.
Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): Soon, you shall take your vile gifts to the grave! Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): Mwahahaha!
Writhe as the venom eats its way through your veins! Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): Whence springs this preternatural might!? Thancred: You certainly have a knack for getting into trouble! Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): An unwelcome guest. No matter, all shall fall before me! Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): No mortal should possess such strength! Thancred: Keep it up, Forename!
We almost have him!
Masked Mage (Black-masked Ascian): Unnngh... That the wisdom of the Paragons should be brought low...by mere mortals... Thancred: Paragons? This is indeed a disturbing revelation... Thancred: We had long suspected the involvement of the Bringers of Chaos─Ascians, to give them their true name. Thancred: But we could not be sure they were responsible for the recent disturbances until now. As if the sultanate needed any more enemies... Thancred: Hm? Have we Sharlayans crossed paths with Ascians before? Well, we've certainly─ Wait. I don't recall telling you about my homeland. Thancred: Ah, yes, that's right─you're one of the gifted. Thancred: You know, this marks the third time I've found you in the midst of trouble. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're a lodestone for it! Thancred: Anyway, I'm glad I started following you around. Who knows what grand conspiracy you'll stumble upon next!? Thancred: I jest, I jest... Had I truly been watching your every move, I wouldn't have taken so long to intervene in your latest altercation. Thancred: But all's well that ends well, eh? Our masked friend is no more, and while I very much doubt we've seen the last of his kind, his demise will likely grant us at least some respite. And on that note, I must away. Until next time, Forename.
Sultansworn Elite: Everyone is waiting for you, adventurer.
  • Proceed into the Heart of the Sworn?
  • Yes
  • No Sultansworn Elite: Pray do not keep my comrades waiting.
Owyne: You have my thanks, Forename, for helping to defend Her Grace's good name, and for sparing the Sultansworn further dishonor. I believe Master Papashan would like to thank you personally.
Papashan: Does it surprise you to see me dressed so, Forename? I was once a Sultansworn, you know, though it's been fifteen years since I put down my sword, and took up the role of stationmaster. Papashan: It is a capacity in which I am no less proud to serve, lest you doubt. Whenever Her Grace ventures outside the gates, I have the honor of protecting her person. Papashan: Never before had I seen her so despondent as when news of the crown's theft reached her ears. Papashan: But thanks to your valiant efforts, she is returned to her former vibrant self. You have the gratitude of every Sultansworn, Forename. Lady-in-waiting: Exalted vessel of Nald'thal, guardian of Thanalan, seventeenth ascendant to the throne of Ul'dah, Her Royal Majesty Nanamo Ul Namo presides! Sultansworn: Long live Nanamo! Glory to the sultana! Forever may she reign! Sultansworn: Long live Nanamo! Glory to the sultana! Forever may she reign! Nanamo Ul Namo: They regaled me with tales of a champion amongst champions, one whose tireless service to the crown merited the highest honor we might bestow. Nanamo Ul Namo: Never did it occur to me that it might be you. Bring it forth! Nanamo Ul Namo: Betokening our gratitude and esteem, I, Nanamo Ul Namo, Sultana of Ul'dah, confer upon you this gift. Nanamo Ul Namo: Raubahn. Raubahn: Your Grace. Nanamo Ul Namo: See to it that our champion is my personal guest at the banquet. Raubahn: As you command, Your Grace. Raubahn: If what they say is true, Ul'dah owes you a great debt. Raubahn: I am Raubahn Aldynn. With the consent of Her Grace, I oversee the affairs of the sultanate. Raubahn: Brave souls are few and far between in these times. I count my blessings when I find one. Raubahn: Her Grace invites you to join her at the coming banquet. I trust I will see you there. Sultansworn: An honor indeed! Sultansworn: Huzzah! Come, hero! Raubahn: Until then. Raubahn: For the sake of Her Grace, and the glory of the sultanate, may you walk in the light of the Crystal.
A Matter of Tradition Owyne would like to speak with you regarding the sultana's invitation.
Owyne: By the Twelve, Forename! For an adventurer to receive a personal invitation from Her Grace is unprecedented! Owyne: Seats at these banquets are offered only to the most distinguished individuals. You will be dining with some of the most influential people in Ul'dah. Owyne: There are, of course, certain protocols that must be observed. Owyne: ...But I am no authority on them. Fear not, however─Mistress Momodi has long been responsible for familiarizing foreign guests with our customs. Owyne: Pray return to the Quicksand and speak with her. She will tell you all you need know.
Owyne: My fellow Sultansworn and I must see to our own preparations. In the meantime, you should speak with Mistress Momodi. She will explain to you the protocols that must be observed by all in attendance.
Momodi: Welcome back, Forename, and congratulations on your invite to the big soirée! Momodi: To be honest, I never imagined I'd be explainin' these procedures to you. It's usually only foreign dignitaries who get to hear me prattle on and on about royal traditions. Anyroad, I know you're a busy womanman, so I'll keep it short and sweet. Momodi: In accordance with ancient custom, all guests to this banquet are required to wear a pair of ceremonial earrin's, made 'specially for the occasion. They're meant to symbolize─ Actually, forget about that. This was meant to be the short version. Ahem. Bein' of a design unique to the occasion, the earrin's serve as a security measure. The Sultansworn won't let you near the hall without 'em. Momodi: Your set should be ready and waitin' for you at the Goldsmiths' Guild. Mistress Serendipity is expectin' you, so you'll want to head down there now. Momodi: Once you've got them, bring them back here and we'll continue.
Serendipity: Greetings! Is there something I can help you with? Serendipity: Ah, Forename! Your earrings are right here. I crafted them myself, I'll have you know. I think you'll be very pleased! Serendipity: In case Mistress Momodi didn't warn you, the box is locked, and I am not permitted to give you the key. It's a final safeguard, you see─only designated individuals are authorized to distribute the earrings to guests. In this instance, the person in question is none other than Mistress Momodi, so you will need to ask her to open the box on your behalf. Pardon the inconvenience, but the Sultansworn take Her Grace's safety very seriously.
Momodi: Picked up your earrin's yet, Forename?
Rosewood Box A tiny box carved from a single piece of rosewood.
Momodi: Let me just... <gasp> Well, now, looks like the guildmaster outdid herself with this pair! Momodi: You'd best take good care of these earrin's! If they fell into the wrong hands, gods only know what might happen! Momodi: Now then, I hope you're feelin' sociable, Forename, 'cause you're about to hobnob with Ul'dah's elite! Let me know when you're ready to head to the banquet.
A Royal Reception Momodi wants to see you off to the banquet.
Momodi: This is it, Forename─your big debut in Ul'dahn high society! Momodi: The banquet is bein' held in the Fragrant Chamber. Head over to the Royal Promenade and Bartholomew will show you in. Oh, but be sure to put on your earrin's first, or he'll send you packin'. Momodi: Right, well, I reckon that's everythin'. Try not to let all the pomp and ceremony get to you. Just be yourself and you'll be fine!
Bartholomew: A banquet hosted by Her Grace the sultana is due to begin shortly. Attendance is by invitation only. Please make way for arriving guests. Bartholomew: Ahem. I must ask that you step away from the doors, madamsir. If you have received an invitation, pray consider the terms of admission. Bartholomew: And Twelve save you if you have misplaced the relevant articles! I can only imagine how horrified Mistress Serendipity would be if she had to furnish you with another pair...
Serendipity: You want what!? You can't be serious! Gods... Serendipity: Just this once, but remember─life is not a minstrel's song, and you aren't some chosen hero. So don't go around expecting people to forgive you no matter the reckless, irresponsible things you do.
Bartholomew: A banquet hosted by Her Grace the sultana is due to begin shortly. Attendance is by invitation only. Please make way for arriving guests. Bartholomew: We are honored to receive you, miladymilord. Please proceed inside.
Raubahn: All hail the sultana! Raubahn: Your Grace. Nanamo Ul Namo: Raubahn. Nanamo Ul Namo: By right of the Royal House of Ul, I, Nanamo, seventeenth of my line, have summoned you here. Nanamo Ul Namo: We are graced this day by the presence of a hero to Ul'dah, and dear friend to the crown. Nanamo Ul Namo: Honored guests, I give you our champion! Nanamo Ul Namo: And with that, I bid you enjoy the feast. Raubahn: Not to spoil your appetite, but Ul'dah is hardly so bountiful as this meal would have you believe. While we gorge ourselves, children starve in the streets. Raubahn: Nor can Her Grace do aught to help them. She is thwarted at every turn by those on the Syndicate who derive their wealth from the workers' poverty. Raubahn: Beneath her mask of stately serenity, she is aghast at the plight of her subjects. Raubahn: But there will be no hope for the masses until the crown is restored to power. Raubahn: I am truly grateful for all you have done for Ul'dah. But there is so much more to do. Raubahn: That light─what is it? Raubahn: So bright... Almost like... By the Twelve! Raubahn: Tell me true─have you been troubled by strange dreams of late? Visions─of the Crystal? Raubahn: Mayhap you put them down to an excess of aether? Raubahn: Yes. You are like they were... Raubahn: Allow me to explain. Before you came to Eorzea, there were others like you who fought the primals. Raubahn: Though they were not of this land, when the Garlean Empire threatened the realm, they helped bring together the three Grand Companies. Raubahn: And they stood with us at Carteneau, that fateful day five years ago... Raubahn: ...The day we lost them. Raubahn: None who survived have forgotten the heroes' sacrifice, nor would any man deny they fought alongside us... Raubahn: But the names of these heroes come not to our lips. The once-familiar pages of their story are now blank to us. Raubahn: And in our mind's eye, their faces are naught but silhouettes amid a blinding glare... Raubahn: It is for this reason that we have come to call them the Warriors of Light. Raubahn: When I look at you, I cannot help but think of them, and of what you might achieve. Raubahn: You must protect that crystal at all costs. Raubahn: It is a gift from Hydaelyn, Mother of all─and one She gave to you for a reason. Raubahn: Yours is no ordinary tale. If I am right, the fate of the realm may yet hang upon your deeds. Raubahn: Only heroes and martyrs are fit to bear such a burden. Let us pray you are the former.
Raubahn: Flames, to the fore! Raubahn: Victory belongs to the bold! Show those imperial whoresons what we're made of! Merlwyb: The left flank buckles! Divert the Barracudas! Merlwyb: Bid 'em hold that position though it cost 'em their lives! Kan-E-Senna: The Yellow Serpents are in need of succor. Pray send the White Wolves to their aid. Kan-E-Senna: The adventurers risk life and limb for our cause. We must not fail them. Merlwyb: Is aught amiss? Kan-E-Senna: No... It is nothing. Flame Soldier: Uwaaah! Flame Soldier: Bloody hells! Raubahn: The barrier won't go down so easily! Eyes forward! Kan-E-Senna: We are being watched... Raubahn: Raging Bull calling Blood Thorn! Blood Thorn, respond! Respond, damn you! Raubahn: Arrrgh!!! Jakys Ryder: Raging Bull! This is Mad Snake! Respond! Raubahn: Ryder!? This is Raging Bull! What news!? Jakys Ryder: We're surrounded by a blaze! There's no way out! Gods preserve, what is that thing!? Raubahn: What's going on!? Speak to me! Jakys Ryder: Godsdammit! We cannot hold much longer! Jakys Ryder: AaaaaaAAAAAAAAAH!!! Raubahn: Mad Snake!? Mad Snaaaaaake! Answer me! Raubahn: Damn it! Damn it all to the seventh hell! Merlwyb: What of the Barracudas? Can they not be reached? Storm Runner: Sorry, Admiral─shell's not workin'! Kan-E-Senna: What of our own? Serpent Runner: I cannot say, my lady! That monstrosity appears to be disrupting our communications! Kan-E-Senna: We must keep trying. Call till they respond. Serpent Runner: Yes, my lady! Kan-E-Senna: Admiral, General─we can do no more. We must give the order to withdraw. Raubahn: I will not forsake Louisoix! Kan-E-Senna: General, please! Victory may belong to the bold, but there will be no victor this day! Kan-E-Senna: You know this to be true. Let us not sacrifice lives in vain. Kan-E-Senna: The adventurers fight bravely, but to no avail. Let them withdraw, and let us be the ones to stand with Louisoix. Merlwyb: Belay previous orders! All Maelstrom units are commanded to fall back, effective immediately! Merlwyb: Give the Foreign Levy priority! Let the main host cover their retreat, and bring up the rear! Raubahn: Damn it... Relay the order: all Flames are to withdraw.
I don't care if our linkshells are useless! Raubahn: You still have a working pair of legs, don't you!? Well, use 'em, you bloody half-wit! Kan-E-Senna: The outcome of this battle was long since decided. Kan-E-Senna: Better to retreat now, than risk a massacre. Kan-E-Senna: This dark, stifling presence... Who...or what...? Kan-E-Senna: We go to take our place beside Archon Louisoix! To your positions!
??? (Lahabrea): That I should live to behold Bahamut once more... ??? (Lahabrea): Magnificent. The eons of imprisonment have only made him hungrier. ??? (Lahabrea): I am aware of them. Pay them no mind. They are powerless to act. ??? (Lahabrea): It has begun. Soon the planet will regain its true form. ??? (Lahabrea): Ahahaha... Ahahahahaha!
Momodi: How you feelin', Forename? Momodi: They said you fainted in the middle of one of the General's stories. I had to have you carried back to the Hourglass. Momodi: I reckon you made quite an impression on your fellow guests─though probably not the sort you intended. Momodi: You sure you're gettin' enough rest, Forename? The life of an adventurer can be pretty taxin'. Momodi: Anyroad, I'm glad to see you're back to normal. No offense, but lookin' after you was gettin' a bit tiresome. Momodi: Oh, 'fore I forget, the General left a message for you. Said that when you're feelin' up to it, you should come and see him at the Hall of Flames. Momodi: Probably wants to finish the story he was tellin' you when you fell asleep.
Raubahn: I've been waiting for you, Forename. I trust you are fully recovered? Raubahn: Good, because there is much work to be done─work that I would have you do...
The Ul'dahn Envoy Raubahn means to entrust you with a task of the utmost import.
Raubahn: Listen well, Forename. This will take some time to explain. Raubahn: I've prepared these letters for my counterparts in the Eorzean Alliance. Raubahn: Five years ago, we looked on, powerless, as our brothers and sisters were taken from us at Carteneau─first by the Garleans, and then by the thrice-damned primal called forth by their treachery. Raubahn: Not a day goes by that I do not think of my fallen comrades... Raubahn: ...And of the Warriors of Light, of whom no trace remained. Raubahn: The tragedies of the Calamity are not so easily forgotten─nor should they be. In remembering all we've lost, we're reminded of what we still have. Raubahn: And so I mean to mark the fifth anniversary of the Battle of Carteneau with a memorial service honoring the fallen. Raubahn: It is my hope that my counterparts in the Alliance will agree to do the same. Raubahn: And I would have you bear my words to them as my personal envoy. Raubahn: Why you? Because your deeds mark you out as the nearest thing I have to a Warrior of Light. I can think of none more worthy of the role. The question is: will you accept it? Raubahn: Then it is agreed! Raubahn: You will journey to Gridania and Limsa Lominsa as my official representative. Raubahn: Now, that's a great many malms to travel, but I've neither the time nor patience to wait around while you do it on foot. Raubahn: I hereby grant you permission to use the airship routes connecting the three city-states. This pass serves as proof of your privilege. Raubahn: Gone are the days when airship travel was available to all. Raubahn: The ever-present threat of imperial attack has forced us to impose drastic restrictions out of concern for public safety. Raubahn: These passes are only granted when circumstance demands it─as in this case. Raubahn: Though there were others who insisted you be granted one regardless. Raubahn: Aye, Forename, I am not alone in seeing it... Raubahn: Your potential is plain. Raubahn: But I have said enough. In the name of the sultana, I bid you go forth. Raubahn: See for yourself the wonders of the realm for which the Warriors of Light risked all. Rise to your calling and fulfill your promise. Raubahn: And should your path be barred by man or beast, strike fast and true, for victory belongs to the bold. Raubahn: Now go, Forename, and heed the Crystal's guidance should you ever lose your way.
Raubahn: See that those letters reach the Admiral and the Elder Seedseer, Forename. I would have all of Eorzea remember the fallen.
Momodi: Ah! Back from your meetin' with Raubahn, are you? What did the big man have to say? Momodi: Is that a fact!? Momodi: Personal envoy of the Flame General himself! Momodi: So you'll be bearin' the great man's words to the leaders of the Alliance, will you? And by airship! Bugger me...that's an honor and half, that is. Momodi: ...But I can't think of anyone who deserves it more. Momodi: I'm proud of you, Forename. I truly am. Momodi: Now, I daresay Raubahn told you this, but not many people get to go on airships, these days. In fact, most folk go to their graves havin' never once seen Eorzea from above... Momodi: Poor buggers shuffle off to meet Thal havin' never known the blues of Limsa Lominsa's shimmerin' seas, or the myriad greens of leafy Gridania... Momodi: But not you, Forename. You'll see those sights and more, and everywhere you go, you'll find fascinatin' folk with fascinatin' tales to tell. Momodi: The people you meet, the places you go─savor these experiences... Momodi: For they are priceless, all. Momodi: Sayin' that, it'd be remiss of me if I didn't remind you to be careful out there. Momodi: Ul'dah ain't the only place beset by troubles, as you'll discover when you visit Limsa and Gridania. Momodi: Truth be told, that might well be exactly what the General wants you to realize. I think he knows what kind of womanman you are, Forename. Momodi: And what kind's that, you ask? Why, the kind that can't resist stickin' herhis nose in other people's business, of course─and don't you ever go changin'! Momodi: Safe travels, Forename! I'll see you when you get back.
Momodi: Adventurers aspirin' to greatness come through all the time, but it's rare to see one that actually achieves some measure of success. Keep at it, Forename, and who knows what you'll accomplish?
Elyenora: Greetings, madamsir. This is the reservation counter for passengers traveling to Limsa Lominsa. Elyenora: If I'm not mistaken, you are the Flame General's envoy, Forename Surname, yes? Highwind Skyways is at your service. Will you be flying with us today?
  • Proceed to the landing area?
  • Yes
  • No Elyenora: Should you change your mind, you need only speak to me, and I will see to it that you are assigned a place on the next airship.
  • Board the airship?
  • Yes
  • No
Airship Attendant: Attention, all passengers: the airship bound for Limsa Lominsa is about to depart. Please make your way to the boarding gate. Nanamo Ul Namo: When first we met beneath the Sultantree, I sensed there was something unusual about herhim. I wonder if they will feel the same... Momodi: Godsspeed, Forename, godsspeed! Momodi: If I'm right, they'll be singin' your praises from here to the Farreach before long. Momodi: May you always walk in the light of the Crystal...
Castrum Occidens ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): It has been fifteen years, but the bitter taste of defeat lingers still...
Fifteen years since the imperial fleet set course for Mor Dhona,
led by the Agrius, mightiest of all vessels.
Silvertear Lake lay ripe for the taking,
and all of Eorzea would soon be ours...
...or so we believed.
But an innumerable host of dragons met us that day,
at the heart of which flew the great Midgardsormr.
Though we succeeded in slaying that lord among wyrms,
the dread serpent's defeat was bought at too high a price.
Our invincible flagship was lost,
and all hope of victory with her.
So ended our glorious conquest. ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): Eorzea... A blighted realm, riddled with false gods... ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): Twice now it has eluded the Empire's grasp. ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): For all the destruction it wrought, even Meteor, the Great Sin, failed to yield us control over it. ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): And for this failure, the realm has sunk deeper into depravity. ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): It is twisted beyond all reckoning─rotten nigh to the core. ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): Yet it must be saved. ??? (Gaius van Baelsar): Only Garlean rule can bring order to Eorzea. It falls to us to deliver the misguided masses from their ignorance. All (Rhitatyn sas Arvina, Nero tol Scaeva, and Livia sas Junius): We are of one mind, Lord van Baelsar. Loudspeaker: Senior engineers, please report to magitek research following the scheduled inspection. Midlander Engineer (Hummingway): Hey. Is the legatus really planning to take another tilt at Eorzea? Highlander Engineer: Eh!? What hole have you been hiding in? We're in the midst of preparing for a new campaign, and a huge one at that! Midlander Engineer (Hummingway): But...I thought the Emperor had given up the western lands for lost after Carteneau. What could the legatus possibly hope to gain by acting alone? ??? (Nero tol Scaeva): I sense you harbor certain doubts over the wisdom of the legatus's plan. Midlander Engineer (Hummingway): M-My lord! Nero tol Scaeva: Please, call me Nero. Tell me, where were you born? Highlander Engineer: Othard, milord! Midlander Engineer (Hummingway): Ala Mhigo, my lord! Nero tol Scaeva: Ah, Codename Hummingway, I presume? Midlander Engineer (Hummingway): I-I don't know what you─ Nero tol Scaeva: Silence. Your denials will not change your fate. Nero tol Scaeva: I assure you─Frumentarium sees all. Midlander Engineer (Hummingway): Argh... Nero tol Scaeva: Clean up this mess. And do not miss any, or I shall be most displeased. Highlander Engineer: A-At once, milord! Nero tol Scaeva: Garlond... Soon you will be made to know the true power of magitek.
Arrivals Attendant: Ah, you must be the envoy from Ul'dah! Welcome to Limsa Lominsa, madamsir. Admiral Bloefhiswyn awaits your arrival.
  • Leave the landing area?
  • Yes
  • No Arrivals Attendant: Please let me know if you require any assistance.
Storm Honor Guard: You are the Ul'dahn envoy? Welcome to Limsa Lominsa. Storm Honor Guard: The Admiral has been looking forward to your arrival. Storm Honor Guard: Please proceed to the Crow's Lift at your earliest convenience. It will take you to Bulwark Hall. Storm Honor Guard: Once there, pray speak with Zanthael. He will be pleased to show you in to the Admiral's command room on the Bridge.
Storm Honor Guard: Pray speak with Zanthael in Bulwark Hall. He will be pleased to show you in to the Admiral's command room on the Bridge.
Zanthael: Greetings, madamsir, and welcome to our fair city. If you would permit me to examine the seal on the missive you carry...
Letter to the Admiral A letter addressed to Limsa Lominsan Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn.
Zanthael: Yes, everything seems to be in order. My apologies. We cannot afford to be complacent, you understand. Please, step this way.
??? (Merlwyb): Enter. Merlwyb: So the silver-tongued merchants send an adventurer to speak for them. It appears the Ul'dahns place great faith in you. Merlwyb: This way. Merlwyb: I bid you welcome. Merlwyb: I am Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn, Admiral of Limsa Lominsa, and commander of the Maelstrom. Merlwyb: Now, what news from Thanalan? Merlwyb: Hm. A memorial service to honor the fallen. Merlwyb: Seven hells... Has it been five years? Merlwyb: Five years since the Garlean Empire sought to wrest Eorzea from our grasp... Merlwyb: It was in answer to the imperial threat that the city-states formed the Grand Companies, and forged the Eorzean Alliance anew. But Garlemald was not content to wager all on a simple contest of martial might. They had other plans─the Meteor project. Merlwyb: Legatus Nael van Darnus─hells take him─intended to “cleanse” our realm by snatching the lesser moon, Dalamud, from the heavens and casting it down upon our heads. Desperate to prevent this lunatic scheme, we marched our forces to the Carteneau Flats and there met the VIIth Imperial Legion in battle. Merlwyb: Never have I seen a fight like the Battle of Carteneau─and I have seen full many. Merlwyb: But though we gave no quarter, spared not one onze of effort...we could not prevent what followed. Merlwyb: From inside the shell of Dalamud came a winged nightmare─a dragon the size of a bloody city. 'Twas the elder primal Bahamut, bent on making an eighth hell of Eorzea. Merlwyb: In the space of a breath, the legions of the Empire were set aflame, while our own armies fared little better. 'Twas as if the whole world was burning... Words cannot well describe the scene. Merlwyb: And yet...by some miracle, a few among us were spared. Merlwyb: Even as I steeled myself for death, a blinding white light enveloped me, robbing me of my senses. Merlwyb: When I regained them, the dragon was gone, and the still-smoldering land was warped beyond all knowing. Merlwyb: Were Archon Louisoix still with us, he would doubtless shed some light on these unfathomable happenings. Alas, he is not, and I fear we will want for his wisdom in the days to come. Merlwyb: For while our nations struggle to recover from the devastation, the beastmen call forth their damned primals to torment us anew. Merlwyb: Unless we put aside our differences and rebuild now, our foes will catch us unprepared. Merlwyb: And I speak not only of the beastmen. Do not imagine that the Empire has forsaken its claim on Eorzea. The imperials crowd our borders, waiting to strike. Merlwyb: Damn it all, we need champions to replace those we lost... Merlwyb: But such thoughts are worse than worthless. Time is short, and none will save us, save ourselves. It is the duty of every soul who survived the Calamity to work together for the good of Eorzea...and this memorial service may be the very thing to unite us. Merlwyb: Aye, Raubahn has the right of it. I accept his proposal. Merlwyb: Your duty is done here, adventurer─I will see to it that the Flame General receives my reply. Merlwyb: You travel next to Gridania, yes? Merlwyb: Pray give my regards to the Elder Seedseer. Oh, and tell her the wolf has been sniffing around the stables. A private jest─and one in poor taste─but I would have you tell it all the same. Merlwyb: Fare you well, Forename. May the Navigator guide you on your journey.
L'nophlo: Greetings, madamsir. This is the counter for passengers traveling to Gridania. L'nophlo: A pleasure to serve you again, madamsir. Are you ready to board the airship to Gridania?
  • Proceed to the landing area?
  • Yes
  • No L'nophlo: Very well, madamsir. I'll be glad to assist you when you are.
  • Board the airship?
  • Yes
  • No
Arrivals Attendant: Ah, you must be the envoy from Ul'dah! Welcome to Gridania, madamsir. The Elder Seedseer awaits your arrival.
  • Leave the landing area?
  • Yes
  • No Arrivals Attendant: Please let me know if you require any assistance.
Serpent Honor Guard: Greetings, good madamsir. Serpent Honor Guard: You are the Ul'dahn envoy, are you not? I have received instructions to assist you. Serpent Honor Guard: Pray make your way into the city proper, and identify yourself to the conjurer at Nophica's Altar. She will admit you to the Lotus Stand, where the Elder Seedseer awaits.
Silent Conjurer: You are the Ul'dahn envoy? Begging your pardons, madamsir, but might I inspect the missive you bear?
Letter to the Elder A letter addressed to Gridanian Elder Seedseer Kan-E-Senna.
Silent Conjurer: Verily, this is the seal of the supreme commander of the Immortal Flames. Please come with me.
Kan-E-Senna: So you are the Ul'dahn envoy. Kan-E-Senna: On behalf of our fair nation, I bid you welcome. Kan-E-Senna: Please. Kan-E-Senna: Allow me to introduce myself. Kan-E-Senna: I am Kan-E-Senna, Elder Seedseer of Gridania, and leader of the Order of the Twin Adder, our nation's Grand Company. Kan-E-Senna: I understand you bear a message from the Flame General. Kan-E-Senna: A remembrance service for the fallen of Carteneau... Kan-E-Senna: Pray tell me, adventurer─what do you know of our conflict with the Empire? Kan-E-Senna: It would seem my counterparts recounted the tale in some detail. That is well. Kan-E-Senna: Hm? A message from the Admiral? ...A wolf has been sniffing around her stables, you say? I see. Well, I shall be pleased to provide her with such counsel as I am able. Kan-E-Senna: But first, friend of my friend, I would tell you more of the Garlean threat. Kan-E-Senna: For the greater part of its history, Garlemald was not even among the most influential nations in Ilsabard, the northern continent. However, its innovations in the field of magitek, some fifty years past, helped to raise it from the depths of obscurity. Kan-E-Senna: Emboldened by this technology, it set about subjugating its neighbors, swiftly absorbing each into its ever-expanding territory. And when all of Ilsabard lay within its grasp, it turned its ravenous gaze upon Eorzea. Kan-E-Senna: Yet Garlemald's transformation did not come about by virtue of magitek alone. Its success owed much to the consummate leadership of its first and reigning emperor. Kan-E-Senna: Solus zos Galvus─the man who built an empire in his own lifetime. Yet he has lived long, and after more than four score winters, it is said that he grows frail, and ever more prone to illness. Kan-E-Senna: If rumors are to be believed, the matter of succession has destabilized the imperial court. This would explain the Empire's relative inactivity in recent years, which has granted us much-needed time to rebuild. Kan-E-Senna: Yet we cannot allow ourselves to become complacent, for Garlemald still maintains a presence in Eorzea, in the form of the XIVth Imperial Legion. Kan-E-Senna: Commanding this great host is Legatus Gaius van Baelsar, a man whose ambitions are well known to us. So long as he breathes Eorzean air, none of us may sleep easy. Kan-E-Senna: The Calamity wreaked such devastation upon the realm that it has been all we could do to nurse our wounds, never mind rebuild our defenses. Simply put, we have not the strength to repel the Empire. Kan-E-Senna: To add to our woes, the beast tribes continue to summon their primals, whose very existence is a bane upon the land. Kan-E-Senna: Each nation is beset with its own primal problem; none has the resources to look beyond its own borders. Kan-E-Senna: The Admiral desires my counsel regarding a brazen wolf. Kan-E-Senna: She means to tell me that the Empire may soon resume its advance. Kan-E-Senna: Though the primals pose an undeniable threat to our survival, the threat posed by the Garleans is greater still. Clearly, each nation can no longer afford to think only of that which occurs within its own borders. Kan-E-Senna: A storm gathers upon the horizon. If we are to weather it, we must needs stand united once more. A remembrance service may help to rekindle the spirit of unity which brought the peoples of Eorzea together when last the Empire threatened our liberty. Kan-E-Senna: The Flame General was wise to make his proposal, and I wholeheartedly approve of it. The necessary provisions shall be made for a service here in Gridania. Kan-E-Senna: Your work here is done, my friend. I shall send my reply to the Flame General forthwith. Kan-E-Senna: I thank you for coming. May the Twelve see you safely home.
Call of the Sea The serpent officer has information that may be of interest to you.
Serpent Officer: I pray your meeting with the Elder Seedseer went well, my ladylord envoy. Correct me if I'm mistaken, but did you not also deliver a message to Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn of Limsa Lominsa? Serpent Officer: While you were there, did you happen to meet Baderon, the proprietor of the Drowning Wench? Gregarious gentleman, always happy to help his fellow man. Serpent Officer: Well, I am told that he has a task for a capable adventurer. I know not what the task entails, but I daresay the Flame General's personal envoy would make a fine candidate. If you are interested in learning more, pray speak with Baderon at his establishment.
Serpent Officer: Should you decide to visit Limsa Lominsa, pray speak with Baderon at the Drowning Wench. The man has a task for a capable adventurer, and I daresay the Flame General's personal envoy would make a fine candidate.
Baderon: Welcome to the Drownin' Wench! Sit wherever ye like, lassmate. I'll be with ye in a─ Baderon: Hm? Aye, I'm Baderon, all right. Who's askin'? Baderon: Ah, 'eard as I've got a job fer a capable 'venturer, ye say? Well, yer bloody right! Baderon: Just so yer fairly warned, though, this ain't no job fer the faint of 'eart. Things're liable to get downright bleedin' 'airy. But if ye think yer still interested, let me know, an' I'll fill ye in on the details.

A Realm Reborn (2.0)

It's Probably Pirates Baderon, the proprietor of the Drowning Wench, has need of a capable adventurer.
Baderon: I thank ye fer takin' the time to 'elp me out. Now, I'm sure yer busy, so I'll come straight to the point. Baderon: Word 'as it some suspicious-lookin' buggers 'ave been sneakin' in an' out o' the Sastasha Seagrot, an' I need a trustworthy sort to 'ead up north of Aleport an' find out who they are an' what they're up to. Baderon: Don't sound like much, I know... Baderon: But it weren't so long ago as the fishbacks' pet pirates paid us an unwelcome visit, an' folk are feelin' a bit nervous. Baderon: But since that nasty business over in Swiftperch, folk've been a bit uneasy. Well, I say “a bit”... 'Tis all they can do not to soil 'emselves every time the bloody floorboards creak. Reyner: If you would permit me, Master Baderon, I should be happy to elaborate. Baderon: Well, well, if it ain't the chief Yellowjacket 'imself. To what do I owe this rare honor, Commodore Reyner? Come to make sure me patrons are behavin'─or just thirsty? Reyner: Neither, in fact. I was informed that you had requested an adventurer to assist in my investigation, and I came to offer what information I could sift from recent reports. Reyner: Neither, in fact. I came to welcome Dietrich back to Limsa Lominsa. It is well you have returned. Reyner: Over the course of the past moon, there have been several sightings of an unfamiliar vessel off the coast of Aleport, in the vicinity of the Isles of Umbra. Reyner: This information came to my attention no more than a few weeks after a squad of my own soldiers had completed a routine patrol of the region, the Sastasha Seagrot included. Reyner: Their search revealed little, save that a family of coeurls had taken up residence in the caves. Nothing to concern us, in short. Reyner: In light of recent developments, however, it would seem wise to search Sastasha again. Reyner: But with the Sahagin testing our defenses daily, I am loath to assign the task to the limited forces at my disposal. Our line is stretched as it is. Reyner: Thus I sought the services of a competent adventurer to conduct an investigation in our stead. Any aid you can offer in this matter would be greatly appreciated. Reyner: Then it is settled. Reyner: Sastasha is located in western La Noscea. For more detailed instructions on how to reach the place, I suggest you consult V'mellpa. She can be found at the ferry docks on the lower decks. Baderon: You 'eard the man! Good luck to ye, lasslad!
V'mellpa: You're here about Commodore Reyner's investigation? Then you'll want to board a ferry bound for Aleport. V'mellpa: Once you arrive in western La Noscea, though, you'd best pay a visit to the Hall of the Novice before you blunder into Sastasha. V'mellpa: The Adventurers' Guild runs the Hall, and the folk there will prepare you─train you with the skills you'll need to face the dangers undoubtedly waiting for you in the Seagrot. V'mellpa: The Hall is on the way to Sastasha, just north of Aleport. Head inside and one of their seasoned adventurers will take you in hand. Best of luck to you, friend!
V'mellpa: No matter what they've told you, be ready for pirates. There's never any shortage of the bastards. This is Limsa Lominsa we're talking about...
Seasoned Adventurer: Ah, you must be the adventurer of whom the Yellowjackets sent word. I hear you are to brave the depths of the Sastasha Seagrot. Seasoned Adventurer: The occupants of those caves are rumored to be as numerous as they are bloodthirsty. No matter what the epic tales would have you believe, strolling into such a den of savagery alone would be the height of foolishness. No, you shall need companions. Seasoned Adventurer: And you shall need the training we here at the Hall of the Novice can provide! I strongly suggest that you study the fundamentals of group combat before continuing on your mission. Seasoned Adventurer: The Smith here oversees the training schedules. Speak with him, and you can register for exercises tailored to your particular field of expertise. Seasoned Adventurer: When you have mastered all that our masters have to teach, then it will be time to head north once more. Report to the Yellowjacket scout at the mouth of the Sastasha Seagrot, and he will furnish you with the details of your duty.
Seasoned Adventurer: When your skills have been honed and your mind sharpened, continue onwards to the north. The Yellowjacket scout stationed before the Sastasha Seagrot will have the details of your mission.
Isildaure: Ah, a fellow adventurer. You, too, are here to unravel the mysteries of Sastasha? Isildaure: I have adventured across this wide realm for more seasons than I dare to count, yet still Eorzea manages to surprise me with her beauty and splendor. Isildaure: Our journeys are not ended by the attainment of riches or fame. It is an unquenchable thirst for the unknown that drives us into the wilds time and again. Isildaure: Even if I explored the world for a thousand years, I would never grow weary of this life.
Alianne: Grandfather and I are companions on the road. Alianne: We travel where the wind takes us, and drink in all the wonders this world has to offer. Alianne: Only an adventurer can understand the joy of such freedom─of discovering hidden places and experiencing sights and sounds that few may ever know. Alianne: The passing years have begun to take their toll on the old man, but no force save death itself will sate his appetite for adventure!
Paiyo Reiyo: This is perfect for our inaugural outing as a party─wandering around in the caves, turning over a few rocks... How difficult could it possibly be? Paiyo Reiyo: I never expected our first visit to the Adventurers' Guild would yield such a straightforward way to win fame and fortune.
Avere: What took ye so bloody long, Edda? If me purse was too light, ye might've considered usin' some of yer own bleedin' coin to get us what we need! Avere: Ye've only ever been as useful as the contents o' yer pockets─the gods know ye can barely 'eal a scratch! Avere: We took up the 'venturin' life to take on the big jobs an' claim the big rewards. How're we meant to do that if ye can't even get our supplies in order? Avere: Hm? It's 'er'im─the one Baderon was talkin' to! Avere: Well, we'll see who gets the glory! This job should've been ours in the first place!
Edda: I-I'm sorry, Avere! I came as fast as I could! Edda: I tried haggling with the merchant, but two potions was the best I could get with the money you gave me. I had no idea how expensive they were!
Liavinne: Bwahahaha! Edda, you're so slow, you'd lose a footrace to a tree slug.
Yellowjacket: Please tell me you're here on Yellowjacket duty, and not some daft sod out for a stroll. I can't take any more of this blasted waiting. You are? Thank the gods. Yellowjacket: I assume you already know about the ship seen slipping around the Isles of Umbra? Yellowjacket: We've been on the lookout for pirate activity ever since that vessel was sighted, thinking a crew of cutthroats might have a den nearby. Yellowjacket: So when we received word that men of questionable quality had been seen passing in and out of Sastasha here, we weren't entirely surprised. Yellowjacket: I've yet to see them for myself, but if this lot belongs to those fishback-fancying Serpent Reavers... Yellowjacket: Well, you can imagine the panic it'll cause. The kidnappings are still fresh in people's minds. Yellowjacket: Anyway, your task is to poke around in the caves, and find out exactly who we're dealing with. While you do that, I'll be keeping watch out here...praying you don't spot any blue face tattoos.
Yellowjacket: The fishbacks and their Serpent Reaver lackeys cannot be allowed to establish a permanent base in these lands. Yellowjacket: You must uncover the truth behind who or what is lurking in these caves, adventurer. The peace of western La Noscea may depend on it!

Sastasha

After a period of relative silence following the Calamity, the Serpent Reavers have once again taken to terrorizing the inland hamlets of La Noscea—killing the men, kidnapping the women and children, plundering the storehouses and burning what little they leave behind. For years, it was not known how the pirates were able to raid areas so far from the coast, until a local shepherd sighted a band of painted ruffians entering the Sastasha Seagrot, carrying large quantities of sacks and crates. Could it be that there is more to this cave than meets the eye?
Eager Marauder: This is it. Eager Thaumaturge: Let's give it our all!
Bloody Memo: You find a bloodstained scrap of parchment with a message scrawled upon it in faded ink.

“The Capten lykes his cabege Green.”
  • You find a switch. Press it?
  • Yes
  • No
You hear something move in the distance.
Eager Conjurer: The door's guardian, no doubt.
A hidden door opens!
Colibri: Squawk! Captain Madison: How did ye find this place!? Colibri: Scurvy dog! Scurvy dog! Squawk! Captain Madison: Me loyal pups! Captain Madison: Come closer. I'll slit yer throat and toss yer corpse to the mad serpent. Colibri: Batten down the hatches! Batten down the hatches! Squawk! Captain Madison: Wh-Where are me men!? Wh-Where are me maidens!? Colibri: Cap'n is strong! Cap'n is strong! Squawk! Captain Madison: Try an' catch me, ye two-legged lubber! Colibri: Two-legged lubber! Two-legged lubber! Squawk! Eager Conjurer: Where has he run off to...? Best we keep on our guard.
Lalafellin Woman: You must save us!
Shallowtail Reaver: Die! The shallowscale Reaver drops a captain's quarters key. You obtain a captain's quarters key.
  • Unlock the door to the captain's quarters?
  • Yes
  • No
The Captain's Quarters opens.
Miqo'te Woman: What shall it be tonight, Cap— You're not the captain! Miqo'te Woman: I'm not one of them! I swear it on what little remains of my virtue! Lalafellin Woman: Who are you!? The shallowtail Reaver drops a Waverider Gate key. You obtain a Waverider Gate key.
  • Unlock Waverider Gate?
  • Yes
  • No
Waverider Gate opens.
Captain Madison: Back fer more, eh? I sharpened me blade, just fer this very occasion. Colibri: Squawk! Colibri: Scurvy Scurvy dog! Squawk! Captain Madison: What do you see now? Nothin'! Nothin' at all! Captain Madison: Eat 'em alive! Captain Madison releases the scurvy dogs! Colibri: Batten down the hatches! Batten down the hatches! Squawk! Colibri: Cap'n is strong! Cap'n is strong! Squawk! Captain Madison: M-M-Might ye consider a parley? Colibri: Parley! Parley! Parley! Squaaawk! Eager Thaumaturge: He won't escape next time!
Shallowscale Reaver: To the abyss with ye!
Denn the Orcatoothed: Pshhh... You sssully our ssspawning groundsss, shorewalker!
Denn the Orcatoothed: Pshhh! Finleshhh fools! Denn the Orcatoothed: The Lord of the Whorl shhhall sssup upon your sssouls! Eager Conjurer: So, their leader was a Sahagin? An easy victory, then.
Baderon: Aye, such a task was on the books. “Was,” mind. I'm afraid that ship 'as already sailed, friend. Dolorous Bear: Ah. Might you be the adventurer who accepted the job of investigating Sastasha? Dolorous Bear: Hmph. It would seem that ship has not only sailed, but now returns to harbor, none the worse for its voyage. A pity. We dragged our boots too long on this one. E'manafa: No matter. The wheel will turn and our chance will come. Dolorous Bear: You are right, of course. But there shall be no rest till we have attained our goal, lofty though it may be! Kikina: Not a wink of sleep, great leader! Dolorous Bear: Our aim, lest you wonder, is to perform such feats of heroism as will earn us a place in the songs of every alehouse in Eorzea. We mean to write a legend which will inspire adventurers as yet unborn to follow our shining example. Dolorous Bear: Do you have such a goal? Large or small, it matters not. Only have a star to reach for and you will reach higher. Dolorous Bear: Purpose can sustain you through times of hardship. Keep your eye on the prize, and all obstacles will be overcome in time. Dolorous Bear: You would not think to stride into battle unclad, would you? Well, goals are as arms and armor for the spirit! I wish you fortune in your endeavors, miladysir! Baderon: Back then, are ye? With all yer limbs, an' a tale to tell, I'll wager. Baderon: Fishbacks? An' there I was thinkin' ye'd only 'ave to crack a pirate skull or three. Seven hells... Ye turn yer back fer five bloody minutes, an' the scaly bastards've set up shop on yer bleedin' doorstep... Baderon: Still, sounds like ye left 'em in pieces, so I don't s'pose they'll be carryin' out whatever mischief they was plannin'─unless they was plannin' on feedin' 'emselves to the fauna o' Sastasha, o' course. Anyroad, all's well that ends well! Baderon: On behalf o' Limsa, I thank ye fer sheddin' some light on this mystery. Ye've lived up to yer reputation, an' I couldn't ask fer no more'n that. Baderon: Thanks fer sheddin' some light on this mystery. I knew ye'd get the job done, lasslad─ye always do! Baderon: Now, I'll bet yer dyin' fer a rest, but just in case yer not, I was wonderin' if ye might be interested in takin' on another job? It just so 'appens that I've 'ad a request from our sister guild in Gridania, see. Baderon: Seems the forest folk're in need of a 'venturer what can get things done. Baderon: Fer them to ask fer 'elp like this, ye can bet the task won't be no skip through a sunny glade. But after the way ye dealt with our fishback infestation, I doubt it's anythin' ye can't 'andle. Baderon: Give us a shout when yer ready, an' I'll lay it out fer ye.
Call of the Forest Baderon has information on a new task.
Baderon: Ready to 'ear about that job, then? Like I said, the request comes from our sister guild in Gridania. Baderon: ...An' that's all I know. But whatever it is ye get asked to do, I some'ow doubt it'd pose any trouble fer a 'venturer as survived the bedlam in Sastasha. Baderon: If ye think ye might be interested, ye'll want to 'ave words with Mother Miounne, me counterpart in Gridania. Good luck, lass!
Mother Miounne: Take a seat wherever you like, friend. Our waitress will come to take your─ Mother Miounne: Oh? Not here to dine? Dare I hope that you're the adventurer Baderon sent word about?
...You are!? The Matron be praised! Mother Miounne: Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Miounne, and the Carline Canopy is my place. Mother Miounne: With regard to the task in question, there is a fair bit to tell. Let me know when you're ready to hear the details, and I shall brief you.
Mother Miounne: Take a seat wherever you like, friend. Our waitress will come to take your─ Mother Miounne: Oh, it's you, Forename! 'Tis so good to see you again! ...What's that? Here at Baderon's suggestion, you say? Mother Miounne: The foul-mouthed rogue sends me word that an adventurer might be along for the job, and it turns out to be you! Well, this makes things a lot easier, doesn't it? Mother Miounne: With regard to the task in question, there is a fair bit to tell. Let me know when you're ready to hear the details, and I shall brief you.
Fire in the Gloom Miounne is waiting to brief you on your task.
Mother Miounne: Ready for that briefing? Good! Now then, here's the long and short of it... Lewin: Beg pardons for interrupting, Miounne, but our need grows ever more pressing. Have none stepped forward? Mother Miounne: And good morrow to you too, Bowlord! Your need must be pressing indeed for you to honor us with a visit. The good news is: your journey hasn't been wasted. I'm pleased to report that we have a volunteer at last, and one who comes highly recommended, at that. Lewin: My thanks for answering the call, friend. My name is Lewin, and I lead the men and women of the Gods' Quiver. Lewin: Well, if it isn't our very own woman for all seasons! You certainly have a knack for appearing when you're most needed, Forename. My thanks for answering the call. Lewin: Now, time is of the essence, so I shall proceed directly to the heart of the matter. We wish for you to nip a potential threat to Gridania in the bud. Mother Miounne: Beneath the Central Shroud, there lies an underground burial site called the Tam-Tara Deepcroft. Mother Miounne: The place was once a Gelmorran settlement, but we Gridanians have long interred our dead there. Lewin: Of late, however, shadowy figures have been seen skulking about the Deepcroft, and with ever-increasing regularity. Lewin: Based on the accounts of various witnesses, we suspect that these individuals belong to the Lambs of Dalamud, a doomsday cult which sprung up prior to the Calamity. Lewin: These zealots have proven themselves dangerous in the past, and we leave them to their own devices at our peril. Lewin: Ordinarily, I would have dispatched my best men to scour the Deepcroft with orders to flush the cultists out. Lewin: Alas, the Calamity decimated our ranks, and the limited forces at my disposal are constantly required to keep the Ixal at bay.
Lewin: The birdmen have grown restless of late, and I fear a storm may be brewing. In anticipation of this, I have been compelled to spread our forces throughout the Twelveswood, lest we be taken unawares. Lewin: The situation so being, we must turn to others to deal with the Lambs of Dalamud. Can we rely on you to undertake this task, friend?
Lewin: Since we thwarted their attack on the Guardian Tree, the birdmen have not allowed us a moment's respite. They have probed every ilm of our defenses in search of a weakness, compelling me to spread our forces far more thinly than I would like. Lewin: The situation so being, we have no choice but to entrust the task of dealing with the Lambs of Dalamud to others. Can we rely on you to handle this matter, Forename?
Lewin: You have my gratitude. Lewin: Once you've seen to your preparations, pray make your way to the Deepcroft, and identify yourself to the guard posted at the entrance. He will apprise you of the latest developments. That is all. Mother Miounne: Be careful out there, you hear? May the Crystal guide you and keep you!
Dolorous Bear: So we meet again! I cannot say I'm surprised to see you here. Dolorous Bear: You took the prize back in Limsa, but this time we will give you better sport, or I am no true adventurer!
E'manafa: Gods, I hate mausoleums... It's not right to disturb the dead in their slumber...
Kikina: Think of our goal, sister! One day, our adventures will be the stuff of song, and it will all be worth it!
Isildaure: <pant> <pant> ...Childish curiosity prompted me to commit the most elementary of blunders. Isildaure: Were it not for the fruit that Alianne found, my adventures may well have ended in this forbidding place. Isildaure: Always look before you leap... In my haste, this most fundamental rule of adventuring slipped my mind. <sigh> I do believe I shall rest here awhile.
Alianne: I shudder to think what might have happened to Isildaure had I not thought to pick the fruit I stumbled across on the way here. Alianne: Sometimes he has too much vigor for his own good. Age is supposed to mellow us, but if anything it has made him more impetuous. Alianne: I understand his desire to make use of the time left to him, but one misstep, and there won't be any.
Gods' Quiver Bow: You're Forename Surname, I take it? Thanks for helping us out, friend. Gods' Quiver Bow: No doubt the Bowlord has already informed you, but your task is to enter the Deepcroft and purge it of the Lambs of Dalamud. Gods' Quiver Bow: In case you're unfamiliar with them, the cult emerged shortly before the Calamity put an end to the Sixth Astral Era. Gods' Quiver Bow: The cultists took the lesser moon, Dalamud, for their god, believing that it would deliver them from the devastation. Gods' Quiver Bow: And so they were rather disappointed when Dalamud exploded into a thousand flaming pieces before it could complete its descent. Gods' Quiver Bow: Now, having seen their god turn to ash, one would think that the cultists might feel moved to question their faith. On the contrary, it served only to stoke the flames of their fanaticism. Gods' Quiver Bow: The Lambs of Dalamud are convinced that “heretics”─that is to say, everyone but them─interfered with the coming of their lord and savior, and that it's now their sacred duty to avenge him. Gods' Quiver Bow: Whatever it is they're doing in the Deepcroft, you may be sure that no good will come of it. For the sake of Gridania, and Eorzea at large, put an end to their madness.
Gods' Quiver Bow: The Lambs of Dalamud are hells-bent on avenging their imaginary god, and will stop at nothing till their dark work is done. Gods' Quiver Bow: They must not be suffered to desecrate the Deepcroft. For the sake of the souls laid to rest here, and all of Gridania, put an end to their madness.

The Tam-Tara Deepcroft

Since its establishment during the Gelmorran times, this subterranean crypt has been used for generations as a final resting place for the remains of rulers and nobles. Since the Calamity, however, the tunnels have become overrun with the Lambs of Dalamud—a deadly cult who worships the now-fallen satellite as their savior. It is in the Deepcroft that these twisted souls silently plot revenge against those who fought to prevent the advent of Dalamud, summoning any dark presence who will aid them to this end... no matter what the cost.
Galvanth the Dominator: You seem surprised. Did you not cross our gates in search of blood? Galvanth the Dominator: Come hither, children of the dawn. The undying master will drink deep tonight!
Mother Miounne: Welcome back, Forename! I'm reliably informed that your foray into the Deepcroft was a success. Mother Miounne: Nor did I expect anything less. Baderon's ringing endorsement left me in little doubt as to your capabilities. Even so, you are to be commended. Mother Miounne: Nor did I expect anything less. You've made such a habit of succeeding that it's difficult not to take your talents for granted. Rest assured, however: Mother is impressed, even if she isn't surprised. Mother Miounne: Bowlord Lewin asked me to pass on his thanks. Mother Miounne: I must say, it's something of a relief to be able to call upon such a capable adventurer. Mother Miounne: Sadly, death has become an ever more common occurrence within our fraternity of late. Times being what they are, the guild is constantly inundated with petitions, and we are hard-pressed to find enough hands to deal with them all. Mother Miounne: While this means no shortage of work for able souls such as yourself, it also provides ample opportunity for the inexperienced to overreach themselves─with predictable consequences. Ah...as if to illustrate the point... Liavinne: Avere's gone, and it's all your fault! If it hadn't taken you an age to heal him, he would still be alive! Edda: <sniff> B-But I tried! He bolted out of range before I could finish the spell! Edda: <sob> He shouldn't have been so hard-pressed in the first place... We should've done more to lighten his burden... Paiyo Reiyo: Bah! To the hells with this pathetic excuse for a party! I'm leaving, and it'd be too soon if I never see your faces again! Good-bye, and good riddance! Liavinne: I'm leaving as well. I doubt this comes as any surprise, but I never liked you. I only suffered you for your healing, but you couldn't even do that one thing right. Cruel though this may sound, you brought this upon yourself. Liavinne: Oh, and by way of some parting advice...get rid of Avere's head! Bury it, cremate it, do whatever the hells you like with it─but for gods' sakes, stop carrying it around! It's...it's just... Just get rid of it, all right!? Edda: W-Wait! Don't leave me alone! Please! Edda: <sob> I'm so sorry, Avere... Please forgive me... Mother Miounne: Scenes like this have become all too common. That makes a dozen times in half as many days... Mother Miounne: Now you see why I'm grateful for adventurers of your experience. I can send women like you on a mission without worrying that you might not return─well, not so much, at any rate. Mother Miounne: Speaking of missions, I would entrust you with another. Mother Miounne: About a bell ago, I received a message from my counterpart in Ul'dah. She seeks the services of a reliable adventurer, and you are nothing if not reliable. Mother Miounne: If you think you might be interested in this task, say the word, and I will be glad to share the details with you.
Call of the Desert Miounne has information on a new task.
Mother Miounne: So, you're not averse to taking a little trip? Wonderful! Mother Miounne: As I mentioned earlier, the request comes to us from the Adventurers' Guild in Ul'dah. Once you arrive, seek out Momodi, the proprietress of the Quicksand. Think of her as the sultanate's version of myself. Mother Miounne: Chances are she'll send you into the midst of danger, but I have every confidence that you will pull through unscathed. Now, off you go, Forename, and good luck!
Momodi: Welcome to the Quicksand, friend. I'm a tad busy right now, if you wouldn't mind showin' yourself to─ Momodi: Judgin' by your determined expression, I take it you ain't here for ale. Are you called Forename Surname, by any chance? Momodi: Oh, it's you, Forename! And there I was, spoutin' the same tired line! Momodi: Miounne sent word that you'd be reportin' for duty. She also made a point of callin' you the adventurer of the moment. That ain't no small praise, comin' from her. Momodi: But you didn't come all the way here to listen to my prattle. Doubtless you're eager to get started, so let's talk business, shall we?
Into a Copper Hell Momodi is waiting to brief you on your task.
Momodi: The petitioner ought to be arrivin' any moment now... Papashan: Gods almighty! Another second under that sun, and I would have been set afire! A tankard of ale, if you would be so kind! Momodi: Excellent timin', Papashan. It just so happens the adventurer who'll be handlin' your petition is here.
Papashan: So this winsome lass is the much-lauded adventurer, is she? Marvelous, marvelous! Papashan: A pleasure to make your acquaintance, milady. I am Papashan, formerly of the Sultansworn. I thank you for agreeing to lend us your aid.
Papashan: Oh? Why, if it isn't my good friend Forename! Papashan: It does my spirit well to know that you are the one who will be helping us.
Momodi: Mayhap you'd like to apprise Forename of her mission? Papashan: Yes, of course. The petition in question was submitted by an acquaintance of mine at Amajina & Sons Mineral Concern. It relates to an unfortunate development at Copperbell Mines. Papashan: To be plain, giants have seized control of the place. Papashan: These giants are of the clan known as the hecatoncheires─fearsome creatures who were sealed within the deepest depths of the mines during the bygone Thorne Dynasty. Papashan: Alas, it seems they have managed to break through the layer of rock which served to imprison them, and now prowl the tunnels where the miners ply their trade. The creatures are justifiably angry about their treatment at the hands of our ancestors, and their presence has forced the suspension of all mining activities on the site. Momodi: It's no wonder they're angry. Didn't the Thorne Dynasty come to an end over three hundred years ago? Papashan: You know your history well, milady. Papashan: The people of that age used the hecatoncheires to work their mines. By way of enchanted helms, they were able to bind the ferocious creatures to their will. But as is oft the way in such tales, these enchantments eventually failed, and the slaves rose up against their masters. Papashan: In a desperate bid to contain the unbridled fury of the hecatoncheires, our ancestors induced the collapse of the mines' lowermost levels. So it was that the Great Giant Revolt was ended─buried beneath a hundred thousand tonzes of rock. Momodi: Well, now...that's got me thinkin'... I seem to recall there bein' an article about Copperbell in the Mythril Eye a fortnight or so ago. Momodi: It said the mines were bein' reopened so as to meet the risin' demand for buildin' materials. Like as not, our boys dug a bit too deep and freed the giants. Momodi: Gods...to think the poor creatures are still alive an' kickin' after three centuries... That's a long time to nurse a grudge. They must be seethin'... Papashan: Indeed. And that makes them a danger to us all. There will be no mining at Copperbell so long as they remain. For the sake of both peace and prosperity, they must be subdued. This is the task which we would have you undertake. Papashan: I'll not deny that the mission will be rife with danger, but our need is great. And so I beg you: put an end to this sorry business. Papashan: Gods bless you! I feared you might have reservations, but I assure you it is for the best. Momodi: Hmmm... In case you don't know, Copperbell Mines are in western Thanalan. Do take care, you hear? Papashan: Ah, and one last thing before you depart... An employee of Amajina & Sons is presently at the Quicksand. The fellow's name is Painted Mesa, and he knows Copperbell Mines well. It may behoove you to seek his counsel.
Painted Mesa: Lookin' for Painted Mesa? You found him. Painted Mesa: So you're the adventurer who's volunteered to deal with the mess down in Copperbell, are you? Painted Mesa: You've got guts, miss. I just hope you've got skills to go with 'em, 'cause things ain't pretty down there. The hecatoncheires've left the place in a right state, and nary a week after minin' resumed. Painted Mesa: I don't know if you know this, but Copperbell was old when the second Ul Dynasty was still young, and it was abandoned centuries ago. If it hadn't been for the shortage of materials needed for the rebuildin' effort, the Concern would never have thought to reopen it. Painted Mesa: We knew full well about the giants beforehand, but the project went ahead anyway. I mean, nothin' could possibly survive bein' buried under a mountain's worth of rock for three centuries, right? Wrong! Painted Mesa: Our miners dug up more than they bargained for. One swing of the pickaxe too many, and they found 'emselves in the company of giants. Unless we can subdue 'em, the nation's glorious recovery'll grind to a halt for want of aught to build with. Painted Mesa: The Stone Torches're keepin' watch over the entrance in case the giants fancy some sunlight and fresh air. One of 'em will be able to show you the way in. The hope of the nation's restin' on you, friend. Best of luck!
Painted Mesa: The hope of the nation's restin' on your shoulders, friend. Send them giants back to whichever of the seven hells they escaped from!
Stone Torch: There's been an incident inside Copperbell Mines. We are here to ensure that its effects are contained, but for your own safety, I suggest you stay well away from here. Stone Torch: What? You're the adventurer who's volunteered to quell the hecatoncheires? Stone Torch: I didn't think that Papashan would be able to find someone so quickly...if at all. Stone Torch: The giants are content to wreak havoc inside the mines for now, but it's only a matter of time before they think to come outside. The sooner you see to them, the better. Make ready as best you can, and enter at will.
Stone Torch: Good luck in there, adventurer. We Stone Torches will continue our vigil here, lest the foe slip by you.

Copperbell Mines

Abandoned once purged of ore, the Copperbell Mines laid abandoned for nigh on three centuries until Amajina and Sons Mineral Concern reclaimed the shafts—the guild's sights set on expanding the mines downward in an attempt to tap yet undiscovered veins of valuable metal. Unfortunately, it was not riches the powder kegs uncovered, but sheer terror, for when the smoke cleared, out poured an army of raging giants from the darkest recesses of the mines. The hecatoncheires—thralls of the lost Thorne dynasty—were, at last, free from their lightless prison; three hundred years of hate fueling their madness.
??? (Gyges the Great): SLAVES NO MORE! FREE! FREEEEEE!
Gyges the Great: MASTERS MUST PAY! MASTERS MUST DIE! Gyges the Great: NEVER AGAIN! NEVER!
Painted Mesa: Ah, the conqueror of Copperbell returns! Painted Mesa: Thanks to you, our minin' operations can resume, and Ul'dah will have the materials she needs to rebuild. The entire nation's in your debt, friend. Painted Mesa: I'll share the good tidin's with Papashan the next time I see him. As for you, you'll want to report to Momodi. It'll do the woman well to see you alive and in one piece. ??? (Desperate Damsel): Noooooo! Obnoxious Merchant: Shut your mouth, you thieving little swine! You stole from me─don't even think to deny it! Desperate Damsel: P-Please, sir, I didn't steal nothin'! Desperate Damsel: I b-bought this─paid for it with me own coin! Obnoxious Merchant: What rot! You refugees are all the same─couldn't afford maggoty mole meat, much less a choice cut of dodo! Obnoxious Merchant: I'm going to say it one more time: give back what you stole, or I'll make you wish you'd never set foot in this town! Obnoxious Merchant: By rights, I should turn you over to the Brass Blades, you know─help keep the streets safe for law-abiding citizens. But I'm a reasonable man. If you agree to serve me in...whatever capacity I require, the authorities needn't hear of your crime. Desperate Damsel: B-But I ain't done nothin' wrong! Twelve as me witness! Desperate Damsel: P-Please, adventurer! Help me, I beg o' ye! Desperate Damsel: I swear on me mother's grave, I didn't steal nothin'! I bought this with the coin I'd saved... I only wanted to treat me children to a decent meal... Obnoxious Merchant: And who the hells are you when you're at home!? This dog's master? Obnoxious Merchant: I've had enough of this mummer's farce. You lot, teach them a lesson!
Filthy Bodyguard: <belch> I'll take care o' this. The rest o' ye can watch. Filthy Bodyguard: Hmph! Not bad...for an adventurer! Filthy Bodyguard: Ugh... I should've stopped at the seventh ale... Filthy Bodyguard: Stop bloody gawpin' at me and give me a hand, will ye!? Filthy Bodyguard: Bugger, bugger, BUGGER!
Boastful Bodyguard: I ain't gettin' paid enough for this! Obnoxious Merchant: H-Hey! Where the hells do you think you're going!? Desperate Damsel: Thank ye, kind adventurer! Thank ye thrice over!
Young City-dweller: I'd swear there were more refugees than when I last looked... Concerned Citizen: And you wouldn't be mistaken. Young City-dweller: But it's been five years since the Calamity! Why are they only coming here now? Concerned Citizen: It's simple, really─while a number of hamlets survived the immediate aftermath of the Calamity, many were no longer able to support their communities. Concerned Citizen: The residents found their lands had either been rendered barren, or cut off from trade routes─and problems like those aren't easily solved. Though they tried to make the best of it, it was only a matter of time before they were forced to abandon their homes and seek a new life in the city. Young City-dweller: I see... Young City-dweller: But the Calamity affected the whole realm, didn't it? Is the same thing happening in the other cities? Concerned Citizen: If the talk is true, yes. Concerned Citizen: Though perhaps our situation is more pronounced. Ul'dah has a reputation for being prosperous, so it's natural that the refugees would try their luck here first. Young City-dweller: My heart goes out to them, it truly does...but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't apprehensive. I hope their presence doesn't foment lawlessness in the city. Concerned Citizen: Well, if things do take a turn for the worse, we always have the Immortal Flames. I daresay the Brass Blades would welcome their help. Young City-dweller: The heroes who fought the Garlean Empire, patrolling the streets for riffraff? Concerned Citizen: It may well come to that. Concerned Citizen: Impoverished and desperate as they are, you may be sure that some of the refugees will turn to crime. Concerned Citizen: You know what this place is like. If you've no coin, you've no hope. Young City-dweller: <sigh> What will become of our city? Concerned Citizen: Not all refugees are bad, mind you. Some are able to find employment and lead honest lives. Sure-voiced Salesman: Dodo tenderloins! Get yer dodo tenderloins! Guaranteed cheapest in Thanalan! Sure-voiced Salesman: Thank ye for yer custom, madam! Please come again! Young City-dweller: Looking around, you'd think that Ul'dah was well on its way to recovery. Young City-dweller: But peer through the veil of prosperity and you'll see no end to the misery and suffering.
Desperate Damsel: Er...madam? Are ye all right? Obnoxious Merchant: Wh-What now!? You mean to threaten a defenseless citizen!? Obnoxious Merchant: ...What? Saw her buy that meat, you say? Th-That's absurd! ??? (Bystander): Aye, as did I! Leave the poor woman alone, you damnable vulture! Obnoxious Merchant: Wh-Who said that!? Obnoxious Merchant: Grrr! I will overlook this...but just this once! Desperate Damsel: Gods bless ye, adventurer! If ye hadn't come along when ye did, who knows what that monster might've done!? It don't bear thinkin' about... ??? (Lyse): Case closed! Yda (Lyse): Hello again! Papalymo: We have been keeping a close eye on you ever since you left Gridania. Papalymo: You discharged your duty as envoy impeccably, and never once faltered in the face of myriad dangers. Yda (Lyse): But more importantly, you were always ready to help those in need, even if you didn't stand to earn a gil by doing so! Papalymo: You are possessed of all the qualities we seek in an adventurer, of this we are convinced. Yda (Lyse): Even if you were kind of dragged into that business with the dodo meat. Papalymo: Yes, thank you, Yda. Ahem. And then there is the matter of your gift. I daresay you are curious as to the nature of the vision you bore witness to moments ago? Well, we can help you to understand it. Yda (Lyse): You're not the only one with that power, you know. We have a friend who has it too, and we'd love for you to meet her. Papalymo: And meeting her is only the beginning, for we would also have you lend your strength to our cause. In return, we should be glad to assist your adventuring endeavors in whatever way we are able. Papalymo: Should you decide to take us up on our offer─and I sincerely hope you will─pray speak with Momodi. The proprietress of the Quicksand is a good friend of ours. She will tell you where to find us. Yda (Lyse): Waaait a minute─we haven't even told you the name of our order! We're the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, defenders of justice! Oh, but don't tell anyone. Except for Momodi. She knows already.
Momodi: Hmph. Scenes like that are becomin' ever more common, I'm afraid. Don't worry, though─if you work hard, you'll probably be all right. Momodi: Sayin' that, if you ever find yourself in a spot of bother, come and see me. Just don't go pesterin' me every time you graze your knee, eh? Momodi: ...'Course, I do enjoy hearin' tell of a gentleman's woes with the womenfolk from time to time... Momodi: Ah, Forename! Sorry to keep you waitin'─I was just providin' guidance to a fresh-off-the-carriage adventurer. Momodi: But gods, it's good to see you safe and well! To look at you, no one would ever guess you'd been hard at it with giants in the dark! Momodi: You're every ilm the adventurer Miounne said you'd be, Forename. The stationmaster will be overjoyed when he hears the news! Momodi: Oh, before I forget, there's a lass here who wants a word with you. Didn't actually know your name, but hearin' her description, I knew who she meant right away. Edda: Th-Thank you for sparing the time. I realize you don't know me, but I've been longing to speak with you for a while now. Edda: My name is Edda. I'm an adventurer like you, though I'm not very good at being one, if truth be told. Anyway, I was adventuring with my friends in Gridania when...when... I-I'm sorry. We were in Gridania...when the leader of our party was killed. Edda: His name was Avere, and he and I were to be wed in the spring. You may not remember him, but to say that he remembered you would be an understatement. He would sing your praises from dawn to dusk. He saw you for what you are, you see─an adventurer's adventurer─and swore that he would be like you one day. Edda: I believe that he would have succeeded...had a fiend not robbed him of the chance. Since that day, I have thought long and hard about giving up adventuring. Edda: But when I think of the woman you are─of all that you've achieved─I find that I am inspired, just as Avere once was. Edda: And so I've decided to start again as an adventurer. I will go back to the village of my birth and begin my training anew. Edda: But I wanted to meet you first...to ask you your name. Edda: Forename Surname... I shan't forget. Edda: Thank you, Forename Surname. I pray that we will meet again. Fare you well! Momodi: Adventurin' can be a cruel bleedin' business... Time was, I didn't know why anyone would bother. When they first asked me to take charge of the guild here, I didn't want aught to do with you lot─thought it'd be a right pain in the arse lookin' after you all. Momodi: But against my better judgment, I decided to accept the post...and I'm full glad I did. I feel privileged to be a part of your lives. Momodi: And that goes double for yours, Forename! Momodi: ...Eh? What did you say? You want to know about the Scions of the Seventh Dawn? Momodi: They're beginnin' to move in earnest, then... Momodi: Listen, Forename─the Scions ain't no ordinary folk, and the work they do ain't no ordinary work. I know full well how capable you are, but even you would think twice about attemptin' some of the stuff they do. Knowin' that, if you're still certain you want to get involved, I'll tell you what I can.
The Scions of the Seventh Dawn Momodi is ready to tell you what she knows about the Scions of the Seventh Dawn.
Momodi: So you want to know more, then, do you? Well, ain't that a surprise... I swear, if I painted “CERTAIN DEATH” on one door and “LIMITLESS WEALTH” on another, nine out of ten adventurers would go through the first, and the other bloke wouldn't be able to choose, on account of bein' Ul'dahn. Anyway, don't say I didn't warn you. Momodi: First of all, if you're wonderin' whether you can trust these “Scions of the Seventh Dawn,” you can. They're good people who've made it their mission to solve some of Eorzea's most pressin' problems. 'Course, that ain't no small task, and so they're always lookin' for dependable individuals to join 'em─individuals like you, Forename. Momodi: Now, I've been given leave to tell you where to find the Scions, but you must promise to keep this information to yourself. As you can probably imagine, it's somethin' Eorzea's enemies would very much like to know. Momodi: The Scions are headquartered in Vesper Bay, out in western Thanalan. The place you're lookin' for is called the Wakin' Sands. Give your name to whoever's at the entrance, and you'll be let in. Momodi: You're a woman in demand, Forename, and the days ahead promise to be busy, but I hope you won't forget about them as helped make you into the adventurer you are. Drop in and tell 'em how you're farin' from time to time, you hear? Right, well, I've said my piece. Off you go.
Tataru: Deep in the desert of my heart,♪ A lonely flower blooms...♪ Tataru: Yearning for the heavens above♪ To quench my thirst for you.♪ Tataru: Trololololo～lololo～♪ Tataru: Uwaaah! Tataru: <cough> Tataru: I would thank you not to sneak up on me like that! Tataru: Now, please be advised that this is private property. Unless you have pertinent business here, I must ask you to─ Tataru: Here at the behest of Yda and Papalymo!? Tataru: My sincerest apologies! May I please have your name? Tataru: Forename Surname...Forename Surname... Ah, here you are. Tataru: Ahem! I bid you welcome to the Waking Sands, headquarters of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn! Tataru: My name is Tataru, and I look forward to assisting you during your time with us. Tataru: The Antecedent is within the solar. I shall let her know to expect you.
Scion of the Seventh Dawn: I take it you are Forename Surname. Tataru sent word that you had arrived. Scion of the Seventh Dawn: Lady Minfilia has eagerly awaited your coming. This way, if you please.
??? (Minfilia): So you are the adventurer of whom I've heard so much. Minfilia: Well met, friend. My name is Minfilia, and I lead the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Minfilia: I have awaited your coming. Minfilia: Please, be at ease. You are among friends here. Minfilia: No doubt you're ripe to burst with questions, but have patience─all will be revealed in time. Minfilia: First, let me begin by telling you who we are and what we do. Minfilia: We are the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, an order that transcends political boundaries. Our single objective is the preservation of the future of Eorzea. Minfilia: Among our gravest concerns are the godlike beings known as the primals. Minfilia: Their existence is a bane upon Eorzea─nay, the world at large, and we have striven to find a lasting solution to the threat they pose. Minfilia: Our order is home to a number of individuals who, like you, possess a rare and special talent. Minfilia: This talent takes various forms, but one holds particular interest for us. Minfilia: Tell me, have you ever experienced a sudden, inexplicable loss of consciousness? Minfilia: Have you ever had the sensation of being pulled away from reality? Felt as though you were hovering in space, a mind without a body? Minfilia: All these things are the manifestations of your talent. Yours is the power to transcend the boundaries of the soul─a power known as the Echo. Minfilia: The Echo allows you to pass through the walls of a man's soul, and hear the resonations of his past. Minfilia: You will be there in his memories, and see things as he saw them. You may even interact with that which you see, though you cannot change the outcome of events. Minfilia: For another blessing, the Echo will enable you to know a man's mind even if you cannot comprehend his words. Minfilia: In short, the Echo is a truly extraordinary power. And this power is strong within you. Minfilia: It is only a shame that we cannot use it whensoever we choose. Minfilia: That's right. I too possess the Echo. Minfilia: With that established, let us return to the subject of the primals. Minfilia: So long as they exist, the realm cannot take so much as a single step towards true peace. Minfilia: Measures must be taken─measures which transcend boundaries, be they of faction, race, language, or creed. And to do so, the Scions require the aid of those with our talent. Minfilia: Make no mistake─the Echo will be instrumental in dealing with the primal threat. Without it, we cannot hope to save the realm. Minfilia: I know not what it is you desire for yourself, nor what it was that first brought you to Eorzea. Minfilia: But I firmly believe that the power we possess was given to us for a purpose. Minfilia: Why else would the gods entrust man with a gift so extraordinary, if not to have him use it? Minfilia: And so I implore you: lend us your power. Minfilia: Naturally, your aid will not go unrewarded. We are fortunate to have a number of influential allies, and at a word from me, they will gladly afford you certain privileges that might otherwise be denied you. Minfilia: The right to employ retainers, for example. Are you familiar with them? They are individuals who may be relied upon to manage your assets and belongings on your behalf. Tataru: The papers you requested, my lady. Minfilia: Thank you, Tataru. Tataru: The pleasure is mine, my lady! Minfilia: By way of a welcoming gift, I have taken the liberty of adding your name to the retainers' registry. As of now, you are entitled to employ the services of a retainer. Minfilia: You will need to consult a retainer vocate regarding the particulars of this arrangement, but believe me when I say that retainers will prove invaluable to you in your adventuring endeavors. Minfilia: Let this gesture serve as evidence of our commitment to do all in our power to facilitate your personal objectives. Minfilia: In return, we ask that you aid us to the fullest extent of your talents. Minfilia: A mutually beneficial relationship, I am sure you will agree, and one which serves the greater good besides. Minfilia: Well, that was a veritable lecture, was it not? Forgive me, but it is important that all concerned are aware of what is expected of them. Now you know our purpose, and what we can offer you, I invite you to consider joining us. When you have come to a decision, you may tell me without fear of censure. Minfilia: In good faith, I shall entrust you with our order's password, which our members use to reach one another when afield. Minfilia: It is “wild rose.” Pray keep it safe.
A Wild Rose by Any Other Name Minfilia is waiting to hear whether or not you will pledge your support to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn.
Minfilia: We Scions have but one objective: to safeguard the future of Eorzea. Among our gravest concerns are the godlike beings known as the primals. Long have we striven to find a lasting solution to the threat they pose. Minfilia: I know not what it is you desire for yourself, nor what it was that first brought you to Eorzea, but I firmly believe that the power we possess was given to us for a purpose. Pray consider this when you give me your answer, Forename.
  • What will you say?
  • I will go whither the wild rose blooms.
  • Yours is no small endeavor... Minfilia: Small? No. Worthy? Undeniably. We labor for the good of all the realm.
  • The dangers are great... Minfilia: They are. Yet the risks we take are justified, given that which is at stake.
  • Nothing.
Minfilia: I take it you will help us. Minfilia: Wonderful! I knew you wouldn't let us down! Minfilia: But come, I would introduce you to your friends in the order. Minfilia: Tell me, does the name Sharlayan ring any bells? Minfilia: It used to be one of Eorzea's six city-states, and was situated in the northwest of Aldenard. Minfilia: The Sharlayans were the keepers of wisdom both old and new. Their mastery over magic and aether was unsurpassed, and even the Garleans knew to fear them. Minfilia: Among their number, there were a noble few who devoted their lives to safeguarding the future of Eorzea. Minfilia: When the realm began its descent into chaos, and their countrymen fled for the motherland, they alone chose to remain here. These noble men and women were called the Archons. Minfilia: Those same brave souls stand before you now. Minfilia: The masked woman is Yda, and beside her is Papalymo. The two are charged with surveying the Twelveswood. Yda (Lyse): Hello there! Papalymo: Well come! Papalymo: I had every confidence that you would agree to help us. Yda (Lyse): Me too! Yda (Lyse): Okay, my turn to introduce someone! That there is Thancred! Papalymo: He is our man here in Ul'dah, jewel of the desert. Thancred: Welcome to the team! Thancred: If I may, the lovely maiden beside me is named Y'shtola. Limsa Lominsa has the pleasure of being under her care. Y'shtola: Greetings. Y'shtola: Last but not least is Urianger, who presides over all affairs within these halls. Pray seek him out whenever you have questions. Urianger: Dawn may banish even the darkest night... Urianger: ...The words of a dear friend. I am glad of our meeting. Y'shtola: At the Battle of Carteneau, our leader was taken from us. But we did not stray from our purpose. Y'shtola: We sought out Minfilia and others with her talent, and together established the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Minfilia: Along with the Archons, those blessed with the Echo play a pivotal role in our endeavor to forge a brighter tomorrow for the realm. Minfilia: Oh, I should also introduce you to Tataru, our clerk. She ensures that everything runs smoothly. Tataru: Pleased to make your acquaintance! Minfilia: In time, I hope you will come to think of us as family. Minfilia: But without further ado... Minfilia: I would assign you your first task. Minfilia: Urianger. Have the documents arrived from the Students of Baldesion? Urianger: Aye, my lady, they arrived but recently. Minfilia: We have received a request for aid from the Immortal Flames. Minfilia: Thancred, would you do the honors? Thancred: It would be my pleasure. Thancred: Some days ago, a crystal caravan registered to Amajina & Sons Mineral Concern was waylaid and divested of its cargo. Thancred: But there is more. Within a bell of the robbery, several people were reported missing from the shantytown outside the city. Minfilia: At a glance, one would assume the involvement of bandits, kidnappers, and coincidence. Minfilia: Such crimes are hardly uncommon, and the Immortal Flames deal with their like almost every day. Minfilia: However, this time we have reason to believe that a primal is involved. Thancred: Aye, the evidence left behind implicates the Amalj'aa, who are known worshipers of Ifrit. Thancred: If we then consider the objects that were taken, there is no room left for doubt─the crimes were committed in the name of a primal. Minfilia: That you may better understand the nature of our struggle with the primals, I would have you play the leading role in this investigation. Minfilia: You have my thanks. Minfilia: If there is aught you wish to know, I recommend you speak with Thancred. He is well versed in the affairs of Ul'dah. Thancred: Ever at your service, fair lady!
Thancred: Ready to begin, are we? That's the spirit! Thancred: So then, your mission is to investigate a crystal robbery and a spate of abductions. Thancred: ...Crimes which we believe to be connected. Assuming we are correct, it is like that any discoveries we make in relation to one will further our understanding of the other. Thancred: Now, since the attack on their caravan, our friends at Amajina & Sons Mineral Concern have doubled security over all their shipments. Thancred: In light of this, it is my judgment that the abductions should be our priority. Thancred: According to our preliminary findings, the majority of the missing were last seen in the vicinity of Camp Drybone, so that would seem a fine place to begin. Thancred: A fellow by the name of Isembard serves as the camp's de facto leader. Pay him a visit, and see that he gives us his full cooperation.
Isembard: Aye, I'm Isembard. Here to search for the missing folk, I take it? Isembard: Minfilia sent word that an adventurer fitting your description would be along. Isembard: She also warned us to be wary of the Amalj'aa. It seems we know who the culprits are, at the very least. Isembard: Now, I bear no official title at this camp, but the people here have come to look to me for leadership. You have my word that I'll do all I can to help see the victims safely returned.
Unsolved Mystery Isembard of Camp Drybone is seeking help to solve a mystery of missing persons.
Isembard: Let us get right to it, then. Minfilia names the Amalj'aa culprits in all this. You would do well to investigate them, first. Isembard: Much harm has been levied on these lands by Amalj'aa hands. The Flames burn where they might, but their light cannot stay the darkness in all places at all times. Isembard: There have been brutal murders of callers at the Church of Saint Adama Landama─innocents wishing no more than to pay their respects to the dead. Isembard: The poor souls deserve a proper burial. I would see to the deed before mongrels catch their scent, but I know not if the Amalj'aa still linger. Isembard: Would you secure their remains for me, friend? You will find them on the eastern road. Isembard: Twelve willing, you may even come to learn something of what the Amalj'aa seek in this area.
Isembard: It is good to see you returned. Were you able to secure the remains of our fallen?
Ripe Corpse This poor soul appears to have been ravaged by an Amalj'aa before sitting to rot for several turns of the sun.
Isembard: With the bodies given back proper to the earth, the souls will find their way across to the other side. You have done a noble deed this day. I thank you. Isembard: Now, then, what of the Amalj'aa? Did you see any? Surely such massive monstrosities as they cannot conceal their presence, much less take their quarry unawares. Isembard: Ah, so there were Amalj'aa remaining, after all... I feared as much. Their part in the lowborn disappearing is all but confirmed. But I sense there is more to this than meets the eye. Isembard: The occasional Amalj'aa raiding party would not account for people going missing in these kinds of numbers. The total is too great, and the questions too many. It would not surprise me in the least to learn of another hand in this. Isembard: But whose? Countless travelers pass through Drybone every day. And even if it were one among them, how would we best discover who may be implicit in these vanishings?
What Poor People think Isembard aims to turn his investigation to the commonfolk.
Isembard: What say we turn an eye to the commonfolk themselves? It may be among them that we find the reasons for these vanishings, Twelve forbid it be so. Isembard: There is a merchant by the name of Ungust who was born here in Drybone and grew up in the Golden Bazaar. A...rough character, but he knows the people here better than anyone else. Isembard: I'd wager he's at the inn, quaffing away the day's earnings. Here, I'll write a note for you to show him, else he's not like to speak to you.
Ungust: <belch> Well, gods be damned! You're that bloody adventurer who threatened me back in Ul'dah! What in the seven hells do you want with me now!?
Isembard's Note A few words scrawled in code by Isembard of Drybone.
Ungust: “Dear friend... <belch> Missing people... Please help... <hiccup> Yours, Isembard.” Ungust: Folk around here are as wary as they come. They'll turn tail and run if you so much as pass wind nearby. Played them all for fools and coaxed some hard labor out of them, I did. Ungust: If anything, they're even more timid than before, what with all the disappearances. You can go talk to 'em yourself if you don't believe me.
Hungry Beggar: P-Please, miss, just leave me be...
Devious Derelict: I've nothing to say but this: Thal take who─or whatever's been feeding off us low folk.
Petrified Pauper: Wh-What do you want from me!? I d-don't know anything, I swear! Please don't kill me!
Ungust: Just as I told you, wasn't it? The whole lot of them are terrified. <hiccup> Ungust: There's been talk of folk getting abducted, but if you ask me, they simply up and moved on to a better place. This place isn't exactly Costa del Sol, if you know what I'm saying.
Isembard: Welcome back, Forename. Have you learned aught of import? Isembard: I see... I suppose I should have expected as much from Ungust. Well, another thought occurred to me in your absence. The commonfolk are nothing if not fervent in their religious beliefs. Perhaps if they speak freely to their gods, then the clergy may know something of use.
A Proper Burial Isembard would like you to learn what you can from the clergy.
Isembard: If we would know what the commonfolk speak of to their gods, we've no better place to ask than at the Church of Saint Adama Landama. It is a small and humble church, found to the northwest of here. Isembard: And so long as you are headed there...might I ask you to deliver this embalmed corpse? A morbid request, I grant you, but it must be borne to burial, and I trust none more than you to see it done. Isembard: Seek out a man named Marques─he tends the graves of the lichyard. He will tell you where the body is to be interred.
Marques (Cid): I am Marques, yes. A body? Of course... There...there have been...so many bodies of late... Marques (Cid): I... I apologize, miss. If you seek a place of burial, then there is an empty grave atop the ridge. Take the path and lay him to rest there.
Embalmed Corpse A dead body ready for interment.
Marques (Cid): May they all walk in Thal's realm... ...What? Missing people? I...I'm afraid I cannot help you. Marques (Cid): But maybe Sister Ourcen can. She has been kind to me. Everyone...everyone has been so kind. Marques (Cid): I don't know why, though. I... Pardon me. You will find Sister Ourcen within the church walls.
Ourcen: I hear you have done us the service of burying a fallen soul. Please accept our gratitude, and extend it to Isembard when next you see him. Ourcen: Hm? You seek knowledge of missing Drybone inhabitants? It is true I am closer to the people than any other of the Order. I confide in them, and they in me. When they wish to speak to their keeper, Thal, I am the medium through which they do. Ourcen: Should I learn anything pertinent, I will be sure to share the information with you. <sigh> I only wish Marques would be more helpful in the matter. I pray he did nothing to offend. He saw...terrible things during the Calamity... His scars run deep. Indeed, he seems to now prefer the company of the dead over the living. Ourcen: While tragic, I fear such behavior ill befits the church. I received word not long ago that one of our recent visitors─a man called Thancred, I believe─took offense at his conduct. I must have words with Marques, and soon.
Isembard: Thank you, Forename. A burial is no easy thing─even when the departed is a stranger. Were you able to learn aught of the missing commonfolk? Thancred: You've been keeping yourself rather busy of late, haven't you, Forename? Thancred: A pleasure, my dear Isembard. The name is Thancred, and I share a passion with you and our mutual friend here for learning what has become of these missing persons and why. Thancred: I, too, spoke with Ungust─more times than I care to count. There seems to be some truth to this notion of the commonfolk speaking their secrets only to those in service to the gods. Thancred: Prostration, prayer, penance. Abject deeds done behind closed doors, away from prying eyes. Who better to take the pious unawares than she who takes confession─the good Sister Ourcen herself? Isembard: Ourcen!? She wouldn't... She couldn't! Thancred: Even the most beautiful roses have thorns, my friend. And you would be wise to keep an eye to this rose. Thancred: Still, the lichkeeper Marques... I'd swear to the Twelve I've seen that face elsewhere before...
For the Children Isembard is concerned about the questions surrounding Sister Ourcen's integrity.
Isembard: Sister Ourcen... It cannot be. Though, she is wont to travel to the Golden Bazaar on her own, and it is not uncommon to see her speaking to the children. But...no. It could not be she...could it? Isembard: Hmmm... <sigh> I grow weary of these suspicions. I know there is one child in particular that she is fond of. Pray seek out the boy, Forename, and see if you cannot glean something from him about Ourcen's activities.
Uncombed Urchin: Please help! Sister Ourcen went out all on her own and hasn't come back! Uncombed Urchin: She always reads to me right here, about Thal and the Order and the other side. I told her I lost my shiny thing and she went looking for it. But what if the monsters outside hurt her? Please find her!
Ourcen: You... You are the one from the church. Thank goodness you arrived when you did. It seems my gratitude is yours yet again. Ourcen: You spoke with the child? Yes, well, I was able to find his lost trinket. It is a ring given him by his mother before she passed. I will see it safely back to him.
Isembard: Sister Ourcen was attacked outside the Golden Bazaar? Gods forfend... I will secure a room at the inn for her should she require any rest. Isembard: Searching for the mementos of orphans? And risking her own well-being in the doing, no less? Certainly not the dastardly deeds Thancred would have us believe.
Amalj'aa Wrong Places Isembard seems to have a message for you from Thancred.
Isembard: I am well glad I reserved that inn room for Sister Ourcen. It seems she received greater injuries from her attackers than she initially let on. Thankfully, she is expected to make a full recovery. Isembard: But now, on to the matter at hand. Thancred came looking for you once more. He left word that he will be waiting at the Amalj'aa encampment to the southeast. I pray the two of you are able to uncover some evidence regarding these disappearances.
Thancred: Ah, there you are, Forename. So good of you to come! Thancred: Indeed, I've heard all about good Sister Ourcen. Isembard said her wounds were serious. It would seem my suspicions about the poor rose were misplaced. Thancred: But false though they were, perhaps my suspicions were not entirely without merit. Whilst following Sister Ourcen near the Golden Bazaar, a band of Amalj'aa caught my eye. Thancred: I tracked them as far as this encampment, but... Well, let us say that I would much prefer to keep my distance and remain here. This, of course, brings me to why I requested you, dear Forename. Would you be so kind as to take a look inside?
Thancred: Well? Did anything tickle your fancy?
Queer Leaflet A strange slip of parchment found at the Amalj'aa encampment in eastern Thanalan.
Thancred: This leaflet... “See the wealth of Nald to the hands of your children.” It looks to be some sort of assembly to provide the poor with work. Thancred: The lettering, though... Atrocious, is it not? And these bits about Nald'thal seem somewhat...less than studied. I find it hard to believe one among the Order penned this. Thancred: Pray take this to the inn at Camp Drybone. Let us see what Sister Ourcen makes of it.
Ourcen: My savior comes again. To what do I owe the honor this day? Ourcen: What is this? Blasphemous... These are not our teachings at all! This was not made by any true brother or sister of the Order─of that, I can assure you. Ourcen: Come to think of it, weeks ago, the church was plagued by missing garments. Could someone be posing as a priest of the Order to deceive the people?
Thancred: The plot thickens, Forename! Our culprit pretends to be a priest to lend credence to his deception. There is no doubt an irony in there somewhere. Thancred: But I suspect we have a worthy adversary on our hands. I shall consider how best to handle this. For now, tell Isembard what we have learned here.
Isembard: Posing as a priest!? To think... Isembard: These troubling notions aside, it is gratifying to finally be able to move this investigation forward. Thank you once again, Forename. I shall keep my ears and eyes open─now more than ever.
Dressed to Deceive Isembard wants to help you identify and apprehend the false priest.
Isembard: I'm afraid I have not seen any unusual activity. Nor have any at this camp given me cause to doubt them. But unless we can identify the culprit, and soon, more innocents will fall victim... Thancred: Do not despair just yet, my friend. An idea occurs to me. Thancred: Our suspect has been posing as a priest, using leaflets bearing false promises to lure the poor. Let Forename and me serve like with like by posing as impoverished souls in need of succor. Isembard: Ah, I dare to hope that this will yield us the answers we seek. It will be a dangerous undertaking, but you two are more than capable of looking after yourselves. Isembard: I'm next to useless in a battle, but I can supply the garments for the disguise. These old tunics and slops should serve your needs, so long as you don't mind the smell and the stains. Thancred: These will serve very well. You have my thanks. Thancred: Listen, Forename. So as to lay the foundation for our little ploy, we must make it widely known that more vagrants have arrived at camp and are desperate for coin. Thancred: To this end, I want you to don the old garments Isembard has lent us, and beg for work around the camp. Before long, the false priest should catch wind and approach us.
Swaenhylt: I preach the teachings of Azeyma, the Warden. Hast thou come to partake of the honey of Her wisdom? Swaenhylt: Azeyma is keeper of the sun and goddess of inquiry. All is laid bare beneath the light of Her divine countenance. Open thy heart to this light, needy child, and thou shalt want for naught till the end of days!
Knerl: Hm? And you are...? Knerl: Hmph, another refugee, by the looks of you. The Immortal Flames have neither work nor coin for your like. Begone, and see to it you don't make a nuisance of yourself.
Adelstan: <sigh> And I was about to get to the good part... Adelstan: Looking for work, you say? Sorry, but we don't have any openings. Now, get out of here so I can finish my story.
Ermegarde: Greetings, good madam. Is there aught I might assist you with? Ermegarde: ...Oh. I...don't believe there is. I'm afraid our wares are very expensive. Mayhap you should rejoin your fellows out at the pond north of Sandgate.
Aurildis: What is it? Aurildis: Gods, not again... Look, being poor doesn't give you the right to pester whomsoever you like. Why don't you keep with your own kind out by that muddy pond of yours at Drybone?
Thancred: You have quite a knack for being a nuisance, Forename. The camp is abuzz with talk of newly arrived vagrants. Thancred: And though we were unable to attract our wayward transgressor, we were able to learn that the poor have a commune by the pond north of Sandgate, to the east of here. The eyes of the authorities do not reach that place─rather ideal for spiriting away hapless souls. Thancred: Let us go there and wait for the kindly priest to come and offer us aid and comfort. Needless to say you'll need to remain in disguise.
Thancred: A fine day for catching false priests, wouldn't you say? Thancred: You look absolutely smashing, Forename─positively dressed for deception. All that's left, then, is to wait for our quarry to appear. ??? (Ungust): Oh, you poor, unfortunate souls. This is no way for men to live. No way at all. Thancred: Who are you? What do you want? ??? (Ungust): Be at ease, child, for I mean you no harm. I am a priest of the Order of Nald'thal, and I come to offer you succor. ??? (Ungust): This leaflet bears the teachings of Nald. Trust to them, and they will surely set you free from the shackles of penury! Thancred: Hmmm... A tempting offer, but I'm afraid I must decline... Thancred: ...On account of that atrocious performance. You would have made a gods-awful mummer, Ungust. Ungust: Wh-What!? How did you know─!? Y-You bastards tricked me! Ungust: P-Please don't hurt me! I was only doing it to protect my people! Thancred: Is that so? Do continue. Ungust: V-Very well... I'm a man of the Golden Bazaar. Raised there, if not born. Ungust: Some moons ago, the Amalj'aa raids began. They would appear sudden as a sandstorm, and plunder and pillage at will. Our defenders couldn't stand against them, few as they were. Everyone lived in fear. Ungust: I wanted to save my people, but being a merchant was all I knew. And so I did the only thing a merchant could─I approached the Amalj'aa in hopes of brokering a deal. Ungust: In return for sparing the Golden Bazaar, they made demands─outrageous ones. Thancred: Demands? Of what kind, pray tell? Ungust: First of all, they wanted the schedule for crystal shipments from the Nanawa Mines. For this, I bribed one of the workers to leak me the information. Ungust: Next, they wanted me to bring them people. So, I posed as a priest to lure in the vulnerable and give them over to the Amalj'aa. I...I didn't have a choice... Thancred: Protecting one's home is a noble thing...but at the cost of innocents? You could have sought the aid of the Immortal Flames, yet you did not. I suspect you are not telling me the full story. What made you sell out your own people? Speak! Ungust: The...<mumble>...was good... Thancred: What did you say? Ungust: The coin was good, I said! I could sell mole meat for a score of lifetimes and not see even a fraction of what the Amalj'aa pay me! Thancred: You sacrificed innocents so that you could line your own pockets? Words fail to express the contempt I feel for you. Ungust: Spare me your contempt! If you want to blame someone for the mess the world's in, then blame yourselves or the gods! Ungust: Uwaaah! Not you again! Thancred: Were you the one leaking the Immortal Flames' patrol routes to the enemy as well? Spit it out! Ungust: Nooo! I know nothing about that! I swear it! Thancred: At this stage, I'm rather disinclined to believe aught that leaves your mouth. But no matter. There'll be time enough to learn the truth. Ungust: <sob> Thancred: Forename. Be a dear and take word of these developments to Minfilia, would you? Thancred: I shall prise everything I can out of this filth. Thancred: The abductees are still somewhere out there. Our foremost priority is to rescue them.
Minfilia: Welcome back, Forename. I am pleased that you and Thancred have been getting along. Minfilia: I see... You have done well to uncover the truth. My thanks for the report. Minfilia: As Thancred said, we must ascertain where the abducted were taken...and none but the Amalj'aa know the answer. Minfilia: Suffice it to say they will not willingly part with this information. I fear blood will be spilled before all is said and done.
Life, Materia and Everything Minfilia would like you to meet a distinguished individual.
Minfilia: Though we seek a peaceful solution to the primal problem, we must needs be ready to fight for our cause. That you might take to the field suitably prepared, I would have you meet with a goblin acquaintance of mine. His name is Mutamix Bubblypots, and he is a scholar of no small repute. Minfilia: Mutamix is renowned for having introduced a revolutionary method of enhancing equipment to Eorzea. Minfilia: The knowledge of this method was once a closely guarded secret, but thanks to Mutamix and his students, it has now been disseminated to the great benefit of all the realm. Minfilia: It would serve you well to acquire an understanding of the process. For this purpose, I shall lend you a blade. Take it to Mutamix, and bid him use it to demonstrate his craft to you. Minfilia: Mutamix is ever to be found at his camp in central Thanalan─a place known as the Bonfire. Look for a pillar of smoke, and the way will become clear.
Mutamix Bubblypots: Pshhh... Shkohhh...? Who is uplander come to tent-ring of Mutamix Bubblypots?
Minfilia's Dagger This plain dagger has absolutely no defining characteristics except that the hilt does smell quite nice.
Swynbroes: Fighty-tool drinks in airyself. F'hobhas: When full of airyself, fighty-tool changes to stonyshine, name of materia. Kokosamu: If materia join with other fighty-tool... Mutamix Bubblypots: Then bigeyes! Fighty-tool gains power of airyself! Mutamix Bubblypots: Pshhh... Shkohhh... Mutamix is reckoning that uplander is friend of Minfilia. Mutamix Bubblypots: Yesss, tongueflaps reach ears of Mutamix with fastness. Mutamix Bubblypots: Minfilia wants uplander to see power of materia. Uplander brings fighty-tool to Mutamix, yes? Mutamix Bubblypots: Shkohhh! Fighty-tool is unstrong as eating-tool! Make good teachy-show of power of materia! Swynbroes: The materia, Master. Mutamix Bubblypots: Now eyes of uplander point at fighty-tool, yes? Pshhh... Shkohhh... Materia join with fighty-tool... Mutamix Bubblypots: Fighty-tool gains power of materia! Fighty-tool reborn! Here, uplander take fighty-tool to Minfilia! Swynbroes: Materia, strictly speaking, is a kind of crystal. It is created by drawing out the aetheric constituents from a piece of equipment and then crystallizing them. F'hobhas: Not just any old equipment will serve, mind you. It must have sufficient spiritbond─that being a measure of how fully an item has been imbued with its owner's spirit. Kokosamu: When ye attach a piece o' materia to gear, ye imbue the host item with its power. That's how Master Mutamix turned that dagger o' yours from summat as would've struggled to cut steak into a weapon worth wieldin'. Mutamix Bubblypots: Pshhh... Shkohhh... Uplander wishes to be joiner of materia? Mutamix Bubblypots: Then uplander best fill braincase with knowings of crafty-making. Mutamix Bubblypots: With knowings of crafty-making, uplander can become joiner of materia. Mutamix Bubblypots: If uplander wants braincase to rattle with knowings of materia, uplander best trade tongueflaps with learny-ones of Mutamix.
Minfilia: Welcome back, Forename. I trust your visit to the Bonfire proved fruitful.
Materia-enhanced Dagger A once ordinary dagger, now made special with the wonders of materia.
Minfilia: Ahhh...what a remarkable difference a single piece of materia can make! Granted, the skills needed to manipulate the substance are not easily acquired, but one need only look upon the results to realize such efforts are worthwhile. Minfilia: As I am sure you are aware, the quality of one's equipment can be the difference between victory and defeat. Materia may well give you the edge you need, Forename, so make it your ally. Minfilia: Now, it is time we discussed the matter of your next mission. Pray speak with me when you are ready to begin.
Lord of the Inferno Minfilia would like you to assist the Immortal Flames.
Minfilia: Word has arrived from Thancred concerning our ongoing investigation. Minfilia: It appears he was able to extract some information from our friend Ungust, the false priest. Minfilia: He revealed that he is due to meet with the Amalj'aa to discuss their dealings. Minfilia: The Immortal Flames believe that the meeting will present an ideal opportunity to ambush and capture the Amalj'aa responsible for the abductions, and so they mean to have Ungust attend as planned. Minfilia: As the Amalj'aa are anticipated to offer fierce resistance, the Immortal Flames have requested our support. Minfilia: I would have you provide it to them, Forename. Thancred is presently attending to another matter, but will join you as soon as he is able. Until such time as he does, you will be the Scions' sole representative on the ground. Minfilia: Before he left, he bade me tell you to “save some for him.” Such is his confidence in you─a confidence I share. Minfilia: When you have made ready, pray take yourself to Camp Drybone and report to the flame sergeant leading the mission. May you walk in the light of the Crystal.
Flame Sergeant: Ah, you're Forename Surname of the Scions? My thanks for coming, friend. We're stronger for your assistance. Flame Sergeant: Allow me to brief you on our mission. Our objective is to capture Amalj'aa and prise from them the whereabouts of the abductees. Flame Sergeant: The lizardmen aren't aware that their man, Ungust, has been exposed. When they come to the rendezvous point to meet the traitor, we'll spring the trap. Flame Sergeant: Owing to the clandestine nature of the mission, we can deploy only a small contingent. Every member must count, and so we requested the aid of the Scions. Flame Sergeant: The rendezvous will take place at the Invisible City. Please make your way there and lie in wait. Flame Sergeant: We stand to learn much and more of the Amalj'aa plot if the mission succeeds, Forename. Let's make sure it does.
Flame Sergeant: Is the bait in place? Flame Private: Our man is in position, sir. Flame Sergeant: Good. We make our move as soon as the Amalj'aa appear. Flame Private: Yes, sir! Ungust: Uwaaah! Amalj'aa Warrior: What is the meaning of this!? Flame Private: Wait. Something's amiss... Ungust: Hee hee hee... Traitorous Flame Soldier: Ahahahahaha! Traitorous Flame Soldier: I'm afraid your little ambush ends here! Ungust: I eluded the Immortal Flames' clutches for moons before finally being caught. Did you not wonder how I managed it? Traitorous Flame Soldier: 'Twas almost as if someone was feedin' him information from the inside! Gahahaha! Ungust: Aye, your every movement was known to me ahead of time! Hee hee hee! Ungust: Now, as much as I'd love to chat awhile, I have appointments to keep. Traitorous Flame Soldier: They're all yours!
Ungust: Hee hee! Our Amalj'aa friends will keep you company! Flame Sergeant: Filthy traitors! When I get my hands on you... Ungust: Hee hee! How long will you last, I wonder!? Flame Sergeant: Another wave! Stay sharp, men! Flame Sergeant: Godsdammit, is there no end to them!? Ungust: Hee hee! The show is only just beginning!
Traitorous Flame Soldier: Put up your weapon, or your comrade's a dead man! Flame Private: Behind you! Ungust: Bring her. Traitorous Flame Soldier: The rest of you, march! Flame Sergeant: Traitorous scum...
Flame Sergeant: I fear the Amalj'aa mean to give us to their god as an offering. If I must die, then let me die a soldier's death─with steel in hand!

The Bowl of Embers

Owing to a betrayal you have been captured by the Amalj'aa and taken to their stronghold of Zanr'ak, there to be given as an offering to the primal Ifrit. If you are to survive this fiery encounter with the Lord of the Inferno, you and your comrades must fight with no less than every onze of your strength. Should you fall, your souls shall burn for eternity...
Amalj'aa Zealots: Lord of the Inferno, hearken to our plea! Lord of the Inferno, deliver us from our misery! Temugg Zoh: O mighty Ifrit, Lord of the Inferno! Temugg Zoh: Your humble servants beseech You! Grace us with Your divine presence! Temugg Zoh: O mighty Ifrit! We bring before You ignorant savages who know not Your godhead! Temugg Zoh: If it please You, Lord, scorch their heathen souls with Your cleansing flame, and mark them as Your own! Flame Sergeant: B-Bloody hells... Amalj'aa Warrior: Bring those two as well! Ungust: Unnngh... Traitorous Flame Soldier: Wh-What's going on!? Th-This ain't what we agreed! Amalj'aa Warrior: None but servants of Lord Ifrit may behold the rite of summoning. The souls of unbelievers are forfeit! Ungust: Nooo! Spare me, I beg you! Ifrit: Pitiful children of man! By my breath I claim you! Ifrit: Arise once more as my loyal minions! Feed my flames with your faith, and all who stand against us shall burn! Flame Sergeant: O mighty Ifrit... Flame Private: My one true god... Traitorous Flame Soldier: Your words are my bread... Temugg Zoh: Impossible! By what sorcery do you resist my master's will!? Temugg Zoh: Could it be...? Temugg Zoh: Your soul already belongs to another!? Yes, that is the only explanation! Ifrit: Forsooth, thy frail mortal frame can serve as vessel to the blessing of but One. Ifrit: Yet I smell not the taint of another upon thee... Ifrit: The truth of thine allegiance waxeth clear─thou art of the godless blessed's number. Ifrit: The Paragons warned of thine abhorrent kind. Thine existence is not to be suffered.
Ifrit: My flames shall consume thy flesh and soul both! Scion Thaumaturge: Such sweltering heat... Ifrit: Succumb to the Inferno! Ifrit: Surrender thyself to the fires of judgment! Scion Conjurer: I sense a terrible power in that nail. Ifrit: Thy soul shall burn for eternity! Ifrit: Thou art strong, mortal! Ifrit: The blessing of Light...defies me!?
Thancred: Pray forgive my lateness! Thancred: I was delayed by a congregation of Amalj'aa zealots. I swear, each seemed more evangelical than the last. Thancred: Hmph! Persistent lot! Thancred: Phew... Thancred: I see the Bloodsworn wasted no time extracting the captives. No less than I'd expect from the Flame General's handpicked men. Thancred: As for those two...it is fair to say their hardships have only just begun. They have much to answer for. Thancred: I feel I owe you an apology, Forename. Had I known this mission would prove so dangerous, I would never have left you to face it alone. You have been given a veritable baptism of fire. Thancred: But let us continue this conversation in more agreeable surrounds. Camp Drybone, shall we say? Flame Soldier: This way, sir! Nero tol Scaeva: So that was the mighty Ifrit... Nero tol Scaeva: And what a disappointment he was. The readings are nowhere near what I had anticipated, even taking Ul'dahn interference into account. ??? (Livia sas Junius): You should know better than to rely upon five-year-old data left by the VIIth Legion. ??? (Livia sas Junius): Nor can we expect any form of support from the motherland, given the troubles at court. We have only ourselves to rely upon. Nero tol Scaeva: Ever the pessimist, my dear Livia. Promise me you'll never change. Livia sas Junius: We've wasted enough time here. That meter of yours is too old to give any reading worth a damn. Nero tol Scaeva: Not that there was aught worth a damn for it to read...but I take your point. I suppose we must content ourselves with the knowledge that we've achieved our primary objective. Nero tol Scaeva: Yet I find that I am troubled by that adventurer's unexpected show of strength. Could such a foe prove a hindrance to our plans? Livia sas Junius: Perhaps─but that is a consideration for another time. Livia sas Junius: You have been given a task. That is your priority. I suggest you treat it as such. Livia sas Junius: Fail to do as my lord commands... Livia sas Junius: ...And I will spare him the trouble of punishing you. Nero tol Scaeva: With allies like that... Nero tol Scaeva: Beware a woman in love. I shall need to be on my best behavior.
Thancred: Ah, there you are, Forename. Come, rest awhile─you will have no better opportunity. After witnessing their god's ignominious defeat, the Amalj'aa will be less inclined to risk our wrath─for a time, at least. Thancred: Now, where were we? Ah yes, I was in the process of apologizing. I do hope you can forgive me. I arrived too late to be of any use...to you or the abductees. Thancred: They may be whole of body, but the same cannot be said of their minds. For once a man is tempered... Thancred: Ah, but it ill suits me to dwell on the negatives. Amidst all our misfortunes, there is still reason to rejoice. Ifrit is slain, and by your hand, no less! Thancred: That is the deed of no ordinary individual, Forename. Not that I ever thought you were ordinary. On the contrary, I have long suspected that you have the potential to shape the fate of this realm. What can I say? My fine eye for talent remains undimmed. Thancred: Minfilia will be proud beyond all reckoning when she hears of your deeds. I trust you shan't object to my bearing the tidings to her. That way I can claim to have contributed something to this mission. Thancred: You, meanwhile, have earned yourself a rest. Take some time to relax, and return to the Waking Sands when you are good and ready. We can discuss matters in more detail then. Just don't take too long, will you? The realm's problems won't solve themselves.
Scion of the Seventh Dawn: Ah, the triumphant hero returns! Scion of the Seventh Dawn: Thancred told us the news upon his arrival. He is presently in the solar, giving a full report to Lady Minfilia. Scion of the Seventh Dawn: You should join them at once. Lady Minfilia is most eager to see you.
Thancred: ...My late arrival nearly cost Forename her life. I wasn't there when the Amalj'aa took her prisoner... Thancred: And I wasn't there when they served her to Ifrit... Thancred: Yes, by some miracle, she survived─but that does not excuse the fact that she should never have had to face such dangers alone. I failed her utterly. Thancred: Just as I'm failing you all... Minfilia: What's done is done, Thancred. You can ill blame yourself for every─ Minfilia: Forename! It is so good to see you again! Thancred: Impeccable timing, my friend. I had just finished regaling Minfilia with your heroic exploits. Minfilia: Thancred has told me everything. You have done well to return to us. Thancred: The perils you faced were undeniably great, yet a part of me believes that I had no cause to fear. And now we can put paid to our long investigation. Thancred: As we suspected, the Amalj'aa undertook both the robbery and the abductions with the aim of summoning their primal, Ifrit. Minfilia: Nor is this tale limited to Ul'dah. Similar incidents have been rife in both Limsa Lominsa and Gridania of late. Thancred: I daresay you've been curious as to how these crimes are linked to the primals. Permit me to explain. Thancred: Having manifested in the physical realm, primals must consume aether if they are to maintain their presence here. And the stronger they become, the more aether they require. Thancred: Now, aether exists throughout creation. It flows through all life, and permeates the very air that we breathe. Thancred: Alas, this alone will not suffice to sustain the likes of Ifrit. Nay, he and his kind require a more concentrated source of aether─crystals. Minfilia: It is for this reason that incidents involving crystals can often be traced back to a primal. Thancred: Which leaves us with the why of the abductions. To understand this, you must first understand how primals are born. Thancred: When all is well with the world, primals possess no physical form. Their essence is dispersed across the great river of aether. Minfilia: However, when the world is plunged into chaos, those who worship the primals cry out to their gods for deliverance from suffering. Minfilia: These cries serve as a beacon toward which a primal's essence is irresistibly drawn. It is this coming together─or “aetheric coalescence”─which grants the beings physical form. Minfilia: Once born, a primal gains strength from its followers' worship. The more numerous and fervent they are, the more powerful their god becomes. Thancred: But the primals are seldom satisfied with such reverence as their adherents freely give, and in order to gain more power, they do not scruple to create followers. They do this by “tempering” mortals─a process to which you yourself were subjected. Minfilia: Yet even as Ifrit took your comrades in his thrall, you alone remained unaffected. This is thanks to the power you possess─the Echo. Minfilia: We know not the why of it, but those blessed with the Echo are immune to primal influence. Minfilia: It is as though a greater power protects us... Minfilia: When first you came to us, I told you that the Echo would be instrumental in dealing with the primal threat. I trust you now begin to see why. Thancred: The recent incidents all share a common trait: meticulous planning. Such elaborate designs are a new development, and one which fills me with an unshakable sense of foreboding. Minfilia: While I share your concern, my presiding feeling is one of relief at your safe return. Minfilia: Ah, the Immortal Flames assured me that they will deal with the aftermath, so you need not concern yourself with that. We may rest easy for a time. Minfilia: I suggest you take full advantage of the respite, Forename. Minfilia: You may be sure it won't last long. Once the people learn the identity of the hero who felled Ifrit, I fear you will have nary a moment to yourself! Thancred: Whether she intended to or no, Minfilia neglected to tell you something─something I think it would be best you heard from one of us. Thancred: It concerns the tempered abductees that were rescued... I am sorry to report that all are to be put to death, the Flames with whom you were imprisoned included. Needless to say, this information must not be made known to the public. Thancred: I swear to you that we would not do this if there were any other recourse─but once a man is tempered, he is tempered for life. His very existence lends strength to the primal whom he cannot choose but worship. Thancred: And so we Scions continue our fight, that no more innocents need be sacrificed. I hope that you will continue to stand with us, Forename. Thancred: But I should be going. I must offer my apologies to the Flame General for the losses his people suffered. Till next time! Thancred: Gods forgive me... How many more lives...? Louisoix would never have allowed this to happen. Thancred: I have to do better... I have to be stronger...
A Hero in the Making Minfilia is wearing a wry smile. Might it have something to do with your newfound fame?
Minfilia: Until not so very long ago, you were but one of the many adventurers seeking to make their way in Eorzea. Minfilia: But for your character and courage, you were raised to the esteemed post of envoy. Thereafter, you traveled the realm, aiding those in need without thought of reward, confirming to Yda and Papalymo that the Scions would benefit from your aid. And no sooner had you joined us than you personally bested the primal Ifrit. Minfilia: You have achieved a great deal in a short time, and won fame in so doing. Alas, fame does not come without a price, as you will soon discover. Minfilia: We have guests, Forename─or rather...you have guests. ??? (Flame Officer): Beg pardons! Flame Officer: Ahhh, Lady Minfilia. Radiant as always! Serpent Officer: I am given to understand that the Scions of the Seventh Dawn have but recently welcomed a new hero into their midst! Storm Officer: I am here on behalf of the Maelstrom, Grand Company of Limsa Lominsa, to offer said hero a place of honor within our ranks! Minfilia: As you can see, Forename, your recent exploits have garnered you the attentions of the Grand Companies of Eorzea. Minfilia: Each organization would have Ifrit's bane for its own. To this end, all three have sent officers to court you. Minfilia: They would not ordinarily go to such lengths to enlist a new recruit. That they have is evidence of their high regard for you. Minfilia: I find myself wondering how word of Forename's deeds spread so quickly. That the Immortal Flames should know of her triumph is to be expected...but what of the other Grand Companies? Tataru: Eep! Serpent Officer: Your reputation precedes you, Mistress Surname! 'Tis no ordinary woman who can face a primal and emerge the victor! Serpent Officer: And imagine our pride when we learned that you began your journey as an adventurer in our own Gridania! Know that the people hold you in high esteem, and that you will always be welcome among us. Serpent Officer: The Order of the Twin Adder has need of valiant women such as you. Join your strength to ours, friend, and together let us ensure that peace ever reigns over the Twelveswood! Flame Officer: What a pleasure it is to finally meet you, Mistress Surname! My comrades speak of you in the most glowing terms! Flame Officer: A woman of your talent belongs with the Immortal Flames. Join your strength to ours, friend, and together let us secure a prosperous future for Ul'dah! Storm Officer: The Admiral was not exaggerating when she said you have the look of a hero! Full often does she speak of you, friend. Storm Officer: It is only natural that we should want you for the Maelstrom. Join your strength to ours, and together let us see the grand vessel of Limsa Lominsa to the shores of glory! Grand Company Officers: Lady Minfilia! Minfilia: <sigh> Very well... Minfilia: Though I am quite sure you need no reminding, mayhap a brief summary of the situation would help to clarify your thoughts on this matter. As you know, the Grand Companies are all-encompassing organizations empowered to call upon the martial, economic, and technological resources of their respective city-states in times of strife. Minfilia: There are presently three such organizations in Eorzea: the Maelstrom of Limsa Lominsa, the Order of the Twin Adder of Gridania, and the Immortal Flames of Ul'dah. Minfilia: Serving a Grand Company means serving the nation to which it belongs. You will be charged with its defense, and tasked with advancing its cause. Minfilia: In return for your faithful service, you will be furnished with various rewards, some of which may well prove useful to you in your other endeavors. Minfilia: If you are agonizing over which of the Grand Companies best deserves your loyalty, be at ease─the commitment you make this day need not be permanent. Should you wish to shift your allegiance at a later date, you are entitled to do so. And yet...I concede that it is no small choice you face... Minfilia: Ah! A thought occurs to me! You will, of course, recall that the three city-states are planning to hold remembrance services. Minfilia: Well, as part of the proceedings, I am given to understand that the leader of each Grand Company will deliver an address. Minfilia: Hearing these addresses ought to help you make an informed decision. What say you, my dear officers? Serpent Officer: A fine suggestion! Flame Officer: You are as wise as you are beautiful, my lady! Storm Officer: Very well! Let Forename hear our leaders speak, then return here with her decision. Grand Company Officers: We eagerly await your answer! Minfilia: I know full well that adventurers are by their nature a liberty-loving breed, and not best suited to the discipline of military service, but I strongly urge you to join a Grand Company nonetheless. While the promise of reward is enticing in itself, it is not the only benefit. Minfilia: You are possessed of great power, Forename, and with it you are capable of doing untold good. Yet know that great power is wont to attract attention─not all of it friendly. Minfilia: There will be those who wish you ill, and you must needs be on the lookout for them. Yet however vigilant you are, you are but one woman. In the midst of a Grand Company, however, you will be one woman amongst many─a friend amongst friends. Your achievements will be shared, and so will the danger. I can think of no better arrangement. Minfilia: Of course, joining one organization need not mean leaving another. I hope that we can continue to rely upon your aid─the Twelve know that we will have need of it in the days ahead. Minfilia: The Grand Companies seek to protect their own nations. We Scions, on the other hand, seek to preserve the future of Eorzea as a whole. Similar, yet not quite the same. Minfilia: Now then, I expect that you will be afield more often in the future. Minfilia: As such, I would have you carry this linkpearl with you at all times. It will allow us to stay in touch regardless of location. Minfilia: Eorzea is changing, Forename, and you have the power to help shape it anew. Minfilia: None can say what the morrow will bring, but so long as we believe in ourselves, there is naught we cannot achieve. Minfilia: Now, it is time you made ready for your journey. Before you depart, be sure to speak to Tataru. She will apprise you as to where and when the remembrance services are due to take place.
Tataru: I, um... I'm sorry about all the attention you're getting, Forename... I might have sung your praises a little too loudly...and often...to a few too many people. Ahem. Next time, I'll be sure to hold my tongue─literally, if necessary. Tataru: Anyway, I expect you want to know where and when the remembrance services are taking place? Tataru: If all goes to plan, Gridania's Grand Company, the Order of the Twin Adder, will hold the first of the three services, and Elder Seedseer Kan-E-Senna will deliver her address at Mih Khetto's Amphitheatre. Tataru: I should probably mention at this point that due to the organizational challenges involved in assembling all of the involved parties, it's possible that the order of the services might change... Still, there's not much we can do about that, so make Gridania your first port of call. Tataru: Next, you'll need to go to Ul'dah, where Flame General Raubahn Aldynn will be addressing the masses at the Royal Promenade. Oh, and it's rumored there's to be a special guest! How exciting. Tataru: Last but not least, you must make your way to the Stateroom in Limsa Lominsa, where Maelstrom Chief Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn will be giving her address. Tataru: The room is accessible via the Admiral's Lift. Identify yourself to the sentry, Zanthael, and he will admit you. Got all that? Tataru: Well, off you go, then. I hope you find the remembrance services suitably educational! I suggest visiting the city-states in my prescribed order, though with your record of impeccable timing and luck, the schedule may well change in favor of your preferred travel plans. Farewell!
???: I lost my son to the Calamity. ???: The three Seedseers are all together! ???: Some say you couldn't take a step without stumbling over a body. Kan-E-Senna: Our forebears were once strangers in the Twelveswood. Kan-E-Senna: Fearful of the greenwrath, they hid themselves in the dark recesses of the earth. Yet they dreamed of basking in the dappled sunlight of the forest. Kan-E-Senna: Through great effort, they proved their worth to the elementals, and were granted a place beneath the boughs. So it was that Gridania was born, some five centuries ago. Kan-E-Senna: Working hand in hand, the Hyur and the Elezen settlers sowed the seeds of our civilization. And soon they were joined by folk of all races. Kan-E-Senna: So nourished by the waters of unity and blessed by the light of the Matron, Gridania flourished into the great nation it is today. Self-assured Youth (Alphinaud): Do you see the Gridanian standard? There, hanging behind the Elder Seedseer. Self-assured Youth (Alphinaud): The entwined serpents represent the unity between Hyur and Elezen. An elegant symbol, do you not agree? Kan-E-Senna: In accordance with the will of the elementals, we have embraced a life of peace. Alas, our neighbors have not always sought the same for themselves─nor for us. Kan-E-Senna: Though we Gridanians have no love for war, we have still less for those who would threaten our way of life. Ever have we fought to protect the sanctity of the Twelveswood. Kan-E-Senna: When the Garlean Empire brought its war of conquest to Eorzea, we rallied under the noble standard of the Twin Adder, that we might push back the encroaching darkness. Kan-E-Senna: And it was we who prepared the ground for the reformation of the Eorzean Alliance, that all the peoples of this realm might stand united against the common threat. Kan-E-Senna: Five years ago, the Alliance met the armies of the Empire upon the fields of Carteneau. Kan-E-Senna: It would prove the bloodiest battle in recent memory. Countless Gridanian lives were lost. Kan-E-Senna: As supreme commander of the Order of the Twin Adder, ever shall I bear the weight of our people's sacrifice. Kan-E-Senna: Alas, their loss was not the only tragedy to befall us that day, for soon came the Calamity. Kan-E-Senna: The scars borne by our forest are a constant reminder of its violence. Our lives have been irrevocably changed, each waking hour a struggle to survive. Kan-E-Senna: Driven to desperation, some among us have strayed from the path of righteousness, resorting to banditry, poaching, and other unconscionable deeds. Kan-E-Senna: To compound our woes, the Ixal have returned in force, emboldened by our suffering. They test our defenses nigh without cease, and prey upon the vulnerable. Kan-E-Senna: So beleaguered from within and without, it is of little wonder that our unity now falters. Dark times are upon us. ???: Time was, a man could walk the highroads without fear. ???: A pox on the bloody Ixal! Kan-E-Senna: On this day, five years ago, countless Eorzeans laid down their lives that we might behold another dawn. Please join with me in honoring their memory. Cynical Girl (Alisaie): And how do you propose to honor the memory of those you cannot remember, pray tell? Kan-E-Senna: The destruction wrought by the Calamity was indiscriminate─it dealt death to Eorzean and Garlean alike. Kan-E-Senna: Yet while we have labored to rebuild our homes─to rebuild our lives─the Empire has set about raising steel fortresses here in the Twelveswood. Kan-E-Senna: Let none be mistaken─the Garleans remain the greatest threat to our survival. If we are to stand against them, we must remember what it is to be united. Kan-E-Senna: Our many troubles blind us to the woes of our fellow man. Thence is harmony lost. Yet harmony is the founding principle of Gridania. Kan-E-Senna: We are gathered here to honor the fallen. Kan-E-Senna: Let them be honored not only in word and thought, but through concerted action! Kan-E-Senna: I bid you join hands with me once more beneath the Twin Adder standard! Kan-E-Senna: And together, let us heal the forest's wounds, that our progeny might live in harmony beneath these ancient boughs. For serenity, purity, and sanctity! ???: We must think of the children! ???: Wood's will be done! ???: It's up to us to protect the forest. ???: For the elementals! Alphinaud: If you'll permit me. Alphinaud. Alphinaud: ...And my sister, Alisaie, at your service. Alphinaud: I saw at a glance that you were a fellow traveler. Alphinaud: You might call us students of history, sampling the realm's remembrances in pursuit of...enlightenment. Alphinaud: The Gridanians are unfortunate enough to have to contend with two beast tribes. Alphinaud: The Ixal are unquestionably the more troublesome, being of a naturally warlike disposition, and wont to summon their bloodthirsty primal, Garuda. Alphinaud: The sylphs, by contrast, are peaceful in nature, being mischievous rather than malevolent, and have long been on friendly terms with the Gridanians─until recently, at least. Alas, they have grown aloof, a change observed at roughly the time they summoned the primal Ramuh. Alphinaud: The Gridanians have no love for war, and they consider open conflict a last resort. Alphinaud: Though they clash with the Ixal ever more regularly, you may be assured that they do so in self-defense. As for the sylphs...they are as yet bound by a peace treaty, though one wonders how long it will be before it is broken. Alphinaud: The Twelveswood was grievously wounded during the Calamity, leaving Gridania vulnerable to attack. The people are hopeful that restoring the wood─and thereby the power of the elementals─will put an end to their woes. Yet how long will that take? Centuries, I'd wager. Alphinaud: Meanwhile, the Ixal will continue their incursions, spurred on by Garuda and her insatiable appetite for destruction. Alphinaud: Whether the Gridanians like it or not, sooner or later it will come to all-out war. And when it does, the Order of the Twin Adder will need all the help it can muster. Alphinaud: ...How valuable might the aid of a capable adventurer prove to them then? Alphinaud: Well, perhaps we will find out─if the Elder Seedseer's words fell on fertile ground...
???: Behold, 'tis the sultana, Nanamo, herself! ???: And Raubahn as well! Raubahn: Hark you, souls of flame, drawn to the bosom of the desert, where the fire burns brightest and shall rage forevermore! ???: Hurrah! ???: Raubahn! Raubahn: Where since antiquity, under the sage and judicious rule of the Ul Dynasty, we have wrought sand into gold! Raubahn: Where by the Grace and Glory of Nald'thal have our brave sons and daughters flourished and prospered─I speak of Ul'dah! Alphinaud: There, at the Flame General's back flies the Grand Company's standard. Alphinaud: Note the sigil. The golden scales of order balance the jewel of prosperity with the flame of might. Raubahn: Great and many are the gifts our nation has given the realm. Raubahn: In Eorzea's darkest hour, on the killing fields of Carteneau, none spent more in blood and gold than we. Raubahn: Thus was the VIIth Imperial Legion laid low! Alphinaud: So that's how it happened! How soon history forgets. Raubahn: Yet many left our gates, never to return. Raubahn: Let us pray for our absent brothers and sisters, that they might know happiness in the great beyond, as Thal's honored guests. Raubahn: If the fates were fair, the price we paid that day would have bought us victory. Alas, they are not. Raubahn: And now, but five years into this Seventh Umbral Era, the spirit of sacrifice which granted us our strength is all but dead. Raubahn: Look around you. What do you see? A people divided, downtrodden and enthralled! Raubahn: Where are the merciful alms of the rich? Where is the just steel of the righteous? Raubahn: I ask you: is this the great nation our brothers and sisters gave their lives to save? Raubahn: You who call this “living” dishonor the name of the Immortal Flames─it is but a slow death! Raubahn: Our enemies surround us. The savage hordes of the Amalj'aa wait beside our roads, strangling the lifelines of trade. Raubahn: Meanwhile, the Garleans make mock of our borders, and despoil our land of its natural wealth. Raubahn: We stand on a precipice...yet we do not act. Raubahn: Whether trader or soldier, Monetarist or Royalist, all must recognize that a divided Ul'dah stands to fall. Raubahn: Victory and Fortune walk hand in hand! Raubahn: Ye who seek glory and wealth! Look not to what little you can snatch from your neighbor, but to the boundless wealth of the world beyond! Raubahn: Now is the time to unite! Now is the time to ride forth! Raubahn: In the name of the sultana, I beseech you! Raubahn: Line not your own coffers, but those of the Immortal Flames! Seek not to prosper from Ul'dah, but to restore her to prosperity! Raubahn: As the realm prospers, so shall Ul'dah. As Ul'dah prospers, so shall her people! ???: Yeah, for Ul'dah! ???: Together we are one! Raubahn: Your Grace. Nanamo Ul Namo: Raubahn. Nanamo Ul Namo: People of Ul'dah! I, Nanamo, seventeenth in the line of Ul, address you. Nanamo Ul Namo: Much has been made of the wealth of Ul'dah. Nanamo Ul Namo: Yet those who measure that wealth in coins and carats are gravely deceived. Nanamo Ul Namo: For the true wealth of Ul'dah lies in the health, happiness, and hopes of her people. Nanamo Ul Namo: Beloved subjects, I bid you raise aloft the torch of Ul'dah, that her Flames might serve as a beacon for all Eorzea to see! ???: Long live Nanamo! ???: Glory to the sultana! Raubahn: For Victory and Fortune, stride fearless into the inferno, for we are by fire reborn! ???: Forsooth! ???: The time is now! ???: I believe! ???: I believe! Alphinaud: Fancy meeting you again. Alphinaud: The Ul'dahns have a long history of conflict with the Amalj'aa, the beast tribe that worships the primal Ifrit. Alphinaud: Judging by your look of distaste, I take it you have encountered them. Alphinaud: The Ul'dahns do not shy from confrontation. If aught threatens their precious prosperity, they will seek to crush it. Alphinaud: So have they dealt with Ifrit thus far, smothering his flames each time he is stoked to life. Alphinaud: Yet he is but one of several problems. Though they have been quiet these past five years, the Garleans have not gone away. Alphinaud: Meanwhile, refugees continue to arrive in droves, and Ul'dah has no clear policy on how to deal with them. Alphinaud: After all, not even the sultanate's coffers are bottomless. And even assuming they had the coin, resources will ever be finite. Alphinaud: Which brings me back to the subject of Ifrit. It has been observed that the Amalj'aa are summoning him with ever-increasing frequency. Alphinaud: Every time they do so, the Ul'dahns send their forces to smite the primal, and though they invariably succeed, each victory is bought with blood. It is a war of attrition which they cannot well sustain. Alphinaud: Small wonder, then, that the Immortal Flames are eager to recruit more members. Alphinaud: At such a desperate hour, an adventurer of your experience would be a most welcome addition to their ranks.
Zanthael: Here to attend the remembrance service? Be quick─the Admiral is due to give her address at any moment.
  • Proceed to the Stateroom?
  • Yes
  • No Zanthael: If you're not interested in attending, make way for those who are.
???: The Garleans are another matter altogether. ???: So much for our alliance. ???: It's sunk beyond the seabed. Merlwyb: Brothers and sisters of the sea, hearken unto me! Look upon this, our mighty crimson standard, and tell me your hearts do not swell with pride! Merlwyb: Seven hundred summers have come and gone since our forefathers first ran aground in this fertile bay. Merlwyb: In that time, guided by the Mother of Oceans, Limsa Lominsa has grown from humble fishing village to uncontested ruler of the five seas and beyond! Alphinaud: Did you look, as the Admiral bid you? It is a rather stirring standard, I must say. Alphinaud: The crimson field is meant to signify the blood of fallen crewmates, while the black longship represents a pirate vessel. Merlwyb: When the Garlean Empire marched upon Eorzea, we assembled beneath the Maelstrom's standard, and our Grand Company was reborn. Merlwyb: All answered the call, from the Knights of the Barracuda to Hyllfyr's Bloody Executioners, and together we met our would-be conquerors upon the field of Carteneau. Merlwyb: That day, the world bore witness to the united strength of Limsa Lominsa! Merlwyb: I swear to you─no army ever fought harder, or with more courage. Yet many of ours did not survive. Merlwyb: Join me now in remembering those who fought in the name of freedom, and fell. May their souls be returned to the sea. Alphinaud: Freedom... Yes, they have always been rather fond of their freedom. Alphinaud: Much as the beast tribes have. Small wonder─beneath the surface, one would struggle to tell them apart. Merlwyb: It has been five long years since the Calamity struck. Five long years of tireless rebuilding. Merlwyb: Yet still the wounds of the Calamity fester and weep. Merlwyb: But when I stand atop the Mizzenmast, and gaze out upon our battered and broken vessel, I see an undying spirit. Did we not build all this from the wreck of the Galadion all those centuries ago? Shall we not do so again!? Merlwyb: Yet there are those who would see this ship of ours sink beneath the waves of the restless Rhotano. Merlwyb: The Sahagin creep ashore seeking blood for their accursed god. ???: Those fishback bastards. ???: The Sahagin have risen? Merlwyb: While the mines of O'Ghomoro spew forth kobolds who push ever south, despoiling our lands as they go. Merlwyb: These savage beast tribes will be the first waves to crash against our creaking hull. Merlwyb: And behind them swells the grim tide of the Garlean Empire. Merlwyb: Even now, the curs fly their flags within our borders. Doubt not but that they will be upon us ere long. Merlwyb: We are well-nigh surrounded. Yet there are those among us who would rather turn their swords against their crewmates than our cannons against our foes. Merlwyb: How can we hope to repel our many enemies when mutiny breeds below deck? Merlwyb: There is but one course left to us! Merlwyb: One bearing that will bring us victory over the beast hordes and the Empire both, and see this ship safe to port. Merlwyb: We must mend the rift the Calamity has reopened 'twixt pirate and Maelstrom, and stand fast with our adventurer brothers against the coming tempest! Merlwyb: Mark ye well: a crew without unity is no crew at all─'tis but a mass of drowned men. Merlwyb: To me, then, brothers and sisters of the sea! Gather beneath the undying crimson standard and pledge me your strength, your skill, your wisdom! Merlwyb: And with the guidance of the Navigator, this great vessel of ours shall ride the waves till sea swallows all! ???: Love live the admiral! ???: Admiral Merlwyb! ???: Gather the lads! ???: Haha, where's me cutlass? ???: I'll follow ye to the seven hells, Admiral! Alphinaud: Fancy meeting you again. Alphinaud: As the Admiral mentioned in her address, Limsa Lominsa is plagued by two beast tribes. Alphinaud: The first are the fishlike Sahagin, worshipers of the primal Leviathan. Alphinaud: The second are the kobolds, who dwell beneath the earth, and take the primal Titan for their god. Alphinaud: As if the beast tribes' presence weren't troublesome enough, the Garleans have also chosen to erect a fortress right in the Lominsans' backyard. Alphinaud: And that is to say naught of internal strife. As a nation of pirates, there is no end to the blood feuds between the various factions. And while they fight amongst themselves, the Garleans whet their blades and watch. Alphinaud: If the Lominsans are to have any hope of withstanding the Empire, they must first resolve their own affairs. Differences must be set aside, and the primal threat dealt with once and for all. Alphinaud: To this end, I expect that they will soon take decisive action against the beast tribes. Mark my words, the Maelstrom standard will be drenched a deeper shade of crimson ere long. Alphinaud: That a capable adventurer like you would be a valuable addition to their crew is beyond question.
Minfilia: Forename, this is Minfilia. You are well, I hope? Would I be correct in thinking that the final remembrance service has now concluded? Minfilia: A moment ago, you say? What a coincidence! Minfilia: Jesting aside, I trust you remember our guests from the Grand Companies? Well, delighted though we are to have them here at the Waking Sands, it would not do to keep them in suspense any longer than necessary. In short: hurry back!
Minfilia: Welcome back, Forename. Were the Grand Company leaders' words as illuminating as you had hoped? Minfilia: Aye, each nation is beset with problems. I trust you see now why your services are in such demand. Would that there were more of you, Forename. Minfilia: But you must be tired from your journey. Why don't you rest awhile, and take a moment to reflect on your decision? Once your mind is made up, pray give the Grand Company officers your answer.
Alphinaud: The gods only know what “grand” company our adventurer friend will keep. Alphinaud: Hmph. The wheels of change are in motion regardless. Alisaie: Brother, are you certain this course is best? Alphinaud: Whatever do you mean, dear sister? Alisaie: The so-called “remembrance” ceremonies were little more than standard-waving rallies. Alisaie: ...As though the Calamity and Seventh Umbral Era warranted scarcely a mention! Alphinaud: Well, of course they were “standard-waving rallies.” Alphinaud: Since you are so observant, mayhap you noticed what mention was made of the Warriors of Light? None. Alphinaud: I suppose they must have forgotten the heroes who spared Eorzea a fate worse than the Calamity? Alphinaud: No, dear Alisaie, they haven't “forgotten” these details. They have elected to omit them. Alphinaud: Deep are the wounds the Calamity inflicted upon Eorzea. So deep, in fact, that the realm still bleeds. Alphinaud: Needless to say, the beast tribes and their primals do little to alleviate the pain. Alphinaud: So the task of salving Eorzea's wounds falls to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn─with a little help from our friends the Grand Companies. Alphinaud: Remembrance will yield no remedy. If our world is to heal, we must put the horrors of the Calamity behind us. Alisaie: Our grandfather would never entrust the fate of the realm to despots who rewrite history to their convenience! Alisaie: There must be another way to cure what ails this world─and I mean to find it! Alphinaud: You are most welcome to try. Our paths may differ, but our destination is the same. In time, I daresay we will see eye to eye. Alisaie: I should hope so. ???: M-M-My lady! ???: We are to escort you! Alphinaud: Hope does not come into it. We share the burden of this fate, dear sister, and will prevail together or not at all. Alphinaud: The salve will serve not only to close up our present wounds... Alphinaud: ...but prevent old ones from opening anew.
The Company You Keep (Maelstrom) The Maelstrom recruitment officer seems eager to welcome you to Limsa Lominsa's Grand Company.
Storm Officer: How was the Admiral's speech? Ah, but you need not explain─that you stand before me now is answer enough. You have resolved to join the Maelstrom, have you not?
  • Join the Maelstrom?
  • Yes Storm Officer: That's the spirit, lass! With allies like you, how much stronger is our crew! Let us brave the seas together, friend! Storm Officer: Now the choice is made, it is time to add your name to our rolls. Make your way to Limsa Lominsa and seek out our Grand Company's headquarters.
  • No Storm Officer: ...Well, I daresay you have your reasons. But mark me: in stormy seas, the strong of arm and stout of heart must pull together or the vessel will founder. And when a ship goes down, the passengers always share the fate of the crew. Remember that.
Storm Officer: 'Tis on the upper decks, in case you have forgotten. I will send word to our personnel officer to expect you. Storm Officer: The duties of a Maelstrom soldier can be both arduous and challenging, but I promise you: you will not regret this choice. May your passage be swift and your bearings sure.
Storm Personnel Officer: Hail, adventurer. What business have you at Maelstrom Command?
  • How will you respond?
  • My name is Forename Surname. I believe you are expecting me. Storm Personnel Officer: Forename Surname! Aye, our recruitment officer sent word of your coming. It shall be my honor to induct you into the ranks of the Maelstrom.
  • I am here to enlist, if you will have me. Storm Personnel Officer: Then well met, and welcome to the Maelstrom. I'll need a name for the roll, so─ Wait a moment. You're her, aren't you? Forename Surname! Aye, you're just as our recruitment officer described. Glad to have you aboard, friend!
Storm Personnel Officer: Now, before I can accept your oath, you must be made aware of several─ Storm Private: Sir! Storm Personnel Officer: What is it, Private? And this had better be important. Storm Private: Sir! We've received a report from a lookout in lower La Noscea, sir! Imperial forces have fired upon a Highwind Skyways airship. Storm Private: The vessel is in a bad way, sir, and appears to be banking for an emergency landing in Cedarwood. Storm Personnel Officer: Cedarwood? Damn it. We have no troops available in that area. The bulk of our infantry is bogged down on the coast, skirmishing with the fishbacks. Storm Personnel Officer: Surname─this is highly irregular, but I fear your first duty in service to the Maelstrom must needs be unofficial. Storm Personnel Officer: If our man in lower La Noscea is correct, the airship will come down in territory crawling with imperial scouts. If there are any survivors, we must reach them before the Garleans do. Storm Personnel Officer: Make haste to Cedarwood, locate the airship, and if any of its occupants are alive, make sure they come to no further harm. We'll see about swearing you in upon your return.
Airship Crewman (Biggs): An adventurer!? What're you doing out here? No, wait─let's find some cover first... Airship Crewman (Biggs): Maelstrom Command sent you? How do I know you're not an imperial spy? You don't even have a uniform! Storm Lieutenant: Be at ease, sir. We are of the Maelstrom. You're a Garlond Ironworks engineer, yes? One of our lookouts reported the attack on your craft─we're here to rescue you. Storm Lieutenant: You must be Surname. Good work on reaching our friend here before the imperials. Imperial Soldier: I've never seen a craft of this design... It must be Garlond's work. Is there no end to the man's treachery? Imperial Soldier: The secrets of magitek belong in imperial hands. They are not to be squandered on Eorzean savages! Imperial Soldier: We are taking this craft back to the fortress! Dismantle it if you must! And bring the engineer! Someone must pay for Garlond's crimes. Storm Lieutenant: ...Hm. Scouting party from Castrum Occidens, I'd say. Seems they want your ship, engineer. Airship Crewman (Biggs): Wedge! You have to help him! That fool of a Lalafell was hiding inside the Tiny Bronco! Storm Lieutenant: The Tiny Bronco? Isn't that the new design people have been whispering about? Airship Crewman (Biggs): It's the first airship we've built since the Calamity─the first since Master Garlond...well, since he went missing. Airship Crewman (Biggs): After years of work, she was finally ready for her first test flight. And she was soaring, she really was─till those bastards blasted her out of the sky! Storm Lieutenant: All right, pay attention: we're going to hit these imperials hard and fast. If they want a souvenir from Eorzea, they can have a knife in the gut, but they're not getting that ship. Oh, and...don't forget to save the Lalafell. Storm Lieutenant: What say you, Surname? Ready to give those curs a hiding? Storm Lieutenant: Like a tidal wave, lads! Charge! Imperial Soldier: An ambush! To arms!
Storm Marauder: Gut the bastards! Imperial Decurion: Keep them away from the airship! Imperial Decurion: Savages! You cannot stand against the might of the Empire! Imperial Decurion: This has gone on long enough! Imperial Decurion: Exterminate these barbarians! Teach them the futility of resistance!
Wedge: Biggs! Biggs: Wedge! You shouldn't have stayed with the ship! Wedge: Th-That was a close one! Biggs: Too damn close. So...how's she look, anyway? Wedge: The auxiliary propeller is a dead loss, but I think we can wring enough thrust from the main propeller to get us airborne. Biggs: A few minor modifications and we should be able to fly the Tiny Bronco home. Storm Lieutenant: We'll stand watch until the ship is ready to take off. The imperials will come looking for their scouts eventually, but I doubt they'll get here for a good while yet. Storm Lieutenant: Surname─you're free to return to Maelstrom Command and complete your induction. Storm Lieutenant: Ordinarily, I'd ask you to stay, but I think we'd all feel better knowing an adventurer of your ability was safely sworn in and ready for the next mission! Rest assured, I'll inform Command of the part you played today. Biggs: I, um...just wanted to say sorry...you know, for calling you an imperial spy and all that... Got that one wrong, didn't I!? Ha ha! Seriously, though─if it hadn't been for you and the Twin Adder lads there, we'd be chained up in a dungeon by now. I'm in your debt, friend─we both are. Biggs: Wedge! Wedge: Thank you! We're very grateful!
Storm Personnel Officer: Welcome back, Surname. I just heard the report. Storm Personnel Officer: You needn't be concerned about the engineers─they completed their return trip without further imperial interference. Storm Personnel Officer: ...I must admit, I had my doubts at first, but it seems the stories about you are true. Storm Personnel Officer: I look forward to seeing what else you're capable of...after you're properly inducted into the Maelstrom, of course! Storm Personnel Officer: Now, speaking of your induction...
Till Sea Swallows All The personnel officer stands ready to complete your induction into the ranks.
Storm Personnel Officer: Let us start afresh, shall we? Storm Personnel Officer: You are welcome here, Forename Surname. That such as well-respected adventurer would choose to join our ranks is most heartening. Before you swear your allegiance to us, however, it is only right that I tell you exactly what it is that you will be joining. Storm Personnel Officer: A Grand Company is more than simply a collection of soldiers. It is an all-encompassing organization which draws upon the resources of an entire city-state to form a united military force capable of standing against a nation's deadliest enemies. Storm Personnel Officer: We of the Maelstrom are charged with meeting the threats posed by the primals and the Garlean Empire, and solving the many problems caused by the Calamity. Storm Personnel Officer: Every man and woman who serves under our colors has a role to play in keeping the great warship that is Limsa Lominsa afloat, and on whatever heading Chief Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn sees fit to set. Storm Personnel Officer: As part of the grand vessel's crew, you will be expected to take your turn at the oars—for the winds do not look favorable, lass, and strength of arm may be all that sees us safe to port. Storm Personnel Officer: ...If I've lost you with talk of ship and oar, let me put it another way: a Maelstrom soldier labors till her last breath, fights till her last drop of blood. We give our all in service to this nation, and no less is expected of you. Storm Personnel Officer: Surname—it is customary for new recruits to swear an oath of their own choosing upon entering the Maelstrom's ranks. Is there aught you'd like to say?
  • What oath will you swear?
  • You have my sword till sea swallows all! Storm Personnel Officer: And I've no doubt we'll need it! Keep your weapons close to hand, lass.
  • What skills I have are yours, till sea swallows all! Storm Personnel Officer: Ah yes, the many and varied skills of the adventurer! I've no doubt that your travels have furnished you with such knowledge as will prove invaluable to our cause.
  • I will follow the Admiral to the very bottom of the abyss! Storm Personnel Officer: As would we all! A capable crew is one thing, but unswerving loyalty is a trait that cannot be trained or bought. Well said, lass.
  • ... Storm Personnel Officer: No love for grandiose proclamations, eh? Ha! Such silent resolve is not uncommon among the brothers and sisters of the sea.
Storm Personnel Officer: Forename Surname, I hereby assign you the rank of storm private third class. You are now officially a soldier of the Maelstrom. Storm Personnel Officer: Welcome aboard, Private. May you serve Limsa Lominsa well, till sea swallows all. Minfilia: Can you hear me, Forename? This is Minfilia. Minfilia: An officer of the Order of the Maelstrom contacted me with news of your enlistment. My congratulations, Private Surname. Minfilia: I have no doubt that you are eager to make the acquaintance of your new comrades, but I would ask that you pay a visit to your old ones first. Remember: though you are now a woman of the Storm, you are no less a Scion! Pray return to the Waking Sands at your earliest convenience. There are some friends here whom I would very much like you to meet. We shall be waiting! Storm Personnel Officer: No rest for the wicked, eh? Storm Personnel Officer: Before you make yourself scarce, I recommend having a word with Commander Rhiki. Might be worth your while...
Scion of the Seventh Dawn: Welcome back, Forename! Lady Minfilia awaits you within.
Minfilia: Welcome back! It seems you wasted no time putting your skills to work! Minfilia: How do I know? Why, the recruitment officer called to regale me with the tale of your heroics. The pride in his voice was palpable! Minfilia: We Scions are truly fortunate to have you with us, Forename. Minfilia: Now, when last we spoke, I said that I wanted you to meet some friends, did I not? Well, I neglected to mention that you have already met. Minfilia: Tataru─please show them in. Tataru: This way, sirs! Biggs: Thanks again for getting us out of that mess. We owe you our lives. Biggs: But I don't think we've properly introduced ourselves. I'm Biggs. Wedge: A-And I'm...I'm... Biggs: Gods, man, spit it out, will you!? Wedge: W-Wedge, at your service! Minfilia: I am pleased to say that Biggs and Wedge will be staying with us for a while. Minfilia: Magitek-driven contraptions such as airships grow ever more vital to the city-states of Eorzea. As a neutral party, it was judged that we Scions should serve as the keepers of this technology. Minfilia: Of course, for this we needed the knowledge of experts. And so we requested the assistance of Garlond Ironworks, who very kindly sent us two of their finest engineers. Minfilia: Our happy family continues to grow. On behalf of the Scions, I bid you welcome to the Waking Sands! Minfilia: Like every soul here, I love Eorzea. Minfilia: And I count myself blessed to have been given this chance to stand with you all and fight for the future of the realm. Minfilia: Never have I known such fulfillment─such happiness.
The Company You Keep (Twin Adder) The Twin Adder recruitment officer seems eager to welcome you to Gridania's Grand Company.
Serpent Officer: Ah, I take it the Elder Seedseer's words have touched your heart. Have you resolved to entwine your destiny with that of the Twin Adder?
  • Join the Order of the Twin Adder?
  • Yes Serpent Officer: You have chosen wisely, my friend! The Elder Seedseer will be overjoyed! Serpent Officer: Without further ado, let us speak of practical matters. In order to complete the enrollment procedure, you must report to the Adders' Nest.
  • No Serpent Officer: Ah...forgive me. In my eagerness to embrace you as a sister, I mistook your intention.
Serpent Officer: I daresay you know it well from your wanderings in New Gridania. Give your name to the personnel officer there, and he will guide you through the formalities. Serpent Officer: I have no doubt but that your deeds will bring great honor to our order. When next we meet in Gridania, I shall be proud to call you sister!
Serpent Personnel Officer: You are come to the Adders' Nest, headquarters of the Order of the Twin Adder. Ever do we welcome they who would toil in the elementals' name for the good of our forest nation.
  • How will you respond?
  • My name is Forename Surname. I believe you are expecting me. Serpent Personnel Officer: Ah, the great adventurer herself! Yes, our recruitment officer sent word that you were on your way. It is a pleasure and an honor both to welcome you to our ranks, friend.
  • I am here to enlist, if you will have me. Serpent Personnel Officer: Ah! Might you be Forename Surname? I thought as much! Our recruitment officer sent word that you would coming. It is a pleasure and an honor both to welcome you to our ranks.
Serpent Personnel Officer: Now, let me gather together the relevant documentation... Serpent Private: Sir! Serpent Personnel Officer: What is it? Report. Serpent Private: An urgent message from Amarissaix's Spire, sir! A Highwind Skyways airship has taken fire from imperial forces in the skies over the East Shroud! Serpent Private: The vessel's engines were crippled, sir, and it was forced to make an emergency landing southeast of Nine Ivies. Serpent Personnel Officer: Nine Ivies? Gods, this could not have come at a worse time. All but a handful of our forces are presently afield, dealing with the Ixal. Serpent Personnel Officer: Forename─I know full well you have yet to be formally inducted into our ranks, but we have urgent need of your aid. Serpent Personnel Officer: In all likelihood, the airship was bearing civilians, and if the reports are accurate, it will have come down dangerously close to Garlean-occupied territory. Serpent Personnel Officer: Please make all haste to the area southeast of Nine Ivies, locate the airship, and ascertain the status of the passengers.
Airship Crewman (Biggs): An adventurer!? What're you doing out here? No, wait─let's find some cover first... Airship Crewman (Biggs): The Adders' Nest sent you? How do I know you're not an imperial spy? You don't even have a uniform! Serpent Lieutenant: Peace, friend─we mean you no harm. You are an engineer of Garlond Ironworks, are you not? We were alerted to your plight, and have come to rescue you. Serpent Lieutenant: And you are Forename Surname, I presume. I was told to expect an “honorary” Serpent. My thanks for your aid, friend. Imperial Soldier: I've never seen a craft of this design... It must be Garlond's work. Is there no end to the man's treachery? Imperial Soldier: The secrets of magitek belong in imperial hands. They are not to be squandered on Eorzean savages! Imperial Soldier: We are taking this craft back to the fortress! Dismantle it if you must! And bring the engineer! Someone must pay for Garlond's crimes. Serpent Lieutenant: Imperial scouts from Castrum Oriens. They mean to requisition the ship. Airship Crewman (Biggs): Wedge! You have to help him! That fool of a Lalafell was hiding inside the Tiny Bronco! Serpent Lieutenant: The Tiny Bronco? But isn't that the Ironworks' latest creation!? Airship Crewman (Biggs): It's the first airship we've built since the Calamity─the first since Master Garlond...well, since he went missing. Airship Crewman (Biggs): After years of work, she was finally ready for her first test flight. And she was soaring, she really was─till those bastards blasted her out of the sky! Serpent Lieutenant: Attend me, all: the Ironworks' latest creation must not fall into Garlean hands. We shall strike them, swift and sure, and rescue Engineer Wedge. Serpent Lieutenant: Forename, I trust we can rely on your support. Serpent Lieutenant: May the Matron watch over us! With me! Imperial Soldier: An ambush! To arms!
Serpent Gladiator: Leave none standing! Imperial Decurion: Keep them away from the airship! Imperial Decurion: Savages! You cannot stand against the might of the Empire! Imperial Decurion: This has gone on long enough! Imperial Decurion: Annihilate these barbarians! Teach them the futility of resistance!
Wedge: Biggs! Biggs: Wedge! You shouldn't have stayed with the ship! Wedge: Th-That was a close one! Biggs: Too damn close. So...how's she look, anyway? Wedge: The auxiliary propeller is a dead loss, but I think we can wring enough thrust from the main propeller to get us airborne. Biggs: A few minor modifications and we should be able to fly the Tiny Bronco home. Serpent Lieutenant: While you do your work, we shall keep watch over the perimeter. The enemy may yet be lurking nearby. Serpent Lieutenant: As for you, Forename, you have more than done your part today. I bid you return to the Adders' Nest and complete your enlistment. Serpent Lieutenant: I pray there will be no further interruptions. When next we meet, let it be as fellow Serpents of the Order! Biggs: I, um...just wanted to say sorry...you know, for calling you an imperial spy and all that... Got that one wrong, didn't I!? Ha ha! Seriously, though─if it hadn't been for you and the Twin Adder lads there, we'd be chained up in a dungeon by now. I'm in your debt, friend─we both are. Biggs: Wedge! Wedge: Thank you! We're very grateful!
Serpent Personnel Officer: Forename! It does my spirit well to see you returned! Serpent Personnel Officer: Word arrived but moments ago from the team at Nine Ivies. Lest you worry, the two engineers are safely on their way. Serpent Personnel Officer: The lieutenant informs me that you were instrumental in the mission's success. Had you not found Engineer Biggs when you did, and helped us to rout the Garleans, things might have been very different. Serpent Personnel Officer: And all this before you were even inducted into the Order! You are well on your way to carving out a fine career for yourself beneath the Twin Adder standard. Serpent Personnel Officer: But without further ado, let us see to your induction. Twelve willing, there won't be any further interruptions.
Wood's Will Be Done The personnel officer stands ready to complete your induction into the ranks.
Serpent Personnel Officer: Protocol requires that I apprise you of who we are and what we do, after which I will invite you to swear an oath of your own free will. Ahem! Serpent Personnel Officer: The Order of the Twin Adder is the Grand Company of Gridania. Serpent Personnel Officer: It brings together the martial, economic, and technological resources of our nation, that we might stand strong in times of direst adversity, when our very survival hangs in the balance. Serpent Personnel Officer: Our order was formed in the days before the Calamity, in readiness to fight the Garlean Empire, and to combat the beast tribes and their primals. Needless to say, our struggle continues to this day. Serpent Personnel Officer: Elder Seedseer Kan-E-Senna is the supreme commander of our forces. Under her wise leadership, we protect the people of Gridania and the sanctity of the Twelveswood. Serpent Personnel Officer: As the entwined serpents that grace our standard, let forestborn strive as one with friends from afar to ensure that peace shall ever reign in Gridania. Serpent Personnel Officer: In so doing, we honor the will of the elementals, and theirs is the will of the wood. Serpent Personnel Officer: Now then, Forename Surname, I ask that you give unto us your oath of allegiance, in whatever fashion you see fit.
  • What oath will you swear?
  • Wood's will be done! Serpent Personnel Officer: So you know the words of our Grand Company. That is well. Bound by this common belief, let us strive to preserve all that is good in this great nation.
  • I shall strike down our enemies and drink of their blood! Serpent Personnel Officer: Uh...quite. Your fervor is duly noted. May it lend you strength as you strive to preserve all that is good in this great nation.
  • My life for the Elder Seedseer! Serpent Personnel Officer: The Elder Seedseer is a kind and gentle soul who holds the welfare of her people above all else. Your faith in her is well placed.
  • ... Serpent Personnel Officer: The elementals need not words to know your heart, and there is no doubt in mine own that you will prove a stalwart servant to them.
Serpent Personnel Officer: By the power vested in me, I assign you the rank of serpent private third class. Serpent Personnel Officer: You are now a woman of the Order of the Twin Adder. Go forth, Private Surname, and do that which brings peace to the Twelveswood and honor to our name. Minfilia: Can you hear me, Forename? This is Minfilia. Minfilia: An officer of the Order of the Twin Adder contacted me with news of your enlistment. My congratulations, Private Surname. Minfilia: I have no doubt that you are eager to make the acquaintance of your new comrades, but I would ask that you pay a visit to your old ones first. Remember: though you are now a Serpent of Gridania, you are no less a Scion! Pray return to the Waking Sands at your earliest convenience. There are some friends here whom I would very much like you to meet. We shall be waiting! Serpent Personnel Officer: The distant call of a friend in need, perhaps? Serpent Personnel Officer: As you are needed elsewhere, I shall not keep you any longer. I would, however, suggest speaking with High Serpent Commander Vorsaile Heuloix before you depart. He may provide you with assistance on the journey ahead.
Scion of the Seventh Dawn: Welcome back, Forename! Lady Minfilia awaits you within.
Minfilia: Welcome back! It seems you wasted no time putting your skills to work! Minfilia: How do I know? Why, the recruitment officer called to regale me with the tale of your heroics. The pride in his voice was palpable! Minfilia: We Scions are truly fortunate to have you with us, Forename. Minfilia: Now, when last we spoke, I said that I wanted you to meet some friends, did I not? Well, I neglected to mention that you have already met. Minfilia: Tataru─please show them in. Tataru: This way, sirs! Biggs: Thanks again for getting us out of that mess. We owe you our lives. Biggs: But I don't think we've properly introduced ourselves. I'm Biggs. Wedge: A-And I'm...I'm... Biggs: Gods, man, spit it out, will you!? Wedge: W-Wedge, at your service! Minfilia: I am pleased to say that Biggs and Wedge will be staying with us for a while. Minfilia: Magitek-driven contraptions such as airships grow ever more vital to the city-states of Eorzea. As a neutral party, it was judged that we Scions should serve as the keepers of this technology. Minfilia: Of course, for this we needed the knowledge of experts. And so we requested the assistance of Garlond Ironworks, who very kindly sent us two of their finest engineers. Minfilia: Our happy family continues to grow. On behalf of the Scions, I bid you welcome to the Waking Sands! Minfilia: Like every soul here, I love Eorzea. Minfilia: And I count myself blessed to have been given this chance to stand with you all and fight for the future of the realm. Minfilia: Never have I known such fulfillment─such happiness.
The Company You Keep (Immortal Flames) The Immortal Flames recruitment officer seems eager to welcome you to Ul'dah's Grand Company.
Flame Officer: Welcome back, adventurer! I take it General Raubahn's words kindled a fire within you?
  • Join the Immortal Flames?
  • Yes Flame Officer: Excellent! I feared that the incident with the traitor may have soured your opinion of us. It gladdens me to see that isn't the case. Flame Officer: But before we can count you as one of our own, you must be formally inducted into our ranks.
  • No Flame Officer: What? You cannot seriously be considering joining another Grand Company! Why, they are not nearly as grand as ours!
Flame Officer: Please proceed to the Hall of Flames on Ul'dah's Merchant Strip and identify yourself to the personnel officer. I will notify him of your coming. Flame Officer: With your strength joined to ours, we shall surely prevail over our enemies, be they beastmen or imperials.
Flame Personnel Officer: What brings you to the Hall of Flames this evening, adventurer?
  • How will you respond?
  • My name is Forename Surname. I believe you are expecting me. Flame Personnel Officer: Ah, I thought as much! You are just as our man at the Waking Sands described! It is an honor to meet you, madam!
  • I am here to enlist, if you will have me. Flame Personnel Officer: Is that so? Well then, I must ask you for your name. Ah, but let me guess. It is Forename Surname, is it not? Yes, you are just as our man at the Waking Sands described. Thank you for electing to join us.
Flame Personnel Officer: Now, in order to formalize your─ Flame Private: Sir! Flame Personnel Officer: Speak, Private. Flame Private: Imperials, sir! They've fired on a Highwind Skyways airship! Flame Private: Scouts say she's coming down to the west, near Horizon's Edge! Flame Personnel Officer: Bloody hells! Of all the times for this to happen! Flame Personnel Officer: Forename, there's no time for formalities! The Immortal Flames need your help now! Flame Personnel Officer: We're in the midst of a large-scale operation against the Amalj'aa, and we have no one to spare in western Thanalan. You must get to that ship before the Garleans do! Flame Personnel Officer: If there are any survivors, see that they do not come to further harm. Now go!
Airship Crewman (Biggs): An adventurer? What're you doing out here? No, wait─let's find some cover first... Airship Crewman (Biggs): The Immortal Flames sent you? How do I know you're not an imperial spy? You don't even have a uniform! Flame Lieutenant: Are you all right, sir? Our scouts reported the attack on your craft. We've come to rescue you. Flame Lieutenant: Forename Surname, yes? Glad to have you with us. Imperial Soldier: I have not seen a craft of this design before... That traitor Garlond has been busy. Imperial Soldier: The secrets of magitek are ours by right. They are not to be squandered upon the savages of this land. Imperial Soldier: We are taking this craft back to the fortress! Dismantle it if you must! And bring the engineer! Someone must pay for Garlond's crimes. Flame Lieutenant: They mean to take the ship back to Castrum Meridianum, along with your friend. Airship Crewman (Biggs): Wedge! You have to help him! That fool of a Lalafell was hiding inside the Tiny Bronco! Flame Lieutenant: Nice-looking ship—though not the best place to have taken shelter, I agree. Airship Crewman (Biggs): It's the first airship we've built since the Calamity─the first since Master Garlond...well, since he went missing. Airship Crewman (Biggs): After years of work, she was finally ready for her first test flight. And she was soaring, she really was─till those bastards blasted her out of the sky! Serpent Lieutenant: We attack on my command. Kill them quickly, and save the Lalafell if possible. Serpent Lieutenant: Is that clear, Forename? Serpent Lieutenant: Show them what becomes of those who play with fire! Charge! Imperial Soldier: We're under attack! To arms!
Flame Gladiator: Give them no quarter, Flames! Imperial Decurion: Defend the airship! Kill the savages! Imperial Decurion: What are you doing? Kill them, I said! Imperial Decurion: Where's that bloody vanguard? We need it NOW! Imperial Decurion: Hahaha! Show them no mercy!
Wedge: Biggs! Biggs: Wedge! You shouldn't have stayed with the ship! Wedge: Th-That was a close one! Biggs: Too damn close. So...how's she look, anyway? Wedge: The auxiliary propeller is a dead loss, but I think we can wring enough thrust from the main propeller to get us airborne. Biggs: A few minor modifications and we should be able to fly the Tiny Bronco home. Flame Lieutenant: The imperials will come looking for their scouts, but we can defend this position until the engineers leave. Flame Lieutenant: You should go, Forename. You still have unfinished business to attend to at the Hall of Flames. Flame Lieutenant: You're not quite one of us yet, though anyone who'd seen you in action today would be forgiven for thinking otherwise. Biggs: I, um...just wanted to say sorry...you know, for calling you an imperial spy and all that... Got that one wrong, didn't I!? Ha ha! Seriously, though─if it hadn't been for you and the Twin Adder lads there, we'd be chained up in a dungeon by now. I'm in your debt, friend─we both are. Biggs: Wedge! Wedge: Thank you! We're very grateful!
Flame Personnel Officer: Welcome back, Forename. Word of your deeds in the field reached me not long ago. Exemplary service! Flame Personnel Officer: Rest assured that the Garlond Ironworks engineers are fine. They were able to get their vessel back in the air before imperial reinforcements arrived. Flame Personnel Officer: Your willingness to assist us on such short notice is to be commended. Clearly, your reputation is well deserved. Flame Personnel Officer: Now then, I believe we have some unfinished business. Flame Personnel Officer: Shall we continue from where we left off and induct you into the Immortal Flames?
For Coin and Country The personnel officer stands ready to complete your induction into the ranks.
Flame Personnel Officer: Are you ready, Forename? Then let us begin. Flame Personnel Officer: Forename Surname—you stand poised to enter a sacred trust. Flame Personnel Officer: The Flames of Ul'dah burn bright, casting light where there is dark and purging evil wheresoever it lurks. Flame Personnel Officer: We are ever ready to meet the nation's enemies in battle, be they beastmen, Galreans, or worse. Flame Personnel Officer: And at a word from Flame General Raubahn Aldynn, we would gladly lay down our lives to maintain the peace and prosperity of Ul'dah. Flame Personnel Officer: To join our ranks, you must forsake all other nations. Only then may you commit yourself to the fire and be reborn as an Immortal Flame. Flame Personnel Officer: Burn as one of us, Forename Surname, and together we shall chase the darkness from Ul'dah! Flame Personnel Officer: Will you swear an oath to mark this occasion?
  • What oath will you swear?
  • My sword belongs to Ul'dah! Flame Personnel Officer: Spoken like a soldier! You'll do well here.
  • What skills I have belong now to Ul'dah! Flame Personnel Officer: And Ul'dah will have need of them in the days ahead. The knowledge and experience of well-traveled adventurers are valuable assets.
  • I will follow the Flame General unto death! Flame Personnel Officer: Hah! The Flame General would lead the van in every battle if he could. 'Twouldn't surprise me if you had the chance to fight by his side one day!
  • ... Flame Personnel Officer: I take it you would rather be judged by your deeds. I respect that. We want a woman of action, not words.
Flame Personnel Officer: Very well. Your resolve is plain. Forename Surname—I hereby confer upon you the rank of flame private third class. Welcome to the Immortal Flames, Private. Flame Personnel Officer: May you fight to the last for coin and country. Minfilia: Can you hear me, Forename? This is Minfilia. Minfilia: An officer of the Order of the Immortal Flames contacted me with news of your enlistment. My congratulations, Private Surname. Minfilia: I have no doubt that you are eager to make the acquaintance of your new comrades, but I would ask that you pay a visit to your old ones first. Remember: though you are now a Flame of Ul'dah, you are no less a Scion! Pray return to the Waking Sands at your earliest convenience. There are some friends here whom I would very much like you to meet. We shall be waiting! Flame Personnel Officer: It seems your presence is required elsewhere. Flame Personnel Officer: But before you leave, perhaps you could find a moment to speak with Commander Swift. He is not one to see new recruits go into the field unprepared.
Scion of the Seventh Dawn: Welcome back, Forename! Lady Minfilia awaits you within.
Minfilia: Welcome back! It seems you wasted no time putting your skills to work! Minfilia: How do I know? Why, the recruitment officer called to regale me with the tale of your heroics. The pride in his voice was palpable! Minfilia: We Scions are truly fortunate to have you with us, Forename. Minfilia: Now, when last we spoke, I said that I wanted you to meet some friends, did I not? Well, I neglected to mention that you have already met. Minfilia: Tataru─please show them in. Tataru: This way, sirs! Biggs: Thanks again for getting us out of that mess. We owe you our lives. Biggs: But I don't think we've properly introduced ourselves. I'm Biggs. Wedge: A-And I'm...I'm... Biggs: Gods, man, spit it out, will you!? Wedge: W-Wedge, at your service! Minfilia: I am pleased to say that Biggs and Wedge will be staying with us for a while. Minfilia: Magitek-driven contraptions such as airships grow ever more vital to the city-states of Eorzea. As a neutral party, it was judged that we Scions should serve as the keepers of this technology. Minfilia: Of course, for this we needed the knowledge of experts. And so we requested the assistance of Garlond Ironworks, who very kindly sent us two of their finest engineers. Minfilia: Our happy family continues to grow. On behalf of the Scions, I bid you welcome to the Waking Sands! Minfilia: Like every soul here, I love Eorzea. Minfilia: And I count myself blessed to have been given this chance to stand with you all and fight for the future of the realm. Minfilia: Never have I known such fulfillment─such happiness.
Sylph-management Minfilia needs you to investigate the sylphs.
Minfilia: Now, having set aside the formalities... Minfilia: ...We have a favor to ask of you. Minfilia: Urianger. Have the documents arrived from the Students of Baldesion? Urianger: Aye, my lady, they arrived but recently. Minfilia: We have conducted a study at the behest of the Order of the Twin Adder. Minfilia: Papalymo, Yda─a synopsis, if you would. Papalymo: Our task was to survey the behavior of the sylphs, a beast tribe indigenous to the Twelveswood. Yda (Lyse): Oh, how to describe them... They look like...gysahl greens? Floating ones! That worship the primal Ramuh. Papalymo: Ahem. Though technically a “beast tribe,” sylphs are blessed with a comparatively personable demeanor, conducive to peaceful communication. Minfilia: Offering us an invaluable opportunity to learn what the beast tribes know of the primals. Papalymo: While Ramuh's existence is well documented, the sylphs do not─or perhaps, can not─summon the primal any longer, insofar as can be ascertained. Until such time as we know... Papalymo: ...It would be unwise to assume that the threat posed by the primal has passed. Yda (Lyse): Which leaves Gridania with the added worry of not knowing what they should be worrying about! Papalymo: In that regard, they are hardly alone. What we can say with absolute certainty is that Gridania has its hands full fending off Garuda. Papalymo: Who, I need hardly remind you, is among the most savage and terrible of all known primals. Minfilia: In short, it is essential that we approach the sylphs in as diplomatic a manner as possible. Minfilia: Words and actions can be misconstrued. The only sure way to communicate our intentions is the Echo. Minfilia: Winning the sylphs' favor may well bring us a step closer to mitigating the threat of the primals. Will you help us? Minfilia: I am grateful. Thancred (Lahabrea): Lovely! Well, as much as I'd like to help, I'm afraid I would be of little use to anyone in Gridania. A veritable babe in the woods. Thancred (Lahabrea): Yda and Papalymo, however, should be able to see the forest for the trees. Is that not so, Minfilia? Minfilia: Indeed. You are willing? Yda (Lyse): Leave it to me! Papalymo: Us, Yda. Us!
Vorsaile Heuloix: We know far too little of the sylphs to lay any worthwhile plans. We must call upon the Scions once more if we are to─ Vorsaile Heuloix: Ah, beg pardons. 'Tis a terrible habit of mine to think aloud. But tell me, what brings you to the Adders' Nest?
We Come in Peace Commander Vorsaile Heuloix has been awaiting the aid of the Scions.
Vorsaile Heuloix: Hail, adventurer. I bid you welcome to the Adders' Nest. Do you seek to entwine your destiny with the Twin Adder? Yda (Lyse): Good evening, Commander! Sorry to disappoint you, but other business brings us here today. Vorsaile Heuloix: Yda and Papalymo, always a pleasure to see the two of you. My men tell me you quest in the name of the Scions of late. Papalymo: Quite so, Commander. A little bird told us that the Twin Adder was in need of our adventuring prowess. Vorsaile Heuloix: Aye, your little bird sings true. No doubt you've heard that we're investigating the sylphs─that curious beast tribe that calls the depths of the Twelveswood home. Vorsaile Heuloix: The sylphs are, for the most part, a peaceable bunch─much to the delight of the Elder Seedseer, who has no desire to see her people embroiled in yet another fruitless war. Vorsaile Heuloix: The Twin Adder is of the same mind, and 'tis precisely for this reason that the sylphs' relation to the primal Ramuh has raised a flag of warning amongst our ranks. Vorsaile Heuloix: Friendly as they may appear, beastmen will be beastmen. Vorsaile Heuloix: Should there be even a sliver of a chance that the summoning of the primal might disturb the balance between Gridania and the sylphic tribes, it is a possibility we cannot ignore. Papalymo: Better to be safe than sorry, indeed. Vorsaile Heuloix: Do we strike at Ramuh, or leave the sylphs to their own ways? That is the question, yet I find myself lacking ample knowledge to arrive at an answer. Vorsaile Heuloix: Opinions abound within Gridania, but to listen only to one's own is among the greatest mistakes a commander can make. Vorsaile Heuloix: I would hear from the other side─the sylphs themselves─and seek an impartial party to serve as my liaison. That is where you Scions come in. Vorsaile Heuloix: The sylphs of Little Solace remain untempered, and have held many a productive dialogue with our people. I would hear their candid thoughts on their tempered brethren. Vorsaile Heuloix: That said, I urge you to exercise due caution. Sylphic tradition and etiquette bear little resemblance to our own. It would not do to have any cross-cultural faux pas get in the way of a productive parley. Vorsaile Heuloix: En route to Little Solace, you will come upon the Hawthorne Hut. Our officer stationed there can enlighten you as to how to win the sylphs' favor. May your expedition be a worthwhile one. Papalymo: A friendly palaver with the sylphs? This should be a pleasant enough diversion. Papalymo: The Hawthorne Hut, was it? Why, I believe the ferry departing from Westshore Pier should take us straight there. Yda (Lyse): A friendly palaver, indeed! I hope this will be as straightforward as you say, Papalymo.
Mitainie: Aye, the ferry docked at the base of this hill will carry you across the lake to the East Shroud. Mitainie: Once you're ashore, head due east and you should find the Hawthorne Hut without much trouble.
Amelain: Indeed, I am Amelain of the Twin Adder. I understand you're here to learn of the sylphs, yes? Amelain: For all their whimsy, they are a wary lot. Particularly since the Empire has come to the Shroud. Amelain: Earn their trust, however, and they're as friendly as any folk. They have their quirks, but so do we all, no? Amelain: Would you know more, you'd do well to speak with the master of this hut, Rolfe. He's forgotten more about the sylphs than I'll ever know.
Sylphic Studies Rolfe Hawthorne, patriarch of the beekeeping Hawthorne family, is said to be well versed in sylphic customs.
Rolfe Hawthorne: Come to learn a thing or two about the sylphs, have you? I'll tell you one thing, they're a peculiar folk. How peculiar, you ask? Well, just let me tell you! Rolfe Hawthorne: They're... They're... Er... <sigh> Beg pardon, friend. My memory's just not what it used to be. I've seen much and more in my adventuring days, and it's all a clutter in my noggin now. Though, I've shared my stories with those around the hut before. You might have more luck with them.
Ysabel Hawthorne: The sylphs? Yes, Father's told me his stories plenty of times. What I've always found most captivating is how their concept of etiquette is almost completely alien to our own. Ysabel Hawthorne: You'd do best not to underestimate them on account of their childlike looks, lest your face end up a mess of glyphs, squiggles, and chocobo scratches. Tee hee!
Blaisette: The quickest way to a Quiverwoman's heart might be through her stomach, but don't even think of trying to foist your foodstuffs on a sylph. They sustain themselves simply by bathing in the sun, or so Rolfe once told me.
Monne: The sylphs? Inveterate tricksters and troublemakers, that's what they are! One day they're drawing morbol faces on our masks, the next they're sending our young sentries falling to the bottom of a ravine! Monne: Tell them to stop and they just laugh at you. Rolfe claims they harbor no ill will, but I daresay such pranks are no laughing matter.
Rolfe Hawthorne: Oh, of course, of course! Hearing your stories─well, my stories─has brought the memories flooding back to me. I feel...I feel like dancing! Rolfe Hawthorne: Yes, nothing brings people together quite like a little toe-tapping. A sylph told me long ago that dancing is a time-honored greeting among their kind. You'd do well to remember this─it just may help win the favor of our forest friends.
First Impressions Rolfe Hawthorne would share further knowledge to assist you in befriending the sylphs.
Rolfe Hawthorne: Oh, still here, eh? Great! There's one more thing you should know about the sylphs. They don't take kindly to guests who show up empty-handed. To earn their trust, you'd do well to bring along a...a... Uh... Rolfe Hawthorne: Drat! What was it, again? And my wife Rosa and I were just speaking of the matter not days ago... Rolfe Hawthorne: Forgive me, friend. Speak to Rosa at the Comb─her memory should prove more reliable than mine own.
Rosa Hawthorne: A peace offering for the sylphs? Were it anyone else, I'd recommend a jar of honey, but I fear that wouldn't get you past their front doorstep, dear. No, their tastes run more to the unusual. Rosa Hawthorne: Are you, perchance, familiar with milkroot? That's what we call the root of that most fiendish seedkin, the ochu. When chewed, it exudes a cloudy liquid that's said to induce curious visions in the imbiber. You'd not catch me dead trying the stuff, but the sylphs seem to enjoy it to no end. Rosa Hawthorne: I've not seen an ochu around the Comb in quite some time, but I did encounter a suspicious clump of grass the other day. Were you to stimulate it somehow─with some of this amber syrup, for example─you might be surprised at what comes out. Good luck.
Amber Syrup A nutrient-rich alchemic compound used to quicken seedkin growth.
Rolfe Hawthorne: Ah, you're back. Was my wife able to direct you to a suitable offering?
Milkroot The thick white sap extracted from this ochu root has the power to grant its user wondrously terrible visions.
Rolfe Hawthorne: Milkroot! But of course! Those sylphs quaff that cloudy stuff as quick as I do a flagon of mead. The effect's just about the same, as well. Rolfe Hawthorne: Anyroad, a gift of milkroot will have the sylphs calling you friend and sister the moment they lay eyes on it. Now let me wrap that up for you─I'm startin' to feel a bit woozy...
First Contact Rolfe Hawthorne has gift wrapped your offering in preparation for your journey into the sylphs' demesne.
Rolfe Hawthorne: I've taken the liberty of wrapping your milkroot well and good. This should keep it nice and fresh, not to mention spare you from that gods-awful stench. Rolfe Hawthorne: The sylphs love the stuff, but me, I'd rather bury my nose in chocobo dung. I daresay the reek even rivals the breath of the morbol that put an end to my adventuring days! Rolfe Hawthorne: But I can tell you that story another time. You've more important matters to attend to today, yes? The sylphs are an eccentric bunch, but I've shared their company enough to know they're kind at heart. They'll not shun one whose intentions are true. Rolfe Hawthorne: May your parley be a fruitful one, friend. And do stop by on your return─there's a flagon of Fullflower mead with your name on it if you'd regale me with your adventuring tales. Rolfe Hawthorne: Ah, and afore I forget, don't go traipsing off just yet. Amelain here would have a word with you. Travel in safety, friend, and do pass along my regards to the winged ones.
Amelain: It's good to see your knowledge of sylphic culture has matured. I see no reason to delay your mission any further. Amelain: Upon your arrival at Little Solace, seek out a young sylph by the name of Komuxio. He has served as an intermediary between our peoples on many an occasion, and has the close ear of his tribe's elder. Amelain: I see that Hawthorne has furnished you with some of that malodorous root the sylphs so adore. I have something of far greater import for you to deliver─a missive from the Elder Seedseer herself. Amelain: To summarize the letter's contents in brief, it vouches for the integrity of our envoy─that would be you─and restates Gridania's desire to maintain a harmonious relationship with our long-standing friends of the forest. Amelain: The war with the Ixal has taken a toll on our resources; we can ill afford to get mired in another conflict. I need not impress upon you any further the importance of this mission. May the Twelve see you return with good tidings.
Komuxio: Walking one is not familiar to this one. This one does not trust strange walking ones. Strange dancing ones might be a different story, but this one expects no such thing. Walking one should go home, and leave this one be.
Komuxio: This one would welcome walking one who moves like these ones. If walking one would talk to this one, this one will answer. This one is a busy one, so walking one should speak with quick tongue.
Komuxio: Walking one would bring gift to this one? Walking one is most kind.
Milkroot The thick white sap extracted from this ochu root has the power to grant its user wondrously terrible visions.
Letter to the Elder An important missive penned by Seedseer Kan-E-Senna and addressed to a sylph elder.
Komuxio: Walking one brings milkroot! Milkroot fills this one with great joy! Komuxio: This one gives thanks. Gives many, many thanks. Komuxio: Walking one carries message for elder one? This one will deliver the message to elder one. Walking one should not worry. Yda (Lyse): Hello there! We're envoys from Gridania, and we're here to treat with your people! Papalymo: Aye. We come to pay our respects to your elder, and to learn from him more of your Lord Ramuh. Komuxio: Who are these ones? These walking ones come from Gridania? Komuxio: Walking one became a dancing one and brought milkroot, but walking one tricks this one! This one does not like tricks! Komuxio: This one will speak no more. Elder one is busy. Walking ones should go home. Yda (Lyse): G-Go home, you say!? But the sylphs of Little Solace have always welcomed Gridanian envoys with open wings! Papalymo: The letter carried by Forename here is an oath of peace penned by the Elder Seedseer herself! Still you would refuse us? Komuxio: This one's reasons are no business of walking ones. Elder one has no words for Gridania. Walking ones waste every one's time. Yda (Lyse): Well, I never! Turned away at the gates! Whatever did we do to deserve such a rude welcome? Was Forename's jig insufficiently jiggy? Papalymo: I'm as baffled as you, but something tells me recent events have our erstwhile fluttery friends feeling uncommonly wary. It would seem we've no choice but to ask around and see how we might earn their trust.
Dance Dance Diplomacy Yda has a notion of how one might earn the sylphs' trust.
Yda (Lyse): Say, Forename. Are you in the mood for dancing? Yda (Lyse): That's right: dancing! You went through all that trouble to learn the sylphs' traditional greeting, but you've greeted hardly any of them. Yda (Lyse): Why, if I were a sylph, I'd be beside myself with delight to see an adventurer expressing an interest in my culture! Me? Of course I'd be happy to join─ow, ow! There go those bloody leg cramps of mine acting up again!
Knolexia: Oooh, walking one knows jolly dance! Jolly dance fills this one with good cheer! Let these two be friends!
Ameexia: Walking one would be a friend to these ones? This one is overjoyed! But this one keeps the ways of weaving a secret. Even if walking one learned the secret, walking one could not weave in the same way.
Dellexia: Ah, walking one is a friend to these ones! Friendly like gracious elder one of forest city. Knows how to dance into these ones' hearts!
Yda (Lyse): Forename! Would you like to hear the good news, or the better news? The good news is that your lovely dancing has brought smiles and high spirits to all of Little Solace! The better news? Why, I've thoroughly recovered from those accursed leg cramps! Onward to our next adventure!
Forest Friend Papalymo has a notion of how you might endear yourself to the sylphs of Little Solace.
Papalymo: Forename. As an adventurer, you're no stranger to helping distressed folk, I'd wager. Papalymo: Tales of good deeds are quick to spread. The adventurer who comes to the aid of the local populace can go from stranger to hero o'ernight. Papalymo: No doubt you see what I'm getting at. The sylphs who make their home in Little Solace do so having been driven from their woodland home. Surely, they have their fair share of troubles. Papalymo: Seek out troubled sylphs, and see what might be done to ease their worries. A sound plan, would you not say? Papalymo: That said, the sylphs are not known to share their worries with outsiders. You would be better off inquiring with Hearer Imedia; of the Gridanians who reside here, she is most like to be privy to the sylphs' troubles.
Imedia: Praise be to the elementals─I cannot express how happy I am to see an adventurer with a truly gentle heart. The sylphs of Little Solace are sorely in need of aid. Pray hear me out. Imedia: Being a temporary settlement, Little Solace wants for amenities, not least a stout set of defenses. Consequently, beasts from malms around are free to wander in and terrorize the hapless residents. Imedia: The ziz gorlins and gall gnats that roam these parts are especially troublesome, but slaying one of each should serve as a warning to the rest. Imedia: Furthermore, perhaps you could gather three brownie brushes as well. They play an important role in sylphic culture─I do not claim to know the details─and what with such feral beasts prowling the forests, they are not easily come by. Imedia: When you are done with the deeds, seek out Komuxio. He is slow to warm to outsiders, but your good intentions will not be lost on him. My own experience speaks to this.
Komuxio: Dancing one is still here? Dancing one can dance all day—this one's trust is not so easily earned.
Brownie Brush Legend says that Eorzea was once inhabited by a race of tiny creatures called brownies, and they would use the spores of this particular mushroom to paint their faces for battle.
Komuxio: Hm? Dancing one brings brownie brushes for this one? This one can dye thread once more. This one is pleased. Komuxio: Dancing one kills bitey, buzzy one? This one hates, hates, hates bitey, buzzy ones! Dancing one is kind... Too kind. Komuxio: Many walking ones come to these ones' abode, but few are friendly like dancing one. Perhaps this one was wrong not to trust dancing one, after all.
Presence of the Enemy Komuxio of Little Solace would entrust you with a task.
Komuxio: This one asks dancing one for forgiveness. These ones have many troubles since walking ones last came to our abode. This one must be careful. Always careful. Komuxio: But dancing one is not like other walking ones. This one can trust dancing one. This one would ask dancing one for help. Komuxio: Strange walking ones with bodies of steel come to the home of these ones. This one thinks steel ones come from Empire. Komuxio: Where Empire goes, many living ones become dead ones. Trees fall and bushes burn. These ones' home is in danger. Danger! Komuxio: This one begs of dancing one to help this one know more. Dancing one is friends with these ones and walking ones, yes? Dancing one must speak to these ones here and walking ones in hut-house and find out more. Komuxio: This one has bad feeling. This one fears steel ones are after something. But this one should speak no more. Go, dancing one. This one depends on kindness of dancing one.
Pelixia: Strange steel walking ones? Yes, this one has seen. Steel walking ones carry big boxes. Maybe walking ones hunt for shiny treasure? This one likes treasure!
Nathaxio: Shush! Shush, this one says! Steel walking ones are scary, like touched ones... This one hates scary! And scary ones have scary friends...
Monne: Men clad in strange armor? Why, now that you mention it, I did see some suspicious types of late. They were gathering deep in the forest. I simply assumed they were adventurers...
Victor: Fearsome types clad head to toe in steel, you say? Imperial soldiers, no doubt. I couldn't tell you what they're plotting, but I'm sure it's nothing good.
Komuxio: This one is happy to see dancing one return. What did dancing one learn? Komuxio: This one sees. Steel walking ones come from Empire. Carry boxes, and go walking deep, deep through trees. Komuxio: As this one thought! Steel walking ones are up to nasty, no-good things. Komuxio: This one knows forest well. Steel walking ones try to hide, but this one will find them. Komuxio: This one would borrow dancing one's map. This one makes mark─right here! This is where steel ones hide, this one knows. Dancing one will go looking for steel ones, yes?
Komuxio: Dancing one is back. This one breathes sigh of relief. This one was worried. Hm? Dancing one found something?
Quartermaster's Log A list of supplies and materiel to be delivered to a certain imperial stronghold.
Komuxio: Dancing one found paper inside of box? This is a message from Empire? Komuxio: This one can read walking ones' symbols. Message-paper has names of food and rocks. Food and rocks were inside boxes, this one knows. Komuxio: But this one does not understand. Food and rocks mentioned all come from home of these ones. How do steel walking ones know to find them? Komuxio: Is there sneaky one hiding behind this one's wings? Snooping one selling secrets to steel walking ones? Komuxio: This one fears for this one's home. But dancing one has helped this one much today. Dancing one must promise to always be friend to these ones.
Brotherly Love Komuxio is pining for a wayward friend.
Komuxio: Helpful one arrives at a good time! This one needs helpful one's help! Komuxio: One of these ones named Claxio ventured outside Little Solace alone. Alone is unsafe! Helpful one must find Claxio! Komuxio: Claxio struck west after leaving the settlement. Hurry before Claxio ends up in the belly of a beastly one!
Claxio: What? Walking one wants this one to return to Little Solace? Don't make this one laugh! Claxio: This one is weary of living with those who are not these ones. This one wants to be alone. Claxio: These ones rely on walking ones for everything. No better than those ones that summoned a primal one! Small wonder this one chose to leave! Claxio: This one thought this a likely place to build a home. But then meddling one arrives─forces this one to go deeper into the forest. Meddling one is forbidden from following this one! Away with meddling one!
Komuxio: What? Claxio refused to return to these ones, and went deeper into the forest!? Komuxio: B-But this one saw touched ones lurking in the forest! Helpful one must hurry─hurry and find Claxio! Komuxio: Helpful one should search for spools of thread on the forest floor. Those things will lead helpful one to Claxio. But hurry! Hurry, before touched ones take Claxio away!
Claxio: Meddling one is back!? This one told meddling one to be gone! Tell Komuxio that this one will never go back! Never! Claxio: T-Touched ones? Touched ones should go away too! This one is good one! Every one should just leave this one alone!!! Papalymo: Be on guard, Forename. These sylphs have been tempered―brought under the thrall of the primal Ramuh. Papalymo: Akin to the Amalj'aa tempered by Ifrit, these sylphs exist only to serve their deity. Yda (Lyse): They'll not answer to words―only steel. I take no pleasure in this, but it must be done.
Sylvan Budnapper: Claxio... These ones are your friends... Come with these ones... Serve primal one together... Claxio: No! This one is good one! Will never go with bad ones! Sylvan Budnapper: Meddling one not smart to anger this one... This one has many friends in the forest... Yda (Lyse): Hurry up, Papalymo―I can't bear this stench any longer! Papalymo: I'm doing the best I can! If we dispatch the sylphs, surely... Papalymo: A morbol!? And things were going so well... Papalymo: There's something not right about this morbol. Ignore it and focus your attacks on the sylphs! Claxio: N-No...not stinky one! Stinky one is scary! Stinky one's stink makes this one's head go spinning! Yda (Lyse): Ick! Forename―Papalymo and I can handle this beast. You take care of the sylphs!
Claxio: Th-This one is...safe? This one was so scared... Komuxio: Claxio! This one has been worried! So very worried! Is Claxio unharmed? Still in possession of wits? Claxio: K-Komuxio? And meddling one as well... Why are these two here? Komuxio: These two came to rescue Claxio! That Claxio is safe fills this one with joy! Claxio: Komuxio...forgive this one. This one did not mean to run away from Little Solace. This one was just...afraid. Claxio: These ones who live at Little Solace were changing─becoming friendly with other ones. Claxio: This one feared that these ones were forgetting who these ones are...like touched ones did. But this one was wrong. This one can see that now. Claxio: Meddling─er, helpful one. This one is grateful. This one will return to Little Solace to be with Komuxio and friendly ones. Papalymo: Well, that should see to that. What say we return to Little Solace as well? I, for one, could do with a nice, hot bath.
Komuxio: This one thought Claxio was lost forever. Helpful one saved Claxio―now these ones can be family again. Komuxio: This one has known many walking ones―even many kind walking ones―but helpful one is kindest and strongest of all. Helpful one is a hero to these ones. Komuxio: Helpful one will bring these ones and walking ones closer together―this one knows. This one would take helpful one to see elder one. Komuxio: But elder one is... Elder one is...
Spirited Away Komuxio would make a confession to you.
Komuxio: This one must ask kind one's forgiveness. This one made promise to take kind one to see elder one, yes? But this one cannot... Komuxio: This one cannot because...elder one is not here. Elder one is not anywhere. Elder one went into forest yesterday, but has not come back... Komuxio: This one is worried. Elder one often goes into forest, but never, never for this long. Kind one will help find elder one, yes? Komuxio: Near where elder one disappeared is the home of a walking one named Buscarron. Buscarron may know what happened to elder one. Komuxio: This one would talk to Buscarron...but walking ones do not always trust these ones. Would kind one talk to Buscarron for this one? Komuxio: And kind one comes from Gridania, yes? In Gridania live many kind ones, yes? Komuxio: This one begs of kind one. Please go to Gridania and ask fellow kind ones for help. And please hurry─these ones are not safe until elder one returns.
Vorsaile Heuloix: Well, if it isn't our intrepid ambassador. How fare your diplomatic efforts with the sylph tribes? Vorsaile Heuloix: Their elder's gone missing, you say!? Why, if he were to end up in the hands of the tempered ones, we'd have a crisis on our hands. Vorsaile Heuloix: You can assure the sylphs that my sharpest-eyed Serpents will be on the lookout night and day. Vorsaile Heuloix: No stone must be left unturned. I would ask you to call upon Giah Molkoh at Bentbranch Meadows and deliver the message that the Wood Wailers are needed in the search effort.
Giah Molkoh: A message from Commander Heuloix, you say? Giah Molkoh: The sylph elder has vanished? Worry not, friend─the Wood Wailers have eyes under every leaf, behind every branch. If the elder is anywhere in these forests, we shall find him.
Buscarron: Well met, adventurer! We have the finest grog and grub this side of─ Eh? Not here to fill your belly, then? Buscarron: Ahhh, a hunger for news, is it? Aye, there's been talk of a sylph lurking hereabouts, but I couldn't rightly say if it be the elder you seek. Buscarron: Those woodland scamps all look alike. Short of painting one red and another one blue, most folk would struggle to tell two of 'em apart. Buscarron: If you've the time, mayhap you could stay a while and see what the gods have in store. You never know, you might even stumble across this sylph elder yourself.
Druthers House Rules Buscarron could use an adventurer to douse a fight brewing at his establishment.
Buscarron: No word on the sylph elder yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. In the meantime, how about doing a favor for old Buscarron in return? Buscarron: Right, then, let's put you to work. There's a customer outside who's spoiling for a fight and I need you to cool him off for me. Buscarron: No need to go cracking any skulls, though. Just take this tub of cold water and douse the drunkard. Tends to do the trick. Buscarron: My patrons can swill grog all night and carouse loud enough to wake the dead if they wish, but as soon as it turns violent, I've got to put my boot down.
Mead-soaked Midlander: What are you starin' at!? You wanna keep them eyes in yer face?
Water-filled Tub The wooden tub entrusted to you at Buscarron's Druthers is now filled to the brim with cool river water.
Mead-soaked Midlander: Ugh! Nophica's teats, that's cold! What do you mean, “no fightin'”? This Duskwight scum was─ Mead-soaked Midlander: Yeah, yeah, I know the rules. That bastard gets to keep his skin...for now.
Buscarron: Nicely done, Forename. I'll not have my patrons picking fights with each other over a bit of petty prejudice. Buscarron: In case you didn't see, the bloke who caught the brunt of that outburst is a Duskwight Elezen. They're a people who shun cities to live in the wilds, making them no better than brigands in the eyes of many. Buscarron: To be fair, the Duskwights can be an unruly lot, but they ain't so bad once you get to know them. And it don't seem right to bar a whole race of people from the Druthers for the misdeeds of a few. Buscarron: There should be at least one place where anyone willing to pay the coin and drink in peace is welcome, don't you think?
Never Forget The eponymous proprietor of Buscarron's Druthers has need of an able adventurer.
Buscarron: I appreciate all the good you've done for our patrons. If you aren't disinclined, I have a favor of my own to ask you. Buscarron: There's a Qiqirn friend of mine, you see─name of Teteroon. A good lad. It was right after the Calamity that I came across him fallen in the Shroud. He nearly died in all the havoc. So, I took him in and nursed him back to health best I could. Buscarron: He worked here at my Druthers for a spell after that. Got to talking about striking out on his own, he did, and not long after cast his lot with a merchant bound for La Noscea. Buscarron: Well, it just so happens I got to cleaning up around here and came across something of his─this scarlet earring. I know he was fond of the thing, but he must have just forgotten it when he left. So, I'd like to see that it gets to him. Buscarron: Can't say for sure where he ended up, but might be a friend of mine can. A Roegadyn fellow named Baensyng. You can find him on Hawkers' Alley in Limsa Lominsa. He knows everything of the comings and goings of merchants there.
Baensyng: Ye found yer way to 'Awkers' Alley, friend. ...Hm? A Qiqirn what worked at the Druthers? Aye, ye speak of Teteroon. Baensyng: Related to that Kyokyoroon bloke just o'er there by some blood or another. Two of 'em put in together an' were makin' good coin. But ol' Teteroon up an' left Limsa not long ago. Couldn't say as to why or where. Baensyng: Yer better off askin' Kyokyoroon himself. He can be tight of lip, though, I warn ye. Best to take this chicken egg with ye. Li'l bastard loves the bloody things. Baensyng: Heh... Good to hear about ol' Busc, though. Sounds as though he ain't changed a bit. Just like him to send a 'venturer along. Too shy to come his own self. Gods, I miss drinkin' with that fool.
Kyokyoroon: Customer, be welcome! Not customer? Not come with custom? Kyokyoroon busy with business. Too busy for blather.
Fresh Chicken Egg If one were so inclined, the freshness of this egg could be checked by placing it in a container of water. Were it to lay on its side, it is almost certainly fresh. Should the egg float, however, it may be possessed by a voidsent and should be smashed with extreme prejudice.
Kyokyoroon: Chicken egg! Kyokyoroon love chicken egg! Love chicken egg more than love customer! Kyokyoroon: Looking for Teteroon? Teteroon no here no more. Teteroon leave Limsa. Teteroon go look for sparklies. Kyokyoroon: Now working at trading post. Good trading post. Forget where trading post is. Kyokyoroon: Wineburg know Teteroon. Wineburg know trading post. Wineburg at ferry docks. You go to ferry docks. Kyokyoroon: Kyokyoroon forget things. Wineburg remember things. You talk to Wineburg, not Kyokyoroon.
Wineburg: Teteroon? Aye, I seen him. That is to say, I saw him. Wineburg: He was headed somewhere up north, by way of the ferry to Aleport. Might as well head there and see what ye can suss out. The skipper here can take you there. Wineburg: When ye arrive, I'd start by askin' Ahldfoet. He's an old hand what knows a great deal about a great many things.
Ahldfoet: Teteroon? Aye, I saw him. That is to say, I seen him. Ahldfoet: He took himself north, through Skull Valley, into Oakwood. Was lookin' for a place run by his fellow Qiqirn. Ahldfoet: I reckon he meant the one right on the shore of Bronze Lake─Memeroon's Trading Post. Follow the road and yer sure to find it.
Teteroon: Customer, be welcome! Not customer? Not come with custom? Bring something for Teteroon?
Scarlet Earring A weathered brass earring fitted with a polished scarlet stone. A favorite of the forgetful Qiqirn Teteroon.
Teteroon: Teteroon forget this! Forget at Druthers. Teteroon swore would never forget earring...but never forget forgot. Teteroon thank! Teteroon thank! Teteroon: Good Buscaroon doing good? Good Buscaroon good to Teteroon. Teteroon miss good Buscaroon... <sigh>
Microbrewing Teteroon has places for you to go and thingies for you to get.
Teteroon: Good Buscaroon help Teteroon. Teteroon dead without good Buscaroon. Must give thankies. Many, many thankies. Teteroon make Qiqirn firewater for Buscaroon! Buscaroon love firewater! Teteroon: You help Teteroon make firewater? Need thingies to make. Need many, many thingies. Teteroon: Need coeurl pup whiskers. Need three good coeurl pup whiskers.
Teteroon: Teteroon make firewater for Buscaroon. You bring thingies Teteroon need?
Coeurl Pup Whisker It takes almost a full year for a coeurl to grow its first whiskers. It took less than a minute to remove it.
Teteroon: You brought all thingies! Teteroon make firewater now. Make good firewater for good Buscaroon. Teteroon: Teteroon start making firewater now. Good firewater take time. More time, more good. You come back later.
Like Fine Wine Teteroon appears to have finished his gift for Buscarron.
Teteroon: Teteroon make firewater! Good, good firewater! You take to Buscaroon. Good firewater for good Buscaroon. Teteroon: Tell Buscaroon no drink now. Tell put away one year. One year make best flavor. Teteroon: <sigh> Teteroon hopes Buscaroon happy. Teteroon gives Buscaroon thankies. Many, many thankies. You tell Buscaroon. Teteroon: Teteroon make big shop someday. Biggest shop in Eorzea. Make many, many sparklies. All thanks to good Buscaroon.
Buscarron: Ah, you've returned. Thank you for seeing Teteroon's belongings to him. ...What's this? For me?
Qiqirn Firewater A foul brew that is made by tossing various items found in the wild (both live and dead) into a barrel of water and letting the concoction ferment for a sennight under the warm sun.
Buscarron: Qiqirn firewater! So he remembers my fondness for the drink, does he? Why that old... He... I... Aw, bloody hells! Who's cutting onions back there!? Buscarron: He says to shelve it for a year, does he? Aye, that sounds about right. I hate to have to wait, but I reckon it'll be worth it. This stuff has an aroma and body unlike any other drink I know. Buscarron: It's going to be a looong year. What say you come back then, friend? We'll see if we can't make it through this bottle together.
Sylphish Concerns If Buscarron had his druthers, he'd have an adventurer with whom to share talk of sylphs.
Buscarron: There was word while you were away. Sylphs were seen in the wood, but near no lands of their own. No, this was a place near to here─a place we've never known a sylph to come. Buscarron: Something must have given them cause to venture this far. More than like, the missing sylph elder's among them. Here, I've marked the tract where they were sighted on your map. Go see if there's anything to be seen.
Buscarron: So, was there aught to be found in the wood? What did you come to─ ...Garleans!? In this part of the Twelveswood!? Buscarron: Hmmm... First sylphs and now Garleans, and all in the same place. It cannot be mere coincidence. Might the Garleans be following the sylphs? Tracking them or giving chase, mayhap? Buscarron: But no, not this far into the forest. The Wailers' spires are everywhere. Imperials could never have stolen past them all. How in the bloody hells could they─ Unless... Buscarron: Unless someone guided them through. Someone who knew where the spires stand, and when the Wailers watch. A Gridanian traitor.
Nouveau Riche Buscarron has more work for a willing adventurer.
Buscarron: I'm glad you've come, friend. There's something I want to talk to you about. You know I said I thought we might have a traitor in our midst─someone as was aiding the Garleans? Well, I'm thinking I may have identified our suspect. Buscarron: There's a regular of mine who used to dine on thin soup, and sip his pint on account of not being able to afford another. But of late, he's taken to ordering my best wines and the finest cuts of meat I can lay my hands on. Buscarron: Were he a merchant, I'd prob'ly think nothing of it, but this lad's a Wood Wailer. Buscarron: ...And Wood Wailers don't earn that kind of coin. By chance, I was musing on where the money was coming from when you first told me about the Garleans in the forest, and I couldn't help putting two and two together. Buscarron: Suffice it to say, if a Wailer's working for the Empire, none of us is safe. Buscarron: The lad I'm talking about goes by the name of Laurentius. Last I heard, he was in the South Shroud. Find him, Forename, and if he is up to no good, put an end to it─and him, if it comes to that.
Laurentius: Can you not see I am on patrol? Be gone. If you have business with the Wailers, take it to the Barracks.
Laurentius: Not long now... Hmph. To think patrol routes and rations would fetch such a price... Laurentius: No more than I deserve, though. 'Tis little wonder the Empire has risen to such heights. If only the Wailers paid men their worth... Laurentius: Y-You! What did you─? How long have you─? Help. Help! Heeelp! Laurentius: Please! Come quick, my friends! It is I, Laurentius! I am under attack!
Laurentius: How...? How did you...? You just... I-I know nothing! I was on patrol. He just appeared! I...I thought you were working for the Garleans!
Laurentius: How long do you mean to keep this up? What is it you imagine I've done? Enough! Enough, I say! Laurentius: It's... It's over, then. Aye, I sold maps and rations to the Empire. It was I. I meant no harm. I only wanted the coin. Laurentius: The Wailers are good. Strong. I was proud to join their ranks. Am proud. But... They do not provide. They preach justice, honor, duty. But in the end, it is those with money who do as they will. Who live as they will. Laurentius: ...So I sought an opportunity to change my fortunes, and took it. All I've done, I've done for money. Endangered myself, my home, everything and everyone I love... Why, my actions have put your life in danger, too... Laurentius: ...Though you do not yet realize how much. Heh heh heh! Bloody idiot─did you imagine that you had cornered me? It is not I who is cornered. Laurentius: Garleans! I've brought the Miqo'te bitch! Laurentius: Permit me a question, if you will. Are all adventurers so deluded as to believe they can challenge the power of Garlemald? Laurentius: You would need a veritable mountain of gil to fund such an endeavor! Such is the cost of fighting great power. Or of making it. Or of remaking it, as we will Gridania. Redbelly Gutter: So that's the way of it. Swapped your hard bunk at the Barracks for a feather bed in Garlemald, did ye? <spit> Redbelly Gutter: You there, Miqo'te. You stand here at ol' Busc's wish, no? Then you don't stand alone.
Legless Laurentius: You mean to stand against the might of the Empire with this Redbelly rabble at your side? Hah! Redbelly Gutter: Your eyes betray your words, coward. You know full well the Wailers fear the Wasps' sting. 3rd Cohort Decurion: After these trees drink your blood, I will see to it they are cut down and burned. Legless Laurentius: Show them what happens to those who oppose the Empire! Coeurlclaw Hunter: If this is a fight Buscarron wants won, then the Coeurlclaws will fight it. Legless Laurentius: How? Why!? You scum have no allegiances! 3rd Cohort Decurion: So, this is to be my end... Legless Laurentius: How...? How has it come to this?
Laurentius: Impossible... How did you best the Empire's finest? And with bandits and poachers at your side!? They are your sworn enemies! Why do they fight with you and not against you!? Laurentius: ...Ah, but I know the answer only too well. Buscarron. This is his doing. His words are wont to inspire men to act. Better men than I... Gods, what have I become? What have I done? Laurentius: I... I am sorry. No more will I pursue this folly. No more lies. No more bribes. I will go to the Order of the Twin Adder and confess my crimes. Laurentius: There is something I would like you to tell Buscarron. Tell him Laurentius the fool says “thank you.” I feel as though a veil has been lifted from before my eyes.
Buscarron: Aye, Laurentius confessed to his crimes. I just had word from the Twin Adder. Seems he marched straight into the Nest and gave himself up. Buscarron: The lad's had quite a life, you know... His mother was killed by a brigand when he was only small. As a young man, he joined the Wailers, hoping to spare his fellow Gridanians the misery he'd known growing up. Buscarron: Trouble is, protecting Gridania's too big a job for one man, and he came to believe that he couldn't make a difference─that it was hopeless. Buscarron: There are few things more dangerous than desperation, and a man lost in the dark is easily drawn to the glimmer of coin. I reckon he thought that if he couldn't change the lot of his fellow man, he might as well change his own. Thing is, he was making a difference─just not on his own. Somehow, he'd failed to grasp one simple truth─that those things we cannot do alone, we must do together. Buscarron: ...Eh? He asked you to thank me, did he? Then there's good in him yet. I just hope them at the Adders' Nest are able to see it... What he's done ain't easy to forgive, but I'd like to think he'd be afforded a chance to make amends. Buscarron: But let us leave fates to the Twelve. I have other news for you, Forename. The sylph elder has been found!
Into the Beast's Maw Buscarron has reliable information regarding the whereabouts of the sylph elder.
Buscarron: It's taken us a fair old while, but we've finally got our hands on some reliable information concerning the whereabouts of your missing green friend. Papalymo: Ahem! His name is Frixio, and he is the eldest amongst the sylphs of Little Solace. Long has he represented his kind in dialogue with the Gridanians. Yda (Lyse): Yes, he's like a bridge between us and them─a small, leafy, green bridge that we can't find at the moment. And bridges are no use if you don't know where they are. That's why it's so important that we find him! Buscarron: There's an abandoned dungeon called the Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak here in the South Shroud. Buscarron: 'Twas by the entrance to the place that Frixio was seen─and not long ago, neither. If you hurry, I reckon you'll find him. Noraxia: Walking ones, please help this one! This one needs help! Needs help to help elder one! Poor Frixio! Poor, poor Frixiooo!!! Buscarron: Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hooold your chocobos. Take a deep breath and tell us what's wrong, nice and slow. Noraxia: Elder one went into Toto-Rak, but has not returned! This one is worried, so very worried! Buscarron: And you're right to be... The place fair crawls with nasties waiting to make a meal of anyone daft enough to wander in. Buscarron: What in the seven hells was he thinking, entering that bloody death trap? Noraxia: Elder one had no choice! Imperial ones were chasing elder one! Please! Walking ones must help elder one─help elder one now! Papalymo: Argh! The fates conspire against us... Forgive my pragmatism, but Frixio is our best hope of reaching an accord with the sylphs. Were we to lose him, all our efforts thus far will have been for naught. Papalymo: I will tend to her wounds. Yda, make haste to the Adders' Nest and request assistance. Yda (Lyse): Understood! Papalymo: Forename─go to the Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak and see that Frixio comes to no harm. Peace between man and sylph rests upon your success.
Bloisirant: By order of the Elder Seedseer, the dungeon known as the Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak has been placed under the control of─ Bloisirant: ...What? The sylph elder is inside? And you are sure of this? How in the seven hells did he manage to sneak by? Gods strike me down for a purblind fool! Bloisirant: You must find the sylph elder before he falls prey to the fiends within. Entrance to Toto-Rak is ordinarily restricted, but these are exceptional circumstances. Pray assemble a rescue party, and enter as soon as you are ready.

The Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak

Named after a man-eating creature from ancient Padjali folklore, the Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak was built on the site of a natural cave system beneath Silent Arbor. Until recently, it held all of Gridania's foulest criminals, from arsonists to poachers, but the completion of a new gaol closer to the city heralded its abandonment.
Scion Conjurer: An ill wind blows through here. Let us hurry and be about our business. Scion Marauder: Something feels wrong about this place...
Scion Conjurer: Fear not─I will deal with its poison.
Hydaelyn: Darkness... ??? (Lahabrea): Hahahaha... ??? (Lahabrea): The mighty slayer of Ifrit comes now to me. ??? (Lahabrea): ...With a countenance that bespeaks understanding. ??? (Lahabrea): An intriguing power, the Echo. I must needs choose my words with care. ??? (Lahabrea): Mayhap I might if I deign to speak in my guest's crude tongue. We meet at last. Lahabrea: I am Lahabrea of the Ascians, servant to the one true god. Lahabrea: Yours is a most fantastical tale. Truly absorbing. Lahabrea: It is a tale to tell Eorzea's children before bedtime. And it will soon be dark, Bringer of Light. Hydaelyn: ...The Dark Minions... Lahabrea: All that stands between this world and Darkness is an irksome anomaly in the aether─the Echo. Lahabrea: Yes...yours is a most fascinating tale. Lahabrea: Alas, like all good tales, it must needs come to an end. But fear not... Hydaelyn: Hear.. Feel... The presence... of evil... Lahabrea: For the end of your tale is but the beginning of another... The tale of the Crystal's demise!
Scion Thaumaturge: That tail looks like trouble.
??? (Frixio): <gasp> Finally, fresh air! ??? (Frixio): <sniff> <sniff> Mayhap not so fresh...but better than before. ??? (Frixio): Ah, sinister one is gone! This one can leave this awful place! ??? (Frixio): Hm? Did walking one vanquish the many-legged one? This one is grateful to walking one! Frixio: This one is called Frixio, eldest of these ones of Little Solace.
Imperial Herald: Alpha squad reporting, sir! Nothing of note at Larkscall, sir! Imperial Centurion: Understood. Return to area twelve. Damn it all...where is that accursed eikon hiding? Nero tol Scaeva: No sign of our wizened friend? Imperial Centurion: I'm afraid not, my lord. Shall I order that the search perimeter be expanded? Nero tol Scaeva: Absolutely not. We risk alerting the Gridanians to our presence. His Excellency bid us avoid unnecessary confrontation. Nero tol Scaeva: Loath though I am to admit it, I have found no evidence to suggest that Ramuh will be gracing the mortal realm in the near future. Nero tol Scaeva: I ask you...what good is a god who does not grant one's wishes? Were I a sylph, I should strongly consider finding myself another idol. Nero tol Scaeva: Which reminds me─what of the sylphs we captured? A handful of them seemed to be in reasonably good health when last I looked. Imperial Centurion: Ah. A-Apologies, my lord. I fear we may have been...overzealous in our efforts to compel them to summon their eikon. Nero tol Scaeva: <sigh> ...Really, Centurion─were you not aware that vegetables bruise easily? It is well that I did not entrust you with the important task of making my dinner. Nero tol Scaeva: Well, mayhap it was a kindness. Better dead in truth than dead to one's own god, I suppose...if you believe in such things. Nero tol Scaeva: Dawn is upon us. Make ready to withdraw. Nero tol Scaeva: Hmph, useless... Nero tol Scaeva: We are so close to completion, I can fair taste it, but at this rate... Nero tol Scaeva: No, I must be patient. Our efforts will bear fruit in due time. Nero tol Scaeva: ...What was it you always said? Ah, yes: “Though it mean bringing down the very heavens, who shall challenge the limits of possibility if not we?” In that alone were you right...Garlond. Nero tol Scaeva: But your star is long fallen, while mine doth begin to rise. Nero tol Scaeva: And it shall burn so bright─so bright that Lord van Baelsar's ultimate weapon will seem a mere candle beside it! Ahahahaha! Noraxia: Those walking ones did for Noxia! This one is certain of it! Frixio: This one fears that other taken ones also suffered the same fate... Noraxia: This one is convinced! Walking ones have black hearts, seek only to harm these ones! Walking ones are not to be trusted! Frixio: Now, now, Noraxia...do not pass judgment too hastily. Not all walking ones are alike. Though there are evil ones among the walking ones, there are good ones also.
Frixio: Hm? Does walking one feel unwell? Frixio: This one would know, what brings walking one to this place? Frixio: Came to this one's rescue at Noraxia's bidding? Then this one owes walking one a debt of gratitude! Frixio: Hm? Walking one has questions about Lord Ramuh? Then this one will provide answers. Frixio: But first, let these ones quit this lightless place. Frixio: This one will return to Little Solace. When walking one is ready, please come and see this one. These ones may speak properly then. Frixio: Then it is settled! Let this one accompany walking one outside!
Buscarron: Ah, you're back! Tell me the sylph elder is well! Buscarron: ...Thank the gods for that! I don't rightly know what to make of the rest of your tale, but I'm full glad Frixio didn't come to any harm. Buscarron: Ah, but there I go tempting fate. Run over to Little Solace and secure us peace with the sylphs before aught else befalls us, eh? Rest assured, I'll send word to our friends of Sharlayan and the Twin Adder both. Buscarron: You've done Gridania a great service this day, lass─and earned yourself a place of honor here at the Druthers in so doing. Be sure and come by whenever you feel like a drop of Qiqirn firewater!
A Simple Gift Buscarron has something he wants delivered to the sylphs.
Buscarron: Say, friend, there's something I'd like to ask you to see delivered to the sylphs of Little Solace─this Azeyma rose oil. Buscarron: It's a gift to celebrate the safe return of their tribe's elder─and a token of Gridania's desire to unite. Buscarron: The wood is not what it once was. The Calamity changed the elementals─weakened them. Until their strength is returned, we must lend them ours to keep the wood safe. But ours alone will not be enough. We must have the strength of the sylphs, as well. Buscarron: Only by working together and fighting together will we survive together─and the Twelveswood with us. The gift I ask you to bear is a symbol of the hope that both Gridanian and sylph alike will live to see the light beyond this darkness.
Knolexia: A gift from walking one Buscarron? A gift for these ones?
Azeyma Rose Oil A fragrant oil pressed from freshly harvested Azeyma rose hips.
Knolexia: Such a lovely scent! This one has never smelled anything like this before! Knolexia: Walking one Buscarron and adventuring one are very kind. Know that this one is deeply grateful. Knolexia: Many walking ones are scary. Many walking ones utter many lies and much deception. But this one is moved. Let all these ones be friends forever!
Believe in Your Sylph Komuxio wants you to discuss peace with Frixio.
Komuxio: This one has been expecting walking one! This one fetches elder one! Frixio: This one is pleased to see walking one again. Welcome to the home of these ones. Papalymo: Ah, there you are, Forename. We have just been hearing tell of your deeds of derring-do. Well done! Frixio: Ah, the walking ones who aided Noraxia! This one is grateful! Papalymo: A pleasure to have been of service. If you do not mind my asking, how did your misadventure come about? Frixio: This one does not mind. The misadventures, as walking one calls them, of this one began when imperial ones entered the wood. Fearing trouble, these ones decided to watch imperial ones closely. Frixio: But these ones watched too closely, and imperial ones noticed and tried to catch these ones. Frixio: Having nowhere else to hide, this one fled into Toto-Rak. Would that this one had not. In Toto-Rak, a sinister one robed in black tried to feed this one to a many-legged one! Yda (Lyse): A sinister one robed in black...? Why do I have the feeling I should be more worried about that than I am? Papalymo: Elder Frixio, we come to you as emissaries of the nation of Gridania. This missive bears the words of the Elder Seedseer. Frixio: This one sees... So walking ones of Gridania are fearful of Lord Ramuh. Papalymo: Plainly put, yes. Your people summoned the Lord of Levin but once, yet that single occurrence occasioned great alarm. Yda (Lyse): But it's not as if the Gridanians dislike you or anything. Actually, it's just the opposite. They think of you as friends, and they don't want anything to get in the way of that. That's why the Elder Seedseer wrote to you. Frixio: Hmmm... This one well knows and respects horned one Kan-E-Senna. Be assured: like walking ones of Gridania, these ones have no desire for conflict. Frixio: These ones resorted to summoning Lord Ramuh to protect the wood from imperial ones. This one counseled against doing so, but was not heeded. Frixio: Against this one's wishes, Lord Ramuh was summoned...and all those ones who took part became touched ones. Frixio: These ones want so desperately to turn touched ones back to normal ones, but did not know how─and still do not know. Frixio: Touched ones, meanwhile, wanted to turn these ones into touched ones, and did know how... So this one fled to Little Solace with all those ones who did not wish to be bound to Lord Ramuh. Frixio: But walking ones of Gridania need not fear touched ones or Lord Ramuh. Unlike other primal ones, Lord Ramuh is not callous and cruel. Frixio: So long as walking ones do not trespass on these ones' ancestral homeland, where touched ones reside, walking ones will not suffer thunderous judgment. Frixio: But this one has spoken enough of touched ones. This one would speak instead of these ones. As this one said, these ones desire peace with walking ones of Gridania. And so these ones ask for a chance to set things right. Papalymo: By way of an addendum, mortals who are tempered come to take on the qualities embodied by the primal in question. In the case of the sylphs, Ramuh's influence has made them fiercely protective of their homeland. Yda (Lyse): That explains why they're so hostile towards trespassers, but what about the abductions? Papalymo: A fine question, Yda! The abductions are, I believe, an expression of the tempered sylphs' desire for reconciliation─another quality traditionally associated with Ramuh. In the crudest manner imaginable, they seek to bring their fellows back into the fold. A timely reminder that the challenges posed by each primal are unique. Papalymo: Elder Frixio, we thank you for making your will known to us. The people of Gridania will rest easier in the knowledge that they and the sylphs are united in their desire for peace. Frixio: Wishing to cooperate, this one has written down the feelings of these ones. Please see that these feelings are conveyed to horned one Kan-E-Senna. Papalymo: And with that, I believe we can lay the matter of Ramuh to rest. Yda (Lyse): That sylph elder's very reasonable, I must say. You could learn a lot from him. Papalymo: ...Hm!? Was that a jibe? If so, I feel it only fair to observe that one of us wouldn't recognize reason if it punched her on the nose. Did I say fair? I meant: reasonable. Yda (Lyse): Anyway, we're going to head back to the Waking Sands and tell Minfilia all about it. Papalymo: Fear not─we will be sure to mention the instrumental part you played in all of this. And while we see to that, we should appreciate it if you would deliver Frixio's missive to the Adders' Nest. Papalymo: Elder Frixio, we humbly thank you for your time. It has been an honor. Frixio: The honor is this one's. Together, let the walking ones of Gridania and these ones find a way to live in peace. Frixio: Please wait, walking one Forename. Frixio: This one has yet to give walking one a token of this one's appreciation. Frixio: When these ones summoned Lord Ramuh, these ones were gifted this crystal. This one would now bestow the crystal upon walking one as a symbol of these ones' trust. Frixio: <gasp> This one was not mistaken about walking one. Frixio: Walking one is destined to walk a fate far crueler than this one can imagine. Frixio: A brilliant light from within walking one enveloped the crystal─this one saw. Frixio: Mark this one well: that crystal will one day be of use to walking one. Walking one must keep that crystal safe at all times. Komuxio: Before walking one returns to Gridania, this one would ask walking one to watch touched ones. Komuxio: So long as touched ones are not troubled, touched ones will not make trouble. Komuxio: If walking one witnesses touched ones making no trouble, mayhap walking one can testify to walking ones of Gridania that these ones mean no harm. Komuxio: These ones' homeland is fraught with danger. This one marks down safe places to look out for touched ones.
There are tempered sylphs in the distance. You do not sense that they pose a danger if left alone.
Vorsaile Heuloix: Ah, if it isn't Forename. How went the meeting with the sylphs?
Letter from the Elder The fluid lettering of Little Solace elder Frixio is as beautiful as it is unintelligible.
Vorsaile Heuloix: A missive from the sylph elder himself!? If I may... Vorsaile Heuloix: So the sylphs have no desire for conflict, nor do they intend to summon Ramuh. Vorsaile Heuloix: And so long as we leave the tempered ones be, we need not fear any aggression on their part. Vorsaile Heuloix: The Elder Seedseer will be overjoyed to hear that the sylphs have welcomed our overtures. And in the knowledge that they bear us no ill will, we may channel our resources towards tackling the more conspicuous threats to our security. Vorsaile Heuloix: You have done this nation a great service, my friend. On behalf of all Gridanians, I give you my thanks.
Back from the Wood Commander Heuloix appears to have more to say.
Vorsaile Heuloix: The sylphic folk have long been friends to Gridania. The mere thought of being at war with them pained the Elder Seedseer to no end. Vorsaile Heuloix: But owing to your efforts, she will be able to rest easier. Being the benevolent soul that she is, my lady will surely try to find a way to reverse the tempering process. Vorsaile Heuloix: Once again, I thank you. Had the Scions of the Seventh Dawn not offered to mediate between our peoples, suspicion and doubt may well have led us into needless conflict. Pray pass on my regards to Lady Minfilia. Minfilia: ...Hello? Hello, Forename? Can you hear me? It is I, Minfilia. Minfilia: Yda and Papalymo returned some little while ago. And they wasted no time in regaling me with the tale of your exploits. Minfilia: Thanks in large part to you, the name of one primal may be struck from our list of enemies, and the Gridanians may turn their attention to more pressing matters. Well done! Minfilia: Yet the end of one tale is but the start of another. Pray return to the Waking Sands at your earliest convenience. I would apprise you of the present situation in person.
Tataru: Well, if it isn't my favorite adventurer! Welcome back, Forename! Tataru: Lady Minfilia awaits you within the solar. Please enter at your leisure.
Alphinaud: I am given to understand that the matter of Ramuh has finally been resolved. Minfilia: Hm. I fear “resolved” bespeaks a permanence we cannot rightly claim. Yet I am well satisfied that the Lord of Levin will not trouble us in the foreseeable future. Alphinaud: Your satisfaction is assurance enough for me. Minfilia: How fares the investigation? Alphinaud: Well enough. Thancred is sparing no effort. Alphinaud: They are many and one, just as you suspected. Their purpose, however, eludes us still. Minfilia: I see. Minfilia: Ah, I have been meaning to ask, but is Alisaie quite well? I feel as if I have scarcely seen her in recent days. Alphinaud: Oh, you haven't─and nor have I, alas. Alisaie has chosen to walk her own path─stubborn girl─but you may be assured that our destination remains the same. Alphinaud: And on that note, I take my leave of you. I trust the Baldesion report will serve you well. Minfilia: I take it we can proceed as discussed? Alphinaud: Why do you ask? You scarce need my permission to act. Minfilia: It is good to see you again, Forename! Minfilia: I have been looking forward to congratulating you on your triumph in the Twelveswood. Owing to your efforts, conflict has been averted. Truly, you have done the Scions proud. Papalymo: With that, we can strike Ramuh from the list. Yda (Lyse): So who's next? The Sahagin and Leviathan? Papalymo: The Lord of the Whorl has not answered his minions' call of late, nor is he expected to do so in the near future. Papalymo: While the Sahagin remain as aggressive as ever, they lack the quantity of crystals required to call forth their god. As with the sylphs, we can leave them to their own devices...for a time, at least. Y'shtola: “For a time” bears repeating. We can ill afford to fall complacent. Papalymo: It is as Y'shtola says. Unless we know the minds of the beast tribes, we cannot predict with any certainty when next a primal will return to plague the land. Papalymo: This being the case, we must proceed with as much haste as prudence allows. Yda (Lyse): Any word on Titan? Y'shtola: The Maelstrom keeps the kobolds under constant observation. Y'shtola: We shall hear from them ere long, you may depend upon it. Papalymo: Indeed. So, then─of all the known primals that have been active in recent times, we are left with... Yda (Lyse): Gridania! Wait, I meant Garuda─who is the primal of the Ixal who live near Gridania. Yes, that's what I meant. Minfilia: So many malms to cover... Would that there were a more efficient way to conduct our surveys. Minfilia: Were he still with us, we should not long have wanted for a more practicable solution... Biggs: She's not wrong there... <sigh> Where in the world are you, Chief? Minfilia: ...But one sure step at a time! Minfilia: Henceforth, the Order of the Twin Adder will handle all matters pertaining to the sylphs, under the sage guidance of the Seedseers. Minfilia: I bid you all enjoy a moment's respite. You have earned it! Minfilia: Is there something else, Forename? Minfilia: Beg pardon? A man named Lahabrea, sporting a red mask and robed in black...? Twelve preserve... Minfilia: Prior to the Calamity, the Ascians took great pains to remain hidden... Why would they choose to cast off their veil of secrecy now? Gods, this bodes ill... Minfilia: We must take advantage of the present lull in primal hostilities and investigate this Lahabrea─learn all we can of him and his designs. I dread to thi─ Tataru: EEEEEEK! Minfilia: Tataru! Minfilia: A sylph...in Thanalan? Noraxia: At long last, this one finds walking one Forename! Noraxia: This one is most dependable of these ones! Is sent by elder one Frixio to help walking ones! Noraxia: This one is called Noraxia. This one comes as a friend. Let these ones be friends! Tataru: P-Pleasure to meet you...Noraxia.
Minfilia: Yes, Tataru is as ready to express her fright as she is to express...everything else! Not all of us are forged of the same steel as you, I'm afraid. Minfilia: But it takes all kinds to make a family, and it pleases me to no end to see ours continue to grow. One by one, the people of Eorzea are beginning to unite, Forename, drawn to the hope that shines within you. Minfilia: Yet a darkness threatens to engulf this light. Never have I doubted the Ascians' presence, but that they have grown so brazen as to carry out their work in plain sight fills me with a sense of deep foreboding.
Shadow of Darkness Minfilia would have you investigate the mysterious Lahabrea.
Minfilia: I am afraid there is no rest for the weary, Forename. We must delve further into the motivations of the masked man─the Ascian known as Lahabrea. This is an ideal moment to do so, while our hands are not bound dealing with another primal. Minfilia: At present, we know little and less about the Ascians─only that destruction follows in their wake. Minfilia: I should not be surprised if these beings are behind the chaos that racks the realm. If my fears prove to be reality, we must do all in our power to stop them. Minfilia: Earlier, I sent word to each Grand Company to solicit cooperation. The Immortal Flames responded to the effect that they have information on a potential sighting. Minfilia: This is intelligence that we can ill afford to ignore. Go speak with Flame Commander Swift at the Hall of Flames in Ul'dah to inquire further. How you go about the investigation thereafter, I leave wholly to your discretion. Minfilia: But whatever you do, never forget that we are dealing with the unknown. You cannot take too many precautions. Be safe, Forename.
Swift: The masked man? Ah, you are come on behalf of the Scions, of course. Yes, as we've already relayed to Lady Minfilia, there has been a sighting of this rogue near about eastern Thanalan. Swift: A Brass Blade stationed at Highbridge described him in detail when he alerted us to suspicious activity. I would point you to the witness, but I'm afraid he died not two days ago, slain by a marauding horde of Qiqirn. Fate can be a cruel mistress. Swift: But do not be too quick to despair. Being situated on a trade route, Highbridge sees its fair share of travelers. Folk are always coming and going, and some among them may well have caught a glimpse of your target. Swift: You could do worse than to speak with a merchant named Hihibaru. The fellow's always starved for customers, and he'd no doubt welcome your attention, whether or not you have coin or the mind to spend it.
Hihibaru: Welcome to Highbridge, adventurer! Whatever you seek, I, Hihibaru, can provide it. ...Probably! Hihibaru: You're after a masked man? Hmmm, I'm not sure I have one of those in stock... Hihibaru: Ohhh, you're after a masked man! Why didn't you say so sooner? Such an individual might have featured in one of the many rumors I've heard. If you linger awhile, mayhap you'll learn a thing or two, eh?
Highbridge Times Hihibaru wants to help you find Lahabrea...maybe.
Hihibaru: When the Order of Nald'thal began excavating the ruins below, I had hopes that Highbridge would turn into a bustling hub for pilgrims. But thanks to the nigh-endless beastman raids, folk are too afraid to come within a malm of here. Hihibaru: I sold everything I owned to get my venture started, and I'm loath to give up without making an earnest effort to stick it out. But if things keep going as they are, I'll be bankrupt before the moon is through... Hihibaru: Whining won't do me any good, though. No, for my business to survive, I need business. Speaking of which, perhaps you'd like to browse my wares! Spend a bit of coin to help a struggling merchant! Hihibaru: ...The masked man? Bah, Thal take your bloody masked man! I know what I said before, but vague rumors are all I've got. If you want to know about him, go and ask the other merchants!
Multiloquent Merchant: Aye, I've heard tell of the masked devil. Seems he's been appearing not only around Highbridge, but elsewhere about Thanalan, too. Multiloquent Merchant: Enough folk have reported seeing him to convince me he's more than a figment of the imagination, but little is known about him otherwise.
Absent-minded Merchant: On the trail of a masked man? Aye, I've heard of him...but only in hushed tones and faint whispers. Absent-minded Merchant: It's said he wears a black hooded robe, an' looks right suspicious. An' that's about all I can say, little though it is.
Impassive Merchant: Have I seen a masked man wearing a dark robe? No, I haven't, nor do I wish to. Business is bad enough without shady characters lurking about. Impassive Merchant: Folk have been giving Highbridge a wide berth because of all the Qiqirn raids. None but the most devout of pilgrims are willing to come here anymore.
Hihibaru: Judging by your expression, I take it you didn't learn much of use. Hihibaru: Look, I'm sorry for my rudeness earlier. It's just that things are tough for us merchants at the moment. The Qiqirn raids are so constant, so organized, we're beginning to suspect that someone is orchestrating it all. Hihibaru: I tend to put my own welfare first, like most of us do, but that doesn't mean I'm a bad person. I promise to keep an eye out for your masked man. If I see or hear anything, you'll be the first to know.
Where There Is Smoke Hihibaru has information that will surely lead you to Lahabrea.
Hihibaru: I've finally got some honest-to-gods information on your masked man! Why so confident? Because I saw him with my own two eyes! Hihibaru: I was out for an evening stroll, minding my own business, when I noticed a column of smoke rising from a cliff over at Thal's Respite. Curious, I took myself there to find a masked man─your masked man, I'm sure of it─standing by a fire. Hihibaru: As if in answer, some Qiqirn appeared soon after, and the group began talking at length. I'm afraid I was too far out of earshot to hear much of anything. Hihibaru: After the group had dispersed, an idea came to me: if you were to use this smoldering coal to start a fire, you might be able to arrange a similar meeting. It will be dangerous, I shouldn't doubt, but you've proven yourself more than a match for a pack of rats. Hihibaru: So, what do you think? That's some sound, reliable information, even if I do say so myself. Well worth all the lingering about you've been doing, wouldn't you say?
Smoldering Coal A red-hot piece of carbonized wood that, when placed on wet wood or leaves, will create a billowing tower of smoke that can be seen for malms.
Hihibaru: Back so soon? Were you able to find any clues leading to your masked man?
Ward of the Destroyer A paper ward inscribed with a prayer to the patron deity of Ala Mhigo, Rhalgr.
Hihibaru: <gasp> Th-This scroll! It bears a prayer to Rhalgr, the Destroyer! Hihibaru: In case you're unfamiliar, Rhalgr is the guardian deity of Ala Mhigo, which is currently under Garlean rule. Hihibaru: It's highly uncommon for folk of other nations to revere Him. I'd wager my last gil that your assailant was Ala Mhigan. Hihibaru: It seems this masked man of yours is very well connected. I must confess, the merchant in me envies such a diverse network of contacts. Hihibaru: That selfsame merchant also senses danger ahead...and darkness besides. Are you certain you'd rather not take things nice and slow here at Highbridge?
On to Little Ala Mhigo Hihibaru has a suggestion to help you with your investigation.
Hihibaru: The Ala Mhigan bandit you had a run-in with is somehow connected to your masked man of mystery. Hihibaru: So, it stands to reason that if you want to pick up the trail again, you should head toward Little Ala Mhigo, over in southern Thanalan. Hihibaru: Just so you know what to expect, the settlement is the favored destination for those refugees who couldn't...well, adapt to life in Ul'dah. Hihibaru: The hearts of the denizens are said to be as barren as the wasteland they live in. And for all intents and purposes, it's a lawless place. Be prepared for a not-so-warm welcome. Hihibaru: Now, I'm not certain how much a help she will be, but it just so happens I have a daughter who has, er...relocated to Little Ala Mhigo. Her name is Hihira, and it shouldn't hurt to seek her out first. Hihibaru: And while you have her attention...I'd be obliged if you could send my love. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her. Hihibaru: I suppose this is it, then! I had hoped that you would linger here a while─cull some fiends, spend some coin, what have you─but something tells me you're destined for greater things. Wherever it is you end up, I wish you the best!
Hihira: ...Hm? Why, yes, Hihibaru's my father... He said what? <sigh> I wish I could be a better daughter to him. It's just that─ Oh, I'm sorry... I shouldn't bother you with family matters. But I am grateful to you for delivering the message. Now then, what brings you here? Hihira: A masked man? I'm afraid the description doesn't ring any bells, but one of the others here may have seen something. I would recommend you first speak with Gundobald, the leader of the settlement. I must warn you, though, he isn't exactly...accommodating to outsiders.
Gundobald: Who are you? State your business, and be quick about it. Gundobald: Looking for a masked villain, you say? And why should we help you, pray? Gundobald: We struggle enough without having to answer the whim of every outsider. Gundobald: You are not welcome here. Begone.
Tea for Three Gisilbehrt would like to aid in your manhunt.
Gisilbehrt: Well met, adventurer. I'm Gisilbehrt, head of security here at Little Ala Mhigo. I heard tell that you had business with Gundobald. Knowing the bristly old bear, I don't doubt he told you to bugger off. Gisilbehrt: Owing to their hardships, the refugees don't trust anyone but themselves. Not even my men and I can get so much as a word of thanks out of them despite watching the place day and night. Gisilbehrt: But thanks or no, I try to help my fellow man when I can, and you seem a decent sort. If you tell me what's brought you here, might be as I can lend a hand. Gisilbehrt: ...On the trail of a masked villain, you say? Hmmm, can't say that sounds familiar, but I have men on lookout for Amalj'aa to the south of here. If there's been any suspicious activity, they are like to have seen it. Gisilbehrt: I had a mind to take them each a cup of sweet Thanalan tea so as to lift their spirits. If you were to run this little errand in my stead, they'd be all the more willing to tell you what they know.
Osric: Who the hells're you? I'm tryin' to conserve energy here, so leave me alone.
Sweet Thanalan Tea A piping hot infusion of freshly picked young Thanalan tea leaves mixed with rich aldgoat cream and a generous spoonful of golden cactuar flower honey.
Osric: Well, ain't ye considerate! My thanks, friend! ...What's that? A masked villain? Hidin' among the refugees, like as not. Osric: Me compatriots as live here go about as though they're dead on their feet. 'Tis near impossible to tell what's on their minds. For all I know, they're all up to no good.
Angry River: You there! Are you an Amalj'aa? No? Then carry on!
Sweet Thanalan Tea A piping hot infusion of freshly picked young Thanalan tea leaves mixed with rich aldgoat cream and a generous spoonful of golden cactuar flower honey.
Angry River: Ahhh, this sophisticated aroma! It has been forever since I had a drop of sweet Thanalan! I'm going to enjoy this! Angry River: What? A masked man? Don't know, don't care! Unless he's got dark scaly skin, stands ten fulms tall, and has the face of a lizard, then I don't give a mummer's fart!
Yayazuku: Shoo, shoo! Don't bother me! If the Amalj'aa overrun us, I'm blaming you!
Sweet Thanalan Tea A piping hot infusion of freshly picked young Thanalan tea leaves mixed with rich aldgoat cream and a generous spoonful of golden cactuar flower honey.
Yayazuku: For me? You shouldn't have! ...Sorry? A suspicious masked man? As a matter of fact, I caught glimpse of someone fitting that description during patrol. Yayazuku: Well, I couldn't quite make out whether it was a man or not, what with the mask and the robe. But assuming it was a he, he was talking with some Ala Mhigans. I assumed he was one of them.
Gisilbehrt: Ah, you're back. So, did my lookouts have aught to share with you? ...Hmmm, that doesn't sound like much to go by. Gisilbehrt: If you're to get any further in your investigation, seems to me you'll need the cooperation of the Ala Mhigans. For this, you'll need to win their trust, and that won't be an easy task.
Foot in the Door Gisilbehrt would offer you some advice regarding your investigation.
Gisilbehrt: So you're determined to press on with your investigation? Then I have some advice to offer. Gisilbehrt: As I said before, you won't get far without the Ala Mhigans' trust. And the best way to win that trust is to get a compatriot of theirs─someone they respect─to vouch for you. Gisilbehrt: Coin does the talking in Ul'dah, but the Ala Mhigans are bound by something far stronger, if not as tangible: a common purpose. That purpose is, of course, the liberation of their home from the Garleans. Gisilbehrt: Gundobald belongs to the Ala Mhigan Resistance, so your best bet would be someone who's part of the same crew. If you know any well-connected people, you might want to start by asking them.
Minfilia: Welcome back, Forename! How fares the investigation? Minfilia: ...I see. Given all that they have suffered, it is of little wonder the Ala Mhigan refugees have lost faith in their fellow man. Minfilia: They have had their homeland taken from them, and for the past two decades have had to see it remain in the enemy's clutches. Minfilia: To compound matters, none of the three city-states have the means to take in all those who were displaced. As a result, a great many Ala Mhigans now live on the margins of society, suffering poverty and discrimination. Minfilia: Would that more could be done to ease their hardships. I fear that nothing short of reclaiming their homeland would be a lasting solution. Minfilia: But let us deal with one problem at a time. Returning to the matter of your investigation, it just so happens there is an Ala Mhigan native among the Scions. I should be pleased to introduce him to you.
Meeting with the Resistance Minfilia wants to introduce you to an Ala Mhigan member of the Scions.
Minfilia: Your Ala Mhigan comrade is named Haribehrt. He joined our cause in the hopes that he might find a way to liberate his homeland. Minfilia: While he spares no effort towards that endeavor, I have no doubt that he would be glad to assist you. Minfilia: If I recall correctly, Haribehrt is currently between missions. Try looking for him in the storage area.
Haribehrt: If it isn't Forename Surname, the Scions' rising star! Is there aught I can do for you? Haribehrt: You wish to win the trust of the people of Little Ala Mhigo! That is a daunting task, my friend, even for our own countrymen. Haribehrt: I would like nothing more than to help, but I'm afraid my name no longer carries weight with that lot. Haribehrt: I used to be a member of the Ala Mhigan Resistance, you see, but I left in favor of joining the Scions. Haribehrt: Though my allegiance may have shifted, my purpose remains ever the same─the liberation of Ala Mhigo. Yet whatever my reasons were, I abandoned my comrades, and they'll have nothing to do with me. Haribehrt: Now, while I may have no more friends in the Resistance, I know someone who does. Her name is Albreda, and she is a resident of Quarrymill. Say my name when you meet her, and she won't lead you astray.
Albreda: Eh? You want me to introduce you to the Resistance? Hah! Why the hells should I do that? Give me just one reason! Albreda: H-Haribehrt sent you!? Grrr, that worthless whoreson... He abandons his comrades─his woman─and now he has the gall to ask me for a favor!? Simply incredible... Albreda: I just... I mean... <sigh> Ugh. I realize Haribehrt was only doing what he felt was right. He's a good man. And if he trusts you, then that's all I need to know. You see that bloke there? That's Meffrid, a captain of the Resistance. I hope he can give you what you need.
Killing Him Softly Meffrid needs help tending a wounded brother.
Meffrid: Aye, I'm Meffrid, a proud man of the Ala Mhigan Resistance. Meffrid: What business do you have with me, adventurer? Resistance Soldier: C-Captain! It's...it's Gallien, sir! His wound's gone an' festered, an' he's burnin' up! I don't think he's got much time! Meffrid: Godsdammit! I asked the villagers for aid─got on my knees and begged─but they refused to lift a finger! If Gallien dies, his blood is on their hands! Meffrid: These Quarrymill cravens would turn a blind eye to our plight, but they might listen to Albreda. I fear my anger will prevent me from rightly convincing anyone at the moment. I realize we scarce know each other, but this is a matter of life and death. Please, adventurer, go to her and try!
Albreda: One of Meffrid's in bad shape, you say? I'm...I'm sorry, but there's naught I can do. Albreda: I want to help, truly I do─they're my countrymen, after all─but that'd mean going against the elementals' will. Albreda: I've been at Quarrymill long enough to know how right terrible the beings can be. I couldn't forgive myself if everyone gets banished because of me. Albreda: If there's anyone who can help you, it'd be Charline, the hamlet's resident Hearer. If you take the matter to her, might be as she'll listen...though I wouldn't get my hopes up.
Charline: You wish to aid the Ala Mhigans? You are possessed of a kind heart, adventurer, but I'm afraid I have not the authority to grant you your wish. Charline: This authority belongs only to the elementals, eternal guardians of the Twelveswood. All outsiders, be they babes at the breast or men grown, are judged of a night whether they may have a place beneath the boughs. Charline: Alas, the Ala Mhigans' petition has been denied. Harsh though it may seem, they do not have leave to receive of the wood's bounty. Ever has it been since time immemorial, and ever shall it be.
Meffrid: That's how it's to be, then!? The bloody Hearer might as well kill Gallien herself! Meffrid: Spit on the elementals and spit on their bloody will! I cannot wait until the Resistance is free of this place!
Helping Horn Meffrid needs your help to save a wounded comrade.
Meffrid: I led my men to Quarrymill hoping to find refuge─instead we've found indifference. The cold-blooded bastards here want us out, and I can't oblige them soon enough. The problem is, some of mine aren't fit to travel─hells, Gallien can't even stand! Meffrid: As you well know, the people of this accursed hamlet won't help us. So, I've no choice but to turn to you, adventurer. Meffrid: In my homeland, long antelope horn is a traditional remedy with poison-purging properties. If you could bring me, say, four horns, I'd forever be in your debt.
Meffrid: Ah, you're back! Tell me you've got four horns with you!
Long Antelope Horn This particular specimen is almost twice as long as a normal horn. How it grew to this size in a single season is baffling.
Meffrid: You're a godssend, adventurer! Praise Rhalgr there's at least one woman in this place who gives a damn. Now we just need to find a way to prepare them... Meffrid: You wouldn't happen to know a man named Buscarron, would you? Some comrades of mine told me about him once. They said he never turns away folk in need, no matter where they're from. Meffrid: Seeing as he runs a tavern, he's like to have the tools to make the medicine. I'd be grateful if you could take the horns over to him to have them ground down. When that's done, bring the powder back, and give it to Faramund here. Godsspeed.
Buscarron: Ah, Forename, ever a sight for sore eyes! How fares the adventuring? Rolling in the coin like there's no tomorrow, no doubt!
...Hm? You've got something to show me?
Long Antelope Horn This particular specimen is almost twice as long as a normal horn. How it grew to this size in a single season is baffling.
Buscarron: Well, these look like good old antelope horns. Need them ground down to make a medicine, you say? Buscarron: Here's a better idea: I'll give you some of the stuff I have in my stores. Aye, I'm no stranger to the remedy. An Ala Mhigan friend once used it to treat my festering wound, years and years ago. Safe to say he saved my life. Buscarron: What's that? This is for an Ala Mhigan soldier in Quarrymill? Heh, so it comes full circle... Well, I hope it helps the poor sod as needs it. Oh, and don't worry your little head off about payment─I still owe you a deal more than you owe me, I reckon.
Faramund: It is well to see you returned. Have you the medicine for our brother?
Herbal Ointment If one is to believe Buscarron, this sour-smelling paste from Ala Mhigo will stop a wound from festering.
Faramund: Gods bless you, adventurer! I'll see that Gallien receives treatment at once! Faramund: Hopefully, this will allow the captain to rest easier. It has been a terrible burden on him, trying to keep every man alive. You've done us a great kindness, friend.
He Ain't Heavy Meffrid needs your help to find a missing comrade.
Meffrid: A-Adventurer! Gallien has gone missing! He's nowhere to be found! Meffrid: He shouldn't be walking about, not with those wounds! If he doesn't get the proper medicine and rest, his condition's like to deteriorate to where it was before...or worse. Meffrid: We need you to help us find him, and quickly. Start by asking Albreda─might be as the woman's seen something!
Albreda: Ah, finally. It's about time you came asking about Gallien. I watched him leave Quarrymill some time ago, and he left me this sealed letter before he went off. Made me swear not to open it until someone came asking... Albreda: “My brothers,
I cannot bear to be a burden any longer. That is why I must leave you all. Do not worry for me─just find your way safely to Little Ala Mhigo.” Albreda: <sigh> Blast it. Would that I'd known what he was thinking. I'd have stopped this folly myself. Albreda: The love Gallien bears for his brothers is so strong, he's willing to sacrifice himself for them. Make no mistake, entering the wood in his weakened state is suicide.
Meffrid: Out in the wilds...alone!? That fool! That great big sentimental fool! Meffrid: My men and I will scour the wood for Gallien! Please help us find him before something terrible happens!
Gallien: <pant> <pant> W-Watch out! A goblin!
Meffrid: Gallien! Gallien: C-Captain? But...why? You should all be on your way... Meffrid: Who do you take us for!? We're Ala Mhigans, and Ala Mhigans never forsake one another, hardships be damned! Meffrid: Remember the oath we swore, godsdammit─the oath to reclaim our homeland! We'll set foot on Ala Mhigan soil again─together─or not at all! Do you understand me!? Gallien: Yes, sir... Meffrid: Good. Let us return to our brothers. Oh, and don't even think that you'll get off lightly. As soon as you're healed, I'll give you such a thorough thrashing, you'll wish we didn't find you! Meffrid: I can't thank you enough for saving Gallien. I will see you back at Quarrymill.
Meffrid: Gallien's expected to make a full recovery. We'll linger here till he's strong enough to take to the road again. As much as I mislike this place, beggars can't be choosers.
Come Highly Recommended Meffrid wishes to repay your kindness.
Meffrid: Now that things are relatively settled, I seem to recall that you wanted something of me. Meffrid: You've proven a true friend to my people. Ask of me anything, and it's yours, so long as it's mine to give. Meffrid: The cooperation of the people of Little Ala Mhigo? That's all? Far be it from me to question your desires, of course... Very well, I will provide you with a letter to show to Gundobald. Meffrid: The old bear was my mentor when I first joined the Resistance. He's intimidating to those who don't know him, but he takes care of his own. I've no doubt that he will do all in his power to aid you.
Gundobald: Why have you returned? You are not welcome here; I thought I made that clear.
Meffrid's Recommendation A quickly drawn up letter addressed to one Gundobald.
Gundobald: You...you spoke with Meffrid? It has been so long since I last heard from him, I had feared him dead... Twelve be praised... Gundobald: Whoever you are, Meffrid sees you as a friend, and any friend of Meffrid is a friend of mine. I know of this masked stranger you seek, and will tell you what I can.
The Bear and the Young'uns' Cares Gundobald is willing to share with you what he knows of the masked stranger.
Gundobald: An outsider resembling your masked stranger has reportedly been appearing near Little Ala Mhigo of late. What's more, it seems that some of our youngbloods are meeting him in secret. Gundobald: No doubt you'll want to question them about their trysts, but they are not like to yield the information readily to an outsider. If you tell them I sent you, though, they may well feel obliged to talk.
Waldhar: ...A masked man? No idea what yer talkin' about. I ain't done nothin' wrong, so leave me be.
Adalind: G-Gundobald sent you? I, uh─ Listen, I told them it was a bad idea! All that tripe about believing the masked man and─ Adalind: ...O-Oh. You...you don't know anything about this? Why didn't you say so to start with!? You can't throw the old bear's name around like that and expect me to not think I'm in for it!
Sifrid: What? Have I been meeting any masked men lately? Hmmm, let's see... Sifrid: Nope, can't say I have! But I'll be sure to tell all my friends you're looking for him.
Talebot: There's a bunch been skulkin' about right suspicious, like, but I've got nothin' to do with 'em. I know trouble when I see it, an' that there's trouble, mark me words.
Gundobald: So, you have indeed confirmed my suspicions about a masked man... That is most troubling. Whatever the young ones are scheming, it can lead to no good end. Gundobald: There's an anger inside them─I can see it in their eyes. I ought to know, for it once burned within me as well. Gundobald: Two decades ago, that same anger drove me and my brothers to rise against the despot who ruled Ala Mhigo. Naught would do but to depose him and usher in a revolution. Well, we got our revolution all right...but it cost us our freedom. Gundobald: Blinded by our hate, we didn't realize that we had been dancing to the Empire's tune. By the time we did, it was too late. Ala Mhigo had fallen. Gundobald: There are times when a man must be patient. Now is such a time, though the young ones know this not. Unless we intervene, they are like to commit great folly. If you learn aught of their plans, I would thank you to bring word to me.
Wilred Wants You Hremfing has a secret message for you.
Hremfing: Hey, adventurer. You done talking with the old bear? Hremfing: I've got a message for you from Wilred. Lad's something of a leader among the young ones here. Hremfing: He's impressed that you've won over Gundobald, and wants a word with you. Says he'll be waiting over at the craggy area north of here.
Wilred: Thanks for coming, friend. 'Tis no ordinary outsider who can gain the trust of the old bear. That's why I wanted to meet you, to discuss something in private. Wilred: Tell me...why are you snooping about? Did the Empire send you? Or someone else? Wilred: Coeurl got your tongue? Hmph, no matter. Whoever it is you work for, your meddling ends here. Get her!
Wilred: Y-You're stronger than you look... Wilred: This changes nothing! Threaten us, beat us bloody all you like...but nothing short of death can make us give up our fight! Wilred: We're going to obtain the power to bring down the Empire, and with it we'll reclaim our homeland!
Gundobald: Attacked by Wilred and his cronies!? That they would go to such lengths for the sake of this plan of theirs... Gundobald: Left to their own devices, the young fools are like to harm others, if not themselves. We must uncover their agenda and put an end to this madness.
Big Trouble in Little Ala Mhigo Gundobald needs your help to rein in the young ones of Little Ala Mhigo.
Gundobald: Wilred mentioned obtaining the power to bring down the Empire. Of what power could he be speaking...? ??? (Bertliana): Gun...Gundobald... <groan> I-I... Gundobald: Bertliana!? Gods preserve! What happened!? Bertliana: I was out foraging...when the Corpse Brigade came... They took me to their hideout...and they...they... <sob> Bertliana: The whole while, they laughed at me... <sob> They said that I suffer...
b-because I cling on to hope... <sob> Bertliana: Is it wrong to dream of home? Is it wrong to call ourselves Ala Mhigans? Gundobald: Do not heed such poisonous notions, child. Our dreams are what sustain us. Be strong─I swear to you, those villains will answer for their crimes in due time. But tell me...does anyone else know of this? Bertliana: Wilred... He saw me outside... He was so angry... Gundobald: I must tend to Bertliana. In the meantime, I need you to find out what the young ones make of this. I fear that they may do something rash.
Riled Lass: What those animals did to Bertliana is unforgivable! And to think they look down on us! Riled Lass: Well, I'll suffer this humiliation no more! I'm with Wilred to the bitter end! I'm not afraid of a few lizards!
Riled Youth: If this plan succeeds, we'll have the power to lay the Empire low! To change the world for the better! Riled Youth: Might be as Gundobald's content to eke out an existence in this musty old cave, but I'll be damned if I'm going to spend the rest of my life here. Now, where in the seven hells did I put that bloody map?
Wilred: O mighty Rhalgr, Lord of Destruction...we implore You, lend us Your strength and put an end to the suffering of Your people... Wilred: Hmph, here to interfere again? Well, you're too late. Our plan is already in motion. Wilred: Once we have the crystals, our enemies will pay for their crimes, and no one will dare oppress us ever again!
Gundobald: ...Gone? The whole lot of them? Then it is as I feared─they mean to take matters into their own hands. But what exactly is it that they mean to do?
Blunt Hunting Knife Countless years of use have seen the blade dulled and nicked, and the haft worn smooth.
Zanr'ak Map A detailed map of the Amalj'aa stronghold in southern Thanalan.
Gundobald: What's this? A hunting knife...and a map of Zanr'ak? ...Wait. You said Wilred spoke of crystals, did you not? But they couldn't possibly mean to─ By the gods, this is rank madness... Gundobald: The young fools are untrained and unblooded, all. They have no notion of how dangerous the Amalj'aa are. They'll be butchered before they get within a hundred yalms of the crystals. Gundobald: They are headed east. If we hurry, we may yet find them before it's too late.
Gundobald: Wilred... Did no others survive? Wilred: This is all wrong... Getting the crystals was supposed to be the start... We were going to reclaim our homeland... We were... We... Gundobald: Pull yourself together, lad! Wilred: W-We were going to make an offering of crystals to Rhalgr─to summon Him, j-just like the masked man taught us. Wilred: We plotted to sneak into Zanr'ak and make off with the lizardmen's cache, b-but they caught us and...and... So many dead... Gods forgive me... ??? (Hemozz Teh): Heathens! You shall pay for your crimes with your souls! Gundobald: I regret our young ones' transgressions, but a soul is too high a price for youthful folly. Gundobald: For all their failings, they are the hope of the Ala Mhigan people. This hope I will guard with my life.
Wilred of the Falling Petal: Forgive us... We...we only wanted... Gundobald the Resolute: The excuses will keep! Lavafang Hemozz Teh: The whelps must pay for their crimes! Gundobald the Resolute: I will not let you harm them! Gundobald the Resolute: Adventurer, stay close to Wilred! Lavafang Hemozz Teh: Come, ye blessed of our Lord's breath! Strapping Lad: No! I don't want to die! Strapping Lad: Mummy!!! Gundobald the Resolute: We almost have them!
Gundobald: Your skill at arms is impressive, adventurer. Our wayward youths could learn much from a woman like you. Gundobald: The battle is won, but it would be unwise to linger here. Let us return to Little Ala Mhigo. Wilred: W-Wait! We've come all this way─we have to get the crystals! They're right there, ripe for the picking! Gundobald: Have you learned nothing, Wilred? Did you not see those tempered wretches? Gundobald: Such is the fate of those who are touched by a god. Is that what you desire for yourself and your friends? Wilred: What!? N-No one said anything about─ The masked man told us we could defeat the Empire if we summoned Rhalgr! He swore─ Gundobald: Enough. I will hear the rest of this sorry tale back in Little Ala Mhigo. I daresay Forename will wish to hear it as well.
Gundobald: No more lies, Wilred. Tell us everything. Wilred: I was outside with the others when he appeared─the masked stranger. Wilred: He told us about summoning Rhalgr, about using crystals, and then just...vanished. We never saw him again. Wilred: I wanted so desperately to believe that we could raise ourselves from this squalor that I never stopped to question his motives. But I should have known─there's no solution, nothing we can do to change our lot. Our people are doomed to live and die like beasts... Gundobald: Listen to me, Wilred. Our home may be lost to us, but it takes more than stones and mortar to define who we are. No matter where we may be, Ala Mhigo lives on within us all. Gundobald: It is for you to decide what to make of this legacy. But whatever you choose to do with your life, never forget that you owe it to this adventurer─an outsider. Wilred: I...I won't. I promise. Wilred: Thank you for saving me. And...sorry I tried to kill you. Gundobald: My thanks as well, friend. It gives us hope to know that there are kind souls such as you out there. Little Ala Mhigo may not have much in the way of comfort, but you will always be welcome here.
Back to Square One Gundobald wants to wish you well on your investigation.
Gundobald: Would that we had more information to offer, but what Wilred told you is the extent of our knowledge of the masked stranger. Gundobald: Left unchecked, that man will bring about great pain and suffering. I pray that you'll find and put a swift end to the creature─for the sake of the young ones who died by his poisoned words.
Minfilia: Welcome back, Forename! I'm reliably informed the investigation took you to Quarrymill and Little Ala Mhigo. Minfilia: So tell me, were you able to learn aught of Lahabrea? Minfilia: Planted the knowledge of summoning in impressionable young minds, you say? Precisely the kind of deception the Ascians would employ... Minfilia: While many of the ills that ail the land can be attributed to the Calamity, some are being brought about by a malign will. Minfilia: We must needs delve deeper into this, while things remain quiet on the primal front. Tataru: All work and no play makes Minfilia a dull Scion. Minfilia: Hm? Did you say something? Tataru: N-Nothing, my lady! Minfilia: Ahem. Mayhap we ought to rest awhile before speaking further of the investigation.
Terror at Fallgourd Minfilia has another lead for you to pursue.
Minfilia: While you were tending to business in Thanalan, some new information arrived courtesy of our friends the sylphs. Minfilia: An individual fitting Lahabrea's description has been sighted in the North Shroud. This sighting comes in the wake of a series of mysterious deaths in the selfsame area. My instincts tell me that our man is involved. Minfilia: I would have you continue your investigation where you left off. Twelve willing, we will pick up Lahabrea's trail once more. Minfilia: Noraxia can furnish you with the details. Pray speak with her, and take it from there. As always, be careful out there, Forename.
Noraxia: Walking one is to investigate sinister one? Then heed well this one's words. Noraxia: This one is friends with a walking one in the Ashcrown Consortium. According to friendly one, a digging one named Medrod had an encounter with a scary masked one. This masked one is most certainly sinister one! Noraxia: Walking one should go and speak with digging one Medrod. Digging one is to be found at Fallgourd Float in the North Shroud.
Medrod: P-Please leave me be... I'm not long for this world... Medrod: I...I looked death in the face... 'Tis only a matter of time before he comes for me, just like he came for that poor woman... Medrod is clearly traumatized. Perhaps if you were to soothe him, he might remain calm for long enough to hold a conversation.
Medrod: ...Y-You're right. It's not as bad as it seems. I saw something terrible, that's true, but that hardly means I'm going to suffer the same fate. Thanks to you, I can think straight again. I believe I can even recount what I saw without losing it. Medrod: It was just another ordinary day. I was headed back to the Float when I noticed a suspicious character in the distance─a masked man garbed head to toe in black. He had a hideous fiend in tow, a winged creature that was all eyeball and jagged teeth. Taken by curiosity, I crept as near as I dared... Medrod: ...To see the corpse of a woman! One glimpse was enough to tell me that she'd died a gruesome death! Medrod: In that instant, I knew right away that the masked man was a minion of Thal, come to claim her soul for His realm. Medrod: What!? You're investigating this same masked man!? Aideen: If that's the case, we'll help you in whatever way we can! Ivaurault: Aye, anything to ensure that we won't have to suffer Medrod's hysteria ever again. Medrod: All right, teamwork! That's what I wanted to─wait, I haven't been that bad, have I...? At any rate, I'm all for helping this adventurer. It's the least I can do to repay her for comforting me!
Ziz Is So Ridiculous Aideen has a proposal to make concerning your investigation.
Aideen: So, here's what I know about the deaths: all the victims were found with their faces torn to shreds. Aideen: Among the local fauna, only the scalekin known as ziz could inflict such wounds. That's why some folk are pointing the finger at them. Aideen: I somehow doubt that the answer's that simple, but for the sake of thoroughness, we should look into it. Why don't you put down, say, three of the creatures, and see if you can find any proof connecting them to the deaths?
Aideen: You've already seen to the ziz? Good work, adventurer! So, were you able to find aught to suggest that the creatures are our culprits? Aideen: ...Nothing? Truth be told, even if there were proof, I wouldn't know what it looked like. Aaanyway, I believe we can safely strike ziz from our list of suspects. Which leaves us with...the masked man and his winged eyeball!
Rock of Rancor Aideen has further knowledge of the mysterious deaths.
Aideen: There's something else I heard about the deaths. It appears all the victims have been comely maidens. I'd better watch myself, eh!? Heh heh heh! Aideen: <sigh> Unseemly japes aside, there's a rumor been going around. There's some as whisper that, after each victim died, her rancor went into the great big rock southwest of here, causing it to flash and moan. Aideen: This bears investigating, I reckon. I'm going to give you a firesand stick to blow off a piece of that crag. The stick doesn't come with a fuse or anything, so you'll have to throw the thing. Once you've torn the rock a new one, bring back some of the fragments, and I'll give them a gander.
Firesand Stick A hollowed out wooden tube filled with several onzes of firesand. Used in mines and tunnels to pulverize large boulders and clear away cave-ins.
Aideen: Most folk are too scared to go within a hundred yalms of the Rock of Rancor─aye, it has a name. But what's a few vengeful spirits to a dauntless adventurer like you, eh?
Lightning-aspected Crystal Bigger than a shard, but not quite large enough to be a cluster. The energies emitted by this crystal lightly tingle the hands of any who touch it.
Aideen: ...Huh? Why, these are just your garden-variety crystals! 'Tis a bit hard to tell beneath all the dirt and grime, but they're definitely lightning-aspected. Aideen: I almost hate to say it, but that explains the flashing and moaning. Nothing to do with the masked stranger. Looks like I've gone and wasted both your time and a perfectly good firesand stick. Oh, well...
Seeing Eye to Winged Eye Ivaurault has information to share regarding your investigation.
Ivaurault: There is something you should know. I have been keeping this to myself, lest I worsen Medrod's paranoia, but I, too, have seen the winged eyeball. Ivaurault: I cannot say whether it was coincidence, but my sighting took place precisely the same time as Medrod's. I was heading home after a day of digging when a shadow fell over me. Ivaurault: Looking up, I found myself locked in a gaze with a giant eyeball. I let out a scream at the top of my lungs and ran without once looking back. This happened at the rocky area west of here, in case you had a mind to investigate.
Ivaurault: A monstrous banemite appeared...and you slew it!? That creature had long been a scourge upon the folk of Fallgourd! Ivaurault: Intentional or no, you have done us a great service. You have my gratitude! Ivaurault: ...But this does make me wonder, was it truly a winged eyeball I saw? Or merely a trick of light combined with blind panic?
Power of Deduction Medrod is troubled by the dearth of new developments in the murder investigation.
Medrod: <sigh> There've been no promising leads in the murders. I can scarce get a wink of sleep, knowing that the killer is still at large. Medrod: Judging by your furrowed brows, I take it this sorry business troubles you as much as it does me. Ivaurault: I had been pondering my encounter. I was uncertain for a time, but there can be no doubt: it was a winged eyeball that I witnessed. It's implausible that I could have mistaken so distinct a creature for a banemite. Medrod: But you and I were malms apart. How could we have both seen it at precisely the same time? Medrod: What's more, our adventurer friend here had a run-in with the banemite at the very spot you claimed to see that fiendish eyeball. Isn't that right? Ivaurault: There must be an explanation! I know I saw an eyeball with wings─I would wager an apple tart on it! Aideen: Oooh, he's serious. But listen, mayhap it's not as mysterious as we're making it out to be. There's no reason why there couldn't be─ Aideen: <gasp> Gods, of course... There must be more than one of the buggers! Ugh, it's so obvious. But then that means...since there have been repeated sightings of these fiends...then there must be even more victims as yet undiscovered... All: <gulp> Medrod: I-I do believe we're out of our depth. We ought to leave the rest to the expert. Aideen: Y-Yes, we're just civilians, after all. Good luck, adventurer. It was a pleasure knowing you! Ivaurault: While I burn to know the truth, some things are best left unknown. Lest you have forgotten, it was at the rocky area to the west that I had my encounter. Ivaurault: Should you discover aught of note, you will want to alert the authorities. There is a guardhouse nearby. The Serpents there should be pleased for any information that pertains to the security of the region.
Aethelmaer: Greetings, adventurer. Is there aught I might assist you with?
Ravaged Corpse The body of this poor soul has been defiled in more ways than one.
Aethelmaer: Gods be good, not again... Aethelmaer: No matter how many bodies I see, I cannot seem to get used to the horrid sight. Poor woman... Aethelmaer: Identical deaths have been reported in the Central Shroud. While the masked stranger you seek does not seem to feature in any, sightings of the winged eyeball are common enough. The creature appears to be moving the bodies, but to what end, none can say. Aethelmaer: The victims have all been young women. All are found with their faces mutilated beyond recognition. It's been difficult to identify them, so as to notify their next of─ Aethelmaer: Hm? This button, engraved with a lily motif... The very same object was found upon another victim. A family sigil, or that of an organization, perhaps? Aethelmaer: Either way, I dare to hope that this find will prove pivotal in solving the murders.
Secret of the White Lily Aethelmaer wants you to hold on to the button.
Aethelmaer: I would have you hold on to the lily button. You will need it to continue your investigation. Aethelmaer: While it isn't standard procedure to entrust key evidence to individuals, you have proven yourself reliable and resourceful in this matter. I see no reason why you shouldn't carry on your work. Aethelmaer: If I might make a suggestion, you may wish to take the button to Gridania and have it examined by Miounne. Mayhap someone in her vast network of contacts can shed light upon its sigil.
Mother Miounne: Good evening to you, Forename. By your grim expression, I suspect you aren't here for scones and herb tea.
Lily Button A lily sigil is carved into this tiny ivory button.
Mother Miounne: Well, isn't this a lovely little button. The engraving is quite exquisite─artisan-level quality, I would say. Where did you say you found this? ...On a dead body? Lovely. Mother Miounne: Anyway, I'm afraid I do not recognize the lily sigil. You will have to find the answer the old-fashioned way─by asking around. You could do worse than beginning with Bernadette, over by the aetheryte plaza. She has a sharp pair of eyes, that one.
Bernadette: Need help tracking down the owner of a button? That's certainly not a request I receive on a regular basis. Well, go on, then─show me what you have.
Lily Button A lily sigil is carved into this tiny ivory button.
Bernadette: Hmmm... Seems to be some manner of decorative button, reminiscent of those worn by the families of old, though I cannot claim to know its sigil. However, I can say with certainty that the white lily is a recurring theme in Gridanian culture. Bernadette: Alas, I do not know who would make a personal sigil of it. If there is a soul in Gridania who does, it would be Ceinguled over at the Lancers' Guild. The woman makes a point of knowing all the citizens on a forename basis.
Ceinguled: Bernadette believes that I can help you? Well, that is a rather bold assumption to make. I will try to assist, never you fear, but whether aught comes of it is another matter. Now, then, what do you require of me?
Lily Button A lily sigil is carved into this tiny ivory button.
Ceinguled: Fascinating... Work of this quality is rarely seen in the hands of ordinary Gridanians. The owner of this button is most certainly well-to-do. You may wish to take your search to the Gentry's Ward, northwest of here. Ceinguled: Wait. A memory comes to me. Of late, there has been a man who is perpetually seated at the bench by the ward's entrance. His name is Ursandel, and I distinctly recall seeing a markedly similar button upon the breast of his jacket. I daresay he can tell you a thing or two about it.
Ursandel: I do not believe we are acquainted. Pray leave me to my thoughts.
Lily Button A lily sigil is carved into this tiny ivory button.
Ursandel: <gasp> The sigil of the Dartancours family! How...how is it that you came to be in possession of this button? Ursandel: ...From the body of a murdered woman? H-Her face...was it marred in any way? Ursandel: I had feared as much... <sigh> I can no longer feign ignorance. I shall reveal to you the truth of the deaths, but on one condition: you promise to put an end to my lady's madness and free her from her torment.
Skeletons in Her Closet Ursandel has a confession to make regarding the mysterious murders.
Ursandel: I was once a manservant in the employ of one of the oldest and proudest families in Gridania─the Dartancours. During that time, I had the honor of waiting upon Lady Amandine, mistress of the household. Fair as summer was she, and possessed of a heart befitting her radiance. Ursandel: Alas, the Calamity wrought a great change in her. Though my lady escaped with her life, death may well have been a kinder fate. Never will I forget the day her bandages were removed, and she beheld her disfigured face for the first time. At that moment, the kindly woman I knew ceased to be. Ursandel: Unable to bear the thought of being seen, my lady sequestered herself within her chambers and refused all company. This continued for many uneasy moons, until one day, without warning, she began receiving queer guests. None among us knew whence they came, these masked men, but my lady believed that they would help her to regain that which she had lost. So began the “rites of rejuvenation.” Ursandel: These rituals seemed innocent enough in the beginning, but grew ever more grotesque as time went by. Eventually, there came a day when my lady bound one of her handmaidens to her bed, and...and proceeded to mutilate the poor girl's face. Suffice it to say, she did not survive the ordeal. It fell to me to dispose of her body. Ursandel: I performed the dreadful task as bade, obedient servant that I was, but when the time came to return to the house, my legs refused to move. I knew then that I could not go back to that place, not after the nightmare I had witnessed. So it was that I left Haukke Manor, my home for nigh on half a century. Ursandel: Long did I weep for the girl who was slain, and longer still for the woman that Lady Amandine had been. Yet one cannot weep forever, and I endeavored to put the matter behind me. Indeed, I had resolved never to speak of my experience...until you appeared before me. Ursandel: My lady's madness must be ended, lest more innocent lives be lost. Lay her tormented soul to rest, as you swore to me you would. She awaits you at Haukke Manor, on the western edge of the Central Shroud. Go now. Go and do what must be done.

Haukke Manor

Once used by seedseers as a place for spiritual reflection and meditation, Haukke Manor was long frowned upon by the people of Gridania as a symbol of excess. After years of protest, the building was finally sold to a wealthy duskwight by the name of Lady Amandine. While little is known of the Lady, it was said that she was exceptionally vain, and that to maintain her impeccable beauty, she would spare no expense. From facial creams concocted from rare Coerthas honeys to shampoos derived from the milk of exotic phurbles, her daily ritual of beauty treatments escalated until it was rumored she was bathing in the blood of her virgin maidservants. No amount of man-made tinctures, however could hide the hideous scars she eventually suffered during the Calamity, and from that day forth she was forced to turn to a darker solution, signing away her very soul in a final effort to “save face.”
Scion Marauder: On your guard, everyone. Scion Conjurer: Dark forces are at work here.
Scion Conjurer: Do you suppose there's anything useful in that room?
Scion Marauder: Let's not waste any time with this one.
Scion Thaumaturge: I think we can use this flow of magic to return to the manor entrance.
Scion Conjurer: Let us put this wayward soul to rest.
??? (Black-masked Ascian): Darkness has taken root within these halls... ??? (Black-masked Ascian): ...Sprung from the most unlikely of seeds. ??? (Black-masked Ascian): One cannot help but admire the irrepressible spirit that quickened it to life. Ascian of the Twelfth Staff: It is a pleasure to meet you at last, adventurer. You are every bit as intriguing as our master gave us to believe. Ascian of the Twelfth Sword: It is no ordinary mortal who can acquire one Crystal of Light...much less three. Ascian of the Twelfth Sword: The Crystals make you strong, and it is to that strength that the Light is drawn. Ascian of the Twelfth Staff: Hydaelyn chose well. Ascian of the Twelfth Sword: ...A pity that your existence is irreconcilable with our own. We cannot well allow you to continue upon your present course. Ascian of the Twelfth Staff: Alas, we came here not to play, but to take the measure of your strength for Master Lahabrea. That task now accomplished, we take our leave of you. Ascian of the Twelfth Sword: Fare you well, Bringer of Light.
Ursandel: You are returned! What sights awaited you within the manor? What has become of Lady Amandine? You must tell me all! Ursandel: ...So she went so far as to consort with devils. Would that I could have done more to prevent her fall. May she finally find peace in the beyond. Ursandel: I know not whether the masked men you encountered are the same pair that first led my lady astray, but it is plain that they are of the same vile brood. Should the chance ever present itself, promise me that you will visit upon them tenfold the woe they have brought upon others. Ursandel: But who am I to speak of punishment? By my silence, I allowed I know not how many innocent young women to die in unspeakable circumstances... It matters not wherefore─through misplaced loyalty, cowardice, or both, I am an abettor to a gross crime. I will surrender myself to the authorities and accept whatever punishment they deem just. I only pray that the gods will have mercy on my soul.
Minfilia: Welcome back, Forename. Full glad am I to see you safely returned. Tell me, how fared you on your sojourn in the Twelveswood? Minfilia: ...Two of Lahabrea's minions? ...And they sought to measure your strength...by their own admission? Minfilia: The devils taunt us... It is beyond doubt, then─the Ascians have begun to move in earnest. Would that we knew to what end. Minfilia: Yet I will not bemoan our plight. Thanks to your tireless efforts, we are at least aware of the encroaching Darkness. Minfilia: Alas, we can only do so much. It is clear to me now that we Scions are too few to protect the realm against this threat unaided. Minfilia: We must needs alert the three nations to the presence of this elusive enemy, and recommend that they heighten their vigil. Minfilia: There is no shortage of misery in the world that the Ascians might exploit. We have an arduous struggle ahead of us. Minfilia: Yet come what may, we must not allow ourselves to become lost to hope, for that is precisely what the enemy desires. Minfilia: We have gleaned all we can from the information available to us. Let us set this investigation aside for the present. Minfilia: Another matter has arisen that requires your attention. Let me know when you are ready to be briefed, and I will summon the others.
Wrath of the Titan Minfilia is waiting to brief you and your fellow Scions on a new development.
Minfilia: The Maelstrom requests our assistance. Y'shtola: Concerning the kobolds they sent such copious notes on, I presume? Minfilia: Yes, and no. It has more to do with their findings, which portend a peril far greater than any beast tribe. Y'shtola: What sort of peril? Minfilia: The worst kind. A tribe of kobolds in the vicinity of Limsa Lominsa has reawakened Titan. Minfilia: Our task will be to slay the primal. The Maelstrom have sworn support for the endeavor. Minfilia: They are no strangers to the havoc kobolds can wreak. Y'shtola: Years before the Grand Company's reformation, two primals, Leviathan and Titan, chanced to converge upon the seawall, wreaking untold devastation. Y'shtola: There, by the grace of the Navigator, were the mercenaries Merlwyb hired able to fend them off. Y'shtola: Yet it did not take long for the beast tribes to regroup, and they summoned their primals once more. Minfilia: Thankfully, their second coming was decidedly short-lived─but that is beside the point. Minfilia: So long as tormented souls will them to exist, the realm will never be rid of primals. Y'shtola: The Maelstrom has kept a watchful eye upon the beast tribes─and the kobolds in particular─ever since. Y'shtola: Which brings us to the matter at hand. Minfilia: Unlike Ifrit, we know scarcely anything of Titan. Minfilia: Unfortunately, the only force known to have bested him─the modestly named “Company of Heroes”─disbanded five years since, and mercenaries are not in the habit of keeping chronicles. Y'shtola: Expect the worst. Y'shtola: The Maelstrom's help is of course appreciated, but even if we had their whole armada at our disposal, we could still find ourselves overmatched. Y'shtola: A pity the kobolds lack the gentle sensibilities of the sylphs. A peaceful resolution would be more than welcome. Y'shtola: The Echo will not avail you this time, I fear. If you are to survive, your steel must needs speak for you. Y'shtola: No one would think you a coward were you to decline. Minfilia: So you will accept? Minfilia: Thank you. Thancred (Lahabrea): We can't very well send her to Limsa Lominsa without Y'shtola, can we, Minfilia? Minfilia: May I ask that of you, Y'shtola? Y'shtola: I never thought it in question. Minfilia: Ever reliable. Minfilia: Very well. We will spare no effort to win victory. Minfilia: You may count on the full support of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Minfilia: And all not afield will aid the fight from afar. Minfilia: Thancred, Yda, go to the Grand Companies. Tell them of our plight and solicit their support. Minfilia: Urianger, send word to the Students of Baldesion─and Alphinaud, if you would. Minfilia: Papalymo, compile all the information we have on Titan, little though it may be. Minfilia: You'll be apprised of the tactical situation when you reach the Sailors Ward. Minfilia: Provision yourself for the journey. May you walk in the light of the Crystal.
R'ashaht Rhiki: Good to see you, Captain Surname. R'ashaht Rhiki: The Scions sent word that you were on your way. R'ashaht Rhiki: To business, then. It is as we told the Antecedent. The kobolds have once again summoned Titan. R'ashaht Rhiki: A little over a moon ago, we began to observe the beastmen moving south in increasing numbers from O'Ghomoro. R'ashaht Rhiki: Our scouts subsequently confirmed the object of their aggression─ Merlwyb: Crystals. Fodder for their fell primal. Merlwyb: Thank you, High Commander. You may leave the rest to me.
Your deeds bring glory to the Maelstrom, Captain Surname. Right proud am I to call you one of our own. Y'shtola: Forgive the lack of forewarning, High Commander. The Admiral wished to address Forename personally. Merlwyb: We are no strangers to conflict. Long have the Sahagin and the kobolds plagued our people─nor is this the first time we have had to address a primal threat. Merlwyb: In the past, when Titan rose to threaten the peace, it was to the Company of Heroes we turned. Merlwyb: But they are long disbanded, and we must look to other brave souls blessed with the strength to face this foe. Merlwyb: So it is that we turn now to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, confident in the belief that you are Limsa's best hope. Y'shtola: I hope you are right. Yet the situation is far from simple. The kobolds are not prone to unprovoked aggression. Did not the thalassocracy make a pact with the beastmen that each would keep to their own lands, and that no blood would be shed? Y'shtola: ...And was it not the Lominsans who violated this agreement, dissatisfied with their lot? Shall we then condemn the beastmen for defending their homes? Y'shtola: Even a pirate must one day reap what she has sown. R'ashaht Rhiki: I would advise you to choose your words with greater care, Lady Y'shtola! Merlwyb: Stand down, High Commander. She has the right of it. Merlwyb: And the wrong is mine. Freely do I claim it. Yet it makes little difference. Remorse will not shield us from Titan's wrath.
...Or would you have us fall upon our swords? Y'shtola: My apologies, Admiral. The safety and security of Limsa Lominsa's citizenry are, of course, of paramount concern. Merlwyb: Already, we have observed disruptions in the flow of aether further inland. The effects will be felt here in the city ere long. Merlwyb: I ask much of you, I know, but the need is great. I trust I can count on you, Captain? Merlwyb: You have my thanks, along with the full support of the Maelstrom. I await good tidings. Y'shtola: That the kobolds should summon Titan demonstrates they are no longer amenable to negotiation. Y'shtola: This being the case, we must needs prepare for conflict. Before we meet Titan in the field, however, it would be wise to learn all we can of our foe. And I can think of no better source of information than the mercenaries who defeated him once before. R'ashaht Rhiki: The Company of Heroes may be no more, but several of its former members still live. It is said that one of them is employed at the Grey Fleet mills in lower La Noscea. Y'shtola: Quite why a mercenary should choose to become a miller, I do not know. When you find him, mayhap you could ask him for me. I, meanwhile, shall seek his fellows.
Trachtoum: Lay down yer burdens, son,♪
Come drain a pint with me,♪
We'll have a grand ol' time,♪
Find ye a lass or three...♪ Trachtoum: Ye gonna say somethin', 'venturer, or just keep starin'?
Eh? Ye want to know about the Company of Heroes? Trachtoum: Ahhh hells... Price of bleedin' fame... Can't a miller mill in peace no more!? Trachtoum: Still, seein' as ye've come all this way, I s'pose it wouldn't hurt to oblige ye. Consider yerself lucky, lass─ol' Trachtoum was the Company's best axeman. Now, what was it ye wanted to know?
Tales from the Tidus Slayer Trachtoum is eager to regale you with stories of his glory days.
Trachtoum: Gah hah hah! So, ye want to hear the tale of how the Company of Heroes bested a primal, do ye? Trachtoum: Let me guess: ye mean that bastard Tidus, aye? Trachtoum: Oh, if only ye'd been there to see it! Trachtoum: 'Twas a mighty struggle, like the legends of old! Trachtoum: Me an' the boys fought him for three days an' nights, we did! Trachtoum: The ground trembled with every step Tidus took, an' when he hit ye, girl, it felt like a cannonball to the gut. Uggghhh! Just like that! Trachtoum: Oi, what's that look for? I'm a godsdamned hero, I'll have you know! The people 'round here sing me praises! Don't tell me ye only care about learnin' the secret tactics we used to beat ol' Tidus... Trachtoum: Hmph! Well, too bad, 'cause now I'm not feelin' charitable. If yer so damn desperate, then why don't ye do me a favor an' kill those rats that've made a nest by the windmill just south of here? Aye, do that, then we'll talk!
Trachtoum: Eh? So the beasties are dead, are they? Nice work, 'venturer! Trachtoum: Saved me the hassle of─ah, never mind.
Hungry Hungry Goobbues Trachtoum appears to be ignoring you.
Trachtoum: Eh? So the beasties are dead, are they? Nice work, 'venturer! Trachtoum: Saved me the hassle of─ah, never mind. Trachtoum: ...What? Ye still askin' about how we beat Tidus? I dunno, 'venturer...it was a pretty risky strategy, the kind only a veteran of ten score battles could rely upon. Trachtoum: I want to teach ye, I truly do! But unless ye prove ye have what it takes to face that fat bastard, I can't in good conscience tell you a damn thing! Trachtoum: At the very least, ye'd need to be capable of slayin', say, a goobbue... Trachtoum: Come to think of it, that ain't a bad idea. Them creatures have a taste for the flour milled here, so ye ought to have no trouble findin' one in the vicinity. Trachtoum: 'Course, I ain't askin' ye to cut one down quick as a skilled axeman like meself! Trachtoum: Anyroad, why don't ye try headin' due west an' standin' lookout 'case a goobbue comes callin'? Slay it, an' I might consider tellin' ye more about ol' Tidus.
Trachtoum: Eh? You again? Then that goobbue that was harassin' the millers is dead? Trachtoum: Didn't think ye had it in ye, 'venturer. Still, you took forever an' a day to get the job done. I'm still not sure if I should tell you our secrets...
The Lominsan Way Trachtoum remains unconvinced of your readiness to defeat the dread primal Tidus.
Trachtoum: So, uh...as I was sayin', I still don't know if ye've got what it takes to face Tidus. Maybe if ye slew a─ Grey Fleet Miller: Trachtoum? You in here drinking again? If you are, that goobbue had better be dead! Trachtoum: Oh, it's dead, chief, ye have me word on that! Cleaved the beast's skull in two with me trusty axe, I did! Grey Fleet Miller: Is that a fact? And what will your friend here say if I ask her? Trachtoum: Sh-She'll vouch for me, of course! Ain't that right...friend? Grey Fleet Miller: Tell me true: was it Trachtoum who slew that goobbue...or was it you? Trachtoum: Chief! Wh-What are ye sayin'!? It's me, Trachtoum, the finest axeman ever to serve in the Company of Heroes, the legendary mercenaries who slew that bastard Tidus! Grey Fleet Miller: ...Tidus? Tidus? Who in the seven hells is Tidus!? Some primal you fought in a drink-sodden dream? The Company of Heroes slew Titan, you bloody half-wit! Trachtoum: Ah. Aye, well...see, Tidus was what me an' the lads used to call him. Grey Fleet Miller: That's the biggest load of Sahagin shite I've ever heard.
Both of you, outside! We'll learn the truth the Lominsan way! Grey Fleet Miller: Trachtoum─if you didn't slay that goobbue, you may consider your contract revoked!
Trachtoum Parter of Seas: All right─ye know the rules! First one to smash their boulder will be judged the goobbue slayer! Trachtoum Parter of Seas: An' don't even think about tryin' to kill me! That's cheatin'! Grey Fleet Miller: Who picked these boulders!? They're nothing alike!
Ah, the hells with it─let the contest begin! Trachtoum Parter of Seas: How ye doin', lass? Feelin' a bit stiff, by any chance? Trachtoum Parter of Seas: Y-Yer still at it!? Bugger me─'tis lucky I've got one of these! Trachtoum Parter of Seas: Heh heh...only killin's against the rules!
Trachtoum: All right, all right, I admit it! I lied about bein' in the Company of Heroes. But I'm beggin' ye, chief─please don't dismiss me! I've learned me lesson, honest I have! Grey Fleet Miller: Save your blubbering, Trachtoum. <sigh> Gods, I should've known... Trachtoum: Mercy, please! I didn't want to deceive ye, I swear! It's just that I kept gettin' turned away by all the folk I asked for work, an' I panicked! Trachtoum: See, the last job I had was at Costa del Sol, an' there was this grizzled marauder everyone treated like royalty. When I heard he was a captain in the Company of Heroes, I finally understood why. Trachtoum: I-I wasn't bein' serious when I said I was one of 'em! But ye went an' believed me, so I...so I, er... Trachtoum: L-Look─his name was Wheiskaet, all right!? Wheiskaet! He'll tell ye how to defeat Titus or whatever the hells that thing's name is! Trachtoum: That's what ye wanted, ain't it!? So come on, then! Tell the chief to forgive me! It's only fair!
Wheiskaet: Pardon? You wish to slay the Lord of Crags? Y'shtola: We must slay him, Captain. The people of Limsa Lominsa are depending upon us. Wheiskaet: Hmph. You fancy yourselves heroes, then─just like in the tales? Y'shtola: Be not so quick to judge. Long have I labored for the well-being of you and yours. And my associate here has bathed in Ifrit's hellfire and lived. Y'shtola: She is blessed with a power that protects her from primal influence. Thus was she able to lay low the Lord of the Inferno. Y'shtola: We know full well the risks, and have taken every possible precaution. We lack only the knowledge of how to enter Titan's lair. Pray be so good as to grant us the boon of your wisdom, and we shall be on our way. Wheiskaet: A woman who can't be tempered? Useful...but it will not be enough. Wheiskaet: It is true that the Company of Heroes fought and felled primals─but each victory was bought with the lifeblood of brave men and women. Wheiskaet: And Titan was the worst we faced. Aye, we defeated him─in the end─but he took from us some of our very best. Wheiskaet: Even if you possess the power you claim, I have no reason to believe you will succeed. Y'shtola: Believe what you will. We mean to try. Y'shtola: Though our lives be forfeit, we will not abandon Limsa to the wrath of Titan. Wheiskaet: You are passionate, I'll grant you that... Wheiskaet: ...And you deserved better than the greeting I gave you. But I will not send you into O'Ghomoro on a whim. To be plain, I do not wish to see you give your lives in vain. Wheiskaet: At the very least, I must have assurances that you are more than common adventurers. Wheiskaet: I oversee security for Master Gegeruju's estates. Perhaps you can demonstrate your abilities by attending to one of our─ Y'shtola: Ye gods, man─have you heard nothing I have said? We have not the time to perform trivial tasks. The enemy is at the gates! Wheiskaet: Do you imagine words can sway me, girl? Wheiskaet: If you dislike my conditions, then you are welcome to find your own way into O'Ghomoro. Y'shtola: <sigh> Though it pains me to admit it, I fear we have no choice but to acquiesce to the man's demands. Y'shtola: Yet much remains to be done if we are to best Titan. Forgive me, but I must ask you to undertake this task alone. I will use the time to see to the remaining preparations. Wheiskaet: Leaving the dirty work to others, are we? Heh, very well. Y'shtola: Pray do whatever the good captain bids...however trifling. Remember: the fate of Limsa Lominsa hangs in the balance.
Nix That Wheiskaet would first like to verify that you are not a complete fraud.
Wheiskaet: Master Gegeruju's requests can be more demanding than you realize. Before I set you to your true task, I would like to verify that this won't be a waste of my time. Wheiskaet: A nix has recently been seen prowling the beach to the east. As you can imagine, my master does not want large slimy creatures anywhere near his lands. Wheiskaet: The beast is cunning, but you should have no difficulty luring it out with herring. Wheiskaet: Slay the nix and return to me. Oh, and don't forget to bring me a leg as proof of the kill.
Fattened Herring When used as bait, a fish this size is sure to attract even the largest of beasts.
Wheiskaet: Well? Did you deal with the nix?
Nix Leg Almost as large as an aldgoat leg, but several times leaner.
Wheiskaet: Lest you think me overly cautious for testing you in this way, you should know that we had an incident not long ago. A foolish young employee was dismissed for lying about his past. He claimed to have served in the Company of Heroes, but I knew for a fact he did not. Wheiskaet: Anyway, now that the pointless busywork is finished, I shall give you a challenge as befits your talents.
A Modest Proposal Wheiskaet has an important mission for you.
Wheiskaet: Two highly distinguished individuals are scheduled to visit Costa del Sol in the near future, and Master Gegeruju wishes to welcome them with an elaborate banquet. Wheiskaet: But while money is no object, not everything Master Gegeruju desires can be so easily purchased. Wheiskaet: It is to be an extremely exotic feast. And so, Forename, your mission is to seek out and obtain the rare ingredients our chef requires. Wheiskaet: Naturally, such fine dining must be accompanied with a suitable wine. And by “suitable,” I mean “the very best there is.” That, however, can wait for the time being, as I believe you have enough on your plate as it is. Wheiskaet: It will be a long and arduous journey, but you need not toil alone. Many of the mercenaries who once served under my command still live, and they will guide you in your quest. For the first ingredient, I would have you travel to the South Shroud and speak with Landenel at Camp Tranquil. Wheiskaet: ...What? Do you mean to tell me that you cannot afford to waste time, as your associate did? Wheiskaet: Adventurer, if you have not the endurance to complete this mission, how do you expect me to believe you can outlast the Lord of Crags? Either do it or don't─I have work to do.
Landenel: Do you require assistance, adventurer? Landenel: ...So this is the one who would challenge Titan. I've been expecting you, Forename. Landenel: The ingredient you seek is the egg of a giant adamantoise. Landenel: The method of acquisition should be obvious─you steal it from the beast's nest, of course. Simple in theory, but difficult in execution. Most who try die in the attempt. Landenel: Will I help you get it? Hah, you amuse me. I will not jeopardize my position by openly assisting you. From me you will receive only information. What you do with it is your choice.
Trial by Turtle Landenel needs to explain a few things to you.
Landenel: Let me be clear: this business between you, me, and the captain must remain a secret. Landenel: See, I don't regret my time spent with the Company in the slightest. Traveling the world, meeting interesting people, killing them─it was all jolly good fun. Landenel: Alas, Gridanians are, by and large, an unforgiving lot─Detoh here being a rare exception. Landenel: I've had to go to great lengths to ensure that I am seen as a model citizen, with no taste for drinking, whoring, gambling, and all those other activities I so dearly miss. Landenel: So understand that if you ruin my little charade by wagging your tongue, I'll fashion a noose with your entrails and hang you from the nearest heavenspillar. Landenel: Well, what are you waiting for? There's a perfectly good adamantoise egg in a nest to the east of here, just ripe for the taking. Landenel: Not that I expect you to live long enough to claim it! Landenel: The mother never strays far from the child, and you will surely be attacked the moment you lay hands upon the egg. Landenel: ...There will be other heroes, Forename. You do not need to challenge Titan. Abandon your quest, or your corpse will rot in this swamp.
Landenel: I thought you might have the good sense to leave this place. By your continued presence, I take it you intend to persevere to the bitter end?
Giant Adamantoise Egg An exceptionally large egg with a seemingly unbreakable shell. When it hatches, the baby adamantoise that emerges will likely be as large as a hound.
Landenel: Ahahaha! Such bravery, such recklessness! That will serve you well against Titan. Landenel: Leave the egg with me─I'll see that it gets to the captain. You should make haste to southern Thanalan. Landenel: In Forgotten Springs, you will find a man named U'odh Nunh. He will be your next guide. Safe travels, Forename.
U'odh Nunh: State your business, adventurerrr.
<snort> Hah hah hah! So this is the one Wheiskaet sends me. U'odh Nunh: I haven't the foggiest what he sees in you─and until I do, you will rrreceive no aid from me.
The Perfect Prey U'odh Nunh wants you to hunt the most dangerous game.
U'odh Nunh: Perrrsistent bugger. Very well, let's have a look at you. U'odh Nunh: ...You've seen your share of battle, there's no mistaking that. And you did manage to obtain that adamantoise egg. However, that was naught more than a display of brrrute force and blind courage. U'odh Nunh: The nunh I once fought also believed that his strrrength would save him. He was wrong, and now I am nunh. U'odh Nunh: Many years ago, I joined the Company of Heroes to hone my skills, instead of challenging my predecessor before I was ready. Even when I was young, I understood that victorrry goes to the patient, the cunning, the pragmatic. U'odh Nunh: That is why I claimed my position, and it is why I still hold it. And it is why I will not help an unprrroven whelp. U'odh Nunh: The Children of the Sands do not offer aid to strangers. To do so is a sign of weakness. However, if you were rrrecognized as a skilled hunter in your own right, it would be permissible to assist you. U'odh Nunh: Across the desert to the east lies an Amalj'aa encampment. There dwells a warrior renowned both for his strrrength and his guile. To even face this Amalj'aa in battle, you must first find a way to lure him away from the encampment. U'odh Nunh: This will be your test: to drrraw out and defeat the veteran. For this, I will offer you no advice─only this worn spear. U'odh Nunh: Why, you ask? You will have to solve that rrriddle yourself. Now go─slay this old warrior and bring to me his necklace.
Bloody Guisarme A trophy claimed by U'odh Nunh from the dying hands of an Amalj'aa warrior.
U'odh Nunh: Tell me, adventurerrr: is our old nemesis dead?
Crude Necklace A confusion of teeth, bones, and claws strung onto a piece of leather. Supposedly from the pattern in which items are ordered, other Amalj'aa can glean the name and rank of the necklace's wearer.
U'odh Nunh: 'Tis a fine necklace, as befits a veteran of countless battles. It will make an excellent trophy. U'odh Nunh: The spear? It belonged to one of his brrrothers. I knew when he spied it from afar, he would be unable to rrresist venturing outside the encampment to see for himself. U'odh Nunh: Did you discern my intent, or was it dumb luck, I wonder... U'odh Nunh: Heh heh heh! Either way, you imprrress me, adventurer! I shall tell you of the ingredient you seek.
When the Worm Turns U'odh Nunh is finally willing to tell you of the ingredient you seek.
U'odh Nunh: A shame we did not meet when I was still with the Company of Heroes. You would have made a fine rrrecruit. U'odh Nunh: But no point dwelling on what cannot be. You have a Wellwick worm to hunt. U'odh Nunh: Sandworms slither brrrazenly across the desert dunes, but Wellwick worms are far fewer in number. Rarity brrreeds demand, and so their meat is highly prized as a delicacy. U'odh Nunh: The only way to catch your quarry is to entice it with something it cannot rrresist. U'odh Nunh: These worms prrrey on the smaller creatures of the Sagolii. A freshly slaughtered angler carcass would be my choice of bait. U'odh Nunh: There is an area teeming with anglers to the east. I will mark it upon your map, along with the location where Wellwick worms are most frrrequently sighted. U'odh Nunh: Be warned─the blood will drive the worm into a feeding frrrenzy. If your skills are lacking, it will devour you as well.
Rotting Angler A few more bells under the sun and this fish will turn ripe as a faerie apple.
U'odh Nunh: You look well. Have you caught your quarry, then?
Wellwick Worm Meat A large round slice of Wellwick worm white meat.
U'odh Nunh: Your skills as a hunter rrrival those of our best. I applaud your success, Forename. U'odh Nunh: The meat will need to be heavily smoked before I ship it to Wheiskaet. Worry not─you have my word that he will rrreceive it in time for the banquet. U'odh Nunh: You must be eager to obtain the third ingrrredient. I regret to say that I know naught of its location. For the nonce, you should return to Costa del Sol and seek Wheiskaet's counsel. U'odh Nunh: Ah, but hold a moment. Since you will be meeting the captain again soon, there is something I would like you to deliver to him for me.
There and Back Again U'odh Nunh would like you to deliver a gift to Wheiskaet.
U'odh Nunh: The captain was always fond of this brandewine. I would be grrrateful if you could deliver it on my behalf. U'odh Nunh: I was a rrreckless, angry youth when I first joined the Company, and he would have been well within his rights to cast me out. Everything I have I owe to his wisdom and generrrosity. U'odh Nunh: Aye, Wheiskaet was a firm-yet-fair teacher, an expert molder of men. And I suspect that is still the case now. U'odh Nunh: Please give him my rrregards, Forename.
Wheiskaet: Well met, Forename. Landenel and U'odh Nunh both spoke highly of you. What brings you here today?
Onyx Brandewine A deep, caramel-colored spirit made from twice distilling fine red wine and then aging it in rosewood barrels for at least thirty summers.
Wheiskaet: Ahhh, my favorite. I shall have to thank the nunh personally. Wheiskaet: Now, you have but one ingredient left. Fortunately, you will not have to travel to Aldenard this time to obtain it.
The Things We Do for Cheese Wheiskaet would like to tell you about the final ingredient needed for the banquet.
Wheiskaet: Truth be told, I never intended for you to collect this last ingredient. Brayflox, my old quartermaster, wished to bring it to Costa del Sol herself. Wheiskaet: However, not long ago, she sent word that there's been some trouble at the Longstop, and that the delivery would be delayed indefinitely. She told me nothing of the incident itself, but I fear the situation may be dire. Wheiskaet: Though I would like nothing more than to aid her myself, I have no choice but to turn to you and your allies. Make haste to Hidden Falls docks and speak with Ozun Nazun. He will direct you to Raincatcher Gully, where Brayflox and her people have made their home.
Ozun Nazun: What's the hurry, 'venturer? Eh? Somethin' happen over at the gobbie settlement? Ozun Nazun: I dunno why yer so eager to help a bunch of beastmen, but go an' talk to the skipper over yonder. She'll ferry ye to Raincatcher Gully.
Brayflox Alltalks: Pshhh... Shkohhh...
Tongueflaps of Wheiskaet be reaching ears of Brayflox. Uplander is come for tastyfresh gobbietreats, yes? Brayflox Alltalks: Questprize of uplander deep in Longstop. Flighty-beast chased gobbieflock from homes. Gobbieflock needs goodly uplander give safety to Longstop with much hand-lending!

Brayflox's Longstop

After a tiring journey across Eorzea, it is deep within the quiet jungles of Raincatcher Gully where the charismatic and enterprising young goblin, Brayflox Alltalks, chooses to build her tiny empire. What she does not realize, however, it that something else—something sinister—has also made the lush forest its home. Now driven from their rightful(?) claim, Brayflox and her brethren seek to retake the land, and are not above asking the help of lesser races (that would be you) to help them do so.
Scion Thaumaturge: Let's get going. We have to help them!
Goblin Pathfinder: Shkoh! Shkoh! Gobbieflock in danger! Uplanders take gatekey! Open Headgate!
Scion Marauder: I pray we're not too late.
Brayflox Alltalks: Shkoh! Shkoh! More fastness! More fastness! Brayflox Alltalks: Shkoh! Brayflox shall see to thunderfoot! Brayflox Alltalks: Gobbie...boom? Scion Conjurer: I was expecting Brayflox to be more...helpful.
Scion Conjurer: Well, at least now the way forward is open.
Scion Thaumaturge: The dragon! It won't escape this time!
Brayflox Alltalks: Pshhh... Shkohhh...
Goodly uplander has thanks of gobbieflock! Brayflox Alltalks: Flighty-beast was tricksy foe, but uplander outwitted with plansmaking. Uplander has goodly head for fighty-think. Brayflox Alltalks: Brayflox happygives tastyfresh gobbietreats to clever uplander! Brayflox Alltalks: Cheese is stinkysweet gobbietreat! Specialmake with secret gobbiearts! Brayflox Alltalks: No party complete without gobbie gouda, Brayflox everysay!
Wheiskaet: <sniff> <sniff> ...I gather you solved Brayflox's little problem?
Goblin Cheese The pungent odor of this hard yellow cheese veined with blue-green mold is most comparable to the warm, damp boot of a zombie after stepping in ripe chocobo dung. Goblins claim it is a delicacy, but then again, they have their masks to filter out the aroma.
Wheiskaet: By the gods, that unholy stench! This is─ugh─definitely goblin cheese. Wheiskaet: Judging from the smell, this should be quite flavorful. Wheiskaet: Hm? How is it made? Ah...it's best you remain ignorant of such things. I still remember when I learned what kind of milk they use... <shudder>
What Do You Mean You Forgot the Wine Wheiskaet would like to congratulate you on a job well done.
Wheiskaet: Bravo, Forename. Thanks to you, our guests shall be honored with a marvelous banquet. Wheiskaet: But what good is an exotic feast without an equally exquisite aperitif? Wheiskaet: Luckily, I know just the person to ask. Make your way to Wineport and seek out Shamani Lohmani, another former member of the Company. Wheiskaet: All you have to do is give him this order slip. He'll take care of the rest. Wheiskaet: Oh, and if you're wondering if this is merely a ploy to test your patience, I assure you I do actually need that wine. And while you're there, give Shamani Lohmani my regards.
Shamani Lohmani: ...Sweat, grime, and blood. Aye, you reek of blood. An adventurer, unless I am mistaken. What brings you to Wineport?
Aperitif Order Slip An order made out to Wineport vintner Shamani Lohmani.
Shamani Lohmani: An order? Let me guess─a request for the finest vintage I can muster. Shamani Lohmani: <sniff> <sniff> The paper smells of loam and perfume. Costa del Sol. And there is also the─<cough>─unmistakable odor of goblin cheese... Shamani Lohmani: Yes, Master Gegeruju would not settle for anything less than the best. Dyrstweitz and his crew must be quite busy preparing an exotic feast, hence his decision to rely on an adventurer. Shamani Lohmani: Ah, but perhaps you are confused. This display of deduction was not intended to impress you. Shamani Lohmani: When one loses his vision, he is forced to compensate in other ways. But you've no interest in my affairs─you wish only to discuss the wine, I suspect.
An Offer You Can Refuse Shamani Lohmani would like to discuss wine with you.
Shamani Lohmani: Life can be so delightfully unpredictable. I always had a passion for wine, but it wasn't until I was forced to retire that I could pursue it as more than a mere hobby. Shamani Lohmani: It wouldn't have been possible if not for the savings I amassed during my time as a mercenary, of course. Say what you will about the nature of that work─none can deny that it pays well. Shamani Lohmani: Ah, but you grow impatient, and Wheiskaet must have his wine. Herein lies the problem: nothing in my possession is of sufficient quality for this occasion. Shamani Lohmani: The best vintages in town are hoarded by Byrglaent, who owns and operates the largest winery in Vylbrand. Shamani Lohmani: Somehow, I doubt he will be receptive to your request, but given these circumstances we must needs beg his assistance.
Byrglaent: What rank amateur bottled this wine? The impurities have rendered it nigh undrinkable. Dismissal is too good for the man responsible─he should be made to drink every drop of his polluted swill! Byrglaent: What is it? I am in the middle of an important discussion, and I do not care for interruptions.
Hm? That neophyte vintner bid you speak with me? Hah! Byrglaent: Neither you nor your friend has the palate to appreciate the subtle qualities of my private stock. Byrglaent: I would sooner serve you goobbue urine than sell you my worst vintage. Begone from my sight.
Shamani Lohmani: I take it he said no?
...Really, in those words? Hm, well, I cannot say that I am surprised. Shamani Lohmani: While there's no denying his passion and skill, the Wine Baron of Limsa Lominsa is not a man known for his tact. Shamani Lohmani: Very well. We shall have to take an alternative approach.
It Won't Work Shamani Lohmani has another bright idea.
Shamani Lohmani: There is a chance, however small, that another resident of Wineport can furnish us with a suitable wine. In fact, had you come several years ago, I guarantee this would not be a problem. Shamani Lohmani: Alas, the quality of our product has declined significantly in recent years. The only breeds cultivated these days are common lowland vines. Which isn't to say that their grapes are of poor quality─only that we have known better. Shamani Lohmani: Long ago, the vignerons of Wineport crossbred several species, and produced a grape-bearing vine of never-before-seen quality. Shamani Lohmani: Bacchus grapes were once the pride of this town, as they were used to produce vintages which surpassed all others. Shamani Lohmani: This includes the most aromatic, the most complex, the most flavorful of all wines─aye, the legendary Bacchus wines were born right here in Wineport! Shamani Lohmani: Ahem. Pardon my enthusiasm. You see, I once had the privilege to sample that particular wine. Shamani Lohmani: It was an otherworldly experience. In that moment, I felt as though I had tasted the nectar of the gods themselves. I transcended my mortal flesh, and was one with all creation. Shamani Lohmani: <sigh> But, as is all too often said, the Calamity changed that. The Bacchus vineyards were completely destroyed, along with much of the existing stock of Bacchus wine. What little remains is closely guarded by its owners, for it can no longer be made. Shamani Lohmani: If we cannot convince Byrglaent to part with his wines, our next best option─as ridiculous as it sounds─is to find someone who has a bottle of Bacchus wine, and to offer them every gil we can spare. I've heard rumors that one of the vignerons tending the vineyards might have once owned a bottle─perhaps you could start by speaking with them?
Junghbhar: What? Do I have Bacchus wine? I wish! I never had the chance to try it myself. Sorry, friend, but you're a few years too late.
Durim Falurim: Bacchus wine? Bah, don't remind me─used to have a cellar filled with the stuff! Thought I could keep the wine safe from thieves and the elements. Never counted on a bloody primal blowing up my godsdamned house!
Shamani Lohmani: No luck, hm? Most regrettable, but we had to try. Shamani Lohmani: Ahhh, but Bacchus wine would have been perfect for the occasion! Shamani Lohmani: Though, I must confess, my certitude could be due in part to my personal history with the beverage. It is, after all, the very reason I decided to become a vintner. Shamani Lohmani: After Titan blinded me in our battle beneath O'Ghomoro, I fell into a deep depression. It wasn't until I tasted Bacchus wine for the first time that I realized there was still so much I could experience, even in my condition. It helped me to find a new direction in life. Shamani Lohmani: <sigh> It breaks my heart to think that wondrous ambrosia which once filled me with hope may be forever lost to us.
Give a Man a Drink Shamani Lohmani appears to be in deep thought.
Shamani Lohmani: I must say, this talk of Bacchus wine has made me rather nostalgic. Indeed, there is much I miss about my life with the Company of Heroes. Shamani Lohmani: After everything the captain has done for me, I could not bear to disappoint him... Shamani Lohmani: Aye, have no fear. I swear that I shall find a suitable wine for the banquet─though I may need some time to think of a solution. Shamani Lohmani: In the meantime, there is a favor I would ask of you. Shamani Lohmani: Two years ago, in the deepest depths of my despair, I stumbled across Vylbrand as a vagabond drunk. I suspect I was looking for a place to die, because I very nearly found one not far from here. Shamani Lohmani: It was there that a man named Drest took me in and nursed me back to health. And it was he who gave me my first taste of Bacchus wine, which helped me to find my new calling. Though I am still a novice in the arts of winemaking, I would like him to know that I am pursuing my dream. Shamani Lohmani: This wine is my own original creation, and I would be most grateful if you delivered it to him in my stead. Drest sometimes works at the Raincatcher Gully docks, so perhaps Rhitskylt can tell you where to find him.
Rhitskylt: Drest? Oh, you mean the hermit. Aye, I toss him a few gil when we need an extra pair of hands. He doesn't talk about himself, and I sure as hells don't ask. Rhitskylt: When a man's got a face with scars like that, you best leave well enough alone, I say. If you've a mind to find him, though, then head southwest to the Severed String.
Drest: What...what do you want?
Lohmani Rosso Shamani Lohmani's first attempt at winemaking. At least the name sounds legitimate.
Drest: W-Wine? I...I didn't ask for this!
Who sent you!?
I...I... <groan>
That Weight Drest is suffering from extreme duress.
Drest: Can't...can't sleep... They won't let me sleep...the midges... The buzzing...it keeps me awake... Drest: I'm not... I...I never wanted to hurt anyone. I won't fight. I don't want to fight! Drest: Please, make the buzzing stop! Make the midges go away!
Drest: It's not so loud anymore. Did...did you do that? Thank you. You...you helped me. Even after what my comrades and I did to your country... Drest: We were on a reconnaissance mission when the Maelstrom caught us by surprise. We tried to escape, but the others... N-No one else survived. Drest: I didn't ask for this, dammit! I'm not even Garlean! They conquered my lands just like they tried to conquer yours! Drest: I...I don't want to die in some blasted jungle halfway around the world... Drest: I just...I just want to go home...
Battle Scars Drest appears to be in greater control of his faculties.
Drest: I...I wish to thank Shamani for the wine. That...that was overly kind... Would you be willing to bear a gift back to him? Drest: Earlier today at Red Mantis Falls, I collected the sap from nearby palm trees. If...if placed in coconut shells and stored for a few bells' time, it...it makes for a fine wine, see... It should be ready by now. Drest: I left three shells out there. Please, take them to Shamani for me. I'm...I'm glad he's moved on with his life. I hope to one day do the same...
Shamani Lohmani: It has been some time, Forename. What news do you have of Drest?
Palm Wine Sap of a palm tree fermented inside an island coconut shell. Far more potent than wine made from grapes, palm wine, if brewed for too long, can cause loss of eyesight or even death.
Shamani Lohmani: <sniff> <sniff> Ah, yes, I recall he did have some knowledge of winemaking. A simplistic but nevertheless effective method that utilizes the natural properties of palm sap. I shall have to enjoy this batch before it spoils. Shamani Lohmani: We are not so different, Drest and I. Two men who have long struggled not to let our scars define us... Shamani Lohmani: I worry that he has been alone with his thoughts for far too long. Shamani Lohmani: Aye, it is past time I paid him a visit. Thank you for looking after him, Forename.
It Was a Very Good Year Shamani Lohmani is brimming with glee, and he wishes to share the reason why with you.
Shamani Lohmani: By the gods... Forename, listen! I know you're eager to wash your hands of this wine business, but I've just discovered something extraordinary about Drest's palm wine! Shamani Lohmani: He sealed each coconut shell with a leaf─a leaf which has a very distinct shape and unusual odor. I thought I was going mad at first, but now I'm certain: these are the leaves of a Bacchus grape vine! Shamani Lohmani: Do you know what this means? Somewhere in Raincatcher Gully, the legendary vine still grows! If we could obtain a cutting, we could revive the Bacchus wine industry! Shamani Lohmani: We must know where Drest found these leaves! Here, take one of them back to him and see what he remembers!
Drest: Oh...hello again. What is it?
Bacchus Grape Leaf A broad green leaf from a thought-to-be-extinct Bacchus grape vine.
Drest: It's...it's just a leaf, isn't it? I only chose it because it was pretty. Didn't know it was rare... Drest: I found them near the juggernaut to the south. But...I didn't see any grape vines. Drest: I saw fresh goobbue tracks, though. Maybe...maybe the leaves came from vines growing on the back of one such beast? Drest: If...if you go looking for it, please be careful. Some goobbues are more territorial than others, and you may have to defend yourself.
Shamani Lohmani: What did Drest have to say, Forename? Tell me everything!
Bacchus Grape Vine A cutting from a Bacchus grape vine─a variety of sweet wine grape thought to be long extinct.
Shamani Lohmani: Ahaha, I was right! This smell, this texture... I hold in my hands a Bacchus grape vine cutting! Byrglaent: Come now, enough of this nonsense! I've heard talk of your discovery, and I refuse to believe that a common adventurer and a novice vintner could─ Byrglaent: Twelve as my witness, it is a Bacchus grape vine! Where ever did you find this fantastic specimen!? Byrglaent: Wh-What...? You would offer this to me? But why!? Shamani Lohmani: There is none better positioned to reconstruct the Bacchus vineyards than you, Master Byrglaent. You have the resources, the knowledge, and the passion to do so. It would be selfish of me to keep this cutting. Byrglaent: I never knew you cared so deeply about your craft. Thank you, good sir. I will not squander this gift! In just a few years' time, I swear that every tavern across Eorzea will once again be clamoring for a cask of Wineport's legendary Bacchus wine! Shamani Lohmani: Sir, you needn't─ <sniff> <sniff> Wait! The shape of this bottle, the scent of this label... This couldn't possibly be... Shamani Lohmani: A 1547 Bacchus!? But that's impossible! This vintage has not been seen since years before the Calamity! Byrglaent: It was the crown jewel of my personal collection. For years, I debated opening it, wondering if today or tomorrow would be the ideal time. But now I realize that it was never meant for me─it should be savored by the saviors of Wineport, I say! Shamani Lohmani: He has made us an offer we cannot refuse. Master Gegeruju will find no finer wine. Shamani Lohmani: You have forever changed Wineport, Forename. Thank you for your kindness and your generosity. Shamani Lohmani: Ah, but do not permit me to delay you any longer. Pray deliver the wine to Captain Wheiskaet. Shamani Lohmani: Hm? Well, yes, I would very much like to drink it! But I am a patient man. I have faith that one day I shall have another opportunity to taste perfection.
Wheiskaet: Your prolonged absence was beginning to concern me. So, what of the wine I asked you to bring?
Bacchus Wine A vintage wine from the year 1547 of the Sixth Astral Era.
Wheiskaet: Is that...? Seven hells, a 1547 Bacchus! Even I know how rare that is! Wheiskaet: I have to admit, I didn't think you had it in you... But congratulations, Forename. Thanks to you, this will be the most luxurious feast Costa del Sol has seen in years. Wheiskaet: Considering the lengths you went to, I hope our guests appreciate it. Wheiskaet: Speaking of which, your associate arrived a short while ago. She appears to be growing somewhat impatient. Wheiskaet: Perhaps you could tell her that the banquet is about to begin?
In the Company of Heroes Y'shtola is concerned for your well-being.
Y'shtola: ...You have the look of a woman who has been to the seventh hell and back. Y'shtola: That a guest should be expected to supply the victuals for a banquet held in her own honor... And this while the shadow of Titan looms over us all! It beggars belief. Y'shtola: I can only applaud your stoicism. Had I been asked to endure such ignominy, I fear I should have accepted my lot with less grace. Gegeruju: Lady Y'shtola! Lady Surname! Gegeruju: A thousand pardons for this extreme discourtesy! I was wholly unaware of your true identity, madam! Had I known, I would never have permitted my man to subject you to such unspeakable ordeals! ??? (Wheiskaet): Come now, she must have sensed something was amiss. Wheiskaet: You didn't seriously think I would send you running the length and breadth of Eorzea for a banquet, did you? Y'shtola: Spare her your mockery, Captain. Your intent was unclear to me until this moment. And unlike me, Forename has no knowledge of your traditions. Mayhap you would be so good as to enlighten her. Wheiskaet: Aye, aye...fair's fair. There's no sense hiding it any longer. Wheiskaet: We five were chosen by our brothers and sisters, and before the Company of Heroes disbanded, we each swore a solemn oath... Wheiskaet: That any who would follow in our footsteps must be weighed and measured─not by their reputation, but by their deeds. Wheiskaet: Each man would judge these would-be god-slayers by his own criteria. If even one found her wanting, she would be rejected without a second thought. Wheiskaet: But if she proved herself worthy, we swore that we would do our utmost to support her cause. Wheiskaet: The world has ever been full of brave souls eager to give their lives for a righteous cause, but all too few capable of making a difference with their sacrifice. To send wave after wave of hapless adventurers into the jaws of a foe against whom they have no hope of victory is worse than futile. Titan is not one to be challenged lightly, and we will not be complicit in the deaths of the unworthy. Y'shtola: Which is why the five of you deigned to test Forename with such commendable thoroughness. Time well spent, I am sure. But tell us, Captain: what is the assessment of you and your fellows? Landenel: She's a brave one, that much is certain. She willingly walked into the midst of danger, despite my repeated warnings that it could cost her her life. U'odh Nunh: Her skill is undeniable. She stalked her prrrey as relentlessly as any child of the sands, and struck with precision when an opportunity presented itself. Shamani Lohmani: Too many adventurers these days care only for fortune and glory. Forename, however, is a kind and generous soul. I am certain she has no shortage of loyal allies who will gladly fight at her side. Brayflox Alltalks: Pshhh... Shkohhh...
Wily uplander is talentful plansmaker. Tricksy foe for mighty rockman! Wheiskaet: I can only concur with my colleagues' assessments. Wheiskaet: We five of the Company of Heroes hereby judge you a worthy challenger. Cast down the Lord of Crags, Forename Surname, and write a new chapter in the history of Eorzea. Wheiskaet: With the formalities out of the way, let the festivities begin! Summon the dancers, pour the wine! Wheiskaet: Eat, drink, and be merry, my friends, for today we celebrate the birth of a new legend─Forename Surname, Titan's Bane! Company of Heroes: Forename Surname, Titan's Bane!
Bronze-skinned Beauty: Congratulations, sweetling! Now relax and enjoy the show─it's only just begun!
Tasting the exotic feast triggers a divine revelation. In that brief, transcendent moment, you glimpse the true form of reality, comprehend its fleeting nature, and cry out to the heavens in celebration.
Shamani Lohmani: When you face the Lord of Crags, think not of Limsa Lominsa, Eorzea, or anything beyond his chamber. Think only of the men and women by your side. Shamani Lohmani: Fight for them, and they will fight for you. Remember that no great victory was ever achieved alone.
Brayflox Alltalks: Pshhh... Shkohhh...
Goodly uplander must be facing mighty rockman with clever fighty-think. Gobbieflock cannot be coming to rescue this time!
Landenel: Ah, Forename, you brave fool! Promise me that when you meet Titan, you'll look him in the eye and tell him Landenel sends his regards!
U'odh Nunh: You are a veteran of countless battles, Forename. This is but one more. Trrrust in your experience, and you will prevail.
Wheiskaet: You are blessed with a fortitude to rival the earth itself. Titan will struggle to break you, I think.
Y'shtola: ...You are kind to indulge them, Forename. This banquet is as much for the Company as it is for you, whatever they may claim. Y'shtola: I do not deny that they mean well, but now is scarcely the time for celebration. Though they have all but pronounced you the victor, the battle with Titan has yet to begin. The hour has come for the good captain to make good on his promise. We must speak with him again.
As You Wish Wheiskaet truly intends to tell you how you may face Titan this time.
Wheiskaet: You must be eager to face Titan. As promised, we will show you the way. Wheiskaet: Travel to Bronze Lake in upper La Noscea. There you will meet with Riol, another man who once served with the Company. Wheiskaet: To ensure that this knowledge does not fall into the wrong hands, he will remain in hiding until you have given the correct signal. Wheiskaet: Give me your map. You must whistle loudly at the three locations I mark. Only then will he appear to meet you at this fourth location. I realize this may seem excessive now, but you will see that it is more than reasonable once you comprehend the risks inherent in our method.
Riol: Greetin's, lass. Might you be the one the cap'n said would come callin'? Riol: Aye, I thought so. Pay attention, now, 'cause I ain't explainin' meself twice.
Lord of Crags Riol is waiting for you to give him your undivided attention.
Riol: Years ago, when we was weighin' up how to get to Titan, one of our scouts stumbled across this beastman aetheryte, see... Riol: Eh? What's that look for? Not familiar with 'em? Y'shtola: He speaks of an unamplified aetheryte which has been claimed by a beast tribe. Lest you wonder, there is no fundamental difference between such aetherytes and those which you have used on countless occasions, Forename. Riol: Ah, well if it ain't the Sharlayan lass. Welcome back. Y'shtola: Forgive me for interrupting. I had planned to await your report, but I succumbed to curiosity. Y'shtola: The tunnels beneath O'Ghomoro form a bewildering labyrinth that no outsider has ever fully explored. How the Company of Heroes managed to navigate it is a mystery I have long pondered. Riol: Ha! Give us a bit of credit, love! We weren't daft enough to try goin' in the front. Riol: The kobolds are always diggin' new tunnels an' fillin' the old ones with traps. One wrong step, an' the next thing you know, ye've got a hundred tonzes o' rock on your noggin. Suicide to even try, see? Riol: Funny thing was, the kobolds didn't seem to have no trouble findin' their way 'round─an' it was that as got us thinkin'. I mean, U'Ghamaro Mines are like a bleedin' city, ain't they? An' gettin' around in a city that big would be a right pain in the arse if you didn't have an Aethernet, wouldn't it? So it stood to reason that the kobolds must have one, didn't it? Y'shtola: Hm. Even if there were aetheryte shards in the depths of O'Ghomoro, you would have needed to attune yourselves to them before you could identify their signatures within the Lifestream. Riol: Ah, well, that's where yer wrong, love. We had this Sharlayan bloke to help us, see. Delivered us right into Titan's bedchamber, he did. Riol: I don't rightly know how he did it, but I do remember him sayin' it weren't nothin' any Sharlayan scholar worth her salt couldn't manage. Y'shtola: ...Did he now? Hmph.
Locating a beacon in the absence of a known signature might be possible if the aetherytes in question happened to be... Ah, yes. But in order to guide a traveler to said beacon safely, a second party would be required to... Hmmm. Y'shtola: It is possible─in theory at least. Yet I cannot be certain until I try. Plainly, all will depend upon whether or not I am “worth my salt.” Riol: Oh, you are, lass! Don't you worry about that! Have a bit o' faith in yerself! Riol: Why don't we all go to Zelma's Run an' take a closer look at the aetheryte? It ain't far─though there's sure to be a few kobolds blockin' the way. Naught ye can't handle, mind!
Y'shtola: So this is the aetheryte the Company of Heroes used to gain access to Titan's sanctuary. Y'shtola: Hm. It is as Papalymo speculated. Y'shtola: In its present state, this aetheryte's signal will not be strong enough for our purposes. I may, however, be able to use my own energies to amplify it. Alas, the task will monopolize my attention for the duration. Y'shtola: It seems you will have to proceed without me, Forename. I must needs remain here and supplement this beacon's power, lest you be denied your only path of escape. Y'shtola: Fear not: I will summon the Maelstrom forces stationed nearby to protect us. Y'shtola: With effort, it is possible that I may be able to stabilize the aetheryte's signal and thereby join you, albeit belatedly. Until such time as I do, you will be on your own. Y'shtola: Now...let us see if I am worth my salt. Y'shtola: I have located another beacon─one far below the mountain. I can only speculate as to what you will find there, so stint not in your preparation.

The Navel

Having passed the seemingly endless trials imposed upon you by the Company of Heroes, you have been entrusted with the knowledge of a secret way into the Navel, the domain of the primal Titan. Courtesy of Y'shtola's magicks, the beastman aetheryte is now primed to send you to a confrontation with the Lord of Crags. Gird your loins for a struggle of titanic proportions.
Cowering Kobold: Look, an overdweller! Yes, yes, an invader from above! She uses our aetherytes against us! Crazed Kobold: She has defiled Titan's sacred sanctuary─trespassed, violated, defiled! Kobolds: Overdwellers must leave! Overdwellers must fly! 2nd Order Patriarch Za Da: Brothers and sisters, fear her not! Her fate shall be decided by the Lord of Crags! 2nd Order Patriarch Za Da: Hear me, overdweller! You and your treacherous brethren must be held to account for the breaking of the covenant! 2nd Order Patriarch Za Da: You shall be first to face judgment! Then Limsa Lominsa and her oathbreakers─liars, betrayers, oathbreakers! 2nd Order Patriarch Za Da: O Great Father, Lord of Crags! Titan, we summon You! Titan, we summon You!
O Great Father, Lord of Crags! Titan, we summon You! Titan, we summon You! Kobolds: He is come! He is come! The Lord of Crags, Titan is come! Titan: Overdweller...art thou deaf to their weeping? Titan: Thy vile kind coveteth ever the blessing of the land and murdereth my children by the score─all in service to greed. Such sins are beyond pardon. Titan: Ah...but I am not the first to suffer thy defiance. Thou didst bring Ifrit low. Titan: Godless overdweller! Thy myriad heresies shall not go unpunished! Upon thee shall I wreak a terrible vengeance!
Titan: Sons of man! Murderers of my children! Scion Marauder: Time to bring low the mountain. Titan: I shall grind thee beneath my heel, mortal! Titan: I shall grind thee beneath my heel, mortal! Titan: For thee my hatred is unending, unyielding! Scion Conjurer: Careful─this isn't over yet! Titan: Tremble before the might of the earth! Titan: To the last, I grapple with thee! Titan: Hie, my children, into the dark! She will not be denied...
Kobolds: The Lord of Crags, Great Father Titan has fallen! 2nd Order Patriarch Za Da: The crimes of the overdwellers shall never be forgiven! Never be forgotten! No, no, never! 2nd Order Patriarch Za Da: 'Twas your kin who broke the covenant! We have acted only in defense of our lands! 2nd Order Patriarch Za Da: Cease your aggression, or never will there be peace! Until our dying breaths, we shall defy you─deny, decry, defy! Nero tol Scaeva: Now these are the readings one would expect of an eikon... Nero tol Scaeva: I have seen enough. We proceed as planned. ??? (Rhitahtyn sas Arvina): Are you sure that is wise, my lord? Your...curiosity is untested and unproven. We do not yet know its true capabilities. Nero tol Scaeva: Then trust in mine, Rhitahtyn. My curiosity, as you so eloquently put it, would have bested Titan in the blink of an eye. Nero tol Scaeva: Why, if there be truth to the legends, it could readily subjugate the whole of Eorzea given but a little while longer. Is that not so? Lahabrea: It is. No greater single power has ever been conceived, much less realized. Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: What you say may well be true. But while such devices may win battles, I do not believe they will serve to change the course of this war. Nero tol Scaeva: Oh but they will. Have a little faith, my friend. Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: ...I cannot endorse this course of action. Lahabrea: ...Fool. Lahabrea: And now she has a fourth. Fascinating. Lahabrea: Carry on, crystal bearer. Far though you have come, your work is far from done. Y'shtola: And naught remained to mark his passing... Y'shtola: Well, the Ascians are nothing if not elusive. It is of little wonder that they should cast advanced teleportation magicks at will. Y'shtola: But that they would choose to consort with the Empire... Y'shtola: What common goal could they possibly share...? Y'shtola: I feared I might arrive too late, but I see you had the matter well in hand. Y'shtola: I have taken measures to ensure that we are not pursued, yet I cannot say how long they will hold. Y'shtola: Take your leave while the kobolds are still in disarray. I will follow anon. There is something I must investigate before I depart. Y'shtola: I will teleport you to the aetheryte in Zelma's Run, and we will rendezvous at Camp Bronze Lake. Agreed?
Y'shtola: I am relieved to see you well. But come, let us discuss our next step.
All Good Things Y'shtola is keen to discuss your next task.
Y'shtola: Though word will already have reached Maelstrom Command, protocol requires that a representative of our order inform the high commander of the mission's success. The honor is rightfully yours, Forename. Y'shtola: Once again, I must commend you on a job well done. We shall speak again soon.
R'ashaht Rhiki: It is good to see you, Captain Surname. Word of your triumph reached me some while ago, but I am pleased to have it personally confirmed. R'ashaht Rhiki: First Ifrit and now Titan... Truly, when I think of your achievements, I feel the loss of the Warriors of Light less keenly─and there can be no greater compliment than that. You and your order are heroes. Suffice it to say, we are glad to have a Scion in our ranks. R'ashaht Rhiki: I shall relay the details of your report to the Admiral forthwith. Please send my regards to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Until next time, Captain. Minfilia: Forename, this is Minfilia. Y'shtola has informed me of your success. Minfilia: You have won a great victory for the people of Eorzea, one that shall not be forgotten. Minfilia: And what is more, both you and Y'shtola emerged from O'Ghomoro unscathed. Why, Tataru and the others seemed as glad of that as they did of Titan's fall! Minfilia: You can look forward to a hero's welcome!
We'll be awaiting your return at the Waking Sands. There is much to discuss. Godsspeed.
Noraxia: This one is glad...walking one is safe...
Minfilia: We'll be awaiting your return at the Waking Sands. There is much to discuss. Godsspeed. Minfilia: Thank heavens she is safe. Minfilia: Louisoix, do you see? Your light shines brightly in this one. And in time, it will illuminate the realm once more. Minfilia: <gasp> Scion of the Seventh Dawn: Advance no further! Livia sas Junius: We have come for the one who slayed Ifrit and Titan! Livia sas Junius: Bring her forth! And you may yet know mercy! Tataru: <whimper> Minfilia: Confound it. Minfilia: Stay out of sight. I would leave a message with you. Minfilia: I surrender myself, on the condition you spare the innocents. Livia sas Junius: Conditions? There speaks the supreme Scion. Livia sas Junius: I'll grant you have courage, but you would be better served by armor. Minfilia: Search all you will, the one you seek is not here. Livia sas Junius: So it would seem. Minfilia: And yet you knew to look here...but how? <gasp> Livia sas Junius: Hold that thought. Minfilia: No! Livia sas Junius: Conditions of surrender...denied. Minfilia: Have you not done enough! Livia sas Junius: Perhaps. Enough! We must away. Livia sas Junius: Though we have not found our quarry, the “High Priestess of the Scions” should suffice for now. Livia sas Junius: They say she also possesses the Echo. I cannot wait to hear her scream. Livia sas Junius: I said “enough!” Livia sas Junius: We leave! Bring the prisoners.
Noraxia: Walking...walking one Minfilia...asked this one to... <groan> Noraxia: In case walking one r-returned...this one was to say...to say... Noraxia: At church in eastern Thanalan...walking one must claim sanctuary... Noraxia: This one tried...tried to protect walking one Minfilia f-from imperial ones... Noraxia: For...give...this...one. Noraxia: Save...
Iliud: Is something troubling you, my child? You have the look of one who has endured great suffering. If there is anything I can do to help─anything at all─you need only ask.
  • What will you say?
  • Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. Iliud: Close your eyes and look within. Acknowledge your misdeeds and your regrets. Pray endeavor to atone with an earnest heart, and you shall surely find salvation, my child.
  • Curse my enemies, Father! Call down divine vengeance upon those who butchered my friends! Iliud: The crimes of which you speak are grave...yet I cannot do that which you ask of me. Be assured, however, that the gods see all. If you would ask them for anything, let it be justice and not vengeance.
  • The wild roses are dead, Father, and I know not what to do. Iliud: ...The wild roses? I see. You may speak freely here. We are all friends of the Scions.
  • Nothing.
Iliud: How...how could this have happened...? Iliud: And you are certain that Minfilia was among those taken by the Garleans? Iliud: Let us pray no further harm comes to them... Iliud: You may stay here for as long as you wish. It is the least I can do for a friend of Minfilia's. Iliud: I have known her since she was but a child... Well do I recall the day of our first meeting. Iliud: I swore then to do everything in my power to support her, and I will gladly offer the selfsame service to her brother and sister Scions. Iliud: So please─no matter what you require, you need not hesitate to ask. Iliud: Marques, would you come here for a moment? Marques: Yes, Father? Iliud: If you require assistance, pray speak with Marques. He is a trifle shy, but I assure you he means well. Iliud: I should explain─Marques is a survivor of the battle of Carteneau. Alas, his experiences took a terrible toll upon his mind... Had we not taken him into our care, he would surely have perished in the desert. Iliud: Marques, I want you to look after Forename. Do you understand? Marques: Yes, Father...
You Can't Take It with You Marques has a personal request to make of you.
Marques: Excuse me, Forename...do you have a moment? It concerns this broken horologe which was found in the pocket of a man brought here for burial. Marques: There is something...familiar about it...but just what I cannot say. Perhaps if I tinker with the device, it will come to me. Marques: However, I lack the proper tools to do so. I would ask that you journey to Camp Drybone in my stead to obtain a bull-point chisel and a pair of needle-nose pincers. Marques: They are often used by goldsmiths, so perhaps they would be the best people to ask. Marques: Of course, I do not expect you to foot the bill. Here, take this coinpurse. That should cover it.
Traveling Goldsmith: A bull-point chisel, you say? And a pair of needle-nose pincers? Those things don't come cheap, you know...
Weighty Coinpurse A small-yet-heavy leather sack containing, presumably, roughly the amount of gil needed to purchase the tools requested by Marques. Any surplus coin could be considered commission owed to whichever party in the transaction is bright enough to claim it as their own.
Traveling Goldsmith: Thal's balls! I mean, yes, that should be sufficient payment. Nice doing business with you. Heh heh...
Marques: Have you brought the tools I requested?
Bull-point Chisel Unlike carpenter's chisels which have flat heads, the bull-point chisel has a pointed one and is used by expert goldsmiths to perforate soft metals.
Needle-nose Pincers This tool is oft employed by goldsmiths or clockwork engineers to seize and manipulate minuscule pieces of wire.
Marques: Hmmm...something occurs to me. Please wait here for a moment. Marques: It was for naught. Though I repaired the device easily, this sensation that stirs within me remains a mystery. Marques: But how...how did I do it? Marques: These hands...my hands, they moved with a mind of their own, deftly manipulating the clockwork mechanisms... Marques: There was no doubt or uncertainty. I knew exactly what to do, as though I had performed the same motions countless times before... Marques: P-Pardon me, Forename─this was a mistake. Please give the horologe to Sister Eluned. The man who once owned it is currently in her care, and I think it best that it be returned to him.
Eluned: Good morrow to you, madam. Have you come to pay your respects to this man?
Repaired Horologe By some manner of clockwork wizardry, this strange contraption can precisely measure and follow the twenty-four bells in a single turn of the sun.
Eluned: Never before have I seen such a queer device. You say that it measures the passing of time? Eluned: Mayhap they are more common in Garlemald. I am given to understand that its cities are filled with all manner of amazing technologies. Eluned: Marques said that it belonged to the deceased? Oh dear... You don't suppose that the owner might have been a Garlean spy? It may behoove us to notify the authorities in Camp Drybone. Eluned: But...mayhap more importantly, how did Marques manage to repair this device? I knew he had a talent for the trades, but this goes far beyond mending fences and thatching rooves...
Bringing out the Dead Sister Eluned is staring at you with great sadness in her eyes...
Eluned: I recognize you now, Forename. Allow me to express my deepest condolences for those who lost their lives in the attack. Eluned: I apologize if discussing this upsets you, but...you should know that the bodies of your comrades are presently being removed from the Waking Sands and prepared for transport here. Eluned: If you wish to leave this work to others, I understand. However, taking part might help you to find closure.
Vesper Bay Shopkeep: Eh? Ye don't look like one of them church fellas. Not that I'll turn ye away, no sir. Vesper Bay Shopkeep: As ye can see, we've got a pile of unidentified bodies over yonder. No one's come to claim 'em, so off to the lichyard they go. Vesper Bay Shopkeep: Be thankful ye didn't have to go inside and see the carnage for yerself. 'Twas the stuff of nightmares, I tell ye. Godsdamned imperials. Vesper Bay Shopkeep: I don't know what quarrel they had with these folks, and I sure as hells don't want to know. The sooner we put this behind us, the better. Vesper Bay Shopkeep: Say...ain't I seen you 'round here afore? Or do ye just have one of them faces? Ah, never mind... Vesper Bay Shopkeep: Anyroad, there's a carriage come to haul the bodies to the lichyard, out by the east gate. Vesper Bay Shopkeep: There's only eight left to load up, but seein' as I'm exhausted from carryin' all the others, I've a mind to leave the remainder to you. Vesper Bay Shopkeep: Might want to cover yer nose while ye work. Some of these folk're startin' to turn...
Disconcerted Coachman: What happened to the big fella? Ah, forget it. Just bring the next batch and toss 'em in the back─ain't like they'll complain if you're rough!
Scion Corpse How you are able to fit this stiff Scion of the Seventh Dawn corpse into your bag is a mystery best left unsolved.
Disconcerted Coachman: Well, ain't you a strong one. Four in one trip! Reckon there's no need for me to lend you a hand with the rest, then.
Disconcerted Coachman: Come on, come on! Let's finish this before I die of old age.
Scion Corpse How you are able to fit this stiff Scion of the Seventh Dawn corpse into your bag is a mystery best left unsolved.
Noraxia's Corpse The sylph's peaceful expression belies the fact she no longer lives.
Disconcerted Coachman: That should be all of 'em! Thanks for the help. Disconcerted Coachman: Reckon it won't take too long to deliver all the corpses to the lichyard. Even so, you might want to hurry back an' tell 'em that our work here is done.
Eluned: I see that you decided to heed my advice. I pray that, in doing so, you found some small measure of peace. Eluned: The first carriage from Vesper Bay arrived not long ago, and we have begun preparing your comrades for burial. I had a hand in the initial rites, and I...I would like you to know that, for many, death came quickly. Eluned: Rest assured that we will treat them with the utmost respect, and do everything we can to shepherd them to Thal's realm.
Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie Sister Eluned wishes to discuss one of the Scions who perished at the Waking Sands.
Eluned: Although we can perform rites for most of the Scions, there is one whom we cannot accept. We would like you to return this one to her people, the sylphs of Little Solace. Eluned: It is only proper that she be given into the care of her friends and family, so that they may mourn her in accordance with sylphic traditions.
Komuxio: This one is surprised to see walking one in Little Solace. How can these ones assist walking one?
Noraxia's Corpse The sylph's peaceful expression belies the fact she no longer lives.
Komuxio: <gasp> Noraxia!? But...this one does not understand... Frixio: Komuxio, this one has heard much wailing. This one would know what has caused such distress. Komuxio: Terrible news, elder one! Awful news! Frixio: Walking one has returned to Little Solace? But why? These ones have not requested further aid. Frixio: Noraxia!? How did this happen? Explain everything to this one, at once! Frixio: So...not only Noraxia, but many of walking one's friends were lost as well. Komuxio: <sob> Noraxia... Frixio: Noraxia went to Thanalan at the behest of this one... Frixio: Walking one was with Noraxia at the end... Tell this one that Noraxia was brave. Tell this one that Noraxia did not suffer. Frixio: This one is glad to hear walking one's words. Frixio: Thank you for bringing Noraxia home, walking one. Frixio: These ones also wish to thank praying ones. Tell praying ones these ones will remember this kindness. Komuxio: This one demands vengeance! Imperial ones must pay! Imperial ones must suffer! Komuxio: When the time comes for walking ones to face imperial ones, do not forget these ones! These ones would not have Noraxia's death be for naught! These ones will fight!
Eluned: We thank you for your service to the church and to the sylphs. You may be pleased to know that, in your absence, we interred the remaining Scions in the lichyard. Eluned: Perhaps you still wish to do more for your friends. If so, I would remind you that you have already done so much on their behalf. Please, take a rest and set aside your burdens for now, Forename.
Eyes on Me Marques believes he is being watched.
Marques: I...I'm not imagining it, Forename. I know I'm being watched... Marques: This is different─sinister. It is as if I am...under observation. Marques: The feeling comes and goes...but I felt it when last I ventured outside. Yes. I know I felt it. Will you look outside for me...please? It will only take a moment.
Marques: You were attacked, weren't you? Are you unharmed? Thank the gods. Marques: I knew it. He was watching me. ...But why was he watching me? Marques: What did he want with me? Did he, perhaps...know something of my past? If only I could have asked him... Marques: I...I need to think. Please, allow me a moment alone. Wait. Father Iliud must hear of this. Will you tell him for me? It's important. I think others may come for me again.
Iliud: Heavens forfend... That such a thing should happen on holy ground! Do you have any idea who this man was? Did you notice anything distinctive about his garb or possessions?
Imperial Shortsword A standard-issue blade for all Garlean infantry.
Iliud: This...this is Garlean steel. Which means the man who was watching Marques was... Iliud: Make haste to Camp Drybone at once! We must summon the Immortal Flames before more imperials come! Alphinaud: Hmph. I fondly hoped that I might be the first to speak with you... Would that I had been so fortunate. Alphinaud: At ease, adventurer─I come not on behalf of the Empire. On the contrary, I mean to revive the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Alphinaud: And to that end... Alphinaud: I have come in search of a legend─the greatest engineer of our time. Master Cid Garlond─I have come for you. Iliud: I fear you are mistaken, child. He is but a poor soul who bore witness to the horrors at Carteneau. Iliud: I beg of you, leave us in peace... Marques: Wait... I... Alphinaud: Hear me, Cid! Eorzea needs you! Iliud: Cid, was it? Here...these belong to you. Iliud: I thought you bore the mark of greatness... It seems that I was right. Iliud: Our time together was all too brief, but it felt as though my son had returned to me. You have brought joy to an old man's life. Iliud: But it is time for you to help those who truly need you. Cid: Who...are you? Alphinaud: Alphinaud Leveilleur, at your service. Alphinaud: As a Scion of the Seventh Dawn, I stand against our primal and imperial foes─as my grandfather once did. Alphinaud: 'Tis no secret what befell our order at the Waking Sands. Word has already spread across Eorzea. Alphinaud: The repercussions are far greater than you realize. In the wake of the Calamity, the three city-states focused their efforts solely on reconstruction. Alphinaud: Leaving the Scions to combat the primal threat unaided. Alphinaud: And lo, we are all but destroyed. Yet even as the nations mourn our demise, and abandon what little hope they have left, we cannot forsake our duty─now least of all. Alphinaud: The Ixal have summoned Garuda once more, and she torments the people of Coerthas as we speak. Alphinaud: Her appetite for destruction far exceeds that of other primals. Alphinaud: Worse, in her present incarnation, our Baldesion colleagues believe she surpasses both Ifrit and Titan in strength. Alphinaud: Yet therein lies an opportunity. Were we somehow to defeat Garuda, it would serve as a warning to the other beast tribes that even their mightiest gods can be felled. Alphinaud: If we are to face our foe, we must first circumvent the tempest that shields her sanctuary. Alphinaud: And for that, we need an airship─your airship, Cid. Cid: I...I have...an airship? Alphinaud: Yes, Cid, you do. Your very own airship. Alphinaud: It was last seen in the skies over Gridania, not long before the Calamity, so let us begin our search there. Cid: A-An airship...? My airship...? Cid: W-Wait... Alphinaud: Come, let us put an end to the primals! Together, we will show the world that the Scions are still a force to be reckoned with! Cid: They need my airship... They need...me.
He Who Waited Behind Father Iliud has some parting words for you and the others.
Iliud: What a curious twist of fate that Master Cid Garlond would at last be found within our church. It defies imagination... Iliud: Beg your pardon, Forename. You wish to find his airship, yes? Iliud: I know not how much truth there is to it, but there is a tale known as, “The Final Flight of the Enterprise,” which grew popular in the wake of the Calamity─much like “The Great Goobbue Wall of Ul'dah.” It states that the Enterprise flew northwest from Gridania towards Coerthas. Iliud: If true, the airship would have passed through the North Shroud, likely over Fallgourd Float─the closest settlement to Coerthas. Mayhap the Serpents stationed there have records of the events that transpired that day. Iliud: I had hoped you might rest from your journeys for a time, but I see that the world still has need of you and the Scions. Pray look after yourself and Cid, Forename.
Aethelmaer: Is there aught I can assist you with, miss? Aethelmaer: The Enterprise? You speak of Master Garlond's ship, yes? Aethelmaer: Aye, I needn't refer to the records. I know that the airship was sighted overhead five years ago, clearly bound for Coerthas. What became of it after that I cannot say. Aethelmaer: If you wish to know more, pray speak with Vortefaurt at Florentel's Spire. He was on duty that day and saw it with his own eyes. Aethelmaer: I am unsure what it is you hope to accomplish, though. Even should you locate the ship, would you not need a man of Master Garlond's caliber to fly it? I hear tell that the machinery is fiendishly complex...
Vortefaurt: You have come in search of Vortefaurt? Then well met, for you have found him. Vortefaurt: Indeed, I have served as a Wailer for many years, since before the great snows came to Coerthas. What exactly is this about? Vortefaurt: Ahhh, the final flight of the Enterprise. I do indeed remember that day...
Cold Reception Vortefaurt wishes to tell you of the final flight of the Enterprise.
Vortefaurt: 'Twas on the eve of the Battle of Carteneau, nigh on five years ago. I held the spire alone that night, while the bulk of our forces marched to meet the enemy in the field. Vortefaurt: Then, all of a sudden, the most fantastic airship I'd ever seen splits the sky overhead! I could only watch in shock as it disappeared over the mountains to the northwest. If the Enterprise wasn't destroyed during the Calamity, I'd wager it's still somewhere in Coerthas. Vortefaurt: The astrologians at the Observatorium may have records which could help. But to obtain them, you would need to deal with the Ishgardians who control the region. I wouldn't expect much, though─the High Houses have long been concerned with their own affairs above all else. When Dalamud descended, they took shelter behind their gates, and even now they have little regard for the plights of other nations. Vortefaurt: Nevertheless, they may deign to assist you should you prove yourself useful. Consider providing your services to the soldiers who guard the Observatorium. Though they may refuse you at first, I've little doubt they would accept aid freely offered.
Ludovoix: Excuse me, can you repeat that? You wish to offer your services to House Durendaire? And what, pray tell, do you wish to receive in exchange? Ludovoix: Hah, how absurd! As if we would permit an outsider to peruse the records of the Observatorium. Ludovoix: Do not mistake our courtesy for friendliness. The Holy See of Ishgard may allow foreigners to travel freely within these lands, but we do not intend to offer succor to strangers.
The Unending War Ser Ludovoix is doing his utmost to intimidate you into leaving.
Ludovoix: Halone have mercy, are you still here? You may take shelter within our walls if you insist, but do not distract me while I am on duty. We're stretched thin as it is. Ludovoix: And where in the hells is that knight I sent out on patrol? He should have returned ages ago! Ludovoix: Hmmm... Perhaps I have a use for you, after all. If you still wish to aid us, search the wilds to the west for my missing man. You will know him by his uniform─that of House Durendaire, as is mine.
Keeled-over Knight: If it wasn't for you, miss, I reckon they would've finished me off. Keeled-over Knight: Despicable dragon-loving bastards. <spit> Death was a mercy they didn't deserve. Keeled-over Knight: I prayed the rumors were mistaken, but this confirms the worst. I must immediately inform my superiors that the heretics are operating within this region. Fare thee well, friend.
Ludovoix: I must say, I didn't actually expect you to find my knight, much less rescue him! I see I may have been premature in my judgment, miss. Ludovoix: We are a proud people, beholden to tradition, but that does not mean we are without humility. Ludovoix: I shall instruct the astrologians to entertain your request. However, understand that it is ultimately their decision whether or not you may peruse their records. Pray proceed to the Observatorium and introduce yourself to Edmelle.
Edmelle: Ah, the lady come in search of the airship. This is highly unorthodox... What ever could Ser Ludovoix be thinking? Edmelle: It is true that we maintain meticulous records which stretch back generations. However, because this information is used to chart Dravanian activity, access is strictly controlled. One can never be too careful with heretics and their sympathizers lurking about. Edmelle: If you would persist with your inquiries, pray seek an audience with Chief Astrologian Forlemort up above.
Forlemort: No. Absolutely not. Have you any inkling what it is you ask? Forlemort: Were our records to fall into the wrong hands, it could change the course of a war which has raged for generations! I speak not of some mere spat between southron nations. Ours is a holy crusade, and we are the arbiters of Halone's will! Forlemort: I will not put our great nation at risk─certainly not to help a foreigner locate a missing airship, of all things! Guillaime: Pardon the intrusion, Forlemort. I wished to speak with you regarding the recent─ Oh, I did not realize you had a guest. Forlemort: Inquisitor Guillaime! Y-You honor us with your presence, sir. The lady was just leaving. Guillaime: Ahhh, you must be the one who rescued House Durendaire's knight from those heretics. Doubtless they feel indebted to you. I am told you seek an airship last seen in Coerthas five years ago, yes? Guillaime: You come to us at an inconvenient time, I fear. Much has changed in the intervening years, and little for the better. While I wish you the best of luck in your search, I would also strongly advise caution. Guillaime: The snows can come quickly in Coerthas. One moment you may feel as though you have a firm grasp on your surroundings, safe and secure in your knowledge, and the next you may find yourself in a wholly unfamiliar situation, blind to the dangers hidden by the blizzard. It would be wise for you to focus on a single landmark whilst traveling. Do not give in to temptation and deviate from your course. Forlemort: I was not aware you aided House Durendaire in that fashion. Thank you, madam. Nevertheless, my decision stands. I cannot give you what you seek.
Men of Honor Jocea is attempting to attract your attention.
Jocea: You there, madam! I could not help but overhear your conversation with the chief astrologian. There may be a way I can assist you, but it would require that you perform for me a favor in exchange. Jocea: An associate of mine has yet to return from his expedition to the cliffs east of the Observatorium. He was adamant that he could conduct his observations alone, despite the presence of Ixal in that vicinity. If you would seek out this astrologian and confirm that he is well, it would be a great comfort to me.
Established Astrologian: What a relief to see someone other than a godsdamned birdman! I thought I could finish my work whilst the Ixal were away, but they returned far quicker than I anticipated. It was all I could do to hide and hope they might leave again before I froze to─ Established Astrologian: Wait, who are you!? You are not one of our knights! Established Astrologian: A man of House Durendaire cannot be seen in the company of an unbeliever! Good day, madam!
Jocea: The arrogant fool returned not long before you arrived, muttering about the disgrace of having been rescued by an unbeliever. Serves him right for underestimating the dangers our knights face every day. Jocea: Ah, but you are eager to locate your airship. It may surprise you that by saving him, you have already aided your own cause. Jocea: House Durendaire is quick to regard outsiders with suspicion, as it is their duty to sound the alarm at the first sign of Dravanian aggression. Yet you have already aided them twice, for which they are honor-bound to repay you. Jocea: Even so, they will not grant you access to the Observatorium's records. That is just as well, for there are other ways you might locate your missing airship. Jocea: What I propose is that you petition Lord Portelaine for an official introduction to the other High Houses. The word of House Durendaire carries tremendous weight in Ishgard. Should the captain consent, you would have little trouble obtaining information from the other High Houses.
Portelaine: You've caused quite a stir in your short time here. First you slay two heretics and save a knight, and now I hear you have rescued a man of our house. I imagine you must desire something for your troubles. Portelaine: An introduction to the other High Houses? I cannot deny that you have given us no cause to distrust you. But while you have performed two acts, you would have me endorse you to three High Houses. It is only fitting that you aid us one final time, wouldn't you agree?
Three for Three Lord Portelaine requires that you perform a third task on behalf of House Durendaire.
Portelaine: Now, now, I understand you are very eager to find your missing airship. Worry not, for this task should take a woman of your skills but a moment to complete. Portelaine: Not long ago, a porter bound for Skyfire Locks was ambushed on the road due west of here. Though he escaped with his life, he would very much like his wares as well. On the off chance any portion of his shipment remains, I would have you travel to the scene of the robbery and bring back what you find. Portelaine: Lest you intend to perform only a cursory search, bear in mind that recovering the stolen merchandise will endear you to House Haillenarte, further improving the chances that they indulge your request for aid.
Portelaine: Have you good tidings to share? Or better yet, stolen merchandise to show?
Stolen Wares Goods bound for market and stolen by a band of heretics.
Ambushed Porter: Gods bless ye, friend! It's all here, every last─ah, but wait. That chest over there looks like it might've been pillaged. Ambushed Porter: Bloody hells, that's the personal property of Lord Francel, too... Portelaine: Are you certain? Clearly an attempt was made to open it, but the lock appears to have held. Nevertheless, if you wish to verify the contents against your shipping manifest, be my guest. Portelaine: Fury take me, a draconian rosary! In the possession of Lord Francel!? Portelaine: Yet...perhaps this is not so difficult to fathom. House Haillenarte is whispered to be infested with heretics... Portelaine: Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention, miss. I shall inform the inquisitors immediately. Under these circumstances, I must strongly advise against associating with House Haillenarte. Portelaine: Your other introductions will need to be postponed, as well. It is the duty of every Ishgardian to root out and destroy heretics─all else must wait until this matter is resolved.
The Rose and the Unicorn Ser Carrilaut has something very important to tell you.
Carrilaut: (Come closer, lass, and listen well. This is for your ears only.) Carrilaut: (Lord Francel is no heretic. He is a goodly, righteous man, wholly dedicated to the cause.) Carrilaut: (I know this because I served House Haillenarte for years prior to the Calamity.) Carrilaut: (You must go to Skyfire Locks and warn him of the coming storm. The inquisitors are ruthless and will spare him no mercy.) Carrilaut: (Speak to him of an edelweiss, and he will know you for a friend. Now, go.)
Francel: Yes? You look as though you have something to say. Do you?
  • What will you say?
  • I seek an audience with the bearers of the white lily. Francel: Then you have come to the wrong place, for we of House Haillenarte bear the rose. Mayhap you should journey to Gridania? I believe an ancient Duskwight house was said to use the white lily as its sigil.
  • I will go whither the wild rose blooms. Francel: ...What an odd thing to say. Did you perchance receive a blow to the head not long ago? Or is this some queer southron jest?
  • Is that an edelweiss in your pocket, or are you happy to meet me?
  • Nothing.
Francel: I see Ser Carrilaut has not forgotten my mother's favorite flower. A pity it has not been seen in Coerthas since the Calamity. You may speak freely here, friend. Francel: That's...that's absurd! I would sooner die than become a thrall of the dragons! Francel: Alas, it matters little what I say at this point. Although the draconian rosary was not found in my possession, it will still be considered by many to be proof of my “heresy.” I must do my utmost to prove my innocence to the inquisitors, for if they harbor even the slightest doubt... Francel: This will only add weight to the incessant accusations our house has suffered of late. It's as though the gods themselves are plotting our fall... Francel: You risk much by coming here. It is only proper that I recompense you for this deed. Tell me what you desire, and I shall do my best to provide. Francel: A missing airship? I see. It may require a prolonged effort to locate your quarry. I shall direct you to one in a better position to assist you. Francel: Lord Haurchefant of House Fortemps commands the garrison at Camp Dragonhead. Present to him this letter of introduction, and he will surely be receptive to your needs.
Haurchefant: Ah, the unmistakable swagger of a well-traveled adventurer. If you are come to pay your respects, be at ease, friend. I am not one to stand on formality. Haurchefant: Truth be told, I would gladly welcome many and more brave souls like yourself. But enough chatter─pray tell me why you have come. Haurchefant: If there is any justice in this world, these charges will receive no serious consideration. Haurchefant: It is beyond inconceivable... Ah, yes. The letter made mention of a pressing matter for which you required assistance. What might that be? Haurchefant: So this Enterprise you speak of was last seen above Coerthas before the Calamity five years ago. I fear it may prove difficult to find any eyewitnesses to these events, for while Ishgard did not participate in the Battle of Carteneau, we were embroiled in our own internal conflicts at the time. Haurchefant: Nevertheless, I will make inquiries on your behalf and share with you my findings in the future. Haurchefant: In the meantime, please enjoy the hospitality of Camp Dragonhead. I will see that you are afforded every courtesy as a guest of House Fortemps.
The Talk of Coerthas Lord Haurchefant has a proposal for how you might participate in his investigation.
Haurchefant: As you have doubtless realized by now, the High Houses of Ishgard─House Fortemps included─are either unable or unwilling to offer you formal assistance in your search. Haurchefant: However, that does not mean that there are not influential individuals within each house who are sympathetic to your cause. Haurchefant: I shall be sending missives to their various representatives in Ishgard, though I suspect it would be quicker and more efficient if you were make inquiries of your own. Haurchefant: Lady Ninne of mine own House Fortemps, who resides here in Camp Dragonhead, rather enjoys the company of travelers. There is also Cravellin of House Haillenarte, who can be found at Skyfire Locks─though any information you pry from the scribe may prove difficult to parse. Haurchefant: Have you spoken with the chief astrologian of House Durendaire yet? Really? Hm... Perhaps he will be more accommodating once I inform him that you are a friend of House Fortemps. Haurchefant: Do not concern yourself with House Dzemael─I shall contact them myself. Seek the counsel of the three I mentioned, and return to me when finished.
Ninne: Why, hello, good madam. What's that? An airship, you say? I hate to disappoint you, but I know nothing of what you seek. Likely no one of House Fortemps does, for if they did, I would definitely know as well. Ninne: The topic on everyone's lips these days is what will become of young Lord Francel. Some say the allegations are long overdue, given how many members of House Haillenarte have been found guilty of heresy in recent days...
Cravellin: Halone, grant me strength! There must be some way to─ Oh, who are you? A friend of Lord Haurchefant? Cravellin: I want to help you, I truly do! But these accusations of heresy have thrown House Haillenarte into chaos. Right now, we must focus on combating these charges and preserving our reputation.
Forlemort: I gather you have been busy since last we spoke. Lord Haurchefant's missive was positively glowing. But if you think that his endorsement is cause for me to disregard Ishgardian policies, then you are sorely mistaken. Forlemort: We are at war, madam, and the enemy grows bolder by the day. Why, in the short time since Inquisitor Guillaime arrived in Coerthas, countless heretics have been discovered, even amongst the elite of Ishgardian society! Forlemort: If Lord Haurchefant wishes to waste his days chasing after a long-lost airship, then that is his choice. But if he expects others to share in his folly, then he is truly blind to the present state of affairs.
Haurchefant: By your countenance, I take it you did not learn anything of use. Haurchefant: Nor did I, I fear. It seems the whole of Coerthas is consumed by this talk of heretics in the High Houses. We can only hope that my sources in Ishgard proper provide more pertinent information.
Road to Redemption Lord Haurchefant is concerned for Lord Francel's well-being.
Haurchefant: I had another personal request to make of you. It concerns Lord Francel, of whom much has been whispered in recent days. I have received a report that he and three knights were seen heading north towards the Steel Vigil. Haurchefant: The outpost was long ago overrun by the Dravanian Horde, so I am not certain what he intends to accomplish with such a small force. Haurchefant: Whatever his motives, I fear for his safety. Pray journey to the Steel Vigil and see if Lord Francel's party requires assistance.
Francel: Who goes there!? Forename!? No, stay back! The fiend is still here!
Unfit Knight: Confound it all! How are we to redeem House Haillenarte if we cannot even slay a single aevis!? <sigh> We are fortunate you came along when you did, miss. House Haillenarte will remember your kindness.
Unsettled Knight: I heard the beast's cries from over yonder. Then Lord Francel is safe? Bless you, miss, bless you!
Unnerved Knight: Curse those fiends! It's as though they knew we were coming...
Francel: It was a foolish thing to do, I know, but I had hoped we might demonstrate our devotion by slaying a number of the scalekin. Francel: Moreover, it was House Haillenarte that yielded the Steel Vigil to the Horde many years ago. One might say that our defeat here heralded the slow decline of our house's once-great name. Francel: We have been brought even lower by these despicable accusations of heresy. And despite my best efforts, I have done naught to improve the situation. Francel: The day of my trial approaches. Soon I must accept the judgment of the inquisitors, whatever it may be. But even should my protestations fall on deaf ears, I will proclaim my innocence to my dying breath!
Haurchefant: What did you find at the Steel Vigil? Ah, I see... A reckless plan, but at least it did not cost him and his knights their lives. Haurchefant: I have news for you as well. A witness to the final flight of the Enterprise has been found. Alas, there is a complication. Haurchefant: It has become common knowledge that you paid a visit to Lord Francel at Skyfire Locks not long ago. Upon learning of this, the witness became understandably reticent to make your acquaintance, for fear of being seen in the company of a woman who might later be declared a heretic. Haurchefant: A not unreasonable fear, given the zeal with which Inquisitor Guillaime has conducted his investigations. In any case, if we wish to obtain his testimony, we must first clear Lord Francel's name─and, by association, yours.
Following the Evidence Lord Haurchefant suspects that someone is conspiring against Lord Francel.
Haurchefant: As I see it, the key to proving Lord Francel's innocence is discrediting the evidence against him. I speak of the draconian rosary found in the chest you yourself recovered. If you would, please tell me of the incident in question. Haurchefant: ...So it was found in a locked chest labeled as the property of Lord Francel. If the rosary was not his, then someone else with access must have planted it. Here is what you must do: return to Skyfire Locks and speak with Rickeman. He works closely with the porters who ferry goods across Coerthas, so he may have some inkling of who could be responsible.
Rickeman: Eh? Someone tamperin' with shipments? Fury strike me down, if all them rosaries found in our people's possessions were planted... Hey now, don't you give me that look, lass! I'm a House Haillenarte man through an' through. This heresy nonsense is bad for me an' my family too! Rickeman: I ain't sayin' the porters what were bringin' the shipment did it, though. I know most of them what work the trade routes, an' I've never had cause to question their faith. But if it wasn't them neither, then your guess is as good as mine. After all, most every shipment is thoroughly inspected before it─ Rickeman: Eh? Could it've been the fellas what were responsible for the inspections? Hah! Ishgardian knights and inquisitors, the lot of them. As if they'd ever turn their cloaks. <sigh> Reckon that means the porters are your most likely suspects. Rickeman: Hate to think it, but maybe you should question them. There's a crew comin' to Camp Dragonhead from Whitebrim Front this eve. You might consider havin' a word with them.
Apathetic Porter: Beg your pardon? You suspect that we porters have been planting draconian rosaries in House Haillenarte shipments!? What nerve! If you truly believe such nonsense, search our parcels and see what you find!
Apathetic Porter: Are we finished? If so, I would appreciate an apology.
Draconian Rosary The brand of an unbeliever and enemy of the Holy See.
Apathetic Porter: But...but that's impossible! Once the knight at Whitebrim Front concluded her inspection, I loaded the parcels into the wagon myself! Apathetic Porter: And if I had been the culprit, I would have never allowed you to search my shipments! Say what you will to Lord Haurchefant─I will not be held accountable for this!
Haurchefant: Did something happen outside? I thought I heard shouting... Ah, but more importantly, what did Rickeman have to say?
Draconian Rosary The brand of an unbeliever and enemy of the Holy See.
Haurchefant: More draconian rosaries!? In every single parcel bound for Skyfire Locks? That beggars belief! Haurchefant: Even the inquisitors must acknowledge that this is no more than a crass attempt to sully House Haillenarte's reputation. Whoever is responsible has overplayed his hand. Haurchefant: And praise Halone that he did! Lord Francel's trial is upon us, and we must act now if we are to clear his name!
In the Eyes of Gods and Men Lord Haurchefant needs your help to clear Lord Francel's name.
Haurchefant: From the very first, I knew it could not be that so many members of House Haillenarte were heretics. At last, we can give the lie to these poisonous allegations, and put an end to this travesty! Haurchefant: I will need to prepare a formal statement regarding these developments for the Holy See. In the meantime, I would have you bear my words to Inquisitor Brigie. Tell her that House Fortemps asks─nay, demands that Lord Francel's trial be postponed until a full investigation has been conducted!
Brigie: What is it, my child? Hm? Lord Haurchefant would have the inquisitors do what? Brigie: But that is not possible. Inquisitor Guillaime presides over Lord Francel's trial at Witchdrop even as we speak. Brigie: Fear not: if Lord Francel is indeed innocent, he shall walk in Halone's halls with the fallen heroes of Ishgard.
Haurchefant: They have taken Lord Francel to Witchdrop!? This is madness! The inquisitor does not have sufficient grounds to subject him to that manner of trial! Haurchefant: I will not stand idly by and allow an innocent man to die. Forename, I would dispatch you and one of my knights to Witchdrop to forestall the proceedings until such time as I am able to join you and petition Inquisitor Guillaime in person. I will endeavor not to keep you waiting too long. Haurchefant: Do whatever you must to keep Lord Francel alive!
Hourlinet: Hail, Forename. As you can see, Lord Francel yet lives. We must try to reason with the inquisitor─but if his guards judge us a threat, we must also be prepared to defend ourselves.
Guillaime: Joacin Charlemend Francel de Haillenarte─you stand accused of heresy against the Holy See of Ishgard. Is there aught you wish to say in your defense? Francel: Hear me, brothers─these charges are false! The men and women of my line have ever opposed the Dravanians, and I am no different! Since the very birth of our nation, we have gladly shed blood in service to the Holy See! Condemn me and you will strike a blow for the enemies of Ishgard! Guillaime: It is for Halone to judge if you speak the truth. Guillaime: Prove your innocence in the eyes of gods and men. Leap from the cliff and entrust your fate to the Fury. Guillaime: The righteous shall take their place in Halone's halls, while the wicked shall reveal their drachen forms and be put to the sword! Hourlinet: In the name of House Fortemps, I beseech you─stay your hand! Hourlinet: Inquisitor, we are come on behalf of Lord Haurchefant. My lord has uncovered evidence which suggests that the charges against Lord Francel are without merit. Hourlinet: We humbly request that these proceedings be suspended until such time as a full reexamination of the facts has been conducted. Guillaime: Lord Haurchefant has allowed his personal relationship with the accused to cloud his judgment. That he should harbor private doubts, I might have allowed...but that he would dare interfere in legal proceedings sanctioned by the Holy See, I cannot. Guillaime: To defy the will of an inquisitor is to commit heresy! A crime for which there is but one punishment! Hourlinet: We must hold them until Lord Haurchefant arrives, Forename! And remember─no harm can come to the inquisitor!
Hourlinet the Devout: Your shield bears no sigil, ser! Do you serve the Holy See or one of the High Houses? Alderique the Unyielding: I serve a higher power! Hourlinet the Devout: Look, look! Lord Haurchefant is come! Haurchefant of the Silver Fuller: In the name of House Fortemps, I demand that you lay down your arms! Alderique the Unyielding: Ishgardian scum! Today you shall answer for your sins! Guillaime: By this deed, you do disgrace your line, Lord Haurchefant! Haurchefant of the Silver Fuller: A wyvern!? But there were no reports of Dravanian activity! Guillaime: You would call upon your allies to save you!? At last, your treachery is laid bare! Alderique the Unyielding: This...this will not be forgotten... Alderique drops a draconian rosary. The wyvern takes to the skies. You obtain a draconian rosary.
Haurchefant: It is not our intention to defy the will of the archbishop. Haurchefant: But this trial─like many others, I fear─has been orchestrated by enemies of House Haillenarte. They have used you and your fellows to sow discord, Inquisitor─to set brother against brother, that we may tear ourselves apart. Guillaime: ...The fevered imaginings of a desperate man. What proof have you of this? Haurchefant: By the Fury...a draconian rosary! Then the knight who refused to yield─it was he who summoned the wyvern! Guillaime: A heretic in the ranks of the Temple Knights. This has grave implications... Guillaime: Your claims...would appear to have merit, Lord Haurchefant. I shall withdraw my charges against Lord Francel, pending further investigation. Guillaime: I trust you have not lost sight of that which first brought you to Coerthas, Forename. Pray locate your errant airship...and use it. Francel: Lord Haurchefant, I have not the words to express my gratitude. But why would you risk your reputation to save mine? Haurchefant: Because I know you, boy. You're too loyal to betray Ishgard, and too devout to question your sentence. Had we been any slower, you'd have jumped of your own free will. Francel: I...I would have done whatever it took to redeem House Haillenarte. Haurchefant: Praise Halone it did not come to that. But it profits us little to dwell on what might have been. Haurchefant: Let us quit this place, Forename. Pray visit me at Camp Dragonhead once you have recuperated.
Haurchefant: Praise Halone it did not come to that. But it profits us little to dwell on what might have been. Haurchefant: Let us quit this place, Forename. Pray visit me at Camp Dragonhead once you have recuperated. Haurchefant: You look well, Forename. May I say what a pleasure it was to fight alongside such a fearless and skillful warrior. Haurchefant: Were it not for you, Lord Francel would surely have died defending the honor of his house─and I might well have perished at the hands of a heretic and his wyvern. Haurchefant: House Fortemps and House Haillenarte shall never forget your service. Now, let us return to the matter of your missing Enterprise!
The Final Flight of the Enterprise Lord Haurchefant would like to introduce you to his witness.
Haurchefant: The man with knowledge of the Enterprise awaits you outside. I pray his information proves useful to you.
Discomposed Cataloger: How quickly the commoners' opinions change. They say Lord Francel is innocent now, but just a few days prior... Discomposed Cataloger: Anyway, you were inquiring as to the whereabouts of an airship last seen in Coerthas several days before the Calamity, yes? Well, it so happens that I was monitoring the night sky at the Observatorium during that period. I recall that a small vessel came from the direction of Gridania and landed near the Stone Vigil, in the far northwest. Discomposed Cataloger: The garrison almost certainly seized the vessel and brought it within their walls. If so, then you would need an army of knights to have any hope of securing it. Discomposed Cataloger: Though Lord Haurchefant is, from all indications, quite fond of you, so mayhap he can lend you a few? In any case, I have done my part. I shall pray for your success, friend.
Haurchefant: Oh, so you've at last located the Enterprise! I believe congratulations are in order. Haurchefant: The Stone Vigil? Ah...perhaps I spoke too soon. The outpost has been held by the dragons for years, and all access is restricted by decree of House Durendaire. Haurchefant: I will write a letter to Lord Drillemont of Whitebrim Front and request that he grant you permission to enter. That said, I fear my influence alone will not suffice, so I suggest that you request Lord Francel do the same. Haurchefant: Now that your business in Camp Dragonhead is concluded, I suspect we may not meet again for some time. Haurchefant: I wish you well in your journeys, Forename. May Halone guide you.
Francel: Wonderful to see you again, Forename! If there is anything I can do to repay you, name it. Francel: ...So the airship you seek is likely inside the Stone Vigil. It shames me to say that it too was once an outpost held by House Haillenarte. In the chaos that followed the Calamity, the Dravanian Horde caught us unawares. The fiends have held the outpost ever since. Francel: As we lack the strength of arms to retake the Stone Vigil, House Durendaire instead has been charged with the duty. Given that, I doubt that my words will carry much weight with Lord Drillemont. Nevertheless, I will write you your letter. Francel: Before you depart, a word of caution: the cravens who attempted to destroy House Haillenarte have yet to be unmasked. Though their plans were foiled, they doubtless still harbor great hatred towards us─and towards you now as well.
Brunadier: You desire an audience with Lord Drillemont, do you? Hah! I desire a night in a warm bed with my wife, but wishing won't make it so.
Haurchefant's Letter A glowing letter of introduction addressed to House Durendaire.
Francel's Letter A glowing letter of introduction addressed to House Durendaire.
Brunadier: What do we have here? Letters from Lords Haurchefant and Francel, is it? A likely─
...Oh, you're serious. Hmmm...what to do, what to do...
Ye of Little Faith Ser Brunadier seems ill inclined to help you...
Brunadier: Your timing could not have been worse, traveler. Lord Drillemont's attentions are focused solely on the Stone Vigil at present. Brunadier: In any case, it is not my responsibility to escort visitors. Take your letters and show them to...Ser Alboise. Yes, Ser Alboise can surely accommodate you─seek her in the storeroom on the opposite side of the yard.
Alboise: Ser Brunadier bade you speak with me, did he? I know not why he presumed I would be in a better position to help, but I assure you that he is mistaken. Alboise: Lord Drillemont hasn't the time to spend speaking with low-ranking knights such as I. However, he always has a moment to spare for head chirurgeon Astidien. Why not visit the infirmary upstairs and show your letters to him?
Astidien: Are you here to visit a patient, madam? What's this? Letters of introduction from House Fortemps and Haillenarte... Astidien: With documents such as these, you needn't seek an escort. Pray proceed to the barracks and speak with Ser Goudernoux. He should know Lord Drillemont's current whereabouts.
Goudernoux: What reason have you for barging into─ Oh, I see. Well, you are in luck─Lord Drillemont is just up these stairs. Goudernoux: Letters or no, though, I would not expect much. House Durendaire as a whole does not hold adventurers in high regard. Goudernoux: You had best state your intentions quickly and succinctly. Show proper respect, and it shall be returned in kind.
Drillemont: Ser Goudernoux permitted your passage? Very well. Speak.
Haurchefant's Letter A glowing letter of introduction addressed to House Durendaire.
Francel's Letter A glowing letter of introduction addressed to House Durendaire.
Drillemont: You wish to brave a ruined outpost filled with scalekin to secure an airship that may or may not be there. Are you the avatar of the Fury Herself? Alphinaud: We are the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, Lord Drillemont. You know our name, and you know our deeds. Alphinaud: We are come to Coerthas to slay Garuda, Lady of the Vortex. To that end, we seek the Enterprise, the airship of Master Cid nan Garlond, who stands before you now. Drillemont: Master Garlond, you're alive!? But that's impossible! Guillaime: Indeed it is, my lord. Guillaime: Do not be deceived by their honeyed words. These foreigners are not to be trusted. Guillaime: At this critical moment in Ishgardian history, as House Durendaire marshals its forces to retake the Stone Vigil, who should appear in Whitebrim Front but three mysterious strangers... Guillaime: Cid Garlond─missing and presumed dead since before the Calamity, and two Scions of the Seventh Dawn─a defunct band of misfits recently exterminated by the Empire. Guillaime: The lesser houses may have been duped by these grandiose lies, but I should hope that House Durendaire would have greater sense. I know not why these three seek the Stone Vigil, but I know that we cannot permit them to pass. Drillemont: Thank you for your counsel, Inquisitor. For a moment, I nearly believed this mummer's farce. Drillemont: You three will not enter the outpost until we have reclaimed it─and until you declare your true intentions as well. Alphinaud: It could be moons before House Durendaire purges the dragons from the Stone Vigil. We cannot afford to wait that long! Alphinaud: Cid, Forename─we must do whatever it takes to earn Lord Drillemont's trust. Understood?
Factual Folklore Haustefort is eyeing you with interest.
Haustefort: You the lass responsible for that commotion upstairs? Aye, word travels fast in Whitebrim Front. I gather you still wish to change Lord Drillemont's mind? Haustefort: If there's one thing I've learned about the man in my time here, it's that he listens to and respects the opinions of those under his command. Win over the barracks, and he's sure to take notice. How, you ask? That's easy─serve the poor souls decent fare for a change. Haustefort: The last few supply shipments contained no meat whatsoever, and the knights are rightfully beginning to complain. I'm thinking we could prepare them steaks using mudpuppy tail meat. 'Twouldn't be a quality meal, 'tis true, but it'd be a damn sight better than nothing. Haustefort: If you've a mind to lend a hand, why not await a lurking mudpuppy in Daniffen Pass? And take this bottle of vinegar; locals say it weakens mudpuppies by clogging their mucous glands, drying their skin.
Dark Cider Vinegar An exceptionally pungent vinegar made from the fermenting of Coerthas-grown apples.
Haustefort: It didn't work, did it? Aye, I thought it was an idiotic idea...
Mudpuppy Tail Meat A cross-section of meat sliced from the tail of a spotted mudpuppy. The bone has not been removed.
Haustefort: Oh dear...remind me to never wander near mudpuppy spawning grounds without a bottle of vinegar. Anyroad, this should only take a moment. I'll just need to do this...and this...and voilà! Never seen a man cook steaks that fast, have you? Take these three and distribute them to the hungry knights here and up above.
Theophilain: You there, lass! Don't think I didn't see you and the cook conspiring together! Let me make myself perfectly clear: if you wish to buy my trust with a steak, it would be my pleasure to oblige you!
Mudpuppy Steak The rubbery texture of mudpuppy meat will ensure your jaws grow exhausted before your belly grows full.
Theophilain: Mwahahaha! Yes, yes! I feel invigorated, refreshed─as if I have the strength of ten men, and their wits besides. Aye, I should have no trouble concocting a new reason to refrain from sentry duty.
Ombeline: We ought at least receive a hearty meal before we march off to die in this godsforsaken waste...
Mudpuppy Steak The rubbery texture of mudpuppy meat will ensure your jaws grow exhausted before your belly grows full.
Ombeline: Is that a fresh-cooked steak!? Halone's blessings be upon you, my friend! Mudpuppy meat or no, it's the most delicious food I've had in a fortnight!
Ignemortel: Ever must we train to maintain our skill at arms, yet never are we to receive proper sustenance!?
Mudpuppy Steak The rubbery texture of mudpuppy meat will ensure your jaws grow exhausted before your belly grows full.
Ignemortel: You are a godssend, my friend! Too few appreciate that House Durendaire must do more than its fair share for the sake of Ishgard.
Haustefort: It feels wonderful to see everyone in such high spirits. Amazing what good food can do for morale, eh? Haustefort: Ah, but I've forgotten about the hardworking chirurgeons at the infirmary─so rarely do they take their meals here in the hall. Mind taking this steak to Cenota? She's doubtless so preoccupied with the health of her patients that she's neglected to attend to her own.
Cenota: Beg your pardon, madam, but I am busy attending to this man. I will be with you in a moment. Cenota: Is that...? <sniff> <sniff> Come to think of it, it has been quite a while since I last ate. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have a nibble... Cenota: Oh my, this is fantastic! Thank you so much! I'll eat the rest right away!
The Best Inventions Cid would like to furnish the infirmary with a new alembic.
Cid: Might I have a word with you, Forename? It concerns the chirurgeons. After speaking with them earlier, I learned that they lack sufficient alembics for their needs, you see... Cid: So I used some of their broken equipment to craft a more advanced alembic─both as a gesture of goodwill, and as a means to help me recover my memories, since working with my hands kindles familiar feelings. Cid: All I require to complete the device are the cores of three ice sprites. Though commonly used to reduce the temperatures of alchemical mixtures, there is a way to alter their properties so that they draw the cold within rather than radiate it without. Cid: It must sound ridiculous to you─impossible, even. Yet somehow I know it will work.
Cid: Have you obtained the cores? If so, please show them to me.
Ice Sprite Core So cold, these cores are said to freeze the very air around them, making them perfect for cooling drinks on an especially hot day.
Cenota: What an amazing device! But...is it truly an alembic, sir? I've never seen its like before. Astidien: I too am unsure what to make of this machine. While certainly impressive, I've no idea how to make use of it. Cenota: Nevertheless, if it is as effective as he claims, it will be a great boon to the infirmary! Think of the medicines we could create, the lives we could save! Astidien: Even so, I wonder... Guillaime: Ware thee the kindly stranger, bearer of gifts wondrous and strange, for his generosity comes at cost. Guillaime: Their earnest efforts are but a means to an as-yet-unknown end. Moreover, you should be wary of associating with individuals who have interfered with the questioning of a suspected heretic. Astidien: They did what!? Bless you, Inquisitor, for coming along when you did! We almost succumbed to the temptation proffered by these...these unbelievers! Cid: Why does that man detest us so? Is it all because we interrupted Lord Francel's trial? Cid: Whatever his reasons, he clearly means to oppose us at every turn...
Influencing Inquisitors Cid is concerned about Inquisitor Guillaime.
Cid: Before we can persuade Lord Drillemont to help us, it seems we must convince Inquisitor Guillaime that we are not his enemy. But just how might we go about doing that...? Cid: We know little and less about the good inquisitor, despite him being such a prominent figure in Coerthas. Perhaps we should learn more by speaking with the people of Whitebrim Front. Cid: Share your findings with Alphinaud in the square. I'm sure he can formulate a strategy from there.
Joellaut: Inquisitor Guillaime? Yes, of course, I know of him. Alas, I have not seen him since the day he came to Whitebrim Front, several moons ago. Joellaut: My memory is somewhat muddled, but I recall that a blizzard nearly buried us in snow that day, and I had the ill fortune of being assigned to the night's watch. While the stronghold slept, we walked the walls and patrolled the exterior in a darkness black as pitch. Joellaut: My route took me outside the eastern gate at one point, where I caught sight of a silhouette illuminated by the light of the city. Thinking it was a wayward traveler, I cried out and gave chase, but slipped and took a terrible fall. When I woke, it was days later in this very bed, where I have lain recuperating from my injuries ever since. Joellaut: I had tried to rescue him, but in the end Inquisitor Guillaime rescued me, carrying my unconscious body to the gates. I owe him my life, madam, and I hope to one day repay his kindness.
Alboise: Inquisitor Guillaime? I haven't the foggiest of whom you speak...unbeliever. Aye, we have learned of your deeds at Witchdrop. I will not be party to whatever dastardly schemes you've hatched against the inquisitor! Away with you!
Patrick: Under Inquisitor Guillaime's watchful gaze, unprecedented numbers of heretics have been unmasked and brought to justice. Patrick: They say he goes days without sleep, so great is his devotion. Blessed are we to have such a goodly, righteous man to protect us.
Haustefort: The Holy See has decreed that the inquisitors are the arbiters of Halone's will. They are to be afforded every courtesy and the utmost respect.
Alphinaud: ... <shiver> Alphinaud: In case you have yet to notice, my attire is ill-suited to this climate. Alphinaud: I realized it soon after our arrival, but paid it no mind as I had hoped we might find the Enterprise far faster. Instead, we've wasted far too much time meddling in local affairs. Alphinaud: Never mind. Our journey is almost at an end. All that remains is to deal with this irksome inquisitor. Cid tells me you have been busy making inquiries, yes? Alphinaud: ...Hm. It should come as no surprise that he is held in high regard. Even so, I am beginning to suspect he has other reasons for hindering us now. Alphinaud: Let us more closely review the testimonials you obtained, Forename. Mayhap they will provide insight into Inquisitor Guillaime's motivations.
By the Lights of Ishgard Alphinaud appears to be in deep thought.
Alphinaud: Something troubles me about that wounded knight's account. He claims he fell chasing a figure in the darkness that he saw outside the eastern gate, yes? But the main road leads to the southwestern gate. Alphinaud: Since we've arrived in Whitebrim Front, I've seen no travelers arrive by the eastern gate. Moreover, he said he glimpsed a “silhouette illuminated by the light of the city,” which would imply that the inquisitor came from north of the eastern gate, not south.
But it cannot be so─that way lies naught but a deep chasm. Alphinaud: Assuming Ser Joellaut is not misremembering, the inquisitor's behavior that night makes absolutely no sense, at least to me. Mayhap retracing his steps will shed light on this mystery.
Alphinaud: You found something, didn't you? Well, don't keep me waiting in suspense. Let's see it.
Bloody Encyclical The scroll contains what appears to be an official papal appointment to the position of inquisitor.
Alphinaud: Hmmm... Given the contents of this encyclical, I believe you have just made the acquaintance of the real Inquisitor Guillaime. Alphinaud: Newly come to Coerthas and murdered on the day of his arrival... Yes, it would have been a simple thing to assume his identity, for even if he were to behave oddly, who would dare question the wisdom of a papal appointment? Alphinaud: Still, while this is incontrovertible proof that the inquisitor is an impostor, we have yet to discern his true identity, or why he has decided to oppose us. Alphinaud: We must proceed quickly, Forename, before he learns that his deception has been discovered!
Blood for Blood Alphinaud is determined to discover Inquisitor Guillaime's true identity.
Alphinaud: Since Lord Drillemont has already been turned against us, I fear that this encyclical alone will not serve to convince him of our claims. Alphinaud: But what might persuade a man so quick to disregard the endorsements of two High Houses? Alphinaud: The cook did say that the lord listens to and respects the opinions of his knights. If a certain knight were to provide testimony that supports our claim... Alphinaud: Yes, mayhap that is the only way left to us. Confront Ser Joellaut with the evidence you discovered and see if it helps him to recall the truth of that night. Alphinaud: As a man of faith, he may find it difficult to cope with such a horrifying revelation. Nevertheless, we must do everything within our power to secure the Enterprise.
Joellaut: Oh, you have returned. Is there something else you wanted to ask?
Bloody Encyclical The envelope contains what appears to be an official papal appointment to the position of inquisitor.
Joellaut: The inquisitor is an impostor? Don't be preposterous, that could not possibly be true! Joellaut: He is a paragon of virtue, a dedicated servant of the Fury! You would have me believe that is all a lie!? Joellaut: If you are so certain that your ludicrous story is true, then go and speak with Ser Prunilla! She was at the eastern gate that night, and she helped the inquisitor carry me here. But I will never speak against the man who saved my life!
Prunilla: You! I...I do not believe I know you, madam. Pray move along and trouble me no more.
Bloody Encyclical The envelope contains what appears to be an official papal appointment to the position of inquisitor.
Prunilla: Are you in the habit of handing bloody documents to strangers? Why would you show me such a dreadful thing? I know naught of it, naught at all!
Prunilla: You know, don't you? Fury take me, I prayed this day would come... Prunilla: When Ser Joellaut gave chase, I followed close behind. He didn't fall─one of those Dravanian abominations lashed out at him, nearly killed him right then and there. I drew my sword and rushed to his side, straining to see the enemy. But what came from the dark was not a beast, but a voice. Prunilla: He...he knew things about me, about my family. Secrets I had never told another. He said that if I kept his confidence, Ser Joellaut and I would be spared. But, if I defied him...everyone I loved would suffer unimaginable horrors before they died. Prunilla: When at last I agreed to his terms, the man came forward. His robes marked him as an inquisitor, but I knew him to be false. Together, we carried Ser Joellaut to the infirmary, and on his first night in Whitebrim Front “Inquisitor Guillaime” was heralded as a hero... Prunilla: Soon after came the accusations─countless men and women of good moral standing, seized whilst in possession of draconian rosaries. As I feared, he was condemning the innocent to death. I wanted to confess to Lord Drillemont, wanted to put an end to the madness─but then I would remember the inquisitor's threats. And so I did nothing...until Lord Francel was accused. Prunilla: Some time ago, I followed the inquisitor and found that he kept draconian rosaries in a chest hidden southeast of Whitebrim Front. So, I took several from his chest and planted them in shipments bound for Skyfire Locks. As I hoped, they were discovered and considered evidence of a conspiracy against House Haillenarte, thus exonerating Lord Francel and casting doubt on the other recent trials. And that is the entire truth, I swear. Halone forgive me for not acting sooner...
Drillemont: Why do you persist in this folly? I will not grant you three access to the Stone Vigil. Do not make me repeat myself.
Bloody Encyclical The envelope contains what appears to be an official papal appointment to the position of inquisitor.
Draconian Rosaries The brands of unbelievers and enemies of the Holy See.
Drillemont: There had better be a very good explanation for why you were carrying these rosaries. And where did you find this papal encyclical? Drillemont: Fury take me, the inquisitor is a heretic!? Never before have I heard such an unbelievable tale...but this evidence and your testimony could have no other explanation... Drillemont: I have misjudged you and your friends, Forename, and for that I deeply apologize. I will permit you to enter the outpost─but first, I must needs beg your assistance. Help me and my knights bring this infernal impostor to justice!
The Heretic among Us Lord Drillemont requires your assistance in bringing the heretic masquerading as Inquisitor Guillaime to justice.
Drillemont: That thrice-damned heretic has murdered countless innocents, and made a mockery of our laws! Hells take him and his Dravanian allies! Drillemont: I am told he makes for Snowcloak even now, intending to pass judgment upon yet another poor soul whom he has branded heretic. If we hurry, there may still be time to prevent further tragedy. Drillemont: Lend me your strength, Forename! Together, let us put an end to this impostor's heresy once and for all!
House Durendaire Knight: Good to have you with us, miss. When Lord Drillemont arrives, we are to confront the inquisitor. If he refuses to go quietly, we will need to use force. Are you prepared for that eventuality?
Guillaime: You needn't tremble so, my child. The righteous shall enjoy everlasting peace in Halone's halls. Only the wicked─ Cornered Expeditioner: But why!? Why must I die!? By all that is holy, I swear to you that I have never questioned the teachings of Halone! Drillemont: Inquisitor! Release the maid and come with us! Guillaime: My lord Drillemont─what is the meaning of this interruption? You are aware that I am at present conducting an interrogation, are you not? Drillemont: Silence, villain! I name thee heretic, murderer of Inquisitor Guillaime and countless innocents! Drillemont: You are a traitor to Ishgard, to your own kith and kin! Your sins are beyond measure─beyond redemption! Guillaime: Ah...grave allegations indeed. But you will find your logic is flawed. How can I betray that which I owe no allegiance? No, Lord Drillemont─my conscience is quite clear, I assure you. Guillaime: I wonder...can you say the same? You whose hands are black with the blood of those whose only sin was to question your nation's crazed crusade! Guillaime: You speak to me of Ishgardian innocents? Hah! All are complicit in these crimes, for all live their lives by the archbishop's lies. Guillaime: But I know you will not hear me, deafened by dogma as you are. If you desire retribution, Lord Drillemont, then come─let us see how Ishgardian steel fares against Dravanian fang and claw!
Drillemont the Honest: Show the heretic no mercy! He must pay for the innocent blood he has spilled! Inquisitor Guillaime: Ignorant swine! Soon you will know the futility of your faith! Drillemont the Honest: Do you see, heretic? You and your allies are no match for the might of Ishgard! Inquisitor Guillaime: How wrong you are, Ishgardian! I have been blessed with power far beyond your ken! Inquisitor Guillaime: Come, my brothers─grant me the strength to smite our enemies! Guillaime: I...am...reborn! Drillemont the Honest: Stand your ground─'tis but an illusion! Guillaime: A dragon stands before you, yet still you do not flee!? Drillemont the Honest: Your magicks have no power over me, heretic! Guillaime: No, NO! It cannot be!
Guillaime: My glamours...dispelled... Drillemont: Your plans lie in ruin, heretic. Choose your words wisely, for they will be your last. Guillaime: <cough> <wheeze> Hah hah... You may not recall the many Ishgardians I have sentenced, but the families of the dead will never forget. Blood has been repaid with blood, and for that I am content. Guillaime: My...my only regret is that you yet live... Guillaime: But your end is nigh, foreigner. The dragons within the Stone Vigil will rend you asunder. And when you are dead, Whitebrim Front shall fall... Drillemont: Defiant to the last. Leave the body for the crows─his ilk deserves naught better. Drillemont: Forename, I must apologize for involving you in this sordid business. You should never have been asked to intervene in Ishgardian affairs of state. Drillemont: Rest assured, I have not forgotten the matter which first brought you into our midst. It is past time that you were reunited with your airship. Drillemont: But this is not the place to discuss such matters. Pray visit me at Whitebrim Front─and bring your associates.
Alphinaud: Where have you been, Forename? ...Hm? The false inquisitor has been slain, has he? Yes, well, his was a tale always like to end in bloodshed. Alphinaud: Though you have overcome the latest in a long line of unfortunate impediments, I would ask you not to revel in your victory just yet. Alphinaud: We can celebrate once we have secured the Enterprise!
In Pursuit of the Past Alphinaud is eager to enter the Stone Vigil.
Alphinaud: As I am sure you will agree, it is past time we entered the Stone Vigil. Pay Lord Drillemont a visit and remind him of his obligation to us─Cid and I will follow anon.
Drillemont: We owe you all a great debt of gratitude. Had it not been for you, the heretic masquerading as Inquisitor Guillaime would still be among us, free to prey upon the innocent. Drillemont: I see now that I was a fool to dismiss your claims out of hand... But you must understand, it seemed too much to hope that the Scions of the Seventh Dawn still lived, to say nothing of Master Garlond! Drillemont: Never have I been happier to be proven wrong. Alphinaud: Well, it is gratifying to know that someone has derived a measure of enjoyment from your error. Alphinaud: Now, if you have no further objections, we would appreciate it if you would permit us to enter the Stone Vigil and retrieve our airship. Drillemont: Yes! Yes, of course. It is the very least I can do, given all that you have done for us. Drillemont: But entering the outpost is the least of your concerns, I fear... Alphinaud: You speak of the Dravanians that now hold the ruin. Drillemont: ...In part, yes. I should explain: shortly after you first arrived, I had my men scour the old records. They confirmed that an abandoned airship had been seized by the soldiers garrisoned at the Stone Vigil in the days following the Calamity. Drillemont: As far as we have been able to ascertain, it was still in their custody when the outpost was overrun by the dragons. Whether it was damaged or destroyed during the battle, I cannot say, nor can I give you any assurances that it has not been removed in the intervening years. Drillemont: For far too long, the ruin has served as a Dravanian foothold in Coerthas, from which they have struck out at us with depressing regularity. Drillemont: Though we have pushed them back behind the walls, we have as yet been unable to drive them out, and I cannot say when the situation will change. Alphinaud: Or how it will change. Forgive me, Lord Drillemont, but there is no guarantee that you will prevail. In any event, we have not the time to wait. We will secure our property without Ishgardian aid. Drillemont: I see. Well, that may be for the best. Drillemont: I will inform Ser Nathelain of your impending visit. May Halone guide you, Scions.
Nathelain: Hail, Forename! Lord Drillemont has apprised me of the situation. You may enter the Stone Vigil whensoever you will.

The Stone Vigil

One of four watchtowers built along the Sea of Clouds by the city-state of Ishgard, the Stone Vigil was overrun and occupied by the Dravanian Horde not long after the Calamity. The following years have seen the knights of House Durendaire make several attempts at reclaiming the fortress, but to no avail. What could it be that thwarts their every effort?
Scion Marauder: It will take more than a few dragons to stop us.
Scion Marauder: Seven hells. I pray we don't face another of those beasts.
Scion Conjurer: So it was this dragon who set the halls ablaze.
Scion Thaumaturge: Hopefully we've no more fires to worry about.
Alphinaud: Look! It's the Enterprise! Cid: Yes...just beyond that enormous sleeping dragon. Alphinaud: The dragon is not our concern. We have come for the airship, and only the airship. Alphinaud: Cid─you and I will sneak aboard the Enterprise and prepare it for launch. Alphinaud: Forename─you stay here and keep an eye on the beast. Alphinaud: If it wakes, we may need you to provide a distraction until we are ready to depart. You can manage that, can't you? Alphinaud: That settles it, then. Shall we, Cid? Cid: As you command... Lahabrea: ...So you mean to slay Garuda next? Interesting. Most interesting. Lahabrea: And you are aware that her strength greatly exceeds that of your previous primal conquests? ...A testament to the fanatical devotion of her followers. The Ixal are nothing if not zealous. Lahabrea: In spite of your past achievements, I labor to believe that you will best this foe. Lahabrea: Yet only a fool would underestimate the great Bringer of Light, slayer of Ifrit, bane of Titan... Lahabrea: If any mortal is capable of defeating the Lady of the Vortex, it is you. Lahabrea: Win or lose, the battle should at least make for an entertaining spectacle.
...Assuming, of course, you live that long. Cid: Alphinaud! The dragon! Alphinaud: Confound it all! Lahabrea: Let us see how well your blasphemous gifts serve you this time, crystal bearer!
Scion Marauder: We'll need to be careful with this one.
Alphinaud: Forename! Forename! Are you all right? Speak to me! Alphinaud: Twelve be praised, I feared the beast had injured you. Alphinaud: I see now why the others rated you so highly. When you were caught in the midst of that aetheric bubble with the dragon, I was all but certain my next mission would be to find a new champion. Alphinaud: Thank the gods for sparing me that inconvenience. I have quite enough to do already. Which reminds me─Cid is working on the Enterprise as we speak. Let us go and see what he has to say. Alphinaud: What say you, Cid? Will she fly? Cid: Yes...though it will not be a pleasant ride. Alphinaud: Well, I daresay it will be no more unpleasant than staying here. 'Tis a pity the Enterprise is not in a better state, but if she will allow us to quit this place, I shall not complain. Alphinaud: If all are in agreement, let us return to Gridania. Alphinaud: Though I would like nothing more than to set course for the Howling Eye, it is plain the Enterprise is in no condition to weather the storm. She must needs be repaired if we are to proceed with our mission. Cid: This is all so familiar. I...I know this airship. If I could just... Cid: Bah, it's no use. Cid: ...Let's go.
Alphinaud: Ah, how I have longed for the more agreeable climate of the Twelveswood. Alphinaud: Yet I will not deny the Holy See had its charms. Endless detours aside, our Ishgardian jaunt proved quite an adventure! Alphinaud: Alas, our work is far from done. We still have an airship to repair and a primal to slay. No rest for the heroic, eh?
Into the Eye of the Storm Cid appears to be deep in thought.
Cid: It calms me to look at her. Cid: It's as though I've been reunited with a part of me I never knew was missing... Alphinaud: Hardly surprising. You did design and build her. Alphinaud: I bear good news! The Seedseers have granted our request to house the Enterprise. We may take as long as we require to repair her. Alphinaud: Of course, it would be rank folly to take one moment more than we require. Garuda, lest we forget, grows stronger by the hour. If we are to have any hope of wresting this benighted realm from her talons, it must needs be soon. Alphinaud: Though I am no expert on the workings of airships, it seems plain to me that the Enterprise suffered much from her time in the wilderness. Am I not correct, Cid? Cid: You are. Frankly, it's a miracle she carried us this far. Alphinaud: As you know, the Howling Eye is encircled by a raging tempest, apt to turn proud trees to matchwood. Our battle will end before it begins if the Enterprise cannot weather the storm. Cid: Given time, I believe I can fully repair her... Cid: But if this tempest is as fearsome as you say, even that may not be enough. Alphinaud: <sigh> Confound it. There must be a way...a way to brave the fury of the elements... Cid: ...The elements. But of course! That's it! Cid: We work upon the element itself! Using the power of a corrupted crystal, we could clear a path through the storm, and spare the Enterprise a battering! Alphinaud: I see! You propose to utilize the properties of a crystal to alter the elemental aspect of the barrier! It seems so childishly simple in retrospect! Alphinaud: Though mayhap not to you, Forename. We speak of the manifestations of over-aspected aether that can be found throughout Eorzea. Alphinaud: Since the Calamity disrupted the land's aetheric currents, such crystals have become comparatively commonplace. Alphinaud: ...Which has been a cause of great woe, as they are known to warp aetheric energies, including those of living organisms. Cid: The point is, we could theoretically use a corrupted crystal to convert the wind-aspected aether comprising Garuda's barrier into aether of another aspect─one she cannot control. Cid: With certain modifications, the Enterprise should be able to deliver us to the Howling Eye in comfort, however hard Garuda blows... Alphinaud: But we are getting ahead of ourselves. All of this rests upon our ability to procure a crystal with the necessary properties. Have you any idea where we might acquire one? Cid: No. But I know a man who might. A scholar by the name of Lamberteint, who resides in Camp Drybone. Cid: Strange as it may sound, I met him during my time at the church. Well, Marques met him, I suppose. Whether out of pity, or for want of a more willing listener, he would talk to me for hours at a time about his aetheric studies, corrupted crystals being his pet subject. It was as a result of these conversations that poor Marques was observed to possess an uncommon knack for theoretical science... Alphinaud: Forename, I need you to return to Thanalan and seek out this scholar. Cid and I will set about repairing the Enterprise in your absence.
Lamberteint: Hm? Why yes, I am Professor Lamberteint. Beg pardon? You wish to hear about my research on corrupted crystals? ...Truly? Well, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to discuss my work with a fellow woman of science!
Sealed with Science Professor Lamberteint is about to show you something you will never forget.
Lamberteint: Ahhh, so rare it is to find fellow intellectuals in this region. 'Tis even rarer to find one capable of comprehending the nature of corrupted crystals. Lamberteint: Come to think of it, there was another─a hermit to whom the church had given sanctuary. Curious fellow. Unsociable, rather daft at first impression, yet possessed of an amazing affinity towards the scientific pursuits... Lamberteint: But to the matter at hand─did you say you wish not to conduct field observations, but to harvest a corrupted crystal? Lamberteint: Egads, woman! At least take the necessary precautions so that you do not suffer from exposure to its harmful energies! I'm beginning to wonder if you've sufficient qualifications to handle such hazardous materials... Lamberteint: Still, your ignorance is somehow endearing. Luckily for you, I have precisely the means by which these inherent dangers may be averted. Simply store the crystal you seek within this warded pot to protect yourself from its deleterious effects. Though I suppose you will be bombarded with its energies until you place it within the vessel... Lamberteint: Well, perhaps it shall motivate you to work quickly. In any case, take the pot to Hahasako, a student of mine monitoring the flow of aether at Highbridge. Explain to him your quest, and he shall instruct you in the finer points of crystal harvesting.
Hahasako: How many times must I be made to explain myself!? I am not contemplating suicide, you imbecile─I have chosen this precise position to perform scientific measurements!
Warded Pot A simple clay pot that has been treated on the inside with a special alchemical sealant.
Hahasako: What have we here...a containment vessel!? Why, this is the handiwork of Professor Lamberteint! You thieving knave, I shall call for the─ Oh, you say the man himself lent it to you... Hahasako: Then you must have sought me out per his instruction...which means he believes me experienced enough to expound upon his explanations! At last, the recognition I so rightfully deserve!
With the Utmost Care Hahasako is trying very hard to contain his excitement and is failing.
Hahasako: O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! That I should be chosen to guide this woman. Yes, I, Hahasako, greatest of Professor Lamberteint's pupils, shall see that you successfully quarry your quarry. Hahasako: Your timing is impeccable, in fact, for I was just preparing to procure corrupted crystals from the Burning Wall for my personal research. Hahasako: There, the devastating destruction caused by the Calamity has blessed us with a bounty of sublime specimens. Hahasako: But something tells me that naught but a perfect piece will satisfy your high standards. In which case, you must needs descend to the deepest depths. Amidst the flowing waters and the murderous mirrorknights lies the most fantastic formation I have found thus far. Hahasako: Take this highly advanced researcher's tool and use it to separate a small fragment from the large cluster. Place it within the warded pot and bear it back to me for inspection. Hahasako: The path which leads from Burgundy Falls to the base of the Burning Wall is treacherous and terrifying, but advance with appropriate caution and you shall surely survive.
Quarrying Maul It would not be a lie to say that this sledgehammer was made for harvesting corrupted crystals.
Warded Pot A simple clay pot that has been treated on the inside with a special alchemical sealant.
Hahasako: I see you've come galumphing back. Have you the crystal then?
Heavy Warded Pot This warded pot contains a corrupted crystal.
Hahasako: What a prodigiously large and lovely crystal! Professor Lamberteint will doubtless chortle with joy when you present it to him in person. Oh, and upon your return, do remember to recount how I helped you with your harvesting.
Lamberteint: My keen scholar's sense tells me that you've obtained a corrupted crystal. Am I right?
Heavy Warded Pot This warded pot contains a corrupted crystal.
Lamberteint: If you would grant me a moment to examine the crystal... Ah, it is as you desired. A corrupted crystal overflowing with wind-aspected aether. Lamberteint: Hmmm... Remind me, for what purpose did you intend to use this crystal again? What!? To breach a barrier comprised of wind-aspected aether? Oh dear... That may prove problematic, as this crystal would only serve to strengthen the barrier. Lamberteint: I suppose I am at fault for not inquiring as to your objectives from the start. Had I known your intent, I would have never sent you to Hahasako. Lamberteint: But what is science if not trial and error? And can you truly say that this failure has taught you nothing? Lamberteint: Think, woman─you now understand the methods necessary to safely collect a corrupted crystal! You will doubtless have no difficulty doing so once more. Lamberteint: What's more, the crystal you collected can serve as an invaluable resource for the aetherial studies conducted by the Students of Baldesion. Lamberteint: You've heard of them? Well, I don't mean to boast, but I've a professional relationship with the organization. Not as equals, of course─I would never be so bold as to claim that level of expertise... Lamberteint: Are you all right? Your eyes seem to have glazed over for a moment. Anyway, I shan't keep you from your task. You've still a corrupted crystal to find!
A Promising Prospect Professor Lamberteint knows where you might find the crystal you seek.
Lamberteint: Corrupted crystals of sufficient size and strength are not all that common, I fear. Fortunately, one of my other students, Ceana, claims to have discovered another promising site in eastern La Noscea. Lamberteint: Wait, that's not correct. Eastern La Noscea was where she was nearly killed when wandering too close to an imperial castrum. Hah hah, now that made for an amusing anecdote! Lamberteint: It was western La Noscea─Pharos Sirius, on the Isles of Umbra, to be precise. Lamberteint: I can't recall her exact reasoning─something to do with one of Dalamud's Talons or some such nonsense. What I can say for certain is that she is still in Aleport, attempting to gain access to the isles. Lamberteint: Why not travel there and see if Ceana's inquiries bear fruit? If you can look past the crass and violent ways of the local pirates, you might find your time there to be quite pleasurable. Oh, and do not forget to take your makeshift warded pot, lest she think you unprepared for the task.
Ceana: Eh? Corrupted crystals!? Madam, I've no interest in being the butt of your jokes, so if you've no other reason for addressing me, kindly leave me be.
Warded Pot A simple clay pot that has been treated on the inside with a special alchemical sealant.
Ceana: Well, I'll be damned, Professor Lamberteint did send you! Beg your pardon, it seems we got off on the wrong foot. Ceana: I'm Ceana─greatest of the professor's pupils, which is doubtless why he bid you seek me out. Indeed, I am an accomplished scholar with an extensive background in─ Ceana: <yawn> Oh gods, just listen to me prattle on and on. I must have given this introduction a dozen times by now...
It's Probably Not Pirates Ceana is frustrated with the progress of her research.
Ceana: As I told the professor in my many missives, I believe that the area surrounding Pharos Sirius is replete with corrupted crystals of exceptional strength. Ceana: Unfortunately, I've yet to test my hypothesis, as all access to the Isles of Umbra is prohibited at present, for reasons unknown to me. You see, my attempts to acquire this information are often met with annoyance and disdain. It's rather puzzling, since I always take the time to explain my motivations in great detail to the subjects of my questioning. Ceana: Mayhap you will have better luck wresting information from these Yellowjackets. I've all but given up at this point.
Q'ahnebb: Ah, you startled me! Don't you know better than to sneak up on a person at a time like this, what with all this fatuous gossip of spirits and specters haunting the Isles of Umbra!? Just because I know it's nonsense doesn't make it any less frightening!
Firkmann: Yer keen on travelin' to the Isles of Umbra? Bloody 'ells, lass, are ye drunk or jus' crazy? Ain't nothin' there but death, death, an' more death!
Alza Gamilza: The Isles of Umbra? What interest have you in that godsforsaken place? Ever since we were forced to abandon Pharos Sirius, the isles have become naught more than a graveyard for ships unable to navigate the shores─and a purgatory for the souls dragged down to the depths with 'em.
Ceana: R-R-Really!? Infested with the undead, you say. That...that is a very, very interesting development. Excuse me for a moment while I gather my thoughts.
Representing the Representative Ceana seems to have regained her composure.
Ceana: W-W-Worry not, my friend! I've given your findings some thought, and I've concluded that this talk of spirits is naught more than local folklore. As for why all travel to the Isles of Umbra is restricted, well...mayhap it's considered too dangerous, owing to the abandonment of Pharos Sirius? Ceana: Yes, well, anyway─while you were questioning those Yellowjackets, I paid a visit to the local pub, since even an esteemed scholar like myself enjoys dulling her wits on occasion. Ceana: It was there that I heard tell of a man named Skyfryn, who was recently detained after returning from─wait for it─the Isles of Umbra! Ceana: This is the first I've heard of someone actually traveling to and from there, so I'm curious as to how he obtained permission. Mind having a chat with him in my stead? He was arrested, after all, so I'm somewhat reticent to approach him myself...
Skyfryn: I...I have to go back. She calls to me...sings to me... Skyfryn: Ugh... Tell Mimidoa I'm sorry. Give him this. He was...he was right... Skyfryn: Or...or you could release me? Yes...yes...release me. I will go and tell her... Let me...let me go to her...
Ceana: What did Skyfryn have to say? Hm, that's not terribly helpful. I couldn't care less how much he misses his favorite bar wench. But what was that about a man named Mimidoa? Ceana: Wait...I know that name! That's that bastard who grabbed my arse the other day at the pub! Well, if you want to give him that feather, be my guest─I'm not going anywhere near him and his wandering hands.
Mimidoa: 'Nother 'nitiate, are ye? No? Then what are ye? Speak up, missy, I can't hear ye!
Golden Feather This brilliant feather reflects light as if it were actually made of gold.
Mimidoa: Eh!? Bugger me, is this what I think it is? Nah, couldn't be... Ye found this, ye say? Where'd ye say ye found it? Mimidoa: Skyfryn, ye say? Was hopin' to have a word with the lad, but it sounds like there's naught left 'twixt his ears. He was s'posed to help patch up Pharos Sirius, he was. Company sent me to supervise the lot of 'em. Mimidoa: Weren't gettin' work done on their own, see─half of 'em walked off, half of 'em ran off, an' half of 'em up an' vanished. Mimidoa: What's that? Ye be lookin' fer passage to the Isles of Umbra!? Why didn't ye say so─I've been thinkin' o' dispatchin' someone to take a look on behalf of ol' Mimidoa. Tell him how the land lies. Mimidoa: Ain't nobody been interested till you came a-callin'. Whole port's up in arms 'bout spirits an' so forth. If I had the gil, I'd hire some sellswords an' let 'em sort it out... Mimidoa: But ye'll do in a pinch, ye will. Show this parchment to the skipper an' he'll see ye there an' back.
Ceana: So you went and had a word with Mimidoa. I hope the valuable time you saw fit to waste amounted to something.
Permission for Passage A slip of parchment granting you crossing to the Isles of Umbra.
Ceana: You mean that disgusting creature was Skyfryn's superior? I find that hard to believe. But this writ of passage does appear to be genuine, so it must be true... Ceana: I must say, it is a relief to work with such an industrious woman as you. I look forward to hearing of the discoveries you will make on the Isles of Umbra...without me.
The Reluctant Researcher Ceana has no desire to journey to the Isles of Umbra.
Ceana: <sigh> Fine, fine! I fail to see the justification for dragging me along on your journey, but if you insist, I will go as well. Ceana: But Twelve as my witness, if you leave me behind to be devoured by some horrid abomination, I...I shall come back to haunt you!
Ferry Skipper: Hah! “Take me to the Isles of Umbra,” she bids! As if it's as simple as─ Oh, I see you've got a writ of passage. All right, then, climb aboard.
Ceana: Th-Th-This doesn't seem all that bad... Ceana: I'm not saying I'd like to build a summer home here, but─ Oh, the hells with this. Here, take your pot and go on without me. Ceana: You've harvested corrupted crystals before, right? So it isn't as though you require my assistance. Speak to the man guarding the gate─I'm sure he'll let you in. Now, if you would please excuse me...
Davyd: Beg your pardon, madam, but how did you come here? Access to this island is currently restricted...
Warded Pot A simple clay pot that has been treated on the inside with a special alchemical sealant.
Davyd: An old pot? I'm not sure I follow. ...Oh, I see. You wish to harvest a corrupted crystal. Sorry, friend, but you may have to return empty-handed.
Sweet Somethings Davyd has a simple proposal for you.
Davyd: The writ Master Mimidoa gave you may grant you access to the island, but only authorized personnel may proceed past this point. Why, you ask? Look up and see for yourself. Davyd: When that giant mass of crystal struck the lighthouse, it caused severe damage to both the structure and the machinery within that once powered the beacon. Davyd: Aye, contrary to what the smallfolk would have you believe, the fires of Pharos Sirius were not the product of a mage's thaumaturgy or a colossal arcane bomb, but an elaborate contraption fueled by aetherial energy. Davyd: Repairs are still ongoing, but it's anyone's guess when they'll be complete. What's worse, all work has ceased since rumors of the walking dead drove off our entire crew. Davyd: Not that those rumors are incorrect─I've observed the fiends from a distance, at the Ship Graveyard to the south. What's drawn them to our shores is still a mystery, though. Davyd: I'll make you a deal, Forename: help me unravel this mystery, and I'll bring you your corrupted crystal. In fact, I shall begin searching for one that satisfies your requirements. Davyd: As for where to begin your inquiries into the situation, it so happens that a party of three adventurers came ashore not long ago, seeking to scavenge valuable trinkets at the Ship Graveyard. I'd be surprised if they knew nothing of the undead infestation, so it might behoove you to question them.
Ahlduwil: Itsh all there fer the takin'! Five bleedin' yearsh worth of wrecksh and their cargo. But thoshe queer dead thingsh...and that voice... Actually, the voice was quite nice...
Erapi Taropi: You saw 'em too, right? Dead people. Just shambling about, without a care in the world. Except when they do seem to care, that is, and start shuffling towards the water...
Louis: Gods, that voice, that single fleeting verse... I can still hear it... Stay clear of the southern shore, friend. It took every onze of my strength to resist.
Davyd: Hmmm... This talk of an alluring voice is disturbingly familiar, as if... But that's impossible, they're all dead...aren't they?
History Repeating Davyd is sweating profusely...
Davyd: ...But if they have returned, that would mean─ Oh, beg your pardon, I was just, um...thinking about something. Davyd: Which reminds me─I received word that Master Mimidoa would be arriving any moment. Davyd: Apparently, he grew frustrated waiting for the “sweet young lass with skin as soft as phoenix down” to return─which I'm assuming is you. Davyd: I don't know what sort of arrangement you had, but you should probably go and explain yourself.
Mimidoa: What's been keepin' ye, 'nitiate? I ain't gettin' any younger, ye know... Mimidoa: Eh? Some honey-voiced harlot's been callin' out to folk what wander near the Ship Graveyard? An' it's stirred up the dead an' all? Mimidoa: Bloody hells... This takes me back to me days as a cannonboy, sailin' under ol' Mistbeard...
...But they wouldn't dare, would they? Not after the lesson we learned 'em last time... Bah, they bloody would, though, wouldn't they, brazen ol' biddies... Mimidoa: <sigh> Some folk said as the first purge would be the last, but I knew...knew deep down in me bones as this day would come. An' come it has. Aye...I'd bet me bum ear a siren's behind all this. Mimidoa: Nay, not one o' the Sanguine variety, 'nitiate. I speak o' the other kind─them what's got feathers, an' lure sailors to a watery grave with their sweet, sweet song. Mimidoa: Ohhh, but it don't end there... No, drownin's just the start. See, even in death, a man stays bound to the beast, forced to do her biddin' till his corpse can't do it no more. Mimidoa: 'Tis a fate I wouldn't wish on me worst enemy─'cept maybe in drink, an' I'd regret it after. Anyroad, 'tis up to us to stop this hells-born hussy afore she takes another soul! Mimidoa: 'Course, we can't send ye marchin' off to war without these. The siren don't have no power o'er a man as can't hear her song. 'Tis lucky fer you I carry a spare pair─an' lucky fer the both of us I'm a superstitious ol' sod, eh? Mimidoa: Well, she ain't comin' to us, so we'd best head o'er to her. To the Ship Graveyard, 'nitiate!
Mimidoa: If she passes near the shore, she's sure to spy the campfire an' come lookin'... Just a matter o' waitin', now.
Mimidoa: <yawn> Hmph. I'm beginnin' to wonder if some sly bugger ain't spun us a yarn, here... Mimidoa: Quiet! D'ye hear that? 'Tis her! Mimidoa: Look! Out o'er the water! She's come, 'nitiate! She's come! Mimidoa: Quick, lass─shove them plugs in yer ears, an' get ready fer a fight! Soon as she realizes yer deaf to her ditties, she'll call on her thralls, an' we'll be up to our necks in corpses afore ye know it!
Siren: ...hither...embrace...mine everything...all...♪ Siren: ...true love spurned...her cruelty's reward...♪ Siren: Cast out...callous soul...dead to desire...♪ Siren: Spare...mournful mistress...distress...♪ Siren: ...melody...last breath...of death...the rhythm...♪ Siren: Dost thou not...to relent...regret...forever alone...♪ Siren: My love...a river...one look...soul shiver...♪ Siren: No more...dark...eclipse...the heart...♪
Mimidoa: Eh? Am I all right? Hah! I'm better'n that, 'nitiate! Happy as a sailor in a whorehouse, I am! ...'Course, I'd be happy as a sailor with two wotsits if we'd gutted the songstress─but ye can't have everythin', can ye? Mimidoa: She'll not come croonin' 'round here again, though─not fer a while, anyroad. An' if she does...well, we know what to do, don't we? Mimidoa: Thanks for the help, uh... Bugger me, I've clean forgot yer name! Remind me. Forename? Don't recall havin' no 'nitiate by that name. But if yer not me ol' mate, er...wossname, why've ye been so bloody helpful? Ah, never mind. Be seein' ye, lassie.
Davyd: You mean it was a siren!? But how were you able to resist her song? ...I see. I had heard that Master Mimidoa was involved in the first purge, but I never actually... Hm. Davyd: Having survived an ordeal like that, I can't blame him for carrying earplugs around with him... Davyd: Anyway, I have something for you: the corrupted crystal you wanted, safely sealed within the pot, just as you requested. Please, take it with my compliments.
Ceana: Oh, it's you! Welcome back, Forename. You're looking remarkably hale, I must say─and, more importantly, alive! You are alive, aren't you?
Heavy Warded Pot This warded pot contains a corrupted crystal.
Ceana: Aha! The conquering hero returns bearing a gift! Might I have a closer look? Ceana: Impressive...very impressive indeed. Yes...I think you'll be quite pleased with this specimen. Ceana: Congratulations, Forename! Seldom if ever have I encountered a corrupted crystal composed of such a volatile overabundance of fire-aspected aether. Ceana: What? You wanted a corrupted crystal composed of ice-aspected aether to counteract the effects of a raging wind? Ah...ahaha. Well, this specimen won't help you there. Anyone who knows anything about the elements could tell you that. You'll just have to keep looking, I suppose!
The Curious Case of Giggity Ceana knows where the corrupted crystal that you seek can be found.
Ceana: Don't fret, now─I know exactly where to find a corrupted crystal comprised of ice-aspected aether. An associate of mine in Gridania has been studying the effects of one such crystal on living beings. Ceana: Eh? What's with that expression? I thought you would be pleased to hear this news! This is not another wild-dodo chase, I assure you! Ceana: And what's even better is that this time, you needn't use that warded pot of yours to protect yourself from this crystal's energies. Hedyn's findings suggest that it is quite safe. Ceana: Why, you ask? Well...let's just say that it has undergone a unique process that has rendered such precautions unnecessary. Ceana: Anyway, do not let me keep you. It has been a pleasure, Forename. Come back and see me sometime, all right?
Hedyn: Greetings and salutations. Miss Surname, I presume? Ceana informed me of your adventures in Aleport. Terribly sorry about the misunderstanding. Though, as Professor Lamberteint is fond of saying, “No action taken in the name of science is ever truly wasteful.” Hedyn: To the matter at hand─corrupted crystals possessing the properties you seek could be found in abundance at the Standing Corses following the Calamity. Hedyn: Alas, that is no longer the case...and while there is at least one suitable crystal that remains to be found within the Twelveswood, precisely where it is at any given moment is more difficult to say. Hedyn: Permit me to explain. You are familiar with spriggans, yes? The furry little rascals that are wont to seek out ores and other stones? Well, one such creature with an infamously insatiable appetite has single-handedly devoured every corrupted crystal in the Twelveswood. Fortunately for you, these crystals take an eternity to digest─assuming they can even be digested─and I am reasonably confident that one still resides within his gut. Hedyn: It's quite fascinating, really. My theory is that this “Giggity” first consumed a corrupted crystal when... <sigh> You couldn't care less about all this, could you? Hedyn: To the point, then. Giggity seldom makes his presence felt unless there is particularly fine fodder to be had. Therefore, we shall require a lure, and I have precisely the sort he will find impossible to resist. Hedyn: Simply place this true heart─I shall save the story of the origin of its unusual name for another occasion─outside of the spriggans' lair and wait for the opportune moment to pounce. Hedyn: As for the method by which you retrieve the crystal from his gut...I shall leave that to your discretion.
True Heart This bright blood-colored ore is thought to be a symbol of loyalty and honesty.
Hedyn: Ah! Pray do not sneak up on me like that. I was engrossed in─wait, what is that─<sniff> <sniff>─what is that gods-awful smell?
Corrupted Crystal Over-aspected aether manifested into solid form.
Hedyn: My word, that is a breathtakingly beautiful crystal. I see my supposition was not mistaken. Hedyn: Ugh... And I also see you weren't averse to digging through spriggan entrails for your prize. Hedyn: We owe our furry friend a debt of gratitude, you know. This thick coating of digestive juices is protecting us from the harmful effects of the crystal, just as the warded pot you once used did. Hedyn: Why so glum, friend? You've finally obtained the corrupted crystal you sought─one overflowing with earth-aspected aether! Hedyn: Calm down─I jest, I jest! It is comprised of ice-aspected aether, worry not. I suppose that joke was in poor taste, considering your previous two attempts were for naught...
Better Late than Never Hedyn has neglected to return to you your corrupted crystal.
Hedyn: Beg your pardon, Forename─I forgot to return your crystal to you. Hedyn: Oh, and there was a message for you from Professor Lamberteint. Something about a man named Marques? Apparently the professor misses the intellectual stimulation. Forgive me, I should have written it down. Hedyn: It occurs to me that I have yet to ask why you needed that crystal. You aren't planning anything nefarious, are you? 'Twould reflect poorly on me and my research if it was used for evil ends... Hedyn: Ah, well, perhaps it's best I remain ignorant. I didn't become the professor's greatest pupil by filling my head with unnecessary information.
Lionnellais: Greetings, madam. Do you wish to proceed to your vessel?
Cid: All repairs and modifications have been completed, Forename. Once you bring me that crystal, nothing will stand between us and Garuda.
Corrupted Crystal This particular sample happens to be covered in spriggan offal...
Cid: I'll need to run some tests to be sure, but this looks to be exactly what we need. Cid: Worry not, Forename. I'll see that your hard work doesn't go to waste. Cid: The Enterprise is already more than a common airship. But mark my words: soon it will become something greater, something extraordinary. Cid: This...this is me. This is what I was born to do.
Lady of the Vortex With Cid's modifications now installed, the Enterprise is finally ready to make the journey to the Howling Eye.
Cid: According to my tests, the device is now functioning in perfect harmony with the crystal─meaning we can leave whenever you're ready. Cid: But you must understand: tests can only tell one so much. Cid: Until we approach the Howling Eye─until we attempt to breach the barrier itself...I cannot be sure that this will work. Cid: I think it only fair to tell you that there is a small but statistically significant chance that the crystal could trigger a massive... Cid: Hmmm... Mayhap it is better that we remain positive. Cid: Forename, I want to thank you. For reuniting me with my ship, for trusting in me to develop this plan...for everything. You've helped me to rediscover a part of myself I'd forgotten. I am not the man I once was, and I do not know if I ever shall be...but I

do

know one thing: this feels right. Cid: ...My apologies for the sudden outpouring of sentiment. I would have waited until after the mission, but...well, you understand.
Cid: There...she's ready... Alphinaud: Ah, she stirs... Alphinaud: To Coerthas! And an audience with the harpy queen Garuda! Alphinaud: Enterprise...engage! Cid: Phew... Cid: Damn it! Cid: I...I once flew in this airship. And I was not alone. Cid: There were adventurers on board...adventurers like you.
Cid: Just how long have I worn these damn goggles? Cid: Ah, yes. I fancied myself a trendsetter in my younger days. Cid: The young prodigy, admired by all...exactly like his father. Cid: Born and raised in Garlemald... Cid: It was only natural that the precocious young student should become an engineer. Had his father not done the same? Cid: Father... When did we stop seeing eye to eye? Cid: When did Meteor become your everything, and your loved ones cease to matter? Cid: You abandoned us all. But he was there for me, Father─there for me when you were not. Cid: Though he proved no better in the end. Gaius was just another man with an all-consuming obsession. Cid: And so I ran─left the Empire behind and came to Eorzea, where I built the Ironworks. Cid: Ah, yes! It was then that I first donned these goggles. Cid: Eorzea opened my eyes. It was home to so many manner of people, each with their own hopes and dreams. People worth saving. And so I fought beside them. Cid: I wanted to prove that my knowledge could serve a nobler purpose. Cid: I wanted to prove that there was another way... Cid: And it all began that day, when I found my new home...
Cid: I had forgotten how wonderful it was. The wind in your hair, the endless sky... Cid: That light─it was you, wasn't it? Cid: It's surprising how few people know this, but all pureblood Garleans have a third eye. Cid: Perhaps mine helped me recognize you─or perhaps it was just a lucky guess. Cid: The Enterprise was made for this! To carry Eorzea's protectors into battle! Cid: I am proud to be able to call her my own. Alphinaud: Cid─what exactly do you remember? Cid: Alphinaud, my boy─sorry to have been such a burden. Cid: I remember everything... Cid: My name, my people, and my purpose. Everything. Cid: Come! It would be rude to keep Garuda waiting!
Alphinaud: All our efforts...all our travails...all of it was for this. Alphinaud: Make ready, Forename, for the end is nigh─be it hers or our own.

The Howling Eye

With the aid of the Enterprise and its legendary captain, Cid Garlond, you have broken through the swirling winds that shield the Howling Eye. Yet the challenges you have surmounted pale in comparison to one that awaits you beyond the gates. At long last, the end is nigh—be it Garuda's or your own.
??? (Garuda): Who dares intrude upon my sanctuary!? ??? (Garuda): Your insolence shall not go unpunished, landwalkers! Alphinaud: Twelve preserve...she's...she's huge! Cid: As I live and breathe... Cid: Over there─look. Cid: Amalj'aa and kobold prisoners. But why would the Ixal bring them here...? Garuda: Heehee HAHA hahaha HEEHEE haha HEEEEEE!!! Garuda: Wherefore come you hither, foolish mortals!? Alphinaud: Garuda! We are come to put an end to your reign of terror! Garuda: Hear you this blasphemy, my children? These landwalkers would bring me low! Garuda: You who are bound to crawl upon the earth should revere me─FOR I AM THE WIND! Cid: Did we not take to the skies, and slip your defenses!? We are bound by nothing, Garuda! Garuda: You think your playthings give you strength? Garuda: They will not help you here, landwalker. This is my realm, where none can challenge my supremacy! Struggle though you may─I shall slake the roots with your blood, and festoon the canopy with your ENTRAILS! HAHAHAHAHAAA! Ixali Chieftain: Squaaawk! Slay the unfeathered ones, we shall! As an offering to Garuda, they will serve! Cid: Leave the Ixal to us, Forename! We will keep them distracted while you deal with her! Alphinaud: Do not fail, Forename! Remember: you fight for the Scions! For Eorzea! Garuda: This worm would die by mine own hand! Come, then...I shall grant you that which you seek!
Garuda: Heehee HAHA hahaha HEEHEE haha HEEEEEE!!! Scion Conjurer: Together, we can weather this storm! Scion Thaumaturge: Quickly─take cover! Garuda: Soon you will see the depths of your folly, mortals! Garuda: THE RECKONING COMES!!! Garuda: There is no escape! No hope! NONE!!! Garuda: My power... No...
Garuda: No... Nooo! NO! NO!!! Cid: What!? How in the hells─!? Garuda: HAHAHAHAHAAA! This...is...MY REALM! You have no hope here! None! NONNNE!!! Garuda: Did you truly believe you could defy a god, landwalkers!? Garuda: My power is limitless! My children legion! Garuda: And they have rendered unto me a wealth of crystals. Garuda: Their gifts sustain me, their faith empowers me! Garuda: None save my children will escape the reckoning, mortals! And those who would use my crystals to waken the rest shall realize the folly of their faith! Garuda: Then all shall worship none but me! The one true god! HEE HEE HEE HEE HEEEEEE!!! Alphinaud: ...Of course! Worship! So long as the Ixal keep praying, she will never fall! Cid: Then let's stop them! Alphinaud: Ugh! Garuda: HAHA hahaha HEEHEE heehee HAHAHA!!!
No harm will come to you, my children! Garuda: This is only the beginning, landwalkers! All who oppose me shall suffer for their defiance! Garuda: Soon, the worms of the forest shall receive my judgment! The desert vermin next─their walls of stone will not shield them from the tempest! Garuda: And then will I take vengeance on the sea lice! Their wooden boats cannot outrun the wind! Garuda: Tremble, mortals, for I shall visit you all in time! And all shall be mine! ALL MIIINE!!! Garuda: You, landwalker─you who dared to raise your hand against me─you shall be the first to pay for your sins! Not with your death─but with your LIFE! Garuda: You will serve me, landwalker...to your last breath! Garuda: No, NO!!! I claimed you! You should be MINE! Garuda: What...what are you? What have you done to me!? Garuda: No mortal should possess such power! This...this is impossible!
Garuda: Why do you not tremble at my might? Why do you not beg for mercy!? Why do you not DIE!? Alphinaud: We've done it! Gaius van Baelsar: Is that all!? Gaius van Baelsar: O Lady of the Vortex! O mighty Garuda! Gaius van Baelsar: Of all primals, the most terrible. I say again...IS─THAT─ALL!? Cid: Gaius!? Gaius van Baelsar: Ah, Cid, my boy. You look well─for one who has forsaken kin and country. I wonder, what else you will forsake before the day is done. Cid: What!? Gaius van Baelsar: What exactly did you hope to accomplish here this day? Cid: I... Gaius van Baelsar: Well, I shall accomplish far more! Garuda: ...Is that all? IS THAT ALL!? Garuda: Insolent mortal! I shall make you suffer! Garuda: That foul stench... I see now... She has touched you! Garuda: Very well... Cid: Seven hells, does she still mean to fight!? Amalj'aa: O Lord of the Inferno! Almighty Ifrit! Grant us succor in our hour of need! Kobolds: Save us, Titan, Lord of Crags! Ah, it hurts us so, the pain, the pain... Alphinaud: What is she─ Twelve preserve, she cannot mean to─ Alphinaud: No... No, this is all wrong... Cid: Stop gawping, boy! We must run! Garuda: Surrender yourselves unto me... I would feast upon your aether. NONE SHALL STAND AGAINST THE WIND! Gaius van Baelsar: BEAR WITNESS TO THE GLORY OF THE EMPIRE! Gaius van Baelsar: It is you who will suffer, Garuda! Gaius van Baelsar: Ancient Allag had ways of dealing with your kind. Now, look on their ultimate weapon, eikon, and despair! Garuda: No... Nooo! NOOO! Gaius van Baelsar: Magnificent! It exceeds all expectation! Lahabrea: With each primal it consumes, it grows more powerful. A marvel, is it not? Gaius van Baelsar: Such is the fate of those who oppose the Empire! Gaius van Baelsar: There will be no Warriors of Light to save you this time. Gaius van Baelsar: If your leaders are as wise as they are reported, they will surrender. Gaius van Baelsar: Your skills are impressive, but they will not be enough. Alphinaud: Twelve have mercy! What chance have we against such an ungodly creation!? Alphinaud: And who was that armored devil!? Cid: That was Gaius van Baelsar, legatus of the XIVth Imperial Legion, and supreme commander of the Garlean invasion force in Eorzea. Alphinaud: Of course, the Black Wolf─how could I not realize? Grandfather mentions him in his journal! Cid: I was never so naive as to think the man would abandon his ambitions, but these developments are beyond my worst expectations... Cid: What have you been doing these past five years? How could something of this magnitude have escaped the Alliance's attention? Alphinaud: We heard no whispers, saw no signs. In the wake of the Calamity, the Empire seized land and built outposts, but that was the extent of their aggression. Cid: Damn it, Gaius, where in the seven hells did you find that thing? Alphinaud: It has been a day of unexpected developments, but the fact remains: Garuda is no longer a threat. Alphinaud: While I take no comfort in the manner of her downfall, it does mean that we may safely put the matter of the primals to one side─for the time being, at least. Cid: Which just leaves the matter of Gaius's new toy. Alphinaud: Indeed. That weapon poses the greatest threat to Eorzea. It must be destroyed. Alphinaud: But first, we must needs find out all we can. Alphinaud: Let us make for Vesper Bay. We shall rebuild the Scions. Alphinaud: All is not yet lost, my friend─for we bear the light, and shall surely lead our people from the darkness.
Alphinaud: Well, that was an experience I would rather not have again. Alphinaud: Something has been troubling me, Forename. Shortly before the Black Wolf took center stage, when Garuda attempted to claim you as her own, I could have sworn I saw... Alphinaud: Ah, but I'm sure I was mistaken. In times of great stress, the evidence of the eye is apt to be misread by even the most inquiring mind. Forget I mentioned it. Alphinaud: Returning to the subject of our earlier discussion, we may consider the matter of the primals closed until further notice. No beast tribe will dare summon their god so long as that weapon exists. Alphinaud: Truly, a more effective deterrent I could not imagine. It almost seems a shame to plot its destruction...
Reclamation Alphinaud is ready to return to the Waking Sands.
Alphinaud: It is past time that we return to the Waking Sands. Alphinaud: To leave our headquarters in disrepair any longer would be to dishonor the memory of those who fell there. Alphinaud: We have been brought to our knees, but we will rest, rebuild, and rise once more.
Alphinaud: Tell me, Forename...does aught here strike you as odd? I see signs of recent habitation. Could it be that we have trespassers? Alphinaud: Hm. Mayhap it is just my imagination. Come, let us proceed into the solar. Cid: Wait. Yda (Lyse): Who goes there!? Alphinaud: Now, now, Yda─is that any way to greet a friend? Yda (Lyse): Alphinaud! Forename! Yda (Lyse): Cid!? Wait, is this a dream? Cid: Not that I'm aware of! It's been a while, Yda. Yda (Lyse): I...I don't believe it... I was sure you'd been─ Cid: This place has seen better days. Yda (Lyse): Uh...you know, I wasn't actually here when... I-I was still in talks at the Adders' Nest... Yda (Lyse): The first I knew about it was when I came back, and...and I saw... Alphinaud: Yda... Yda (Lyse): The church had taken care of the bodies, but that still left...the stains... I-It was hard to know where to start... If Y'shtola hadn't been here to help me─ Alphinaud: Y'shtola is here too? Yda (Lyse): Yes. But she's not here right now. She's gone to Ul'dah to meet a man who might know what happened to the others. Yda (Lyse): Papalymo and Minfilia weren't among the dead, according to the church. Y'shtola thinks they were taken somewhere. Alphinaud: Upon the orders of the Black Wolf, no doubt. Cid: ...Why would he want them? Alphinaud: Because they possess something he desires: knowledge of another power that can be brought to bear against the primals─one that Gaius has yet to harness... Alphinaud: The Echo. Alphinaud: Gaius will be aware of its existence, as well as the immunity it grants the gifted to the primals' influence. Alphinaud: Powerful though his Allagan weapon may be, he would doubtless desire such protection. Alphinaud: He means to use Minfilia to gain an understanding of the Echo. Alphinaud: ...None of which explains how the Empire came to know the location of the Waking Sands in the first place... Alphinaud: No matter. The Empire has shown its hand, and now we must act. It is up to us to rebuild the Scions and save Eorzea. Alphinaud: Can I count on you, Yda? Yda (Lyse): What? Oh, yes─yes, of course! Whatever you need! Alphinaud: We can discuss our next move upon Y'shtola's return. Alphinaud: For now, I say we rest. Hydaelyn: Hear...Feel...Think... Hydaelyn: Bringer of Light... Hydaelyn: Brave gatherer of the Crystals...thy soul burneth bright! Hydaelyn: I am Hydaelyn. All made one. Hydaelyn: Hearken unto me now, for the Darkness doth begin to spread. Hydaelyn: Ware thee the bearer of the Crimson Brand, for he is the Avatar of Shadow, whom daeth attendeth always. Hydaelyn: The Crystals shall be thy salvation—thy blade and shield both. Hydaelyn: Steel thyself, for at the appointed hour... Hydaelyn: Thou shalt shalt stare into the Heart of Darkness. Hydaelyn: Go with caution, my child, but fear not—for I am ever with thee. Yda (Lyse): Y'shtola! Y'shtola: Forename. I see you and Alphinaud are safe. And...and Cid. Y'shtola: That we five should meet each other thus defies simple explanation. It is as if the benevolent hand of Master Louisoix guides us still. Y'shtola: He would not see us undone so easily. Not now, when the need is so great. Y'shtola: I know where Minfilia and the others are being held. Alphinaud: Where? Y'shtola: An imperial stronghold in the heart of Mor Dhona─Castrum Centri.
Casing the Castrum Y'shtola wishes to discuss the fate of the prisoners being held at Castrum Centri.
Y'shtola: The rescue of our allies will be no small undertaking, Forename. Y'shtola: Even under normal circumstances, breaching the defenses of an imperial castrum would be a highly dangerous proposition. Y'shtola: But now that Castrum Centri houses prisoners whom the Garleans deem valuable, we may be confident that they have taken additional measures to ensure the stronghold's security. Y'shtola: If we are to free our friends, we will require an effective strategy. And if we are to formulate an effective strategy, we will require intelligence. Y'shtola: I believe I know a man who may be able to assist us in this: Lord Portelaine of House Durendaire. He is stationed at the Observatorium in Coerthas. Let us go to him, and beseech his aid.
Portelaine: Ah, Forename─the woman who unmasked the heretic in our midst! To what do I owe the pleasure of your company? Portelaine: You are an associate of Y'shtola? But of course. Lord Drillemont confided to me that you were a Scion of the Seventh Dawn... Portelaine: Castrum Centri? What interest have you all in the imperials? Y'shtola: They hold several of our number─whom we intend to free. Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Portelaine: I see. That might explain our scouts' reports... Portelaine: They observed four prisoners being led into the castrum: a Hyuran woman, an Elezen man, and two Lalafells─one male, one female. Yda (Lyse): It's them! It has to be! Minfilia, Urianger, Papalymo, and Tataru! Portelaine: If that scant morsel is of use to you, you may also be interested to hear about a more recent incident. Y'shtola: Incident? Portelaine: An imperial airship made an emergency landing here in Coerthas not long ago. Two men believed to be prisoners─a Roegadyn and a Lalafell─were seen fleeing the craft. Cid: What did you say? Portelaine: A Roegadyn and a Lalafell, Master Garlond. Neither wore imperial dress, and both seemed disinclined to wait for rescue, hence our assumption that they were prisoners. Cid: Well, I'll be damned...it's Biggs and Wedge! Trust those two rascals to escape... Cid: We must find them, Forename, and soon! Cid: The imperials will not rest until they are captured or killed, and if Biggs were given the choice, I fear he'd take the latter. Portelaine: Freeing those held in Castrum Centri will require substantial planning and preparation. As such, it is an endeavor that will admit some slight delay. Portelaine: The matter of the escapees, by contrast, will not. Shortly after the prisoners vacated the airship, our scouts observed imperial troops setting off in pursuit. It is likely only a matter of time before they catch them. Portelaine: If you wish to see your comrades again, you had best act now. Y'shtola: If, as has been suggested, the Garleans took our fellow Scions prisoner in hopes of understanding the Echo, it seems reasonable to assume that they will not be executed until such time as the study is complete. Y'shtola: But Biggs and Wedge are not Scions, nor do they know aught of the Echo. As Lord Portelaine said, this may prove our only chance to rescue them. I say we seize it. Cid: Thank you, everyone! You won't regret this.
Nero tol Scaeva: Final preparations are almost complete, my lord. Nero tol Scaeva: There stands the culmination of five long years of painstaking work. But all our efforts will be vindicated when the Emperor's vision becomes reality. Gaius van Baelsar: At last, we have the power to purge this land of its false gods. Gaius van Baelsar: We shall give the ignorant children of Eorzea the security and stability they so desperately crave─and which their spineless leaders have so palpably failed to provide. Nero tol Scaeva: As you say, my lord. Rest assured, our engineers will not rest until the weapon is fully armed and operational. Gaius van Baelsar: Rhitahtyn. You depart for Castrum Occidens at midnight. Gaius van Baelsar: You will command the western front in Vylbrand. Gaius van Baelsar: The Eorzeans will attempt to interfere with our plans. You will see that they do not. Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: My lord, if this be your will, I shall carry it out to the best of my ability. I live only to serve the Empire. Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: Yet...forgive my impudence, but is it proper to give command of half our forces to a─ Gaius van Baelsar: I have given you nothing, Praefectus. You have earned it.
That will be all. Dismissed. Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: Yes, my lord! Gaius van Baelsar: ...My quarters, one hour.
Eyes on the Empire Lord Portelaine would like to aid in your search for Biggs and Wedge.
Portelaine: My purpose here is to reconnoiter Garlean activity along Abalathia's Spine. Owing to this, I have the honor of being acquainted with Y'shtola. Portelaine: Now, the report of the imperial airship's emergency landing came to us by way of Dzemael Darkhold, situated to the west. Portelaine: Our man stationed at the entrance, a knight named Bricelt, may be able to tell you more. So as to expedite your mission, I shall furnish you with a letter of introduction. Portelaine: I pray that you will soon be reunited with your comrades. May the Fury grant you strength.
Bricelt: You stand before Dzemael Darkhold, the subterranean fortress excavated by the great Ishgardian house of the same name. None but authorized personnel may enter.
Letter to Bricelt A letter of introduction penned by Portelaine.
Bricelt: A letter from Lord Portelaine?
...So you have come about the imperial airship. Bricelt: According to our scouts, the vessel had scarce touched the ground when a pair of men─captives, by all accounts─burst forth and bolted. Imperial soldiers have since been sighted in the area, seeking to recapture them. Bricelt: What? The captives are like to be your friends, you say? Then let us pray that they are yet a step ahead of their pursuers... Bricelt: The emergency landing reportedly took place near the Aurum Vale, situated south and west of here. I suggest you take your search there. Seek out a knight named Pierremons─he should be able to assist you.
Pierremons: ...The imperial airship? Aye, I saw it approach to land with mine own two eyes. Pierremons: I hastened to the landing site, arriving just in time to see the vessel take to the skies again, but not before it had deployed a detachment of troops. Gruff orders were being barked, and there was an air of consternation about them.
Footprints in the Snow Ser Pierremons wants to share with you what he knows of the two fugitives.
Pierremons: There were prisoners aboard the airship, it seems, and they seized the opportunity to flee when the vessel was forced to land. Pierremons: The Garleans who were deployed formed search parties and proceeded to scour the wilderness. In order to alert our forces, I returned to my post... Pierremons: ...To find evidence that someone had been here in my absence. Whoever they were, they tried the door to no avail, and decided to go elsewhere. Pierremons: In all, I marked two sets of footprints─one large and one small. If you search the area, mayhap you will be able to follow the prints to their owners.
Wedge: Brrr... So...c-c-cold... I w-w-want to go home... Wedge: Uwaaaaaah! P-Please don't eat me! I'm not nearly as succulent as I look! It's all skin and bones underneath, I swear! Wedge: <gasp> Forename, it's you! Thank goodness you're here! It's been...it's been awful! Wedge: The Garleans were snapping at our heels like a hungry pack of wolves! I was so hells-bent on evading them, I almost ran headlong into a monster's gaping maw...thrice! And when I finally found cover, it hit me how cold and hungry I was! Wedge: B-Biggs? He...he isn't here. He went off in a different direction to lure our pursuers away. Cid: It's me, Cid. Have you had any success? Cid: ...Tracked down Wedge!? That's wonderful news! Now, what of Biggs? Cid: ...I see. Well, it hardly surprises me that the big fellow went off as he did. For all the tongue-lashings he gives Wedge, he's always taken care of him. Cid: I've scoured the area surrounding the Darkhold, but have nothing to show for it. At any rate, we know for a fact that Biggs headed west. With both Yda and Y'shtola helping out, I'm sure he'll turn up soon. Cid: Now then, I'll make my way over to your position while keeping an eye out for Biggs. Cid: If memory serves, there should be an Ishgardian fortification not far to your west─Monument Tower, I believe it's called. Let us meet there. Wedge: Dare I hope...? Was that...Master Garlond you spoke with!? Wedge: <sniff> After five long years... <sob> Thank goodness he's alive... Wedge: I'm feeling better now, Forename! Let's go to Monument Tower and wait for the chief to arrive!
Abelie: Well met and welcome, adventurer. What brings you to this frozen corner of the realm? Abelie: Oh? It would seem your companion has caught a chill. Come and warm yourself by the fire. I will bring you a hot broth. Abelie: How are we feeling now, then? Stay here as long as you need. Abelie: The same goes for you, friend. 'Tis plain you have a hard journey ahead of you. You must find rest when you can.
Monumental Hopes Wedge is gravely concerned for his missing companion.
Wedge: I'm fine now, thanks to you, but I can't bear to think that Biggs is still all alone in the cold, with Garleans on his heels. Wedge: He lured the enemy away for my sake, and now he's suffering for it. I hate to have to rely on you again, Forename, but do you think you could search for Biggs? Wedge: I haven't the slightest notion where he might be at the moment, but maybe─just maybe─the people here have seen something.
Abelie: A Roegadyn gentleman dressed in the same manner as your companion? I'm sorry, but he did not come by here. Hmmm, let me think a moment... Abelie: I would not raise your hopes unduly, but there is a cave situated a short distance to the south. We call it the Fury's Gaze, and it may be worth the while to investigate. Abelie: I make this suggestion only because your friend seems like a selfless sort. Rather than drawing the enemy to this tower, mayhap he elected to pass us by.
Wedge: Forename! Were you able to learn anything!? Wedge: ...Not in this area? Well, that stands to reason, I suppose, seeing as he was trying to lure the Garleans away from me. But where within this vast sea of snow and ice could he be?
Notorious Biggs Wedge is determined to find Biggs.
Wedge: We can't give up, Forename! We must find Biggs before he succumbs to the cold or is recaptured! Wedge: There must be someone in this tower who can help us, even if it's only to tell us where else to look! Wedge: Ask them for me! Ask anyone who'll listen! And hurry! Biggs's chances of survival grow slimmer by the moment!
Ignace: Your friend is lost in the wilderness, you say? Ignace: If he's not to be found around here or in the vicinity of the Darkhold, it is possible he made for Whitebrim. Ignace: To reach it, one must travel through Daniffen Pass, the southern end of which lies to the north and east of here. Ignace: While I make no guarantee that your search will bear fruit, it is surely better than worrying in idleness. I wish you luck. Ignace: ...Oh, and one more thing. Do tread warily when climbing the stairs here. Not a moon ago, I near broke my neck when I slipped and took a tumble.
Yda (Lyse): Forename! We've found Biggs, but he's in trouble! Imperial Soldier: Our orders are to take you back, dead or alive! Which will it be, Engineer? Biggs: Why don't you come and find out, tin-head!? Y'shtola: Ah, Forename, it is well that you are here. The situation is grave. Yda (Lyse): Biggs is in a bad way! We need to do something, right now! Y'shtola: Yda has the right of it. He will perish if we delay. Y'shtola: With me! Imperial Soldier: He's not alone! Kill them all!
Biggs: H-How did you know where to find me? 5th Cohort Decurion: Hold your ground! Reinforcements are coming! Yda (Lyse): The more the merrier! I'll pound you all into the next Umbral Era! 5th Cohort Decurion: Vanguards, destroy them! Y'shtola: Yda! Less provoking and more pummeling, if you would be so kind! Y'shtola: Forename! Stay close to Biggs! Yda (Lyse): Ack! How many of them are there!? Y'shtola: ...More than are conducive to merriment.
Next time, Yda, have a care what you wish for. Biggs: This is the last of them!
Biggs: <pant> M-My thanks... <pant> Another m-moment, and...I-I would have... <grunt> Y'shtola: He has been too long in the cold. We must find shelter for him. Y'shtola: ...Monument Tower, you say? Very well, Yda and I shall bear him there with all haste. Yda (Lyse): Cid will be so happy to see Biggs and Wedge again! Awww, I love reunions!
Wedge: I cannot thank you enough, Forename─and the same goes for the rest of you! Thank you all so much! Yda (Lyse): Oh, don't mention it! Y'shtola: We are a family, are we not? Wedge: Well...well, yes. It's just─ <sniff> It's just, I didn't think─ <sniff> I didn't think I'd ever see him again. Biggs: I owe the lot of you my life. Biggs: And you saved Wedge's too, Forename. I'm losing count of how many I owe you. Cid: Biggs! Wedge! Gods, it's good to see the two of you again! Wedge: Chief! It's you! It's really you! Biggs: In our hearts, we knew you were still alive... But to finally see you in the flesh... <sniff> Cid: When Alphinaud told me of the raid on the Waking Sands, I feared the worst. What happened? Biggs: The enemy struck with nary a warning. We didn't stand a chance. Biggs: Wedge and I were in the workshop when they came. Before we knew what was happening, the imperials had us at gunpoint. Yda (Lyse): It must have been awful... There's one thing I don't understand, though: how did the Garleans get there so fast? I mean, the Immortal Flames should have seen them coming, right? Y'shtola: I myself have asked the same question. That day, when I returned to the carnage at the Waking Sands, I noted naught amiss in Horizon─nothing at all to suggest the passing of an imperial force. From this, I conclude that the Garleans came neither by land nor by air. Nay, they were borne there by potent teleportation magicks─magicks of the kind used by the Ascians. Cid: Carry on. Wedge: We were bound and blindfolded, and bundled into the cargo bay of a waiting airship. Wedge: I can't rightly say how long we were aboard, but when the time came for us to disembark, we found ourselves in the midst of an imperial stronghold─Castrum Centri. Wedge: Upon arrival, we were marched off into the main complex. Biggs and I were thrown into a detainment cell together, while Minfilia and the others were taken elsewhere. That was the last we heard from them. Cid: Castrum Centri... Cid: What happened next? Wedge: Well, we were held in isolation for what felt like years, but was probably moons...or maybe only weeks. And then, without warning, the imperials collected the pair of us, and put us on another vessel, which we found out was bound for Garlemald, much to our dread. We knew that if we were taken back there, we weren't like to leave again. Wedge: So, risky though it was, we sabotaged the ship's altitude control and thereby forced an emergency landing. And in the midst of the ensuing chaos, we managed to slip our captors. The rest, as they say, is history. Cid: Hah! If I didn't know better, I'd call that a likely story! Sabotaging the altitude controls of an airborne vessel!? That will have been Biggs's handiwork, like as not. You always were resourceful in a tight spot, my friend! Cid: Forename─thank you for returning my dear assistants to me. It would seem I owe you yet another debt of gratitude. Cid: There are still many questions in my mind, but the answers can wait─Minfilia and the others still want for rescue. Cid: All right, you lot─Garlond Ironworks is back in business! Let's go and give the imperials what for! Biggs and Wedge: Hurrah!
Come-Into-My-Castrum Cid wants to prepare a strategy to rescue Minfilia and the other Scions.
Cid: Thanks to you, Biggs and Wedge are with us again. Cid: Now we must find a way to rescue Minfilia and the others. Gods know we've kept them waiting too long already. Cid: Based on what we've learned, I believe it's safe to say they're being held at Castrum Centri. Cid: So let us convene at Revenant's Toll in Mor Dhona─'tis as good a place as any to prepare, and better than most. The road leading east then south will get you there. Cid: When we arrive, let us seek the advice of the local adventurers. We're bound to learn a thing or two that will benefit our mission.
Slafborn: Well met, friend. What brings you to Revenant's Toll? Slafborn: ...Did I hear you rightly? Your friends are being held captive at Castrum Centri, and you want to rescue them? I don't mean to discourage you, but that might prove...difficult. Slafborn: The stronghold has been on high alert of late, with armored patrols seen about the perimeter around the clock. Not even a fly could get within a hundred yalms of the walls undetected. Y'shtola: If the Garleans were alerted to our coming, we cannot know what they will do to Minfilia and the others. We must act with the greatest stealth. Cid: Aye, it has to be good old-fashioned infiltration. Yda (Lyse): But with security so tight, how are we going to smuggle ourselves in? Cid: Why, I've a mind to walk through the front door. Yda (Lyse): Huh? The front door? Cid: Aye, we'll disguise ourselves as imperial troops and march right in. Cid: For this, we'll need a few sets of imperial uniforms, a suit of magitek armor, and impeccable timing. Slafborn: Heh, that's a bold strategy, but it just might work. Where we are, there's certainly no shortage of opportunities to borrow the equipment. Slafborn: Knowing those imperial bastards, they won't even suspect that we savage Eorzeans would think to use their technology. Cid: Then it's settled! Slafborn: If you're determined to go ahead with this, I'd recommend you speak with Glaumunt. Slafborn: The fellow's got a personal grudge against the Empire, and happens to know a deal about Castrum Centri besides. I've no doubt that he'd want to be of aid. Y'shtola: Yda and I shall go to reconnoiter Garlean activity at the stronghold. It would not do if something were to befall our comrades before we had the chance to act. Yda (Lyse): Come and join us when you're ready, Forename! Let's do this! Y'shtola: Sometimes I wonder, Yda... Are there ever times when you are not enthused? Yda (Lyse): I'm nothing if not enthused, Y'shtola! And you're beginning to remind me of Papalymo!
Glaumunt: Lookin' for Glaumunt, are you? Well, you've found him, whoever you are. Glaumunt: ...Eh? You're lookin' to get inside Castrum Centri, and you need my help? Heh, somethin' tells me we're gonna get along just fine.
Getting Even with Garlemald Glaumunt would like to aid in your mission to rescue the captured Scions.
Glaumunt: ...So you have friends at Castrum Centri what want for rescue. That Slafborn knows me too well─aye, you can count on my help. Glaumunt: I've got a score to settle with the imperials, an' I never pass on an opportunity to get back at the whoresons. But enough about me, let's talk strategy. Glaumunt: Rescuin' folk from captivity's right delicate business. A single oversight─just one little blunder─an' it's all over. You can't leave any room for uncertainty. Glaumunt: For starters, you need to confirm beyond the shadow of a doubt that your friends're where you think they are. You don't want to risk your neck only to discover they've been moved elsewhere. But how can you find out, you ask? By followin' these instructions: Glaumunt: If you approach Centri from the east, you'll see a swampland to your left called the Tangle. Get in there, never mind all the morbols, an' navigate your way to the southwestern corner. Glaumunt: You'll come upon some drainage pipes comin' down from the stronghold. Don't ask me how I know, but one o' them leads back up to the command tower. If you listen closely, might be as you can eavesdrop on some o' the happenin's within. Glaumunt: Once we know for certain your friends're there, we'll move to the next stage o' the operation. Now, get goin', and godsspeed!
The faint sound of conversation echoes down the pipe. Collected Voice: What of the captive? Does she still refuse to speak? Youthful Voice: She may as well be a deaf-mute for all the information we've gotten out of her. Gruff Voice: The others aren't much better. The Elezen gets on my nerves most of all. Every time he opens his mouth, it's only to spout gibberish. Youthful Voice: I do wonder, why is the tribunus so obsessed with this Minfilia woman? Gruff Voice: They say she possesses some mystical power. Something we Garleans don't have. Youthful Voice: Mystical power? Like the kind the beastmen use? Gruff Voice: How am I supposed to bloody know? If you're so curious, why don't you ask the tribunus yourself? Youthful Voice: As well try to tumble her! I like my head where it is, thank you very much! Collected Voice: Our break is over. Best we get back to our stations. The footfalls grow fainter until all is silent.
Alphinaud: 'Tis good to see you again, Forename. I'm given to understand you have conducted some reconnaissance. Tell me, what were you able to learn? Alphinaud: ...So Minfilia and the others are indeed at Castrum Centri! Their presence thus confirmed, we may proceed with the mission. While you were afield, Cid took the liberty of devising a plan of action. Pray have the details from him.
Cid: Good work, Forename. As Alphinaud has already told you, we've plotted out a course for the rescue. Cid: The gist of it is unchanged: we disguise ourselves as imperial soldiers and infiltrate the stronghold. Cid: Glaumunt is looking into ways to procure a suit of magitek armor. In the meantime, I need your assistance for some preparation of my own. Cid: Minfilia and the others are counting on us, Forename. Let's not keep them waiting any longer than necessary!
Drowning Out the Voices Cid requires your assistance for his rescue preparation.
Cid: While Glaumunt goes about devising his plan, we need to see to some preparation of our own. Cid: It wouldn't do if the imperials were to discover that they're short an armor. Cid: To prevent this from happening, I'm going to put together a makeshift communications-jamming device. The explanation is like to get a bit technical, so bear with me. Cid: Imperial forces communicate at a distance via electromagnetic waves. Simply put, voices are borne upon aetheric lightning energy that permeates the air. Cid: Now, the hill-sized cluster of corrupted crystals to the west has been observed to amplify the selfsame energy. By making use of this property, we should be able to drown out imperial voices. Cid: To ensure that we have enough amplification, we must identify the most potent crystals among the cluster. For this, I need you to go there and use this device to take readings. I'll mark the likely places on your map. Cid: Oh, and just so you know, plasmoids are drawn to lightning energy. Don't be surprised if you run into a few.
Cid: You have the readings? Excellent. Here, let me see the numbers. Cid: ...Yes, four of these crystals should suit our purpose, though I pray that we won't have need of their power. My thanks, Forename.
Acting the Part Glaumunt wants you to practice the part of imperial trooper.
Glaumunt: Clean the wax out o' your ears now, 'cause there's somethin' I want you to do by way o' preparation. Glaumunt: The plan's to have you enter Castrum Centri all decked out in imperial duds, but a disguise is more'n just the clothes you're wearin'. You also gotta act the part. Glaumunt: At the very least, you need to know how to perform a convincin' imperial salute. First impressions're everythin', as they say. Glaumunt: I could teach you the salute myself, o' course, but it's best you learned it from the experts. So get yourself near as you dare to Castrum Centri, an' watch the imperials doin' what they do.
Imperial Sentry: Nothing to report, sir! Imperial Decurion: We have received an anonymous warning that insurgent forces are near. Imperial Decurion: We must redouble our vigilance. I shall recommend that patrols be increased.
Glaumunt: So, did you manage to learn the imperial salute? Glaumunt: No, no, no, best you don't demonstrate─I'm liable to fly into a rage an' crack skulls. I'll just take your word for it. You have learned the emote Imperial Salute!
Dressed for Conquest Sark Malark wishes to help you acquire the disguises you need for your rescue mission.
Sark Malark: You are called Forename Surname, yes? I have heard of your plight from my friend Glaumunt. As a fellow adventurer and son of Eorzea both, I would offer you my assistance. Sark Malark: In order to infiltrate Castrum Centri, you and your comrades must disguise yourselves as imperial soldiers. The question is how to go about acquiring the uniforms and helms. Sark Malark: There are places a man might purchase them, but individuals who deal in such wares are not the sort to whom you would entrust your secrets. Sark Malark: It would be more prudent, I believe, to procure what you need via traditional means─from the bodies of their recently deceased owners. Sark Malark: The fortified area before Castrum Centri never lacks for imperial patrols. It ought not take long to obtain three sets of gear, one for each member of the infiltration team─Biggs, Wedge, and yourself. Sark Malark: When you have what you need, please return here and allow me to inspect the spoils.
Sark Malark: Were you able to obtain three sets of imperial equipment?
Damaged Imperial Uniform Standard-issue light infantry battle gear reinforced with carbon and cermet fibers to provide maximum protection with minimum loss of mobility. The scars of war cover both back and front of this piece.
Damaged Imperial Helm Standard-issue light infantry battle helm reinforced with an aluminum alloy to provide maximum protection against severe head trauma. The scars of war cover all sides of this piece.
Sark Malark: ...Damaged, as I had suspected. In their present condition, I fear these uniforms and helms are like to draw suspicion. Sark Malark: They must be repaired, if only superficially. Sark Malark: Fortunately, the blacksmith Eginolf at the Diamond Forge in Rowena's House of Splendors should be able to hammer them into shape in no time. Sark Malark: I've already sent word ahead, and have been assured that he is expecting you. Worry not─we have already impressed upon him the need for utmost secrecy as to the nature of your mission.
Eginolf: Hm? So yer the 'venturer Sark Malark sent, are ye? I've been waitin' for ye. Now let's see what ye got for me.
Damaged Imperial Uniform Standard-issue light infantry battle gear reinforced with carbon and cermet fibers to provide maximum protection with minimum loss of mobility. The scars of war cover both back and front of this piece.
Damaged Imperial Helm Standard-issue light infantry battle helm reinforced with an aluminum alloy to provide maximum protection against severe head trauma. The scars of war cover all sides of this piece.
Eginolf: ...I see. Ah, yes─I reckon I can hammer these back into shape for ye. Eginolf: After all, I owe yer friend Sark Malark a favor or two. Took good care of ol' Eginolf back in the days before I fell in with old Rowena, he did. Eginolf: Did ye know he's the son of one o' the wealthiest families in the sultanate? Wouldn't expect someone like that to end up in the life he did, but I s'pose he always felt the 'venturer's life callin' him. Eginolf: ...But here I go blabberin' on when there's work to be done. Just hold yer horsebirds for a moment or two and the great Eginolf will have yer gear lookin' good as new. Eginolf: ...And there we have it. Won't do ye much good in battle, mind ye, but from what I hear, that's not yer priority anyhow. Eginolf: Do send Sark Malark my regards, will ye?
Sark Malark: Have you had the uniforms and helms repaired?
Repaired Imperial Uniform Standard-issue light infantry battle gear reinforced with carbon and cermet fibers to provide maximum protection with minimum loss of mobility. The outer layer has been repaired to appear good as new.
Repaired Imperial Helm Standard-issue light infantry battle helm reinforced with an aluminum alloy to provide maximum protection against severe head trauma. The outer shell has been repaired to appear good as new.
Sark Malark: Yes, these will serve beautifully. The great Eginolf never fails to impress. The quality of these repairs would fool even a legatus. Sark Malark: Thus equipped, you should not have any trouble blending in amongst imperial forces. Sark Malark: Lest you fear that the Garleans might detect your “foreignness,” foreigners in fact form the greater part of the Garlean invasion force in Eorzea. Sark Malark: You see, when the Empire subjugates new territory, it assimilates the people of that land into its armed forces. In turn, these conscripted forces are sent to subjugate faraway lands. In this way, Garlemald nips rebellion in the bud and expands its territory in one fell stroke. Sark Malark: With that, my part in your mission is done. I am full glad to have been of assistance to your cause. Sark Malark: ...Hm? Why would I, a wealthy merchant, wish to help you? I know not where you heard such a tale, but believe me when I say that I am but another humble adventurer, one who desires only to act in the best interests of the realm.
Fool Me Twice Glaumunt has finally devised a plan to appropriate a suit of magitek armor.
Glaumunt: Good work gettin' them imperial duds. You'll be pleased to hear I ain't been idle myself. It took me long enough, but I've finally hatched a plan to get us a suit o' magitek armor. Glaumunt: Now, from what I've seen, Castrum Centri deploys a reaper for most of its patrols. Glaumunt: Trouble is, the patrols 'emselves are irregular─meanin' random routes an' random deployments─an' hardly any of 'em come anywhere near Revenant's Toll. Glaumunt: So, hopin' to coax the imperials out o' their shells, I took the liberty o' feedin' 'em a bit o' the old false intelligence─told 'em insurgents had designs on their stronghold. Glaumunt: 'Tain't far from the truth, now I come to think of it. Anyroad, we should start seein' more patrols than we have up till now. Glaumunt: What you need to do is approach one o' these patrols, dressed up in your shiny tin suit, an' alert 'em to the enemy's presence. Glaumunt: Havin' done that, you'll want to lure 'em as near to Revenant's Toll as you can. Like as not, though, they'll be wary o' venturin' far from their own walls. Glaumunt: If they do need a bit of extra encouragement, use this smoke signal here, filched fresh from an imperial scout. They'll come runnin' when they see that. An' when the cavalry arrives, you hit 'em hard an' make off with their reaper─simple as that. Glaumunt: If I ain't mistaken, there's a patrol sweepin' the perimeter right now, so run along, eh? Oh, an' don't forget to salute!
Imperial Centurion: One of our covert operatives, are you? Carry on, soldier.
...Hm? Insurgents gathering to the east, you say? Imperial Centurion: Judging by your description, they are well beyond the perimeter...but I will not have it said that I was remiss. You, return to the scene and keep an eye on those insurgents. Should aught go awry, use your smoke signal to call us.
Imperial Smoke Signal When lit, this tube emits a continuous plume of white smoke. Used to inform others of one's current position.
Cid: I hope you don't mind my joining. Seeing as we're seizing advanced weaponry, I thought it best to be on hand. Cid: Ah, there she is. Imperial Centurion: This is the place...but where is the enemy? Imperial Signaler: Sir, over there! Imperial Centurion: Send in the reaper! Let us make an example of these insurgents!
Cid: Keep hitting the reaper till it stops moving! Cid: Put down all of the foot soldiers, then concentrate on the reaper! A few scratches can't be helped! 5th Cohort Eques: Hostiles detected! Engaging! Cid: It's not easy being an engineer... Cid: Hah! That did the trick! The magitek armor is now overclocked! Cid: Damn it! The armor has gone into overdrive! If you value your life, stay out of its sights!
Cid: At last, our very own suit of magitek armor! Cid: Hmmm... Not wishing to look a gift chocobo in the beak, it does seem rather the worse for wear, doesn't it? Cid: Biggs, Wedge─what's your honest assessment? Biggs: Weeell...there's the fact that she's smoking, of course... But looking past that, I'd say she was structurally sound. Wedge: Hmmm...I don't like the way these legs are buckled. I hate to say this, but the servomechanism may be damaged. Biggs: Eh? But aren't those things protected by ilm-thick armor plate? Wedge: They are, yes... It's odd─the casing doesn't seem to have taken a blow. I suspect we're dealing with a faulty part. Biggs: Well, whatever it is we're dealing with, we're not resting till it's fixed! Not one wink of sleep─you got that, Wedge? Wedge: Oh... <mumble> <mumble> ...ing cart chocobo. Biggs: I heard that! Cid: A hall has been set aside for our use in Revenant's Toll. Cid: That's where we'll carry out the repairs. Look for us there, Forename.
Slafborn: ...The magitek armor? Cid and the others took it inside. Go on in and join them.
Cid: We've now had time to take a closer look at the reaper. Our preliminary diagnosis was correct─she's structurally sound, but her servomechanism is faulty. Cid: You needn't worry, though─Biggs and Wedge will see her restored to her former glory in no time at all. Give those two something to mend, and they will think of naught else till the job's done. 'Tis a marvelous thing to behold─provided you remind them to visit the privy.
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magitek Cid would have you assist in the repair of the magitek armor.
Cid: The repairs are proceeding apace. It shouldn't be long now before Biggs and Wedge complete their work. There is, however, one small problem... Cid: As you may recall, the machina's servomechanism was discovered to be faulty. Wedge has subsequently ascertained that the magitek core which drives it is worn beyond use. Cid: Such cores are rather fragile devices which must be replaced at regular intervals. Thanks to the negligence of our imperial colleagues, however, the one used in this reaper was long overdue. Cid: Alas, we do not have access to a ready replacement here in Mor Dhona. But all is not lost: Wedge thinks he may have identified an alternative solution. Go and see him, would you? He'll explain the details to you.
Wedge: As I believe the chief has already informed you, the magitek core is worn beyond use. We need to find a replacement. Wedge: I thought about having you appropriate more reapers, but even if the dunderhead maintenance engineers of Castrum Centri had remembered to replace their cores, we would risk arousing imperial suspicion. Wedge: But do not despair, for I believe there is a solution: to substitute the magitek core with a mammet heart! Wedge: In case you don't know, a mammet heart can be used to grant sentience to an automaton. By my reckoning, such a device should be more than capable of regulating the armor's servomechanism. We'll just need to make some minor modifications to the housing unit. Wedge: I've already placed an order for a first-rate mammet heart with the Goldsmiths' Guild. All that remains is for someone to go to Ul'dah and collect it! Oh...and to pay for it. Ahem. Did I...mention how much they cost? No? W-Well, they typically cost something in the order of, um... <mumble> I hope you don't mind footing the bill─it's for a good cause!
Serendipity: Hello there! Come to collect a mammet heart, you say? Serendipity: Then you must be here on behalf of Garlond Ironworks! I've taken the liberty of picking the finest example we have─a heart fit for a prince among mammets! Serendipity: ...Payment? Oh, that won't be necessary. The heart is for Master Alphinaud's personal use, after all. He notified us a short while ago that his servant would be coming to collect it. Serendipity: Tender in years though he may be, Master Alphinaud has been a benefactor of ours since my predecessor's time. The Goldsmiths' Guild wouldn't dream of charging him. Serendipity: But here is the mammet heart! May it serve you well! Oh, and please do pass on my compliments to your master!
Slafborn: Want to go in? It hardly needs saying, but try not to be seen.
Wedge: Do you have the mammet heart? I can't wait to see if it works!
Mammet Heart The clockwork soul of a mammet.
Wedge: Hurrah! Thank you so much! Wedge: <gasp> But this...this is magnificent! It must have cost an emperor's ransom! Wedge: ...Free of charge, courtesy of Alphinaud!? Coming from an influential family certainly has its advantages! Wedge: But without further ado, let's give it a try! I've already modified the housing unit, so it should slot right in! Wedge: There! She's ready! Magitek armor...engage! Wedge: ...Or not.
Haha...hah... She just needs a loving tap, I'll wager. Wedge: Yes! She's...she's ALIVE! Wedge: Let's take her outside and put her through her paces! Forename, would you care to do the honors?
Wedge: Hop into the pilot's seat! We'll begin as soon as you're ready! Wedge: First, I'd like you to try climbing that tangle of crystals yonder─as far up as you can go, if you please. Wedge: Oh, and if for some reason you need to dismount, simply come back here and we'll start again.
Wedge: No anomalous movements evident from either leg. Good. Next, jump back down and then sprint north, quick as you can!
Wedge: Leg joints absorbing all impact without incident... Excellent. Please make your way back, Forename.
Wedge: The torso remains stable during vigorous motion... Excellent. And that concludes our test. Thank you for your cooperation!
Wedge: Here is a summary of my findings. The drivetrain is in sound condition. With some fine-tuning, we can expect a noticeable improvement in performance. As for the servomechanism... Wedge: I'm afraid it's not nearly as responsive as it should be, and I'm at a loss to explain why. The mammet heart is in pristine condition, and should be installed correctly. Perhaps its inner workings are simply too different to operate harmoniously with the armor's other mechanisms? Wedge: Whereas magitek cores serve only to conduct impulses, mammet hearts enable automata to process the information collected by their sensors as feeli─ <gasp> Feelings! Maybe she just doesn't feel like part of the team!? In which case, we should all do our best to make her feel welcome!
Magitek Reaper: <click>
Biggs: Daft as it felt, I gave it my best. I've welcomed myself to a bloody standstill. What were you expecting it to do anyway? Bob us a curtsy? Cid: No doubt you're wondering why the servomechanism is so important as to warrant this silliness. Cid: Without it, the pilot would be required to control the armor's every movement manually. This would be an onerous task at the best of times, and wholly impractical during battle. Cid: Using a mammet heart in place of the worn magitek core seemed a promising solution. Alas, the device does not appear to be compatible with Garlean technology. Cid: Wedge, are there no other ways we might demonstrate our appreciation to our friend here? Wedge: I'm at my wit's end, Chief. She just...doesn't seem convinced. We could try a little dance, perhaps, or cheer our heads off...? Biggs: Imperials! They've come for the armor! Cid: Damn it! They have us cornered! Imperial Centurion: There's the reaper! Imperial Centurion: Taken by the traitor Garlond─and is that the eikon-slayer!? Oh, bollocks... Imperial Centurion: Call for reinforcements! Cid: The hells you will! Imperial Signaler: We've located the stolen reaper! Requesting immediate assistance! Respond! Respond! Imperial Signaler: It's no use, sir! There's some sort of interference! Imperial Centurion: Curse you, Garlond! Imperial Centurion: No matter! If we can't reclaim it, destroy it! Cid: Bloody hells... Forename─protect the armor at all costs!
5th Cohort Secutor: We cannot suffer the enemy to use our weapons against us! Cid: You're not undoing our hard work! Biggs: They're on their own! We can take them! Wedge: Uwaaah! Keep them away from Maggie!
Wedge: Chief, look! She moved! Cid: Ah, now she deigns to grace us with her presence! Cid: It took us a good while, but we're finally ready. Cid: It's time to infiltrate Castrum Centri and rescue our comrades! Wedge: There, the finishing touch!
Cid: The servomechanism is now fully functional─and all it took was a simple fight to the death. Remind me not to install a mammet heart aboard the Enterprise, would you? Much as I love her, I would rather not be required to profess it before boarding. But enough of that. Let us see to our final preparations. Cid: Thanks to Biggs and Wedge, the reaper is as good as new. We're as prepared as we're like to get!
Escape from Castrum Centri Cid awaits confirmation of your readiness to undertake the rescue mission.
Cid: How go your preparations, Forename? We leave as soon as you're ready. Cid: Glaumunt! You came! Glaumunt: Aye─thought I'd give you all a roarin' send-off. 'Tis the least I can do for the fine men an' women what're about to make my lifelong wish come true. Cid: Well, we'll do our best! Hmmm... It occurs to me, for all the help you've afforded us, we know little and less about you. What did the Empire do to earn your ire? ...Ah, but I fear I've put curiosity before consideration. I quite understand if you'd rather not relive those memories. Glaumunt: No, no, I don't mind, really. Truth be told, a part o' me was itchin' to tell you my tale. Mind you, 'tis hardly novel─I ain't the first to suffer at imperial hands. Glaumunt: Like most folk, I used to have a mother. She was a sweet, carin' woman with a smile never far from her face. There was a sister too. Pretty little thing, she was─gentle as a lamb, but tough as nails. We were poor folk livin' simple lives, but we knew happiness just the same. Glaumunt: An' then the imperials came an' took it all away. When Ala Mhigo fell, they put my family in a camp. Bein' a lad, I was made to do hard labor, while my mother an' sister were forced to do far worse... They hid their sufferin' from me as best they could, but I knew, an' the thought of it drove me mad. We had to escape. An' so I hatched a plan to get us out o' the city. Glaumunt: We were pickin' our way around a gorge not far outside the walls when they caught up with us... An' rather than allow 'emselves to be taken again, my mother an' sister leaped over the edge before my very eyes. Heartbroken as I was, I didn't put up a fight when the imperials clapped me in chains an' dragged me back. Glaumunt: 'Twas some years after that I escaped again, an' that time, I got away. I swore then that I'd get revenge on the Empire, an' became an adventurer so as to hone my skills an' earn the coin I needed. But nigh on two decades've since gone by, an' what've I achieved? Bugger all, that's what. Glaumunt: Not like you lot. You ain't been here ten minutes, an' you've already done more'n I managed in ten bloody years. Cid: You give us too much credit, Glaumunt. We seek only to rescue our friends. Glaumunt: Well, what's more important than that? An' anyroad, after you've got your friends back, you're plannin' on goin' after the Empire, an' don't pretend you ain't. Glaumunt: I've helped a few folk take on the imperials over the years, an' every time I have, it's helped stave off my appetite for revenge. But summat tells me I won't be goin' hungry for a while what with everythin' you've got planned. Cid: And you are sure that will satisfy you? If you wish to strike back at the Empire with your own hand, you need only say the word. We would be glad to have you with us. Glaumunt: Temptin' though your offer is, I'm afeared I must decline. Glaumunt: I swore I'd get revenge on the Empire, 'tis true, but I've long since realized that the front lines are no place for a man like me. Glaumunt: Aye, there's some as would call me craven, but I prefer to think o' myself as a realist. My talents lie in schemin', ye see, not swordplay. Helpin' folk like you is how I can make the most difference. Glaumunt: ...But that's quite enough storytellin' for one day. Best not keep your friends waitin' any longer. I'll be prayin' for your safety an' success. May Rhalgr give you strength! Cid: Wherever the Empire goes, misery invariably follows in its wake. Cid: For the sake of all who call Eorzea home, we must put an end to Gaius's ambitions. Cid: But first, we have friends to rescue. Cid: Biggs, Wedge, and I will lie in wait east of Castrum Centri, just outside the stronghold's patrol perimeter. Cid: Join us when you're ready.
Oh, and don't forget to wear your disguise, or this will be the shortest rescue mission in history.
Cid: Forgive me for saying so, but you look rather fine in imperial black and crimson! Definitely your colors! Ahhh, but now is not the time for jests. Cid: Let's review the infiltration plan. Castrum Centri lies just beyond. Cid: A short while ago, an imperial patrol left to do its rounds. Cid: Alphinaud and I will create a diversion out here and keep them occupied for as long as we are able. Meanwhile, the three of you will enter the stronghold, posing as the patrol returning from duty. Cid: Should Alphinaud and I prove less distracting than hoped, I will contact you via linkpearl. Be ready to beat a hasty retreat. Cid: Wedge will lead the way in the reaper. Stay close to him. Cid: And I hardly need tell you this, but don't do anything suspicious! Cid: Oh, and lest you wonder, Yda and Y'shtola left shortly before you arrived. We had planned that they should linger in the vicinity, to cover our retreat in the event that Alphinaud and I attracted too much attention─but the approach of an imperial vehicle forced us to improvise. Cid: Don't be too disappointed─they did at least leave a message for you. Something along the lines of “don't do anything reckless,” if memory serves. Wise words. Cid: All right, the imperial patrol should be returning any moment now. You'd best be off. Cid: Good luck, Forename! May the Twelve keep you!
Livia sas Junius: You have spirit, that I will allow. Yet you struggle to the benefit of none, least of all yourself. Livia sas Junius: This “Echo” of yours intrigues us. We desire only to understand it. And for that, we need your help. Livia sas Junius: You wish to be rid of the eikons, do you not? Livia sas Junius: You would have saved yourself a great deal of torment had you accepted our aid from the beginning. Livia sas Junius: Tell me everything, and I shall end it quickly. Refuse, and though you beg for death, you shall not have it. Livia sas Junius: Which will it be? Livia sas Junius: As you wish, my dear Minfilia. Livia sas Junius: Unpleasant though it will be for all concerned, you leave us no choice but to employ more rigorous methods of study. Livia sas Junius: Be so kind as to deliver the prisoners to Castrum Meridianum. Imperial Soldier: Yes, milady! Minfilia: <whimper> <moan>
Imperial Courier: Oh, my apologies! I didn't notice you there, so engrossed was I in my task. You'd be engrossed, too, had the tribunus commanded you to arrange for the prisoners to be transported. Imperial Courier: What prisoners do I speak of? ...You mean you haven't heard? Only the infamous “Scions of the Seventh Dawn,” captured by the tribunus herself! If you don't believe me, have a look in the storage tower when next you pass that way.
Imperial Decurion: Hm, that's a fine salute. Part of the maintenance crew from Occidens, are you? Welcome to Castrum Centri, engineer. Imperial Decurion: What? Prisoners? Ah, you've heard the rumors, then. Yes, they're being held in the storage tower─but I strongly suggest you pay them no mind. Imperial Decurion: You were summoned here to work, not to gawp at Eorzea's defeated heroes. Now show a bit of enthusiasm, or I'll have you reported.
Imperial Guard: Greetings, comrade. Forgive me for asking, but you haven't visited the storage tower recently, have you? I only ask because I dropped something in there, and...um... Oh, who am I fooling!? I've fallen for one of the prisoners, all right!? I daresay you know the one I mean. ...Eh? The svelte blonde? Goodness, no! Imperial Guard: It's the Lalafellin lass I'm smitten with! She's so adorable, it hurts! I want to sweep her up into my arms and squeeze her till my arms ache!
What do you reckon it would take to convince the centurion to lend me the key so I can see her?
Imperial Centurion: What's this? You need access to the storage tower? What business have you there? Imperial Centurion: ...At the tribunus's behest, you say? This is highly irregular, but it would not do to make my lady wroth. Take my identification key. See that it is returned when your errand is concluded.
Biggs: Security's tight, just as we expected. We're going to need a special key if we want to get past this bulkhead.
Imperial Identification Key A thin rectangular piece of what appears to be cermet. Used to deactivate certain magitek security terminals.
Minfilia: No! Biggs: Minfilia...and the rest! Thank goodness they're safe! Minfilia: I am the one you want! Leave the others be! Minfilia: If you harm my friends, I swear I shall take my own life─and you shall answer to your mistress! Wedge: <gasp> T-Tataru! We must do something! Biggs: We risk letting the entire castrum know we're here. Biggs: Aye...you're right. We may not get a better chance. Imperial Signaler: This is the third squadron. What is it? Imperial Signaler: ...A reaper? Seized when? Imperial Signaler: ...And this came to light only NOW!? Imperial Signaler: The culprits will have left a trail. Take as many men as you need and scour the area! I want that reaper found! Biggs: Now's our chance! Imperial Signaler: What the─!? Strike my last! Imperial Signaler: Eliminate the intruders!
Minfilia: You came! Tataru: Uwaaah! Wedge: I'm coming! Urianger: Unbind us, Forename. Together we may yet win free. Papalymo: Forename! Get these shackles off us, quickly!
Tataru: <whimper> Forename! I was so scared! Minfilia: It was foolish of you to come here. You might have been killed! Minfilia: But...thank you. I shudder to think what might have happened had you not arrived when you did. Papalymo: I say, did you not see Thancred anywhere? I'm beginning to fear for the fellow... Urianger: To linger here shall yield us no answer. Let us away, ere the window to our liberty closes shut. Livia sas Junius: ...What did you say? Escaped? Livia sas Junius: Then recapture them! Fail and I shall have your head. Livia sas Junius: ...And what have we here? Y'shtola: ...The tribunus herself, just as you said. You have the eye of an ahriman, Yda. Yda (Lyse): Well...she's kind of hard to miss in that showy armor of hers. Livia sas Junius: Accursed Scions... How did you slip our defenses? Y'shtola: With unexpected ease, if truth be told. There chanced to be a commotion outside the castrum's walls which allowed us to avail ourselves of the comforts of your vehicle. Yda (Lyse): Y'shtola's just being polite. That was one of the most uncomfortable things I've ever stowed away in. It's no wonder it's called the Phantom Train─no passenger would be seen dead on it! Livia sas Junius: So you scuttled in amidst the freight, like the vermin you are. I shall be sure to have words with our ratcatcher. Such negligence is unforgivable. Y'shtola: That is far from your most pressing concern. First, you must answer for your own wrongdoing, Livia sas Junius. Y'shtola: 'Twas you who led the raid on the Waking Sands─you who butchered unarmed men and women for the crime of being unworthy of capture. Yda (Lyse): You killed our friends! We'll never forgive you! Y'shtola: Nor shall we suffer you to plague Eorzea a day longer. Betake you to your guard. Imperial Sentry: More intruders! Protect the tribunus! Y'shtola: Confound it! Yda, with me! Imperial Sentry: After them! Livia sas Junius: Where is His Excellency? Imperial Sentry: In the hangar, my lady─in discussion with our guest! Livia sas Junius: Alert him at once! Imperial Sentry: Yes, my lady! Livia sas Junius: No! No, no, NO! Imperial Sentry: There they are! Fan out and surround them! Wedge: Must...protect...Tataru! Biggs─I'm going in! See everyone to safety! Biggs: No! Wedge─don't do it! Biggs: Oh, no... Forename─hold them off! I'll look after Minfilia and Tataru!
5th Cohort Hoplomachus: All units, to emergency stations! Do not let the prisoners escape! Urianger: This infernal creation is shielded by energies not its own. Papalymo: Whatever is generating its shield must be near! Find it, Forename! Papalymo: Ack! There's no end to them! Urianger: We labor in vain! Till the beast be divested of its shield, our blows shall not find their mark. 5th Cohort Optio: You're not getting away! Bring forth the colossus! Biggs: What in the hells...? A new design! Minfilia: Have care! Urianger: Ware the unknown foe. Papalymo: So that's a colossus, is it!? More like a colossal waste of iron!
Imperial Centurion: Take the leader! Kill the rest! Minfilia: Y'shtola! Y'shtola: Pray forgive us our delay! Yda (Lyse): Papalymo! Minfilia! Minfilia: Yda! Papalymo: What took you so long!? Yda (Lyse): Well, it's nice to see you too! Y'shtola: The reunion must wait! Yda (Lyse): Right! First things first! Papalymo: Yes, let's get back to being heavily outnumbered... Wedge: Uwaaaaaah! Biggs: You ditched your magitek armor!? Fool of a Lalafell! Wedge: Well, excuse me! She's all yours if you think you can do any better! ??? (Soldier): But there's no one in there. Cid: This is Cid! Can you hear me!? Cid: I need you to count to five, then jump! Understood!? Y'shtola: One... Yda (Lyse): Two! Papalymo: Three! Minfilia: Four! Gaius van Baelsar: I know not which is more pitiful: the charlatans who rule Eorzea... Gaius van Baelsar: ...or the masses that clamor for their implausible panaceas. Gaius van Baelsar: I see that which they cannot. This realm founders for want of a ruler with true power─the power to cast down eikons. Gaius van Baelsar: If you continue to deny this truth, it is the people who will suffer. Embrace reason. Cid: <gasp> Cid: What in the seven hells─!? Alphinaud: Oh no... It's here! Minfilia: Twelve preserve us... They finished it. Ultima Weapon... Alphinaud: So it has a name... Minfilia: It is a relic of ancient Allag, excavated from its resting place deep beneath Ala Mhigo. Minfilia: The Allagans used it to crush primal and foe alike...and now the Garleans mean to do the same! Cid: Damn you, Gaius! Alphinaud: Look! There, beside the Black Wolf! Alphinaud: An Ascian! Alphinaud: An overlord, no less. His garb attests to that. Minfilia: Lahabrea! It could only be him! Minfilia: Thancred! Minfilia: He was Lahabrea...? No... No, this cannot be! Cid: We have to go now! Hang on! Minfilia: Thancred! NOOOOOO! Lahabrea: Ahahaha... Muahahahahaha! Alphinaud: All that time, the enemy was beside me, and I never even suspected. Alphinaud: And to think that it was I who suggested that Thancred investigate the Ascians! How could I have been so blind!? Alphinaud: Small wonder the enemy knew our every move─and where to find us! Confound it all! Alphinaud: No... No, this is not the time for self-doubt. The Alliance leaders staked their hopes on the Scions, but now they believe us all dead or missing. Alphinaud: When they learn of the Empire's new weapon, we cannot be certain what they will do. Alphinaud: We must go and offer them what assurances we can that defeat is not inevitable! Minfilia: Krile? This is Minfilia. I am in some haste, so forgive me if I seem brusque. Alphinaud: The situation may have taken an ill turn... Minfilia: The item I requested—is it ready? Alphinaud: But the battle is far from over. And so long as we stand together, there shall ever be hope of victory. Minfilia: Wonderful! I'm sorry to press, but we need it urgently. How soon can it be delivered? Alphinaud: The people of Eorzea falter for want of such hope. Let us provide it. Let us bear to them the tidings that the Scions of the Seventh Dawn are returned! Minfilia: I am in your debt, my friend. Alphinaud: Matters are coming to a head. I hope we can count on you. Minfilia: ...My regards to Grandfather. Minfilia: I am ready. Let us pay a visit to the council of the Alliance leadership.
Raubahn: Hells take the Black Wolf and his new toy... Merlwyb: Rally all available forces. I want them ready to move upon my word. Merlwyb: And relay to Slafyrsyn the order to sail. That is all. Merlwyb: The Maelstrom stands ready. What of the Flames? Raubahn: Ready as we're like to be. I need only give the word to Roaille. Kan-E-Senna: Has there been no word from Ishgard? Raubahn: None. The dragons have got their tongues. Kan-E-Senna: Silent to the last. I was unwise to hope for better. Merlwyb: What would stir the archbishop to open his holy mouth, if not this!? And he claims the Fury for his god... 'Tis bad comedy! Nanamo Ul Namo: The Holy See has made its choice. We will proceed without its cooperation. Nanamo Ul Namo: I believe we are all acquainted with the terms of the Black Wolf's ultimatum. Nanamo Ul Namo: We must agree upon a course of action. Naught less than the fate of Eorzea hangs upon the decision of this council. Raubahn: Van Baelsar claims to wield the power to smite primals. Kan-E-Senna: Should we yield to him, he pledges to rid the realm of its false gods. Yet offer resistance, and he swears that we shall share the primals' fate. Merlwyb: Pardon me my bluntness, but I like not these choices. Nanamo Ul Namo: This is too great a decision for any one of our nations to make alone. Nanamo Ul Namo: Choose we surrender or resistance, we must answer as one, for if but one surrenders, the rest shall surely fall. Let us pray for the wisdom to do right by all our peoples.
Minfilia: Thancred's plight troubles us all, yet we cannot allow anything to come between us and our goal. Minfilia: So long as the Ultima Weapon exists, Eorzea will never know peace. Minfilia: Let us go to the Alliance leaders, Forename, and help them to make the right decision.
The Black Wolf's Ultimatum Minfilia is greatly concerned by recent developments concerning the council of the Alliance leaders.
Minfilia: Grim tidings, Forename. It seems that word of the Ultima Weapon's existence has already reached the Alliance leaders...in the form of an ultimatum. They have gathered in the Fragrant Chamber, and are deliberating their answer even as we speak. Minfilia: Beleaguered as they are, I fear they may well elect to lay down their arms in the belief that surrender will spare their people untold suffering. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. Minfilia: That which the Black Wolf offers will doom Eorzea, not deliver it, and the leaders must be made aware of this. Let us hurry to them, Forename, and ensure that they do not act in ignorance of the consequences.
Bartholomew: The council of the Alliance leaders is presently in progress in the Fragrant Chamber. I must ask that you step away from the doors, madam. Bartholomew: ...I'm sorry? You're here on behalf of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn!? A thousand pardons, my lady! Of course you may enter!
Raubahn: Bah! We keep treading the same ground. Merlwyb: Van Baelsar's demands are clear... Kan-E-Senna: Alas, our minds are not. Raubahn: I've never been one to shy from a fight. But if this weapon of theirs can do all they claim... Kan-E-Senna: It has been five years since the Calamity, and our people have scarce begun to rebuild their lives. Kan-E-Senna: Can we now, in good conscience, call upon them to risk what little they have left? I would spare them the pain of further conflict. Kan-E-Senna: Conflict, I say, though that would imply forces set in opposition. If the combined might of three primals could not stay Garlemald's new terror... Kan-E-Senna: What meaningful resistance can we offer? We who struggle to quell the foes who rise up within our own borders... Merlwyb: Long have we fought the primals, but to what end? We strike them down at no small cost, only for them to rise again and again. Merlwyb: Are we to play this profitless game for the rest of days? I for one grow tired of it. Merlwyb: Mistake me not, I do not propose to trade one tyranny for another. Merlwyb: I love liberty. But conciliation need not mean oppression. Raubahn: By the Twelve... Though neither of you cried “surrender,” your every word betokened it. Raubahn: Not that I deny there is truth in what you say. Nor can I rightly claim that Ul'dah is ready to fight. Raubahn: Refugees flood our gates, and beastmen swarm our land, while the great and the good do nothing. My Flames struggle to bear the burden. Raubahn: I put on a grand show at the remembrance service, made all manner of lofty promises... I've made good on not a bloody one. Nanamo Ul Namo: Do not blame yourself, Raubahn. You said only that which the people needed to hear. All present have done the same. Nanamo Ul Namo: Our citizens had become lost to hope. If our words served to kindle it in them anew, better we speak than remain silent. Nanamo Ul Namo: Our enemy condemns us for failing our people, yet what does he care for their well-being? Nanamo Ul Namo: While we labored to rebuild their lives, the Black Wolf built instruments of murder with which to end them. Kan-E-Senna: Her Majesty speaks true. For all our failings, the people's well-being has ever been our foremost priority. Kan-E-Senna: While none among us ever doubted that the Empire would one day resume its war, we scarcely had means enough to solve the problems of the present. Merlwyb: Aye, which is why we looked to others to safeguard our future─ Merlwyb: The Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Alas, they are gone, and the Black Wolf is at our door. Alphinaud: Admiral, I fear you are mistaken! Merlwyb: Alphinaud? Minfilia? And─seven hells─MASTER GARLOND! Kan-E-Senna: And you, dear friend... Raubahn: By Rhalgr... You're alive! All of you! Alphinaud: As we approached, I would swear I heard talk of surrender, but I know that cannot be! It is not the Eorzean way! Minfilia: Hear me, my friends! Accepting the Garleans' offer to vanquish the primals would be folly. Minfilia: Folly, I say, for might is not the answer to the primal threat. Indeed, the more the Empire exerts its strength, the worse matters will become. Minfilia: Primals enter this world when mortals call upon them, and mortals are wont to appeal to a higher power when they are desperate. Minfilia: Nothing is more certain to breed desperation in the beast tribes than the Garleans' proposed solution. Alphinaud: The true answer lies in a lasting peace, but the Garleans only know war and conquest. Should Eorzea fall into their hands, there will be such suffering as none can imagine. Minfilia: We are not blind to the many challenges that each of your nations face. Yet you must not give in. Alphinaud: Aye! Remember five years ago, when you wagered all for the sake of the realm! Remember what you fought for, what you were willing to die for! Alphinaud: Let the memories rekindle the fire in your heart, for Eorzea has need of it again! Minfilia: Come what may, we Scions will never give up the fight. Minfilia: And so I bid you stand with us, and together we shall safeguard the future of the realm! Cid: A great man once said that a shrewd merchant grasps not for the quick profit, but invests in the future. Wise words...eh, Raubahn? Raubahn: Cid... I... Kan-E-Senna: Your words stir...and shame me in equal measure. How could I contemplate surrender...? Kan-E-Senna: I know full well that all we have, we owe to the sacrifices of those who went before us. Yet the seeming hopelessness of our plight robbed me of my insight. Kan-E-Senna: We Gridanians have no love for war... Kan-E-Senna: Yet we have still less for those who would threaten our homeland. Ever have we fought to protect those things we hold dear, and this shall never change. Kan-E-Senna: Gridania will go to war. We will fight the Empire, for the sake of the realm and all who abide here! Nanamo Ul Namo: Ahaha... Ahahahaha! Nanamo Ul Namo: Hahaha! Hear, hear! Merlwyb: Hahahaha... Raubahn: Hah hah hah hah! Nanamo Ul Namo: At long last, I hear words worthy of a founder of the Alliance! Nanamo Ul Namo: Raubahn! Are we to be outdone!? Raubahn: I lost one homeland. The thought of losing another had blunted my resolve. Raubahn: But no man knows better than I that if you want aught, you'd best be ready to die for it. Raubahn: With great danger comes the chance for great glory, and great profit─we Ul'dahns, who have turned sand into gold, know this well. Raubahn: How many times have we fallen into the pit of despair, only to have you pluck us out? I've fair lost count. Merlwyb: Reckless, the lot of you─like bloody pirates! Well, I won't waste my breath trying to talk you 'round... Merlwyb: ...On account of being a pirate myself. And the pirate who shrinks from a challenge is no pirate at all! Merlwyb: Those who would pick a quarrel with us must choose: back down, or go down with all hands. Merlwyb: Let the Garleans come. The united strength of Limsa Lominsa will be waiting for them! Nanamo Ul Namo: If our realm is to be free of this pall of darkness, let it be by our own hands! Leaders: For Eorzea! Kan-E-Senna: We must needs consider how the weapon will be brought to bear against us. Merlwyb: The Maelstrom will secure strategic points along the coastline. Raubahn: In the meantime, the Flames will deploy at... Nanamo Ul Namo: Be at ease, my friends. You have banished our doubts. Nanamo Ul Namo: Pray leave the military matters to us, and retire to the Waking Sands. We will send word anon.
Minfilia: I cannot well express my relief. To think that the Alliance came so close to surrender... Cid: But the fire in their hearts has been rekindled, and they will fight to the last. Alphinaud: This warmth inside... Did you feel it too, Grandfather? Alphinaud: I would know something─was that your power at work earlier? Minfilia: Nothing of the sort. The leaders of Eorzea had lost their way─I merely helped them to find it again. Minfilia: Oh, hello!
...Yes, our party returned just a moment ago. How close are you? Minfilia: It's all right, Cid. Alphinaud: We must needs plan our next move. Pray continue liaising with your respective nations. Cid, would you be our man in Ul'dah? Cid: I'll be whatever and wherever you need me to be! Y'shtola: We haven't a moment to waste. Yda (Lyse): All right. Let's do this! Minfilia: Thancred's fate weighs heavy on my mind. I cannot bear to think of him in thrall to an Ascian. Minfilia: Mayhap you know this already, but the Ascians are immortal beings without physical form. Since time immemorial, they have fanned the flames of chaos from the shadows. Minfilia: That they might work unseen, the Ascians entrap and possess mortal men by means of malign artifacts known as Crystals of Darkness. Minfilia: One such Crystal may yet be the key to saving Thancred. Alphinaud: This is a Crystal of Darkness? Y'shtola: A mere replica, created using data obtained from anomalous crystals found across Eorzea. Minfilia: It comes to us courtesy of the Students of Baldesion, our distant allies. Minfilia: Even for an Archon, Thancred's talents are exceptional. We all had complete confidence in him. Minfilia: It was for this reason that none among us foresaw the danger in sending him to investigate the Ascians alone. Papalymo: Thancred had been striving to fill the void left by Louisoix. Yet it was plain that he was overtaxing himself. Yda (Lyse): Yeah... He would volunteer for everything and work till he was dizzy. Alphinaud: And the toll taken by his exertions made him vulnerable to Ascian influence... Minfilia: The Crystal that binds Thancred must be somewhere on his person. If we could but destroy it, his Ascian possessor would be compelled to relinquish control over him. Minfilia: You have proven the stoutest of allies, standing with us through thick and thin. Minfilia: Yet the most perilous struggle is still to come. For the sake of the realm─and Thancred─I ask that you lend us your strength once more. Minfilia: Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. Minfilia: As I am sure you are aware, the realm was saved from certain doom five years ago by heroes known as the Warriors of Light. Minfilia: What you may not be aware of is that your many feats in service to the Scions have prompted folk to make certain...comparisons. Minfilia: I must confess, you do remind me of them. Minfilia: Yet remember this: however glorious the past, it is the hero's lot to be judged on the deeds of the present. Minfilia: A new darkness threatens the realm, and the people cry out for a savior. Minfilia: I believe that you are she─a Warrior of Light, here in the present, guided by the Crystal's will. Minfilia: Come, my friends! Let us fight to safeguard the future of our beloved Eorzea!
Operation Archon Minfilia would brief you on the Eorzean Alliance's planned counteroffensive against the Empire.
Minfilia: All present? Then let us begin. Alphinaud: We have received the details of the impending operation. Alphinaud: In what promises to be the largest single counteroffensive in the realm's troubled history, the Alliance will strike at every imperial stronghold standing upon Eorzean soil. Alphinaud: As might be expected, the operation will be complex, but you need not commit its intricacies to memory. Alphinaud: It is enough that each man understands his part and plays it to the best of his ability. Minfilia: The finer instructions, you will receive at each staging point. Alphinaud: To begin, let us review the distribution of our forces. Alphinaud: From west to east─the Maelstrom of Limsa Lominsa, the Immortal Flames of Ul'dah, and the Order of the Twin Adder of Gridania. Minfilia: Next, let us examine the locations of the imperial strongholds. Minfilia: Near Limsa Lominsa, we have Castrum Occidens, situated in eastern Vylbrand, and Castrum Marinum, which lies to the south and east, in the midst of the Rhotano Sea. Minfilia: Near Ul'dah, we have Castrum Meridianum to the north, and the coastal outpost at Cape Westwind which connects Castrum Marinum to the mainland by means of a magitek transporter. Minfilia: Near Gridania, we have Castrum Oriens, which lies upon the eastern edge of the Twelveswood. Minfilia: And finally, in Mor Dhona...stands Castrum Centri. A thorn in the heart of Eorzea. Alphinaud: The forthcoming operation will see Allied forces assault each of the aforementioned locations, with the ultimate objective of destroying the Empire's new weapon, housed within Castrum Meridianum. Alphinaud: As one might expect of the Black Wolf's seat of power, Castrum Meridianum boasts all but impenetrable defenses. If we are to breach it, we must needs isolate it from its sister strongholds. Y'shtola: To do otherwise would be to risk being caught 'twixt hammer and anvil. Alphinaud: The operation will comprise four distinct phases, all told. Alphinaud: The first shall see us eliminate one of the Black Wolf's most trusted lieutenants─Rhitahtyn sas Arvina. Alphinaud: According to our intelligence, the praefectus is due to visit the imperial outpost at Cape Westwind for an inspection. Alphinaud: When he arrives, we shall dispatch an elite adventurer unit to eliminate him. Forename, we would have you lead this assault. Papalymo: Rhitahtyn is a peerless field tactician. Shorn of his leadership, the garrison at Castrum Occidens will be as a snake without its head. Alphinaud: Phase two will see us sever Castrum Meridianum's primary lines of supply. Alphinaud: As soon as Rhitahtyn's presence is confirmed at the coastal outpost, the Maelstrom will lay siege to Castrum Occidens. Alphinaud: At that very hour, the Lominsan Armada, helmed by the Admiral herself, shall move to blockade Castrum Marinum. Minfilia: Meanwhile, in the Twelveswood, the Order of the Twin Adder will surround Castrum Oriens. Yda (Lyse): And they'll have the sylphs to help them! Frixio's been waiting for a chance to avenge these ones! Alphinaud: Phase three shall see us neutralize Castrum Meridianum's defenses. Alphinaud: Forming our main thrust, the Immortal Flames will march against the stronghold with all their strength. While the enemy's eyes are thus drawn outwards, another elite adventurer unit shall infiltrate the castrum. Alphinaud: Its mission: to disable the magitek field generator which protects the Praetorium, a fortress within a fortress wherein the Ultima Weapon is believed to be housed. Forename, we would have you take command once more. Minfilia: Meanwhile, the Order of the Twin Adder will blockade the railway which connects Centri and Meridianum, preventing the timely arrival of reinforcements from Mor Dhona. Papalymo: A wise precaution. The monstrous locomotive which runs back and forth between the two castra is capacious enough to transport a small army, by all accounts. Y'shtola: It is well the Garleans did not think to give it wings. Minfilia: Once Meridianum's defenses have been compromised, the operation will enter its fourth and final phase. Alphinaud: This will see the Immortal Flames enter the stronghold and suppress the remnants of the enemy garrison. Alphinaud: ...Allowing Forename's unit to pass unopposed into the Praetorium, where they will locate and destroy the Ultima Weapon. Alphinaud: By this feat shall the operation be deemed a success. Alphinaud: In addition to the Grand Companies, we can count upon the support of a variety of other parties, from the pirates of Limsa Lominsa to the Monetarists of Ul'dah. In all, the operation will involve no fewer than twelve major factions. Alphinaud: Legend holds that the Archons were twelve in one, and one in twelve...
It is for this reason that our grand endeavor has been dubbed “Operation Archon.” Minfilia: Countless free companies have also pledged their swords, and more join us by the day. At long last, all of Eorzea is rising as one. Alphinaud: As before, we Scions shall work in concert with the Grand Companies. Yda, Papalymo, Y'shtola─pray accompany your respective organizations on their missions. Minfilia: Urianger, I would have you represent us in Ul'dah. Reassure the financiers that they have made a sound investment. When that is done, pray return here and aid in the coordination of our forces. Minfilia: Tataru, please assist Urianger in any way you are able, and ensure that everyone is kept abreast of the latest developments. Alphinaud: Minfilia, Cid, and I shall accompany the main host in an advisory capacity. It will be our task to analyze intelligence as it comes into our possession, and make the necessary recommendations to command. Minfilia: As Alphinaud mentioned, you are to lead the elite unit of adventurers whose task it will be to see each of Operation Archon's main objectives fulfilled. Yours is the most important role of all, and like to be the most dangerous. Pray choose your party well, and stint not in your preparation. Alphinaud: The battle for the future of the realm is about to begin. Together, let us show the Black Wolf the power of a united Eorzea! Minfilia: Pray report to the Immortal Flames encampment situated to the north of here when you are ready to be briefed on your first mission. Minfilia: I cannot stress this enough, but please be careful. May you walk in the light of the Crystal.
Allied Communications Officer: You are well come, Forename Surname of the Scions. As communications officer, it falls to me to issue you your orders, and provide guidance on forthcoming missions. Allied Communications Officer: Your first mission is to infiltrate the imperial outpost at Cape Westwind and eliminate Praefectus Rhitahtyn sas Arvina. Allied Communications Officer: All participating units are now in position and awaiting your arrival. Please proceed to the staging point and report to Lieutenant Adalbert. Allied Communications Officer: This is but the first step in our bid to purge the realm of the Garlean menace. I shall pray for your success!
Adalbert: So you're Forename Surname, the fearless leader of the elite adventurer unit. We've been expecting you. Adalbert: Our Maelstrom friends report that Rhitahtyn sas Arvina departed Castrum Occidens a bell ago. Adalbert: And sure enough, a convoy of imperial airships landed here just now. Adalbert: The likelihood is high that our target was aboard one of the vessels. I've dispatched scouts to verify his presence before we strike. Flame Runner: Command to all units. Requesting status report. 1st Platoon Soldier: This is Antlion I. Target has not been sighted. 2nd Platoon Soldier: This is Antlion II. Likewise, target has not been sighted. 3rd Platoon Soldier: Antlion III here. We've got nothin' for ye neither. 4th Platoon Soldier: This is Antlion IV. Nothing to report as of─ 4th Platoon Soldier: Wait! Disregard previous message! Target sighted. I say again: target sighted. Flame Runner: Understood. Hold your position. Adalbert: Attention, all units. This is Lieutenant Adalbert Cotter. Adalbert: The first step of Operation Archon begins with us. Should we falter here, all hope of victory will be lost. Adalbert: 'Tis no small burden, but know that I believe in all of you. So believe in yourselves, and together we will blaze a path for our brothers and sisters of the Alliance to follow. Adalbert: We will create multiple diversions and disperse the enemy garrison. That should give you a chance to breach their defenses. Adalbert: Go now, Forename, and bring us Rhitahtyn's head! May Rhalgr grant you strength! Adalbert: Commence diversionary maneuvers!
Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: It would appear we have unexpected guests. Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: Now, where have I seen you before? Ah, but of course─the woman who felled the mighty Titan. Imperial Centurion: This is the eikon-slayer!? Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: I see. The commotion without is naught but a diversion. Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: Allow me to hazard a guess: by eliminating me, you hope to undermine the garrison at Occidens. Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: A bold strategy, to be sure, but have you the strength to see it to fruition? Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: Leave us. None of you are a match for her. Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: Send word to Castrum Occidens. Tell them the Lominsans are coming. Imperial Centurion: At once, my lord! Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: Fifteen years have come and gone since Lord van Baelsar first set foot in Eorzea, yet his ambition for the realm burns as strong as ever it did. Know you what fuels it, adventurer? The desire to deliver the people from their suffering. Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: The lands he has conquered were all beset with problems─poverty, starvation, lawlessness, and strife. My homeland was no exception. Had my lord not reached out and claimed it for the Empire, it would eventually have destroyed itself. Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: But under his sage leadership, my people enjoyed such peace and stability as we had never known. And he only desires the selfsame for the people of this realm. Under his rule, Eorzea would be free from the shackles which bind it─the shackles of false faith. Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: There would be no feeble leaders to misguide the masses, no eikons to bleed the realm dry. True peace would reign, and the people would be free to live their lives without fear of persecution or oppression. Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: Should you doubt the truth of my words, I bid you look upon me. I am no son of Garlemald, yet Lord van Baelsar saw fit to raise me to a station of great honor. Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: He measures a man not by his birth, but by his worth. Such is his sense of justice. By the grace of His Excellency, I am where I was born to be─upon the field of battle. Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: He has given me a noble cause to fight for, and worthy adversaries to smite. Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: I am not wont to bare my steel needlessly. But if you are deaf to reason... Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: In the name of Lord van Baelsar, I, Rhitahtyn sas Arvina, do swear to strike you down!
Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: I will suffer none to oppose Lord van Baelsar! Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: Your defeat will bring Lord van Baelsar's noble conquest one step closer to fruition! Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: My shields are impregnable! Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: Let me show you a technique passed down in my homeland! Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: You do not hold back! Very well, neither shall I! Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: Ugh... So this is the strength of she who vanquished Titan... Imperial Pilus Prior: Let us aid you, my lord! Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: What? I thought I ordered you to leave! Imperial Pilus Prior: Forgive us, my lord, but we couldn't let you face the enemy alone! Imperial Pilus Prior: We've raised the alarm as you bade...and now we would fight with you! Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: Your conviction and courage will not be for naught! This I swear! Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: For victory and vengeance, I will strike you down! Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: Ignore pain... Ignite rage... And fight with the fury of wildfire! Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: You will have no mercy from me!
Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: <pant> <pant> You are stronger than I had expected... Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: But I have my honor! I cannot─I will not yield!
Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: Hah, I have you now! Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: We shall go together, amidst a raging inferno! Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: No amount of pain can loosen my grip! Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: Ungh... You will not escape... Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: Rest in peace, men... I shall join you soon... Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: <pant> <pant> It's over... Strong as you are, you cannot survive this!
Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: <gasp> <pant> Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: Forgive me... I have failed you... Rhitahtyn sas Arvina: Lord van Baelsar!!!
Cid: That light─ <gasp> The magitek transporter! Alphinaud: Forename, are you there? What news of Rhitahtyn? ...Fallen? Alphinaud: With this deed, you have sown the seeds of our ultimate victory. Alphinaud: The fading of that light presages an end to the Empire's tyranny! Alphinaud: Rhitahtyn sas Arvina is no more! Alphinaud: Let the next phase of Operation Archon commence! All: HURRAH! Cid: 'Tis I! It seems you've done it again, Forename! Cid: I'd raise a tankard to you, but I'm afraid we've no time to savor the victory. There's still the small matter of infiltrating Castrum Meridianum and destroying the Ultima Weapon! Cid: I know, I know...no rest for the preternaturally gifted. Now stop feeling sorry for yourself, and make your way back to the Immortal Flames' encampment. The communications officer will issue you your orders. I'll be waiting for you with the main host. Lahabrea: Look, Hydaelyn─Your minion comes...bringing the Light. Lahabrea: Alas, the gate to the void already stands open. Soon, Darkness shall consume all, and you shall bow down before the one true god. Lahabrea: Ahahahahaha!
Gaius van Baelsar: The praefectus...slain? Imperial Officer: Regrettably so, my lord. And at the hand of the eikon-slayer, if the centurion who survived the attack is to be believed. Livia sas Junius: Rhitahtyn... Gaius van Baelsar: Where were his men when he faced the enemy!? Fleeing, even as their commander yielded up his last breath!? If it should prove they questioned his right... Imperial Officer: I-I cannot speak for them, my lord. Imperial Officer: ...Beg pardons, my lord, but there is more. The Maelstrom has laid siege to Castrum Occidens. Imperial Officer: Likewise, the Crimson Fleet moves to blockade Castrum Marinum. Gaius van Baelsar: So this is their answer... Gaius van Baelsar: Very well! We shall crush them as we crushed the eikons! Gaius van Baelsar: Go forth and show them the futility of their resistance! Tribuni: Yes, my lord!
Allied Communications Officer: Scion Surname! Your deeds this day are an inspiration to us all! Allied Communications Officer: With the death of the praefectus, Operation Archon has entered its second phase. Even as we speak, the Maelstrom moves to blockade Castrum Occidens and Castrum Marinum. Allied Communications Officer: And far to the east, in the Black Shroud, the Order of the Twin Adder advances upon Castrum Oriens. Allied Communications Officer: Already, you have done much to advance our cause, performing such feats as are worthy of song─but if our plan is to succeed, more is required of you. Allied Communications Officer: Let me know when your preparations are in order, and I shall relay to you the particulars of your next mission.
A Hero in Need The Allied communications officer has a task that can only be performed by a hero of the Alliance.
Allied Communications Officer: Phase two of the operation is presently in motion. Our brothers and sisters of the Maelstrom are holding their own against Garlean forces upon Vylbrand and the Rhotano Sea. Ere long, the third phase will begin and you must take to the field once more. Allied Communications Officer: The Immortal Flames shall strike at Castrum Meridianum by way of a diversionary maneuver. While the Garleans are thus locked in battle, you are to infiltrate the stronghold and bring down the magitek field that surrounds the Praetorium. Allied Communications Officer: The staging point for the mission lies in the shadow of Castrum Meridianum in northern Thanalan, and that is where you must go. On your way there, however, I would ask that you make a brief stop at Camp Bluefog, one of our key outposts in the area. Allied Communications Officer: The garrison, I am told, is in low spirits, and it would do our troops well to see the hero of Cape Westwind appear before them. For the good of our cause, please stoke the fire in their hearts.
Cracked Fist: Ah, Captain Surname! Yours is a most welcome presence here at Camp Bluefog! Cracked Fist: Logistically speaking, we are ready to march on Castrum Meridianum at a moment's notice. Alas, while our troops are here in body, their minds are anywhere but. Cracked Fist: The garrison's mood is dark, so daunting is the prospect of joining what may prove to be the bloodiest battle in history. But with a hero such as you walking among them, we may yet rekindle the dwindling embers within their souls.
Hearts on Fire Sergeant Cracked Fist needs a hero to raise morale on the front lines.
Cracked Fist: Captain Surname. I mentioned that I was hoping you might raise the flagging spirits of the men and women of our garrison. Cracked Fist: Worry not, it is no unnecessarily laborious task that we ask of you. The mere presence of a hero such as you walking in their midst would no doubt serve to restore in them a measure of morale. Cracked Fist: And so I ask of you this: make your way to the Ceruleum Processing Plant, and report to General Raubahn once you have arrived. And godsspeed, Captain Surname─our troops are counting on you.
Raubahn: Well, if it isn't the hero who brought down the praefectus! It's good to have you with us, friend. Raubahn: As you can see, the mood about the camp here is grim at best. I was hoping that your presence alone might serve to raise spirits some. Raubahn: Unfortunately, it would seem that many are too preoccupied wallowing in fear and self-pity that they have yet to even notice you have arrived. Raubahn: Might I ask you to make the rounds and share a few words of encouragement to those men and women whose spirit falters? I had a mind to do it myself, but I am quite certain it would carry more weight coming from you. Raubahn: Once you have seen to the others, go and do the same for Edelstein. No matter what he may claim, the lieutenant would also be better for a bit of rousing. Trust me, I know.
Flame Private First Class: Your stirring gesticulation has reawakened me to my purpose! Hero or no, I will fight tooth and nail to protect the realm!
Flame Private Third Class: YAAAAAARGH!!! I BREAK MY FAST ON GARLEANS! AND RIGHT NOW, I'M VERY HUNGRY!
Flame Private Second Class: Uwaaaaaah! The Garleans are not near as frightening as you! I'd sooner face a vanguard while naked as my nameday!
Edelstein: By Rhalgr... Without my realizing it, the fire of my resolve had grown dim. But thanks to you, it burns red-hot once more! If needs be, I shall lay down my life to secure victory for Eorzea!
Rock the Castrum Edelstein would send you forth to commence the penultimate phase of Operation Archon.
Edelstein: You have rekindled the flames of courage that burn within our brave men and women's hearts, and for this, I thank you. Edelstein: And now, the time for battle is nigh. We must march forth with no worries or regrets. Edelstein: General Raubahn awaits you at Castrum Meridianum. The battle will not be an easy one, but I trust that you are up to the task. Godsspeed, Captain Surname!
Raubahn: Our hero returns. I trust that your visit has done much to lift the spirits of our garrison on the eve of our greatest battle yet. Raubahn: Time is of the essence. Let us commence the briefing at once.
Raubahn: Brothers and sisters of the Alliance! I would share with you glad tidings! Raubahn: Doubtless spurred on by news of the siege of Castrum Oriens, the Maelstrom has struck a double blow! Castrum Occidens and Castrum Marinum are now under blockade! Raubahn: Phase two of Operation Archon is a success! Raubahn: Reports tell us that the Garleans offered fierce resistance─but that the Admiral yielded them not one ilm. Raubahn: With Occidens, Marinum, and Oriens thus suppressed, the third phase may begin in earnest! Raubahn: Even as we speak, the Order of the Twin Adder moves to block the railway leading hither from Castrum Centri. And that can mean but one thing... Raubahn: The hour is come to strike at the heart of the Garlean invasion force! Raubahn: ...Castrum Meridianum, the den of the Black Wolf! Minfilia: My fellow Eorzeans. I am Minfilia, Mistress of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Minfilia: There exist myriad barriers that divide us─those of race and nation, language and creed, to name but a few. Minfilia: Such barriers serve to isolate us from our neighbors...yet they also serve to define who we are. Shorn of them, there would be little to distinguish one from another, and the rich variety of our lives would give way to sterile orthodoxy. Minfilia: These barriers can never truly be broken down, of course─not so long as there is liberty in the world─but they can be transcended! Minfilia: Verily, we do so now in coming together for this grand endeavor, to fight side by side in defense of our shared home! Alphinaud: Before me stands the adventurer Forename Surname. You all know her as the woman who will lead the unit tasked with destroying the Ultima Weapon. Alphinaud: We Scions know a different Forename, however. We know her as a dear friend who has endured untold hardship on our behalf─a true hero who has ever blazed a path for us to follow. And why do I tell you this? I tell you, friends, because it is time for us to blaze a path for her! Raubahn: Our objective is to wreak such havoc outside the walls of Meridianum as to afford Forename and her comrades the time they need to disable the magitek field generator within. Raubahn: With the path thus cleared, we may finally turn our minds to the true goal of this operation─the destruction of the Ultima Weapon! All troops, prepare for battle! Cid: I fear I can't accompany you this time. The unenviable task of facilitating communications between our forces has been entrusted to the Ironworks, you see. Know, though, that I will be praying for your safe return. Minfilia: See that you come back to us, my friend. May the Crystal bless you and keep you. Raubahn: We will suffer the Black Wolf to prowl our lands no more! Let us teach the hunter what it is to be hunted! Raubahn: Forward, comrades! For Eorzea! All: FOR EORZEA! Alphinaud: Go now, Forename, and bring us one step closer to the dawn!

Castrum Meridianum

So begins the third phase of Operation: Archon, which entails a frontal assault upon Castrum Meridianum, Gaius van Baelsar's seat of power. Forming the main thrust, the Immortal Flames will strike at the stronghold with all their strength, though this is but a feint. While the garrison's eyes are drawn outwards, you and your comrades must steal past its defences and attempt to deactivate the magitek field which protects the Praetorium, the fortress within a fortress wherein the Ultima Weapon is believed to be housed.
Flame Thaumaturge: I fear my nerves may get the best of me. Cid: This is Cid. To review, our goal is to deactivate the magitek field. Cid: If you could create a diversion─that's to say, wreak lots of havoc─I'll search for the field generator.
Storm Marauder: They will need more than magitek to stop us.
The Black Eft: We must hold the enemy here! All units─attack! The Black Eft: The central crossing is overrun! Requesting immediate reinforcements! The Black Eft: Gah, damn these savages! Deploy the reserve colossi! The Black Eft: How can this be...? R-Reinforcements! We need more reinforcements!
Cid: Forename, how are you faring? ...Reached a dead end, you say? I believe I know where you are. Cid: There's a disposal chute nearby. Find it and jump in, and you'll emerge in a different sector.
Cid: Forename, assault crafts are near! Watch out for incoming fire!
Flame Thaumaturge: Stand clear of its arms.
Cid: I've located the controls for the security system. A moment while I disable the barriers. Cid: I'm also pleased to say I've found a suit of armor. Press on─I'll meet you just ahead.
Cid: Another bulkhead, eh? Fortunately I'm equipped for the task. Stand back! Cid: Come on, the field generator should be just up ahead! Cid: There it is! Keep the enemy occupied while I take it out of commission!
Cid: Damn, reinforcements! Take care of them, would you?
Cid: Diverting all power to cannons! Livia sas Junius: My lord was quite taken with you and the power you possess─the “Echo.” Naturally, I could not help but wonder whom this princess among women might be... Livia sas Junius: Only to discover that you are but another adventurer. No better than the multitude. Livia sas Junius: Yet in spite of this, the masses hold you their champion, and shower honors upon your head. It defies all reason. Livia sas Junius: How is it that you could be such a thorn in our side? Wherever you appear, you leave havoc in your wake. You even slew Rhitahtyn, one of our very finest. Livia sas Junius: Well...I will not speculate. Truth be told, I couldn't care less how you have done these things. What matters to me is the fact that you have done them. Livia sas Junius: If you are allowed to continue, you will eventually deprive me of all that I have toiled for─all that is mine by right! Livia sas Junius: My minions, my comrades...even my lord Gaius! Livia sas Junius: Well, you cannot have him! Livia sas Junius: His dreams and ambitions, his body and soul─they are mine, do you hear me!? All mine! Livia sas Junius: I lost everything once before! I will not suffer it to happen again! Livia sas Junius: I will kill you, adventurer! Only your death can bring me peace!
Livia sas Junius: You will not take any more from me! Serpent Conjurer: I'll see to your wounds. Just focus on the tribunus! Livia sas Junius: The pain I have suffered, I shall visit upon you a hundredfold! Livia sas Junius: You have made me wroth! Livia sas Junius: Hmph, you're tough, I grant you that. Livia sas Junius: But I will break you soon enough! Livia sas Junius: You will not defeat me! You will not!
Livia sas Junius: No... <sob> It's happening...all over again... Livia sas Junius: Please... I cannot bear it... <sob> Don't take him...away from me... Livia sas Junius: My lord Gaius!!! Cid: Another poor fool who craved Gaius's affection over all else... May her soul know rest. Cid: 'Tis a miracle no harm has come to you, my friend. One for which I will happily give thanks. Cid: And thanks to your fine diversionary work, we've succeeded in bringing down the generator tower─and with it, the magitek field! Cid: The way to the Praetorium now lies open. The only problem is, we can't reach it on foot. Cid: Nay, we'll need to take the Enterprise. I left her at the Ceruleum Processing Plant, so let's regroup there. Cid: This is it, Forename! The final confrontation awaits!
Raubahn: I knew you wouldn't let us down, soldier! Raubahn: With the Praetorium stripped of its defenses, the way to the Ultima Weapon lies open. Raubahn: The time is come for the final phase of Operation Archon!
The Ultimate Weapon Raubahn has some parting words for you ahead of the final phase of Operation Archon.
Raubahn: For the final phase of the operation, my Flames will storm Castrum Meridianum and suppress what is left of the imperial garrison. If all goes well, this will allow you to reach the Praetorium unopposed─fit and ready for your encounter with the Ultima Weapon. Raubahn: Yours is the most dangerous mission of all, but the best must bear the heaviest burden, and you're the best we have. There's not another soul in this realm that could see this deed done, and Merlwyb and Kan-E are of the same mind as me. Raubahn: Though all hangs on your success, you must not let our plight make you desperate. Victory belongs to the bold, not the reckless. Bards are wont to sing of heroes who valued their life at naught next to honor, love, and liberty, but I tell you now: that which men value at naught, they sell cheap. Risk no more than you must, you hear me? Raubahn: Now, best you were off─we have work to do, the both of us. See that your preparations are in order, then report to Cid. He awaits you with the Enterprise at the Ceruleum Processing Plant. May Rhalgr grant you strength.
Cid: The Enterprise is at your disposal. When you're ready to head for the Praetorium, you need only say the word. Cid: If we succeed in destroying the Ultima Weapon, it will deal a crippling blow to the Empire's hopes of conquest. After that, the XIVth Legion would not dare to move against us─barring the discovery of further Allagan doomsday devices, that is... Cid: Let's be on our way, Forename! Gaius and his plaything await!

The Praetorium

With the magitek field now out of commission, the path to the Ultima Weapon lies open. While the Immortal Flames sweep Castrum Meridianum and suppress the remnants of the enemy garrison, the Enterprise will bear you to the Praetorium, where you and your comrades must fight your way to the innermost sector and locate the technological menace.
Cid: So here we are... Cid: The Ultima Weapon will almost certainly be housed in the depths of the complex. Cid: This is it, my friend!
Flame Thaumaturge: We need but stick to the plan, and all will be well. Cid: We need to make our way down. There ought to be a terminal for the lift up ahead.
Cid: Here it is. If you'd care to take the van, I'll follow after I've had a look around.
Cid: Gaius! Gaius van Baelsar: Ah, Cid, my boy... You are late. Gaius van Baelsar: There is something I always meant to tell you, yet the time never seemed right. It concerns your father. Cid: ...What of him? Gaius van Baelsar: In the winter of his years, Midas came to abhor his part in Meteor. He told me that he wanted nothing more than to wash his hands of the whole sordid business. Cid: But he did not wash his hands of it. He helmed the project until the day it killed him! Gaius van Baelsar: Come now, Cid...you must know that he did not have the luxury of choice. By the time he realized his error, it was too late. Meteor had him completely in its thrall. Gaius van Baelsar: Shortly before his...transformation, mayhap sensing that something was amiss, your father confided to me all the regrets of his life. Most of them concerned you. Gaius van Baelsar: Early on in your career, he realized that while you had a talent for devising armaments, it would never fulfill you. Long before you knew your own mind, he saw that you would be far happier using your knowledge for peaceful purposes, and the thought touched him. He was a changed man for it, though he could not let it show. Cid: You ripped open walls in this place just so you could say this to me!? What is it you want, Gaius!? Gaius van Baelsar: I want you at my side, Cid. Take up your father's mantle, and become the Empire's lead engineer. It is your destiny. Cid: My father had a change of heart─you said so yourself! Besides, I have long known my destiny, and I assure you, it lies not with the Empire! Gaius van Baelsar: A pity.
And what of you, adventurer? Will you not consider making common cause with me? Gaius van Baelsar: With your powers joined to mine, we might do much for this realm. Together, we could bring order to Eorzea, and usher in a lasting peace. Gaius van Baelsar: No? And I can expect no better answer than this? So be it. It was your strength that made me proffer my hand in friendship, and it is your strength that makes me proffer now my blade. Save as an ally, you are too dangerous to be let to remain. Gaius van Baelsar: Run, Cid. Or stay. It makes no matter. You cannot escape the past. Cid: Gaius, wait! ...Damn it!
Storm Marauder: Brace yourselves─more magitek!
Cid: Right, I'll examine the equipment for intelligence. Press on─I'll let you know if I learn anything.
Cid: Well, well, would you look at this! It's the armor we borrowed for our mission at Castrum Centri! Flame Thaumaturge: This magitek armor should do the job. Cid: If this isn't fate, I don't know what is! Go on, strap yourself in and raise hells!
Cid: That bulkhead is composed of a special alloy. Extremely tough. Ordinary fire won't leave a mark, I'm afraid. Cid: You'll need to divert all power to the magitek cannon, as I did at Castrum Meridianum. Cid: The armor's core is like to expire from the strain, but there's no help for it if we want to press on. Cid: Now, listen well. Press...<buzzzzzz>...the control...<fizzzzzz>...engage ancillary...then fire away. Don't mind the warning lights. Cid: You're a natural at this! All right, the way's clear, but it's just you and your own two feet now, so be careful.
Nero tol Scaeva: You have been leaving a fine mess in your wake, adventurer. Cid: Is someone there!? Nero tol Scaeva: Garlond, old friend. How it warms the heart to hear your voice again after all these years. Cid: ...Nero? Is that you!? Nero tol Scaeva: You sound well. It would seem this savage land agrees with you. Cid: The highest ranking tribunus of the XIVth... It was you all this time? Nero tol Scaeva: Tell me, Garlond. How long do you intend to keep all the glory for yourself? Cid: Uh...what? You've lost me. Nero tol Scaeva: Don't play the fool with me. Ever since the Academy, I have been condemned to live in your shadow. Nero tol Scaeva: By all objective measure, I was the more talented of the two of us, yet that fact counted for naught beside your privileged birth. You were admired as the young prodigy simply because your father was the great Midas nan Garlond! Nero tol Scaeva: When you defected, I felt sure my star would finally rise... Nero tol Scaeva: But by disappearing, you acquired the status of a legend─your reputed genius gaining credence merely by dint of your absence! Instead of cursing you for a traitor, the people actually came to think of you more fondly! To this day, you are still the young prodigy of magitek! Nero tol Scaeva: I, meanwhile, have ever been made to feel second-rate─I who have continued to serve our nation faithfully. Whenever I fail to excel─why, it is only to be expected! Yet when I exceed all reasonable expectations, people proclaim that I walk in the footsteps of the great Cid nan bloody Garlond! Cid: Nero, I...I don't know what to say. Nero tol Scaeva: It matters not a whit what I achieve. Your existence has rendered mine worthless. Even Lord van Baelsar saw fit to offer you a place at his side─and this in spite of your betrayal! Did he extend any such offer to me─the man who has remained loyal to him for all these years? Why, no. He did not. Nero tol Scaeva: Long have I endured this injustice...but no more. Nero tol Scaeva: Lord van Baelsar is in the midst of activating the fully powered Ultima Weapon. Nero tol Scaeva: It is my magnum opus─the creation that will win me the recognition I am due. I will not let anyone interfere. Cid: Nero! What are you─!? Nero tol Scaeva: Ever since I first set foot in this benighted land, I have watched you─every move you have made, every step you have taken. Nero tol Scaeva: You have felled eikons, a feat made possible by the Echo, a peculiar power which shields you from their corrupting influence. Nero tol Scaeva: It is of little wonder that my lord has taken an interest in you. Nero tol Scaeva: As have I, if truth be told. It is my desire to harness your power for use in the Ultima Weapon. Nero tol Scaeva: Should I succeed, Lord van Baelsar will surely take notice! Beside this, Garlond's achievements will be as child's play! Nero tol Scaeva: Come, adventurer, and yield to me the secrets of your power!
Storm Marauder: Blood crimson... A fitting color. Nero tol Scaeva: I have taken the liberty of preparing an electrifying stage for you. Nero tol Scaeva: I will lay Garlond low, but first I must break you! Nero tol Scaeva: Meet one of my creations. You might find it a handful. Nero tol Scaeva: <pant> I will not suffer...to be in another's shadow!
Nero tol Scaeva: This changes...nothing... Nero tol Scaeva: Ahahahaha! The Ultima Weapon is activated, and it brims with the power of eikons! Nothing can withstand its might! Cid: Are you all right!? Cid: What of Nero!? ...Fled!? Damn it! Cid: In the instant prior to the blackout, the instruments detected a massive power surge from the deepest chamber. Cid: Gaius is certain to be there! We have no time to waste! Cid: Word arrived from the Alliance a short while ago. It seems the Order of the Twin Adder has completed its blockade of Castrum Centri. Cid: What hands they can spare are hastening this way even as we speak, and likewise for the Maelstrom. All that's left is to destroy the Ultima Weapon! Cid: ...I should warn you: the chamber which houses the target appears to be saturated with aetheric energies. There's bound to be heavy interference. Cid: But even if we lose contact, you must go on. Just don't do anything I wouldn't do, all right?
Cid: Look for the lift's control panel─it'll be somewhere nearby. Cid: Take the lift down, and you should find yourself in the chamber of the Ultima Weapon. Cid: Keep your eyes peeled─Gaius could be waiting for you down there. Cid: Oh, and don't even think about dying. You're too bloody useful! Cid: The interference is getting worse. I don't think the connection will last much─ Gaius van Baelsar: Tell me...for whom do you fight? Gaius van Baelsar: Hmph! Do you believe in Eorzea? Gaius van Baelsar: Eorzea's unity is forged of falsehoods. Its city-states are built on deceit. And its faith is an instrument of deception. Gaius van Baelsar: It is naught but a cobweb of lies. To believe in Eorzea is to believe in nothing. Gaius van Baelsar: In Eorzea, the beast tribes often summon gods to fight in their stead─though your comrades only rarely respond in kind. Which is strange, is it not? Gaius van Baelsar: Are the “Twelve” otherwise engaged? I was given to understand they were your protectors. If you truly believe them your guardians, why do you not repeat the trick that served you so well at Carteneau, and call them down? Gaius van Baelsar: They will answer─so long as you lavish them with crystals and gorge them on aether. Gaius van Baelsar: Your gods are no different from those of the beasts─eikons every one. Accept but this, and you will see how Eorzea's faith is bleeding the land dry. Gaius van Baelsar: Nor is this unknown to your masters. Which prompts the question: why do they cling to these false deities? What drives even men of learning─even the great Louisoix─to grovel at their feet? Gaius van Baelsar: The answer? Your masters lack the strength to do otherwise! Gaius van Baelsar: For the world of man to mean anything, man must own the world. Gaius van Baelsar: To this end, he hath fought ever to raise himself through conflict─to grow rich through conquest. Gaius van Baelsar: And when the dust of battle settles, it is ever the strong who dictate the fate of the weak. Gaius van Baelsar: Knowing this, but a single path is open to the impotent ruler─that of false worship. A path which leads to enervation and death. Gaius van Baelsar: Only a man of power can rightly steer the course of civilization. And in this land of creeping mendacity, that one truth will prove its salvation. Gaius van Baelsar: Come, champion of Eorzea, face me! Your defeat shall serve as proof of my readiness to rule! Gaius van Baelsar: It is only right that I should take your realm. For none among you has the power to stop me!
Serpent Conjurer: This ends here, Black Wolf! Gaius van Baelsar: Let us dance, champion of Eorzea. Gaius van Baelsar: Know your place! Gaius van Baelsar: Impressive! Now it is my turn! Gaius van Baelsar: Come, we shall see if you can finish what you have started. Gaius van Baelsar: If you will not yield, then you will be destroyed! Gaius van Baelsar: Eorzea is mine by right! Gaius van Baelsar: That you should still stand... Very well, then!
Gaius van Baelsar: I had not thought to be so hard-pressed. Gaius van Baelsar: Your strength is...most impressive. Such power befits a ruler! Gaius van Baelsar: Yet you lack the resolve to put it to proper use. A waste.
Gaius van Baelsar: Allow me, then, hero, to do that which you will not!

The Porta Decumana

Making your way through the Praetorium, you sweep aside wave after wave of defenders before finally coming face-to-face with Gaius van Baelsar himself. Unable to overcome you by his own hands, the Black Wolf takes control of the Ultima Weapon and sets upon you once more. Do what you have come to do, and see that the magitek monstrosity never threatens Eorzea again.
Gaius van Baelsar: Bear witness to the true power of the Ultima Weapon!
Serpent Conjurer: I will tend to your wounds. Now, go─finish this! Gaius van Baelsar: The Ultima Weapon has partaken of the power of eikons! None can stand against it! Gaius van Baelsar: Kneel to the might below! Gaius van Baelsar: The land itself is mine to wield! Gaius van Baelsar: Be entombed in earth! Hydaelyn: Hear... Feel... Think... Hydaelyn: Thy foe is Darkness clad in steel. If thou wouldst triumph, thou must look to the Light. Your fervent hope shines forth the Light! Serpent Conjurer: The Crystal's Light guides us! Gaius van Baelsar: Titan's essence...torn from the Ultima Weapon!? Gaius van Baelsar: No matter─it still harbors the might of other eikons! Gaius van Baelsar: Yield to the storm! Gaius van Baelsar: The wind is at my beck and call! Gaius van Baelsar: Naught can pierce the raging tempest! Hydaelyn: Once more, crystal bearer. Look to the Light to vanquish the Darkness. Your fervent hope shines forth the Light! Gaius van Baelsar: Garuda's as well!? Impossible! Gaius van Baelsar: But the Ultima Weapon is not spent of eikon power yet! Gaius van Baelsar: Succumb to the flames! Gaius van Baelsar: So this is the strength of the eikon-slayer... Gaius van Baelsar: Very well, let us see how you fare when the Ultima Weapon's power inhibitor is disengaged! Gaius van Baelsar: Naught will remain of you but ash! Hydaelyn: Yield not to the Darkness, my child. Pray to the Crystal with all thy being. Your fervent hope shines forth the Light! Gaius van Baelsar: No! How...how are you doing this!?
Gaius van Baelsar: But the Ultima Weapon is all-powerful! Why does my enemy still stand!? Gaius van Baelsar: Can her strength truly be so great? Lahabrea: It is the blessing of Light that confounds you. Gaius van Baelsar: Lahabrea. Lahabrea: Your foe acts under the protection of the Crystal she bears. Gaius van Baelsar: So, this is what empowers her. Lahabrea: Beyond mortal limits. Lahabrea: If you are to prevail, the hammer of Darkness must needs be brought to bear upon the shield of Light. Lahabrea: And so it shall, for the Ultima Weapon is host to a power of which you are as yet ignorant. Gaius van Baelsar: Speak plainly, Ascian. Lahabrea: The Heart of Sabik. It is the Weapon's core─an enigma whose surface even the vaunted scholars of ancient Allag failed to scratch. Lahabrea: The magic within has lain dormant for eons. Gaius van Baelsar: Of what magic do you speak? Lahabrea: A spell without parallel. Ultima. Lahabrea: I sought the life force of the primals for no other reason but to quicken the core. For the true power of the Ultima Weapon lies within its now-beating Heart! Gaius van Baelsar: Lahabrea... What have you done? Lahabrea: No more than was necessary...for my god to be reborn. Gaius van Baelsar: Damn you, Ascian! Lahabrea: The hour is at hand! Behold but a sliver of my god's power! Lahabrea: And from the deepest pit of the seven hells to the very pinnacle of the heavens, the world shall tremble! Unleash Ultima! Lahabrea: Ahahahahahaha! Gaius van Baelsar: Such devastation... This was not my intention... Lahabrea: Oh, Hydaelyn...it seems the task of keeping Your champion alive has exhausted what strength You had left. Lahabrea: Van Baelsar... Your enemy's shield is broken. Lahabrea: The rest I leave to you. Gaius van Baelsar: We will speak later, Ascian. Gaius van Baelsar: But first, I must deal with you. The question of who is mightier remains! Gaius van Baelsar: Come, adventurer! Let us find the answer together!
Gaius van Baelsar: We settle this once and for all! Gaius van Baelsar: I need not the power of eikons to defeat you! Gaze upon true power! Gaius van Baelsar: This is most...unexpected. You are possessed of great might, this I will allow. Gaius van Baelsar: Yet yours is not the might of a ruler! Such is the difference between us─a difference that will assure my victory! Gaius van Baelsar: U-Ultima!? Curse you, Ascian! Gaius van Baelsar: How much destruction must be wreaked before you are sated!? Hydaelyn: I have not the strength...to shield thee again... Hydaelyn: Permit not the manifestation of that vile magick...lest Darkness prevail! Your fervent hope shines forth resplendent Light, granting you strength beyond your limits! Storm Marauder: I can feel my strength returning!
Gaius van Baelsar: No... No, no, NO! Uh! Gaius van Baelsar: Heed me... The subjects of a weak ruler must needs look to a higher power for providence...and their dependence comes at a cost to the realm. Gaius van Baelsar: The misguided elevate the frail... And the frail lead the people astray. Gaius van Baelsar: Unless a man of power wrests control...the cycle will never be broken. Gaius van Baelsar: You... You of all people must see the truth in this. You who have the strength to rule...
Lahabrea: Pathetic. Lahabrea: You boasted of unrivaled power. You were entrusted with the ultimate weapon. The ultimate magic! Lahabrea: And still you failed. So much for the glory of man. Lahabrea: The growing imbalance afflicting the planet must be redressed. Lahabrea: If it is permitted to worsen, the very laws of existence─both aetheric and physical─will be warped beyond all recognition. Lahabrea: Know you the root of this corruption? Hydaelyn! Lahabrea: Like a parasite, She must be burned out if the planet is to recover. Lahabrea: And naught but the return of the one true god will ensure Her complete excision. Lahabrea: Yet to pave the way for the master's return, a chaotic confluence of untold proportions must needs be brought about. And that will necessitate the presence of the primals. Lahabrea: Needless to say, both you and your Scion accomplices can not be suffered to interfere in this endeavor. Lahabrea: You will not leave this place alive.
Lahabrea: It is past time your flame was extinguished...“Bringer of Light.”
Lahabrea: For the sake of the star, I will deal with you personally! Lahabrea: Searing flames, cleanse all in the name of the one true god! Lahabrea: Those tainted by Light cannot be suffered to live! Go forth, my shadows! Lahabrea: I will show you true magic! Fires of creation─arise! Lahabrea: You have meddled enough! Farewell, servant of Light! Lahabrea: Hmph. Yours was always a vain struggle. Hydaelyn: Surrender not, my child. Look thee to the Light... Hydaelyn: And receive of the power to banish the Darkness! Your fervent hope shines forth the Light! Lahabrea: That You should still have the strength to interfere... Damn You, Hydaelyn! Lahabrea: No matter. Blessing or no, you imperfect beings cannot hope to defeat me! Lahabrea: You are strong, I concede... Lahabrea: Yet know that if I should perish, so too will the mortal within whose flesh I reside. Hydaelyn: Mark not the Dark Minion's subtle words. Only Light may banish the Darkness!
Hydaelyn: If thou wouldst pierce the shadows...make thee a blade of Light. Lahabrea: What!? Lahabrea: The Light...it binds them... They are too many! Lahabrea: Aaaaaaaaarrrgh!!! Gaius van Baelsar: And so my conquest ends, Cid. Gaius van Baelsar: In smoke and ashes... Hydaelyn: Hear... Feel... Think... Hydaelyn: Warrior of Light. Beloved daughter. Hydaelyn: The Darkness hath fled before the unclosed brilliance of thy spirit. Hydaelyn: Yet it lingereth still beyond the sight of men, in forgotten corners of the world. Hydaelyn: In the depths of the abyss yet resideth the Dark One, watchful ever. Hydaelyn: Till this evil be cast out, never shall the world know aught but a passing peace. Hydaelyn: Yet for the present, a gentle light shineth o'er the realm of Eorzea. Hydaelyn: With thee at its heart. Hydaelyn: From sparkling mote shall it swell to glorious sun, and all the world shall bask in its warmth. Hydaelyn: Blessings and joy be upon thee. Hydaelyn: Go forth, my child, and be as a beacon of hope for Eorzea and the lands beyond, through all the days of thy life. Serpent Scout: My lady! All Twin Adder units have fallen back to the outer perimeter! Flame Scout: The Flames have completed their withdrawal, General! Storm Scout: Admiral! All hands accounted for! Merlwyb: She's still in there... Raubahn: Cid! Has there been no word? Cid: Nothing. Nothing at all. Papalymo: Damnation! Yda (Lyse): She's going to make it! I know she is! Y'shtola: Yda is right. We must have faith. Kan-E-Senna: Cid! Can they not be evacuated aboard the Enterprise? Kan-E-Senna: That adventurer and the Scions are as the Warriors of Light reborn. Kan-E-Senna: We cannot abandon them to their fate! Not again! Cid: I wholeheartedly agree! But flying into the midst of that would only add to the fireworks! Alphinaud: There must be something we can do! Minfilia: Please, Mother Hydaelyn. Please light her way through the darkness... Hydaelyn: Look into the Light, my child. If thou wouldst see thy companions returned safe to thee, reach out to them now. Minfilia: There! Papalymo: Oh! Yda (Lyse): Yay! Kan-E-Senna: Our Warrior of Light... Cid: Yes! The hero returns! Yda (Lyse): Look! Thancred is with her! Papalymo: Thank the Twelve! Y'shtola: Thank Hydaelyn... Minfilia: Welcome home.
Yda (Lyse): You almost got us killed that one time, remember? Papalymo: Now now, we both know that was your fault. Minfilia: Thank the Twelve we're safe. Cid: Mind your horns there, manbull. Merlwyb: Ha! Mayhap when you mind your manners. Alphinaud: Though the Crystal that bound Thancred is no more, I doubt we can say the same of Lahabrea. Alphinaud: And even if we could, we know that he is not alone. Confounded Ascians... Alphinaud: Their god may be unknown to us, but their zeal is unquestionable. Alphinaud: Suffice it to say, it would be folly to assume that they no longer pose a threat. Alphinaud: Nevertheless... Alphinaud: For now we must savor what peace we have won, however ephemeral. Alphinaud: Do you see, Grandfather? Our first step towards realizing the dream for which you gave your life. Raubahn: Friends! The dread night of imperial tyranny and Ascian machination is ended. A new day now begins in Eorzea. Merlwyb: True to their name, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, along with our champion, have delivered us from darkness. Kan-E-Senna: Let their shared victory serve to remind us of our shared history. Kan-E-Senna: And let their bravery in the face of adversity inspire future generations. Raubahn: Doubt not the ream will need bravery in the days to come. Raubahn: Old rifts threaten to divide us within our walls, while hordes of beastmen claw at our gates. Raubahn: And though the Black Wolf be slain, the rest of the pack remains. Raubahn: Yet no foe need we fear, so long as we stand as one... Merlwyb: So long as the Scions stand for peace... Kan-E-Senna: So long as our champion stands fast... Kan-E-Senna: For there exists no adversity over which we may not jointly prevail. Merlwyb: No longer can we turn a blind eye to the suffering of our allies. Kan-E-Senna: No nation stands alone. If one should fall, so shall we all. Kan-E-Senna: Eorzea is our shared home. For any one of us to know peace, so too must our neighbor. Raubahn: Just as we join in solidarity before you this day... Raubahn: ...So too shall our Grand Companies be joined henceforth, to strive not only for the good of mere nations... Raubahn: ...But for the good of all the realm. Kan-E-Senna: Change will not come overnight. Kan-E-Senna: Yet I foresee a day, not so very far from now, when the lines that divide our lands fade... Kan-E-Senna: ...And all of Eorzea is one. Merlwyb: It has been but five short years since the Battle of Carteneau. Five years since the advent... Merlwyb: ...Of the Seventh Umbral Era. Merlwyb: No victory, however sweet, can wash away our bitter sorrows. No triumph can reclaim those we lost. Merlwyb: Yet do not presume you honor them by dwelling on the past. Merlwyb: It was not the past they fought for. You would repay their sacrifice by looking to the future. Raubahn: A future united, as the Warriors of Light united in the champion. Merlwyb: Now is the time for us to rise as one, bearing all of Eorzea on our shoulders! Kan-E-Senna: Five years ago, Eorzea bore witness to the end of the Sixth Astral Era. Kan-E-Senna: Now the Seventh Umbral Era draws to a close. Yet we come together not to glory in it's end, but to mark a new beginning. Leaders: Let it be writ that on this day...
by the light of the Crystal...
Eorzea ushered in a NEW era! Leaders: The Seventh Astral Era is come! Leaders: And thus is ours a realm reborn!
Minfilia: What is it? Papalymo: What was that? ???: That roar... It can't be! ???: Did you hear that? Raubahn: There's no time to spare! Alphinaud: Where is it coming from? Scout: Dread tidings! Chaos and carnage... Scout: It is an abomination—! A...primal! A primal has awakened!
Pashtarot: Bahamut stirs. Igeyorhm: As will the others ere long. Nabriales: 'Tis not a question of whether Eorzea's champion shall yield, but of when. Lahabrea: And with each passing moment we draw closer to the Reckoning. Ascians: To the one true god! Ascians: To Zodiark!
And thus did dawn break on a realm reborn But where there is light, there is always shadow
Minfilia: The Archons have conducted a preliminary investigation into the origin of the roar that rang out during the celebration. Their findings strongly suggest that a new primal has appeared. Minfilia: The roar generated a distinctive wave pattern in the aether, a pattern observed only once before in history─five years ago, to be precise. I should like to think it mere coincidence, yet we cannot discount that possibility... Well, I trust I need say no more. Minfilia: At great sacrifice, we have delivered Eorzea from the threat posed by the Empire and the primals, and thereby secured peace. We cannot well allow the realm to be plunged into chaos once more. Minfilia: You have given your all for our cause, risking life and limb on I know not how many occasions, yet our struggle continues, and we need you now no less than before. Minfilia: Please continue to stand with us, and together we shall safeguard the future of the realm─of this very star!

A Realm Reborn: A Realm Awoken (2.1)

The Price of Principles Minfilia appears to be lost in thought.
Minfilia: ...Hm? Forename. It pleases me to see you well. Tataru: Do excuse me for interrupting, Forename. My lady, the gentleman from Ashgana Exports has just left. Tataru: <sigh> I understand now why you didn't want to receive him. Minfilia: You did well, Tataru. Please inform the guards that we will not be receiving any further guests this evening. Tataru: Thank you, my lady! Minfilia: Ever since we defeated Gaius van Baelsar and destroyed his ultimate weapon, the eyes of the world have followed our every move, scarce remembering to blink. Minfilia: Where once we worked in secret─with precious few friends and all too many enemies─we are now besieged by benefactors, each one more eager than the last to offer us his complete support. Minfilia: A true embarrassment of riches... Minfilia: Of course, every promise of patronage comes with a price. Minfilia: Some make their intentions known from the start, while others endeavor to engage us more subtly. Dress it how they will, the message is ever the same: we shall help you, but only if you help us. Minfilia: The gentleman Tataru spoke of was more brazen than most. In exchange for certain supplies, he would have us resolve a business dispute. Minfilia: Naturally, I refused him, as I have every other merchant of his ilk... Alas, the Syndicate's overtures are not so easily rejected... Minfilia: When we formed the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, it was with the goal of serving Eorzea, not the interests of individual Eorzeans. Our neutrality is fundamental to our cause. Minfilia: In my heart, I know this to be true, and yet... And yet... If accepting these offers of patronage could empower us to do greater good, might they not warrant greater consideration? Minfilia: Our Baldesion colleagues have been generous beyond measure, but we cannot expect them to─ Minfilia: Forgive me. I did not mean to burden you so. Minfilia: Yet...my urge to share this dilemma may not be wholly misguided... Might I impose upon you to consult the others? They are like to have their own opinions on this matter.
Y'shtola: Recall you our meeting with the Admiral, shortly after the Lominsans sent word of the summoning of Titan? Y'shtola: Then mayhap you also recall my words to our host. I said unto Merlwyb that her people had broken their treaty with the kobolds, and that the beastmen had justly responded─that we had been called to intervene in a conflict which she herself had invited. I spoke, in short, the truth. Y'shtola: And wherefore did I speak it? Because, owing no allegiance to Limsa, I felt no compulsion to allow the Lominsans to distort the facts to fit a narrative which justified their actions and absolved them of guilt. Y'shtola: Upon this subject, Minfilia can expect a similar reply. Our many dalliances with the city-states have already weakened our claim to neutrality, but the path she contemplates would see us relinquish it entirely.
Thancred: Fortune begets power, and power fortune. That we─and especially you─have power is beyond doubt. The question is what to do with it... Thancred: You may be interested to know that there is a growing belief amongst the refugees that Ala Mhigo could be liberated...if only the Scions would commit their strength to the cause. Thancred: Yet theirs is but one of many causes. We stand at a crossroads, Forename. Each path is paved with good intentions, but where they lead is far from clear.
Papalymo: None can deny that we would benefit from more support, but if it comes at the cost of our principles? Papalymo: Neutrality was ever a delicate matter. I've lost count of the times I've had to explain to people that our allegiances need not necessarily lie in the same place as our headquarters. Mind you, if we are to sell our services for gil, we might as well declare our fealty to Ul'dah now, and have done with it. I'm quite sure Yda would enjoy the bribes...
Yda (Lyse): I've been receiving a lot of gifts lately, but Papalymo keeps making me send them back. Yda (Lyse): It wouldn't be so bad, but some of them are really nice! I mean, very nearly abandon-your-principles nice, you know?
Urianger: 'Tis the lot of the powerful to attract the covetous as well as the needy. Thus doth prudence dictate that those with power proffer aid with one hand whilst the other resteth ever on their hilt. Urianger: Alas, we have not the luxury of time to decipher our petitioners' machinations─nay, not while the beast tribes do labor unseen, defiant in defeat, to raise up their fallen primals once more. Urianger: Doubt not that they shall return─stronger and bolder both─nor that we shall be the ones to meet them. This sacred charge shall ever be ours. 'Tis but a pity we are so few, and our fortune so finite...
Alphinaud: Hm. This situation is not wholly unexpected. Alphinaud: I too have given much thought to our organization's future...though it would seem I have reached a different conclusion. Alphinaud: Mayhap it is time I made my feelings known to the Antecedent. Come along, Forename.
Minfilia: Alphinaud, Forename? Is aught amiss? Alphinaud: You desired counsel, and so you shall have it. Minfilia─the Scions of the Seventh Dawn must leave Ul'dah. Minfilia: We must do what? Alphinaud: So long as we remain within Ul'dahn territory, we will never be free to act with impunity. Alphinaud: Moving our headquarters to Vesper Bay only delayed the inevitable. Alphinaud: We have demonstrated our capabilities, and the Syndicate has taken note. They will not suffer our organization to remain independent now. We are far too dangerous for that. Alphinaud: Surely you realize they are the reason Vesper Bay still lacks an aetheryte? Alphinaud: They know full well how beneficial one would be to our cause... Alphinaud: Which is why it and other favors will be denied us unless we cooperate. Minfilia: If Ul'dah is no longer suitable, where would you have us go? Alphinaud: Experience has taught us that the appearance of neutrality is as important as the reality. Alphinaud: Accordingly, we must keep each of the great nations at arm's length, and plant our banner in a place which all agree to be beyond their borders. Alphinaud: Mor Dhona. Alphinaud: Revenant's Toll, to be precise. It lies within neutral territory, and offers all the essential facilities we require. By way of an additional benefit, it is also frequented by a veritable legion of adventurers who may serve to supplement our ranks. Alphinaud: I am, of course, conscious of the fact that we have developed a certain bond with Ul'dah and her people over the years... Alphinaud: But I truly believe this to be the best course of action. Minfilia: As you yourself observed, we have invaluable ties to the local community, forged through years of concerted effort. Ul'dah...Ul'dah is our home, Alphinaud! To cast aside everything we have built and start anew in that desolate wasteland would be beyond reckless! Alphinaud: The decision is yours to make, Antecedent. I ask only that you recall the shared purpose which first moved us to found the Scions of the Seventh Dawn─and which moved you to found the Path of the Twelve ere that. Alphinaud: We aspire to an ideal, you and I. Just as my grandfather did. That makes us more than mere comrades-in-arms. Alphinaud: We are as much your family as─ Minfilia: That will be all, Alphinaud. Minfilia: I am sure you have some familial affairs of your own to attend to. Alphinaud: Your concern is most generous, but no─I have left them in the hands of men better suited to the task than I. I could not very well allow my personal affairs to come before the needs of the order, after all.
Moving On Once again, Minfilia appears to be lost in thought.
Minfilia: Leave Ul'dah... Has it truly come to this? Minfilia: ...Hm? Oh. Forename. Pray attend to Alphinaud. Minfilia: He is engaged in some business or other and requires your assistance. Minfilia: Pray be on your way. Alphinaud waits upon you, and I have much to think about. Minfilia: Oh, and...tell him he shall have my answer in due time.
Alphinaud: Confound it. She knows what must be done, and still she hesitates. Alphinaud: All because of these fanciful rumors. Alphinaud: Hm. I should explain. Minfilia's mother─well, adoptive mother─was among the great many who perished during the Calamity. Alphinaud: F'lhaminn was her name, though you may know her better as the “Songstress of Ul'dah.” She was a performer of singular talent, and much beloved by the people of Eorzea─not to mention a certain Sharlayan minstrel. Alphinaud: As you may imagine, the news of her passing was greeted with shock and disbelief by her adoring followers, many of whom refused to acknowledge what had happened. That her body was never found only served to encourage speculation. Alphinaud: Minfilia, too, struggled at first to accept the truth, but as F'lhaminn's absence stretched from months into years, she saw that there could be no other explanation. Alphinaud: Until recently, at any rate. For whatever reason, rumors have once again begun to circulate that F'lhaminn is alive and well. Alphinaud: One of our informants, Father Iliud, has sent word that a woman matching the songstress's description has been seen of late at the seaside resort of Costa del Sol. Alphinaud: If we could succeed in tracking her down, I have no doubt that any worries that now plague Minfilia's heart might be assuaged. Alphinaud: I mean to set forth for La Noscea at once. Let us reconvene there and inquire with Master Gegeruju as to the veracity of these rumors.
Gegeruju: <sigh> O sweet siren of the sands, my Miqo'te muse! Why have you forsaken me...? Gegeruju: T-Titan's Bane! I mean, Forename! What brings you to my humble resort? Gegeruju: F'lhaminn!? You mean to tell me the goddess made flesh who dwelt among us until so very recently was the Songstress of Ul'dah!? Egads, woman─if I had known that, I would've chained her to my bedpost and never let her leave! Gegeruju: Oh, for shame! To think that she now plies her trade for the riffraff off to the west or wherever she said she was going! It's a tragedy, I say! A tragedy! Alphinaud: West, is it? Thank you, Master Gegeruju. Your information will serve us well. Alphinaud: That said, there are any number of places she could be. I shall begin my search by the docks and see if any witnesses might have some knowledge to spare. I would be most appreciative if you could travel on to Wineport and do the same.
Junghbhar: ...Eh? You want to know if I've seen a Miqo'te lass by the name of F'lhaminn? I wish! I haven't seen a lass of any description for far too bloody long... Er, excepting yourself, of course.
Byrglaent: Well, if it isn't Forename, the savior of Wineport! To what do we owe the pleasure? Byrglaent: Ah, yes, we did receive a customer matching that description. She was a delight to behold, to give the woman her due, but her perfume was so ghastly, I had no choice but to eject her from the premises. Interfering with tastings, you understand. Byrglaent: If she is your quarry, why not consult your blind associate? His olfactory perception is without peer. Given that I could smell the woman from a malm away, I daresay he could smell her from ten.
Shamani Lohmani: <sniff> <sniff> I see you have had many grand adventures since last we spoke, Forename. You must share them with me sometime. Shamani Lohmani: The girl from a little while ago? One does not forget a perfume like that. So robust and intoxicating...yet simultaneously familiar. Reminiscent of a bloom native to these parts, in fact. Shamani Lohmani: I said as much when we spoke. She complimented my powers of observation and asked me where she might find some of the flowers. Shamani Lohmani: So I told her to follow the road south into Raincatcher Gully and then head east after crossing the second bridge. The flowers which grow in the shade of the cliff have the strongest scent, you see. If you make haste, you may yet find her there.
F'lhaminn: I am in your debt, stranger. I did not realize my activities had aroused the goobbue's ire until it was too late. F'lhaminn: Their oils can be used to make a perfume, you see, and I─ F'lhaminn: F'lhaminn? I'm... I don't... F'lhaminn: Who are you? Whom do you serve? Alphinaud: It appears you've already found our woman. Consider me impressed, my friend. Alphinaud: The Songstress of Ul'dah, I presume? Minfilia─or should I say, Ascilia─is looking for you. F'lhaminn: Ascilia!? Alphinaud: You are the very picture of health, milady─yet the world thinks you dead. Alphinaud: I can only conclude that this was by design. The question is: why? F'lhaminn: Not everyone who endeavors to find me does so with the best intentions, child. F'lhaminn: You will be pleased to know that I fully intend to reveal myself to Minfilia─when the time is right. Alphinaud: Oh! Well...that does please me. More than you know. But tell me: sojourns in the forests of La Noscea aside, when exactly will the time be right? F'lhaminn: When I deem it so. Do you imagine I traveled all this way on a whim? As I was telling your associate prior to your intrusion, I came here to harvest these flowers for use in a perfume. Does that satisfy your curiosity, or would you interrogate me further? Alphinaud: M-My apologies for the interruption. Anyway─now that we all have that which we came for, might we continue this conversation in a safer locale? Wineport, say?
Alphinaud: This...this is not at all how I had envisioned it. Alphinaud: I can scarce begin to imagine what emotions will go through Minfilia's heart when she reunites with her mother after all these years.
All Things in Time F'lhaminn has made her peace and is ready to reunite with her adopted daughter.
F'lhaminn: You say my daughter awaits us in Vesper Bay, yes? F'lhaminn: I have kept her waiting long enough. Let us be off on the next ferry. I can finish fashioning the perfume along the way. Alphinaud: Understood. Come with me─it would be my pleasure to escort you to the Waking Sands.
Alphinaud: Antecedent─you have a guest. Minfilia: Lhaminn!? F'lhaminn: Ascilia... Tataru: (I haven't seen her like this in years, Forename!) Minfilia: I...I never truly believed it when they told me you were dead. But...what kept you away for so long? F'lhaminn: The imperials came for me, as I always knew they would. And so I resolved to stay as far away from you as I could, lest their pursuit of me endanger you and our cause. I could think of no better way to grant you the freedom to continue our work. F'lhaminn: And continue it you did, achieving things I would not have imagined possible. I followed your every success, and celebrated in secret. F'lhaminn: I'm so proud of you, Ascilia. Minfilia: I learned from the best. F'lhaminn: I have a gift for you. Minfilia: Celsettia perfume! You remembered. F'lhaminn: How could I ever forget? You wore it all the time. If ever I lost sight of you, I could find you again, just by following my nose. Minfilia: I did not think it was made anymore. You must have gone to so much trouble... F'lhaminn: It was no trouble to me, my darling. I fear I cannot say the same for Forename, however. I could not have made it without her. Minfilia: Thank you, Forename. Thank you both. F'lhaminn: There's something else. Minfilia: This...this is the cat's-eye I found! All these years you kept it... Minfilia: My father was a member of the Ala Mhigan Resistance. Minfilia: When I was yet a child, he brought me here to Ul'dah. The accident which claimed his life happened shortly after our arrival. Minfilia: It was Lhaminn who took care of me then. She raised me as her own─taught me everything I needed to know to survive. Alphinaud: Hmm. I am no stranger to the facts of your history, yet I fear I have failed to grasp their implications. It is clear that there is much I do not know─about you and your mother both. Minfilia: One of her first lessons to me concerned mining─and I was a very dedicated student. Minfilia: This cat's-eye was the first stone I unearthed. It wasn't much, of course, but I was exceedingly proud to have found it nonetheless. Minfilia: So I gave it to Lhaminn as a gift. She said it was beautiful...
But there I am at a loss. Why are you returning this to me? Is something amiss? F'lhaminn: No, Ascilia, nothing is amiss! Quite the opposite! I need you to realize how far you've come, and how much further you may still─must still go. F'lhaminn: You and your allies have accomplished more than I could ever have hoped. You have succeeded where I failed, and made me so proud that...that words fail me. F'lhaminn: But even as I marvel at the woman you've become, and at all the many things you've done, I cannot help but think of that which you have yet to do, and of what it may entail. Ascilia...Daughter─you cannot stay here anymore. You and the Scions must leave Ul'dah. Minfilia: Lhaminn... F'lhaminn: You built it once, Ascilia. You can build it again. And this time, we'll do it together. Minfilia: Truly? Minfilia: Alphinaud. The time has come for the Scions to leave Vesper Bay. Minfilia: We shall establish a new headquarters in Revenant's Toll, as you proposed. Minfilia: Much work lies ahead of us. Inform our fellow Scions, and send word to the Students of Baldesion: preparations begin at once!
Laying the Foundation Minfilia would share with you the latest news on the Scions' imminent relocation.
Minfilia: It is all well and good that we have found ourselves a new home in Revenant's Toll. But there is so much to be done─and in so little time. Minfilia: Our first step will be to secure the cooperation of the Adventurers' Guild representatives there. Minfilia: Were it not for the guild's considerable efforts, the original Camp Revenant's Toll would have never been established, much less its more heavily fortified successor. Minfilia: However, with construction still ongoing, and resources in short supply, it seems certain that the guild will require something in return for their support, sympathetic to our cause though they may be. Minfilia: Whatever they ask, I shall not begrudge it. To be plain, we need them more than they need us. Without their assistance, such essential tasks as securing new facilities, cultivating relationships with local merchants, and recruiting adventurers would prove difficult, if not impossible. Alphinaud: You need not concern yourself with such matters, Antecedent. Minfilia: Really, Alphinaud─if I need concern myself with anything, it is surely matters such as these. Alphinaud: Indirectly, perhaps. I submit that you might instead concern yourself with a different matter: namely, to whom the resolution of such matters might best be entrusted. And here I am! Nor do I come alone. May I present the esteemed emissary of the Adventurers' Guild at Revenant's Toll. Adventurers' Guild Emissary: It is an honor, Antecedent. Upon receiving word of your intentions from Master Alphinaud, we thought it best to begin talks at the earliest available opportunity. Adventurers' Guild Emissary: Know that my associates at Revenant's Toll hold the Scions of the Seventh Dawn in the highest regard. We should be honored to welcome your organization. Alphinaud: There are, of course, certain provisions which must needs be negotiated. If it please you, I would do so. Minfilia: It does. Adventurers' Guild Emissary: Madam, unless I am much mistaken, you are the one known as Forename, are you not? May I say what a pleasure it is to make your acquaintance. Adventurers' Guild Emissary: Slafborn spoke of you in the most glowing terms. To steal an imperial reaper and then use it to infiltrate a Garlean castrum is an undertaking few would contemplate─and fewer still survive. Adventurers' Guild Emissary: You shall always be welcome at Revenant's Toll. We hope you will favor us with your presence again ere long. Minfilia: Well, well! It would seem your reputation precedes you, Forename! Mayhap I should dispatch you to Revenant's Toll with all haste, as first intended... Minfilia: But before that, I daresay you have earned yourself a rest. After all, you have traveled so far, and there is already so much you have done for us...and for me. Minfilia: We will speak again anon. Till then, take care.
Minfilia: Ah, Forename. Were you able to get some rest? I would ask you to come with me to the solar. Alphinaud has just returned, and it would seem there is something he would share with us.
Alphinaud: You're here. Good. I come bearing news. Alphinaud: The negotiations are concluded. Minfilia: And? Alphinaud: Our friends at the Adventurers' Guild have agreed to furnish us with new facilities and material support in exchange for our assistance in the ongoing defense and development of Revenant's Toll. Alphinaud: The Scions of the Seventh Dawn shall have a new home in Mor Dhona: the Rising Stones. Y'shtola: A bittersweet victory, if truth be told. I cannot deny that I had come to look forward to Tataru's tales of our many guests and their many, many demands. Thancred: From the Waking Sands to the Rising Stones... Passably poetic. That wasn't your doing, was it? Minfilia: I too have news to share. In expectation of this momentous day, I personally informed the Alliance leaders of our plans, and they have each pledged their full support─General Raubahn included. Minfilia: Moreover, I have decided that the time is right for us to cast off the vestiges of our order's veil of secrecy and announce ourselves to the world. Alphinaud: Are you sure that is wise, Antecedent? Minfilia: If anything, it is a mere formality. Our existence is quite possibly the worst kept secret in Eorzea. Minfilia: Let us affirm our identity, proclaim our achievements, that all may know what the Scions of the Seventh Dawn stand for! Papalymo: Well...obvious risks apart, it would be nice to receive a little more recognition... Yda (Lyse): And the people have a right to know who saved them! Minfilia: It is my hope that this gesture will encourage the people of Eorzea to place their trust in us. I would reveal to them the true extent of our power, yes, but in so doing, I would show them that it is a power accountable to no one, and at once to all. Minfilia: ...And what of us? We who have felled primals and faced down the Empire. To you, my fellow Scions, I would say this: prepare for the challenges which lie ahead, for they will be great indeed. Minfilia: Great, I say, yet no greater than us. And we will rise to them, as we have time and again...united as one!
Tataru: Hmm... There must be some way I can─ Wait, that area is said to be rich in minerals. Maybe I should ask F'lhaminn to teach me the basics of mining too...
Minfilia: Do you ever wonder how he does it? Alphinaud, I mean. It was almost predictable that he should appear with an emissary of the Adventurers' Guild mere moments after I had expressed the need to forge ties between our organizations. Truly, his sense of timing rivals even your own... Minfilia: Setting such mysteries aside for the present─I have a task for you. Minfilia: I would like you to deliver these documents to Slafborn. They concern our forthcoming move. Do take care on the road, and represent us well, Forename.
Slafborn: I was told to expect a Scion, but I didn't expect it to be you. It has been far too long, Forename. You have something for me, yes?
Sealed Documents Documents detailing the Scions' planned operations for the next several weeks.
Slafborn: Let's see, now... Yes, everything appears to be in order. Slafborn: You'll be staying with us for a while, yes? Would that we had a dozen more like you. Since we don't, though, we'll just give you the work of a dozen men. Heh! I jest, I jest...
It's Possibly a Primal Slafborn would show you around the Scions' soon-to-be home in Revenant's Toll.
Slafborn: Back to do the work of a dozen men, I see? Hah! But I jest... Slafborn: Even I can appreciate that an important woman such as yourself has little time for menial tasks. Slafborn: But since you're here, mayhap you'd be keen on having a look around the Scions' new home. See that impressive structure over there? That's the place. Slafborn: It was originally built to house a branch of the guild, you see. As such, it comes complete with a tavern where adventurers can rest from the road, fill their bellies with good food and drink, and their ears with tales of fortunes to be had about the realm. Slafborn: It may get a bit raucous at times, but I imagine it'll be as good a place as any to recruit capable men and women to your cause. Come with me, I'll show you around─ Tataru: Is that you, Forename!? I'm quite sorry to interrupt, but I have most urgent news! Tataru: We received grim tidings from Gridania, and it would appear our aid is required at once. I must ask you to report back to the Waking Sands with all due haste! Slafborn: Is everything quite all right, friend? Slafborn: I can't say I'm privy to the details, but it would appear this is no time for a leisurely tour. But no worries─you can rest assured that I'll see to all necessary arrangements. Pray return any time after you've seen to your more pressing matters.
Tataru: A messenger from the Twin Adder came to the Waking Sands while you were in Mor Dhona. I wasn't privy to his conversation with the Antecedent, but I did see the look on her face after he took his leave. Something is definitely amiss. Tataru: Could it be that the Ixal have summoned Garuda again!? Or mayhap imperial forces have been sighted within the Shroud! Tataru: Well, whatever it may be, I'm absolutely certain it's nothing you can't handle. Now go and ask the Antecedent if there's anything you can do!
Minfilia: I knew this day would come, yet I prayed it would not come so soon. Minfilia: We have reason to believe that another primal─or an entity resembling one─has been summoned in Gridania. Urianger: Thine arrival is customarily timely, Forename. The aetheric waves leave little room for doubt; thy talents will be needed ere long. Urianger: If there be truth in my suspicions, 'tis a familiar foe we face, though one quite unlike the Lady of the Vortex... Minfilia: We dare not draw conclusions without evidence, but as Urianger says, the readings bear a strong resemblance to ones observed more than five years ago. Minfilia: <sigh> Though I had hoped the Mogglesguard beyond such follies... Minfilia: Suffice it to say, this disturbance warrants a full investigation. Urianger: Thy presence hath been requested by Commander Heuloix. He awaiteth thee at the Adders' Nest. Minfilia: Pray hasten to Gridania, Forename. Yda and Papalymo will rendezvous with you there. May you walk in the light of the Crystal.
Vorsaile Heuloix: A pleasure to see you as always, Forename. Vorsaile Heuloix: Thank you for answering my summons. Quite frankly, I could think of no one more qualified to─ Ah, but we're getting ahead of ourselves. Allow me to explain...
Hail to the King, Kupo Vorsaile Heuloix wishes to brief you on the latest crisis in Gridania.
Vorsaile Heuloix: Not long ago, the moogle Kuplo Kopp visited the Adders' Nest to request an audience with the Elder Seedseer. Vorsaile Heuloix: He spoke of an imminent threat to all mooglekind, one which would imperil the entire Twelveswood if left unchecked. Vorsaile Heuloix: You proved an able ambassador to the sylphs, and we would have you reprise the role in our dealings with the moogles. Vorsaile Heuloix: The rest you should hear from Kuplo Kopp himself. He awaits you with the Elder Seedseer at the Lotus Stand.
Silent Conjurer: The other Scions have already arrived, madam. May I show you in?
  • Proceed to the Lotus Stand?
  • Yes
  • No
Kuplo Kopp: Please, you have to stop them! B-But you mustn't kill them! They're not bad moogles, kupo! They're just...misguided! A gentle─no, firm thrashing is in order, yes, but no─ Raya-O-Senna: Calm yourself, Kuplo Kopp! Can you not see that she hasn't the faintest idea what you're talking about!? Be quiet this instant!
Pray forgive his witless outburst, Sister. Kan-E-Senna: Most grateful am I that you have come, Forename, and upon such short notice. Truly, Gridania could not wish for a more stalwart ally. Kan-E-Senna: But you are doubtless eager to know wherefore we summoned you. Our friend Kuplo Kopp has brought to us news of a most unsettling development. Kan-E-Senna: It would seem that Good King Moggle Mog XII has returned to Eorzea. Raya-O-Senna: A curious thing to hear, I know. Truth to tell, I myself cannot say for sure if he is a genuine figure from history or some manifestation of moogle mythology. Kuplo here would have me believe the former. Kuplo Kopp: Once upon a time, we moogles served the gods in the heavens. It was quite nice up there─unspeakably beautiful, unimaginably spacious, and with a literally endless supply of wine, kupo! Kuplo Kopp: In spite of this, or possibly because of the last part, the gods eventually became discontented and started squabbling, which made life jolly difficult for the poor moogles. Kuplo Kopp: So Good King Moggle Mog XII─may his glorious name live forever─decreed that the time had come to leave, kupo! The realm of man would suffice, he said, so all the moogles should live there instead. Kuplo Kopp: Unfortunately, the two realms are so far apart that we couldn't safely fly down. But Good King Moggle Mog XII─may his miraculous foresight ever be praised─knew exactly what to do, kupo! He had a rope, you see─the longest one ever woven. This he nobly held while his subjects climbed all the way down to the world below. Kuplo Kopp: And that is how we moogles came to this land, kupo! All of us except Good King Moggle Mog XII─may his courageous sacrifice never be forgotten. He alone would remain in the heavens so that mooglekind might at last know peace. Papalymo: Except that he has not remained in the heavens, from what I understand─that being your reason for contacting us, yes? Yda (Lyse): I'll bet he tied the rope to something! Good thinking! Remind me again what the problem was with him returning to Eorzea? Kan-E-Senna: The problem, Yda, lies in the fact that he was summoned. Kan-E-Senna: It is our belief that Good King Moggle Mog XII is a myth made manifest via means akin to those employed by the beast tribes in the summoning of their gods. Yda (Lyse): Waaait... You're saying a handful of moogles with a boatload of crystals wished really, really hard, and he just sort of appeared? ...Would that even work? Papalymo: What I cannot fathom is why they would even try. Papalymo: With Garuda humbled and the Ultima Weapon destroyed, what new threat could have prompted them to take so drastic a measure? Raya-O-Senna: Might that not in itself be the answer? Twice in the last half decade, Eorzea has been brought unto the very brink of destruction, only to be spared at the last by the heroics of a chosen few. Raya-O-Senna: To you who braved those tempests and survived by virtue of your own strength, this latest period of peace will doubtless seem a welcome respite. Raya-O-Senna: But to those who had not the power to defend themselves, who were spared only by another's grace, this is merely the calm before the storm. Raya-O-Senna: I think the Mogglesguard are afraid─afraid of what tomorrow will bring, and that things may not end so well as they did yesterday. Raya-O-Senna: That fear has driven them to call upon a greater power, one they believe can be relied upon to protect their loved ones and their homes come what may. Kuplo Kopp: I assure you, the Mogglesguard only want to protect the forest from outsiders. But ever since the return of Good King Moggle Mog XII─may his boundless grace fill our hearts with love─they've started to get a little carried away, kupo. Verging on a lot, in fact... Yda (Lyse): Like the sylphs who summoned Ramuh, you mean? Papalymo: Hmm. We cannot discount the possibility that this...entity is influencing the moogles in a manner similar to that of a primal. Kan-E-Senna: We share the same concern. Kan-E-Senna: Whoever or whatever the king may be, it is our belief that he poses a threat not only to mooglekind, but to Gridania as a whole. Thus do we beseech you, Forename─confront Good King Moggle Mog XII and drive him from our midst. Kan-E-Senna: Humbly I do thank you. Kan-E-Senna: The sanctuary of the Mogglesguard and their liege lord is concealed by magical wards. Brother E-Sumi-Yan of the Conjurers' Guild will doubtless be able to offer insight on how they might be dispelled. Pray seek his counsel ere you proceed any further.
E-Sumi-Yan: Welcome, Forename. Welcome. That you should be the one to face Good King Moggle Mog XII is of great comfort─to me and to the elementals, both. E-Sumi-Yan: As I am sure you know, the moogles are not by their nature a warlike race. Yet should the king be suffered to remain, it is like that his influence will bring about a change in them. E-Sumi-Yan: Thus does it behoove us to defeat him quickly, before any lasting damage is done. Make whatever preparations you deem necessary and inform me when you are ready to seek the king.
You Have Selected Regicide Brother E–Sumi–Yan would unfold to you the secrets of Good King Moggle Mog XII's magical defenses.
E-Sumi-Yan: The wards barring access to the king's sanctuary can only be nullified through the use of enchanted keystones─the selfsame method employed five years ago, when first the king was summoned to Eorzea. E-Sumi-Yan: It was with great regret that we were forced to sanction the slaying of the guardians who then held the keystones, for none were in our possession at the time. By the grace of the elementals, however, we have been spared that burden on this occasion. E-Sumi-Yan: Kuplo Kopp confided in me that he had been entrusted with a set of keystones by the Mogglesguard themselves. Yet wishing not to betray their confidence, he begged me to find some other means to gain entry to the king's sanctum. E-Sumi-Yan: Alas, I have been unable to do so, and dare not labor any longer, for fear that the moogles might succumb to the corrupting influence of their liege lord. We must needs have Kuplo Kopp's keystones, Forename. Pray go to him, and beg his assistance. E-Sumi-Yan: He awaits you at Westshore Pier. Impress upon him our great need, and I am certain he will yield.
Kuplo Kopp: So? How will you do it, kupo?
...Oh, he told you about that. Kuplo Kopp: Well, if there truly is no other way... I'll do it, kupo. Take the ferry to Sweetbloom Pier─I'll go on ahead.
Kupta Kapa: Don't you dare lie to me, kupo! I know what you're planning, and I won't allow it! Kuplo Kopp: Open your eyes, kupo! The king will never be satisfied, no matter how many crystals you bring him! Kupli Kipp: We offered you a choice, and this is how you repay us!? By consorting with this Miqo'te!? Kupta Kapa: Imperials, Gridanians, sylphs─you're no different from the rest of them! Actually─you're worse, kupo! Kupli Kipp: Traitor to his kinsmoogles! He plots treason against the crown! Kupdi Koop: Enough! Kuplo Kopp will answer for his crimes soon enough, as will all who defy the will of Good King Moggle Mog XII─may he reign forevermore, kupo! Kuplo Kopp: The king is planning to purge the Twelveswood of his enemies, kupo! We've got to stop him before it's too late!
Kuplo Kopp: The entrance to Thornmarch is deep within the Bramble Patch, kupo! If you take me there, I can nullify the ward. But be warned: the Mogglesguard has set traps to lure enchanted beasts. I can't hide from them, so you'll need to protect me, kupo!
Kuplo Kopp: We're here, kupo! I don't see any more beasts, do you?
Kuplo Kopp: Are you ready to face the king, kupo? Then step closer to the ward. Kuplo Kopp: Raise your hand and focus─like when you attune to an aetheryte, kupo! I'll open the way for you!
Kuplo Kopp: The rest is up to you, kupo! Now go and teach those foolish moogles a lesson and send the king back whence he came!

Thornmarch (Hard)

Good King Moggle Mog, the Twelfth of His Name, has once more been called forth by the Mogglesguard. Though the king is not considered a primal in the strictest sense, he poses a threat not unlike that of the beastman gods, in that his influence could corrupt his people's peaceful nature. And so, like those other aether-starved beings, he too must be felled for the sake of the realm.
Kupta Kapa: Kupo?! Who in the seven hells are they!? Kupqu Kogi: Meddling adventurers, I'd wager! Kupdi Koop: Mogglesguard, to arms! Defend the king, kupo!
Whiskerwall Kupdi Koop: Mogglesguard, assemble! We must drive them out together, kupo! Pukla Puki the Pomburner: You'll be blown to smithereens, kupo! Whiskerwall Kupdi Koop: Our foe is formidable, kupo. But surely, they are no match for our king! Mogglesguard: Hail to the king, kupo! Good King Moggle Mog XII: You shall suffer for your transgressions against my subjects! Good King Moggle Mog XII: And now our battle begins in earnest! Good King Moggle Mog XII: Mogglesguard, to arms! Your king has need of you! Good King Moggle Mog XII: Hearken unto me, brave Mogglesguard! These villains must be vanquished!
Kuplo Kopp: You did it, kupo! You did it! Good King Moggle Mog XII─may his mighty soul rest in peace─is no more! Kuplo Kopp: I shudder to think what might've happened had you not stopped the Mogglesguard when you did. Thank you, Forename. Kuplo Kopp: Perhaps now they'll come to their senses and stop playing at faerie tales. Rest assured that the chieftain will have choice words for them too! Kuplo Kopp: You should go and tell Pukni Pakk that the king is no more, kupo! She's with Raya-O at Camp Tranquil, and can relay the news to the chieftain.
Pukni Pakk: Do I dare believe my ears!? Good King Moggle Mog XII─may his magnificent virtue serve as an example to us all─has fallen!? Pukni Pakk: All mooglekind owes you a debt, kupo! Ah, and I sense Raya-O wishes to congratulate you as well. I shall let you two speak without fear of interruption.
On the Properties of Primals Raya–O–Senna wishes to congratulate you on your victory over Good King Moggle Mog XII.
Raya-O-Senna: Your bravery in service to the Twelveswood and her moogles shall not be forgotten, Forename. Raya-O-Senna: My sister will doubtless wish to hear the tale of this great victory from the mouth of the woman responsible. Pray return to the Lotus Stand and treat her to a full account of the day's events, while the details are yet fresh in your mind.
Silent Conjurer: The Elder Seedseer is expecting you, madam. May I show you in?
  • Proceed to the Lotus Stand?
  • Yes
  • No
Kan-E-Senna: Forename. You are returned to us, unharmed and victorious. Thus have I two reasons to be glad. Kan-E-Senna: Yet many questions remain unanswered. If you would be so kind as to oblige me, I would fain hear all that occurred in Thornmarch. Kan-E-Senna: ...Then it is as we feared. Yda (Lyse): The king really is a primal... Yda (Lyse): ...But he really isn't, is he? I mean, the moogles don't worship him, for one thing─he's not even a god to them! That doesn't sound like any primal I've ever heard of. Papalymo: Then mayhap the fault lies with the definition. The fact remains that through a combination of the power contained in crystals and the force of their collective faith, the moogles called forth a being that by rights should not exist. Moreover, when slain, said being left no corpse─the aether which comprised him instead being scattered to the four winds. Kan-E-Senna: According to the accepted definition, he may not be a primal...but the mode of his manifestation was in every respect the same. Yda (Lyse): Which means... Papalymo: Ascians. This whole business reeks of their handiwork! Kuplo Kopp: Kupopo!? They...they said it was a masked man who had taught them how, years ago─b-but Gridania has no shortage of masked men, and...and I never thought to question... Papalymo: Confound it all! How many more will they ensnare with their tainted gifts...? Kan-E-Senna: Too many, I fear. So long as there are Paragons to stir the embers, fools to build the pyre, and crystals to feed the flames, ever and again shall we suffer primal visitation. A somber thought, but a salutary one. Kan-E-Senna: My heartfelt thanks, Forename. Already, the information you have provided has proven invaluable. The grand serpent marshal and I have much to discuss. Yda (Lyse): Oh! Before you do, my lady, I was hoping we might finish discussing that other matter? Kan-E-Senna: The matter of which you speak has even now been settled. The Scions shall not want for support. We shall be glad to send additional supplies to Revenant's Toll. Yda (Lyse): We knew we could count on you, my lady! Papalymo: While Yda and I remain to discuss the particulars of our arrangement with the Elder Seedseer, mayhap you could return to the Waking Sands and apprise the Antecedent of all that has transpired?
Minfilia: It is good to see you hale and healthy, Forename. I received word from Yda and Papalymo that you had felled Good King Moggle Mog XII, but I had hoped to hear your version of the tale. Minfilia: ...So it was as they said. Summoned with the same methods used by the beast tribes and taught by the Ascians. Minfilia: Though unfortunate, this incident did at least serve to remind the Elder Seedseer of our usefulness. Her offer of additional support could not have come at a better time. My thanks, Forename.
The Gifted The time has come at last to leave Vesper Bay, and Minfilia would apprise you of the final details of the move.
Minfilia: Owing to the tireless efforts of all concerned, we are, at long last, ready to bid farewell to Vesper Bay. Minfilia: So as to avoid drawing undue attention, we shall make the journey to Revenant's Toll in small groups, departing at irregular intervals. Minfilia: Lest you doubt, it is still my intention to conduct future operations openly, but on this particular occasion, the need for caution overrides all other concerns. To move north as one ponderous caravan would only serve to invite attack. Minfilia: It seemed only right that I should be the last to leave, and I would have you remain with me until the end, Forename. Minfilia: Upon my departure, the Waking Sands will formally cease to be our headquarters, and the premises will be given into the care of Urianger. Minfilia: I had thought to relinquish the property, but he was quite adamant, and I had not the heart to disagree. These walls have borne witness to some of the brightest...and darkest moments in our order's history. Mayhap it is best that we do not forsake them entirely. Minfilia: Urianger shall remain here and devote his energies to studying the nature of primals. By the grace of the Twelve, he will one day discover the permanent solution that we have sought for so long. Minfilia: Of course, he will not be alone─Alisaie shall continue to work closely with him as well. Minfilia: Should they require our assistance, I have their assurances that they will not hesitate to contact us. Minfilia: Speaking of Urianger─would you inquire of him if any tasks remain undone? I cannot escape the feeling that I have forgotten something. Something important.
Urianger: Thou art ever welcome, Forename, but I require no assistance. Pray take thy leave unburdened by concern for my well-being. Urianger: Verily, thy countenance bespeaks a desire to quit this place without further delay. Hm. Mayhap thou thinkest this chapter of our tale concluded─that these halls should rightly be consigned to the annals of history...? Urianger: In man's eagerness to seize the future, how readily he doth set down the past. Urianger: Full many a proud pioneer hath bravely stridden into the great unknown, only to find there the banner of his ancestor, faded by the eons. And still man glorieth in his discoveries. 'Tis through his pride that wisdom doth ever give way to ignorance, while they who lurk in shadow remain hidden, lost no sooner than they are found. Urianger: <sigh> Be not offended, Forename. Thy conduct hath ever been beyond reproach. Despite thy surpassing strength, and all thy many victories, thou hast never been so convinced of thine own greatness as to imagine thyself above the failings of thy forebears. Mayhap it is the Echo which hath opened thine eyes to the lessons of history. Would that the same could be said of─ Minfilia: Aaaaaahhh! Urianger: Whence came that cry!? The solar! Twelve forfend─the Antecedent! Minfilia: Forename... Y-You...you must...
Minfilia: Tell me, Louisoix... Would you have done the same? ??? (Elidibus): ...Louisoix Leveilleur was a remarkable man. Wise beyond mortal measure. Would that I had met him prior to his passing. Minfilia: An Ascian, here!? How─!? ??? (Elidibus): How readily you see. You are indeed gifted, Antecedent. Minfilia: But you... You are not like the others. Your robes... ??? (Elidibus): Gifted─but ignorant. Yet I shall not judge you harshly. The fault lies with your forebears. It has been...millennia. ??? (Elidibus): Mine are the robes of an emissary. Unlike he who came before, I have no quarrel with you. Minfilia: He who─ You speak of Lahabrea? ??? (Elidibus): Lahabrea is a warrior. He fought. He fell. ??? (Elidibus): He may yet learn from his mistakes. Minfilia: Then he...he is still... ??? (Elidibus): Come. I only confirm that which you already knew. ??? (Elidibus): There is no cessation, no oblivion. Only expulsion. Minfilia: You... What are...? Tataru: We're ready when you are, my lady! If there's nothing else... Tataru: ...Is something the matter? Tataru: Ah...I feel the same way. After everything that's happened here, it feels strange to leave. But I'm sure we'll soon get used to Revenant's Toll. Tataru: Well...I'll let you say your good-byes. Take as long as you like, my lady. We shall depart whenever you're ready. ??? (Elidibus): It is only to be expected. She lacks the gift and the knowledge both. To her, we are indistinct. Minfilia: I...I do not understand. ??? (Elidibus): Shadowless, fleshless, formless... What truth there is in each tale is diluted by time and telling. ??? (Elidibus): Knowledge dictates expectation, and expectation colors perception. Thus did she perceive naught. ??? (Elidibus): So it is with all but a chosen few. Even you, when young, could not yet see with eyes unclouded. Minfilia: You know nothing about me. Nothing. ??? (Elidibus): The gift grants you clarity; it grants you focus. With it, you may in time come to see us as we are, rather than this crude approximation. Minfilia: Lahabrea did not think so highly of the Echo. ??? (Elidibus): Lahabrea is wrong about a great many things. The Echo is indeed a gift─albeit one you have yet to master. Minfilia: And if we did? ??? (Elidibus): There would be no strife between our peoples─for we would be of one mind. ??? (Elidibus): I leave, as I came, in peace, Antecedent. May we meet again as friends. Minfilia: Wait! Stay where you are! Minfilia: Aaaaaahhh! ??? (Elidibus): Mayhap I was indelicate... 'Tis a mercy She shields Her children from His grace with such resolve. ??? (Elidibus): Was it also by Her hand that you survived the Ardor, I wonder?
Minfilia: <groan> I...I take it there is no need to explain. Minfilia: Save your concern. He did me no lasting harm. Whatever his intention was, it was not to kill. Tataru: I heard a cry! What happened!? Are you all right? Tataru: You look faint─do you need to lie down? I could fetch you a flask of my special tonic─ Minfilia: Urianger, send word to the Students of Baldesion. Tell them to scour the archives─the forbidden tomes in particular. Minfilia: If there is any reference to an Ascian robed in white, however oblique, I would know of it. Urianger: ...An Ascian, my lady? Was that what gave you cause to cry out? Urianger: I did but moments ago glimpse a figure clad in white set forth from the Waking Sands. Yet Ascians are wont to employ teleportation magicks─why would one be so brazen? Minfilia: I know not and care not. Find him, Forename! Turn every stone in Vesper Bay if you have to! Urianger: Pray attend me, Tataru.
??? (Elidibus): I am told that you are the Warrior of Light. But I would know for myself. ??? (Elidibus): I shall walk north, and you may choose to follow. ??? (Elidibus): Know, however, that you will be waylaid if you do─you may even perish. Should you survive, we shall speak anon.
??? (Elidibus): Remarkable. Truly remarkable. I thank you for granting me this indulgence. ??? (Elidibus): None save she who bested Lahabrea could endure such an examination. ??? (Elidibus): Have the laws of man grown so twisted in my absence that it is now permitted to lay hands upon an emissary? ??? (Elidibus): You bore witness to my audience with the Antecedent, did you not? Then you know I acted only in self-defense. ??? (Elidibus): I realize the same cannot be said of Lahabrea. Even amongst his brethren, he is considered...unique. Nevertheless, I cannot wholly condemn his misdeeds, for through them we discovered you─one so strong in the gift that she could cast us out. ??? (Elidibus): Your Mother favors you still, that much is plain. But surely you must feel it? Her influence wanes, and Her strength shall soon be spent. ??? (Elidibus): These lands, these people, this world─all shall soon change. ??? (Elidibus): As it was, so shall it be again. As it should always have been. ??? (Elidibus): Doubt my claims and question my motives if you will. ??? (Elidibus): Only believe me when I say this... Elidibus: I am Elidibus, emissary─bearer of the word of the one true god. And we shall meet again.
Minfilia: Thank the gods you've returned, Forename! After you left, I began to worry that I might have sent you to your doom. I take it our visitor proved elusive? Minfilia: Beg pardon? He was waiting for you!? What did you do? What did he say? Minfilia: "As it was, so shall it be again“? ...Of when does he speak? And of what, exactly? Minfilia: The words of this Elidibus portend much but reveal nothing─save perhaps a measure of disdain for Lahabrea. Minfilia: <sigh> I had hoped for answers, but it seems I shall have to be content with a wealth of additional questions.
Build on the Stone Minfilia has a final favor to ask of you.
Minfilia: Let us set aside the matter of this Ascian until after we have completed our move to the Rising Stones. There is but one final favor I would ask of you before I depart. Minfilia: I believe I mentioned before that my father was a member of the Ala Mhigan Resistance. The truth, however, is more complicated than that. Minfilia: As far as the Empire knew, he was their spy. He maintained the deception for nigh on half a decade, furnishing the Resistance with vital imperial secrets while feeding his paymasters subtly conceived misinformation. Minfilia: When he died some fifteen years ago, my father left behind his journal, which I have closely guarded ever since. It contains every shred of information he and his agents could steal on what they believed to be the single greatest threat to Eorzea: the primals. Minfilia: Its wisdom has guided me through the years, though there is much within I still do not understand... Minfilia: It is my hope that Urianger will fare better. Minfilia: Tell him to treat it with care. It is all I have left of my father.
Urianger: I thought thee departed. To what end dost thou linger?
Warburton's Journal The legacy of Minfilia's father, who perished in the parade incident of 1562 when a goobbue broke free of its magical fetters and ran amok through the streets of Ul'dah. Contains a wealth of stolen imperial research on the primals, as well as other information which has yet to be deciphered.
Urianger: The father's final bequest...the daughter's lifelong labor. Urianger: It is no small thing to surrender such a cherished memento. Well can I imagine the Antecedent's pain. Upon mine honor, I swear to spare no effort in the study of these materials, lest my lady's sacrifice be in vain. Minfilia: Forename, this is Minfilia. Minfilia: Forgive me, but I could wait no longer─I have departed for the Rising Stones. Minfilia: If...if you have yet to... Minfilia: ...Once you have given the journal to Urianger, I bid you come to the Seventh Heaven in Revenant's Toll. Tataru will be there to show you inside our new headquarters. Minfilia: Assuming you have already attuned to it, you may wish to make use of our new aetheryte in Revenant's Toll. After all, it is right on our doorstep!
Tataru: Oh, Forename! You're here! Good, good. We were all wondering when you'd show up! Slafborn: As I was just telling your restive receptionist here, I'm pleased to inform you that all the documents have been prepared and all signatures signed. The Rising Stones is officially yours! Tataru: Splendid! From this day forward, I will spare no effort in seeing that it is as welcoming and comfortable a home for us as the Waking Sands ever was! Tataru: That said, this is all somewhat intimidating, is it not? So many unfamiliar places, and unfamiliar faces... Slafborn: Most of the men and women you see around you here in Revenant's Toll are adventurers who come and go as they wish. I daresay that should make it easier for you to go about your business here. Slafborn: And it shouldn't hurt that Forename here has already made something of a name for herself here. Isn't that so, Forename? Tataru: Why, that's wonderful to hear! Rest assured that this receptionist will work just as hard to see that our efforts do not skip a beat despite the relocation. Tataru: And with that, Forename, I do believe it's time you officially announced your presence to everyone inside. Tataru: The Antecedent and the others will surely be overjoyed to see you.
Minfilia: Well, it is certainly spacious. Minfilia: Today marks a new beginning for the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, for today we declare our independence. Alphinaud: We shall henceforth be beholden to no nation, but serve all of Eorzea's people, proudly and openly. Alphinaud: But this does not mean that we will sever our ties to the Eorzean Alliance. On the contrary, the Antecedent and I shall endeavor to strengthen them. Rest assured, however, that we shall not permit political considerations to influence our decisions. Minfilia: Our identity remains unchanged, as does our cause. We are the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, and our single purpose is to safeguard the future of Eorzea. Scions of the Seventh Dawn: For Eorzea! Minfilia: A moment of your time, Forename. I would speak of Elidibus─ Urianger: Pardon the intrusion, my lady, but the matter which bringeth me will admit no delay. Mine every attempt to contact the Students of Baldesion hath been met with silence. Minfilia: No one will respond? Minfilia: How odd. Allow me to try. Minfilia: ...No response. Surely they would not ignore us? Urianger: They have never yet, my lady. I fear we must assume the worst. Minfilia: No. No, I will not believe it. An outpost, perhaps, but not their headquarters. Minfilia: Their wards are beyond circumvention. Had they come under attack, they would most certainly have raised the alarm. None could penetrate their sanctum unnoticed─ Minfilia: But for those who lack the gift and the knowledge both. Oh no... Minfilia: Contact their agents in the field at once. If aught has befallen the Students of Baldesion, they may know of it. Minfilia: ...Though the thought of it pains me, until such time as we have evidence to the contrary, we can but assume the worst. Accordingly, we must needs seek another source of information on Elidibus. Urianger: 'Tis possible that others in the homeland are possessed of such knowledge. Be fairly warned, however: they are unlike to yield it unconditionally. Minfilia: Do what you must. Minfilia: Yet another unforeseen and unwelcome development... Minfilia: What could be next, I wonder? A visit from a crimson-clad Ascian, perhaps? Or ocher? Or puce? And which of our allies will then fall silent...? Minfilia: ...For a time, I thought we had gained the upper hand. Minfilia: When you shattered the Crystal of Darkness and cast out Lahabrea, I dared to hope that we had found a way to rid ourselves of the Ascian menace. Minfilia: But I was wrong. He endures, and may yet return. Upon that point, I have no doubt that Elidibus spoke true. Minfilia: Yet there must be a way to destroy them utterly─a way to spare this world their unholy machinations! Minfilia: I dare not consider the alternative... Minfilia: There are forces at work we do not understand, Forename. Minfilia: I discern them all around─in disturbances too great and too numerous to be dismissed as mere coincidence. Doubtless the Paragons are involved, but how and to what end is far from clear. Minfilia: I know not what will come, but I do know that we will rise and meet it as one. Minfilia: Ah, my stalwart hero... Your face is a picture of resolve. Minfilia: I know that you will be ready when the time comes. With luck, however, that will not be for a while yet. Pray return to your private affairs with my blessing. Should anything arise, you will be informed. Minfilia: Krile...where are you?
Nabriales: Your intercession was not foretold. Elidibus: You object? Nabriales: We question. Our plans are in motion, your intentions unclear. Elidibus: They survived the Seventh Ardor and are stronger now in the gift. Does that not intrigue you? Nabriales: ...No, it does not. Elidibus: Serve as you will. So too shall I. We labor not at cross purposes. Elidibus: The wisdom of His plan shall become apparent in time, when the veil is lifted from their eyes... Elidibus: And, at long last, they see.

Crystal Tower (Alliance Raids) (2.1)

Legacy of Allag An oddly garbed man visiting Revenant's Toll has some information which might be of interest to an experienced adventurer.
Outlandish Man (Nero tol Scaeva): Do I know you? ...Ah! Unless I am very much mistaken, you are the famed adventurer who bested the Garlean Empire's general, are you not? The great Forename Surname herself! Amazing—and more than a little serendipitous. One might even call it fate. I but recently received word of a truly unique opportunity, you see—an opportunity the like of which none but one of your proven worth could take advantage. Outlandish Man (Nero tol Scaeva): The reward? Naught less than the accumulated knowledge of a fallen civilization. The risk? A single misstep could cost you your life. But what is a little danger to a storied hero such as you? Outlandish Man (Nero tol Scaeva): A woman with absolute confidence in her own abilities stands to profit handsomely from this venture. No, no, I crave no recompense for my part in bringing this opportunity to your attention—the historic discoveries you shall make will be reward enough, I assure you. Outlandish Man (Nero tol Scaeva): If my words have fanned the flames of your curiosity, then I bid you seek a man by the name of Rammbroes at Saint Coinach's Find. It is he who stands at the doorway to untold marvels, awaiting the arrival of a champion bold enough to march across the threshold. Outlandish Man (Nero tol Scaeva): It is Saint Coinach's Find to which you must travel. Seek out the man known as Rammbroes, and learn what treasures—and dangers—await you.
Rammbroes: Why, if it isn't Forename Surname herself! I was not expecting such a celebrated guest. To what do I owe the honor of this visit? Rammbroes: You were directed here, you say? By a man clad in foreign garb? Well, the opportunity he spoke of must surely refer to our latest anthropogeographical endeavor. Quite how he came to know of it is another matter. All knowledge of this project was supposed to be restricted to my organization... Rammbroes: But that is something for me to ponder in private. You are here now, and your services will, I am certain, prove invaluable. I must warn you, however, that the venture we have in mind is no simple excavation—an unprepared or incautious adventurer could very well find herself on an unplanned and unpleasant journey to Thal's solemn halls. Knowing this, do you still wish to lend us your cooperation? Rammbroes: I rather thought you would say that. Your courage is scarcely a secret. Rammbroes: Now, the first— ??? (Cid): Forename!? I thought it was you! Cid: What brings you to Saint Coinach's? Don't tell me—the Alliance has sent you on another realm-shaking, history-making mission to lay low an apparently insuperable foe, yes? No? Rammbroes: Ah, I see you two are already acquainted. That is well. Master Garlond, our intrepid hero here caught wind of the forthcoming expedition, and has kindly pledged to assist us. Cid: She has, has she? Glad to have you aboard, Forename! You...don't have the faintest idea what you've volunteered for, do you? Very well, let us begin at the beginning. Cid: The Sons of Saint Coinach are tasked with unearthing the secrets of the long-fallen Allagan Empire, and this present endeavor aims to delve more deeply into the civilization's mysteries than ever before. Cid: ...Ah, but I know that look. In the event that you feel ill equipped to contribute much on the subject of Allagan archaeology, I invite you to recall your encounter with the Ultima Weapon. Cid: That mechanical monstrosity represented a feat of engineering far beyond aught Garlemald can presently achieve—Nero tol Scaeva simply awoke it. I mention this by way of a reminder that you have had what one might term... extensive firsthand experience with a notable Allagan relic. In short, you're practically an archaeologist. Cid: Now, to the core of the matter: here in Mor Dhona, there stands an entire Allagan structure which we have yet to investigate. I speak, of course, of the Crystal Tower. Cid: After witnessing the destructive capabilities of the Ultima Weapon, and the lesser moon, Dalamud, before it, it seems wise to treat any remnants from that era with the utmost caution. They must be analyzed, monitored, and—above all—kept from falling into the wrong hands. Cid: To put it plain: I have no wish to see another megalomaniacal legatus wield one of those weapons. It was this thought which first moved me to contact the Sons and propose that the tower be explored. Cid: For several millennia, the Crystal Tower remained hidden, buried deep underground. But, like so many other things that were better left undisturbed, the structure was freed from its stony prison by the great upheaval which accompanied the coming of the Seventh Umbral Era. It now stands revealed in all its splendor, a gleaming spear of crystal, pointed at the bosom of the heavens. Cid: We believe the tower to be the repository of much of the ancients' wisdom. Unfortunately, its entrance is guarded by formidable defenses, and we cannot so much as peep through the keyhole, much less set foot inside. Cid: These defenses take the form of statues, carved into the likeness of giant swordsmen. “The Eight Sentinels,” as the Sons are wont to call them, are the first barrier we must overcome. Cid: Why not simply fly over them in an airship, you ask? It's been tried before: any vessel that ventures too close to the tower is blasted out of the air. We either destroy those statues, or the front door is forever beyond our reach. Rammbroes: My colleagues and I are ill suited to negotiating such deadly hazards. Thus, if we are to gain access to the tower's secrets, we must needs employ the services of an experienced adventurer. Rammbroes: It will be difficult and dangerous, Forename, but I can think of no finer woman for the task. Cid: If I didn't know better, I'd say you had a taste for these deadly escapades! I look forward to working with you again. Rammbroes: There is much and more to be done before we can begin the expedition proper. Take some time to prepare yourself, and I shall explain the challenges that lie ahead...
Rammbroes: Our first objective is to reach the entrance to the Crystal Tower. As I previously mentioned, however, that will prove no easy task. Rammbroes: The entrance is guarded by powerful defense mechanisms, each utilizing one of the four elements of fire, water, wind, or earth. Anyone attempting to simply stroll past these unsleeping sentinels invites swift obliteration. Rammbroes: Based on Master Garlond's analyses, however, we are reasonably certain that the attacks of these lethal contraptions can be reflected using a crystal of the corresponding element. Rammbroes: Naturally, these crystals must be of surpassing clarity, free of the slightest impurities—much like the flawless specimens used by the beastmen in their primal-summoning rituals. Rammbroes: Ahem. Mayhap I should have said “exactly like” the specimens they use... <sigh> Were there any other way, we would not ask this of you, but we need someone to enter the beast tribe strongholds and “liberate” their perfect crystals. Rammbroes: For the moment, I would have you focus on obtaining two of the four crystals we require. Pray make for La Noscea, where both the Sapsa Spawning Grounds and U'Ghamaro Mines are located. Rammbroes: You may be certain that the materials used in the beastmen's sacred rituals will be well defended. As such, I suggest you join or organize an orchestrated strike with the express purpose of defeating the crystals' guardians. Whatever you do, please be careful!
Rammbroes: How progress your efforts in infiltrating the beastman strongholds?
Flawless Earth Crystal This umblemished earth crystal is the main component used in the ritual the kobolds perform to summon Titan.
Flawless Water Crystal This unblemished water crystal is the main component used in the ritual the Sahagin perform to summon Leviathan.
Rammbroes: So these are the famed flawless crystals of the beast tribes... I have seen countless specimens from I know not how many excavations, but nothing to compare to these. Their purity is...astounding. Rammbroes: You have done well, Forename. With these in our possession, we lack only the crystals of fire and wind. The former lies in Zahar'ak, the war camp of the Amalj'aa in Thanalan; the latter, in Natalan, the roost of the Ixal in the hills of Coerthas. Claim them for us. Rammbroes: As before, your best course will be to take part in a coordinated attack against the defenders of the crystal caches. I look forward to receiving word of your resounding success!
Rammbroes: Forename! It is good to see you. Tell me, were you able to obtain the remaining crystals from the beastmen?
Flawless Fire Crystal This unblemished fire crystal is the main component used in the ritual the Amalj'aa perform to summon Ifrit.
Flawless Wind Crystal This unblemished wind crystal is the main component used in the ritual the Ixal perform to summon Garuda.
Rammbroes: Wonderful! With all four crystals in hand, we are now ready to proceed to the next stage of our preparations. Rammbroes: Ah. I hope I did not give the impression that we would be embarking on our journey to the Crystal Tower just yet. Alas, there is another step which must be completed ere we come to that. While the crystals you acquired are indeed flawless, they are of little use to us in their present form. If they are to reflect the elemental forces of the tower's defenses, they must needs be cut and polished. Rammbroes: ...A process which calls for a very particular set of materials. Procuring them will be a challenge in itself, I fear. Needless to say, we will be requiring your services once again...
Sanding It Down Rammbroes wishes to proceed with the shaping of the flawless crystals.
Rammbroes: If the flawless crystals you procured for us are to retain their elemental purity during the shaping process, a very specific set of abrasive substances will be required. Rammbroes: Well, I say “substances,” but one might just as well call them one substance─namely “aethersand”─which has four elementally aspected varieties. Alas, aethersand is neither common nor cheap. Indeed, it is not unusual for the abrasive to exceed the value of the precious stones it is used to polish. Rammbroes: Given the rarity of the materials in question, the Goldsmiths' Guild in Ul'dah seemed the likeliest place to purchase the quantity we require. When I contacted the guildmaster, however, I was informed that no aethersand was currently available. Though I requested that word be sent as soon as new stock came in, I have yet to receive aught but apologies. I should mention at this point that I placed the order some time before you procured the flawless crystals... Rammbroes: I am well aware that acquiring aethersand is no small feat, of course, and I am not an impatient man─but I fear the more we delay our investigation, the greater the risk that the tower's secrets may fall into the hands of other...less savory parties. Rammbroes: That is why I wish to entrust you with the payment for our purchase, and send you to speak directly with Guildmaster Serendipity. Mayhap the presence of such a distinguished personage will spur the guild into action. In any event, it is my hope that when next we meet, you will have found at least one of the four varieties of aethersand we require!
Serendipity: Ah, Mistress Surname! Welcome, welcome! What brings you here, if I may ask?
Bulging Gil Pouch This hefty sack of gil has been promised to the Goldsmiths' Guild in exchange for any available aethersand.
Serendipity: You're here on behalf of the Sons of Saint Coinach? What fortunate timing─I was just about to contact Master Rammbroes with the news that we've finally managed to acquire a quantity of fire-aspected aethersand. Serendipity: I'm afraid it may be some time before we can supply the other three varieties, but you are welcome to settle accounts for that which we have now. Pray speak with Jemime over th─ Serendipity: Ah. I do beg your pardon. It seems she's assisting another customer. Biggs: Come on, there must be something you can do! Without that sand, we'll have to rethink our whole design! Jemime: I sympathize with your plight, sir, but as I explained the aethersand in question is already spoken for. If you'd like to reserve the next shipment, then I would be happy to accept the funds you've offered as partial payment... Biggs: Partial!? Are you saying it's not enough!? I'm already stretching our research budget as it is! <sigh> ...I suppose a man can do without a midday meal for a year or two... Biggs: Forename! It's been too long! What brings you here, then? Got your eye on something expensive, have you? Jemime: Well, now...that is quite a money pouch. The sound of so many gil clinking together is strangely satisfying, is it not? Calming...and yet invigorating at the same time... Biggs: Oh no... You're here for the blooming aethersand, aren't you? Biggs: Well, I can't deny the Allagan civilization's a subject worth researching. The chief said he was looking into something big, but we never thought to ask him what. Biggs: Wedge and I have been too busy tinkering with a new airship design to think of much else, see. Well, I say tinkering...wrestling would be more like it. Still, after much wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth, we've managed to put together a prototype crystal-powered propulsion system. Biggs: We got the idea for it when we heard how you lot had used a corrupted crystal on board the Enterprise, as a matter of fact. Anyway, to cut a long story short, our design calls for all four varieties of aethersand. Biggs: And that's why I can't just relinquish my claim on this batch here─even for you, lad. How're we meant to usher in a brave new age of technological innovation if not by technologically innovating, eh!? Jemime: Ahem. While I hesitate to interrupt such an impassioned speech, duty compels me to point out that this gentleman is a representative of the organization that reserved the aethersand in question─to mention nothing of the fact that his purse is considerably larger than yours. Biggs: ...Oh, it's like that, is it? <sigh> Biggs: All right, all right...this batch is yours. I'll let you have it. But if you're going to take my sand, it's only fair that you grant me a role in this project of yours. Biggs: I'll take that as a yes. Ahhh, it's not every day you get a chance to experiment with the wonders of the ancients. With any luck, they'll inspire me to think up another technological innovation or two!
Biggs: Now then, from what you've told me, I'm guessing you'll be needing the other three varieties of elementally aspected aethersand as well, right? Biggs: Then rather than sitting on your rump waiting for a shipment that may never come, I reckon your time would be better spent looking for the stuff yourself. And it just so happens that I know of a good place to start... Biggs: There is said to be a peddler in northern Thanalan who─very occasionally─handles the earth-aspected variety of aethersand. Wedge is in the process of confirming the rumor as we speak. Biggs: I know what you're thinking: when did my timid little friend decide he didn't need me to hold his hand anymore? The answer being: just the other day! Seems he's been inspired by a certain adventurer's heroic example. I thought he was joking when he volunteered to go to Thanalan without me. I just hope he manages to stay out of trouble... Biggs: Head out to Bluefog and you should find him poking about with his new bodyguard. Oh, did I not mention her? Aye, Wedge thought it might be wise to hire an adventurer to accompany him─just in case your heroic example turned out to be less inspiring than he first thought. Heh heh!
Experienced Adventurer: Save your greetings. If you're looking for a hired blade, then you'll have to look elsewhere. After the day I've had, the only company I crave is the squat, silent type─the type that has a handle and holds no less than a pint of ale. Experienced Adventurer: ...Hm? You wish to hear my tale? I warn you, 'tis no stirring epic─but as you asked... My employer─a Lalafellin lad─wished to pay a visit to a peddler who deals in some manner of special sand. I forget what it was called but 'tis apparently worth a small fortune. Anyway, when we arrived, the man claimed his stock had been stolen by bandits. Experienced Adventurer: Determined not to return empty-handed, we crept into the bandits' stronghold and set about locating the stolen goods. Long story short, alarums were raised, rogues were awoken, and we fled in a blind panic. I was separated from my employer in the confusion and I've not seen him since. Experienced Adventurer: Hm? Oh. A friend of yours, is he? Experienced Adventurer: Then you'd best be prepared for the worst. 'Tis just possible the poor sod may yet be lost in the old Amajina mythril mine...but I fear the bandits will have caught up with him by now.
Wedge: How could I be so stupid? Sneaking into a bandit's lair... It's...it's just...not the sort of thing I do! And now I'm going to die for it! Wedge: No. No, I-I just need to calm down. I can do this. I can be brave. I'm going to stand up, and I'm going to walk out of here. Here we go! Wedge: YEEEAAARGH! I'm-sorry-I'm-sorry-I'm-sorry! Please don't kill me! I promise I'll leave and never come...back? Wedge: Forename!? Is it really you!? B-But how did you find me? Can you...smell fear? Wedge: A-Actually, ignore that smell. Ahem! I expect you're wondering why I'm here? Well, I was just in the process of retrieving some stolen aethersand which Biggs and I need for our research, as it happens. It was, I concede, perhaps a touch foolish─and very nearly fatal─but I did succeed in snatching the stuff before my bodyguard ran away and several dozen bandits came piling after me with knives and axes and what looked very much like a plank with a rusty nail in it. Wedge: A-Anyway, the important thing is that the stolen aethersand is right here in my po─ In my─ Oh. Oh dear. It must have fallen out when I was, um...taking evasive maneuvers. It seems I won't be leaving this infernal place for a while yet... Wedge: ...You'll find the aethersand in my stead? Wedge: Oh, thank the gods! You're a true friend, Forename! I hope the search doesn't prove too troublesome─the bandits don't seem to care much for visitors...
Wedge: Forename! Have you had any luck locating the aethersand?
Earth-cradled Aethersand These grains of sand were refined from an earth-cradled ore of incredibly rarity and hardness.
Wedge: Yes, that's it! I must return to the workshop at once and tell Biggs the wonderful news! Wedge: What's that? You're also on a mission to collect aethersand? And you're working with the chief? A “treasure trove of Allagan knowledge,” you say? ...I see. Wedge: Then you should really be the one to have this. Biggs and I are far from exhausting all possible avenues of airship innovation, but it sounds as if your problem can't be solved by any other means. Wedge: This expedition of yours sounds jolly interesting, I must say... I'm half-inclined to join you. In fact─I think I will! Any venture worth the chief's time must be worth a look! Wedge: Right! I'm more than ready to leave this awful place behind! And you should return to Mor Dhona with that aethersand before there are any more, um...little mishaps. Be sure to keep a close eye on your pockets, Forename!
Rammbroes: Ah, Forename, you have returned. I take from your presence that you were successful in procuring us some aethersand. Tell me, which variety did you find?
Fire-kissed Aethersand These grains of sand were refined from a fire-kissed ore of incredibly rarity and hardness.
Earth-cradled Aethersand These grains of sand were refined from an earth-cradled ore of incredibly rarity and hardness.
Rammbroes: ...I see! Two varieties. Well, that is two more than could reasonably be expected─and two less than I had hoped you would say. Forgive my flippancy. You have done well, truly. If all goes to plan, we need no longer fear death by fire or earth. Rammbroes: Master Garlond─if you would be so kind as to prepare the relevant crystals. Cid: I shall set to work immediately. Truth be told, I've been looking forward to this. One does not encounter materials like these every day. Cid: Speaking of which, how in the seven hells did you find them? Mistake me not, old friend─I know only too well how capable you are, but aethersand isn't something you simply find gathering dust at the back of a merchant's rare gem cabinet. Cid: ...You had help from Biggs and Wedge? Cid: Hmph! Trust them to design a revolutionary new engine the moment I turn my back. How's a genius meant to rest on his laurels when his employees are so damnably inventive, eh? And now they're determined to join us, are they? Typical! Cid: I jest, of course. It will be good to have them around. Still, as a matter of professional pride, let's endeavor to procure the two remaining varieties of aethersand before they arrive, shall we? Tell me, Rammbroes─have we any information on where the water- and wind-aspected types might be hiding? Rammbroes: Naught as of yet, but...I have made certain arrangements. We shall soon see if my efforts have borne fruit. Cid: Forgive me for observing, but you seem less than enthusiastic about that prospect. If there's a complication, I'd rather we discuss it now than risk jeopardizing the expedition. Rammbroes: <sigh> Mayhap an explanation is in order. But first, let us savor the preliminary victory that Forename has won for our cause, if only for a moment.
A Performance for the Ages Rammbroes wishes to discuss the procurement of the outstanding varieties of aethersand.
Rammbroes: Yes, yes...I must speak of the arrangements I made to acquire the two remaining varieties of aethersand. Rammbroes: Some days ago, I asked a Sharlayan acquaintance of mine to travel to Gridania and there gather the necessary materials. Since that time, however, I have heard nary a whisper from him. Rammbroes: To be frank, this lack of communication is not entirely uncharacteristic, but I cannot discount the possibility that something ill has befallen the man. Rammbroes: Alas, we do not have time to investigate his fate. As I have mentioned before, the more we delay our expedition, the more likely it is that the Crystal Tower's secrets will fall into the wrong hands. Therefore, I would entrust you with the same mission I assigned to my friend. Travel to the Black Shroud, and seek out Parsemontret, the master of the markets in Gridania. If anyone knows where aethersand might be bought, it is he.
Parsemontret: Yes? ...I'm sorry? Did you say you wish to purchase aethersand? My dear fellow, have you the faintest idea of the rarity of the material you seek? Why, I have not seen so much as a grain of aethersand in these markets for many a long year. Parsemontret: I could tell you where one might mine the ore from which the water-aspected variety of the abrasive is derived, but only a desperate fool would willingly set foot in the place. Parsemontret: ...You seem undeterred.
<sigh> Very well. Parsemontret: Are you familiar with Urth's Gift? That is where the ore is to be found─in an area inhabited by a particularly pernicious hog. Should you encounter the betusked nightmare, you will know that you are in the right place...albeit at the wrong time. Farewell!
Disembodied Voice (G'raha Tia): You are too late, adventurer─and not only for the entertainment. You will find no trace of the ore which but recently lay here. Nay, not so much as a speck. Disembodied Voice (G'raha Tia): Ah...no. You will never spy me from there. For the time being at least, you will have to trust the evidence of your ears. Now stop squinting at the foliage and listen. Disembodied Voice (G'raha Tia): As I told you, the water-blessed mineral you hoped to find is gone─taken by me. Disembodied Voice (G'raha Tia): Victory has made me magnanimous, however. Accordingly, I have decided to share the location of an alternative source of aethersand with you─the wind-touched variety, to be specific. I trust I have your attention? Good. A band of Ixal in the North Shroud keeps a quantity of the abrasive for the purpose of removing impurities from lesser crystals. Disembodied Voice (G'raha Tia): Well? Do you mean to dally here all day? Make haste, adventurer, before I snatch another prize from under your nose! This is to be a race. Disembodied Voice (G'raha Tia): The Ixali logging grounds in the North Shroud shall be our destination. And that is where the real amusement will begin. May the best man win!
Disembodied Voice (G'raha Tia): Bravo! That was quite a show, adventurer! Why, the spectacle proved so enthralling that all thoughts of aethersand slipped my mind. Disembodied Voice (G'raha Tia): I appear to have forfeited our little race! Congratulations─the wind-touched abrasive is yours. Disembodied Voice (G'raha Tia): And yet, having been treated to such a memorable performance, I cannot help feeling that the greater prize is mine. This inequity must not stand. I insist that you accept a token of my appreciation. Disembodied Voice (G'raha Tia): Payment for this entertainment will be waiting for you to the east, in a clearing within Proud Creek. Pray retrieve the gift ere it is crushed beneath the iron feet of the dullahans!
Disembodied Voice (G'raha Tia): Not what you were expecting? I took the liberty of refining the ore from Urth's Gift into aethersand. Do keep it safe, adventurer. Disembodied Voice (G'raha Tia): Lest you accuse me of playing games, you should know that the thought of relinquishing my prize never once crossed my mind─until I saw you in action. Such deeds must needs be rewarded. Disembodied Voice (G'raha Tia): It is my vocation, you see, to record history as it is made by mortal men. And I much prefer to chronicle the accomplishments of the bold and the mighty. Disembodied Voice (G'raha Tia): Thus, it is my fervent wish that you continue your career with the same courage and zeal you have shown today. We shall meet again, adventurer─and sooner than you may imagine.
Rammbroes: What news of your mission? Are we any closer to acquiring the remaining abrasives?
Wind-touched Aethersand These grains of sand were refined from a wind-touched ore of incredible rarity and hardness.
Water-blessed Aethersand These grains of sand were refined from a water-blessed ore of incredible rarity and hardness.
Rammbroes: You've brought both!? I shall have Master Garlond begin work on the crystals immediately.
Cid: There. That should do the trick! Rammbroes: Excellent work! We now possess all four of the “fangs” required to pierce the Crystal Tower's defenses. My compliments, Master Garlond! Cid: Oh, it was a trifling matter, I assure you. Forename here is the one you should be thanking. Anyway, by my reckoning, there's nothing stopping us from striding up to the Allagans' front door! ??? (Biggs): You can't go without us, Chief! Cid: Biggs! Wedge! Come to lend a hand, have you? Biggs: Well, it's not every day you get the chance to study the wonders of the Allagan Empire, is it? Their technology makes Garlemald's look ancient! Cid: I appreciate your enthusiasm, lads, I really do, but we're not here to take this knowledge for ourselves. Cid: Twice in the last decade, the promise of unimaginable power has prompted men to meddle with technology they do not understand, and the realm has been dragged unto the very brink of oblivion on both occasions. We shall not be so irresponsible as to risk another. Cid: Wedge, do you recall our company's creed? Wedge: Y-Yes, Chief! It's, um, “Freedom through Technology”? Cid: Exactly. Freedom. When we forsook our homeland, we swore that we would have no truck with machines that could be used to promote tyranny. That has not changed. Should you feel tempted to break your oath, remember this: the wonders of the all-knowing Allagan Empire could not save their civilization, and have damn near doomed ours. Twice. Cid: That is why we must explore the Crystal Tower, and, if needs be, seal away its secrets. Familiar Voice (G'raha Tia): A compelling viewpoint. It is unyielding wills such as yours that have defined the course of history. Rammbroes: So, you return at last. What, pray tell, has kept you so wholly preoccupied that you could not spare a moment to inform me of your progress or preservation? Familiar Voice (G'raha Tia): Why, the task you assigned to me, of course. Surely you have not forgotten about the aethersand? I tasked a passing adventurer with delivering it. A more capable courier I could not imagine. Familiar Voice (G'raha Tia): Greetings, adventurer! Did I not say we would meet again? G'raha Tia: I believe an introduction is in order. I am G'raha Tia, one of the Students of Baldesion. I look forward to joining you on your groundbreaking expedition! Rammbroes: G'raha Tia has been assigned to the project as an observer. I hope you will forgive him his...eccentricities and welcome him as one of our own. G'raha Tia: So then, our fellowship is complete, and all stand ready to step into the unknown! Three cheers for NOAH! Cid: ...“Noah”? G'raha Tia: That is the name I have chosen for our little collective. Given our differing backgrounds, we cannot very well call ourselves the Sons of Saint Coinach, can we? G'raha Tia: And we must have a memorable appellation if our venture is to leave its mark in the annals of history. I could claim that NOAH stands for “Nominated Observers of Artifacts Historical,” and so it does, technically─but my true reason for choosing this name stems from the fact that it is shared by a vaunted Allagan archmagus. Wedge: An archmagus? I like the sound of that! Rammbroes: ...Very well. Now that the pressing matter of what to call ourselves has been settled, it is time we set forth to brave the outer defenses of the Crystal Tower. Is everyone ready to depart? NOAH: Ready!
Labyrinth of the Ancients G'raha Tia is eager to begin the expedition to the Crystal Tower.
G'raha Tia: Esteemed colleagues! The secrets of ancient Allag beckon! G'raha Tia: Let's not keep them waiting any longer! Adventurer─you and I will join the engineers at the Crystal Tower's main gateway, where we will endeavor to neutralize the structure's outer defenses. G'raha Tia: Rammbroes, meanwhile, will remain here and oversee the operation. Given my knowledge of Allagan history, it seems logical that I should lead the expedition itself...though I admit the role does not exactly befit my status as an observer. G'raha Tia: Still, we can but make use of the resources at hand. Assuming all are in agreement, let us proceed forthwith to the large, lopsided gate found to the southeast.
Cid: The Crystal Tower lies beyond this portal. Now comes the interesting part... G'raha Tia: Cid, you are the only one of our number who has ever crossed this threshold. I ask that you take the lead for the present.
G'raha Tia: I say... The energy radiating from these statues is...palpable. Cid: Lucky for us that it is. One might otherwise stroll past them... Feast your eyes on the elemental defenses which prompted our lengthy preparations. These sentinels prevent would-be intruders from advancing to within twenty yalms of the tower's inner reaches. G'raha Tia: ...No matter how swift they may be. Cid: Happily, the crystal fangs we took such pains to craft should spare us the inconvenience of instantaneous annihilation. Here, allow me to demonstrate. Biggs: Ch-Chief!? It's too─ Cid: Dangerous to allow anyone else to risk his life testing one? Quite right. I made the damn things─it's my job to see that they work. Cid: ...Success! G'raha Tia: I for one am convinced! Friends─ready your fangs! Cid: This last one is yours, old friend. It seemed only right... Wedge: Haha! We did it! So much for the outer defenses! G'raha Tia: Indeed. The entrance to the tower is near at hand. My blood fairly sings with anticipation! Cid: Speaking of blood─I have a proposal for the next stage of the expedition. Cid: I suggest we wait here while Forename and a handpicked party of her adventuring companions enter the tower. G'raha Tia: What!? Without us? I thought we came here to survey the entire structure! Cid: We did─and we will. But our investigations must proceed at a more measured pace. Cid: If the outside of the place is this well defended, can you imagine what awaits us on the inside? Only a true hero could reasonably hope to brave the hazards ahead and live to tell the tale. Cid: Forename here fits that description better than anyone I know. Cid: And it is not as if we shall be idle in her absence. While Forename and her companions are risking life and limb to beat us a path to the tower, we can set about analyzing this rubble for evidence of how its technologies function. Cid: Your knowledge of ancient lore will be invaluable in that endeavor, Historian G'raha Tia. G'raha Tia: Bah! Do you ever tire of being right, old man!? G'raha Tia: Ahem. Forename─as it seems I won't be accompanying you, allow me at least to provide some instruction. The maze that surrounds the base of the tower is known as the “Labyrinth of the Ancients.” During this initial foray, I suggest you concentrate on ridding the place of hostile elements. G'raha Tia: When you are reasonably certain the maze is secure, contact me via linkshell and we shall join you posthaste─no matter what Master Garlond says! G'raha Tia: Though we would prefer it if any relics you encounter remained intact, you have leave to do whatever is necessary to secure ingress to the upper levels of the tower. Fortune go with you, Forename.

Labyrinth of the Ancients

With the help of Cid nan Garlond, members of the expedition to the Crystal Tower have successfully penetrated the defenses of the Eight Sentinels. The ancient Allagan structure is not so easily entered, however, and the Labyrinth of the Ancients now awaits the fellowship of NOAH as they seek the ultimate prize.
King Behemoth: Grrraaaaaarrrghhh!
Cid: Ho there, Forename! G'raha Tia: Very impressive, I must say! Your name shall be writ large in the volumes that are sure to be penned on this historic expedition. Cid: The scale of this structure defies comprehension... Someone plainly thought bigger was better. G'raha Tia: According to the findings of my Baldesion colleagues, the Crystal Tower was constructed to collect and store the endless energies of the sun. A characteristically ambitious undertaking. G'raha Tia: Now, what of the tower's inner defenses? Judging by your haggard expression, clearing out the labyrinth was no small feat. G'raha Tia: ...A giant of a man wielding a shimmering scimitar, you say? Yes, that will have been Phlegethon. Not Acheron. Phlegethon. He was a hero of the Allagan revolution. Cid: And you gleaned that from what exactly? His choice of weapon? G'raha Tia: Well, I am a historian. And I have a certain, shall we say, “affinity” for the lore of the Allagan Empire. G'raha Tia: It is, of course, all knowledge gleaned from musty scrolls and tomes. The ancient texts claim that the Crystal Tower is defended by the champions of eld, resurrected and augmented through the Allagans' extraordinary technology. Biggs: Chief, you need to see this! Cid: Well, well, there it is...the foot of the tower. What surprises do you have in store for us, I wonder...? Cid: I can't tell you how glad I am to have you with us on this little jaunt, old friend. Had you not beaten a path through that maze, I very much doubt we'd be standing here now... G'raha Tia: Well! We have much to discuss and digest. Let us retire to Saint Coinach's Find for the present and there plan our next step. Lest there be any doubt, our expedition has some way to go yet!
G'raha Tia: So good of you to join us, Forename! Our meeting would be dull indeed without a full account of your experiences in the labyrinth. G'raha Tia: Take a moment to collect yourself, and when you are ready, we shall debate how best to proceed.
For Prosperity G'raha Tia is ready to address the assembled fellowship of NOAH.
G'raha Tia: The fellowship of NOAH being accounted for, it is time this assembly was called to order! G'raha Tia: Rammbroes will be presiding over the meeting. If you would be so kind as to inform him of your readiness to proceed...
Rammbroes: Welcome back, Forename. I have just been reading about your encounter in the Labyrinth of the Ancients. It pleases me greatly to note that you seem none the worse for the experience. Rammbroes: For your reference, I have added my own notes to G'raha's preliminary expedition report, and begun compiling a Crystal Tower survey log. The information contained therein will be available to you at all times. Should you have any questions, you need only ask. Rammbroes: Now, if there are no objections, I shall begin with a summary of the expedition's key accomplishments. Rammbroes: In the course of this, our first foray into the grounds of the Crystal Tower, we succeeded in neutralizing the structure's outer defenses, before proceeding to secure the maze surrounding the base of the spire. Rammbroes: According to Forename's account, the labyrinth's defenses were most emphatically active. Disturbingly, her report also mentions a violent encounter with a sentry heavily augmented by Allagan technology... Cid: In short: our misgivings were well founded. The Crystal Tower was not simply thrust above ground by the chaotic shifting of earth─it has somehow been reawoken. Cid: If, as seems increasingly likely, the tower's secrets should prove too dangerous to share with the world, we will have no choice but to contain them. Short of leveling the place, this will almost certainly involve returning its mechanisms to a state of dormancy. To do that, however, we will first need to address the question of how they work─the answer to which must surely be waiting for us inside the tower itself. In conclusion: that is where we must go. G'raha Tia: A task rather easier said than done, if the perils of the labyrinth are any indication... Rammbroes: Then I move that all further exploration of the tower be delayed until such time as an exhaustive analysis of the structure's defenses has been completed. Master Garlond, may I entrust this task to you? Cid: It would be my pleasure. Wedge: Don't forget about us! Biggs: It's like you said, Chief─we founded the Ironworks to make sure that technology was used for the right reasons, and that means making sure it's not used for the wrong ones. We wouldn't be doing our jobs if we didn't see this through to the end. Cid: Lads... Well, I hope you're ready for some backbreaking chores! G'raha Tia: Well, everything seems to be in hand here, so I shall take my leave of you for the present. If I am to witness this valiant tale unfold with mine own eyes, I must needs hone my martial skills ere we ascend the spire! Rammbroes: You'll do nothing of the sort, G'raha. Your knowledge may prove useful to Master Garlond's investigation. G'raha Tia: As an observer, I am not, strictly speaking, subject to your authority... G'raha Tia: Pray do not mistake my intent, Forename. I am well aware that I shall never be a match for one with your innate talents, however hard I train. Be that as it may, pray do not allow your skills to rust from disuse during the coming pause. G'raha Tia: We will need you fighting fit if our subsequent forays are to prove as productive as this one. Mark me: we have not yet caught more than the briefest glimpse of that which time has obscured. Soon, however, we shall cast off the veil, and gaze upon the glory of the Allagan Empire! Rammbroes: And with that encouraging thought in mind, it is time to bring this assembly to a close. Let us all focus on the tasks at hand, that our next expedition may begin all the sooner. Meeting adjourned!
Nero: Such a terrible mess. Yet it does leave the door wide open, so to speak. Nero: One cannot help but be impressed. I'm beginning to understand the reliance you place on adventurers, old friend. Nero: So...this is the legacy the Allagan Empire left behind. Nero: If my readings are correct, the energy source waiting atop the tower is a match for even the Ultima Weapon. Nay...more than a match. Nero: Heh heh heh... A new toy for me to play with. Nero: I believed the fates had conspired to deny me my just rewards once again...but it would seem they had a greater destiny in mind for me. Nero: And so long as my ambition burns, I shall strive to seize it. The dream lives on, Cid... Do not disappoint me!

A Realm Reborn: Through the Maelstrom (2.2)

Still Waters Minfilia has a new assignment for you.
Minfilia: Truly, there is no rest for the weary. Scarce had I begun to make myself at home when I received a request for assistance from Amajina & Sons Mineral Concern. Minfilia: It would appear their storehouse in Horizon has been the target of a series of covert robberies. Minfilia: Minor as they seemed in isolation, occasional discrepancies in the manifests were long dismissed as clerical errors. It was only during the Concern's annual audit that a pattern became apparent... Minfilia: Significant quantities of crystals─and only crystals─were missing. Minfilia: I need hardly tell you what that may imply. Minfilia: The Brass Blades charged with investigating the thefts believe that someone within the Concern is selling the crystals for profit. Alas, they have as yet been unable to identify a likely suspect, and the Concern's proprietors have grown frustrated by their lack of progress. Minfilia: Needless to say, I would not have agreed to intervene had the stolen goods been of merely monetary value. If there is even a possibility that the thief acts not out of self-interest but in service to a primal, we can ill afford to wait for the Blades to realize their mistake. Minfilia: Pray depart for Horizon at your earliest convenience. Minfilia: Rendezvous with Y'shtola when you arrive. She and Thancred have already begun a preliminary investigation. Minfilia: I have every confidence that the three of you will get to the bottom of these thefts. I only hope our fears prove unfounded when you do.
Y'shtola: Ah, Forename. Your assistance is most welcome. Y'shtola: I have already spoken at length with the Brass Blades of the Rose─albeit to little avail. It would seem that the thieves took great pains to conceal their activities. Y'shtola: I could go into further detail, but your time might better be spent in conversation with Fufulupa. He is the officer charged with leading the investigation, and I would only be repeating that which he related to me. If aught eluded my attention, mayhap it will not elude yours.
Fufulupa: Oh, hello there! Forename, was it? Y'shtola said to expect you. Fufulupa: Terrible business, these thefts. We have yet to confirm the quantity of crystals stolen, but I daresay it may be greater than─ Fufulupa: Ah, but never mind that! I have news to share! A short while ago, the driver of a heavily laden carriage refused to halt for inspection and broke through one of our checkpoints on the Royal Allagan Sunway. Fufulupa: The cart bolted off toward eastern Thanalan, where─thank the gods─I hear that our colleagues were able to apprehend them without further incident. Y'shtola: ...A speeding carriage? That would seem a curious choice for thieves of such proven cunning. Yet the Amalj'aa do have a foothold in eastern Thanalan. Hmmm. Y'shtola: And what of their cargo? Did they carry the crystals we seek? Fufulupa: We should be receiving a report any moment now, but I fail to see what else it could─ Thancred: Did you miss me, friends? I'm back, but I fear I come bearing disappointing news. Or, on second thought, perhaps it's good news, after all... Y'shtola: ...Thancred. Wherever have you been off to? Thancred: I figured you had everything under control here, so I just took a brief excursion to the east to check up on our Amalj'aa friends. Thancred: And wouldn't you believe it? I happened upon a runaway carriage on the way, and even was able to do my small part to help my friends in the Brass Blades intercept it. Thancred: In all my years, I have never seen such a prodigious quantity of somnus. The Blades were calling it one of the greatest hauls they've ever seen. The stolen crystals, on the other hand, were nowhere to be found. Fufulupa: Is that so? Alas...I suppose we have no choice but to resume our search elsewhere. Thancred: We should reassess our options as well. Come with us, Forename.
Y'shtola: ...And so we find ourselves back where we began. <sigh> What have I overlooked...? Thancred: Against all expectation, it would seem the Amalj'aa are innocent of this particular spate of crimes. By all indications, they have yet to replenish the stores of crystals exhausted during their last attempt to summon Ifrit. Thancred: What I can't fathom is why anyone else would go to such lengths to obtain crystals─and in such quantities. Thancred: It cannot be that we are dealing with simple thieves. If their motive were profit, why would they limit their trade to crystals alone...? Plainly, we are missing something. Thancred: While you think about what it might be, I shall inform Urianger of our progress─or lack thereof.
Thancred: Now then... Thancred: 'Tis I. The situation may be more complicated than we anticipated. Urianger: Indeed. I shall remain watchful. Urianger: Ere thou goest─another matter requireth thine attention. A young maiden, full eager to─ Urianger: Wherefore inquirest thou of her fairness!? Very well. Be she damsel or devil, I shall direct her steps to Revenant's Toll. Urianger: ...Save thine insinuations for one given to such impropriety. Thou shalt not find me amenable. ??? (Yugiri): Far across the sea, from the land of Doma, have we traveled. We seek audience with the ruler of these lands. Who here speaks for you?
A Final Temptation Thancred wishes to discuss how to proceed with the investigation.
Thancred: Any bright ideas? A solitary flash of insight? Thancred: ...No? Well then, for want of a better suggestion, I say we try picking Fufulupa's brain again. Thancred: Who knows, if we work together, we may yet find something of use nestled away within it.
Fufulupa: Oh, but it is good to see you return! I have given some thought to the matter, and I have just hit upon a most disturbing possibility! How could I have been so blind...!? Y'shtola: Calm yourself, Fufulupa. What is this disturbing possibility of which you speak? Fufulupa: I was contemplating as to how the thieves' activities escaped our notice for so long, and then it came to me! What if there is someone among our own ranks conspiring with them─a traitor in our own midst!? Thancred: ...It would be most unfortunate if your fears proved well founded, Fufulupa. Y'shtola: Indeed. If, for reasons of security, the Concern decided to transfer the remaining crystals stored in Horizon to another location, their plans would be discovered the moment the Brass Blades were informed. Thancred: Ah, but such a shipment would surely be well guarded. Would thieves as wily as ours risk open confrontation? Y'shtola: Mayhap not. But neither would the Concern be eager to present them with such an obvious target. Nay, they might instead elect to carry out the transfer in secret─to entrust the goods to, let us say, a lone Miqo'te miner, traveling without escort so as not to attract undue attention. Fufulupa: But who─ Ahhh, I see! Yes, the Concern may well elect to do that. But to travel with so much cargo would be a strenuous task indeed, and this miner would certainly need to rest upon the way. Mayhap...north of the bridge to Hammerlea? Thancred: A fine spot for a rest─would you not agree, Forename? ...Alas, the role of the Miqo'te miner is taken, so you will lie in wait to the north, and I will do the same to the south. Fufulupa: Ahem! Forgive me, my friends, but I have received new orders! I must inform my men at once! Thancred: Call me a cynic, but I would be surprised if these thieves lay down their arms and surrender. See that you come prepared to offer them some encouragement.
Y'shtola: Stubborn to the last, as expected. You are unharmed? Thancred: A gang of Sea Wolf thieves, and in Thanalan, no less. I suppose there's a first time for everything... Y'shtola: Sea Wolves? All of them? Thancred: Aye, and all with the same taste in facial tattoos. Blue, in case you were wondering. Y'shtola: ...Our thieves are a long way from home. Y'shtola: Thancred─if you would be so good as to attend to the outstanding matters in Horizon... I have inquiries to make. Thancred: To Horizon, then. Fufulupa will want to hear about your meeting with the thieves.
Fufulupa: On behalf of the Brass Blades of the Rose, I thank you for your service to Horizon! Fufulupa: Ah, but we have not been idle! While you were afield, we succeeded in identifying the traitor within our ranks! Thancred: Is that so? Then, by your leave, I should very much like to have a word with the fellow in private. Fufulupa: Ah...no. I am afraid that will not be possible. Regrettably, he, um...managed to subdue the unit of Blades dispatched to detain him, and made good his escape. Thancred: Oh, for the love of─ And how did he manage that, exactly? Your men haven't been sampling that somnus we confiscated, have they? Or was he a giant in disguise? Fufulupa: N-No...but he was quite strong! A Sea Wolf─Lominsan born and raised, I believe. But do not worry─we will find him, you have my word on that! Thancred: I see... Pray keep me apprised of any developments. Thancred: Yes? ...She's standing next to me. ...Understood. Thancred: I fear our time together is at an end, my friend. Your services are required elsewhere. Awfully disappointing, I know, but one must follow where duty leads. Thancred: ...You might try to look a little disappointed! Or do you mean to give me another one of your stoic nods? You do, don't you?
The Mother of Exiles Thancred has information on your next assignment.
Thancred: The Antecedent bid me tell you to make for Vesper Bay, where young Alphinaud awaits your coming most eagerly. It was he who requested your assistance. Thancred: Some commotion or incident─I am not privy to the details. Thancred: While you do whatever it is that Alphinaud has planned for you, I shall endeavor to track down our traitorous Brass Blade. And when I do, you may rest assured that we will have our answers.
Alphinaud: You are late. No matter─I know where our visitors are headed. From what I have been able to gather, this vessel belongs to a band of Domans who seek an audience with the sultana. You are familiar with Doma, yes? In Othard? Alphinaud: Well, like the rest of the nations of the eastern continent, it is ruled by the Garlean Empire. Given our visitors' unannounced arrival, as well as the state of their ship, I suspect they did not leave their homeland under the best circumstances. Needless to say, I should be very interested to hear their tale and, more importantly, what they know of the current state of affairs in the Empire. Such information could prove most useful. Alphinaud: We would be fools not to pursue this opportunity, do you not think? Come with me to Ul'dah, Forename. Unless I am mistaken─and I am rarely mistaken─we will find the Domans bickering with a Sultansworn on the Royal Promenade. Alphinaud: ...You are uncertain of your role in the proceedings? Insurance. If our guests are not themselves imperial agents, it seems fair to assume that they may be being pursued by some. And if not, who better than you to have on hand in the event of an unforeseen diplomatic incident? Alphinaud: Besides, I do so enjoy your sparkling repartee. Satisfied? Good. I shall see you in Ul'dah.
Bartholomew: It matters not how many times you ask! Without the necessary permissions, none shall pass! Refugee Leader (Yugiri): Pray understand, good sir! We have not the leisure to lodge a formal petition. Time is of the essence. Refugee Leader (Yugiri): All I ask is that you summon your superior. Allow me to plead my case. Surely you can grant us that small kindness? Bartholomew: Away with you, and darken these doors no longer. I will not ask again! Refugee Leader: You know not what you do... Alphinaud: I gather your pleas fell upon deaf ears. Refugee Leader (Yugiri): A loyal man with a cold heart. I know his kind well. Alphinaud: I hope that you will find me more to your liking. Alphinaud Leveilleur, at your service. A friend. Alphinaud: Which, I believe, makes me very nearly unique─in this part of the world, at least. Few indeed are your allies in Ul'dah. Yet you will need some if you wish to endear yourselves to the wealthy and powerful. Alphinaud: Pray join me and my associate at the Quicksand. There you may explain your situation to us, and we shall see if there is aught we can do to help.
Yugiri: We have traveled some several thousand malms across the sea, from the nation of Doma, in hopes that we might find sanctuary in these lands. Alphinaud: Sanctuary, Lady Yugiri? Yugiri: Aye. Lying within Othard, Doma was under the dominion of the Garlean Empire, as I am sure you are aware. Yugiri: When the war of succession broke out in Garlemald, we espied an opportunity to free ourselves from the yoke of imperial oppression, and took up arms. Yugiri: ...Only to be crushed. And so I gathered what few Domans escaped the reckoning, and guided them hither to your shores. Alphinaud: A war of succession...? Then the Emperor... Forgive me, you said that Doma “was” under imperial rule, did you not? Yugiri: Doma is gone. Razed to the ground as an example to the other provinces. Alphinaud: Twelve have mercy... And your people? Yugiri: On a ship anchored in Vesper Bay, flying borrowed colors. Yugiri: Many were complicit in the rebellion, or are kin to those who were. They will not come ashore until I send word that it is safe to do so. Yugiri: I sought an audience with your rulers, but was summarily refused. Alphinaud: The lords of Ul'dah are not wont to entertain foreign refugees without suitable encouragement. Yugiri: Mayhap I was foolish to expect otherwise. But our supplies run low, and we have young ones in urgent need of care. Yugiri: I have seen the tents outside the gates, however. We are not the first to seek asylum, nor will we be the last. Alphinaud: ...Be that as it may, Ul'dah is no friend to Garlemald. Your tale would stir the hearts of many men and women here. Alphinaud: The sultana and the Syndicate will not be so easily swayed─but I shall see that you are granted an opportunity to plead your case. Yugiri: This is within your power? Alphinaud: Well...far be it from me to boast, but I do have the ear of certain influential individuals. Yugiri: I am in your debt. Alphinaud: Lady Yugiri, forgive me for observing, but...your choice of attire seems like to evoke feelings of mistrust. Yugiri: Men are wont to fear the unfamiliar. We know this from experience. Yugiri: We seek only to spare the people of Ul'dah unnecessary disquiet. Alphinaud: I shall defer to your experience, then. Yugiri: I thank you for your understanding. Alphinaud: It seems I have urgent business with the Flame General. I leave our guests in your capable hands.
Yugiri: If I may, madam─as I said earlier, we have been at sea for some several moons, and our supplies are all but spent. Yugiri: I have not the heart to repeat the tales of our tribulations, nor would it please you to listen to them, I think. Suffice it to say, however...sacrifices have been made. Yugiri: Though it shames me to beg for more when you have already offered so much, desperation compels me... Good madam, if you or your associates could spare any provisions─anything at all─it would go a long way to lessen the suffering of my people.
Momodi: ...Hells, why didn't you say so sooner, Forename? 'Course I'll help! You couldn't have picked a better day, to tell the truth! A wealthy merchant an' his entourage were due to have a banquet here on the morrow, see, but just sent word they can't come, meanin' I've got a boatload of foodstuffs an' no one to feed. Best of all, they paid for the lot in advance! Hah hah! Momodi: Go an' call on Fridurih an' Katherine at the Sapphire Avenue Exchange. Tell 'em I said to ship the little prince's order to the Wakin' Sands. Oh, an' if they argue, just show 'em those letters. That should set 'em straight.
Fridurih: She's in the business of feedin' refugees now? I ain't normally one to question Mistress Momodi's judgment, but that doesn't seem wise to me.
Momodi's Letter Instructions penned by the Quicksand proprietress to deliver foodstuffs to the Waking Sands.
Fridurih: I'll not speak for the children, but if you ask me, any man what can't earn a crust deserves to go hungry.
Katherine: My, that's a rather odd request. Mayhap you misheard her instructions?
Momodi's Letter Instructions penned by the Quicksand proprietress to deliver foodstuffs to the Waking Sands.
Katherine: You know, you shouldn't encourage them like this. They'll start to expect it, you mark my words!
Momodi: They didn't give you any trouble, did they? Good. Now go an' tell Lady Yugiri it's all in hand.
Yugiri: I...I dared not hope for such magnanimity, much less expect it! Mistress Momodi is generous indeed... I shall be sure to thank her most humbly. Alphinaud: Lady Yugiri, I briefed the Flame General on your situation. I think you will be pleased with his reply. Yugiri: We have been granted an audience? Alphinaud: Before the sultana and the Syndicate both. We should return to the Royal Promenade at once. Yugiri: You have done much for us, Master Alphinaud. I swear we shall return the favor. Alphinaud: Naught is owed, Lady Yugiri, for naught has been given. This small favor, you fairly won with your words. And it is with words that you must win the favor of the Syndicate. Yugiri: Then I shall choose them with care. Alphinaud: You will be accompanying us, yes? Good. Your presence may serve to remind the Syndicate of the true meaning of philanthropy─and that nothing so unpalatable will be required of them, assuming the Domans are willing to earn their keep. Come, the Flame General awaits us on the Royal Promenade.
Raubahn: A pleasure, Forename. The others are already inside. Let's not keep them waiting.
Yugiri: I, Yugiri of Doma, am honored to meet you at last, Your Grace. To mark this auspicious occasion, I should like to present to you the finest treasures our humble nation has to offer... Yugiri: Alas, the circumstances which have brought me here today have divested me of both time and dignity. I come before you as a pauper in direst need of aid─to request that you grant my people asylum. Nanamo Ul Namo: I, Nanamo, seventeenth in the line of Ul, welcome you to our city. Be at ease, Lady Yugiri. Nanamo Ul Namo: Although I myself have heard the tale of your misfortune, I would ask that you recount it once more for the benefit of the others here present. Yugiri: As you wish, Your Grace. For many years, my nation, Doma, suffered under the yoke of imperial rule, and my people yearned to be free. Thus, when a war of succession broke out in Garlemald, we sought to take advantage of the chaos and reclaim our liberty. Yugiri: Alas, our enemy proved less preoccupied than we had hoped, and our rebellion was put down in the most brutal fashion. Raubahn: Those who survived─how many do they number? Yugiri: More than two hundred souls huddle within the cramped confines of our own galleon's hold. Yet this figure accounts for but one of a number of ships which escaped the purge. Yugiri: It is my hope that you will allow us all to dwell within your walls. Should that prove unfeasible, however, I humbly ask that you accept as many of my people as your resources allow. Yugiri: Pray understand, we do not beg a boon, but propose instead an arrangement. We would serve─as soldiers or tradesmen─until our debt is repaid. Raubahn: What are the Syndicate's opinions on this matter? Teledji Adeledji: I, for one, think it's a marvelous idea. Lady Yugiri and her people strike me as an industrious lot, and there are parts of the city which have yet to be fully restored. If they are willing to work, I see no reason not to let them. Alphinaud: The head of the Mirage Trust is not known for his generosity. He sees profit in this. Raubahn: I agree. That said, these are foreign refugees. To admit them would require a formal resolution. Shall we call a vote? Lolorito: The law is the law. Teledji Adeledji: Lord Lolorito? Lolorito: Tell me: are you blind or willfully ignorant? Even now, our streets are choked with the displaced victims of the Calamity and Ala Mhigan refugees. Lolorito: They live hand-to-mouth, subsisting on aid provided by the Immortal Flames─the cost of which grows ever higher! Lolorito: The wealth of Ul'dah is not without limits, my friends. Lolorito: And need I remind you that these refugees are prone to violence and criminal activity? You have all read the reports, I think? Lolorito: Without homes or employment, it is only a matter of time before men grow desperate and take that which they imagine has been unjustly denied them. Yet, knowing this, you would have us swell their ranks. Mayhap you think the Brass Blades and the Flames are not hard-pressed enough? Alphinaud: Some say the chairman of the East Aldenard Trading Company passes gil thrice daily. This may explain how he came to be the wealthiest man in Ul'dah. Or it may simply be that he's ruthless beyond reckoning. Nanamo Ul Namo: Surely the sultanate can support the few hundred Domans Lady Yugiri represents? That our resources have been taxed I do not deny, but we are hardly in danger of financial collapse. Nanamo Ul Namo: I move that an exception be made. Lolorito: An exception, Your Grace? I am suddenly reminded of a similar debate some years ago, regarding a number of Ala Mhigan refugees, if memory serves. Lolorito: What were your words that day? Ah, yes: “The law is the law.” And so our visitors remained in Little Ala Mhigo. Lolorito: Mayhap our wise and benevolent sultana would be so good as to enlighten us as to which other of our laws should not be upheld? Raubahn: Mind your tongue, Lolorito. Teledji Adeledji: My lord, I share your concern for the welfare of our great nation, but we must endeavor to take a longer view. You know as well as I that people can be a resource still more precious than gil. Lolorito: Precious or not, they were never yet so reliable. And unlike those who frequent your establishment, I have no desire to gamble with my future. Lolorito: Ul'dah's greatest asset is, and has ever been, her material wealth. We risk this at our peril. Lolorito: One need only look to Teledji Adeledji's example for evidence of the danger in allowing sentiment to dictate policy. Lolorito: How far the vaunted Mirage hath fallen, both in repute and profitability, since he began employing refugees... Teledji Adeledji: How I choose to conduct my affairs is not your concern, my lord! Raubahn: A proposal has been tabled. Given its urgency, I move we forgo further debate and call a vote. Raubahn: To accept the Doman refugees or not. Those in favor, I bid you remain. Those opposed, I bid you leave. Nanamo Ul Namo: Would that it were within my power to welcome you and your people, Lady Yugiri. As you have observed, however, my authority in such matters is regrettably limited. Nanamo Ul Namo: Without the consent of the Syndicate, I cannot act. Yugiri: I understand, Your Grace. And I appreciate all that you have done on our behalf. Teledji Adeledji: The nerve of the man... If that bastard had not forsaken the eastern trade route, Little Ala Mhigo would now be thriving. Teledji Adeledji: That you should have traveled so far, under such dire circumstances, only to be refused in this manner is utterly unconscionable. Pray accept my sincerest apologies. Raubahn: Now that the Empire no longer poses an immediate threat, they see little reason to maintain the pretense of unity. Raubahn: The Monetarists have grown especially defiant of late─Lord Lolorito most of all. Raubahn: But this is neither the time nor place for that discussion.
Promises to Keep Raubahn would like to discuss how to handle the Doman refugees.
Raubahn: As you observed, Lolorito is not afraid to speak his mind─nor is he like to change it. Raubahn: Oft have I wondered how a man so skilled at weighing the worth of things should be so incapable of seeing the value in people... Raubahn: Bah. I will waste no more words on him─not when the Domans are yet in need of aid. Everyone, follow me to the Hall of Flames.
Raubahn: The Syndicate has spoken, and I see no point in moving that the matter be reconsidered. The Monetarists have made their position clear. Alphinaud: Agreed. Ul'dah is not an option. Alphinaud: Nor are Limsa Lominsa or Gridania, I judge, given the state of their internal affairs. Alphinaud: Which leaves our Doman friends confined to a ship. Gods, the thought of them huddled in an airless hold with no hope of better treatment... Alphinaud: Would that I had more time to find an alternative! A place not bound by the concerns of the great nations─ Alphinaud: Minfilia. ...That is precisely what I wished to discuss. Yugiri: I understand the Syndicate's decision, I do. We all wish to preserve that which is ours, especially when we believe it to be under siege. Yugiri: But I cannot meekly accept this judgment─not while my people suffer. Would it be out of the question for the sultanate to accept us for a limited time? A week, mayhap, or even just a few days...? Alphinaud: Excellent. I shall keep you informed. Alphinaud: Lady Yugiri, I have a proposal, if you would hear it. Raubahn: Out with it, Master Alphinaud. Alphinaud: The headquarters of my order, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, stands in a place called Revenant's Toll, an outpost in Mor Dhona. Alphinaud: Like most outposts, it is frequented by mercenaries and other men of action, and lacks the comforts of more well-established settlements. However, the leaders of Revenant's Toll have been doing their utmost to change that. Alphinaud: To that end, they have need of able-bodied individuals willing to work as frontier hands. Hard labor, lest you doubt, with naught save food and shelter by way of reward. Raubahn: Terms not unlike those which you yourself proposed, Lady Yugiri. Teledji Adeledji: Though I will not hear a word said against our beloved Ul'dah, Revenant's Toll would offer certain advantages─the absence of unhelpful bureaucracy being the most obvious. Yugiri: If they can accommodate us all, we shall gladly accept! Yugiri: Master Alphinaud, once again I find myself in your debt. Alphinaud: Pray do not thank me, my lady. The life your people go to is one of hard labor and few comforts, as I told you. And before that, there remains the matter of how they may safely be borne to Revenant's Toll─which will be no small feat, considering the distance and their present condition. Alphinaud: Mayhap the Ul'dahn Adventurers' Guild can be of assistance. Look for me there anon, Forename. Raubahn: Lady Yugiri, if you and your people would accompany me, we may discuss what aid the Immortal Flames can provide.
Alphinaud: We are concerned that the Doman refugees may find the journey to Revenant's Toll too much to bear. Alphinaud: Too long have they been sequestered aboard their ship, with insufficient supplies and scarce room enough to breathe, let alone stretch their limbs. With that in mind, Mistress Momodi has kindly offered to accommodate the Domans until such time as they are ready to set out for Mor Dhona. Alphinaud: Those healthy enough to travel will embark as soon as transportation has been secured, while those too weak to leave at once will be permitted to stay until they regain their strength. Raubahn: What news? Alphinaud: Transportation remains our greatest obstacle, General. Is there aught the Immortal Flames can do? Raubahn: I fear that exceeds our mandate. Raubahn: Were it a smaller number, mayhap it would go unnoticed. Raubahn: But the Syndicate will not bear the cost of escorting more than two hundred Domans to Mor Dhona. Teledji Adeledji: When government fails to act, the responsibility falls to us private citizens. Teledji Adeledji: I will engage the services of the Seventy-Seven Caravans on the Domans' behalf. Raubahn: Very well─we should begin contract negotiations at once. Your generosity is most welcome, my lord. Teledji Adeledji: After all that has befallen these good people, it is the least I can do. Teledji Adeledji: Come what may, you shall ever have a friend in Ul'dah, Lady Yugiri. Yugiri: And you in Revenant's Toll, my lord. Momodi: Well, it sounds like we all have work to do! Lady Yugiri, let's put our heads together an' settle the details of our arrangement, shall we? Alphinaud: I would entrust the task of escorting our Doman friends to you─after you have rested your own road-weary legs, of course. What say you?
Yugiri's Game Alphinaud has a mind to send you to Vesper Bay.
Alphinaud: As we speak, the Domans prepare for departure at Vesper Bay, wherefrom they will be transported by carriage to Ul'dah. Alphinaud: That said, this has all been decided rather suddenly, and it would not surprise me if the refugees required some assistance in coordinating their preparations. Alphinaud: Forename, I would have you return to Vesper Bay and facilitate the process through tasks great and small. In short: whatever must needs be done, do it. Alphinaud: Speak with a man named Hozan when you arrive. As Lady Yugiri tells it, he has been designated the leader of the first group.
Hozan: Greetings. Alphinaud informed me that a Scion would be arriving to help with the preparations. I am honored to meet you, though shamed as well. A great warrior should not be tasked with such trivialities. Hozan: Aye, I knew from a glance what manner of woman you were. I too have some skill at arms, as do many of our people. Hozan: Pray forgive this trifle, but might I trouble you to help round up the children that have been given into my care? Hozan: They are most adept at staying hidden from my sight, but perhaps your keen eyes will succeed where I have failed. Hozan: You have my thanks, friend. Pray seek out my son Yozan. He can tell you more.
Yozan: Oh, hello there! I'm Yozan, son of Hozan. Will you be coming with us to Ul'dah? I hear we're traveling by horsebird-drawn carriage! Yozan: But...don't you think they're queer? Giant birds that people ride like horses? I still want to try riding one, but─ Yozan: What's that? You're looking for the others? Don't worry. I already told them to get ready for the carriages. Yozan: I'll need your help, though. We were just finishing a game of hide-and-seek. Three players are still in hiding, and since Lady Yugiri told us to take it really seriously, they won't move until they're found. But Vesper Bay isn't that big, so I bet you can find them in no time!
Hiding Child (Koharu): Hey! You're not Yozan! Who're you? Koharu: I'm Koharu. Forename Surname, eh? I didn't know anyone else was─ Waaait a minute! You're one of those, um, Stallions, aren't you!? Koharu: No─ Scions, Scions! Then you must know Lady Yugiri, right? Isn't she great!? She's really good at hide-and-seek, too! Oh, right─ It's almost time to go. Nice meeting you, Forename Surname!
Hiding Child (Rokka): Um... Are you playing? Ahhh! No fair! Yozan didn't say anything about adults! Hiding Child (Rokka): Huh? We get to ride a horsebird carriage? I don't know... It sounds scary. But if Yozan says it's safe, I'll go.
Hiding Child (Shiun): How'd you find me!? Bah! Guess I need to practice more. Hiding Child (Shiun): Or maybe you're just good at this? I mean, the Garleans didn't find me...
Hozan: Wonderful! All the children are accounted─ Hide-and-seek? Ah, I see that you are curious. It is quite simple, really. Hozan: Lady Yugiri thought it best that the children know what to do in case the Garleans found us. Hozan: I should hope that those days are behind us, but I nevertheless take comfort in knowing that we are prepared.
Why We Adventure At long last, Hozan and his group are ready to leave Vesper Bay.
Hozan: The first caravan is due to depart shortly, followed by the rest at regular intervals. My family and I─including my stubborn old father Homei─will be traveling in the lead carriage together with young Koharu, whom I believe you've already met. Hozan: Though I understand the road to Ul'dah is regularly patrolled by your Brass Blades, it would give us great comfort if you would agree to accompany us on our journey... Hozan: Once again, I thank you for your kindness. When you are ready to leave, please inform our coachman.
Hyuran Coachman: Eager to be off, are ye? Aye, well, I was meanin' to have a word with ye about that. Runner from the Blades says we might have a problem. Hyuran Coachman: A fierce-lookin' beastie's been sighted south of the bridge to Hammerlea. Might be as someone's eyes are playin' tricks on 'em, o' course, but it don't pay to gamble in this business. Hyuran Coachman: Now I know ye can handle yerself in a fight, but this lot here's another story. So I was thinkin' ye might go on ahead an' have a quick look around─make sure the area's safe, like. An' if ye come across anythin' dangerous, ye know what to do. Hyuran Coachman: When yer satisfied the way's clear, meet us outside Horizon. The Blades tell me the road there's safe, so I reckon we can make it that far on our own─assumin' the selfsame bastards don't try to rob us, that is.
Hyuran Coachman: So there was a beastie! “Was” bein' the operative word, eh!? Hah hah! Hozan: Well fought, madam, well fought! Ah, if only I were in better health, I should have been proud to stand at your side! Homei: Pay my son no mind. He forgets that his responsibilities preclude acts of derring-do. Hozan: Hmph. Be that as it may, I cannot help but envy you. Had we been able to call upon heroes of your strength and skill in Doma, things would have been very different. Hozan: <sigh> But we cannot change the past. Those who fought─and fell─are forever lost to us. Homei: Lost but not forgotten─Lady Yugiri's kinsmen least of all. They fought fiercest, though they knew full well it was in vain. Homei: She had every right to walk away, yet she chose to stay. Food, shelter, the promise of a better life─all this and more we owe to her. How does one even begin to repay such a debt? Hozan: In kind, Father. To she who has given everything, we shall give our all. Hozan: Whatever work there is to be done we shall do without question. Ditch digging, bricklaying, it matters not─Revenant's Toll will grow and prosper by our hands. Yozan: Hey, Miss Forename! Koharu and I want to know why you became an adventurer!
  • Why did you become an adventurer?
  • To gain power. Yozan: I knew it! That's what I told Koharu, but she didn't believe me.
  • To win glory. Yozan: Glory? Ah, like bringing honor to your family, you mean!? Yes, Father always goes on about that.
  • To amass a fortune. Yozan: Money, eh? Yes, I want money, too. I could do a lot of things if I had some─well, any...
  • To go whither the wild rose blooms. Yozan: So...you like roses? I think I understand... I mean, they're nice and everything... But don't they grow in lots of places?
Koharu: It's my turn now! Excuse me, Miss Forename! I've got a question! What's Revenant's Toll like? Is it pretty?
  • How would you describe Revenant's Toll?
  • It is a bustling outpost frequented by countless adventurers. Koharu: You mean...there are lots of people there who are just as strong as you!? Oh, I can't wait!
  • It is a bastion of civilization in a harsh and unforgiving wilderness. Koharu: So...there are lots of rocks and things? It sounds a bit scary...but you'll be there too, won't you?
  • It is home to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Koharu: Oh, so you live there with your friends! That means you'll always be there to protect us!
  • It is...a stone's throw from an imperial castrum? Koharu: Ha! You can't fool me! No one would ever live that close to a castrum. Liar, liar, breeches on fire!
Yozan: Enough, Koharu! It's my turn again! Miss Forename─when I'm older, I want to be strong like you. What do I have to do?
  • What is the best way to become more powerful?
  • Seek out new experiences and adventures. Yozan: Of course! To be a better adventurer, you need to go adventuring!
  • Fight ferocious beasts. Yozan: Like that thing you fought earlier, you mean? Right, right!
  • Train every day. Yozan: Aha! So my father was right! How do you do it, then? Come on, tell me! And don't leave anything out!
  • Buy weapons and armor from Rowena. Yozan: Rowena? Is she nice? Are her weapons cheap? I don't have any money at the moment, but my father might. I'll have to ask him.
Hozan: All right, all right─ That's enough questions for Miss Forename. Koharu: That's not fair! Why does Yozan get to ask two questions? I want to know about adventuring just as much as he does... Yozan: Just one more─please! Do you think I could be an adventurer like you one day? Yozan: Really!? Then I will! Thanks for the advice, Miss Forename. I won't forget it! Koharu: I'm going to be an adventurer too! Yozan: When we get to Revenant's Toll, let's make an Adventurers' Guild for Domans! Yozan: We'll protect our friends and punish the wicked─just like Miss Forename and Lady Yugiri! Koharu: Yeah! Just like Miss Forename and Lady Yugiri! Hozan: We can talk more about it in the carriage on the way. Will you be joining us?
Alphinaud: Ah, Forename. I take it the first group has arrived? Excellent. Alphinaud: Hm? Is there aught else? No, no. I have matters well in hand here. You and Lady Yugiri should travel to Revenant's Toll forthwith.
All Due Respect Alphinaud would have you and Yugiri depart for Revenant's Toll without delay.
Alphinaud: It is past time Lady Yugiri met with the guild representatives in Revenant's Toll. Alphinaud: Since I do not foresee any further matters arising here in Thanalan which might require your personal attention, I would instead have you serve as an escort to the Doman delegation for the duration of the journey. Alphinaud: Speak first with Slafborn upon your arrival. He is the one with whom the Domans will be working most closely, I should think. Alphinaud: Afterwards, introduce Lady Yugiri to Minfilia and the guild emissary. If both meetings go well, the resulting ties should stand the Domans in good stead for that which is to come. Safe travels, Forename.
Slafborn: And this must be the esteemed Lady Yugiri and her associates. I greet you all as friends, and bid you welcome to the Toll. Slafborn: I hope you do not find our dearth of fineries off-putting. Poor though we may seem, we have a wealth of spirit─and camaraderie to spare! Slafborn: You see, race and creed don't enter into it here. We welcome all sorts─provided they are willing to earn their keep, of course. Yugiri: We are no strangers to hard work, Master Slafborn. You may rest assured that we will carry out your orders with due diligence. Slafborn: Oh, not for a moment did I doubt your commitment, my lady! Pray understand, I give the same speech to all new arrivals. And you needn't bow your head or call me “Master” either. We are both frontier hands, as far as I'm concerned. Yugiri: As you wish...Slafborn. May this meeting mark the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship. Slafborn: Our guests have yet to meet the Antecedent? Seven hells, Forename, why are you wasting time with me!? See them to the Rising Stones!
Yugiri: To whom much is given, much is expected... Yugiri: Forgive me─I require a moment to compose my thoughts before meeting with your leader. We shall join you at the Rising Stones anon.
Minfilia: 'Tis no use... Minfilia: Our attempts to reach the Students of Baldesion continue to meet with failure. Urianger has explored other avenues of inquiry, but they too have yielded naught. Minfilia: We will persevere, of course...yet within our hearts, the truth is clear. We are but awaiting confirmation of that which we already know. Minfilia: How fare the Domans? I am given to understand you were kept quite busy in Vesper Bay. Minfilia: Mayhap you question the wisdom of aiding refugees when the primal threat remains unresolved. Minfilia: I should not blame you if you did. Nor would I deny that this matter falls outside our normal purview. Be that as it may, I could not ignore the plight of these refugees─not when it was within our power to help them. Minfilia: Lady Yugiri is here? Please, show her in. I should very much like to meet her.
Minfilia: We have no objections. Pray do so with our blessing. Yugiri: Your answer pleases me beyond words, my lady─but are you quite certain? We have no way of knowing how many might answer my summons. Yugiri: In the event that Revenant's Toll could not accommodate us all, we would need to find an alternative solution. Minfilia: Should that come to pass, we will find it together. Adventurers' Guild Emissary: As ever, it has been a pleasure, Antecedent. Alas, we must take our leave as the first carriages are due to arrive at any moment. Adventurers' Guild Emissary: Should you require aught else, pray speak with Slafborn. Lady Yugiri, Forename.
Minfilia: Lhaminn and I will make all the necessary preparations to ensure that our Doman friends feel at home upon their arrival. Minfilia: Though I must admit that I am still troubled about the matter of the missing crystals... Minfilia: Y'shtola should be returning anon with a report from afield. Mayhap you could wait here and speak with her upon her arrival?
Thancred: How goes the fishing? Caught anything slippery? Y'shtola: Aye. Our suspicions were well founded. The Serpent Reavers are indeed the culprits. Thancred: The plot thickens... Y'shtola: Has there been any movement in Thanalan? Thancred: It has been blessedly quiet. Which is to say the Amalj'aa are being no more or less of a nuisance than usual, summoning Ifrit with such crystals as they have hoarded. Thancred: Urianger, too, reports naught out of the ordinary. Y'shtola: Then we have our explanation. Minfilia: Your explanation for what, pray tell? Y'shtola: For the recent spate of crystal thefts in Thanalan. We naturally assumed that the trail would lead us back to the Amalj'aa. Y'shtola: Yet it did not. It led us across the sea unto Vylbrand. Minfilia: Vylbrand...? Minfilia: There have been reports of increased Sahagin activity of late... Minfilia: Oh gods...they mean to summon Leviathan? Y'shtola: That is the way of it, I fear. Y'shtola: Whilst conducting our investigation on behalf of the Mineral Concern, we came upon evidence implicating the Serpent Reavers. Y'shtola: With the aid of the Maelstrom, I was able to verify our suspicions. 'Tis only a matter of time before Leviathan returns to harrow the seas. Y'shtola: But there is more. One of the Sahagin─an elder, by my judgment─spoke of attaining the “gift and knowledge of eternity.” Minfilia: <moan>
Y'shtola: Such a disturbance in the aether... If I did not know better, I should think this device defective. Y'shtola: And there is the explanation... Sahagin Priest: Soon! Sssoon it shall begin! Our Lord shall rise 'midst sssurging waves to wash away the finless ones! Sahagin Priest: And I shall be granted the gift and knowledge of eternity, and with the emissary ssstand equal! Then shall I know no cesssation, no oblivion! Y'shtola: ...Whence comes this promise of immortality? The emissary? Y'shtola: We have outstayed our welcome.
Minfilia: “The gift...and knowledge.” Y'shtola: Are the two of you quite well? Minfilia: You...you shared that vision, did you not? Minfilia: Even before the Sahagin made mention of the emissary, I recognized Elidibus's words. He is behind this. Minfilia: But surely it is not within his power to grant the Echo? Y'shtola: My lady─unless we act swiftly, Leviathan will rise again. The Admiral has already requested that we intervene to prevent this. Failing that, we are to attend to the primal's extermination. Minfilia: She will have our full cooperation. Let us make haste to Limsa Lominsa. Minfilia: I mean to play a part in this mission. Tataru─pray take charge in my absence. Thancred: My lady, are you sure this is wise? Minfilia: I am aware of the risks. But there is something I must see with mine own eyes. Minfilia: ...The true nature of the Echo. Thancred: Very well. I shall not stand in your way...on the condition that you permit me to accompany you as bodyguard. Minfilia: Your company is ever welcome, Thancred. Yugiri: I take it something ill is afoot? Y'shtola: Aye. A primal is about to be loosed upon Eorzea. Yugiri: A...primal? Y'shtola: A godlike being whose very existence is a bane upon the land. We Scions of the Seventh Dawn are sworn to put an end to their kind. Yugiri: I see. Know then that I am learned in the arts of war. In return for the kindness you have shown my people, I would lend you my blade. Y'shtola: It would be most welcome. When contending with a primal, one can never have too many able allies. Y'shtola: If you crave a more intimate understanding of the problems facing Eorzea, this experience is like to provide it. Be sure to come well prepared.
The Sea Rises Minfilia wishes to share some final words on the coming mission prior to departing for Limsa Lominsa.
Minfilia: Plainly, should the worst come to pass, and Leviathan is summoned, our only recourse will be to face him in battle. Given past experience, you may very well think that eventuality inevitable... Minfilia: Yet so long as there is even a chance that the primal's return might be prevented, we must needs bend all our efforts toward achieving that goal. Minfilia: Before we do aught else, let us hasten to Limsa Lominsa and meet with the Admiral. Minfilia: She will not have been idle in the intervening time, and will doubtless have valuable information to share.
Zanthael: You are expected. Pray take this lift to the command room.
  • Proceed to the command room?
  • Yes
  • No
Merlwyb: Welcome, friends. I take it Y'shtola has apprised you of the situation? Merlwyb: Let us waste no time, then. According to our best intelligence, the Sahagin had not crystals enough to summon their god. Merlwyb: Alas, we did not count on the Serpent Reavers venturing as far as Thanalan to supplement their cache. For our shortsightedness, we are faced with the grim prospect of Leviathan's imminent return. Merlwyb: Needless to say, I am not inclined to let the fishbacks have their way. Even as we speak, the Maelstrom makes ready to launch a large-scale operation to thwart the summoning, and we would welcome the Scions' support in this endeavor. Merlwyb: ...But if, gods forbid, our efforts should come to naught, I will need to trouble you for more than mere support─much as I did when Titan last walked these lands. Merlwyb: Lady Minfilia, I am given to understand that you mean to accompany our soldiers to the front lines. I can only assume that you have sound reasons for doing so? Minfilia: I do, Admiral. But I would rather not be drawn on their nature. I will say only that there is something I would see with mine own eyes. Merlwyb: Is that so? ...Well, I am not so stubborn as to deny the wish of one whose aid I require─but precautions must be taken. I shall require that you remain by my side at all times. With that settled, let us speak of the operation. Merlwyb: Captain Surname─our scouts are currently reconnoitering Sahagin movements within the Sapsa Spawning Grounds. Merlwyb: Upon completing their mission, they will return to the operation's staging point at Camp Skull Valley. I want you to make your way there forthwith, that you might be apprised of the latest intelligence. Commander Falkbryda has charge of the garrison.
Falkbryda: I've been expecting you, Scion of the Seventh Dawn. On behalf of the men and women here, I thank you for your cooperation. Falkbryda: The safety of our citizens is paramount. With your aid, we will prevent Leviathan's return.
Scouts in Distress Falkbryda is growing ever more agitated by the minute.
Falkbryda: As you may already know, Maelstrom scouts have been dispatched to reconnoiter the Sapsa Spawning Grounds. Falkbryda: Though it pains me to admit it, the Maelstrom has never faced a foe the likes of this before. We must proceed with all due caution. Falkbryda: Among other things, they have orders to determine where Leviathan might emerge...assuming it comes to that. Falkbryda: And yet...their return is long overdue. I fear that ill may have befallen them. Falkbryda: For better or worse, we must ascertain their fate. If it is not too much to ask, I would have you aid us in the search. Falkbryda: Five scouts ventured into Sapsa all told. Here, take this flask of restorative to tend those who may have been wounded. Falkbryda: Though it pains me to even consider the notion, if they have perished, circumstances permitting, I ask that you recover their bodies. By no means venture too deep into enemy territory, however─we can ill afford to lose you at this juncture.
Storm Private: Help... Somebody... Of all the times...to forget the restorative... Urgh...
Maelstrom Restorative This fast-acting concoction temporarily imbues strength while suppressing pain, allowing wounded soldiers to make their way to safety.
Storm Private: Thank you... I owe you my life... Storm Private: We were ambushed by the Serpent Reavers. Lightly armed as we are, we didn't stand a chance. Storm Private: I was able to flee this far, but the others were captured. They were taken to the Serpent's Tongue, I'm certain of it. Storm Private: I can make my own way back to camp, but I fear the worst for my comrades... Save them, I beg you!
Falkbryda: You're returned, thank the Navigator! When I learned that you went to the Serpent's Tongue by yourself, I feared you would meet an untimely demise! But tell me, what became of the others?
Soldier's Corpse The mutilated corpse of a Maelstrom soldier.
Falkbryda: Dear gods... <sob> These wounds were not intended to kill, but to torture and maim... Does their savagery know no bounds!? Enemies or no, they go too far! Falkbryda: I dread to think what may have become of the two who remain unaccounted for... I pray that they haven't suffered the same evil fate. Falkbryda: At the very least, one of my men came back alive, and for that I owe you my thanks. The price we paid was dear, but we have the intelligence we need. Falkbryda: Even as we speak, the Admiral finalizes the details of the operation. The warhorns will sound any moment now. Be ready to sally forth when they do.
The Gift of Eternity Falkbryda awaits the commencement of the operation with barely concealed rage.
Falkbryda: Thrice-damned fishback bastards... I'll kill them slowly and then chase their rotten souls through all seven hells! Merlwyb: Peace, Commander. We are here for a purpose─and vengeance is not it. I want your mind on the task at hand, savvy? Falkbryda: M-My apologies, Admiral. You may count on me to keep a clear head. Merlwyb: Good. According to our sole surviving scout, the Sahagin and their thralls have already begun to amass at the aetheryte in the depths of Sapsa. If we are to act, it must be now. Falkbryda: The men are ready. We but await your orders, Admiral. As predicted, the Sahagin have tightened security in and around the spawning grounds. A frontal assault is like to be met with fierce resistance. Merlwyb: Ah, but we are not so artless as that, Commander. We shall divide our forces and strike them hard and fast at key locations. Remember: our ultimate objective is to take the Sapsa aetheryte and eliminate the Sahagin priest presiding over the summoning─we are not here to kill them all. Merlwyb: The Maelstrom shall engage and distract the Sahagin's legion of drowned pirates at the Serpent's Tongue. Commander, you have charge over this effort. Merlwyb: Be mindful that the lay of the land there is devilish for attacking forces. Let the Foreign Levy spearhead the assault, and have subsequent units fan out to cover their flanks. Merlwyb: At the selfsame moment, a diversionary squadron formed of galleons from the Crimson Fleet shall harry the enemy from offshore. Minfilia: In like wise, we Scions shall form smaller units in hopes of confusing the Sahagin defensive effort. Minfilia: Forename and Y'shtola, the two of you are to make your way to the site of the summoning ritual. Minfilia: The Admiral's diversions should serve to thin the enemy's defenses, rendering your path less perilous. Minfilia: A small party, I believe, should be able to win through without drawing unwarranted attention. Minfilia: Thancred and Yugiri, your mission is to lure as many Sahagin as possible out of the spawning grounds. Minfilia: Having done so, take to your heels and circle 'round to join the infiltration unit of Y'shtola and Forename. Merlwyb: When all has been set in motion, I myself shall cut a path to the aetheryte, accompanied by Lady Minfilia, as was agreed. Merlwyb: Well, don't let me keep you, friends! ...TO BATTLE! Y'shtola: ...When last did we fight side by side, Forename? Too long ago, I warrant. But come, let us away!
Y'shtola: Pray do not concern yourself─'twas but a glancing blow. Come, the aetheryte is close at hand─let us press on!
Y'shtola: Damn them... They have made thralls of soldiers and civilians both... Thancred: Did I miss much? Thancred: So that is how you fight in the Far East? Mental note: pick no quarrel with Domans. Thancred: But seriously: if I am to keep up, I must needs forsake elegance for efficiency. Yugiri: Hmmm... Thancred: To the aetheryte!
Merlwyb: You'll forgive me my lateness. Thancred: I've been something of a liability of late, I know. 'Tis high time I set about making amends. Sahagin Priest: Pshhh! Long have you shriveled shhhorewalkers tormented our kind! Sahagin Priest: But no more! Your time is at an end! Sahagin Priest: You shall perish with sssalt in your wounds and sssea in your lungs! Sahagin Priest: Lord of the Whorl, hearken to our plea!
Lord of the Whorl, deliver us from our misery! Merlwyb: Do you feel that!? Minfilia: I know this sensation... It's the Echo! Merlwyb: What!? Sahagin Priest: Pshhh! Sssuch power! It is...transcendent! Merlwyb: Seven hells... Sahagin Priest: Pshhhahahahahaaa! Ssstrike me down if you will! It is futile! I have massstered the gift! I am...eternal! Sahagin Priest: O mighty Leviathan, ruler of the ssseas, born of waters primordial! I offer unto You this frail fleshhh, that You might grant Your faithful servants deliverance! Sahagin Priest: I beseech You! Come forth! Merlwyb: Die, damn you! Sahagin Priest: Foolishhh shorewalker! You cannot kill that which is eternal! Yugiri: Heavens forfend... Merlwyb: Damn it all! Sahagin Priest: Pshhh!? My being...ebbs away... B-But it should by rightsss be infinite! Sahagin Priest: Am I not...immortal? Curse you, Emissary! You promised me...everlasssting... Pshhh... Minfilia: Wh-Where did he go!? Merlwyb: What say you? Nary a single ship!? Hells take that sea demon! Merlwyb: Gather the survivors and get to shore. Leave the wrecks for the pirates. Merlwyb: Leviathan wastes no time. The diversionary squadron is lost. Merlwyb: For a mercy, 'twould seem the primal now makes for open sea. But why does he not press his advantage? Unless... Merlwyb: Gods save us, he means to unleash a tidal wave!
Merlwyb: Understand─I speak of no normal wall of water. That which Leviathan makes ready to conjure carries more destructive power than aught seen in nature. Merlwyb: ...Enough to raze entire coastal settlements, if his last attempt is any guide. We cannot suffer history to be repeated...yet how in the seven hells are we to prevent it?
Into the Heart of the Whorl Merlwyb is brooding over Leviathan's return.
Merlwyb: Though our plight cries out for action, we must take thought. Merlwyb: So long as Leviathan remains in the open sea, he is effectively beyond our reach. Our fleet is second to none, of that you may be sure─but Llymlaen Herself would struggle to best the Lord of the Whorl in his element. In a straight fight, he would make meat and matchwood of us. Merlwyb: We need another plan, that much is plain. Let us return to Limsa and see if we cannot think of one. I shall await you in the command room.
Zanthael: You are expected in the command room. Pray do not keep the Admiral waiting.
  • Proceed to the command room?
  • Yes
  • No
Merlwyb: There used to be a hamlet beyond South Tidegate in western La Noscea. Halfstone, 'twas called. Merlwyb: Some years prior to the Maelstrom's founding, Leviathan rose from the briny depths, and set about unleashing watery hell upon us. On that occasion, the Company of Heroes put him down before he could do too much damage. Merlwyb: But when the bastard came next, this time in the wake of the Calamity, we were not so fortunate. Weary of ravaging our shoreline, he summoned a tidal wave which fair leveled Halfstone, and washed the soil away for good measure. Y'shtola: The area was subsequently occupied by the Sahagin. Merlwyb: Aye, the thrice-damned creatures transformed it into a spawning ground for their brood. Merlwyb: Given the quantity of crystals stolen to feed him and his legion of thralls, we can be fairly sure that Leviathan is stronger now than in his previous incarnations. Merlwyb: If that sea demon is left to wreak havoc, what befell Halfstone may well befall a larger settlement─even Limsa. Merlwyb: That cannot happen. The primal must be stopped. Thancred: That was ever our objective, Admiral. But how are we to achieve it? Thancred: The sea is Leviathan's uncontested domain. The ships of the Third Squadron could not close to within a hundred yalms of the primal, nor could their cannons pierce his defenses. Merlwyb: I have read the reports, Master Thancred. Our warships may as well have been bloody pleasure barges for all the good they did. Seven hells... Is there no way that we might strike back? Y'shtola: The Company of Heroes defeated Leviathan having first lured him into an inlet, but we must needs contend with him upon the open sea. It will avail us little to consult past experience. Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: Admiral, if I may. Merlwyb: Speak freely, Marshal. Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: By all accounts, Leviathan's most formidable weapon is the very sea itself. Waves and whirlpools, tides and currents─all these things are his to command. The key to victory, I believe, lies in disarming our foe. Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: This, in effect, is what the Company of Heroes achieved with their ruse. We cannot lure Leviathan from the sea a second time, but what if we could weaken his hold upon the element of water? I have heard of devices capable of such wonders. They draw upon the power of corrupted crystals, I am told. Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: If mounted upon a ship, such a device might be used to prevent Leviathan from bringing the full force of the sea to bear against us, rendering him no more dangerous than any other sea serpent. Minfilia: Of course... Cid built a similar device to grant the Enterprise safe passage through Garuda's tempest, did he not? Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: Begging your pardon, my lady, but to give credit where it's due, this is something I heard from an old arcanist friend of mine. Merlwyb: It makes little difference who thought of it first, so long as it works. Beg the specifications of this device from your friend, and I shall pass them on to our people at Naldiq & Vymelli's. Merlwyb: But before we proceed any further, I would voice one concern: piercing Garuda's defenses is one thing, suppressing Leviathan's attacks quite another. Merlwyb: In matters of science, I am as a babbling babe, but I cannot well imagine that such a feat would be possible without a veritable mountain of corrupted crystals. Merlwyb: The question being: do we have a ship big enough to bear such a burden? Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: Mayhap not, Admiral. But two might. Recall you the tale of Mistbeard's greatest haul? It is said that he lashed two ships together, side by side, the better to bear his plunder. Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: By your leave, we might attempt to repeat the trick. The gods know, it would be quicker than building a new vessel. Merlwyb: Mistbeard did this? Truly, Marshal, upon the subject of the pirate king, you are as a scholar. Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: Now, from what I have gleaned of these matters, the device will need to be in close and constant proximity to the target. To wit, we must lash our twin vessel to Leviathan. Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: This in itself will be no small feat. Ramming speed will be required, but given the weight of the cargo, that will only be attainable with the aid of a towing vessel... Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: Suffice it to say, the task of piloting said vessel will entail considerable danger, and I would not ask it of another. I volunteer myself. Merlwyb: 'Twill be dangerous for all involved...but we have no better recourse. Very well. Merlwyb: Commodore. Assemble the remnants of the fleet at Moraby Bay. Merlwyb: Give priority to our soundest vessels. The repairs can wait. Merlwyb: Storm Marshal Slafyrsyn, command of the operation is yours. I want that twin vessel ready to sail posthaste. Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: At once, Admiral! Merlwyb: And then there is the small matter of slaying the beast... The fate of Limsa Lominsa rests upon your shoulders once again. Go well, Warrior of Light.
Yugiri: Beings held as gods also exist in what you call the Far East. Yugiri: Legends tell us that they walked among us in days of yore, but I confess that I never truly believed them. That I should live to behold one is...humbling and horrifying in equal measure. Yugiri: Now that I have come face-to-face with a primal, I do begin to understand why the Garleans fear them so. Merlwyb: What is it? Storm Herald: A message, Admiral! I judged it best that it be delivered at once! Merlwyb: I am listening. Storm Herald: According to the Yellowjackets, a man has appeared who claims to have defeated Leviathan. Merlwyb: ...One of the Company of Heroes? Storm Herald: The details are yet hazy, Admiral. We have dispatched one of our own to question the individual. Merlwyb: Hm. I am disinclined to put any store by this claim. And even should it be true, it is as Y'shtola said: none save the Company of Heroes have bested Leviathan, and we know how they went about it. If this man is of their number, what could he tell us that we do not know already? Merlwyb: ...And yet, having wagered Limsa's survival on two ships, some rope, and a pile of crystals, can we afford to ignore this man? If his testimony could yield us any manner of advantage, should we not hear it? Damn it all... Merlwyb: The twin vessel will soon be ready. We have no time to wait for the Maelstrom's report on this supposed primal-slayer's claims. Forename─seek him out and learn what he knows. At the very least, it will spare you the torment of waiting for the reckoning in idleness. Storm Herald: The man you are looking for is believed to be a resident of the Grey Fleet, in lower La Noscea. The storm private sent to question him should already be in the vicinity. May your journey prove fruitful!
Trachtoum: Now look here, you! Ye'll have yer bloody story...right after ye carry those sacks of grain over to the mill! Storm Private: B-But, sir...that's what you said before you had me pick those oranges for you. And before I mucked out the chocobo stables. And before I rolled that millstone over to the mill. And also before─ Trachtoum: Gods, man! I've worked three days straight without a wink of sleep! Three days! An' do ye hear me complainin'!? Trachtoum: Bah... I s'pose some of us just ain't made for the rougher stuff. All right, all right...I'll give ye what ye want. Never let it be said that ol' Trachtoum ain't a generous soul. Trachtoum: Now prick up yer ears, 'cause I won't be repeatin' meself. Too modest, see? Besides, there's only so much epicness a man can take in one sittin', ye ken? Trachtoum: Ahem! The tale of Trachtoum's epic victory over the dread primal Leviabeetus! Trachtoum: Now, Leviabeetus's huge, make no mistake. To give ye an idea how big, each of his scales is about as wide across as me member's long─an' that's no mean feat, let me tell ye! Trachtoum: When I fought him, I could barely see fer all the brine he was peltin' me with. Must've been a lagoon's worth at least. He even knocked me trusty axe out of me hands at one stage... 'Course, that proved to be a grave mistake... Heh heh heh... Storm Private: Wh-What happened next!? Trachtoum: Why, I grabbed him by the tail an' tied him up in knots! But not wantin' to take all the glory fer meself, I let me mates in the Company of Heroes handle the rest. Like I said, I'm modest as well as heroic! Mayhap too modest... Now, there's some as say ye can never truly beat Leviabeetus─that ye've got to learn to live with him an' make the best of a bad situation. Not the Company, though! Trachtoum: Uwaaaaaah! It...it's you! Trachtoum: I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I was just enjoyin' the attention, is all! I take back everythin' I said! Trachtoum: I was never part of the Company of Heroes! I'm no marauder! I'm actually a complete coward! I'm nothin'! I'm chocobo dung! No, I'm the maggots ye find wrigglin' in chocobo dung! I have to lie to women to tumble 'em, an' that don't happen much! Me member's tiny, it's pathetic! Trachtoum: I sure as hells didn't fight Leviabeetus...but...but I have seen him with me own eyes! Trachtoum: 'Twas a fair few years back, when I was workin' as a baker's hand. I was shirkin' me duties one day, loiterin' about the harbor, when I saw it... Trachtoum: ...A great big massive sea serpent some malms off the coast, with a fleet of galleons makin' straight for it, cannons firin'... I was so bloody scared, I soiled meself right there an' then! Trachtoum: Wha─? Oh, gods... Jus' rememberin' that day made me soil meself all over again! Trachtoum: H-Hey, wait... If yer here askin' after Leviabeetus...it means yer plannin' to fight him, ain't ye? Trachtoum: Well...take care! He really is terrible! Dreadful, I tell ye! If yer not careful, ye'll end up in his gullet or at the bottom of the sea! Storm Private: Why, you worthless, lying whoreson! I can't believe you made me handle chocobo dung! Minfilia: Forename, this is Minfilia. Were you able to learn aught of use against Leviathan? Minfilia: ...I beg your pardon? “Leviabeetus”? I see. That is unfortunate. Minfilia: At any rate, I have tidings for you: the twin vessel is now complete. Minfilia: We await you at the Moraby Drydocks. Pray make your way here as soon as you are able.
Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: I'm told your jaunt to the Grey Fleet proved fruitless. My sympathies, lass. I'll wager it served to take your mind off the events of recent days, though... But enough of that nonsense. The moment of truth is upon us. Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: The twin vessel─the Whorleater, I call her─is complete, and she surpasses all my expectations. In addition to her prodigious tonzage, she has been fitted with a platform, that you and yours might maneuver freely in battle. I would mention also that she is nigh unsinkable, but I'm not one to tempt fate. Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: The Whorleater and her crew stand ready, my friend. Just give the word, and we shall bear you to Leviathan.
Lord of the Whorl Eynzahr stands ready to send you off to your encounter with the Lord of the Whorl.
Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: Ah...I know that look. You are ready! Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: Having been constructed in some haste, the Whorleater may not be pretty, but I assure you she's capable. Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: She has been fitted with what our friends at Naldiq & Vymelli's are calling an “elemental converter.” Assuming the thing works, it will use the power of the corrupted crystals on board to rob Leviathan of his hold over water. Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: Depending on how the battle unfolds, you may well need to activate the device manually. Keep that in mind.
Minfilia: It is expected that the Sahagin and their thralls will attempt to come to Leviathan's defense. Accordingly, the Maelstrom will once again employ diversions. Thancred and Y'shtola, I would have you assist in this effort. Yugiri: If it is to fulfill its purpose, your diversionary force must not want for numbers. By your leave, I too would volunteer my blade. Merlwyb: We would welcome it. Having seen you fight in Sapsa, I daresay the fishbacks will find your presence highly diverting. Thancred and Y'shtola, if you would join the 3rd Levy, and Lady Yugiri, the 5th. Merlwyb: ...But what words have I for the woman who has made a sport of slaying gods? Only these: go warily, for the sea is an unforgiving place to wage war. May the Navigator guide you through the storm, Warrior of Light. Minfilia: I would echo the Admiral's sentiments, and add a few words of mine own. Know that we all have the utmost faith in you, Forename. May the Crystal bless and keep you!

The Whorleater (Hard)

The Sahagin, reviled beast tribe native to the Indigo Deep, have succeeded in summoning forth their voracious god, the primal Leviathan. Should the mighty serpent be allowed to unleash a tidal wave, the entire city of Limsa Lominsa will be swept into the sea. Faced with watery oblivion, the leaders of the Maelstrom have conceived a desperate plan: by lashing together two warships and filling their holds with corrupted crystals, they hope to pierce the Lord of the Whorl's defenses and give a chosen few the chance to dispatch the primal with courage and steel. The Whorleater sits in the bay with her towing vessel, the Triumph, awaiting but the command to cast off.
Leviathan: You trespass upon my domain, tainted of the Light! Leviathan: Drink deep of the sea's bitter draught! Leviathan: Mine is the power to cleanse all things! Naught can withstand the relentless onslaught of my waves! Leviathan: You challenge me with trickery? Fools! Your mortal contrivances cannot quell the raging sea! Leviathan: My waters...are stilled... This...this is the blessing of Light?
Zanthael: Knowing the urgency of your business, I thought it best to refrain from making conversation during your past few visits. But today I will permit myself a few words. Ahem. I feel truly privileged to have had the honor of admitting a hero such as you. You are an inspiration to us all, madam! And on that note...
The Admiral awaits you in the command room. <wink>
  • Proceed to the command room?
  • Yes
  • No
Merlwyb: We Lominsans are sworn to strive “Till sea swallows all”─and swallow all it would have, had Leviathan prevailed. That we still strive now, we owe in no small part to you. Merlwyb: Not for the first time, you have delivered Limsa Lominsa from the wrath of a primal. Never has our nation known a stouter ally. Merlwyb: On behalf of my people, I give you my humblest thanks. Merlwyb: 'Tis meet that I give thanks to old Mistbeard, too, for his fine solution. Whatever else he may have been, 'tis clear he was a resourceful soul. Would that I had a man like him in my service. Yugiri: Before I set foot in these lands, I had no inkling that the people of Eorzea contended with such mighty foes. Suffice it to say, their existence came as something of a shock─as did the idea that they could be defeated. Yugiri: This experience has served to remind me of the vastness of the world...and the boundless potential of man. Yugiri: Though I am but a refugee in this realm, I would fain be of use to you in your fight. Yugiri: Know that I am tutored in one of the foremost combat arts of the Far East. It may seem...outlandish to the Eorzean eye, but should any of your people care to learn, I would be pleased to initiate them. Merlwyb: And I will see to it that they are grateful. I have no doubt that your knowledge and skills will serve us well. Merlwyb: Besides, your art is not so outlandish as you think. Would you not agree, Master Thancred? Thancred: Naught escapes your searching eye, Admiral. Thancred: Few are privy to this information, but Limsa Lominsa is home to a certain...secret fraternity. Its members are trained in a form of combat not unlike your own. Thancred: By my judgment, it should not be beyond such individuals to adapt to the techniques I witnessed you employing with such admirable deftness. Yugiri: I am heartened to hear this. I, too, noted a kinship between your style and mine own. Though it seemed to me that you fought differently in the beginning. Thancred: A-Aye, I suppose I did... What can I say? I am a man of many talents. Hahaha... Y'shtola: Though you may labor to believe it, Thancred was once something of a scoundrel, who fraternized with the criminal class in these parts. Thancred: Y-Y'shtola! You jest, of course! Minfilia: But for a chance encounter with Alphinaud's grandsire, he might never have left Limsa Lominsa; or received an education in Sharlayan; or taken up his post in Ul'dah─which is where he trained in the blade, lest you wonder. Thancred: Minfilia─please! Yugiri: It would seem there is more to you than meets the eye, Master Thancred. Merlwyb: Lady Yugiri─I am told that you and yours came to Eorzea seeking permanent resettlement, and that many Domans have since been engaged as frontier hands at Revenant's Toll. Mor Dhona is many things, but a place of refuge it is not. Merlwyb: Know that I would like nothing better than to furnish your people with a new home here on Lominsan soil. Alas, racked by instability as we are, our nation is in no fit state to take you in. Merlwyb: Yet I'll not have it said that we turned a blind eye to your suffering. Until such time as we can do more, I pledge to send provisions. Yugiri: We are in your debt, Admiral. I realize that it scarce qualifies as repayment, but if it please you, I shall set about sharing my martial knowledge with your people at once.
Merlwyb: You wished a word in private. Y'shtola: The better not to spoil the festive mood. Y'shtola: History repeats itself, Admiral. As the kobolds did before them, the Sahagin resorted to summoning their god over a territorial feud. They acted in self-preservation. Y'shtola: It may be that the Sahagin initiated this particular clash, but how it begins does not interest me so much as how it ends. Merlwyb: I have not forgotten our conversation, Y'shtola. I am aware that man bears part of the blame for the primals' existence. Merlwyb: Nor am I ignorant of the Sahagin's reason for acting. They sought to secure a place to breed and multiply, that their kind might survive. Self-preservation, as you say. Merlwyb: But we have as much right to live and thrive as they. If our own survival is threatened, are we to lay down our arms and welcome oblivion? Nay. Y'shtola: And so you kill, that you might live. Yet if living is a right, then that right belongs to all peoples, be they men or beastmen. Merlwyb: I'll not deny your reasoning. But when a storm gathers, it falls to me to see my people safely through it. That is my duty, and I shall do it. Y'shtola: As must we all, Admiral. Stay the course, then, but know that it will lead to no good end. Yugiri: Man has ever put himself first and foremost. Yugiri: To justify his actions, he clads himself in the armor of righteousness─though it be a fancy of his own making. In this, mayhap the Garleans and we Domans are not so different... Merlwyb: Eorzea has become as a raging sea. If we are to keep our heads above the waves, we cannot scruple to drown the man next to us. Merlwyb: When hopes of coexistence founder, strength must determine who has the greater right to live.
When Yugiri Met the Fraternity Zanthael has orders to point you in the direction of the Lominsan underworld.
Zanthael: The Admiral has informed me of the arrangement. I have in my keeping a letter of introduction for Lady Yugiri. Zanthael: To the south stands a gate leading to a pier for smaller fishing vessels. Look for an inconspicuous Hyuran man there, and present the letter to him. He serves as a gatekeeper of sorts. Zanthael: Now, before you go, I am obliged to remind you that the members of the, ahem, fraternity to which you would be introduced abide in the shadows of Lominsan society. Zanthael: They value their independence more highly than pirates, and are united by a bond stronger than mythril. To wit, they are invariably wary of new faces. Zanthael: Though it be penned by the Admiral herself, mere words on parchment will get you only so far into their confidence. You must work for every onze of trust they place in you. Zanthael: But here is the letter. Go to the aforementioned place, and show it to the aforementioned man. Oh, and...good luck.
Inconspicuous Man: ...Hm? Got business with me, 'venturer?
Merlwyb's Letter of Introduction A letter penned by Admiral Merlwyb, introducing Yugiri of Doma to the members of Limsa Lominsa's as-yet-unnamed secret fraternity.
Inconspicuous Man: So you're the woman the Admiral sent word of. Inconspicuous Man: I was hopin' I might catch a glimpse of Thancred, too—been a while since I saw his shite-eatin' grin. But what with all the doe-eyed wenches about, I 'spect he's got his hands full. Inconspicuous Man: Ah, and you must be the Far Easterner what Merlwyb says wants to train with us. Welcome to Limsa, milady! Yugiri: I am Yugiri of Doma. 'Tis an honor to make your acquaintance. Yugiri: I must confess, when first I learned of your organization, I had certain...preconceptions as to the nature of your membership. It would seem I was mistaken. Inconspicuous Man: You're not the first person to say that, lass. Limsa's a city of pirates, to be sure, and pirates don't give two farts about keepin' a spotless reputation. They hardly need a secret society to do their dirty work. Inconspicuous Man: Might be as my people and I keep to the shadows, but we've got nothin' to be ashamed of. It's simply better for business that we remain unseen. Yugiri: And so you have developed fighting techniques suited to this purpose. I see. Know that the practitioners of my art, too, are denizens of shadow. 'Tis in stealth that our strength lies. There is much we might learn from one another, I think. Inconspicuous Man: Then what in the seven hells are we waitin' for? If you'd come with us, Yugerry of Do-whatsit, we can get acquainted in more private surrounds... Hah, that didn't come out right, did it!? Yugiri: Lady Forename. I shall remain with these people for a time, that I might study their ways. Yugiri: Though I am loath to be separated from my countrymen, I take solace in the knowledge that they are in the best of hands. Yugiri: You have been a true friend to us Domans. No words would suffice to express my gratitude. Yugiri: Ere long, I hope to begin imparting my martial knowledge to the people of Eorzea. When that time comes, it would be my honor to welcome you as a student.
Through the Maelstrom Yugiri has the air of a woman bursting with gratitude.
Yugiri: Much and more has occurred since first I beheld Eorzea from the galleon's deck. Suffice it to say, I did not envisage being invited to play a part in your noble struggle. Yugiri: But forgive me, I have kept you overlong. Doubtless you have pressing business of your own. Rest assured that I no longer require an escort in this land. Yugiri: When next you meet Lady Minfilia, pray relay to her my humblest thanks. Would that I could do so in person, but I must needs fulfill my promise to the Admiral. Till we meet again, Warrior of Light.
Minfilia: I have been reflecting upon the events which took place during our visit to Vylbrand. Minfilia: If you have a moment, I would share my conclusions with you. Please bear with me. Minfilia: When the Sahagin elder summoned Leviathan, he employed the power we have come to know as the Echo. Minfilia: Though I cannot well explain the how of it, it would seem he became immortal in so doing. Minfilia: When the Admiral subsequently slew him, his spirit emerged from his lifeless flesh, a consciousness shorn of physical form. Minfilia: Thus transfigured, he took up residence in the body of his minion with the ease of a man donning a favorite glove. Minfilia: Long have I known that the Echo allows one to pass through the walls of a man's soul. Minfilia: But never did I imagine that it could free us from our own flesh, nor less that our souls could then occupy the next corporeal vessel to take our fancy. Minfilia: It was of this that Elidibus spoke─an existence which knows neither cessation nor oblivion. Minfilia: And yet, though the Sahagin had mastered his gift and thereby become immortal, he was by no means invulnerable. Minfilia: As we both bore witness, he was ultimately absorbed into Leviathan. Minfilia: And the import of this observation? If the Ascians' mode of existence is indeed the same, it can be inferred that they, too, are not invulnerable─that they can be destroyed. Minfilia: There exists a legend which tells of souls who are reborn upon the cusp of each Umbral Calamity, that they might stay the encroaching Darkness. Minfilia: To most, it is but a faerie tale, yet recent events have given me cause to wonder: could the legend in fact refer to the Echo? Minfilia: Much and more yet remains unknown, but I am confident that all will become clear in time. Minfilia: For the present, however, what matters is that the key to defeating the Ascians may at last be within sight. Minfilia: With Urianger's aid, it is my hope that I shall fathom this matter ere long. Minfilia: Ah! I was just about to send for you, my friend.
...Is aught amiss? Urianger: Grave tidings from the Sharlayan motherland, my lady. Urianger: It doth concern our distant allies, the Students of Baldesion. Minfilia: What of them? Urianger: My lady...the Isle of Val, which for many years hath been the order's home, is no more. Minfilia: No more? Whatever do you mean? Urianger: I relate only that which hath been conveyed unto me by our agents. An aetheric wave of the highest magnitude was recorded in the region. Soon thereafter, 'twas observed that the isle had ceased to be. Urianger: 'Tis postulated that a magick was evoked, like in power to Ultima. Minfilia: Twelve preserve...
Lolorito: If there are no other matters, I move that today's meeting be adjourned. Teledji Adeledji's Manservant: It is done, my lord. Teledji Adeledji's Manservant: I... <cough> F-Forgive my impertinence, my lord, but these orders... I am uncertain as to what end they serve. Teledji Adeledji: Revolution.

A Realm Reborn: Defenders of Eorzea (2.3)

The Great Divide Minfilia's thoughts keep returning to the fate of the Students of Baldesion.
Minfilia: Our friends...the very isle itself...everyone and everything... Minfilia: ...No. No, it avails us naught to speculate. Urianger will send word if there are any developments. Until such time as he does, we must remain firmly focused on that which is within our power to change. With that in mind, I would speak of a different matter. One closer to home. Minfilia: It concerns aetheric fluctuations which we had previously attributed to Good King Moggle Mog XII. Minfilia: That the king is no more is a blessing for which we have you to thank. Minfilia: Yet all is not well in the Twelveswood. Our latest readings reveal an ongoing aetheric disturbance of considerable magnitude. They may even suggest the presence of a primal. Minfilia: Needless to say, the mere possibility warrants immediate investigation, and I would have you─ F'lhaminn: Ascilia? I do not wish to interrupt, but we have a problem. Minfilia: What manner of problem? F'lhaminn: A band of refugees─hailing from Ul'dah, this time─are come to Revenant's Toll seeking asylum. F'lhaminn: It would seem they expect us to afford them the same treatment we gave the Domans. At present, they are in the Seventh Heaven, awaiting a formal response. Minfilia: ...I see. Mayhap this was to be expected. I shall meet with them at once. F'lhaminn: Ascilia. You know full well we haven't the resources to accommodate many more people. Consider what will happen if you do this. Word will spread, and more will follow. Minfilia: ...Your opinion is duly noted─but I will hear their suit. Minfilia: Forename─I should be grateful for your presence at this meeting.
Minfilia: I apologize for keeping you waiting. My name is Minfilia, and I lead the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Draggle-tailed Refugee: Twelve be praised, it is you! Draggle-tailed Refugee: We're ready and willin' to work, same as the Domans! Just give us a task, and we'll see it done! Minfilia: Pray calm yourselves! I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I know naught of your situation. Draggle-tailed Refugee: Beg your pardon, Antecedent. I...I ain't so good with words. Draggle-tailed Refugee: We've been livin' off the scraps of Ul'dah for years now. Tryin' to piece together a life to replace the one what got took. Draggle-tailed Refugee: They say there's work, but there's naught for an honest man. Naught as wouldn't sully his soul sooner than his palms, anyroad. The Flames do what they can for us, o' course, but it ain't near enough. Draggle-tailed Refugee: And it's only gettin' worse. When the Calamity brought us to our knees, those rich bastards in the city didn't help us up─they climbed on our backs. Draggle-tailed Refugee: I don't pretend to be clever, but even I can see what's comin'. I knew we had to run, the only question was where. And then it came to me: Revenant's Toll! Draggle-tailed Refugee: I mean, you took them foreigners in, didn't you? So you'd surely do the same for us! Minfilia: I... I fear the situation is rather more complicated. While it is true that we accepted the Domans' petition for aid, that decision was the product of extraordinary circumstances. Minfilia: I sympathize deeply with your plight, but pray understand that it is not possible for an organization of our means to aid all who have been affected by the Calamity. Minfilia: And so it is with great regret that I must deny your request. Draggle-tailed Refugee: But... But we've nowhere else to go! You're turnin' your back on us!? Tataru: If I might have a word... Minfilia: Tataru? Is aught amiss? Tataru: Ill tidings from Ul'dah, my lady. Alphinaud has...Alphinaud has been wounded! Minfilia: What!? How? Is it serious? Tataru: I cannot say for certain, but I fear it might be. According to the Flames, the refugees started a riot. They went wild, apparently─lashing out at any and everyone! Draggle-tailed Refugee: That can't be right! Why would they? They must've been provoked! The demonstration was meant to be peaceful! Draggle-tailed Refugee: Seven hells... Now the Blades have an excuse, they'll round us up and kill anyone who tries to resist! Draggle-tailed Refugee: Antecedent, please! If you won't help us build a new life, at least help us keep the ones we've got! Tataru: My lady... Minfilia: We are not ones to stand idly by and watch innocents suffer. Minfilia: However, until we know more of the circumstances surrounding this riot, I am not certain what aid, if any, we can provide. Minfilia: If the authorities determine that the refugees attacked without provocation, then those responsible will have to answer for their actions. Draggle-tailed Refugee: How can you be so blind...? Minfilia: Find Alphinaud, and quickly. If he is in danger─or worse─I would have you and none other by his side. Minfilia: Thank you. Pray do not concern yourself with the matter we were discussing earlier. Yda and Papalymo will see to it. Tataru: Alphinaud is being treated at the Hourglass. Hurry, Forename!
Alphinaud: Come, you must have gathered by now that Tataru is given to exaggeration. As you can see, I am quite well. Alphinaud: Ul'dah, on the other hand, is not. This riot was anything but an isolated incident. Alphinaud: There is a restlessness in the air. Tensions long simmering are at last threatening to boil over. Alphinaud: Ul'dah is a nation infamous for the great disparity between the wealthy and the poor. The majority of the populace accepts this state of affairs because they believe that every man bears responsibility for his own lot in life. Alphinaud: To an Ul'dahn, money is the foremost─and some would say the only─measure of a man's worth. Small wonder that the wealthiest wield the greatest influence. Alphinaud: So where do the refugees fit into this social hierarchy? What place is there for those who fled Ala Mhigo and the destruction of the Calamity? Alphinaud: Plainly, there is none. They have no wealth, no power, and no worth. To the Ul'dahn way of thinking, they may as well not exist. Alphinaud: Choosing to ignore their existence, however, is patently not an option. General Raubahn and the sultana understand this, which is why they ordered the Immortal Flames to provide the refugees aid and succor. Alphinaud: Yet none would dispute that the expenses incurred by this policy grow by the day, with no end in sight. Alphinaud: This has prompted more and more Ul'dahns to question their obligation to aid these worthless wanderers... Alphinaud: While more and more refugees have come to resent their treatment at the hands of the sneering citizenry. Alphinaud: The manner of Lord Lolorito's refusal to grant the Domans asylum bespoke a disdain for all refugees─an attitude shared by the rest of the Monetarists. And you may be sure they make no effort to conceal their opinions. Alphinaud: It was only a matter of time before the refugees united in protest. Nor is it any surprise that some among them would ultimately resort to violence. Alphinaud: That the Immortal Flames should choose this of all occasions to engage in joint training exercises with the other Grand Companies... By the time they return, the situation may well have deteriorated beyond mending.
Desperate Times Alphinaud wishes to investigate the circumstances surrounding the riot.
Alphinaud: As I told you before, it was all but inevitable that an incident of this kind would eventually occur given the rising tensions within the sultanate. Nevertheless, I have reason to believe that this particular riot may not have begun spontaneously. Alphinaud: Have I piqued your curiosity? Good. Then you will accompany me to the Hall of Flames. I would hear what General Raubahn has to say upon the matter.
Raubahn: Now is not a good time, Forename. My hands are full dealing with the refugees. Alphinaud: Precisely the matter we wish to discuss, General. Raubahn: Alphinaud... Back on your feet already? Alphinaud: You may credit my swift recovery to your chirurgeons. Alphinaud: My memories of the riot are still somewhat muddled. I trust you managed to regain control of the situation? Raubahn: Not entirely. We secured the city soon enough, but not before the unrest had spread to the surrounding territories. Pockets of resistance remain throughout Thanalan. Raubahn: We have sent what forces we can spare to root out the last of the belligerents, but progress is slow. They are damnably elusive. Alphinaud: I can well imagine. Given that the majority of refugees live outside the walls, it stands to reason that they would know the lay of the land... Alphinaud: What I do not understand is how they came to be so well prepared. Before my little accident, I observed that several of the refugees were armed─and not with butcher's knives or pitchforks, but with martial weaponry. I need hardly add that such equipment is costly. Alphinaud: None can deny that tensions between the Ul'dahn citizenry and the refugee population have increased since the Domans were turned away, but would that motivate a starving man to purchase arms in lieu of food? I think not. Alphinaud: And what of those who have not even a single gil to spend, who could not survive without the aid provided by the Immortal Flames? Surely they would sooner sell a weapon than bring it to bear against their benefactors. Raubahn: Come to the point. Alphinaud: ...Very well. My point, General, is that this powder keg of discontent was not set alight by chance. These events were deliberately set in motion, and─ Raubahn: And now order must be restored. That is my first duty. Until it is done, any investigation can wait. Raubahn: I do not have time to discuss this. My scouts will be returning anon. Alphinaud: The General is no fool. He keeps his own counsel─and with good cause. Alphinaud: Were he to claim, without the necessary proof, that these riots were instigated by outside forces, the Monetarists would accuse him of attempting to shirk responsibility. After all, he and the sultana have been the most outspoken proponents of refugee aid. Alphinaud: Regardless, they will face harsh criticism in the days ahead... Alphinaud: Our allies may stumble upon the truth in time, but I have far more faith in your abilities, Forename. Therefore, I propose we conduct our own investigation, independent of the authorities. Alphinaud: To that end, I would have you make inquiries in the settlements suspected of harboring belligerents. Commander Swift will know which they are. He may balk at a request for such information, but I've no doubt that you can persuade him with your silver tongue. Alphinaud: I, meanwhile, shall seek answers in my own way, after which we can regroup and share our findings. Well then, shall we?
Swift: You look as though you have something to say, Forename. Do you? Swift: What you ask is no simple favor. Were such information to fall into the wrong hands, the lives of countless soldiers would be at risk. Even so...there is wisdom in your words. An able individual may be better suited to this task than a regiment. Swift: Very well. The Brass Blades have reported suspicious activity in the vicinity of Lost Hope. It may be unrelated to recent events, but we doubt it. I suggest you begin by speaking to the Blades posted there.
Amalberga: And what brings you here, adventurer? A search for refugees? Well, then you've come to the right place! Amalberga: Ah, you mean those refugees! Oh no, you won't find them here. Most of the people of Lost Hope have come to accept their situation, and are content to pass their days in peace and quiet. Amalberga: Outsiders have trouble understanding that─like that merchant who passed through recently. Gregarious fellow, but awfully opinionated. Can't say I was sad to see him go.
Leofric: A friend of the sultanate, are we? I take it this means someone has read my report. Leofric: The refugees who left with the merchant have yet to return, and I am increasingly concerned that Zazawaka's suspicions were correct. Leofric: ...You haven't the foggiest what I'm talking about, do you? Never mind. Speak with Zazawaka. He will explain everything.
Zazawaka: Ah! Don't hurt me! I'm not one of them! Zazawaka: Wait, I know your face. Are you not the woman from the Church of Saint Adama Landama? Zazawaka: A thousand pardons, my friend! I mistook you for one of the thugs who have been tormenting us. Zazawaka: If Leofric bid you speak with me, then I take it you've agreed to help. Twelve be praised for that, because we haven't a moment to waste. Everyone knows the Flames are on the march. Zazawaka: The others have fallen under that fanatic's spell, but not I! Promises of revolution and retribution, of holding the ruling class to account and taking that which is owed─hah! A childish fantasy. Zazawaka: I did everything I could to dissuade the others from leaving, but few would heed my words. Now that one of our idealists has returned, however, the madness of the merchant's plan is plain for all to see. Look behind yonder tent and you will understand why. Zazawaka: Even now, he babbles incoherently, so traumatized is he by the bloodshed he witnessed. Try as I might, I can make little sense of his words beyond the fact that he was not alone in surviving. Yet I've no doubt that merchant will lead the remainder to their doom. I beg of you, find them before he does!
Terrified Refugee: Wh-What are you doing? Don't...don't draw. Don't draw, don't draw, don't draw─ DON'T DRAW! Terrified Refugee: ...Why didn't you run away with me? We could've escaped together. Then you'd be here, with me─be here to soothe me. Why...why did you have to stay and leave me alone?
Terrified Refugee: Wh-Who are you? What do you want!? Terrified Refugee: Aye, it's true. I followed the merchant, and may the gods strike me down for my folly. Terrified Refugee: “What they will not give, you must take,” he said. When we asked how, he revealed a cache of weapons he had brought and implored us to “seize control of our fates.” I thought about running then and there, but the others were so excited... He split us into two groups, sent us off on our own─ Terrified Refugee: B-But when the Flames found us, we didn't know what to do! Our leader tried to parley with theirs, but then they started arguing, and then fighting, and then everyone was fighting, and the Flames were shouting to give no quarter, and─ Terrified Refugee: Oh gods, the other group! They're still out there! If we don't stop them, they'll be massacred like mine was!
Shock and Awe The terrified refugee would have you find his brethren and convince them to lay down their arms.
Terrified Refugee: The other refugees are hiding in the caves south of Lost Hope, but to approach them would be fruitless. They would sooner call us agents of the sultanate and try to kill us than listen to reason. Why, the twins might even deign to do the deed themselves. Terrified Refugee: A pox on all bloody sellswords! They were supposed to train us to fight, but the ones he sent with us vanished during the struggle. Terrified Refugee: Oh, if only we had never listened to that merchant's ridiculous claims! He said our cause was righteous, that the gods would never suffer us to be defeated─ Terrified Refugee: Though, if they were forced to confront reality... That's it! Challenge the twins to combat and show my brethren that their strongest warriors are no match for one woman! Mayhap then they will agree to lay down their arms and renounce this plot!
Desperate Refugee: Seven hells, they've found us! Everyone, grab yer gear and make for the rendezvous point! Desperate Refugee: ...So that's yer game, is it? Ahahaha! Sorry to disappoint ye, lass, but we're more than willin' to kill ye ourselves!
Terrified Refugee: You've returned! Did you find my brethren? What of the twins? What happened!? Terrified Refugee: I see... Well...you had no choice. Better that a handful of them take a beating from you than the lot get butchered by the Flames. Terrified Refugee: Tell me, what did the merchant have to say when it was over? Terrified Refugee: Huh? But where else would he be? Unless... Unless he went to Stonesthrow to recruit others?
Reap the Whirlwind The terrified refugee would have you find the shady figure who is trying to stir dissent among his brethren.
Terrified Refugee: The merchant wished to approach the refugees in Stonesthrow, but was waiting until the Flames withdrew their forces from the vicinity. Now that they have, there's nothing to stop him from continuing his work. Terrified Refugee: How many more must perish in pursuit of this futile cause? How much more suffering must we endure before it ends? Terrified Refugee: Find him. Convince him to cease his mad quest. It will surely lead us to ruin.
Ele: <sniffle> Have... Have you seen my parents? Ele: They told me to stay here with the others. They said they'd be back soon, but it's been days... Ele: They left with the man from Ul'dah. The man said they were gonna change everything─make it so we could live inside the walls with everyone else. I liked it when he said that. Ele: I didn't like it when he talked about making the rich people pay. Everyone looked so angry, and I got scared... Ele: Say, miss...are you looking for someone? Ele: You mean...the man who left with my parents? But I don't know where he─ Ele: Wait...look! Over there! I think that's him! Mistrustful Merchant: Well, now. Which of these gullible fools shall be my next victim? Mistrustful Merchant: You! I... I... Ele: He's getting away! Go get him, miss!
Mistrustful Merchant: You again!? Wh-Why are you pursuing me!? Mistrustful Merchant: Sedition!? Treason!? Revolution!? Th-That's preposterous! Mistrustful Merchant: Who has filled your head with these lies? Refugees? The selfsame refugees who terrorized the streets of Ul'dah? Hah! Mistrustful Merchant: You have no evidence to prove your accusations! None! Mistrustful Merchant: N-No, I will not accompany you to the Hall of Flames. You have no right to detain me... Mistrustful Merchant: F-F-For the sake of argument, let us say I did do the things you claim. Surely you don't think I give a Qiqirn's arse about politics? It was business─only business. Mistrustful Merchant: We both know I am not the one you want. However, if you agree to protect me, I swear I shall tell you everything. Stone Torch: What's all this commotion!? Stone Torch: Seven hells... Stone Torch: Tell the others to spread out and search the area. The killer may still be close.
Stone Torch: Hold, adventurer. I would know more about your relationship with the victim, as well as the events leading up to his death. Stone Torch: This man was responsible for the recent riots? Mayhap we owe his murderer a debt of gratitude. Stone Torch: In any case, it is obvious you are not the one whom we seek. You may carry on with your investigation, Scion.
Swift: What news, Forename? Where is the merchant? Swift: Murdered!? Damn it all to the seventh hell! Swift: He was not simply murdered, Forename─he was silenced. Too many knew his face, and he was ready to divulge his secrets. Swift: Do not despair, though. We may be closer to identifying the true orchestrator of these riots than you realize.
Revolution Swift has a message for you from General Raubahn.
Swift: The Flame General left word that you were to proceed to the Fragrant Chamber as soon as you returned. He wishes to discuss your recent discoveries, as well as the results of our own investigation. Swift: Master Alphinaud has already been informed and should be waiting for you outside. Pray proceed to the Royal Promenade with all haste and speak with Bartholomew.
Bartholomew: We have been expecting you, madam. Please proceed inside.
Raubahn: Commander Swift has kept us apprised of your recent activities. You've made great strides towards quelling the violence. Alphinaud: Despite our best efforts to determine what provoked this uprising, the truth continues to elude us. Have you uncovered aught which might shed some light on the mystery? Raubahn: This information does not leave this room. Raubahn: The Syndicate's decision to reject the Doman refugees' appeal for asylum had lasting repercussions. A number of those displaced by the Calamity claimed it was proof of a policy of discrimination. Raubahn: Together with a group of Ala Mhigan refugees, they organized a series of demonstrations to protest against the sultanate. Raubahn: Demonstrations which became heated, but did not descend into violence. Raubahn: Until a certain incident served as a call to arms. Nanamo Ul Namo: A unit of Brass Blades sent to supervise a demonstration loosed arrows upon unarmed protesters. Nanamo Ul Namo: It was this atrocity which prompted the refugees to take up arms. I need not tell you what followed. Raubahn: We assumed at first that the attack was born of a miscommunication. When emotions run high, they happen. But suspicions were raised regarding the unit's commanding officer, whom I ordered interrogated. Raubahn: Sure enough, our fears were soon confirmed. The dog confessed that a merchant had offered him coin to give the order─a merchant in the employ of Teledji Adeledji. Alphinaud: Teledji Adeledji? Alphinaud: But he spoke in favor of the Domans' cause, and has ever seemed sympathetic towards the refugees' plight. Why would he do such a thing? Raubahn: Know you of the Carteneau Reclamation Bill? Raubahn: It is a proposal to annex the Carteneau Flats so that refugees may establish permanent settlements. Alphinaud: When last I looked, that was disputed territory. Raubahn: Aye. Some might even call it a battlefield. Raubahn: The destruction wrought by Bahamut was greatest at the Carteneau Flats. That much is common knowledge. Raubahn: What is less well known is that his rampage laid bare ancient Allagan ruins, of which no record existed. Raubahn: There are certain...differences of opinion as to how these ruins should be handled, which is why each nation maintains a military presence in the region to this day. Raubahn: Yet differ though we may, we are still allies. Therefore, in the interest of preserving the Eorzean Alliance, we have reached an agreement. Raubahn: Any conflict which may arise during the course of military exercises in the region shall have no bearing on relations between our nations. Raubahn: In full knowledge of this delicate state of affairs, Teledji Adeledji proposed the Carteneau Reclamation Bill. Raubahn: A shameless bloody ruse which stands to benefit him in but one conceivable way. Raubahn: If successful, he will gain control over the disputed territory, under the guise of assisting in the resettlement effort. And you can be sure he'll build an orphanage next to every Allagan ruin. Nanamo Ul Namo: The man would threaten the unity of the Eorzean Alliance and risk countless lives for personal gain! Raubahn: He walks a path all his own, independent of any faction, and beholden to none of his fellows on the Syndicate. Nanamo Ul Namo: By inciting the less fortunate to violence, he hopes to convince others that the Carteneau Reclamation Bill is the only viable solution. Nanamo Ul Namo: His sympathy for the plight of the Domans was naught but posturing to gain credibility with the refugees. Of that there can be no doubt. Alphinaud: Forgive me, but what could possibly motivate Teledji Adeledji to go to such lengths? What is so special about these ruins that he would risk his position on the Syndicate, and, most likely, charges of treason against the sultanate? Nanamo Ul Namo: Omega... Alphinaud: Pardon? Raubahn: An Allagan monstrosity, not unlike the Ultima Weapon. Mayhap larger. We know not. It has yet to be fully excavated. Raubahn: Allagan inscriptions indicate that it was created to fell Bahamut himself. Raubahn: If accurate, it might explain why Nael van Darnus chose to bring the red moon down upon the Carteneau Flats. Raubahn: Given the ends he went to to ensure Eorzea's annihilation, destroying the one weapon which could stay the elder primal may well have seemed like good sense. Alphinaud: When first I bore witness to the power of the Ultima Weapon, I doubted the evidence of my senses... And now you tell me there is another such weapon─one which could contend with Bahamut. Bahamut. Raubahn: Aye. We were skeptical ourselves. Truth be told, until the Ultima Weapon's existence came to light, we thought the inscription had been mistranslated. Nanamo Ul Namo: At present, Omega is more akin to a fossil than a tool of war, having long since ceased to function. As such, its true potential cannot accurately be gauged. Nanamo Ul Namo: However, if someone were to restore it, as the Garleans did the Ultima Weapon, I have little doubt that he would wield untold power. Raubahn: Power enough to subjugate Ul'dah, like as not, and the rest of Eorzea besides─which is doubtless why Teledji Adeledji yearns to have it. Nanamo Ul Namo: That he should aspire to world domination... He who has ever walked two paces behind Lord Lolorito in matters of commerce. Raubahn: 'Tis in acknowledgement of his own limitations that he seeks this power. Woe betide us all should we allow him to have it. Nanamo Ul Namo: Pray waste no time chasing rats. Only a fool would believe that secrets can be kept in Ul'dah. Alphinaud: It would seem the implications of the sultanate's refugee problem are rather more far-reaching than we assumed...
Stories We Tell Recent revelations weigh heavily on Alphinaud's mind.
Alphinaud: I should be glad to know the truth, and yet...the thought that all this chaos was the product of one man's lust for power sickens me. Alphinaud: How long do you think they intended to hide the existence of Omega from the Scions? That they even felt the need to do so is most troubling. Alphinaud: It would be in our best interests to learn more of the military activities in the disputed territories. Fortunately, you are already well positioned to do so, Captain Surname. Pray keep us informed of any developments in Carteneau. Sultansworn Squire: Begone, whelp! This is no place for children! Ele: <sniffle> <sob> I'm...I'm sorry... Ele: I... <sniffle> I was looking for you, miss. You said you were looking for the man who left with my parents. Alphinaud: You know this girl? Alphinaud: So he visited Stonesthrow as well? I see. Ele: Did you find the man? Were my parents with him? Alphinaud: They were not, I am afraid. Alphinaud: ...However, I can think of several places they might be. If you like, we can go and look for them together. Ele: Really? You'll help me look, mister? Alphinaud: Of course. But first, I must needs finish speaking with my friend. She's telling me a secret, you see, so no one else is allowed to listen. Mayhap you could wait for me by that pillar over there? We require but a moment. Ele: Okay, mister! I'll be waiting! Alphinaud: ...I'll take her to the Quicksand. Mayhap Momodi will know what to do. Alphinaud: <sigh> A legion of Garleans, an aether-starved primal─even dealing with an Ascian would be preferable to this charade. Alphinaud: Sometimes I fear Minfilia is too ambitious. We rush hither and yon in response to threats as they arise, without concern for the strain it places on our limited resources─and ourselves. Alphinaud: Mayhap the time has come for a change... Minfilia: Forename, this is Minfilia. I know this is sudden, but I must ask you to return to Revenant's Toll with all due haste. Minfilia: The situation in the Twelveswood has taken a turn for the worse. I will explain in detail once you arrive. Alphinaud: The Twelveswood? Then the primal threat she spoke of before has been confirmed? I have received no reports of Ixali activity, which leaves...the sylphs? Alphinaud: Go, Forename. You know as well as I that the appearance of a primal takes precedence over all else. Alphinaud: Oh, and when you arrive, do inform the Antecedent that while I am grateful for her concern, she needn't fear for my safety. I am more than capable of protecting myself.
Minfilia: It is a relief to see you healthy and hale, Forename. The latest news from Ul'dah was most disturbing. Minfilia: ...Clearly, the only injury Alphinaud suffered was to his ego. Doubtless it will heal ere long. Minfilia: The other Scions will need to be present for this meeting. If you are ready to begin, I will summon them now.
Lord of Levin Minfilia wishes to discuss the latest threat to arise in the Black Shroud.
Minfilia: Thank you for responding to my call with such haste. Minfilia: Rest assured, I should not have summoned you were it not urgent. To business, then: I have received some most disturbing news from the Order of the Twin Adder. They have reason to believe that the sylphs may have called forth their revered guardian─the primal Ramuh. Thancred: I'm sorry, “may have”? Then it is not certain? Minfilia: The Elder Seedseer informs us that the elementals themselves murmur of the Lord of Levin's return to the forest. The Sylphlands, however, display no signs of undue commotion. Papalymo: Forgive me, Antecedent, but that fact need not contradict the elementals' testimony. Unlike his more bellicose compeers─Garuda and so on─Ramuh is reputed to act only in the defense of his children. Papalymo: I imagine he would soon make his presence known if any were foolish enough to directly endanger the sylphs or their territory. Y'shtola: The abruptness of this development concerns me. Were we not keeping a close watch on the “touched ones” and their movements? Y'shtola: If preparations for a summoning ritual were indeed underway, 'twould surely not have escaped your notice. Yda (Lyse): Oh, it didn't. I was pretty sure it was going to happen─just not this soon. Y'shtola: I beg your pardon? You foresaw this eventuality and did naught to prevent it!? Yda (Lyse): I-I told Papalymo! I suppose I could have reported things to Minfilia earlier...but there honestly wasn't much we could do except wait and see. Yda (Lyse): You know how the sylphs feel about people poking around in their territory. Yda (Lyse): They already summoned Ramuh once right after the Calamity, but that was because the Garleans came tramping through the forest... Papalymo: ...And so long as Castrum Oriens stands, the sylphs cannot be blamed for wishing to have their guardian deity on hand. Papalymo: In short, Yda and I are in agreement. The actions of the forest folk were inevitable and unavoidable. Papalymo: And I maintain that observation would have remained the best policy had it not been for the sudden influx of strangers into the Black Shroud. That, alas, we did not foresee... Papalymo: By all accounts, the recent violence in Ul'dah drove a number of refugees to seek safety under the concealing canopy of the trees. Papalymo: 'Tis like that the sylphs perceived this panicked migration as yet another invasion, and quickened their efforts to summon their god. Y'shtola: I am put in mind of Titan and the kobolds. Once again, it is the affairs of men which have paved the way for a primal's coming. Papalymo: Indeed. One cannot help but wonder what manner of place Eorzea would be without the “civilizing influence” of mankind... Be that as it may, this regrettable development does afford us a unique opportunity. Papalymo: Forename─through your dealings with the sylphs of Little Solace, you once succeeded in preventing an untimely conflict with Gridania. Papalymo: I wonder...might one who has treated with the sylphs so fruitfully in the past not achieve similar success with their patron deity? Papalymo: If Ramuh can be convinced of our intentions, it may be the first step to breaking the cycle of primal summoning. Y'shtola: ...A fond hope. Were such a thing possible, we would not have been at war with the beastmen since time immemorial. Yda (Lyse): But maybe this time we can─ Minfilia: Let us continue this discussion anon. We must needs first consult with the nation most affected by Ramuh's presence. Minfilia: The Elder Seedseer has requested your personal involvement, Forename. Pray report to Commander Heuloix at the Adders' Nest as soon as you are able. Minfilia: Steel yourself for the worst. While I hope for a peaceful resolution to this matter, experience suggests that your meeting with the Lord of Levin will prove less than amicable. In such an event, your fellow Scions will of course lend you whatever support you require.
Vorsaile Heuloix: Forename of the Scions, your arrival has been most anticipated. The appearance of a primal is ever cause for alarm and unease. Vorsaile Heuloix: Though my men stand ready for any eventuality, I know of none more qualified than you to snuff out this threat. Indeed, I would have you do so without delay. The Elder Seedseer, however, would speak with you first. Vorsaile Heuloix: She is of the opinion that your diplomatic─rather than martial─skills may better serve our cause. I will leave further explanation to our learned leader. Pray make your way to Nophica's Altar. The conjurer in attendance will admit you to the Lotus Stand.
Silent Conjurer: The other Scions have already arrived, madam. May I show you in?
  • Proceed to the Lotus Stand?
  • Yes
  • No
Kan-E-Senna: Scions of the Seventh Dawn, on behalf of the people of Gridania, I bid you welcome. Your presence is of great comfort to us all in these days of uncertainty. Kan-E-Senna: I summoned you here to share tidings of a most urgent nature. But a short while ago, the great elemental spoke, and his voice was clarion in its intensity: Ramuh is returned unto the forest. Kan-E-Senna: Scarce had his words ceased to echo in mine ears when we were visited by an emissary from Little Solace. Kan-E-Senna: Our guest informs us that the sylphs, too, have sensed the presence of the Lord of Levin. Kan-E-Senna: Though his exact whereabouts remain unknown, we may safely assume that the primal was summoned within the heart of the Sylphlands. Kan-E-Senna: Unlike the other primals you have encountered, Lord Ramuh is no raging avatar of destruction. He is revered as much for his wisdom as his strength, serving as both arbiter and guardian to his children. Given that we and the sylphs found a way to share the Twelveswood, it is my hope that this sagely immortal will be amenable to reason, and that conflict may be avoided. Kan-E-Senna: Blessed as you are with the power of the Echo, you are one of the few among us who may commune with a primal without fear of influence. I would ask therefore that you represent us in this most delicate of negotiations. Kan-E-Senna: The Twelveswood has suffered enough. Upon this, we and the sylphs─and I would venture Lord Ramuh himself─are in perfect accord. Let us not endanger our shared home by engaging in unnecessary hostilities. Kan-E-Senna: Dear friend, I beseech you: safeguard the peace which exists between our peoples. Kan-E-Senna: You have my thanks. Kan-E-Senna: Pray make for Little Solace, then. A member of the Order of the Twin Adder awaits you there. He will advise you on how to find the Lord of Levin. Kan-E-Senna: An ill wind blows through the forest. Kan-E-Senna: Yet...it is not only the Twelveswood that flinches at its coming─all the lands of Eorzea shiver in dread anticipation. Have care.
Serpent Lieutenant: Forename of the Scions? I was told to expect you. Serpent Lieutenant: I understand you go to treat with the primal Ramuh himself─an unenviable task, but one for which I have no doubt you are well suited. Serpent Lieutenant: I have been told that your fellow Scions are conducting an investigation of the area as we speak, that we might ascertain the location where the Lord of Levin might be found. I would ask that you abide here until they return with their findings.
Levin an Impression The serpent lieutenant looks about, seemingly awaiting a visitor.
Serpent Lieutenant: I was told that a messenger would be sent as soon as your fellow Scions finished their investigation. I do not imagine it will be much longer. Maxio: This one returns, and returns with good tidings! Wise ones have finished searching, and have wisely identified the precise location where the touched ones summoned Lord Ramuh! Serpent Lieutenant: Your timing is impeccable, my fluttery friend! Might you be so kind as to escort this good woman to her fellow Scions? Maxio: It would be this one's pleasure, walking one. Please, please come with this one!
Maxio: Wise ones have ventured deep, deep within the Sylphlands. These ones must proceed carefully, and keep an eye out for touched ones.
Maxio: This one is most sorry, but this one can go no further. Draw too close to Lord Ramuh, and this one may turn mean and nasty like touched ones! Maxio: And so this one must say farewell for now. Walking one will find wise ones not far from here, to the south. Go in safety, walking one.
Papalymo: ...So it's actually you. I am relieved. For a moment, I thought we were dealing with another one of those confounded sylph tricksters. Papalymo: I swear, with them wreaking havoc with their skin-changing magicks, it's a wonder I was able to finish taking my measurements. Papalymo: Yes, it was quite the ordeal. You should have seen the look on Y'shtola's face when the one impersonating you suddenly showed up... Y'shtola: ...That's quite enough, Papalymo. Papalymo: ...Ahem. My apologies. It's not like me to ramble so. Papalymo: At any rate, as I was saying, I have finished measuring aetheric activity in the area, and am pleased to say I have reached an indisputable conclusion─to wit, that Ramuh was called forth in the vicinity of the sylphs' aetheryte! Papalymo: Come, Forename. The Lord of Levin awaits!
Ramuh: Thine aura betrays thee, servant of Hydaelyn. Ramuh: Thou art the Bringer of Light...bane of Ifrit, Titan, Garuda, and Leviathan. Ramuh: I am Ramuh, guardian of the children of the forest. Ramuh: Thou tramplest upon sacred soil, Bringer of Light. By what right doth man intrude in this sanctuary of the sylphs? Ramuh: The Gridanians proffer peace? Their words are born of delusion─thine offer, an insult. Ramuh: Thou speakest of harmony, yet carest naught for my children's desires. They did but wish to dwell beneath these boughs in solitude─yet even that was too much to ask of man. Ramuh: Thus did they turn to me for succor. The sentence I pronounce upon thy kind is just. Ramuh: Gridanian or Garlean, it matters not. The good intent of one excuseth not the misdeeds of the other. Ramuh: Thy conflicts have brought naught but anguish and misery unto the forest. All blame doth lie with the darkness that resideth in the breast of man. Ramuh: Whence sprung this calamitous seed? In the beginning, no such duality existed. Were light and dark given form when man was born? Ramuh: It would explain much. Not least why strife and sorrow follow ever in thy wake. Thou canst not deny the urgings of thine own nature. Ramuh: Knowing that thy mere presence here portendeth tragedy, wilt thou persist in this pretense of peacemaking? Ramuh: Thou bearest the crystal which I bestowed upon my wayward charges. That they should entrust so precious a gift to thee... Ramuh: Thou standest apart from thy kin. Thou art the Bringer of Light, aye...but there is something more in thee... Ramuh: Very well, I shall consider thy proposal...shouldst thou survive my trial. Ramuh: If thou wouldst champion the cause of harmony, I must have proof that thou art fit to play the role. Weather mine ire, and prove to me thereby that thou hast strength enough to stay the Darkness which threateneth to consume thee. Ramuh: Yet if thou shouldst be found wanting, know that all men shall perish in the storm of my judgment! Ramuh: Come to me, Bringer of Light. I shall await thee on the field of battle! Y'shtola: Urianger. It is rare indeed to find you so far from a tome. Urianger: The Lord of Levin himself... Never till this day had I looked upon his visage save in painted renderings, made faint by time... Ever shall this scene remain etched in my mind's eye... Ahem. Beg pardon, my lady. Urianger: I must beg thine aid on a point of research. If thou art resolved to face Lord Ramuh, I would ask thy leave to observe the event...

The Striking Tree (Hard)

After forging deep into the Sylphlands, you meet with the intimidating guardian deity of the sylphs—the primal Ramuh. But before he will consider your proposal of peace, the Lord of Levin first demands proof that you possess the strength required to repel the Empire from the Twelveswood. The thunderous entity then vanishes in a blinding flash, leaving the words of his challenge yet echoing in your ears. Enter the primal's domain, and prepare to be measured on the scales of battle!
Ramuh: Thou art brave, Bringer of Light.
Yet bravery alone shall not convince me of thy worth! Ramuh: Prove thy words are more than empty banter! Ramuh: I pronounce thy sentence!
By the radiance of eld be thee judged! Ramuh: This battle shall decide thy fate.
Canst thou weather mine awakened ire!? Ramuh: Thy judgment is nigh...
To me, mine arbiters! Ramuh: Art thou truly of man?
Thy strength exceeds mine expectations...
Ramuh: I have taken thy measure, Bringer of Light. Ramuh: And I judge thee a worthy champion. The task of excising the sin that hath taken root in man's heart is thine. Ramuh: Shrink not from employing thy strength in service to the forest, and the wider realm beyond. Like hungering shadows do the enemies of harmony gather, and meekness will but feed them. Ramuh: If man is to be delivered from the Dark, it shall be by thy guiding Light alone. Stray not from the path, for if thou dost, thy people shall be truly lost... Urianger: Thou hast slain the Lord of Levin. A regrettable act...but a necessary one. Urianger: In witnessing thy struggle, a truth hath been revealed unto me. If I mistake not, it may yet prove a chink in the eternal armor of the Ascians. Urianger: But let us conclude our present business. I shall expound upon my findings at the Rising Stones anon.
Serpent Lieutenant: Forename, you have returned! Dare I ask how Ramuh received your visit? Serpent Lieutenant: ...He challenged you to a test of arms!? It is well, then, that you have some experience in such matters! Serpent Lieutenant: The peoples of both Gridania and Little Solace will be relieved to hear that the Lord of Levin has accepted you as the forest's champion of peace. Serpent Lieutenant: You have performed a monumental duty this day, Forename. The Elder Seedseer must be informed of your deeds at once!
What Little Gods Are Made Of The serpent lieutenant is ready to send you on your way.
Serpent Lieutenant: The Elder Seedseer will wish to hear of your experiences firsthand. Serpent Lieutenant: Pray return to Gridania and make directly for the Lotus Stand─the conjurer at Nophica's Altar will be expecting you. Fare you well, Forename.
Silent Conjurer: Welcome back, honored Scion. We who knew of your mission have been most anxious to see you return. The Elder Seedseer awaits you within.
  • Proceed to the Lotus Stand?
  • Yes
  • No
Kan-E-Senna: You are returned to us, dear friend, and none the worse for bearing the heavy burden which I did press upon you. Most glad am I of this. Kan-E-Senna: I am informed that your efforts to negotiate a peace with Lord Ramuh ended in conflict. Pray tell me, what befell? Kan-E-Senna: Ramuh made trial of you? Kan-E-Senna: I fear there is truth to his claim. It is the darkness within us that attracts the Darkness without. Kan-E-Senna: It cannot be denied that misfortune follows man. For evidence, one need only look to the conflict brewing in Carteneau, or to the rising flood of refugees. Kan-E-Senna: Our shared struggle against the Empire should have served to seal our union, yet the ties which bind the Alliance strain under the weight of gross self-interest. Kan-E-Senna: As the scars of the Calamity begin to fade, so too does our sense of common purpose. Kan-E-Senna: Yet now is scarce the time to forget our shared responsibility. If this new-sprung realm is to survive beyond its infancy, it must needs be nurtured by all. Kan-E-Senna: Eorzea must be as one. Yet I fear that dream is still far off. Kan-E-Senna: On behalf of the people of Gridania, and the elementals both, I thank you for all that you and your fellow Scions have done. Kan-E-Senna: Full oft have I been compelled to look to you for aid of late...and offered all too little in return. As leader of this nation, I shall endeavor to prove a more worthy ally to your cause henceforth.
Kan-E-Senna: Lord Ramuh has departed, yet the keening of this ill wind grows no less insistent... Kan-E-Senna: Voices of the forest─pray speak and I shall listen. What unseen evil begets this unease in my heart?
Papalymo: Thus ends another daunting mission, eh, Forename? Papalymo: I'd hoped Lord Ramuh could be persuaded with words alone, but nonetheless, I can only admire the adroitness with which you responded to the primal's sudden challenge. Papalymo: And it seems that Urianger, too, was pleased with the outcome. What say you, Forename? Shall we gather back at the Rising Stones and ponder the lessons of the day?
Minfilia: Welcome back, Forename! Word of your momentous encounter with Lord Ramuh precedes you! Minfilia: I would fain share news of mine own, but Urianger's discoveries must take precedence. Minfilia: Upon witnessing your defeat of the Lord of Levin, our learned companion was struck with a profound insight regarding the nature of the Ascians' immortality. Let us assemble and discuss his observations together.
Minfilia: If everyone is ready, let us begin. Minfilia: Urianger, the floor is yours. Urianger: As all here assembled now know, in its final hours as our order's headquarters, the Waking Sands did play host to a most unexpected visitor. I speak of the Ascian clad in white, Elidibus. Urianger: Unwelcome though his presence was, his words that day did serve to confirm a truth long suspected: that the Ascians are eternal beings, to whom physical destruction is as a temporary inconvenience. Minfilia: In the intervening time, Urianger and I have striven to discover a means by which the Ascians might more permanently be slain. Urianger: And 'tis my belief that we have found the thread that will allow us to unravel the twisted skein of their existence. Urianger: In the moments prior to Leviathan's most recent manifestation, the Sahagin elder who summoned him was observed to undergo some manner of ascension. Urianger: The aetheric readings taken by Y'shtola at the time of this transfiguration have proven most enlightening. Y'shtola: The disruption to the flow of aether was sudden and dramatic. So tangible was the agitation, I scarce had need of my goggles. Urianger: The significance of Y'shtola's readings might better be understood in the context of mine own, taken at the instant of the Lord of Levin's demise. Unlike the primal, the Sahagin was not subject to aetheric dissipation. Minfilia: Before discussing our new discoveries, it may benefit us all to recall what we know of aetheric behavior. Minfilia: Let us begin at what some might call the end. When we who dwell in the material realm die, our spirits dissolve into the flow of aether, and are returned to the aetherial realm. Minfilia: In turn, the restless energy which suffuses that plane streams back into our world, giving rise to new life. Urianger: 'Tis as the heavens did decree─the way of all mortal souls. Urianger: 'Twixt this world and the next do the aetherial currents swirl, bearing the very essence of life. Thus doth the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth continue unabated. Minfilia: Primals behave somewhat differently. In order to manifest and then maintain a physical presence in this realm, they must consume vast quantities of aether, most often in the form of crystals. Though they may seem to live, their flesh is but aether given shape. Minfilia: Thus, a defeated primal leaves behind no broken corpse─rather, the essence of its form seeps back into the land whence it came, and the energy of its shattered spirit is called back to the aetherial realm. Urianger: And there it waiteth till next the prayers of the faithful do draw it forth from the sea of aether to take their offering of crystals and make for itself a new body... Minfilia: Which brings us on to the third group. These so-called “immortals.” They exist in a manner all their own. Y'shtola: Quite. Even as the Sahagin elder fell to the Admiral's musket shot, I witnessed the release of an aetherial cloud which immediately took possession of a nearby minion. Urianger: A soul that dissipateth not upon the death of the flesh... Thancred: The secret of life everlasting. And in the claws of a Sahagin, no less. But I wonder: what would happen to one of these obstinate spirits should there be no suitable host for it to claim? Minfilia: If mortal death entails a return to the aetherial realm, it seems doubtful that the soul of an immortal would venture there. Urianger: Nay, it merely withdraweth a distance. Unto the shore of the aetherial sea, perchance, but no further. Minfilia: Yes, it exists in neither this realm nor the next, abiding instead in the space that lies between them. Minfilia: The Ascians took control of Thancred by means of a Crystal of Darkness─an artifact which, if our theories are correct, serves as a gateway to the place I have just described. Thancred: I was hoping people had forgotten about that... Minfilia: I am sorry, my friend. Urianger: For a mercy, the weary road of our research hath brought us unto an answer. Y'shtola: The Sahagin ascended to an immortal state, but he did not possess a Crystal of Darkness through which to flee this realm. Thus was he consumed by Leviathan. Y'shtola: If we could entrap the spirits of defeated Ascians in like manner, and thereby deny them resurrection... Urianger: Therein lieth the path to victory. Thou art most perceptive, my lady. Urianger: Only when we have trapped the bodiless soul within an aetherial prison can we hope to defeat its unnatural constancy. Thus, might even an eternal Paragon be consigned to oblivion. Minfilia: These feats are, of course, far easier said than done. At present, we lack a viable means to entrap and extinguish an Ascian soul. Minfilia: Yet I believe it to be possible. The pieces of the puzzle lie before us─we have but to put them together. Urianger: I will depart at once to convene with the sages of Sharlayan. Together shall we divine the steps by which our goals may be achieved. Minfilia: I have the utmost faith in you, Archon. Urianger: Beg pardon, Antecedent, but I would raise one final matter... Even now, a Sharlayan survey party seeketh to ascertain the fate of the Students of Baldesion. Urianger: Their findings shall soon be known to us. Though you harbor feelings of dread, I bid you surrender not to sorrow, but abide instead in hopeful prayer. Minfilia: I shall, Archon. Thank you.
Igeyorhm: The Lord of Levin is returned to the aether, as was Leviathan before him. Nabriales: Ramuh's acquiescence was most...intriguing. Emmerololth: Inferno, vortex, crag, whorl, and levin. All have now been humbled by the Bringer of Light. Altima: The limitless potential of man... Hydaelyn's servant grows mightier by the day. Elidibus: Yet she prospers at great cost to her mistress...whose strength is all too finite. Seven times have the masses survived the Rejoining, but their souls are grown weak and wan... Elidibus: Yet even as it enervates, the Ardor empowers our master. All that remains is to nurture the strength of the gifted─to forge the final key. ??? (Lahabrea): ...And that is the task to which we bend our every effort. Lahabrea: Divine seeds were ever wont to quicken in Eorzea's fertile soil. We need only lead men to the field, and by their eager hands shall a new deity arise. Lahabrea: That which was shattered shall be made anew...and the one true god shall come again.
Guardian of Eorzea Minfilia has some correspondence she wishes to share with you.
Minfilia: Now the matter of Ramuh has, for the present, been put to rest, there is something I would show you, Forename. Minfilia: It is a letter of thanks, signed by the leaders of the Eorzean Alliance, acknowledging the Scions' tireless service to the realm. Minfilia: It mentions, in particular, the names of all of the defeated primals─Ifrit, Titan, Garuda, Good King Moggle Mog XII, Leviathan, and now Ramuh. Minfilia: Needless to say, there is only one among our number to have faced them all. Minfilia: And though these words of gratitude were addressed to our order as a whole, I feel that they were meant for you above all others. Minfilia: I, too, must offer my heartfelt thanks for all that you have done. In the course of your duties, you have never once failed to answer my call to arms. Minfilia: You are a true hero, Forename, and Eorzea is that much the safer for your presence. Minfilia: Pray do not misunderstand me─I said “safer,” not “safe.” I know only too well that we can ill afford to lower our guard. The Ascians may be relied upon to sow chaos in this realm until such time as they are forced to stop. Minfilia: Why, even without their encouragement, you may be assured that man would foment strife on his own. And that is to say nothing of the beast tribes. Unless we learn to live in harmony, the primals, too, will return to plague us again and again and again... Minfilia: And yet...despite all of this, your deeds serve to inspire the people─to give them hope for a better tomorrow. And there is no greater gift. Minfilia: That we have the courage to strive for what might otherwise seem an impossible peace, we owe in no small part to the dangers you have faced on our behalf, and the people you have won over to our cause in so doing. Our list of enemies has ever been long, but think of the allies with whom we are now blessed... Minfilia: Of the beastmen who wish naught of conflict, and who now call you friend. Minfilia: Of Alisaie, who strives to unearth the terrible secrets of the Calamity. Minfilia: And then there is Cid and the fellowship of NOAH, racing to unlock the mysteries of ancient Allag that we might be spared the horror of another Ultima Weapon. Minfilia: ...Of course, when speaking of our greatest allies, we must not forget those closest to us, by which I mean our fellow Scions. Minfilia: Thanks to their many and varied talents, our order is uniquely equipped to combat the far-reaching corruption of the Ascians─and combat it we shall! ??? (Alphinaud): Your enthusiasm is truly heartwarming, Antecedent. Given our embarrassing wealth of allies, I trust it will not inconvenience you unduly if I absent myself for a time? Minfilia: Alphinaud! I take it the troubles in Ul'dah no longer require your attention? Alphinaud: There are yet some rumblings of discontent, but the air of simmering violence is largely dissipated. 'Tis to report such that I stand before you now. Alphinaud: That...and to speak with you concerning the new organization we discussed. Alphinaud: Ah, I have a message for you from Ele─ Ahem. You recall the refugee girl? The one whose parents were missing? They were found unharmed. She wished me to pass on her thanks to you. Minfilia: Why, Alphinaud! Am I to understand that you made the effort to remember the poor girl's name? I look forward to reading all about her in your report. I do hope you left nothing out! Minfilia: Forename─you have been away from Revenant's Toll for some time now, I believe. Might I suggest that you put the affairs of the realm to one side for the moment and take this opportunity to reacquaint yourself with the town? Minfilia: ...Which reminds me─one of the Doman children recently inquired as to your whereabouts. Yozan was his name. I believe he has some small matter he wishes to share with you. Why not oblige him with a visit?
Yozan: Look! It's Miss Forename! She's back from her adventures! Yozan: We heard you were off fighting “primals,” and that they're some of the strongest enemies you could ever face! I wish I could've seen you in battle... Yozan: Anyway, we all want to be heroes, too─so we finally formed our very own Doman Adventurers' Guild to protect all the Domans! Yozan: Oh! Do you think you could train us today, Miss Forename? Maybe you could show us how you fought the primals! ??? (Hoary Boulder): What's all this commotion, then? Yozan: Mister Boulder and Mister Coultenet! Did you know that Miss Forename is back!? Hoary Boulder: So it would seem. Welcome home, Forename. My companion and I but recently became full members of the Scions, and I believe proper introductions have yet to be made. Hoary Boulder: I am known as Hoary Boulder, and this bookish fellow is Coultenet. Though we remain largely unproven as adventurers, we have taken it upon ourselves to instruct the Doman younglings in the arts of combat. Yozan: Ugh, I told you, Mister Boulder: we are not younglings anymore─we are adventurers! Yozan: And we were just asking Miss Forename if she could give us some special training. I think we're ready to hunt monsters alongside her, don't you? Hoary Boulder: Well, you've certainly been diligent with your drills...but I'm afraid the fiends of Mor Dhona are still ever so slightly too dangerous for you. Hoary Boulder: I have a counter-proposal: what if I were to cross swords with Forename? A demonstration of skill at arms, if you will. Coultenet: Hoary. If I didn't know you better─and I do─I'd say you were merely seeking to test yourself against a legend. Hoary Boulder: Ahahaha, well, mayhaps I am. But what matters the motive when the children stand to learn so much from the lesson? Hoary Boulder: What say you, Forename? Would you consent to spar with me? Yozan: Hurrah! We're to have a tournament! Come on, everyone─we must prepare our gear for an outing! Coultenet: ...Do try not to disappoint them, hm? Hoary Boulder: Have faith, Coultenet! I shall summon every last onze of my strength to make of this a worthy contest. Hoary Boulder: The fields to the east of town should prove suitable for our purpose. I very much look forward to our bout.
Hoary Boulder: 'Twas good of you to agree to this, Forename. I trust you are ready to begin?
Hoary Boulder: Very well. Let us not keep the younglings waiting any longer! Coultenet: Ahem. Hoary? Are you certain you wish to fight her alone? That is Forename you face. Hoary Boulder: What better way to test my mettle? Pray allow me to attempt the first round unaided. Hoary Boulder: After all, 'twas this hero's legend that led me to join the Scions to begin with. Without Forename to inspire my efforts, I would not be half the warrior I am today. Coultenet: Your point is well made. But remember: this is for the children's sake as well as your own. Should it appear the contest will end too swiftly, I shall add my spells to your bladework. ??? (Lyse): Hello! You haven't begun yet, have you? Hoary Boulder: Yda!? What─ Who are all these people!? Yda (Lyse): When I heard about your sparring match, I told everyone I could find. Thought you could use a crowd to cheer you on! Thancred: Yes, and there are still more to come. When I mentioned Forename's name, the reaction was quite enthusiastic. Thancred: Why, my own popularity seems but a sickly shade in comparison! You'd best claim victory, Bringer of Light─your burgeoning reputation is at stake! Yozan: Well, our teacher won't be beaten so easily! He's a master swordsman! Koharu: You can win, Mister Boulder! Hoary Boulder: We shall soon see. On your guard!
Hoary Boulder: Day and night I've honed my skills.
Now comes the time to test them! Hoary Boulder: Ugh... Such power!
The tales barely do you justice! Rokka: Mister Boulder won't lose, will he? Shiun: It's not over yet! It can't be! Coultenet the Cultured: Aye, the children have the right of it. Coultenet the Cultured: 'Tis time I joined the fray.
On your feet, Hoary! Koharu: Oh no! He looks hurt... Yozan: Miss Forename is so strong...
But you can't give up, Mister Boulder! Hoary Boulder: Can't...disappoint...the younglings...
Raaargh! Hoary Boulder: Never have I faced such strength!
...But the lesson must continue! Coultenet the Cultured: I must admit defeat.
'Twas an honor and a privilege... Hoary Boulder: 'Tis your example I follow!
Surrender not to the implacable foe!
Hoary Boulder: You... <gasp> You have bested me... <huff> I yield! Yozan: <gasp> ... Yozan: ...That was incredible! She beat them both at the same time! Frontier Hand: We knew you couldn't lose, Forename! None can defeat the guardian of Eorzea! Experienced Adventurer: Now I see why they send you to deal with the primals! I've much work to do if I'm ever to attempt the same...
Alphinaud: Impressive as always, Forename. 'Tis ever a pleasure to witness the spectacle of your martial prowess. Alphinaud: And judging by the smiles on these many faces, they, too, appreciate the hard-won strength that keeps the perils of the realm at bay. Alphinaud: “Guardian of Eorzea”... Yes, that is a most fitting title. Alphinaud: Do you recall when first we met? 'Twas at the memorial service for the Battle of Carteneau... Alphinaud: At the time, I was yet attempting to understand this land of Eorzea. I sought to grasp the reason why Grandfather willingly sacrificed himself to protect it. Alphinaud: I shall speak plainly: my initial impressions were less than favorable. Dire problems abounded, and yet the effort I saw expended towards their solution was haphazard and half-hearted. I thought Eorzeans a foolish and childish people. Alphinaud: Considering the shambles their home was in, I would not have been surprised if some had chosen to swear allegiance to Gaius and the order he proposed to enforce. The legatus's single-minded military invasion precluded any such switching of loyalties, of course. Alphinaud: Were it not for a desire to continue Grandfather's legacy, I would have abandoned the realm to its fate long ago. The threats were too many, the nations too self-involved and unstable. Alphinaud: 'Twas you who convinced me the salvation of Eorzea was possible. Alphinaud: 'Twas you who taught me─through countless acts of bravery─that what my grandsire sought to preserve was not the land, nor its history, nor any single nation... Alphinaud: It was the people. These wonderful, oft infuriating, stubborn people that suffer blow after terrible blow only to drag themselves back to their feet to face another day. Alphinaud: Though he never put such feelings into words, I believe Grandfather's admiration for this inextinguishable courage grew into a fervent wish─a wish to aid Eorzea and its inhabitants in charting a course for the future. Alphinaud: A wish that has now become my own. Alphinaud: I, too, will endeavor to take up the mantle of guardian of Eorzea, and champion these people who toil towards a better world. Alphinaud: Our cause, however, is not a simple one: the troubles that plague us are of a scale that cannot be solved by the Scions of the Seventh Dawn alone. Alphinaud: No, what is needed to tackle the root of the primal threat─and effectively counter the schemes of the Ascians─is a new, expanded organization that operates beyond the limitations of nations and borders. Alphinaud: If you would aid me in building such an organization, then pray let us continue this discussion back within the walls of the Rising Stones.
Alphinaud: Thank you for coming, Forename. The world shifts and alters, and we, my friend, must ever be one step ahead of the chaos. Alphinaud: What I propose is the formation of a new organization─a group that shall pave the way for a truly united Eorzea...
Recruiting the Realm Alphinaud wishes to request your assistance for his new endeavor.
Alphinaud: Pray forgive me if I tread over old ground, but I would first speak of the grand plan. Alphinaud: Since the advent of the Seventh Astral Era, the leaders of the three nations have been deliberating over an accord that seeks to bring the disparate forces of Eorzea together into a single entity. Alphinaud: A realm-wide Grand Company, if you will. The military might of such an institution would be drawn from every corner of the land, and directed against threats that no single nation could hope to overcome alone. Alphinaud: Yet while the purpose of this hypothetical organization is undisputed, the logistics of its formation have become the source of endless debate... Alphinaud: And the longer these discussions continue, the more I sense the impetus towards unification draining away. Thus have I been campaigning for the creation of what might be considered a trial company. Alphinaud: It will be on a much smaller scale than what we hope to eventually achieve, but capable of the same manner of unrestricted operation accorded to the Scions. 'Tis my hope that the successful utilization of such a force will lend momentum to the lagging deliberations. Alphinaud: Also, being a primarily military outfit, I mean to assuage fears of its misuse by placing the fledgling organization under the authority of the Antecedent. Alphinaud: The Scions work tirelessly to protect Eorzea and its people. Alphinaud: ...But as you yourself have witnessed with the refugee revolt, there are limitations to what even we can achieve. Alphinaud: With this new company under the Scions' command, however, we will be capable of responding to a wider range of difficulties without straining our resources or overtaxing your formidable talents. Alphinaud: The goals of my proposed organization and those of the Scions are ultimately identical─a point conceded by all concerned. Alphinaud: But before I can move forward with establishing this precursor to the true, border-spanning Grand Company, 'tis yet necessary that I visit the three leaders and gain their official approval. Alphinaud: A tiresome and time-consuming task... Which is why I would ask that you accompany me on the journey, and attend to the business of recruiting our inaugural members while I am otherwise engaged with bureaucratic formalities. Alphinaud: ...Thank you. 'Tis reassuring indeed to know that the Bringer of Light and her discerning eye will be selecting our future allies. Alphinaud: Our first destination will be Limsa Lominsa. Let us rendezvous at Bulwark Hall.
Alphinaud: Ah, there you are. I am ready to ascend to the Bridge and speak with Admiral Bloefhiswyn. Alphinaud: While the Admiral and I are finalizing permissory boundaries and signing parchments, I would have you begin the recruitment process in earnest. Alphinaud: I have, of course, endeavored to spread the word of our organization through various channels, but I believe a personal approach will reach many who may otherwise remain ignorant of the opportunity. Alphinaud: As for potential members, 'tis of no matter should they already be pledged to another institution, only that they are willing to lend their strength when the situation demands it. And you needn't range into the countryside─the upper decks alone are populated with sufficient candidates to suit our purpose. Alphinaud: Once you are satisfied with your recruiting efforts, meet me at the airship ticket counter that we might prepare for the next leg of our journey.
Reyner: Master Alphinaud's new organization? Yes, I had heard the formation of his trial company was in the offing. Reyner: 'Tis with regret, however, that I must decline your invitation. As commander of the Yellowjackets, the protection of Limsa Lominsa must needs receive my full attention.
Rhoswen: Eh? Who in the bloody 'ells do ye think yer talkin' to, drylander!? I'm a pirate, not some soddin' knight in shinin' plate! If yer lookin' fer a self-righteous fop, try knockin' on that dandy Carvallain's door!
Carvallain: An organization with the freedom to operate with territorial impunity? I must say, your proposal intrigues me. Carvallain: But the Krakens well know that there is a time to act, and a time to watch. And I'm afraid this...“trial company” of yours falls into the latter category.
H'naanza: A precursor to a united Eorzean Grand Company? Hmmm. While I do admire the scope of your ambition, my responsibilities here at Naldiq & Vymelli's keep me close to the forge. H'naanza: I have not the time to be traipsing hither and yon across the realm. Should you require my skills as an armorer, however, I might be willing to accept some special commissions...
Riol: Well, if it ain't Forename! I'd not forget a 'venturer brave enough─or daft enough─to seek the shortcut into Titan's bedchamber! Riol: Ye remember ol' Riol, don't ye? Formerly o' the Company of Heroes? Three whistles at Bronze Lake? Aye, it ain't often I drag me arse out to Limsa for a drink, but I'm right glad I did! How fare ye these days? Riol: Hm? Yer lookin' to put together a new crew? Top-tier work? Hah, sounds like a right lark, it does! Riol: Alrighty, lass, count me in. The Heroes may've gone their separate ways, but I ain't ready to climb into me grave just yet!
Alphinaud: Forename, your recruiting went well, I trust? I am curious as to how my proposal was received by the rough-and-ready folk of Limsa Lominsa. Alphinaud: Ah, a member of the legendary Company of Heroes indicated his interest? Astonishing. I knew enlisting your aid was the right choice─few could boast the acquaintance of such an elusive character. Alphinaud: I, too, was successful in my task: the Admiral consented to sign all the documents requiring her approval. I can only hope that my visit with the Elder Seedseer proceeds as smoothly. Pray continue on to Gridania at your own pace─I shall await your arrival at Nophica's Altar.
Alphinaud: My audience with the Elder Seedseer is due to commence momentarily. I would be grateful if you would once more see to the task of recruitment here in Gridania. Alphinaud: After you deem the well of potential candidates has run dry, let us rendezvous at the airship ticket counter as before.
Laurentius: Oh gods, can it truly be you!? By what fickle fortune must the first face I see upon my release be yours!? Laurentius: ...Eh? Could it be that you don't remember me? It is I, Laurentius, the man whose crimes you exposed. I was a Wailer, and a regular patron at Buscarron's...
  • Do you remember Laurentius?
  • Yes, now I remember! Laurentius: Well, of course you do! I was beginning to wonder if gaol had changed me more than I realized. ...Not that I have any particular wish to be recognized after my shameful conduct.
  • ...Who? Laurentius: Laurentius! I...I was selling maps and supplies to the Garleans, before you and those Redbelly poachers mopped the forest floor with my erstwhile employers. ...Here now, just how many criminals have you dealt with that my ignominious tale ignites not the slightest flicker of recognition!?
  • ... Laurentius: Will you say nothing!? Does my presence disgust you so? Or do you simply not care to remember our encounter at all?
Laurentius: Hmph. The less said of my past, the better, I suppose. And what of you, adventurer? What business brings you to this part of Gridania? Laurentius: Recruiting, eh? And what is your policy on reformed convicts? Laurentius: As matters stand, the Wood Wailers will have naught more to do with me. This...this may be just the second chance I was looking for... Laurentius: Revenant's Toll, you say? I shall leave at once! You shall not regret this, I promise you! I am a changed man!
Ceinguled: Hmmm. 'Tis not often a guild officer such as myself gets recruited. And this company of yours certainly sounds to have some promise... But its duties appear less than focused. I must refuse your invitation until such time as your organization is more...organized.
Ursandel: Pray forgive me, young mistress, but I cannot accept. I have sworn to abide here for whatever scant years remain to me, and bear responsibility for the evils my lady has wrought upon this land...
Alianne: Grandfather, you must call it a day! Let us return to the guild and rest ere your tormented back gives up on you for good! Alianne: I'm terribly sorry, we were just─ Oh, Forename, isn't it? It has been some time since our paths crossed outside of Copperbell Mines. Alianne: Why, you were barely more than a novice adventurer then, but look how far you've come... Mother Miounne tells me 'twas you who felled the fearsome Black Wolf! Alianne: And now you seek stout-hearted souls to fill the ranks of a new order? Hmmm, well your cause is undoubtedly just, and my old companion here would be much relieved to see me in good hands... Alianne: Yes. Yes, I'll do it! This is the very thing I've spent my entire adventuring career working towards! I shall join your company just as soon as I've seen Isildaure safely home.
Alphinaud: What news, Forename? For my part, the Elder Seedseer was most amenable to our requirements. Alphinaud: ...A former Wood Wailer, and a seasoned adventurer? Our company will not lack for variety, that much is certain. An interesting harvest, indeed. Alphinaud: Shall we strike into Ul'dah whilst the iron is hot? Let us meet at the Royal Promenade and endeavor to conclude our remaining business. Our journey draws to a close...
Alphinaud: Ul'dah, the gilded city, where one's fortune defines one's worth. I hope some manner of fortune is with us, and that this final leg proves as successful as the previous two. Alphinaud: Might I suggest descending to the lower level before beginning your recruitment efforts? I do not think the sultana will take kindly to us poaching from her personal guard. Alphinaud: Let us meet back here at the Promenade when our respective tasks are complete. Good hunting, Forename.
Syntgoht: A company that looks to cure the ills of the realm entire? Listen, friend, I can scarce bear the complaints of the next stall over, let alone the conundrums of a neighboring nation!
Landebert: Whispers on the street say your organization is funded by corrupt coin─by Syndicate money. If you think you're recruiting for a just cause, then you're a bigger fool than I took you for.
Ourcen: Oh, what a happy coincidence! Do you remember me, perchance? I am Ourcen, of the Church of Saint Adama Landama. Thank you again for your timely rescue. Ourcen: And I must also thank you for preventing that fraudulent priest from preying on Drybone's less fortunate. A most upsetting business. Are you here with your companion─Thancred, wasn't it? Ourcen: ...Ah, 'tis new companions you seek, then. Your proposed organization sounds a powerful force for good, but my place is at the church with the children. Nevertheless, I wish you well in this undertaking.
Yellow Moon: I'm sorry? You wish to “recruit” me? Is this some new-fashioned manner of propositioning a lady? Yellow Moon: Well, I'm afraid you are wasting your time─this lady is already spoken for! Good day to you, miss!
Wilred: Hm? Wait, you're the lady who came to Little Ala Mhigo looking for that masked devil. Wilred: Who knows what might've happened if you hadn't... I'd probably be dead, and a whole lot more of my friends besides. We were such fools. Wilred: Anyroad, that disaster really got me to thinking─about our homeland, and about the outsider who saved us from ourselves. I realized how easily I'd been manipulated, and vowed to make of myself a more worldly man. So here I am. Wilred: ...A new company of champions? And you say it will take me to all corners of the realm? Wilred: That sounds exactly like the kind of opportunity I need. And don't worry: I'm not the same stripling you met in Little Ala Mhigo. I've prepared myself to fight the evil I now know is out there.
Alphinaud: How fared you, Forename? What hidden gems did the streets of Ul'dah offer up to your unrelenting gaze? Alphinaud: Hmmm... A single Ala Mhigan youth? Well, you've certainly given us an admirable start, even if our ranks are yet somewhat thin. Alphinaud: In these troubled years following the Calamity, talk of Eorzea's salvation must seem akin to grasping at clouds. Alphinaud: But there are those who have risen to the challenge, nonetheless. And the hope that inspires these people was born in no small part from the victories you yourself have won. Alphinaud: Thank you, Forename. I will not squander the precious gift you have placed into my keeping─these recruits will become the foundation of a new beginning. Alphinaud: And yes, we are free to begin. As you have no doubt surmised, the sultana also graced my trial company with her blessings. Alphinaud: Our first wave of recruitment is over, the documents signed, and the finances secure. There is naught to prevent me from taking the next step. Alphinaud: ...You are concerned by the Syndicate's involvement? As was I. Thus was the origin of every coin of their contribution carefully scrutinized and recorded. This organization will not be built on corruption. Alphinaud: Naturally, I would prefer not to rely upon outside sources at all, but even my family's substantial coffers could not sustain a venture of this magnitude. Alphinaud: And as for the rumors and doubt surrounding this enterprise... Well, such things shall plague us until the company has had a chance to prove its worth. Alphinaud: It will not be an easy process, but we will earn people's trust one success at a time. Alphinaud: ...Speaking of time, we should waste no more of it. Let us return to the Rising Stones, and lay the first stone for a united Eorzea!
Nanamo Ul Namo: Tell me, General: what think you of Alphinaud's bold endeavor? Raubahn: I think it is more than bold, Your Grace. His organization would pave the way for a united Eorzea. Raubahn: Well do I understand his impatience. Since facing the common threat of the Ultima Weapon, our nations have seemed farther apart, not closer together. Raubahn: Considering the many problems we face, should we not be glad that someone else is taking the initiative? Nanamo Ul Namo: We have all pledged our cooperation, yet the grumbling continues behind closed doors. Ul'dah is not alone in her duplicity. Nanamo Ul Namo: I myself have doubts as to the good this organization will achieve. Nanamo Ul Namo: With the inclusion of the finest soldiers of the three Grand Companies, it promises to be a fearsome military body. But whom will it serve? Even under the watchful gaze of the Scions, it is not unthinkable that such a force could perpetrate a great wrong. Nanamo Ul Namo: Does it not concern you that a significant proportion of its financial backing came from the coffers of the Syndicate? That those unprincipled worms might forge this extraordinary gathering of warriors into a private army? Raubahn: I have trust in the Scions, Your Grace. They have spared us no end of trouble at the hands of the primals. If they seek reinforcements, I deem it unwise to deny them. Raubahn: As for their finances, full many gave generously. And though our nobles proffered a sizable sum, their coin did not spill from the pockets of Lolorito and his cronies. Raubahn: And what of the presence of our stalwart adventurer friend in this endeavor? I doubt the Warrior of Light would betray our cause. Nanamo Ul Namo: Yes, there is that, I suppose. Nanamo Ul Namo: Yet I have known people to change. Whether we will or no, the events of the age hurl us this way and that, like a dust devil skipping across the sands... Nanamo Ul Namo: Can naught be done about Teledji? Raubahn: I have explored all avenues available to us, Your Grace, but as Ul'dahn law now stands, we lack the evidence to convict him of any crime. To arrest him on spurious grounds would only play into his hands... Nanamo Ul Namo: He has all but committed treason, and yet we can do nothing!? Nanamo Ul Namo: Then what good our government!? What worth the royal house!? How deplorable this mockery of justice! Raubahn: Have faith, Your Grace. It is not over...
Alphinaud: <sigh> ...That is not a journey I soon wish to repeat. Alphinaud: But I cannot pause to rest─the culmination of all our effort is at hand. I must see to the preparations for the inaugural ceremony. Alphinaud: Thank you for allowing me to monopolize your services, Forename. I am certain the Antecedent will be relieved to see you free for other duties.
Heretical Harassment Minfilia appears eager to welcome you back to Revenant's Toll.
Minfilia: Greetings, Forename. Alphinaud tells me all is in place to begin his trial company─the Scions shall certainly be grateful to have the support of such an organization. Minfilia: The inaugural ceremony is set to take place here at the Rising Stones. Tataru is cooperating with Alphinaud to see that all is in readiness, so I'm afraid the recruits themselves have been left to their own devices for the time being. Minfilia: Quite a number of new faces have arrived in Revenant's Toll of late, and I wonder if Slafborn might not find himself overwhelmed. Would you speak with him and see if there is aught he requires?
Slafborn: What can I do for you, Forename? I thought you'd have your hands full helping out with this new arm of the Scions. Slafborn: Ha! I barely noticed your recruits arrive─'twas barely a trickle compared to the flood of treasure hunters we have pass through here every day. Slafborn: While I appreciate your offer of aid, 'tis more your burden that concerns me. I'm told this trial company will answer directly to the Antecedent, so I trust that means less work for you in the long run. ??? (Adventurers' Guild Assistant): Slafborn! The shipment... We couldn't... Slafborn: Gods, woman, what befell!? Adventurers' Guild Assistant: We─ <cough> We were bringing a shipment to Revenant's Toll─provisions earmarked for the frontier effort. Adventurers' Guild Assistant: But just as we sought to cross over into Mor Dhona, we were set upon by brigands. I─ I believe they may have been heretics. Adventurers' Guild Assistant: They were many... Too many. We only escaped with our lives by abandoning the supplies. Pray forgive us! Slafborn: There is naught to forgive. Provisions can be replaced, but smart soldiers are hard to find. Take your rest and I'll have someone along to tend to those wounds. Slafborn: What to do... Slafborn: If heretics are involved, then this is like to be more than a case of simple thievery. Ishgard will need to be informed. Slafborn: Whence did these supplies originate? Adventurers' Guild Assistant: House Fortemps─we collected the provisions from Camp Dragonhead proper. Slafborn: Understood. I shall see that they are apprised of this development. Slafborn: Forename, were you not on good terms with the knights of House Fortemps? Slafborn: I will be sending them a missive immediately, of course, but I would also have you travel there and offer your considerable talents. Slafborn: ...Yes, I realize I contradict my earlier hopes to lighten your load, but I need someone who can help bring this incident to a satisfactory conclusion─our favorable relations with Ishgard are far too important to risk half measures. Slafborn: Thank you for your understanding. I am certain Lord Haurchefant will be glad of your assistance.
Haurchefant: Well, well, if it isn't my fine friend, Forename Surname! Would you care for a plate of roast karakul? Some mulled wine? Haurchefant: No? Ah, I see you have not come into my hall merely to escape the biting cold. Haurchefant: I was, in fact, on the verge of opening an urgent missive from Revenant's Toll, and I suspect the timing of your arrival is no coincidence...
When the Cold Sets In Lord Haurchefant awaits confirmation of the reason for your visit to Camp Dragonhead.
Haurchefant: The incident with the new frontier hands? No, no, you need not elaborate─I have been following their progress with no small amount of interest. Haurchefant: Brave men and women all... They do our nation a great service. The existence of a fortified outpost in Mor Dhona will do much to dissuade the Empire from trespassing on Coerthan soil. Haurchefant: Right glad am I that you have chosen to lend your support to this endeavor. Never let it be said that House Fortemps does not acknowledge the efforts of her allies...or her debts. Haurchefant: 'Twas in the spirit of gratitude that I arranged for sundry supplies to be delivered to Revenant's Toll. That the shipment should chance to be waylaid by heretics is poor fortune, indeed. Haurchefant: Poor fortune, I say...yet not without precedent. If you would know the truth of it, these incorrigible villains grow more organized with each passing day. Haurchefant: This new unity of purpose we attribute to their leader─the Lady “Iceheart.” But though I have devoted significant resources to the task of identifying this woman, we have yet to learn so much as her birthname. Haurchefant: What we do know is that the heretics speak of Iceheart in reverent tones, and would gladly embrace death rather than betray her. Such loyalty is rare indeed, and I fear to imagine what so committed a collective might achieve. Haurchefant: The brigands have not yet been so brazen as to risk direct confrontation here in Dragonhead. Some few of their number have, however, been sighted not far to the west of here...and with ever-increasing regularity. Haurchefant: A visit to Whitebrim Front may bring you the answers you seek. Will you brave the snows knowing what implacable foes may lie in wait? Haurchefant: Halone's blessings be upon you! Though I take no pride in the admission, many of mine own countrymen are not so well suited as you adventurers to dealing with such foes. Were they dragons, it might be otherwise! Haurchefant: But truly, I could not wish for a finer ally. You have done much for my house in the past, and I have no doubt but that I shall have cause to celebrate your deeds again ere long. Haurchefant: Should you learn aught of value, pray return to me forthwith. A warm hearth and a warmer welcome shall be waiting for you.
Drillemont: Forename, welcome, welcome. You'll be pleased to know that the repairs to Stone Vigil proceed apace. We shall rebuild sure and strong, that the Dravanians might batter themselves senseless against our shield in the west.
...I would venture, however, that matters of masonry are not what brought you to Whitebrim. Drillemont: ...On the trail of a band of thieving heretics, you say? By the Fury, but you do seem destined to cross paths with those villains. Drillemont: I must confess, then, 'tis a sad truth that the wilds hereabouts have indeed grown thick with their number. They strike swiftly, without warning, and are canny enough to evade our most able trackers. Drillemont: But 'tis not merely their newfound organization that confounds us: the heretics themselves seem somehow changed. Drillemont: I know not what manner of influence this Iceheart wields, but the men we face seem utterly lost in the grip of righteous fervor. 'Tis an unsettling and unnatural zeal. Drillemont: Mayhaps you would care to question one of their recent victims? As fate would have it, your arrival came moments after a trader was waylaid on the road. Drillemont: A patrol found the unfortunate fellow lying senseless in the snow, and carried him to our infirmary. Assuming he has regained the use of his faculties, the merchant might recall some small detail that could aid you in your task.
Mistreated Merchant: Tell you what happened? Why, yes, of course! I am quite recovered enough for that! Anything to help catch those cowardly blackhearts! Mistreated Merchant: I was traveling my usual route to Whitebrim Front when a sudden blow sent me reeling... Mistreated Merchant: The next thing I knew I was on the ground, and several heretics were rifling through my cargo─arms, armor, crystals...they were taking everything. Mistreated Merchant: 'Twas then that one of them noticed my bleary gaze, and stalked over to better acquaint my head with his mace. Before darkness claimed me, however, I distinctly heard the words, “return to Snowcloak.” Mistreated Merchant: I daresay that is where they were hauling my goods, but you'll not catch me rushing off in pursuit! They tell me 'twas a miracle I survived at all, and I'll not trust my thick skull to save me a second time!
House Durendaire Knight: Gah! Draw your weapon, foul─ Wait, I recognize you, adventurer. You are come seeking heretics? House Durendaire Knight: Then we share a common purpose. We were on patrol when we chanced across one of their raiding parties, and pursued them here. House Durendaire Knight: By rights, we should have had them cornered in this ravine...and yet, they are gone. Vanished, like icy wraiths. ??? (Ysayle): Hmph...
House Durendaire Knight: You glimpsed a woman atop the cliff? Could it be Iceheart herself come to sneer at our folly!? House Durendaire Knight: And to where did she disappear? The heretics must have discovered a passage through the frozen wall─some hidden tunnel that escaped our notice. House Durendaire Knight: We have not the men to risk further investigation. 'Twould be best were we to return to Whitebrim Front, and lay our suspicions before Lord Drillemont.
Drillemont: Forename, it appears I owe you my thanks once again. The surviving knights spared no detail in their report. Drillemont: The men you found out near Snowcloak were some of my finest. That they should be bested so handily... I fear I have woefully underestimated the threat these heretics pose. Drillemont: While I understand you might balk at the notion, I must ask that you put aside your mission and consider the stolen provisions lost to us for now. 'Twould be ill-advised to blunder unprepared into what may well be the very lair of our enemy. Drillemont: Pray return to Dragonhead and inform Lord Haurchefant of your discoveries. He will wish to plan contingencies of his own. Drillemont: As for Iceheart and her fanatics...the freezing heights of Snowcloak will not shield them from our justice for long!
Haurchefant: Your return is most timely. Of their own accord, my thoughts had turned to your task and the progress thereof. I confess, my imaginings tended toward the grim and bloody. Haurchefant: But you are here now, and I suspect such frivolous wonderings do little justice to the reality of your travails. Tell me, what did you learn of Iceheart? Haurchefant: ...Indeed. And this transpired at Snowcloak? Haurchefant: Of all the highlands, that towering wall has borne the worst of the region's brutal shift in climate. Haurchefant: So inhospitable has Snowcloak become that we have still to survey the area in its entirety. Could its frozen heights conceal the heretics' hideaway? Mayhap a more robust reconnaissance effort is in order. Haurchefant: Putting such considerations aside for the moment, we still know far too little of this Iceheart. That she is capable of commanding such a band of fanatics bespeaks natural authority, and no small measure of charisma. Haurchefant: As much as I would like to fathom this mystery with you, the situation has grown beyond my personal purview. I am bound by duty to inform the Temple Knights and request that they bring this matter to its conclusion. Haurchefant: Given the glowing reports their new commander has garnered thus far, I am certain that they can be relied upon to take appropriate action. Haurchefant: Though Iceheart's true identity yet eludes us, you have provided us with a point from which to begin. Sometimes it takes but a single stone to prompt an avalanche. Haurchefant: On the matter of the stolen provisions, I have already made arrangements for a second shipment to be sent to Revenant's Toll. I could not well allow such an honorable venture to be undermined by one miserable setback!
Slafborn: Forename! 'Tis good to see you return to the Toll! How fared you in the frozen wastes of Coerthas? Slafborn: ...House Fortemps is to send us a second shipment? I must send thanks to Lord Haurchefant for his continued generosity. Slafborn: Yet even as our town grows in prosperity, I fear it will attract ever greater numbers of those who would do us harm in the name of greed or power. All of us, Alphinaud's new recruits included, must remain vigilant against such threats.
Brave New Companions Slafborn has news on the progress of the inaugural ceremony.
Slafborn: While you were away in Coerthas, preparations for the inaugural ceremony were all but completed. ...Although Tataru does yet seem somewhat flustered. Slafborn: I've taken enough of your time. Why don't you head into the Rising Stones and see if your frantic receptionist could do with a hand?
Tataru: These parchments need to be sorted, and these documents...why are they even here!? Oooh! I am sorely tempted to file the lot in my wastepaper basket! Tataru: Ah! Forename! You startled me! You...you wish to lend a hand? Splendid! Tataru: Would you be a dear and hand these uniforms to the new recruits? They're scattered about Revenant's Toll and I haven't the time to track them all down! Tataru: The recruits know to don their garb immediately and assemble here in the Rising Stones. You'll want to report directly back to Alphinaud if you don't wish to miss the ceremony! Tataru: I wonder if the Scions will ever have matching uniforms... A well-funded organization is a well-dressed organization, I suppose!
Yuyuhase: Those who believe this company will see no riches are shortsighted fools. The giving of oneself 'tis an investment in the future─thus did I sign my name to the cause.
Ultramarine Uniform A deep blue uniform crafted specifically for Alphinaud's new trial organization.
Yuyuhase: These uniforms were a splendid idea. Once our organization has made a name for itself, there shall be wealth aplenty in selling replica costumes to the adoring masses.
Laurentius: I thought it best to mimic my fellows here, but I admit that I have no idea what we're supposed to be doing...
Ultramarine Uniform A deep blue uniform crafted specifically for Alphinaud's new trial organization.
Laurentius: Ah! Our new uniforms! I am reminded of my induction into the Wood Wailers...
Aergmhus: This scarlet garb marks me as a proud member of the Maelstrom, and a hearty defender of Limsa Lominsa! Yet in truth, I stand for the betterment of the realm, and thought this new company a fine opportunity to contribute on a grander scale.
Ultramarine Uniform A deep blue uniform crafted specifically for Alphinaud's new trial organization.
Aergmhus: Oho, now that's a striking shade of blue! Put alongside my Maelstrom uniform, my wardrobe will certainly not lack for color!
Alianne: Isildaure has at last retired from the adventurer's life. Though I shall miss his wisdom and irrepressible spirit, I am excited to forge my own path forwards.
Ultramarine Uniform A deep blue uniform crafted specifically for Alphinaud's new trial organization.
Alianne: Ah, yes, the uniform! Thank you! Truth be told, the thought of pledging myself to such a lofty organization is somewhat intimidating...
Ilberd: I don't believe we've met. I am Ilberd, and I will have the honor of leading my fellow recruits as captain. Much did I lose to the Calamity, and I look forward to aiding others in rebuilding their lives.
Ultramarine Uniform A deep blue uniform crafted specifically for Alphinaud's new trial organization.
Ilberd: The uniforms are a shrewd decision. There is no easier method of creating a common bond among what is, essentially, a band of strangers.
Riol: Hello there, lass. Lookin' for me, was ye? I'd suggest givin' a whistle, but I'm not sure as I'd hear it amongst all the bustle.
Ultramarine Uniform A deep blue uniform crafted specifically for Alphinaud's new trial organization.
Riol: Oho! Proper uniforms an' all! This thing'll cut off the blood to me head... Not to worry, though! I'm sure she'll be fine after makin' a few adjustments!
Wilred: Little Ala Mhigo could learn much from Revenant's Toll. That this town can be so alive in the midst of such desolation...
Ultramarine Uniform A deep blue uniform crafted specifically for Alphinaud's new trial organization.
Wilred: ...I've never worn aught quite so voluminous. Well, I'm sure I'll grow accustomed to the extra cloth in time.
Ephemie: Forename Surname!? Gods, I did not expect to meet you strolling about town! The tales of your primal battles were what inspired me to come to Revenant's Toll.
Ultramarine Uniform A deep blue uniform crafted specifically for Alphinaud's new trial organization.
Ephemie: 'Tis an honor to receive this uniform from your hands. I shall wear it with pride!
Alphinaud: Yes, Forename? Ah, Tataru mentioned you were handing out the new uniforms. I assume you've now met the rest of the recruits? Alphinaud: Some few answered the call to arms I put forth through the established Grand Companies and such. We are not yet an army, but there is much a small corps of elite warriors can achieve. Alphinaud: ...Did I mention I'd thought of a name for the company? 'Tis my hope that it shall soon be known across the breadth of Eorzea. Alphinaud: The moment of truth draws near, Forename. Once the last of the recruits have gathered, I shall make the official announcement.
Alphinaud: Comrades! Your presence here this day signifies the momentous choice that each of you has made. Alphinaud: With your strength now pledged to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, you are beholden to no single nation. You stand as the vanguard for a united Eorzea! Alphinaud: From this moment forth, I declare you Crystal Braves! Let us mend this fractured realm, and face our enemies as one! Alphinaud: Whether it be the beastmen and their primals, or the conflict in Carteneau, it is plain that the nations of Eorzea cannot solve the problems which plague the realm. Thus does it fall to some few heroic souls to succeed where they have failed! Alphinaud: Come! Take your place at the Scions' side as guardians of Eorzea! And together we shall fight for the freedom of all! Crystal Braves: For the freedom of all!
Minfilia: A rousing speech, Alphinaud. Or should I say, Crystal Brave Commander Leveilleur? Alphinaud: Please, Antecedent...the title is honorary. I shall not be “leading the troops into battle,” as it were. Alphinaud: We are of the same purpose. Let us join hands, and do what must be done to save this land. Minfilia: The Scions stand ready!
Minfilia: I'm eager to see what the Crystal Braves might accomplish. This shall prove an interesting time indeed for the Scions. Minfilia: Yes, I'm listening. Minfilia: So, our worst fears are confirmed. The entire isle... Such power defies comprehension... Minfilia: Truly!? Krile is alive!? Thank the Twelve... Minfilia: ...I see. Pray inform me if her condition changes. Yes. I shall pass on your words to Urianger. Minfilia: My thanks. I shall contact you anon. Minfilia: When I learned of the loss of the Isle of Val, I dared not hope that my friend had survived. Yet by some miracle, it would seem she has. She's still to regain consciousness, it is true, but better that than death. Minfilia: Putting this happy news to one side, we must now endeavor to make sense of the readings taken by the survey party. Minfilia: It appears the aetheric disturbance which accompanied the isle's destruction is of a magnitude alarmingly close to that of Ultima. Could the Ascians be responsible for this devastation as well? Minfilia: I wonder... Have you heard aught from the Mothercrystal since the battle with the Garleans? Minfilia: Then She speaks to neither one of us. Hydaelyn's silence portends naught but ill, I fear. Minfilia: Louisoix... I pray you yet watch over us...
Haurchefant: Very good. See that the provisions are prepared for transport. Let us hope that this shipment is spared the fate of the last. Haurchefant: The winds are uncommon fierce this day...

Crystal Tower (Alliance Raids) (2.3)

Syrcus Tower Rammbroes is frustrated over NOAH's lack of progress on the Crystal Tower.
Rammbroes: Ah, 'tis you, my friend. You are doubtless eager to hear of our progress on the Crystal Tower. Rammbroes: Excellent, I'd be disappointed to hear otherwise. Of course, “disappointed” is the word of the day, I fear. I'm ashamed to say that there is nothing worthwhile to report. Rammbroes: The Sons continue to probe the Labyrinth of the Ancients, and every day brings new discoveries. Alas, the same cannot be said of the Crystal Tower proper. We've not been able to set so much as a single foot inside it. G'raha Tia: You will recall how the Eight Sentinels stood between us and the labyrinth initially. G'raha Tia: In like manner, the entryway into the principal spire─Syrcus Tower, the Allagans called it─is also protected by technology far more advanced than our own. G'raha Tia: Cid and I have tried every trick we know, but without success. Frankly speaking, we are at a loss. Rammbroes: It is discouraging, but we cannot give up. There must be a way in. Rammbroes: ...And so the situation stands, my friend. Until we gain entry into the tower, I fear your talents shan't avail us. It will require time that I am loath to waste, but I have a mind to set my people to scouring such ancient texts as we have on hand. ??? (Doga): Perhaps we can be of assistance. G'raha Tia: And you are? ??? (Unei): Be at ease, friends, for we share the selfsame goal. Unei: I am Unei, and my companion is called Doga. We are scholars of the Allagan civilization, sent by the Students of Baldesion to assist in your endeavor. Rammbroes: Unei and Doga? Rather unusual names for this day and age, if I might be forgiven for observing. But I digress. Rammbroes: You claim to be here at the Students' behest, but we have received nary a word of your coming. Moreover, in light of the recent incident at the Isle of Val, I should think that they have rather more pressing concerns. Doga: We can only assume that the message failed to reach you due to some mishap. I assure you that we are here to help. Rammbroes: What is it, G'raha? G'raha Tia: Ungh... 'Tis nothing. There was...a pain, but it has subsided. Unei: Well, well, this is rather unexpected. Your right eye is the same as ours. G'raha Tia: The same? You...you have the Allagan Eye as well? G'raha Tia: This sanguine hue is said to be a trait unique to the Allagans! Yet I inherited it from my father, as he did from his. G'raha Tia: Only one child in a single generation is born with the eye. All my life, I have sought to learn the truth of its manifestation. If there is aught you know, I implore you to tell me! Doga: My deepest apologies, but we have no answers for you. Only one thing is certain: those who possess the trait are bound by fate to Allag. Doga: As your eye has placed you upon the path you walk, so too have we come here to fulfill our destiny. Absurd though it may sound, it is the truth. G'raha Tia: It seems to me we have naught to lose by accepting their aid. What say you? Rammbroes: If that is your wish, then so be it. Rammbroes: Yet know that I still mean to verify your story with the Students of Baldesion when I am able. I trust there will be no objections. Rammbroes: Very well. As of this moment, I name Unei and Doga advisory members of NOAH. Without further ado, let us have them examine the Syrcus Tower entrance. Doga: I promise you'll not have cause to regret your decision. Rammbroes: Forename, I should be much obliged if you were to accompany our new friends to the tower. Biggs and Wedge are presently surveying the Eight Sentinels; the two of them can show you the way. Rammbroes: Upon arrival, pray report to Master Garlond. He will brief you on the situation. G'raha Tia: I shall join you, Forename. With Unei and Doga's knowledge, along with your uncanny knack for setting events in motion, I am hopeful that we will finally see progress.
Biggs: Well, if it isn't Forename! Eager to enter Syrcus Tower and kill everything in sight, no doubt. As I'm sure you've already heard, though, the place is locked up tight as a clam. Biggs: ...New friends from the Students, you say? Excellent! It's been slow going─or rather, no going─for the chief. He'll appreciate the help. Biggs: If you'll just follow me, I'll take you to him.
Cid: Ah, some old faces to lift the spirit...and a couple of new ones besides. G'raha Tia: Allow me to introduce Unei and Doga. They are scholars of ancient Allag, sent here by our friends of Baldesion to aid in the investigation. Doga: We understand you're having trouble circumventing the tower's defenses. 'Tis our hope that we can be of some small assistance. Cid: If your attire is aught to go by, your assistance should prove invaluable indeed. Cid: To begin with, let me tell you where we stand. Beyond rises Syrcus Tower, the principal spire of the structure collectively known as the Crystal Tower. Cid: The only way to get inside is through the proverbial front door─the imposing gate you see here. The problem is, we can't get it to open. It's sealed by some mechanism whose workings are an utter mystery to us. Cid: Having had no success via more orthodox methods, I went at it with everything from a pickaxe to a magitek cannon. Nothing so much as put a scratch on it. Cid: For a blessing, the gate doesn't try to reduce us to ashes like the Eight Sentinels, but that doesn't make it any less effective a security measure. It's fiendishly frustrating in its simplicity. G'raha Tia: The only clue we have is the elaborate device carved upon it: a man and a woman, respectant. Allagan royalty, by my judgment. G'raha Tia: Precisely who these individuals were, we cannot say. Nor do we know whether the device actually serves a purpose. Like as not, it is purely decorative. Cid: If you're thinking to force it, save your strength. It's no use─just ask the calluses on my hands. Unei: Rest assured we do not mean to waste our strength. Doga: Indeed. Why should we exert ourselves...when the gate will open of its own accord? G'raha Tia: I...I don't think any of us expected that to happen... Cid: Seven hells... What is this? What did you do? What...what are you? ??? (Nero tol Scaeva): Piercing the heavens and gathering the light,
a symbol of mankind's glory and might. ??? (Nero tol Scaeva): Its virtue guarded by gates impregnable,
only to those of royal blood answerable.
...Exactly as passed down through legend, I am delighted to see. Nero tol Scaeva: Beg pardons for interrupting your bewilderment. I couldn't help but notice the remarkable playthings you have acquired. Cid: N-Nero!? You're still alive!? Nero tol Scaeva: Garlond, Garlond. If I didn't know better, I would say you weren't happy to see me. Ah, but I jest. In light of our recent meetings, you have every right to be wary. Nero tol Scaeva: But rest assured I am no longer a threat to you. My legion is for all intents and purposes defunct, and my association with it means a tight noose awaits me back in Garlemald. And so I've been roaming this land Eorzea, a regular itinerant. Nero tol Scaeva: In the course of my wanderings, I chanced to catch wind of your latest venture. It sounded positively fascinating, and so I decided to come here and join you. Cid: After the wrongs you've committed? You think us that gullible? Nero tol Scaeva: If you are suspicious of my intent, 'tis only my just deserts. But I am determined to make amends. As a gesture of goodwill, I will share with you what I know...starting with these two odd characters. Nero tol Scaeva: As you are doubtless already aware, the Crystal Tower was the symbol of ancient Allag's might and prosperity. Entry was permitted only to royalty and a select few individuals. Nero tol Scaeva: According to the records I have unearthed, only royal blood can open the gate. In other words, the emperor and his progeny were living keys. G'raha Tia: You mean to say that these two are descended from Allagan royalty!? Nero tol Scaeva: Oh, I suggest nothing so glamorous. Nero tol Scaeva: To put it plain, they are imitations of royalty─living keys born of Allagan ingenuity. Nero tol Scaeva: “Clones,” I believe, is the name your creators gave your kind. Is that not so? Doga: 'Twould seem that the time for concealment is past. Doga: Pray accept our apologies. 'Twas not our intent to deceive. We simply wished to avoid causing undue alarm by prematurely making what many would consider deranged claims. Unei: If it please you, let us return to the Eight Sentinels. There is much and more to tell. G'raha Tia: Very well. Cid: Seven hells, do you seriously mean to follow us around? Nero tol Scaeva: Come, Garlond. You know me better than to think that I spoke in jest. What more will it take for us to be reconciled? A gift, perhaps? Nero tol Scaeva: An Allagan tomestone. It holds the information I just shared with you, and a deal more besides. It used to be the jealously guarded property of the XIVth Legion, but it's yours now. I wish you joy of it. Nero tol Scaeva: I look forward to working together, old friend.
Doga: If you are ready to listen, we shall tell you all. Doga: As it pertains closely to your investigation, your leader, Rammbroes, may wish to be present.
Doga: Before we begin, pray allow me to apologize again. It was not our intent to deceive you. Doga: As you will have already gathered, we are not scholars sent by the Students of Baldesion. Nay, we are “clones”─copies of people who once existed, given life through Allagan technology. Rammbroes: This is rather a lot to take in... Rammbroes: If it would not be considered unseemly, might I ask why you and yours were created? And more specifically, what is it that you now seek to do? Doga: Answering your questions requires that we revisit Allagan history. Pray bear with us. Unei: The Allagan Empire reached its zenith long before our kind came into being. Unei: In that glorious age, the Crystal Tower stood tall as the symbol of Allagan pride. Parents took their children there, that they might learn how the nigh-limitless energy it produced brought prosperity to the whole empire. Doga: That prosperity, however, bred decadence, and the empire began to show signs of stagnation. This decline was made all the more rapid for want of strong leadership. Doga: In a matter of generations, the Allagan civilization became a pale shadow of its former self. Its once gleaming cities fell into disrepair, and its frontier lands were given over to the wilderness. Unei: Lamenting the pitiful state of affairs, one technologist made it his mission to restore Allag to greatness. Unei: Amon was his name, and he believed that the ailing empire wanted for but a potent ruler. And none was more potent than its founding father, whom he sought to resurrect. G'raha Tia: The founding father? You cannot mean Emperor Xande!? Unei: None other. As part of his experiments, Amon created clones of the emperor's descendants. We are the products of that experiment─copies of Unei and Doga. Rammbroes: Historical texts mention the reigns of two Allagan emperors named Xande. Rammbroes: It was commonly believed that the second was the namesake of the first. After all, such a custom is not uncommon among royalty and commoners alike. To think that the two were in fact one and the same... Unei: Aye, Xande returned from the grave and assumed his throne once more. And true to Amon's prediction, the emperor restored his realm to the glory it once knew. Would that he could have been satisfied with that... Doga: In his previous life, the emperor desired to bring the entire world under Allagan dominion─an ambition that ultimately went unfulfilled. Having been granted a second chance, he was determined to succeed. Doga: Realizing that he needed more power to wage his war of conquest, Xande turned his sights towards a forbidden source: darkness. In order to learn how to harness this power, he converted the Crystal Tower into a restricted research facility. Cid: Darkness...again? Seven hells, what is it with megalomaniacal rulers turning to darkness in their lust for power? Cid: Well, at least this one won't be bothering us, being thousands of years dead and all. Doga: Would that you were right, Master Garlond. Doga: Alas, Emperor Xande is very much alive. Within Syrcus Tower he still abides, his ambition burning all the more ardently for his empire's collapse. Doga: Wielding the power of darkness requires prodigious amounts of energy─energy that not even the Crystal Tower could produce. In order to augment the shortfall, Dalamud was created and launched into the heavens. On high it hung, gathering the sun's energy and channeling it to the tower below. Doga: However, a miscalculation resulted in a surge of energy that escaped into the land. This triggered an earthquake of unprecedented violence─the calamity that ushered in the Fourth Umbral Era. Doga: In the blinking of an eye, the mighty Allagan Empire was laid to waste. Doga: Yet even as the Crystal Tower was sinking into the earth, the technologist Amon, now Emperor Xande's closest aide, invoked powerful magicks and halted the flow of time. Doga: Every soul within the structure, the emperor included, was placed in a deep slumber. In that state they were to remain until the time was ripe to awaken. Unei: Eras came and went. After millennia lying dormant, Dalamud was summoned back to the earth. Its descent triggered the Seventh Umbral Calamity, in the wake of which the Crystal Tower reemerged. Unei: At that moment, Emperor Xande awakened. Unei: In his lust for power, the emperor consorted with darkness and was seduced by its corrupting influence. Even though his empire is now little more than a fading memory, he will stop at nothing to see his ambition realized. Unei: 'Tis for no other purpose but to put an end to Xande's madness that we exist. This is the mantle we have inherited from our namesakes─the true Unei and Doga. Unei: Fearing what might befall the world, the two of them sought to thwart their emperor. They gave unto us their will, that we might carry on their mission should they fail. Doga: When we came to our senses within the Crystal Tower, we deliberated a course of action. Concluding that we alone could not overcome Xande, we struck out to find a worthy ally. It has taken years, but our search is finally over. Doga: 'Tis no ordinary woman who can cut a path through the Labyrinth of the Ancients. With you as our champion, Forename Surname, we are confident that we can end Xande's dark ambition once and for all. Cid: Well, that'll teach me for speaking too soon... Setting my chagrin aside, I see now why you knew about the Students of Baldesion among a host of other things─you were observing our investigation the whole time. Cid: So, what will we do, Forename? The world's in grave danger again, and it just so happens you're an expert at saving it. Doga: You have our eternal gratitude. Together, let us see the Allagan Empire's dark past laid to rest. Rammbroes: It has been our mission to recover the long-lost knowledge of the Allagan civilization. But what worth is that knowledge if it means subjecting the realm to peril? Rammbroes: Truth be told, it pains me to think that the tower's secrets may become lost to us, but the greater good must ever come first. Besides, no quantity of ancient relics can compare to our friends Unei and Doga─living, breathing Allagans. Rammbroes: And so I hereby declare a change in NOAH's objective. Henceforth, we shall direct all efforts towards sealing off Syrcus Tower. Its dark secrets must never know the light of day. Rammbroes: Forename, as you did for us within the Labyrinth of the Ancients, I would have you enter the structure and eliminate hostile elements. Suffice it to say this includes Emperor Xande himself. Rammbroes: Meanwhile, the rest of us shall examine ways to isolate Syrcus Tower from the outside world. To work, then! G'raha Tia: Wait. There is something I must know. My right eye is like yours. Does...does this mean...? Doga: You inherited the trait from your father, you said. Know that clones are unable to bear offspring. You have no cause for concern. Doga: The Allagan Eye, you called it, but to us it is the Royal Eye, owing to the fact that the trait manifests only in those possessed of royal blood. Doga: I cannot well explain why the eye runs in your line, but I am disinclined to think it a coincidence. Doga: Though you are doubtless impatient to learn the truth, pray have patience. All will be revealed in due time.
G'raha Tia: My apologies if I've given you cause to worry. I am quite well, I assure you. As you can appreciate, there has been much for me to think on. G'raha Tia: But now is the time for action, not idle thoughts. Syrcus Tower awaits us! G'raha Tia: Your task is to eliminate all hostile elements within the structure, Xande himself included. This will afford us the chance to seal off the facility. May the Crystal grant you strength!

Syrcus Tower

Having secured a path through the Labyrinth of the Ancients, the fellowship of NOAH finds itself before the entrance to the Crystal Tower proper. With the aid of their new comrades, Unei and Doga, the companions succeed in opening the gate whose workings had baffled even the brightest minds among them. Upon learning that dark forces have awakened within, the fellowship decides to suspend its investigative effort in favor of sealing off the tower. You must fight your way to the apex and defeat the resurrected Emperor Xande, that Eorzea might be free of his all-consuming ambition.
Scylla: My hounds hunger for man-flesh!
Scylla: Scorch their insolent hides, my hounds!
Scylla: The hounds...grow silent... Finally...I may rest...
Glasya Labolas: You who would bare steel against the emperor. You shall not pass so long as I draw breath!
Glasya Labolas: Activating support protocol...
Charging energy stores!
Glasya Labolas: That my defenses...could be breached...
Amon: My, my, such unruly guests. 'Twould seem a little diversion is in order.
Amon: That will do for the opening act. Let the curtains rise for the main attraction!
Amon: Inconceivable...
Beware, Your Majesty... Danger approaches...
??? (Xande): You fight valiantly, mortals, but to no avail! ??? (Xande): Absolute darkness draws nigh. Soon it will be unleashed, and all shall return to nothingless!
Xande: Mine is the power of darkness! Even the stars must bend to my will!
Xande: I shall crush all who dare oppose me!
Xande: My defeat...means nothing... Darkness...shall devour all...
G'raha Tia: Forename! G'raha Tia: You did it! You defeated Emperor Xande! Doga: Empires may rise and fall, but man's indefatigable spirit ever lives on. Truly, you are the champion we had hoped for, Forename Surname. Doga: With Emperor Xande now at eternal rest, his dark legacy may be undone. Cid: What are you playing at now, Nero? Nero: In case you haven't noticed, Garlond, these are dangerous surrounds. Can a man be faulted for exercising due caution? Nero: At any rate, you needn't mind me. I am perfectly capable of looking after myself. Go on and finish what you came to do. Unei: There are two ways that we may seal off Syrcus Tower: either isolate it from the outside world, or cripple its ability to produce energy. Unei: The choice of method is yours to make. Before you proceed, however, Doga and I must needs attend to a task. G'raha Tia: That distortion... What is it? Unei: The power that Xande sought to obtain comes from the void─the World of Darkness, our people called it. Unei: And the true nature of that power was none other than the armies of voidsent. Doga: Voidsent feed on aether, as you may already know, and no plane is richer in it than ours. Doga: In exchange for their allegiance, Xande entered into an unholy covenant. He would open a gate through which the voidsent could freely enter our world. Doga: The covenant, I'm afraid to say, is still in effect. However, being of the emperor's lineage, Unei and I believe that we can annul it. Doga: By his blood Xande sealed his dark pact. By our blood it shall be undone. Doga: It is time. Unei: Yes, Doga. Finally, we may fulfill our purpose. Nero: Hahahahaha... AHAHAHAHAHA! Nero: Oh, be still my beating heart! Nero: For a moment I feared that this outing would end in disappointment, but my readings were not mistaken! Not even the Ultima Weapon compares to this! Cid: What are you going on about!? ??? (Cloud of Darkness): The covenant...is everlasting...
Xande: And so Meracydia is brought into the fold. Soon, all the world shall be united under Allagan rule. Xande: And yet...with every dream that becomes reality, the memory of death grows ever more vivid─an endless void, bereft of light and warmth. Xande: Though I may have defeated death, it did not leave me unscathed. Nay, its ravening claws have scarred my soul for eternity. Never shall I know peace. Xande: Beings without will. You cannot fathom my rage. My melancholy. My fear. Xande: What worth is wealth and power when all must inevitably be consigned to nothingness? If man has nothing, he need not know the pain of loss. Xande: So let there be nothing. Xande: Harvest more power, that the gate may be thrown full open. Let the Cloud of Darkness come and engulf the world, devouring all life, hopes, and dreams. Let all be returned to nothingness.
G'raha Tia: Forename! Pull yourself together! G'raha Tia: Is there no end to them!? What in the seven hells is happening!? G'raha Tia: Argh! Not now, damn it! Cid: Nero! Were they part of your grand plan, too? Nero: Save your japes, Garlond! I didn't put up with your arrogant face to play with worthless clones! Nero: Something controls them. A voidsent, and no ordinary one at that. Unei: Doga! Nero: Confound it! Without them, there's no way to master the darkness! Nero: That power...is mine! Cid: Nero! ??? (Cloud of Darkness): The covenant shall be honored. Cloud of Darkness: I am the Cloud of Darkness. I shall devour your light, and return this world to the void. Cid: Damn it, the rift is gone! What are we supposed to do now? Cid: As much as it pains me to leave without them, there's precious little we can do. Let us return to the Find and consult Rammbroes.
Rammbroes: All this happened within the tower? Gods preserve... Rammbroes: The rift that manifested before the throne was a voidgate, of this I am certain. Rammbroes: There exist myriad kinds of voidsent. The more powerful the being, the larger the gate must be for it to pass through. Rammbroes: 'Twould seem that Xande sought to open a gate of unprecedented proportions─one that would allow this Cloud of Darkness entry into our world. Rammbroes: Fortunately for all mankind, he did not succeed. I shudder to imagine what this voidsent is capable of. Cid: However dreadful it may be, we can't abandon our friends. Is there no way to save them? Rammbroes: I will not lie to you, Master Garlond. The situation is bleak. Rammbroes: Though voidsent can enter our world, instances of men entering the void have never been documented. It pains me to give voice to my fears, but we do not even know whether our friends still live. Cid: Damn it... I feel so helpless... G'raha Tia: No, I refuse to give up. We must save Doga and Unei. G'raha Tia: We share the same eye, 'tis true, but that is not what motivates me. G'raha Tia: Above all, I wish to help them to fulfill their mission─a mission whose burden they have borne for thousands of years. And besides... G'raha Tia: We cannot leave matters as they are. G'raha Tia: So long as Xande's dark covenant is binding, our world is in danger. 'Tis our duty to prevent the worst from coming to pass. Rammbroes: G'raha. Ever since meeting Unei and Doga, you have not quite been yourself. Tell me true: is all well with your eye? G'raha Tia: I honestly cannot say. I know only that there is a memory that I must recall. G'raha Tia: As a child, my father told me that the truth of our eye rests with Allag. The answer eludes me still...but one day I will find it. Cid: I am with G'raha. Cid: However slim the odds, we must try to save Unei and Doga. Aye, and that bastard Nero as well, if only to make certain that he won't make any more mischief. Rammbroes: You have the right of it. Though we have known them but briefly, Doga and Unei are our comrades. We cannot fail them. Rammbroes: I shall consult experts and literature both. I swear to leave no stone unturned. Rammbroes: Yet know that it may be a while before we are ready to act. I would ask that you all be patient. When dealing with the void, one cannot be cautious enough. Rammbroes: My thanks again for your assistance. Pray rest now while you can. For when the time comes to go after our friends, you must be at no less than full strength. Cid: We'll save them yet, Forename! Mark my words!

A Realm Reborn: Dreams of Ice (2.4)

Traitor in the Midst Minfilia would have you assist Alphinaud in his new station as commander of the Crystal Braves.
Minfilia: <sigh> Try as I might, I cannot shake a creeping sense of dark foreboding... But it avails us naught to fret about the unknown. We must concentrate instead on the problems of the present. Minfilia: The primals have been relatively quiet of late, and the beast tribes who summon them are under constant surveillance by the Grand Companies. Minfilia: Should any suspicious activity be afoot, you may be certain that we will hear of it. Minfilia: And until such time as a permanent solution to the primal problem has been found, we can do little but wait and observe. Minfilia: As for the Ascians, Urianger is wholly dedicated to finding the means by which we may defeat the dark beings. Let us pray for good tidings on that front. Minfilia: ...But all of this you knew already. Let us speak then of more current matters─in particular, the state of the Crystal Braves. Minfilia: Alphinaud did well to found the organization, but ensuring its smooth operation is another matter entirely. Minfilia: Though I doubt not that he is doing his best, I felt that a helping hand or two would not go astray. Minfilia: To this end, I offered to send one of the Archons to assist him, but he declined. You know how he can be─independent to a fault, and singularly loath to accept help... Minfilia: ...Save, of course, when that help comes from you. Alphinaud has entrusted countless matters of import to your care in the past, and I believe he would not hesitate to do so again...were you to offer. Minfilia: I should be most grateful if you would go to him, and support him in whatever manner you are able.
Alphinaud: What is it, Forename? And do be concise. I am rather busy. Alphinaud: ...Hm? You would lend a hand, you say? I see. Well...now that you mention it, there is a matter that wants for attention. Alphinaud: Given its sensitive nature, I was hesitant to entrust it to my Braves, but the demands upon my time are such that I had little choice. Alphinaud: Which is not to say that my men want for labor. Though we are but newly formed, there is already a great demand for our services, and we are hard-pressed to answer all petitions. But I digress... Alphinaud: The fact is, I would sooner attend to this particular matter myself, but my presence is required elsewhere. Alphinaud: That being the case, I have entrusted its resolution to my second-in-command, Captain Ilberd. Alphinaud: Tell him that I sent you, and he will furnish you with the particulars. My thanks in advance, Forename.
Ilberd: Hail to you, Scion. How might we serve you? Ilberd: ...Commander Leveilleur bade you serve us? Ilberd: These are welcome tidings indeed. Given the sensitive nature of the task, I could not rely on one of my own. Ilberd: That which I am about to tell you, I tell you in the strictest confidence. Ilberd: Some days ago, we received certain documents from an anonymous source. They notified us of the presence of a Garlean agent within the ranks of one of the Grand Companies. Ilberd: Following some discreet inquiries, we identified a suspect among the Immortal Flames whom we detained for questioning. Ilberd: Alas, the man was not our agent. He was but one of many men in the agent's employ. Ilberd: We pressed the traitor for a name, but he had none to give. He claims never to have met his master, whom he knows only as the Ivy. Ilberd: He was, however, certain that this “ivy” had coiled itself around every part of the Immortal Flames. It would seem our quarry joined the company some time ago, and gradually recruited others to his cause. Ilberd: These conspirators are the vines by which he learns our secrets, all without exposing himself. Ilberd: It won't be easy to identify the Ivy amidst this tangled mass of subterfuge. But we have a tendril in our hands, and we shall follow it all the way to the gnarled root. Ilberd: Now, much as I would prefer to proceed with due discretion, circumstances demand that this matter be settled posthaste. Ilberd: Garlemald's war of succession nears its end, and it is feared that the Empire will soon resume its march on Eorzea. Ilberd: When it does, we can ill afford to have traitors in our midst. The Ivy must be rooted out now. Ilberd: We must begin by apprising General Raubahn of our findings. I would ask that you accompany me to the Hall of Flames, and remain on hand to see that things go smoothly. Ilberd: Assuming the Ivy's tendrils are as widespread as we believe, he will be aware that an investigation is underway. And if that is the case, he may well move against us. Ilberd: We must be prepared for anything, while taking care not to betray our purpose by seeming prepared. A simple enough task for a one-woman army like you.
Raubahn: Well, well. What brings you here, my friend? Ilberd: She is here at my behest. Greetings, Raubahn. It has been a while. Raubahn: Ilberd, you old scoundrel! When they told me you'd be visiting, I scarce believed my ears! Raubahn: But look at you! The honored captain of the Crystal bloody Braves! Who'd have imagined, eh? Ilberd: Not many. But fewer still would have imagined your destiny lay in politics, old friend. Raubahn: Aye...we've both come far, have we not? Raubahn: Lest you wonder, Ilberd and I go back a long way. We've been friends and rivals since we were lads. Raubahn: The last time we saw each other, Ala Mhigo had just fallen, so you can guess how many summers it's been. And in all that time, not a word from the fool! Ilberd: Ah, well, my dealings tended toward the modest and mundane...unlike some I could mention. Ilberd: As I hear it, no sooner did you reach Thanalan than the Brass Blades clapped you in irons and dragged you off to die on the bloodsands. But being a stubborn sort, you won a thousand matches, and earned yourself a place in the people's hearts while you were about it. Ilberd: Then, with your mountain of prize money, you bought the Coliseum, and secured a seat on the Syndicate. Thal's balls, brother─rags-to-riches does not do it justice! You're a hero to the common man! Raubahn: Bah, spare me. I am no hero. If anyone is worthy of that title, it's our friend here. Next to her, I'm little more than a glorified butcher. Raubahn: But you, Ilberd─you sell yourself short. By all accounts, you were an adventurer of some standing. Ilberd: I like to think that I did my part for the greater good. But if you are no hero, then I am no adventurer─not in this company. Anyway... Ilberd: I have tidings. Raubahn: So there has been progress. Raubahn: I've let it be known that this meeting is a reunion between old friends. None will give your visit a second thought. Raubahn: To convene elsewhere would only attract attention. Let us speak here, in plain view of all. Raubahn: ...So it is we who have been compromised. Raubahn: Teledji Adeledji's machinations have shaken Ul'dah to her foundations. In such uncertain times, a man's loyalty may be bought for a fistful of gil... Raubahn: But if this snake has truly been in our midst for as long as you say, we must needs consider a far graver possibility: conspiracy. Could it be that the Monetarists have been in league with the Empire from the first? Raubahn: Very well. I will have my most trusted men investigate the matter. Continue your inquiries in the meantime. Raubahn: It does me well to see you again, old friend. When next we meet, let it be over a flagon of ale. Ilberd: I look forward to it. Let us reminisce of bygone days, and drink to the future of our homeland. Ilberd: Flame General... You wear the mantle well, old friend. I must work hard if I'm to keep up. Ilberd: Well, it would seem your services were not required after all. I daresay we have Raubahn's prudence to thank for that. Still, I was glad of your presence. My thanks, Scion.
Back and Fourth Ilberd is eager to continue his investigation into the Garlean spy known as the Ivy.
Ilberd: Our hunt for the Ivy begins in earnest, Scion. Ilberd: Suffice it to say, we must tread warily. But one misstep may well cost us our lives. Ilberd: Our business here is concluded for the time being. Let us return to the Rising Stones and report to Commander Leveilleur.
Ilberd: We are returned from Ul'dah, Commander. Alphinaud: And not a moment too soon. Something has happened. Ilberd: Trouble? Alphinaud: You will recall that the 4th was tasked with reconnoitering the rendezvous site used by the Ivy's minion and his imperial contacts. Soon after you left, we received word that the unit was ambushed en route to its destination. Ilberd: Gods damn it... Alphinaud: According to the report, one of ours has been taken captive. The Garleans are not wont to treat their foemen with dignity, and I have grave fears for her safety. Alphinaud: We must dispatch a rescue party at once. Recall those Braves who are afield. Ilberd: Begging your pardons, Commander, but we have not the time. Ilberd: I'm afraid I must ask for your aid once more, Scion. Ilberd: An ill-prepared rescue party will only serve to provide the Garleans with more captives, yet time is of the essence. Simply put, you are the best chance we have. Alphinaud: Captain Ilberd has the right of it. I trust you are willing? But of course you are. Now, Alianne of the 4th lies in wait in the Tangle, near the entrance to Castrum Centri. Seek her out, and she will apprise you of the situation.
Alianne: ...You would aid us in the rescue mission? We are in your debt, Warrior of Light! Now, time is against us, so allow me to brief you on the situation. Alianne: The Garleans fell upon us without warning, wounding poor Rhesh and hauling her away to the castrum yonder. Outnumbered as we were, it was all we could do to flee and regroup. Alianne: Even as we speak, the Garleans may be interrogating Rhesh...or worse. With her hurts, I fear that she will not long survive their attentions. We must rescue her without delay. Alianne: Our order may yet be in its infancy, but the bond that binds us is strong as mythril. None of us will stand by while a comrade suffers. Alianne: We, the remnants of the 4th, will infiltrate Castrum Centri. Please help us find Rhesh before it is too late!
Rhesh Polaali: Unnngh... Wh-Where am I...? Alianne: Rhesh! Thank the gods we found you! Alianne: And thank you, Warrior of Light! Alianne: Now, to quit this accursed place... Rhesh cannot move with those wounds. She will need to be carried out. I believe a diversion is in order. Might we trouble you to provide one? Given your reputation, I suspect the Garleans will be only too happy to grant you their undivided attention. Alianne: If you were to create a commotion within the castrum, we should be able to steal away unnoticed. Let us speak again once we are safely outside these walls.
Alianne: I have awaited your return most anxiously, my friend. You have done us a great service indeed. Thanks to your aid, our comrade Rhesh is safe, and we suffered no further casualties. Words cannot well express my gratitude. Alianne: All that is left is to report the mission's success to Commander Leveilleur. I shall go on ahead to the Rising Stones.
Alphinaud: Ah, it does me well to see you thus returned. Though I doubt not your prowess, entering an enemy stronghold is generally considered to be a risky venture, and I must confess to having been a trifle anxious. Alphinaud: But here you are, hale and whole, having succeeded in your mission as is your wont. Alphinaud: Lest you wonder, the woman you rescued is being cared for by the Domans. Thanks to their expert ministrations, the danger is past. You have my gratitude, Forename. Ilberd: Allow me to thank you also, Scion. Rhesh owes you her life. Alphinaud: We escaped with minimal casualties this time, but we can ill afford to be caught off guard again. The Empire is not an opponent to be trifled with. Ilberd: As you say, Commander. I will see to it that the men keep their wits about them. Ilberd: And it may yet take time, but I will not rest until we have identified and apprehended the Ivy. Alphinaud: I have every confidence that you will succeed, Captain. Alphinaud: As for you, Forename─I realize you have scarce caught your breath, but I'm afraid there is no rest for the weary. I require that you accompany me to Coerthas. Alphinaud: I have been granted an audience with an Ishgardian dignitary, you see, and the man expressly requested your presence. Alphinaud: Oh, do not look so surprised. You should be familiar with the trappings of fame by now. We shall depart as soon as you are ready.
Coming to Terms An influential Ishgardian wishes to meet the Warrior of Light, and Alphinaud would like nothing more than to oblige him.
Alphinaud: We have been blessed with a rare opportunity, Forename─an audience with an ambassador of the Holy See of Ishgard. Alphinaud: We are to treat with Ser Aymeric, lord commander of the Temple Knights, in Camp Dragonhead. Alphinaud: It is considered a great honor to serve the Holy See directly as a Temple Knight. Needless to say, their leader wields tremendous political influence. We would be wise to court his favor. Alphinaud: For that reason, I consider your attendance essential. If Ser Aymeric wishes to meet the woman behind the legend, I would not deny him the pleasure of your company. Alphinaud: The Antecedent should see the wisdom of this plan when you request her permission to accompany me to Coerthas. Alphinaud: ...Mayhap you feel this to be a waste of your talents, which could doubtless be put to nobler use? If so, I should remind you that more good can be accomplished with the stroke of a pen than the thrust of a sword.
Minfilia: ...A meeting with an Ishgardian ambassador? By all means, I think it a wonderful idea. Minfilia: We have received no reports of aetheric disturbances or unusual beast tribe activity of late. Minfilia: If Alphinaud believes your presence may help him to secure more favorable terms, I see no reason to deny him.
Alphinaud: Antecedent. I take it Forename has explained the situation? Minfilia: She has. Yet welcome though these overtures are, I cannot help but wonder what prompted them. The Ishgardians have spurned all contact with the other city-states for decades. Why reach out now? Alphinaud: Would that I knew... The question of their motives is one to which I have given no small amount of thought. Alas, I know no more than is generally known. Alphinaud: The notoriously reclusive nation of Ishgard, situated at the center of Abalathia's Spine... Alphinaud: ...Ruled by the Ishgardian Orthodox Church, at the head of which presides the archbishop. Alphinaud: ...Members of the original Eorzean Alliance, formed in the wake of Ala Mhigo's fall some two decades ago. Alphinaud: ...Friends of convenience who withdrew from the Alliance as soon as the imperial fleet was routed at the Battle of Silvertear Skies. Minfilia: ...Since which time, their borders have remained closed to all outsiders. Alphinaud: They have rejected every one of their former allies' calls to reopen dialogue, turning a deaf ear to their neighbors' pleas even when the Calamity loomed large. Alphinaud: And on the fields of Carteneau, where brave men and women laid down their lives in defense of the realm, their banners were conspicuously absent... Alphinaud: I have tried to convince Ishgard to rejoin the Alliance at every opportunity. Alphinaud: I have explained over and over again that unless Eorzea stands united, we cannot hope to preserve our freedom. One by one, our nations will fall, as once fell Ala Mhigo... Alphinaud: ...And what have mine efforts yielded? Why, naught. Minfilia: Surely this can be considered a step in the right direction? Alphinaud: I should hope so. Rather than the lowly messengers we have been fobbed off with in the past, this time we shall meet with a man of genuine influence. Alphinaud: Of course, I am not so naive as to think that they come to us out of the goodness of their hearts. We have something they desire, though I have yet to find out what. Alphinaud: But such is the nature of diplomacy. They will bring their agendas to the negotiating table, and so will I─along with a handful of incontrovertible truths. Minfilia: The Empire will soon be at our doorstep once more. Alphinaud: Indeed. You may be assured that I will expound upon this point and others. Alphinaud: Let us depart for Camp Dragonhead, Forename. Our old friend Lord Haurchefant is expecting us. Alphinaud: Since our quest to recover the Enterprise, I understand you have further ingratiated yourself with the man. Excellent work. His fondness may prove useful to our cause.
Haurchefant: Ah, Forename! Ever a welcome sight! Haurchefant: Our hearths have been stoked to blazing in preparation for your arrival. It would not do for such a distinguished personage to catch cold whilst enjoying our hospitality. Alphinaud: The gesture is much appreciated. I fear I shall ever struggle in cold climes. Haurchefant: ...Ah, good Master Alphinaud. An honor, as always. Alphinaud: Likewise, Lord Haurchefant. Forgive us yet another imposition─I fear we have relied overmuch on your aid since you so generously assisted us in locating the Enterprise. Haurchefant: Nonsense! Any debts incurred have long since been repaid. Besides, who can say what the future may bring? Haurchefant: House Fortemps may even seek the aid of your newly formed Crystal Braves. Haurchefant: In any case, I am simply delighted that the Holy See is at last willing to grant you an audience. Haurchefant: No doubt your discoveries at Snowcloak helped to justify the decision. This recent resurgence in heretical activity is of grave concern to us all. Haurchefant: But to the matter at hand: Ser Aymeric arrived in Camp Dragonhead earlier, and I am told he is eager to meet with you at your first convenience. Haurchefant: You are doubtless weary from your journey and desirous to rest awhile by the warmth of our hearth... Haurchefant: ...But if you are willing to forgo such comforts, pray inform the knight stationed outside the intercessory. He will grant you entrance and send word to the other attendees. Alphinaud: As inviting as your hearth sounds, I think it best we proceed to the intercessory forthwith.
House Fortemps Guard: We have been expecting you, madam. Pray take your ease inside and I shall summon the others.
  • Proceed to the intercessory?
  • Yes
  • No
Haurchefant: Have faith, my friend. You need only state your case with confidence and clarity. ??? (Aymeric): Commander Leveilleur. It is both an honor and a pleasure to meet you. Aymeric: I am Aymeric, lord commander of the Temple Knights. Alphinaud: Alphinaud Leveilleur, at your service. Alphinaud: Your reputation precedes you, Ser Aymeric. I think we will find that we have much in common. Aymeric: Speaking of reputations, yours towers over us all. Does it not? Taciturn Temple Knight (Lucia): It does indeed, Lord Commander. Aymeric: I am not too proud to admit that I have followed your activities with an interest bordering on fascination. Aymeric: Full glad was I to learn that you would be joining us. Aymeric: Now then, shall we begin?
Alphinaud: We know full well that the Garleans will return in force ere long. Alphinaud: What is more, we have yet to achieve a lasting victory over the primal menace. The beast tribes continue to summon their gods, and each incarnation is stronger than the last. Alphinaud: Ishgard is not immune to these threats. I must reiterate that it would behoove your nation to rejoin the Eorzean Alliance. Aymeric: Once again, I must respectfully disagree. Alphinaud: On what grounds? Aymeric: Despite their presence in Coerthas, the Ixal do not concern us. Their territorial claims pertain to Gridanian lands, and it is the people of Gridania whom they harry. Aymeric: Consequently, the Holy See judges this to be a Gridanian affair, and Ishgard does not intervene in the internal affairs of other nations. Aymeric: Even were that not the case, our forces are wholly committed to the Dravanian conflict. We have not the knights to spare. Aymeric: As for the Garleans, we are not ignorant of history. We have observed the rise and expansion of the Empire, and we agree that it is only a matter of time before they resume their campaign in Eorzea. Alphinaud: Then surely it would be in our best interests to present a united front? Aymeric: Mayhap one day, but not yet. Aymeric: Gaius van Baelsar is dead, and the legion of conscripts he left behind lacks the will to fight. We think it highly unlikely that they will emerge from behind the walls of their castra for some time. Alphinaud: Forgive me, but if Ishgard's position has not changed, why did you agree to this meeting? Aymeric: It was not only as a representative of Ishgard that I came here. Alphinaud: Pardon? Aymeric: It is not within my power to change Ishgardian policy, regardless of my personal feelings. There is, however, one area in which I may exert a measure of influence. Aymeric: Concerns have been raised over the supplies House Fortemps has offered to Revenant's Toll. These have led to calls for restrictions on the provision of aid to foreign powers. Aymeric: I can ensure that the shipments continue unabated. Haurchefant: Ser Aymeric, we would be in your debt! Aymeric: No, you would not, for I require something in exchange. Aymeric: Of late there has been a flurry of Dravanian activity, the purpose of which was not immediately clear. Aymeric: However, our astrologians have since observed alarming changes in the heavens. The dragon star waxes unnaturally bright, and there are whispers that it portends the resurrection of Midgardsormr. Alphinaud: The fallen guardian of Silvertear Falls? That's absurd. Aymeric: Full many times have I gazed upon the dragon's corpse, still wound around the Agrius, and wondered how different our world might be if it yet lived to plague the skies. Aymeric: I do not know, and I do not wish to know. Nor does any son of Ishgard. Yet the mere presence of Dravanian forces is not sufficient grounds to send knights to Mor Dhona, whatever our astrologians say. As I told you before, we have not the forces to spare. Alphinaud: ...But we do. So, you will intervene on our behalf if we agree to watch over the Keeper of the Lake. Aymeric: Do you accept these terms? Alphinaud: I do. I will see that you are kept abreast of any developments. Alphinaud: I regret that we could not come to a similar agreement on other matters, but I understand that you are not at liberty to make such decisions. Alphinaud: Nevertheless, I hope that what we have accomplished here today will serve to demonstrate to your countrymen that we can work together towards a common goal. Mayhap one day we shall look back on this moment as the first step towards a united Eorzea. Aymeric: Mayhap we shall, Commander. Haurchefant: What is the meaning of this!? House Fortemps Knight: The caravan, my lord! It's been attacked! House Fortemps Knight: It was Iceheart, my lord! Haurchefant: What!? By the Fury! All our precautions were for naught!?
The Intercession of Saints Recent developments have given Alphinaud much to consider.
Alphinaud: <sigh> Just when we were starting to make progress... Alphinaud: And to make matters worse, the caravan they spoke of was bound for Revenant's Toll of all places. Honestly, were I so inclined, I should think the gods were conspiring against us. Alphinaud: Happily, however, I am not. I would know more of this attack. Let us speak with Lord Haurchefant and find out what he has learned.
Haurchefant: My sincerest apologies for the interruption, my friends, but the situation is such that we must act swiftly. Alphinaud: If you would be so kind as to elaborate... Haurchefant: Iceheart's heretics fell upon the caravan bound for Revenant's Toll as it was passing through Boulder Downs. Haurchefant: 'Twas an ambush─swift and ruthless. In an instant, every knight was slain, every crate seized. Then, as quickly as they had appeared, they were gone. Taciturn Temple Knight (Lucia): 'Twould be an impossible feat without knowledge of the route─knowledge to which only a select few are privy, I presume. Alphinaud: ...Quite. We can pursue that avenue of inquiry in due course. It seems to me that examining the scene of the ambush should be our first concern. Alphinaud: The trail is yet warm. We must act swiftly─as Lord Haurchefant said─lest crucial evidence be lost. Alphinaud: You have a knack for discerning hidden truths, Forename. Why don't you go and inspect the ambush site in person? Haurchefant: An excellent idea! Inform my men of your intent upon arrival, and they will gladly share their findings.
House Fortemps Knight: Move along, adventurer. There's nothing for─ Eh? Lord Haurchefant bid you speak with us? Then you must be─ Beg your pardon, Scion. House Fortemps Knight: As you can see, they left nary a crate behind. Tipped the wagon for good measure even. House Fortemps Knight: Whole thing's a bit odd, if you ask me. Would've been easier to just steal it─though a damn sight harder to conceal it, I'll allow. House Fortemps Knight: Reckon they came prepared, probably with wagons of their own hidden a way off... Ah, but pay no heed to my ramblings. Absent of proof, 'tis naught but speculation. House Fortemps Knight: Might be as the squire receiving care at the Observatorium could tell you something more factual. That is, if he's awake. Unlike myself, he was there during the attack─not that his presence amounted to much.
Surviving Squire: You...you've come to ask about the attack, haven't you? Surviving Squire: ...We came upon them before the entrance to the Hall of the Seven Echoes. Pilgrims, we marked them as─lost and ill equipped for a journey further north. Our leader called out to them, and one stepped forward to answer. Surviving Squire: Slowly she approached, her silver hair flowing in the wind like melting snow. Just a young girl, I thought, some poor lost lamb in search of salvation. Surviving Squire: Our leader must have thought the same─else why would he let her draw so close? They exchanged some words I couldn't hear, and she leaned forward as if to kiss his cheek...and then he sighed and crumpled to the ground. I didn't know what had happened till I saw the snow turn red. Surviving Squire: And then there was red everywhere I looked. I tried to fight, but took a blow to the head, and by the time I came to, the others were dead and the heretics were unloading the wagon. I couldn't... I-I mean, they'd have killed me, so... So I just lay still and listened. Surviving Squire: Iceheart's people spoke of deliverance and resurrection. And...they spoke of Shiva...
Alphinaud: Ah, you've returned. What news have you for us? Haurchefant: It seems the Lady Iceheart does not scruple to sully her hands with blood. Alphinaud: Who is this “Shiva” the heretics spoke of? Taciturn Temple Knight (Lucia): ...Have you not read a single line of the Enchiridion, Master Alphinaud? Taciturn Temple Knight (Lucia): Shiva was a traitor to kith and kin─an apostate who lay down with dragons. Haurchefant: Now, now, we cannot expect all foreigners to know Ishgardian scripture so well─particularly when it concerns the patron saints of heretics. Alphinaud: Wait─you say she is their patron saint? Oh, no... It all makes sense now... Alphinaud: Lord Haurchefant─what was the caravan's cargo? Haurchefant: Ah...if I recall correctly, the Diamond Forge had requested a rather large quantity of crystals─ Alphinaud: Do you not see? Iceheart and her followers intend to summon Shiva, as a beast tribe would a primal! Why else would they go to such lengths to secure crystals? Taciturn Temple Knight (Lucia): ...I shall inform the lord commander at once. Lord Haurchefant, you would agree that discretion is of paramount concern? Haurchefant: Of course. Haurchefant: I trust we can count on your continued support, Master Alphinaud? Alphinaud: The Scions of the Seventh Dawn are sworn to combat the primal threat. Our support is a given. Alphinaud: I will need to send word to my brethren in Revenant's Toll. Our entire order must turn its efforts to the prevention of this summoning. Alphinaud: Naturally, that includes you─though I am sure you would not miss this for the world.
Strength in Unity Woe betide the heretic who crosses Alphinaud Leveilleur, for they shall feel the full force of his fury.
Alphinaud: The persistent attacks on our caravans seemed little more than a nuisance at first. The heretics were a problem, to be sure, but a relatively minor one. Alphinaud: That was before I discerned the purpose behind their attacks, of course... Now they have my undivided attention. Alphinaud: After apprising Minfilia of the situation, I shall summon a unit of Crystal Braves to assist us. As for you, Forename─pray join me in Whitebrim Front. Alphinaud: Since the incident at Snowcloak, the knights of House Durendaire have redoubled their reconnaissance efforts in the region. It is my hope that they have information which may help us to determine precisely where the heretics are hiding. Alphinaud: Given our mutual enemy, Lord Drillemont should be eager to oblige us. I shall see you there, then? Good.
Drillemont: The Scions of the Seventh Dawn wish to join in the hunt for Iceheart? Your assistance is more than welcome, my friends. Drillemont: Considering the report I just received, I daresay your timing could be no better. Aymeric: We are all ears, Lord Drillemont. Drillemont: A band of pilgrims was seen transporting a large number of crates to the west. Their garb appears to match the description provided by the squire who survived the attack. Drillemont: Alas, our scouts lost track of them at Snowcloak─that selfsame frozen wall which we speculated might conceal the heretics' hideaway. Drillemont: Suffice it to say, the disappearance of these “pilgrims” and their provisions all but confirms our suspicions. Aymeric: I have heard enough. My knights will join the hunt. Alphinaud: I took the liberty of summoning a unit of Crystal Braves to Whitebrim Front. Given the gravity of the situation, I trust you will agree that we must use every resource available to us. Aymeric: ...These are extraordinary circumstances, Commander. 'Twould be in our best interests to coordinate our efforts. Alphinaud: Such was my intent from the start, Ser Aymeric. Alphinaud: And so it begins, my friend─though I daresay it will prove an all-too-brief collaboration. Iceheart will not elude the combined forces of the Crystal Braves and the Temple Knights for long. Alphinaud: Nevertheless, a wise man does not wager all upon the success of a single solution. There may yet be subtler means by which we can locate the heretics' lair. Mayhap Lord Drillemont has one in mind?
Heretic Mage: Yes...yes...excellent. Heretic Mage: My lady, everything has been accounted for. If there is aught else you would have us do, pray speak, and it shall be done.
Dark Words, Dark Deeds Only the naive place all of their hope in the success of a single solution, and Lord Drillemont is anything but...
Drillemont: It seems as though we are always one step behind, our quarry ever just beyond our reach. Though I would like to believe that the tables are about to turn, I must confess to having certain doubts. A joint effort may succeed where others have failed...but it could yet yield the selfsame result. Drillemont: Fortunately, we are not without other options. I trust you haven't forgotten Inquisitor Guillaime? Drillemont: We have not. The mystery of how the heretic remained undiscovered for so long has been much in our thoughts, as has the question of what steps might be taken to prevent a similar breach of security in future. Drillemont: Accordingly, we conducted an exhaustive─and covert─evaluation of everyone in Whitebrim Front. Drillemont: Though some were found to have committed certain minor transgressions, we identified only one possible heretic. Drillemont: If this man has pledged himself to Iceheart's cause, he will have taken note of the movements of the Temple Knights and the Crystal Braves. And upon recognizing their intent, he may attempt to warn the heretics. Drillemont: The man's watch is to end soon, at which point he must report to Ser Jeantremont in the yard. I would have you keep an eye on him. If he ventures beyond the walls, follow him discreetly. Drillemont: Should he meet with a heretic, do not interfere─simply watch and listen. I have seen to it that the suspect knows nothing which could endanger our plans.
The suspected heretic leaves through the southwest gate...
The suspected heretic follows the road east...
The suspected heretic heads south...
Accused Knight: Hey! HEY! Where in the seven hells are you!? I'm freezing my bollocks off here! Suspicious Coerthan: I'm here, you blundering oaf. Why are you late? Accused Knight: Standing on the wall, why else? I have duties to fulfill, you know! Suspicious Coerthan: Your sole duty is to the─ Hm? Bloody echo. Lower your voice, or they'll hear us in Whitebrim Front. Accused Knight: Y-Yes, of course. The Temple Knights are... <mumble> <mumble> ...in Snowcloak. Suspicious Coerthan: This is what you bring to me? We already knew about... <mumble> <mumble> Our comrades in Boulder Downs will use the tunnels... <mumble> <mumble> ...dead before they know what's happening. Nevertheless... <mumble> <mumble> ...if you waste my time again. Is that clear?
Drillemont: Well? Did your investigation bear fruit? Drillemont: I see. I shall have the man detained at once. His guilt is plain. Drillemont: <sigh> Would that you could have heard their words more clearly... Drillemont: Yet...the few snatches you were able to make out are nonetheless enlightening. It would seem the heretics are aware of our operation─and confident that they can thwart it. Drillemont: Their comrades in Boulder Downs are key to their plans─which means it is key to our plans that they be rooted out and put to the sword.
First Blood The allied forces at Snowcloak are in danger, and Lord Drillemont would have you assist him in ensuring their safety.
Drillemont: We have long suspected that the heretics use a network of secret tunnels to traverse the highlands undetected... Given what you overheard, I fear that Snowcloak may be riddled with such passageways, and that the heretics in Boulder Downs are planning to use them to take our forces unawares. Needless to say, we cannot allow that to happen. Drillemont: A contingent of House Durendaire knights are on patrol in the area, and I shall order them to begin searching for the heretics at once. But knowing nothing of our enemy's numbers or readiness, I cannot say for sure that they will be sufficient... Drillemont: It would put my mind at ease if you would consent to assist my knights with the search. I know they would take courage from the presence of so storied a warrior. Drillemont: Pray rendezvous with them at Boulder Downs. If Halone is kind, we may catch these heretics before their plans come to fruition. Drillemont: Show them no mercy, Forename. The lives of our allies are at stake.
Drillemont: My knights sent no word of your coming, Forename. What has happened? What is that in your hand?
Brittle Parchment Discovered on the body of a slain heretic, this yellowing document is covered in a complex code of seemingly random letters and numbers.
Drillemont: By the Fury... Those were veterans with years of service! Drillemont: And now they lie dead in the snow. <sigh> Their bodies must be recovered, and─ Drillemont: No. No, we have not the men to spare. Not now. Not while Iceheart prepares to summon an abomination. Drillemont: The heretics you dispatched were not of sufficient number to contend with the combined strength of the Temple Knights and the Crystal Braves. There must be others. And I'll wager they are on their way to Snowcloak as we speak. Drillemont: To make matters worse, it seems the traitor you followed managed to pass the heretics something of value after all... Drillemont: The parchment you recovered is a timetable of the guardsmen's watches at our outpost in Snowcloak. The traitor was stationed there long before he aroused our suspicions. Would that we had caught him sooner! Drillemont: With this information, the heretics would know when the watch was weakest. They could use their tunnels with impunity and prepare their ambush... Drillemont: The timetable has not changed, you see. Of course, it will be changed now, but the heretics may already be in position. Drillemont: House Durendaire must send reinforcements─even if it means withdrawing knights from the Stone Vigil. I can see no other way to safeguard the lives of our allies.
The Path of the Righteous Lord Drillemont recognizes that the situation in Snowcloak is coming to a head and that decisive action must be taken.
Drillemont: Time is of the essence, Forename. While my knights make ready to depart, the heretics may take our allies in Snowcloak unawares. Drillemont: Superior training and equipment will avail them naught if they are cut down ere their swords are drawn. But all is not yet lost. If you leave now, there may still be time to warn them. Drillemont: Make haste, I beseech you! Fly to Snowcloak and tell Ser Aymeric everything we have discovered.
Aymeric: Forename. This is a welcome surprise─perhaps the only one thus far. As you can see, we have yet to uncover any hidden─ Aymeric: ...You have my gratitude. Truth be told, we suspected the heretics might be plotting such an attack. Now that we have confirmation, I shall place my knights on high alert. Aymeric: Has Commander Leveilleur been informed? The Braves must be made aware.
Alphinaud: It must be here! I am certain of it! Why else would they go to such lengths to defend Snowcloak? Alphinaud: 'Tis but a pity this discovery comes when our enemy has us at such a disadvantage. Forewarned though we be─the heretics know the terrain far better than we. I dare not think how many are watching us at this very moment... Alphinaud: Confound it! This is all wrong. Iceheart has us scrambling to save our own skins when we should rightly be straining every sinew to find her, and stop this damnable summoning! ??? (Heretic): There she is! Heretic: Come here, girl! Yda (Lyse): That was close! They didn't hurt you, did they? Alphinaud: ...Only my pride, Yda. Alphinaud: There will be others nearby. We must see that they are given a similarly warm welcome. Yuyuhase: Commander Leveilleur! Yuyuhase: There's been a development, sir! Together with the Temple Knights, we have secured the entrances to some half-dozen tunnels, after spotting the enemy breaking the surface. But that is not all, sir─we think that one of them may be important. Certainly, the heretics near flung themselves upon our swords to defend it. Alphinaud: A-ha! Just as I suspected! Amongst this warren of tunnels lies the entrance to Iceheart's lair! Summon the others─we're going in! Papalymo: A moment, Alphinaud! The tunnel in question is barely wide enough for two men abreast. We cannot say with any certainty where it leads, much less what is waiting for us there. Papalymo: Furthermore, we have no way of knowing how many heretics are still lurking here on the surface! What if they were to converge on this point after we entered the tunnel? For all we know, we could be funneling our forces into a trap! Alphinaud: ...I take your point. If the tunnel is indeed as narrow as you say, greater numbers would be more a hindrance than a help. Should we encounter difficulty, our own allies would become an obstacle to escape. Alphinaud: Ahem! A change of plans. While we rendezvous with Ser Aymeric and keep the heretics at bay here, you will go wherever that tunnel leads. Alphinaud: If you find Iceheart at the end of it─do not let her escape. Alphinaud: You venture into the unknown, so see that you are prepared for anything. I suggest you call upon your allies─though not too many or Papalymo will sulk.
Stalwart Temple Knight: The entrance to the tunnel, madam? It's just over here. Stalwart Temple Knight: Had we not seen the heretics breaking the surface, we would never have noticed it... Stalwart Temple Knight: Per Ser Aymeric's orders, we will stand guard outside. Please be aware that even should you encounter significant resistance, we cannot leave our post.

Snowcloak

Formed in the aftermath of the Calamity, the great ice wall has long been thought an impenetrable barrier between central and western Coerthas. In truth, however, the wall is riddled with hidden tunnels, which Iceheart and her followers have used as a base of operations. You have been taske with exploring one such tunnel in the hopes that it will lead you to the heretics' leader—yet what dangers await are anyone's guess...
Scion Conjurer: It's breathtaking. Scion Marauder: This is no time for sightseeing, my friend.
Scion Marauder: Did the heretics make camp here?
Scion Conjurer: It's freezing in here.
Scion Thaumaturge: Thal's bloody balls, all that ice... Scion Conjurer: I feared I'd slip and break my neck.
Scion Thaumaturge: Where did it even come from? Scion Marauder: Did that goobbue just jump out of a snowball? Scion Thaumaturge: Why must the heretics reside in such bitter climes?
Scion Marauder: Be mindful of its arms.
Scion Conjurer: A snowball fight is not what I was expecting... Scion Marauder: Aye. But nevertheless, we were victorious.
Scion Marauder: Hm? A dead end?
Scion Marauder: There they are!
Scion Thaumaturge: My, what terrible fangs! Scion Conjurer: The legendary hoarhound... This is not a foe to be trifled with.
??? (Ysayle): The tales do not do you justice, Warrior of Light. ??? (Ysayle): Yes, I know who you are. And you know who I am. Iceheart (Ysayle): I was given the name Ysayle, but I earned the name Iceheart. Iceheart (Ysayle): This endless cycle of hatred, of bloodshed, of sorrow─ You would see it continue, O noble Warrior of Light? Iceheart (Ysayle): I would not. I will not. I will bring an end to this war between dragon and man─no matter the cost. Iceheart (Ysayle): In time, you will come to understand that what we do, we do for the greater good. Iceheart (Ysayle): For Eorzea. For Hydaelyn.
Alphinaud: That took longer than I expected. What news, Forename? Alphinaud: So Iceheart is but a pseudonym─not that it matters. Alphinaud: That she managed to escape is regrettable, but from your description of that beast, you did well to come as close as you did. Alphinaud: In any case, now that you have cleared a path, the Temple Knights can begin to survey the tunnels in earnest. Alphinaud: Mayhap they will even find a route past the ice wall. Wouldn't that do wonders for their fight against the heretics. Alphinaud: The Crystal Braves would certainly share the credit for it too. Twelve be praised, Forename─we may yet turn this situation to our advantage. Alphinaud: ...Assuming we stop Iceheart before she summons Shiva, of course. Alphinaud: Needless to say, our fellow Scions have not been idle. Minfilia and Urianger have been busy perusing the archives of House Fortemps, gathering what information they can on Shiva. Alphinaud: Which reminds me, if you were intending to trudge back to Camp Dragonhead to report on the day's events─don't. The Antecedent should be here any minute. I can only assume some people enjoy subjecting themselves to this cold. <shiver>
For the Greater Good Though not given to small talk, Alphinaud can think of no better way to pass the time until Minfilia arrives.
Alphinaud: Antecedent. You come to us straight from the archives of House Fortemps. I trust your time there proved fruitful. Minfilia: Would that it had. Urianger and I scoured countless texts, but what we found was of questionable veracity. Minfilia: Accounts of Shiva's life and deeds are sparse and contradictory, only agreeing upon one point... Minfilia: She lay down with a dragon─the gravest of all sins, according to the Ishgardian faith. Minfilia: Yet in the eyes of Iceheart's followers, this was a holy act─the blessed union of man and dragon. Minfilia: How such a thing could even be possible is quite another question. Suffice it to say, I very much doubt that we will find a useful answer in the archives of House Fortemps. Minfilia: Much knowledge has been lost over the centuries─though in this case, one wonders if it is by circumstance or design. Alphinaud: You said that Iceheart took a moment to plead her case prior to escaping, did you not? Alphinaud: Hm. Viewed without prejudice, most would agree that bringing an end to an endless war serves the greater good. Minfilia: I think Ser Aymeric might take issue with her methods. Aymeric: I do not care if a few stragglers manage to escape. Until the sappers confirm that a tunnel is safe, the men are not to search it. Temple Knight Herald: Yes, Lord Commander. Alphinaud: You pursue your foes with less zeal than I had expected, Ser Aymeric. Alphinaud: Lest you misunderstand, I do not deny that our enemy has given us good reason to be prudent. I merely meant─you being a man of faith─that I had expected a certain...single-mindedness. After all, was it not by the will of Halone that your ancestors came to this land─why they took up arms against the Dravanians? What would they have done in your position, I wonder... Aymeric: ...There are those who believe that faith is a renunciation of free will─that unquestioning devotion is required of all who would live a life in service to the Fury. Aymeric: Such righteous fervor may well serve a knight on the front line─less so a leader of men. Aymeric: We are all at liberty to interpret the scriptures as we will. I choose to believe that the Fury would value the lives of Her followers over the deaths of Her enemies. Aymeric: But I would not presume to speak for the knights of eld. 'Twas a different time─nay, a different era─and scripture tells us only so much. Alphinaud: ...Would that it told us more. Alphinaud: That man is awfully pragmatic for a servant of the Holy See. Alphinaud: A welcome trait at the negotiating table, to be sure─less so when one's enemies are making ready to harness the power of a god. Minfilia: Mayhap he does not truly believe that Iceheart's plan can succeed...? Truth be told, I too remain somewhat skeptical. Minfilia: Shiva was real─a living, breathing woman─of that there can be no doubt. In this respect, she differs from every other figure to have been summoned, each of whom was worshipped as a god. Minfilia: ...The sole exception being Good King Moggle Mog XII─the myth made manifest in response to the fervent supplications of the Mogglesguard. Alphinaud: Saint Shiva may differ, but what of the heretics? They are a tribe of outcasts at war with a mighty nation, who yearn for the resurrection of the one who embodies their beliefs. If that is not placing one's faith in a higher power, then what is? Alphinaud: Crystals and conviction, Minfilia. They have them both in abundance. Minfilia: ...Can that truly be all that is required? Alphinaud: My survey team has concluded a preliminary analysis of the aetheryte Iceheart used to escape. They believe that she teleported to another aetheryte, somewhere not far to the west. Alphinaud: Despite the apparent proximity of this second aetheryte, however, they have been wholly unable to detect its presence directly. Unless Iceheart has some means to mask its signal, I can only presume she had it destroyed to prevent us from following her. Alphinaud: Without the means to teleport as she did, we have no choice but to search for an alternate route─most likely a tunnel─assuming one exists. Minfilia: Let us not give up on teleportation just yet. One of our colleagues in Sharlayan may be able to assist us. Alphinaud: I pray that you are right. I dare not think how long it will take us to survey the entire tunnel system...
Alphinaud: While Minfilia looks into our aetheryte problem, I would like to request your assistance with another matter. Alphinaud: The 3rd Unit is currently tracking the remnants of the heretic force which attacked us. However, the search goes poorly, despite our numbers. Alphinaud: Coerthas is vast, and Iceheart's followers know the terrain far better than we. Your knowledge of this region may serve to hasten the process. Alphinaud: The sooner we capture Iceheart's followers, the sooner we can press them for their leader's whereabouts. Alphinaud: Also─though it is admittedly a selfish request─I feel that my Braves would benefit immensely from working alongside you. While we have our share of veterans, we also have more than a few less-experienced recruits─many of whom look up to you, in case you were not aware. Alphinaud: Good, I knew you would understand. Yuyuhase can apprise you of the details. Alphinaud: When the task is complete, come and find me at the Observatorium. Captain Ilberd and I are meeting there to discuss the latest developments in his investigation. Alphinaud: The Temple Knights shall hold Snowcloak in our absence. Let us leave them to their work─ours is more pressing.
Yuyuhase: There you are, Forename! Commander Leveilleur instructed me to wait for you. Yuyuhase: Your assistance is most welcome, believe me. Most of the 3rd hail from Ul'dah, and for a man accustomed to the feel of sand beneath his boots, the crunch of snow can be rather disconcerting. Yuyuhase: But to the matter at hand─nary a moment ago, I received word that the heretics we seek have been spotted making for Daniffen Pass. My Braves are already in pursuit, and I should be grateful if you would join them. Yuyuhase: I myself shall be taking part in the hunt. Never let it be said that I do not earn my coin.
3rd Unit Brave: Thal's balls, my ankle is on fire! Caught my boot on a rock or something and twisted it as I fell. 3rd Unit Brave: The others went on ahead through Daniffen Pass. Hurry and you might catch up. 3rd Unit Brave: If you aren't sure where to go, look for tracks. This snow is fresh, so they shouldn't be hard to find.
The tracks lead southeast...
3rd Unit Brave: Scion! What are you doing here!? 3rd Unit Brave: The heretics? I-I'm not sure. There was a great scaled beast, and... <cough> <cough> ...Yuyuhase? I think... I think he went east on his own. The heretics split up, so we did too.
Yuyuhase: How embarrassing─I was so intent on following the heretics' tracks that I almost failed to notice they had doubled back. Almost, mind you─one tried to sneak up behind me and got a knife in the gut for his troubles. Yuyuhase: I thought myself alone, so I started searching the dead man's knapsack for anything of interest. And lo and behold, before his friends found me, I came upon this. Yuyuhase: “Withdraw in groups of three or less to the Observatorium. Give the signal and wait─the merchant will be watching. Be late and be left for dead.” Yuyuhase: Speaks for itself, does it not? They can't possibly mean to rendezvous inside the place, so we should restrict our search to the surrounding areas. Yuyuhase: Let me rephrase that: you should restrict your search to the wilderness around the Observatorium. I will need more than a moment's rest to recover from these wounds.
Suspicious Coerthan: I am through with listening to your excuses! We leave now! Suspicious Merchant: How? The woods are crawling with those bluecoats, and the knights are searching every wagon that passes through the gates! Suspicious Coerthan: Well, stay with her, then, if you think you'll fare any better. Ilberd: Now, now, there's no need for that. Suspicious Coerthan: ... Yugiri: There are places like this in my homeland─sacred snowcapped peaks where blood must not be shed. Yugiri: Yet your lands ever thirst for the blood of the fallen─and by your deeds, it has drunk deep. Suspicious Merchant: N-No! I have done no wrong! Ilberd: None but meet in secret with heretics. Deny it all you will. We shall have the truth from you yet. Inquisitors are not the only ones skilled in the art of interrogation. Suspicious Coerthan: Damn it all!
Alphinaud: Fancy meeting you here, Forename. I presume your work with the 3rd brought you hither? Alphinaud: What a tangled web... Lest you wonder, we came not for the heretics, but for the merchant who has been conspiring with them. Alphinaud: He came to our attention during the course of our investigation into the Ivy. It beggars belief, I know, but it seems our favorite Garlean spy may have been providing assistance to Iceheart. Alphinaud: Were it not for the efforts of Lady Yugiri and her shinobi, we might never have discovered this connection. Yugiri: Master Alphinaud is too kind. I fear my people and I have done little to aid your search for this spy. Yugiri: We long to strike back against the Empire and weaken their influence in this land─to prevent the tragedy which befell Doma from reoccurring. Yugiri: The days ahead and the work they promise will require a very particular set of skills. Skills which I am fortunate enough to possess. If you will allow it, I would accompany you until the investigation is complete. Alphinaud: That is a most generous offer, Lady Yugiri, and one which I gladly accept. Yugiri: Thank you. Though I may disappear for a time, know that I shall never be far, and shall always be watching. Alphinaud: ...A comforting thought. Come, Forename. Let us wait inside for Captain Ilberd to return and deliver his report.
Alphinaud: Captain Ilberd seemed confident that the merchant's resolve would swiftly crumble when pressed. If so, we should have new information ere long. Alphinaud: As to whether it will bring us any closer to learning the Ivy's identity, I would rather not say. Given our adversary's cunning, I shall consider us fortunate if we are spared another wild-dodo chase. The gods know we have more than enough to occupy our time as it is.
Tendrils of Intrigue Alphinaud is eager to hear Ilberd's report on the Ivy.
Alphinaud: Captain Ilberd. Your report, if you will. Ilberd: Aye, Commander. Firstly, with regard to the heretic we captured, I regret to say that the man could tell us naught that we did not already know of Shiva. Ilberd: We have since handed him over to the Ishgardian authorities. Henceforth, the Holy See will pursue the matter independently. Ilberd: Our inquiries concerning the Ivy, however, have proven more fruitful. We have ascertained the channel by which the heretics acquired their information on the shipment routes. Alphinaud: Go on... Ilberd: You will recall the Flame we first identified as being in the Ivy's employ. From him we were able to trace a trail of conspirators, each taking us closer to his master. Ilberd: Alas, the trail came to an abrupt end. Fearing that the investigation had been compromised, we took the necessary step of detaining all suspected of conspiracy. Ilberd: There were five on our list, including a Flame stationed at Revenant's Toll. Ilberd: The man's primary duty was to keep an inventory of donations from abroad, the particulars of which he would share with benefactors, thereby ensuring that needs did not go unfulfilled. Ilberd: By virtue of his role, he was privy to the details of all shipments bound for the settlement. Needless to say, that included those originating from House Fortemps. Ilberd: He knew the precise route the caravan would take. And he sold that information to a merchant. Alphinaud: I think I can guess which one... Ilberd: None other. With a little encouragement, he soon confessed to knowingly aiding and abetting the heretics. Alphinaud: Well, that is one mystery solved, at least. But what of the Ivy? Are we any closer to prising off his mask? Ilberd: I daresay we are, Commander. Our relentless pursuit has forced him to commit a grave error. Ilberd: In a desperate bid to cover his tracks, the Ivy resorted to exercising certain administrative powers available only to high-ranking members of the Immortal Flames. Ilberd: If you consider then that our investigation is known to barely a handful of them, the field of suspects is greatly narrowed. Alphinaud: You mean to say that the agent is among Raubahn's innermost circle? Someone who has been with him since the Immortal Flames' establishment? Ilberd: 'Tis the most plausible explanation. The infiltration likely occurred during the company's founding, with the groundwork for the act being laid beforehand. Alphinaud: To slip into a position of authority unremarked, and remain above suspicion all these years... Ilberd: Aye. I, too, was surprised─though I really should not have been. Of the three Grand Companies, Ul'dah's was ever the more vulnerable to infiltration. Ilberd: Both Limsa Lominsa and Gridania had long-standing armed forces that lent themselves well to the formation of the Maelstrom and the Order of the Twin Adder. To all intents and purposes, it was the same people─loyal ones, mind─under the same leadership. Only the banner was different. Ilberd: Not so the Flames. Ul'dah's military was made up of disparate orders, most of which were glorified mercenary companies that answered only to their own paymasters. Ilberd: ...Hardly an ideal environment in which to establish something as high-minded as a Grand Company. Ilberd: The difficulties Raubahn faced when founding the Immortal Flames are well known. Even after he had convinced his fellow Syndicate members to share the cost, there remained the small matter of finding enough bodies to fill the ranks. Alphinaud: Indeed. And given the pressing nature of the imperial threat, that meant recruiting every passing sellsword. Alphinaud: Amidst the chaos of its founding, it would have been child's play to infiltrate the company. Ilberd: A good deal easier then than now, aye. Alphinaud: The Immortal Flames have ever been caught between conflicting interests─the public and the private. Alphinaud: Though the Monetarists ultimately agreed to support the organization's founding, 'twas not out of charity that they did so, but simple self-preservation. Alphinaud: Had Nael van Darnus's ambitions been any less apocalyptic, you may be sure that they would never have risked supplying Raubahn with an army. 'Tis but a wonder they did not attempt to extinguish the Flames the moment the danger had passed... Alphinaud: Ahem. Returning to the present... Ilberd: Even as we speak, our Doman allies are shadowing several high-ranking Flames, any one of whom could be the Ivy. Ilberd: Desiring to deal a blow against the Empire, the refugees were eager to lend us their aid. I expect to hear from them ere long. Alphinaud: Very good. Pray continue your investigation with the 1st. Alphinaud: Meanwhile, have the 2nd attend to the unrest. The 3rd can join the 4th in inspecting crystal shipments. Alphinaud: If they notice anything unusual, I want to know about it. If Shiva is summoned in like manner to the other primals, the heretics will be looking for further supplies. Ilberd: Understood, Commander. Alphinaud: I shall send word to Ser Aymeric informing him of our success in identifying the heretics' abettors. Hopefully, the information will be of some use to the Ishgardians. Ilberd: It is time, Commander. Alphinaud: Yes, I am aware. Alphinaud: An emergency council of the Alliance leadership has been called. There have been developments in Garlemald, it would seem. Alphinaud: As commander of the Crystal Braves, my presence has been requested. Alphinaud: I would have you accompany me, Forename. As the realm's stoutest champion, 'tis only meet that you be present for the discussion. Oh, and the Antecedent has already given her consent, lest you worry.
Alphinaud: Like me, you are doubtless eager to conclude our business with Iceheart, but until another path to her sanctum is found, she will remain beyond our reach. Alphinaud: Minfilia and the Archons are sparing no effort to secure an alternate route. Until such time as they succeed, I suggest we give some thought to the realm's other problems... Alphinaud: I shall go on ahead to Gridania in readiness for the coming council. Alphinaud: Meet me at Nophica's Altar, and we shall make our way to the Lotus Stand together.
Alphinaud: My thanks for coming, Forename. Alphinaud: When you are ready, speak with the conjurer yonder. She will show us to the Lotus Stand.
Silent Conjurer: The Alliance leaders await you at the Lotus Stand. Will you be joining them now?
  • Proceed to the Lotus Stand?
  • Yes
  • No
Kan-E-Senna: Change has come to the Garlean Empire, and we must discuss the implications. Merlwyb: The rumors are true then? The war of succession is ended? Kan-E-Senna: It is. A new emperor reigns in Garlemald. Alphinaud: Who!? Kan-E-Senna: The birth and all-too-rapid expansion of the Garlean Empire is commonly attributed to the strategic brilliance of Solus zos Galvus, yet he did not rule alone. Several members of the royal household also distinguished themselves during his reign. Kan-E-Senna: Nevertheless, it was the eldest son who stood to inherit the throne─until his most untimely passing. Raubahn: I thought us fortunate when I learned that the Emperor had died without naming a successor. Alphinaud: Would that the Garlean Empire had died with him. Raubahn: 'Twas the grandson and his uncle who had the strongest claims, was it not? Kan-E-Senna: Indeed. Yet claims count for little without the power to assert them. High Legatus Varis yae Galvus is a respected military leader─not so, his uncle. Merlwyb: So, young Varis has torn the crown from his uncle's grasp, and taken his place at the head of the Empire. Kan-E-Senna: Given the troubled nature of his succession, the new emperor will require time to seal his grip on power. Yet have no doubt but that he shall, for there are none left with strength enough to oppose him. Raubahn: Since the success of Operation Archon, the remnants of the XIVth Legion and the forces occupying Ala Mhigo have done naught but fortify their positions. Raubahn: But you can be sure they'll be ready to march on us again, if their emperor gives the word. Merlwyb: When, not if. They say this Varis was so set upon Eorzean annexation that he spoke out against the Meteor project. Kan-E-Senna: Plainly, the new emperor's intentions are of great concern to us all. Kan-E-Senna: I propose that we set aside the Carteneau dispute for the present and discuss what measures the Alliance might take to prepare for a resumption of hostilities with Garlemald. Kan-E-Senna: Moreover, I move that we reexamine the question of how our former allies in Ishgard might be persuaded to retake their place at our side. Could Eorzea but stand as one, 'twould deal a grave blow to our enemy's ambitions. Alphinaud: Well, I suppose we should be grateful that they have finally acknowledged the inevitability of imperial attack. Who knows, they may even do something about it. Alphinaud: If only the leaders of Ishgard would follow their example, and stop hiding behind their gates, praying for the coming storm to pass them by. Alphinaud: But that is a discussion for another time. At present, I am more concerned by the fact that the Alliance's mooted preparations will be made known to the Garleans many moons before their coming. Alphinaud: So long as the Ivy eludes our grasp, no secret is safe.
Alphinaud: It will not have escaped your notice that the nations of Eorzea are no nearer to being of one purpose, despite their protestations to the contrary. Plainly, the threat of a resurgent Garlemald is not enough to stir them. Alphinaud: And the reason for this? Deep-rooted mistrust amongst the citizenry. The nations' leaders can come to all the understandings they like, but their unity means little and less to the commonfolk. Alphinaud: Take the Lominsans, for instance. Though Admiral Merlwyb outlawed piracy over a decade ago, foreigners still picture the nation as a haven for grog-swilling, wooden-legged cutthroats. Alphinaud: In like wise, the Gridanians are mocked as hermits who talk to trees, and the Ul'dahns scorned as swindlers who worship coin. Alphinaud: ...Not that such sentiments are entirely without grounds, of course. Take that pillar of Ul'dahn society Teledji Adeledji, for example. But that is beside the point. The fact is that people are wary of outsiders whether they have cause to be or not. Alphinaud: On that basis, one could argue that the conflict at Carteneau is a necessary evil. Alphinaud: Each nation has its own warmongering faction that advocates the acquisition of Omega. In order to placate them, we present them something resembling warfare, and thereby curb their appetite for full-scale conflict. Alphinaud: ...But enough idle musing. Let us speak of a more pressing matter: the Ivy. Alphinaud: Since we spoke at the Observatorium, Captain Ilberd has further shortened his list of suspects. And by happy coincidence, the one he deems the most likely candidate is lately come to Gridania... Alphinaud: The hunt nears its end, Forename. All that remains is to corner our quarry. Seek out Ilberd near the Adders' Nest. He will give you the particulars. Alphinaud: Should there be any developments in Coerthas, you may be sure that I will send word without delay. In the meantime, I wish you success in apprehending the Ivy.
Ilberd: My thanks for coming, Scion. Doubtless the commander has informed you, but we have unmasked the Ivy. Ilberd: From this point on, we must proceed with extreme caution.
Chasing Ivy Ilberd is convinced that he has discovered the Ivy's identity and is preparing to move against the Garlean spy.
Ilberd: Listen well. The spy we have been seeking all this time is none other than Flame Marshal Eline Roaille, Raubahn's second-in-command. Ilberd: Prior to joining the Immortal Flames, she was a mercenary of no small renown. They say her skill with a polearm had to be seen to be believed. Ilberd: Of Ishgardian birth, she is the highest-ranked foreigner in the Immortal Flames─barring the Flame General himself, of course. Ilberd: When he formed the Grand Company, Raubahn chose people based on their worth. Whence they hailed was of no interest. Ilberd: The Monetarists saw things differently, however. Having funded the enterprise, they reserved the right to reject candidates nominated for high-ranking positions. Ilberd: And 'twas no secret that they did not favor foreigners─Ishgardians especially, after the way the Holy See forsook the Alliance. Ilberd: Yet the Monetarists did not raise so much as a murmur of protest when Roaille was appointed to her post. Passing strange, is it not? Could it be that the Ivy has some hold over the Monetarists? Ilberd: ...But these revelations are secondary to our current mission. Of foremost interest to us is Roaille's presence here now. As you may be aware, it is the duty of the flame marshal to command the Immortal Flames in the absence of the Flame General. While Raubahn attended the council of Alliance leaders, she should have remained in the Hall of Flames. Ilberd: The woman has no business being in Gridania─yet here she is nonetheless, on some pretense. She is up to something, mark my words. Ilberd: Even as we speak, I have a dozen men trawling the Flames' records for evidence of Roaille's guilt─but if we can catch her red-handed, we shall have all the proof we need. Ilberd: ...Which brings me to the plan. I have people watching the city gates, the airship landing, and the docks─every point of egress. She cannot leave without our knowledge. All that remains is to shadow her until she betrays her true purpose. Can I rely upon your eyes, Scion? Ilberd: You have my thanks. Let us go, then, and take care not to alert our quarry.
Ilberd: Roaille is headed in the direction of the Blue Badger Gate. With me, Scion.
Ilberd: So, Roaille has entered the Carline Canopy... Meeting someone, perchance? Or could it be she means to board an airship? Ilberd: Pray look for her within. If she is not on the upper floor, try the landing area below. Ilberd: One of mine is stationed there, and she may have seen something. Ephemie is her name. I shall remain here in case Roaille reappears.
Ephemie: Forename Surname! Such an unexpected pleasure! What brings you here? Ephemie: Ahem. A social visit, you say? How pleasant! (No─she didn't come this way. I've noted every passenger, and none bore any resemblance.) Well, don't let me keep you!
Ilberd: ...Nowhere to be seen, you say? And you are sure she did not board an airship? Ilberd: Hmph. She did not come back out, either. Where in the seven hells could she have gone...? Ilberd: ...The Roost! How could I forget!? Peddler (Shinobi): Greetings, good sir. Might I interest you in some Mun-Tuy tonic? A cup a day imbues a man with great vigor, if you take my meaning. Heh heh... Ilberd: Perhaps another time, friend. Ilberd: ...Wait. That necklace─ You are a shinobi of Doma. Shinobi: The woman you seek has left Gridania by way of Westshore Pier. Shinobi: She was attired as a merchant, but these eyes are not so easily deceived. Shinobi: You may wish to take your search to the East Shroud. Rest assured that we shall continue to support you from the shadows. Ilberd: Thank the Twelve for the Domans. Were it not for their unique talents, Roaille would have disappeared without a trace.
In Flagrante Delicto Ilberd is eager to resume the pursuit of Eline Roaille.
Ilberd: Our hunt leads us to the East Shroud, Scion. I suggest we follow Roaille's example and take the ferry from Westshore Pier. Ilberd: You'll doubtless wish to make certain preparations. See to them while I go on ahead. I shall wait for you at Sweetbloom Pier.
Yugiri: This way, my friends. Yugiri: Your quarry makes for the Hawthorne Hut. Yugiri: If Roaille is truly the one we seek, we can expect that she means to make contact with her Garlean masters there. Ilberd: An explanation is in order. You are no doubt aware that the Garleans have their own method of communicating over great distances. Ilberd: Well, our ingenious friends at Garlond Ironworks have provided us with devices which disrupt these communications, and we have installed them around the city-states. In so doing, we have made it difficult for imperial agents to correspond with their masters. Ilberd: Roaille would thus have no choice but to rendezvous with her imperial contact directly. Yet, as a well-known face in the Immortal Flames, she cannot move about Thanalan without being recognized. It would only be a matter of time before someone saw through her disguise. Ilberd: 'Tis for this reason, I believe, that she has chosen the Black Shroud for her clandestine meeting. The Elezen are a common sight here, and her comings and goings are not like to turn any heads. Yugiri: As my scouts tell it, the Garleans have sent agents with a mind to destroy the devices and render such direct contact unnecessary. Fortunately, our shinobi have thus far been successful in rebuffing their efforts. Ilberd: ...This is it. We need only make for Hawthorne's Hut and catch Roaille in the act.
Ilberd: If Roaille was here, she is no more. We have no choice but to continue the pursuit. Yugiri: My people report that our quarry has departed for the Bramble Patch. Ilberd: The Ivy returns to the gnarls whence she came... But perhaps it is all for the better. Ilberd: To convict someone of her standing, we will require damning evidence against her. What could be better than to catch her in the act when she meets with her Garlean masters? Yugiri: My countrymen and I shall lie in wait in the shadows. Tread warily, my friends.
Yugiri: Just beyond, Roaille is in conversation with an individual clad in the manner of an adventurer. An imperial intermediary, no doubt. Ilberd: This is it! With me! Ilberd: Flame Marshal Eline Roaille! You are under arrest for treason and espionage! Dubious Adventurer: You were followed, you bloody fool! Dubious Adventurer: Damnation! Eline Roaille: Hmph... Ilberd: You are unarmed, my lady...and scarcely garbed for battle. But if you wish to fight...you are welcome to try. Eline Roaille: What is the meaning of this, Captain? Would you arrest me for strolling in the Twelveswood? When last I looked, that was no crime─and neither was conversing with passing strangers. Ilberd: You would feign ignorance, then? Very well. Ilberd: If you do think of something to say, there will be plenty of time to say it later. Now, come quietly, or I shall make you wish you had. Eline Roaille: I will offer you no struggle. After all, I have naught to hide.
Yugiri: Even a warrior of Roaille's renown could not have hoped to escape by force. Despite her claims, her surrender does not bespeak innocence, but an awareness that her position is untenable. Yugiri: With the Ivy thus uprooted, it is to be hoped that the tendrils she entwined around the Immortal Flames will gradually wither and die. Yugiri: Mayhap then the people of Ul'dah will have the Grand Company they deserve. But let us speak of the present. If I may ask, what will you do now, Forename? Yugiri: ...So the Scions seek a way into Iceheart's sanctum. Yugiri: Then I daresay you are eager to return to the Rising Stones. Pray do not let me keep you. Yugiri: Fear not─my countrymen and I shall tend to the aftermath. You need not waste your talents here. Yugiri: And speaking of talents, have you considered training in the art of the shinobi? You have the aptitude for it, I believe, so please give it some thought. Till next time, my friend.
Minfilia: Welcome back, Forename. I understand that Alphinaud had a task for you. May I ask what it was? Minfilia: Charges of treason and espionage against Eline Roaille? I can scarce believe it... Minfilia: Could there not have been some manner of misunderstanding...? Minfilia: No, it avails us naught to dwell on it. Whatever the truth may be, we must trust to the authorities to uncover it. Minfilia: Let us speak of another matter. I am pleased to report that we have made progress in our efforts to find a way into Iceheart's sanctum...
A Simple Plan Minfilia has never been one to hesitate when it comes to asking others for aid.
Minfilia: As you may recall, Iceheart used the aetheryte in the depths of Snowcloak to teleport a short distance to the west─most likely to a sanctuary of some description. It is there that we suspect she means to summon Shiva using the crystals she stole from the House Fortemps caravan. Minfilia: The heretics believe that they are bringing about the second coming of their patron saint. But if, as we suspect, they mean to hold a summoning ritual of the kind employed by the beast tribes, it seems likely that the result will be something more akin to a primal. Minfilia: Suffice it to say, they must be stopped─and stop them we shall. But first, we must surmount the obstacle that Iceheart has placed in our path. Minfilia: Ordinarily, it would be a simple matter to tap into the established Aethernet and thereby follow our quarry. However, despite our best efforts, we have been unable to ascertain the position of the aetheryte to which she teleported. Minfilia: Our prevailing theory is that she destroyed the second aetheryte upon arrival─a reckless, desperate measure, but also an effective one. Minfilia: After discussing the matter at length with Urianger, we have concluded that we lack the expertise to develop a solution. Minfilia: ...Which is why we have called upon the aid of one who does possess such expertise─a colleague of ours who is currently en route to Revenant's Toll from Sharlayan. She should be arriving within the hour, in fact. Minfilia: Since you are here, mayhap we could welcome her together. I am certain she would appreciate the gesture. Let us make our way to the northern gates and await her coming.
??? (Moenbryda): Minfilia, am I right? Minfilia: None other. I bid you welcome to Revenant's Toll, and thank you for traveling so far on such short notice. ??? (Moenbryda): Hah! As if I could ever say no to Urianger! Minfilia: Moenbryda is an accomplished Sharlayan scholar and an authority on aetheryte technologies. Minfilia: She has played an invaluable role in our search for a means to capture Ascian souls. Moenbryda: Charmed, I'm sure.
Minfilia: Let us return to the Rising Stones at once, then. We have much to discuss.
Moenbryda: Is that Tupsimati on the wall back there? I'm amazed you managed to find all the pieces after...well...you know. Yda (Lyse): Moen! Gods, it's been ages! Moenbryda: Oh, longer, sister! Y'shtola: A joyous reunion indeed. Yda (Lyse): Well, of course it is! Moen and I are like twin sisters! Papalymo: ...Save in appearance and aptitude. Minfilia: Everyone, if I could have your attention! Minfilia: We have with us an esteemed guest who is come from Sharlayan to assist us. Minfilia: I bid Moenbryda join us here that she might share with us her extensive knowledge of aetherytes. Minfilia: Also, as many of you are already aware, she has been overseeing our research into white auracite─a sample of which she has been good enough to bring with her. Moenbryda: Well, I had to come, didn't I? You'd have to be bloody daft to turn your nose up at a chance like this. Where better to conduct my final tests than a land so steeped in aether you can taste it!? Urianger: 'Tis plain the passage of the years hath done little to dampen thy youthful spirits... Urianger: ...And nothing at all to reform thy youthful manner. Moenbryda: Urianger! Where in the hells've you been hiding? Urianger: Un...unhand me. Moenbryda: I come all this way, and that's what you have to say to me!? Moenbryda: I much preferred when you were pleading with me to drop everything and hurry to your side. What was it you said? “None save thee can satisfy this need─” Thancred: Go on... Urianger: Th-Thine artless attempts to misrepresent mine all-too-innocent motives do thee little credit! Urianger: Mine intent, as well thou knowest, was but to impress upon thee the gravity of the circumstance. Lest thou doubt, a deiform entity shall shortly be summoned, save if thou, and no other, grantest my compeers thine aid. Moenbryda: You still haven't found it, then? Your missing aetheryte? Minfilia: We have not, no. Minfilia: We know that Iceheart teleported to an aetheryte not far from the first, yet even after careful analysis, we could not locate the second beacon. Minfilia: We now suspect that the heretics destroyed the second aetheryte to impede our pursuit. Minfilia: Our allies continue to scour Snowcloak for Iceheart's sanctuary, but we have no guarantee that they will find it. Yet it must be found, for even now Iceheart prepares to call upon Saint Shiva. Moenbryda: I'm sorry but...if the aetheryte's been destroyed, then that's that. Moenbryda: Although... You're absolutely sure she used the first aetheryte, are you? She didn't just use teleportation magicks? Minfilia: One of our own bore witness to her escape. I can say with absolute certainty that Iceheart used the aetheryte. Moenbryda: In that case, there might be a way─so long as the aetherial current is still flowing. Minfilia: Truly? How? Moenbryda: We use the current to recreate the beacon. Moenbryda: As you know, aetherytes are a bit like lighthouses. We use them to reconstitute our physical forms when crossing the aetherial sea. Without them, we'd lose all sense of direction and our essence would dissipate. Moenbryda: However, we don't rely solely on these beacons. There are currents of aether which flow between them─currents which help guide us to our destination. Moenbryda: Now, these currents will gradually dwindle away to nothing if an aetheryte is destroyed. But if even a sluggish flow remains, we could theoretically use it to direct a surge of concentrated aether towards the void left by the beacon and thereby fill it up again. Thancred: Like opening the floodgates to fill a dry riverbed. Though, correct me if I'm wrong, but would we not need a veritable reservoir of aether? Papalymo: In concert, we might manage to channel a sufficient volume, yet that is not my chief concern. Papalymo: To direct the flow of so great a volume of aether with the requisite precision would be a nigh-impossible task in itself. Y'shtola: I barely succeeded in facilitating travel to an unattuned beacon. That which you describe sounds considerably more difficult. Moenbryda: And dangerous! Every person who has attempted to teleport in this fashion has died in the process. They, however, did not have white auracite at their disposal! Moenbryda: I can use it to channel all the aether you can give me into the aetheryte. However, white auracite cannot retain aether for an extended period of time, so we would need to infuse it immediately beforehand. Moenbryda: Just so you know, I'd confidently give this plan better than even odds of success. And if the worst comes to the worst, your people won't suffer. Minfilia: Though it risk the lives of our best and brightest, we have not the time to seek other options. Minfilia: If the aetherial current still flows, we shall carry out Moenbryda's plan. Moenbryda: That's the spirit! Let's roll the dice!
The Instruments of Our Deliverance A plan has been devised, and Minfilia would have it carried out without further delay.
Minfilia: I have already informed Alphinaud of our plan to recreate the beacon in the manner Moenbryda described. He agreed that despite the inherent danger, it represents our only hope of success. Minfilia: He also said that he wished to meet with you at Snowcloak before proceeding. I expect you will find him waiting for you there when you arrive. Minfilia: I want you to know that I appreciate everything you have done on our behalf, Forename, and that I have faith you will return to us─as you always have.
Alphinaud: Good to see you, Forename. I was starting to wonder if you were having second thoughts. Alphinaud: Captain Ilberd sends his regards, by the way. He attends to the interrogation of Eline Roaille in Ul'dah even as we speak. Alphinaud: But I shall not distract you from the matter at hand. We can discuss the Ivy upon your return. Alphinaud: I trust that... By which I mean to say... Ahem. The others are waiting for us at the aetheryte. After you, Scion.
Moenbryda: There, it's ready! Moenbryda: Hah! It worked...I think. Moenbryda: Try attuning to the aetheryte now. Feel for the current and try to locate the beacon. Alphinaud: We have done all we can, Forename. For now, let us withdraw. Alphinaud: When your final preparations are complete, you must seek out the beacon we have created. If, by the grace of the Twelve, you arrive safely, you must stop Iceheart before she summons Shiva.
Alphinaud: We cannot ignore the possibility that our actions have alerted Iceheart to our plans. Alphinaud: Should that be the case, she may attempt to hasten the completion of the summoning ritual. And if she succeeds, you will have little choice but to face Shiva in battle. Alphinaud: Knowing little of this “saint,” I cannot say if your own strength will suffice, and so I would encourage you to call upon your allies. Alphinaud: Some may have reservations about wagering their lives on the success of Moenbryda's experiment, but others will surely agree that desperate times call for desperate measures. Alphinaud: Ah! Before you assemble your party, pray speak with that knight. I believe he has a message for you from Ser Aymeric.
Stalwart Temple Knight: Madam. Ser Aymeric regrets that he could not be here in person, and asks that I read to you this letter. Ahem. Stalwart Temple Knight: “Ishgard faces an unprecedented threat─yet in our hour of need, it is not her knights who stand poised to defend her. Forename Surname, the Warrior of Light, savior of Eorzea─your deeds this day shall not be forgotten. Stalwart Temple Knight: “Where others would flee, you choose to remain. Where others would falter, you rise to the challenge. Where others would use their gifts for selfish ends, you wield yours in service to a greater cause. Stalwart Temple Knight: “May Halone bless you with good fortune and see you safely home.”

Akh Afah Amphitheatre (Hard)

For as long as their nation has warred with Dravania, there have been Ishgardians who instead chose to ally themselves with the dragons. Shiva is said to have been among the first, hence why the heretics revere her as a saint. That Iceheart and her followers intend to summon Shiva with the crystals they have stolen is plain. But is this unprecedented act even possible? If so, then Ishgard—if not the entire realm—is in grave danger.
??? (Ysayle): You should never have come here, Warrior of Light. I labor only to forge a lasting peace. ??? (Ysayle): A peace you would deny us out of ignorance and blind faith. ??? (Ysayle): No matter. If it is our fate to be at odds, then it is mine to strike you down. ??? (Ysayle): We whom gods and men have forsaken shall be the instruments of our own deliverance! ??? (Ysayle): Partake of my flesh—fill this vessel with your light! Walk amongst your brothers and sisters once more! ??? (Ysayle): O Saint Shiva, still the hatred within our hearts and bess us with eternal grace! ??? (Shiva): Hmph...
Shiva: Those who have taken up the sword shall perish by the sword! Shiva: Rise to join in the chorus, my brothers! Shiva: Embrace the serenity... Renounce the hatreds that consume you... Shiva: And scatter them like dust in the wind... Shiva: Forgive them, my beloved...
Iceheart (Ysayle): Fool... Blind, bloody fool. Iceheart (Ysayle): You of all people should understand the suffering war begets─that no sacrifice is too great if it brings an end to the violence. Iceheart (Ysayle): Mine is the righteous cause! Iceheart (Ysayle): You fight in a war you do not understand─a pawn of liars and schemers. Iceheart (Ysayle): And they are no less ignorant than you! Following the creed of their fathers without question, never thinking to ask why. Iceheart (Ysayle): Trapped in a delusion of their own creation and blind to the truth. Iceheart (Ysayle): Warrior of Light, redemption is not beyond us. Iceheart (Ysayle): We who walk before may lead those who walk after. Iceheart (Ysayle): Seek the Keeper of the Lake. See with eyes unclouded. Iceheart (Ysayle): Do...do not squander Mother's gift. Iceheart (Ysayle): Hear... Feel... Think... ??? (Nabriales): And so the vessel withdraws. A predictable outcome. ??? (Nabriales): Nevertheless, Lahabrea will be pleased. ??? (Nabriales): How unfortunate.
Moenbryda: By the Twelve, you're alive! I-I mean, of course you're alive! Why wouldn't you be? Moenbryda: Iceheart did what? And...you're certain about that, are you? Dravanians are skilled with glamours, after all... Moenbryda: Look─if you say that's what you saw, I believe you. It's just that I've never heard of a primal being summoned like that before. Moenbryda: Are you sure you're not injured? Head trauma has been known to cause hallucinations, you see... No? Fair enough. I was only asking.
The Road Less Traveled Moenbryda remains unconvinced that you have not sustained a head injury.
Moenbryda: If you ask me, there's naught to be gained from mulling over the implications of your story in the freezing cold. Let's save it for the Rising Stones, eh? I'll get everyone to meet us there. Moenbryda: Ah, but before that, you had best pay a visit to Whitebrim Front and speak with Alphinaud. He's probably worried sick about you. Moenbryda: That, or he's busy playing at politics with the Ishgardians. Either way, I'm sure he'll be delighted to see you hale and healthy. Speaking of which─you don't have a headache or anything, do you? No? ...Blurred vision? Oh, no reason! Moenbryda: See you again soon!
Alphinaud: There she is─and none the worse for wear! Was there ever any doubt that the Warrior of Light would succeed? Alphinaud: I think I speak for us all when I say that I should like nothing more than to hear the stirring tale of your victory─if you would be so kind. Alphinaud: Then we were too late to prevent the summoning... Aymeric: But not too late to prevent further loss of life. An outcome worthy of celebration... Aymeric: And one for which we have Forename to thank. Alphinaud: Yes... You are right, of course, Ser Aymeric. We should be content with what we have accomplished. Aymeric: I for one could not have wished for a better outcome. Shiva is no longer a threat, and the heretics have been routed. Aymeric: Aye, there is the matter of Iceheart's escape, but she cannot run forever. Whether it takes days, weeks, moons, or even years, my knights will find her. Aymeric: In the meantime─ Lord Drillemont, is the caravan ready? Drillemont: The supplies that your men recovered have been prepared for transport, in accordance with your wishes. Drillemont: Rest assured that my knights will see them safely to Revenant's Toll. Aymeric: Of that I have no doubt. Alphinaud: I take it these are the selfsame supplies the heretics stole from the House Fortemps caravan? Aymeric: Less the crystals which comprised the bulk of the shipment, yes. Scarcely a fraction of that which was promised, but a meaningful contribution to your cause all the same. Aymeric: Ah, on an unrelated note... Forename─might I trouble you to accompany me to Camp Dragonhead at your earliest convenience? Aymeric: 'Tis not for my benefit. A certain lord was most distressed when he learned of your intent to risk life and limb to stop Iceheart. It took half a dozen knights to restrain him, I am told. Aymeric: Men give vent to their anxieties in myriad ways. Pray do not think less of him.
Haurchefant: What were you thinking, Forename!? Wagering your very being on a dubious theory which might allow you to enter Iceheart's lair─knowing full well that she could have sufficient forewarning to complete her ritual to summon Shiva anyway...? Haurchefant: And then─and then─engaging the abomination in mortal combat!? By the Fury, Forename! 'Tis the stuff of ballads! A battle for the ages! Would that I had been there to fight by your side! Haurchefant: Yet here I was forced to wait─condemned to wonder at the fate of a dear friend for a veritable eternity! Haurchefant: I would not wish such torture on my most hated enemy... Haurchefant: <sigh> But you are here now, and that is what truly matters. Let us move on. Haurchefant: Ser Aymeric wished to have words with you and Master Alphinaud in private. He awaits us in the intercessory.
House Fortemps Guard: Greetings, madam. I shall show you in at once.
  • Proceed to the intercessory?
  • Yes
  • No
Aymeric: On behalf of the Holy See of Ishgard, allow me to express my deepest thanks. Aymeric: Never before have we been required to contend with a primal. Indeed, there were fears in some quarters that our knights might not be equal to the task. Aymeric: From what we have now learned of these beings, I can say with certainty that we would have lost a great many men had the Scions not intervened. Alphinaud: Then the argument for preemptive action should be self-evident. Perchance now you will reconsider my proposal that Ishgard move against Natalan? Aymeric: Ere we first met, a similar proposal was tabled─but the Holy See decreed that we were to observe, and that military action should be taken only in self-defense. Aymeric: All things considered, it was not an unreasonable decision. Since the Calamity, two vigils have fallen to the Horde, while Garuda has never shown any inclination to storm the Gates of Judgement. Aymeric: ...Which is why this unprecedented crisis and its resolution may prompt a change in policy. Aymeric: You who have faced these primals know well the threat they pose. Ishgard did not─not until now. Aymeric: And there is naught like a brush with death to change a man's outlook. Haurchefant: At the very least, this should silence any lingering objections to our arrangement with Revenant's Toll. Haurchefant: The Holy See may even feel moved to grant us its formal endorsement. Aymeric: So far as it is possible, the Scions shall be compensated for their service. Alphinaud: We should be grateful for any aid you can provide. Aymeric: As a gesture of good faith, I shall withdraw my previous request. Your people are doubtless needed elsewhere. Alphinaud: That will not be necessary. Alphinaud: We too have a vested interest in watching Dravania's movements. Aymeric: I see. Once more, I must thank you. Alphinaud: Ser Aymeric, if I may... Do you truly believe that Midgardsormr could return? Aymeric: The heavens are a window unto truth, but those who interpret their movements are not infallible. I requested your involvement as a precautionary measure. Alphinaud: But of course... You sought an excuse to compensate us from the first, mindful of what would happen if Revenant's Toll were taken by your enemies. Alphinaud: Ishgard is not wont to aid its neighbors, but that does not preclude it from manipulating them to serve its own interests. Taciturn Temple Knight (Lucia): Choose your next words carefully. Aymeric: Do you know what sort of man becomes lord commander of the Temple Knights? Aymeric: One who comes from good stock. I did not, yet here I am. Now why do you suppose that is? Aymeric: Because I swiftly learned to tell the difference between words, deeds, and beliefs. Aymeric: ...You are correct, Master Leveilleur. Ishgard desires to see Revenant's Toll flourish, as it would present a troublesome obstacle to our enemies from the south. Alphinaud: We are so glad to be of use to you. Aymeric: As we are to you. Ours is a mutually beneficial arrangement, lest we forget. One born of necessity. Aymeric: The dragons grow more restless by the day, and the heretics harry us nigh without cease. Aymeric: We have contended with such troubles for centuries, but there are limits to even our endurance. Aymeric: Yet as a pauper is loath to part with his meager possessions, the leaders of Ishgard are not wont to render up their trust to outsiders. Aymeric: But with perseverance on our part, they may yet be made to see the light. Aymeric: Nevertheless, one must take care when walking the road less traveled. Alphinaud: Wise words, Ser Aymeric. I shall make a point to remember them. Alphinaud: I must apologize for my earlier outburst. I hope it will not sour our good relations. Aymeric: Not at all. You but spoke from the heart. Aymeric: I trust you understand that, at times, my duties may prevent me from meeting with you. Aymeric: On such occasions, my second-in-command will speak for me. Lucia: Lucia, at your service. Lucia: Pray excuse our reticence. We are but wary of speaking too freely, lest our sentiments be made known to our enemies. Lucia: Know that the lord commander and I are of one mind. For the sake of Ishgard─and of Eorzea at large─I pray our peoples can put aside their differences. Lucia: Those who dwell in the past risk losing sight of their future. Aymeric: Should aught befall one of our shipments, pray inform Lucia immediately. You may also relay to her any words you might have for me alone. Aymeric: Not being of Ishgardian birth, she owes no allegiance to any noble house, making her as near to incorruptible as one can find in my homeland. Suffice it to say, I trust her completely, and so may you. Aymeric: Which reminds me─ Lord Haurchefant, if you would be so kind. Haurchefant: Certainly. Aymeric: In times such as these, trust is ever in short supply. Mayhap this will go some way to rectify the problem. Aymeric: The results of our investigation into the heretics' recent attacks, as well as our interrogation of the merchant you detained. Alphinaud: Ser Aymeric... I cannot thank you enough. Aymeric: Think nothing of it. Ishgard may be many things, but it is no friend to Garlemald. Haurchefant: Did I not tell you to have faith, my friend?
Eyes Unclouded For one with reason to celebrate, Alphinaud looks rather grim.
Alphinaud: It would seem we have much to discuss with our friends at the Rising Stones. Alphinaud: If what you say is true, Iceheart's method of summoning Shiva defies all precedent. It necessitates a complete reappraisal of the primal threat, and of our approach to combating it. Alphinaud: Moreover, there are grave ramifications if word of this incident reaches imperial ears. Alphinaud: The Garlean Empire believes that primals are an insufferable menace─that their mere existence is a threat to this very star. As such, they deem any action taken against the beast tribes to be justified by default. Alphinaud: Imagine then...if it became known that it was not only the beast tribes of Eorzea that could summon primals, but her civilized peoples as well, any lingering objections to the Eorzean campaign would vanish overnight. Alphinaud: Where before we had to contend with a single imperial legion, we could well find ourselves facing the combined might of all Garlemald... Alphinaud: But I speak unadvisedly. Come, Forename─it is better that we continue this conversation in Mor Dhona.
Minfilia: Words cannot well express how glad I am to see you returned to us hale and whole. Minfilia: Needless to say, I am most eager to hear your account of that which occurred in Coerthas─assuming you are ready to speak of it? Minfilia: Excellent. I shall summon the others at once. Minfilia: Iceheart used her own body as a vessel for a primal's soul? Y'shtola: Master Louisoix's writings make no mention of such a possibility. Can we be certain this entity was a primal? Papalymo: As certain as we can be that Good King Moggle Mog XII was a primal, I should think. Both were ostensibly summoned. Thancred: Let's not quibble over definitions. Of more concern is the implication that Iceheart retained her will even after she was possessed. We are talking about a mortal wielding the power of a primal! Yda (Lyse): It can't possibly be that easy, can it? There must be some sort of sacrifice required. Or maybe she's just special? Urianger: What qualities this woman possesseth, I know not, but full sure am I that she was groomed for this role. Urianger: Few are privy to the secrets of summoning, and but a single party standeth to profit from their dissemination. Moenbryda: Well, I wouldn't presume to comment on how the lass came to know about summoning, but I will say that what she summoned was a primal. The readings were the same, or near as damn it. Moenbryda: Strange as it all sounds, it's really no different from what you've faced before. Y'shtola: Then mayhap it is time that we reexamined our previous encounters. Papalymo: Pack your things, Yda. We're going back to Gridania. Yda (Lyse): Yes sir! Minfilia: About Iceheart's final words to you... Minfilia: "Hear... Feel... Think...“ Minfilia: Hydaelyn speaks to her as well. Minfilia: If Iceheart is blessed with the power of the Echo, she will doubtless have used it to further her goals. Minfilia: ...Or could it be that it was a revelation granted her by the Echo which first set her on this path? She did say that the Ishgardians were blind to the truth. Minfilia: Do you think she has knowledge of the origins of the Ishgardian-Dravanian war? It would do much to explain her unwavering conviction. Urianger: Did not the Lady Iceheart implore thee to seek the Keeper of the Lake? And did she not imply that in so doing thou wouldst come to see with eyes unclouded? Minfilia: Midgardsormr was a king amongst kings who reigned for centuries on end... But he is dead, and his wisdom lost to the ages─unless the Ishgardians' fears are well founded... Minfilia: It would seem we have yet another reason to stand watch over the Keeper of the Lake. For a mercy, we are well positioned to do so. Minfilia: Iceheart, Shiva, Ascians, and Midgardsormr. I shudder to think how they are all connected...
The Reason Roaille Minfilia would discuss how best to proceed in light of recent developments.
Minfilia: I mean to scour the annals for knowledge of Midgardsormr. Given his great age, I daresay he appears in more than a few─ Minfilia: Hm? Do you hear that? The commotion outside... Would you see if aught is amiss?
Alphinaud: Forename! 'Tis well that you are on hand! We have a problem─Roaille has escaped! Alphinaud: It happened shortly after the Immortal Flames took her into custody. She had been placed in a dungeon cell ahead of her coming trial, but apparently the accommodation was not to her liking. Alphinaud: The turnkey was found slain along with two guards. 'Tis plain she received inside help. Alphinaud: Citizens report seeing Roaille quitting the city via the Gate of Nald, with a bloodied spear in her hand. Alphinaud: She makes for Castrum Meridianum, I am certain of it. With her fate in Eorzea as good as sealed, what recourse has she but to flee to her imperial masters? Alphinaud: Even as we speak, Captain Ilberd and the 1st are hot upon Roaille's heels. Pray make haste to Camp Bluefog and join the hunt.
Ilberd: My thanks for coming, Scion. I have spoken with the soldiers here. They say that Roaille walked through the camp not a bell ago. Ilberd: Aye, she walked right through─you did not mishear. We have Raubahn's decision to keep the matter secret to thank for that. Bad for morale, he said... Ilberd: As a result, not a single Flame in the garrison made any attempt to detain her. And so here we are. Ilberd: Roaille must not be allowed to reach Castrum Meridianum.
Ilberd: This wretch was with Roaille. He threw himself at us that his mistress might escape. Ilberd: She didn't blink when we cut him down─not even when he started screaming. No loyalty even to her own, the godsdamned harpy... <spit> With me, Scion─we almost have her.
Ilberd of the Dull Blade: I want Roaille alive. Kill the rest! FOR EORZEA! Eline the Razor: Hmph! You will not take me so easily this time! Ilberd of the Dull Blade: Enemy reinforcements! Look sharp, men! Eline the Razor: Show them no quarter! Ilberd of the Dull Blade: What!? I...I can't...move! Golden Eye Yuyuhase: More reinforcements? They really aren't paying me enough... Eline the Razor: Fools! You cannot stand against the Empire! Ilberd of the Dull Blade: They have healers! Kill them first! Yugiri Mistwalker: Forgive us our lateness! Golden Eye Yuyuhase: I've more than earned my coin already... Ilberd of the Dull Blade: We're in your debt! Yugiri Mistwalker: The circle fetters those who wander within! Lure the enemy to it!
Eline Roaille: <gasp> <pant> Ilberd: Bind her! And do it tight! Crystal Brave: Yes, sir! Alphinaud: Good work, men. Ilberd: She and her imperial cronies pushed us close, but we were better. Alphinaud: Behold...a respected officer of the Immortal Flames. People looked up to you as one of the order's founding members─one of its pillars. It saddens me to see you fallen so low. Eline Roaille: <snort> What would you know of low? You─a spoiled little lordling who has never known any want! Alphinaud: I-I... Eline Roaille: People such as you take wealth and birth for granted! You think it your gods-given right to rule over others! Eline Roaille: You know naught of our plight─the injustice that we lowborn Ishgardians must endure! To the noble lords and ladies, we are not people, but resources to be consumed! Eline Roaille: I did what I had to do to survive─stealing, killing, even whoring myself! It is no fault of mine if fools imagined me a paragon when I joined the Flames! Ilberd: To hear you tell it, one would think you the only person ever to have suffered. Ilberd: In case you have forgotten, Raubahn himself was born into poverty─as was I. We lived hand-to-mouth, with little more than the shirts on our backs. Hunger was our constant companion. Ilberd: Yet never did we bemoan our lot in life, nor did we begrudge others their fortunes. We accepted the hand that we had been dealt─and played it to the best of our ability. Ilberd: Life was a battle, aye, but no matter what fate threw at us, we took it on the chin and came back for more. Everything we have, we fought for. Eline Roaille: How are we any different then!? Ilberd: 'Tis true that we were both mercenaries of lowly birth. Ilberd: And 'tis true that we both had our fair share of struggles. Ilberd: But whereas I sold my sword, you, Marshal─you sold your comrades. Ilberd: If life has taught me one thing, it is that you never betray your own. I would sooner cut off my own arm than raise a hand against a friend. Ilberd: ...But enough talk. You will return to Ul'dah to face justice─and the people whose trust you have dragged through the gutter.
Alphinaud: Not so much as a hint of remorse... <sigh> 'Tis well that this sordid business is finally at an end. Alphinaud: A friend's betrayal cuts deeper than steel. We must hope that we have chosen our own allies more wisely than Raubahn chose his.
Teledji Adeledji: I have heard. Truly bothersome business. Teledji Adeledji: No, I do not foresee a problem on that front. The main concern is Raubahn─there is no telling what the brute might do. Teledji Adeledji: Have the Blades watch him and the Flames day and night. Teledji Adeledji: You may leave the sultana to me. I shall personally attend Her Grace. Teledji Adeledji: Sever one of the East Aldenard trade routes. That ought to keep Lolorito occupied for a while. Teledji Adeledji: Nanamo Ul Namo... For my sake, pray be a good little sultana to the last.
Let Us Cling Together Alphinaud would ask another favor of you.
Alphinaud: Captain Ilberd and I have a few questions for the flame marshal regarding the circumstances of her miraculous escape. When we have completed our interrogation, we shall take our findings directly to General Raubahn, and that shall be the end of it. Alphinaud: Your work here is done, my friend─my thanks. Alphinaud: Ah, but I have one last task for you: return to the Rising Stones and apprise Minfilia of all that has happened. Alphinaud: I am aware that the Antecedent held Roaille in high regard... For better or worse, she will want to know how this tale ends.
Minfilia: Welcome back, my friend. I have already received word from Alphinaud. Minfilia: To think that Flame Marshal Roaille was the Garlean agent... I know not what to say. Minfilia: Together with Raubahn, Eline lent us much-needed aid at the time of our order's founding. She was particularly passionate about the need to tackle the primal threat. Minfilia: When we discussed the subject, her eyes fairly shone with determination. Whatever else she may have been, I choose to believe that it was her true self with whom I spoke then... Minfilia: But now is not the time to dwell on such matters. Minfilia: I have an important announcement to make regarding our effort to defeat the Ascians. We shall begin as soon as everyone is assembled.
Minfilia: My thanks for coming, friends. Moenbryda, the floor is yours. Moenbryda: By now, I'm sure you're all familiar with white auracite, the miraculous material that'll allow us to capture Ascian souls. Moenbryda: Back at Snowcloak, we verified its ability to absorb vast amounts of aether. Moenbryda: Alas, it leaves something to be desired in the area of stability. The stone can only store aether for a short while before expelling its contents. Urianger: In addition to auracite's inherent limitations, we must needs be wary of our enemy's strength. Urianger: Our foe draweth upon an infinite wellspring of power. Even should we succeed in entrapping him, the stone will not long contain his wrath. Moenbryda: Meaning that if we want to kill the swine, we'll have to be quick about it. Urianger: 'Tis our belief that an Ascian soul may be permanently undone if smitten by a sufficiently concentrated burst of pure aether. Moenbryda: The only trouble is, we can't say for sure how concentrated the burst needs to be... Without knowing how much aether an Ascian soul is composed of, we're basically guessing. Urianger: Our sole clue lieth in thy struggle with Lahabrea. Minfilia: During that encounter, Hydaelyn bid you forge what She called “a blade of Light,” a weapon which took the form of a luminous stream of energy. Minfilia: Based on your description, we believe the “blade” with which you vanquished your foe was composed of aether. Minfilia: Admittedly, your victory proved ephemeral, as Lahabrea was able to use a Crystal of Darkness to flee into the space that lies between our world and the void. Minfilia: The fact remains, however, that Hydaelyn placed the means to destroy the Ascians in your hands. Minfilia: Be that as it may, it would be unwise to assume that She will do the same when next we encounter such a foe. Urianger: Quite so, my lady. We must needs find the means to forge our own blade of aether─one to equal that which Hydaelyn did benevolently bestow upon Her champion. Papalymo: That is all well and good, but it seems to me that producing such a blade will require a prodigious quantity of aether. Whence will it come, pray tell? Yda (Lyse): Ummm... Oh! What if we had two pieces of white auracite? One to trap the Ascian, and the other to store the aether for the blade! Moenbryda: Nice try, but it's as I said: the stone won't hold aether for any length of time. We'd still need to collect the stuff there and then, sorry to say. Thancred: And therein lies the rub: finding a way to create the blade whenever and wherever we choose. Y'shtola: 'Twould seem more research is in order. Moenbryda: I'm going to linger awhile─perform a few more tests on the auracite. Moenbryda: And I could do with some help. Urianger, why don't you lend me a hand? Urianger: M-Mine apologies, but I am required at the Waking Sands. Urianger: Lady Minfilia hath given me sole charge of the premises. 'Twould be unseemly to leave them unattended. Moenbryda: “Sole charge,” you say? So...you're basically alone there, then? Well, that settles it! I'll just have to come to you! Minfilia: While you were afield, word arrived from the Sharlayan motherland. Minfilia: You will recall that a survey party was dispatched to investigate the incident at the Isle of Val. What they discovered was troubling to say the least. Minfilia: According to the report, the isle has been erased from existence. 'Twas as if a hole had been torn in the very fabric of reality. Urianger: Aye...yet the mystery endeth not with the isle's disappearance. Urianger: It hath come to light that a number of scholars in various other locales were reported missing at a similar juncture. Moenbryda: What's more, they all had something in common with the head of the Students of Baldesion. Every last one of them was researching a phenomenon called dimensional compression─or the “Rejoining,” as the ancient texts call it. I'll be damned if that's a coincidence. Minfilia: All indications suggest Ascian involvement, but I sense that a force greater still is at work─the entity the dark beings call “the one true god”... Minfilia: We must pray that my dear friend Krile regains consciousness soon. If she bore witness to the Isle of Val's final moments, she may be able to shed some light on this mystery...
Raubahn: Following the Calamity, the forces of the XIVth Imperial Legion entrenched themselves in strategic locations across Eorzea. Raubahn: So swiftly did they accomplish this, it was suspected that they had received help. To think that it came from Roaille... My right hand. Ilberd: There is more. We have reason to believe that Roaille didn't deal exclusively with the XIVth. She also answered to a higher authority in Garlemald. Ilberd: But this higher authority could not have been the Emperor. By consenting to the Meteor project, Solus zos Galvus showed himself to be more concerned about preventing the spread of primal influence than claiming Eorzea for the Empire. He would happily have seen the lot reduced to ash. Ilberd: We believe a number of high-ranking figures within the royal household were against the decision, but that they knew better than to oppose the Emperor openly. Of course, this didn't prevent them from making clandestine provisions, in which Roaille played a part. Alphinaud: Alas, these provisions did not prevent Dalamud from falling, and the ensuing chaos changed the face of the realm forever. Yet Eorzea survived. Alphinaud: To all intents and purposes, the Meteor project had failed, and the Empire was left to rue its lack of a decisive means to eliminate the primals. Until, that is, it stumbled upon the Ultima Weapon. Raubahn: Even before the accursed thing was dug up, it seemed to me the XIVth had the might to overwhelm our weakened armies. Yet they chose to hide behind their walls. Why? Alphinaud: The Black Wolf was wary of making the denizens of Eorzea desperate, lest more primals emerge to bleed the land. The discovery of the Ultima Weapon, however, emboldened him to resume his war of conquest in earnest. Ilberd: But there was one in Garlemald who believed that van Baelsar's actions were premature─one who stood higher in the imperial army's chain of command. He ordered the legatus to halt his advance, only to find that the Black Wolf had slipped its leash, and that the XIVth now acted alone. Ilberd: In a bid to bring van Baelsar to heel, he used the agent he had planted in Ul'dah prior to the Calamity to undermine the legion's efforts. Raubahn: A man who outranks van Baelsar, yet opposed the late emperor's decision to annihilate Eorzea... This could only be the former high legatus of the Garlean Army, now known as Emperor Varis zos Galvus. Raubahn: So he was Roaille's true master... Ilberd: But one of several, in actual fact. We've learned that even as Roaille served the Empire's interests, she sold imperial secrets to a certain faction in Eorzea. Ilberd: In so doing, she helped to maintain the status quo, thus prolonging the conflict. Considering who stands to profit from war, it isn't hard to imagine who her other masters were. Raubahn: Seven hells... You mean to say that she was a double agent? Ilberd: Triple, if you consider her services to van Baelsar and the new emperor as separate. Alphinaud: As neatly as these pieces seem to fit, one aspect of the puzzle remains unclear to me. Alphinaud: By whose will was the marshal feeding intelligence to the heretics? And try as I might, I fail to see how aiding their cause would profit either her imperial or Monetarist masters. Alphinaud: Could it be that another hand is at work here? If so, Roaille must be made to reveal whose it is. Raubahn: Not only have I lost a trusted friend; now I must interrogate her as a stranger. Ilberd: Not a pleasant task, I grant you, but a necessary one. Unless we weed out the Ivy, root, stalk, and stem, it will simply grow back. Raubahn: I know that full well. Those closest to Roaille have already been detained, and I will question them alongside her. Alphinaud: General. Pray keep in mind that there may be unwitting abettors among them. Raubahn: All will be treated fairly─on that you have my word. Those who are innocent have no cause to fear. Alphinaud: You have ever been a friend of truth, General. I hope the unpleasant task of weeding out falsehood will not detain you too long. Though it be for the sake of Eorzea, doubting one's comrades is poison to the soul. Alphinaud: ...And with that, I take my leave. Raubahn: All these years, I've been made to dance to their tune... Raubahn: How could you, Roaille? How could you side with them...? Raubahn: ...Those cankers who take from this land and give naught in return─who use their power to disempower, and grow fat while the people starve! Raubahn: I know you can hear me, Monetarist scum! Your crimes will not go unpunished! Raubahn: One day, I will purge this land of your sickness! Before the eyes of the Twelve, I swear it!
Nanamo Ul Namo: I shall have no further need of you this day. Lady-in-waiting (Meriel): Your Grace. Nanamo Ul Namo: I fear that not even mine own chambers shall remain private for long. Kan-E-Senna: Has the situation grown so grim? Nanamo Ul Namo: Ever since he proposed the Carteneau Reclamation Bill, Teledji Adeledji has risen to greater prominence upon the backs of impoverished refugees. Nanamo Ul Namo: The Monetarists were ever united in their pursuit of profit, but the man's actions have torn a rift in their ranks. They snap at each other as rabid dogs. Nanamo Ul Namo: Yet now is not the time to be bickering among ourselves. Merlwyb: If this bickering is a threat to law and order, might you not have grounds to dissolve the Syndicate? Nanamo Ul Namo: Would that the solution were so simple, Admiral. Alas, my moving to dissolve the Syndicate is certain to spark outrage among the influential merchant class, whom the cabal represents. Nanamo Ul Namo: This would serve to exacerbate the current unrest, and peace would slip still further away. Nanamo Ul Namo: Be they rich or poor, natives or refugees, all who reside in Ul'dah have a right to pursue happiness. It is the duty of a ruler to protect this right. Nanamo Ul Namo: If I am to perform my duty, I must needs tread warily. It would not do to make enemies heedlessly. Nanamo Ul Namo: Were Lord Lolorito here, he would doubtless say that I have my head in the clouds. Kan-E-Senna: A ruler is required to take a wide view. Try as we might to cater to all needs, some will inevitably be overlooked. As such, there shall ever be citizens who feel aggrieved. It cannot be helped. Kan-E-Senna: But as you have informed us, the Monetarists take no view but their own. They hunger for power while the masses starve. Kan-E-Senna: In the absence of a common cause, it seems beyond any one individual to make Ul'dah whole. Merlwyb: And the presence of a Garlean agent within the Immortal Flames only makes matters worse. Merlwyb: Even accounting for Ul'dah's historic reliance upon mercenaries, such a grievous breach of security is unprecedented. I fear this business will provide the Monetarists with a rod to beat Raubahn. Kan-E-Senna: Eorzea can ill afford for the Immortal Flames to be dampened now. Ere long, the Garleans will turn their ravenous gaze toward our lands once more. If we are to resist their might, our nations must stand together. Kan-E-Senna: Yet for this to happen, our nations must be whole. Can naught be done to improve the situation in Ul'dah? Nanamo Ul Namo: The true wealth of Ul'dah lies in the health, happiness, and hopes of her citizens. Alas, the citizens shall never know these things so long as their lives are ruled by the ambitions of the few. Nanamo Ul Namo: The Monetarists claim to represent the best interests of the people, but in sooth they desire only to manipulate them for their own selfish ends. Nanamo Ul Namo: For the government to serve the people, it must be formed of the people. Nanamo Ul Namo: For Ul'dah to move forward, it is not only the Syndicate that must be dissolved. Merlwyb: Nay... You jest... Nanamo Ul Namo: My friends─it was for no other reason than to make known to you mine intent that I requested your presence here. Nanamo Ul Namo: When I make my declaration to the people, chaos shall inevitably ensue. Nanamo Ul Namo: As the last monarch in the line of Ul, I make unto you this request. Nanamo Ul Namo: Help Raubahn to preserve order, and protect the people. Forsake them, and you forsake yourselves, for a strong Eorzea will ever have need of a strong Ul'dah. Kan-E-Senna: Your Grace... Are you certain of this? Nanamo Ul Namo: There is no other way. Nanamo Ul Namo: When the time is ripe, the nation shall become a true republic. Both Royalists and Monetarists shall cease to be. Nanamo Ul Namo: Ul'dah will no longer belong to kings or queens or merchant princes, but to her people. Nanamo Ul Namo: Raubahn... Forgive me for casting aside all that you have toiled for in my name... Nanamo Ul Namo: Beyond this gesture, I am powerless to help my subjects.

A Realm Reborn: Before the Fall (2.5)

Good Intentions Minfilia is considering which of her many responsibilities demands her utmost attention.
Minfilia: I am most eager to address the Ascian threat. However, we dare not neglect our other pressing concerns. Minfilia: We both know full well that Saint Shiva will not be the last primal we face...and our relationship with Ishgard is still tenuous at best. Minfilia: To think that the resolution of the primal threat was once the sole priority of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Some days I wonder if it was wise for us to take on so many other responsibilities. Alphinaud: Lest you forget, Antecedent, the Scions need not shoulder the burden alone. Were not the Crystal Braves established for this very reason? Alphinaud: True, we are presented with a multitude of problems. However, we have all the resources we need to address them in turn. Alphinaud: Forename, in particular, is ever a steadying hand, who I trust will continue to support the Braves. Minfilia: To what do we owe the pleasure? Have there been further developments regarding the situation in Ul'dah? Alphinaud: As expected, the Immortal Flames have been struggling to cope with the revelation that one of their highest-ranking officers was a Garlean agent. Alphinaud: Suffice it to say, Teledji Adeledji and his Monetarist ilk have wasted no time in attempting to turn the situation to their advantage. Coupled with ongoing unrest, the Flames are finding themselves hard-pressed. Alphinaud: Plainly, General Raubahn needs our help, and I will direct the Crystal Braves to offer what support they can. Alphinaud: If I am to stay abreast of the latest developments and issue effective orders, however, I cannot afford to waste time traveling back and forth. Alphinaud: And so, for the foreseeable future, I think it would be for the best if I were to remain in Ul'dah─unless you have an objection? Minfilia: None whatsoever. We have matters here well in hand. Alphinaud: Moenbryda's research is proceeding as planned? Minfilia: So she tells me, though I am not familiar with the details. Minfilia: Urianger is poring over his tomes at the Waking Sands, and the others are contributing in their own ways. Minfilia: Alas, the key problem─how to form an aetherial blade at will─remains unsolved. Nevertheless, it is only a matter of time. Minfilia: Forename, while we focus on that task, mayhap you could assist Alphinaud and his Braves with theirs? Minfilia: It would do much to restore faith in the Immortal Flames if the Warrior of Light was seen working on their behalf. Minfilia: Never forget that your esteemed status allows you to act in ways that those more tightly bound to organizations and nations cannot. As ever, I implore you to do so. Alphinaud: Not that your response was ever in doubt, but I humbly thank you once more for aiding our cause. Alphinaud: Now then, there are preparations I must attend to before my departure, such as receiving Riol's latest report. Alphinaud: He has proven to be quite skilled at gathering information others wish kept secret, hence why I placed him under my direct command and ordered him to investigate the Ul'dahn riots. Alphinaud: When you are finished here, join me outside. Depending on what he has to say, I may soon have a favor to ask. Minfilia: If there are any developments on our front, I shall inform you at once in the usual fashion.
Riol: Pleasure as always, Forename. You'll be escortin' the commander to Ul'dah, I take it? Alphinaud: Actually, I had another task in mind for her. Alphinaud: If you would be so kind as to repeat your report for her benefit? Riol: Right, then. Riol: Me an' mine've been makin' inquiries into the source o' the weapons what found their ways into refugee hands a ways back. Riol: So happens we caught wind o' somethin' promisin': a rather large purchase o' sharp an' pointy things by a black marketeer holed up near Highbridge. Alphinaud: I doubt that this man would have secured such a quantity of weapons if he did not already have clients waiting─clients that, for whatever reason, would prefer for this transaction to remain secret. Riol: Brings to mind that merchant what caught an arrow while talkin' to Forename, don't it? Generous fellow, he was, dolin' out swords an' spears to the downtrodden an' disgruntled. Riol: Which isn't to say that these clients have the same mischief in mind...but if ye want to be sure, might be prudent to intervene before they collect their goods, savvy? Alphinaud: Seizing the weapons before they fall into the wrong hands would be for the best. However, if we strike at the appointed hour, we might capture the black marketeer as well as his clients. What say you, Forename? Alphinaud: Then it is settled. Rendezvous with Captain Ilberd at Highbridge and intervene when the exchange takes place. Alphinaud: Now then, if you would excuse me, I must leave for Ul'dah. I expect good tidings.
Ilberd: Ah, Forename. My scouts have been keeping a close eye on the black marketeer, and it would seem that his guests have arrived. Ilberd: It would also seem that he has hired more than a few men to stand guard─common thugs of no consequence, but they nevertheless pose a threat. Ilberd: Even so, I feel compelled to apologize. This is far beneath a woman of your standing, and Commander Leveilleur needn't have dispatched you hither... Ilberd: But powerful men ever have need of loyal, able-bodied friends. Having found one in you, 'tis only natural that he would come to rely upon you without hesitation.
Bait and Switch Ilberd is eager to bring the black marketeer and his clients to justice.
Ilberd: Now then, we should make for the Burning Wall without delay and secure those weapons. Ilberd: The 1st Unit will ensure that the clients do not escape. With me, Forename.
Ilberd: I spy the one man, but there are sure to be others... Ilberd: I've a plan. While you approach the sentry and create a distraction, my men and I will slip past and catch the black marketeer unawares. Ilberd: Once you've disposed of the thugs, wait for us outside the tunnel entrance. Any questions? Then let us be off. Good luck, my friend.
Hired Thug: Who goes there!? An adventurer? Damned fool, you should have never come here!
??? (Black Marketeer): I don't understand! Wh-What's this all about!? ??? (Black Marketeer): Graaagh!
Ilberd: As you can see, this is a fine mess. Ilberd: When I tried to restrain him, he drew a hidden blade and lashed out. But before I could disarm him, one of my subordinates panicked, and this is the result. Ilberd: How foolish of me to underestimate the bastard, and to bring an inexperienced recruit. Commander Leveilleur will be most disappointed. Ilberd: Damn it all! A golden opportunity, wasted! Ilberd: As for the clients...though we know not how, they slipped past our perimeter. At present, the 1st is currently tracking a party of Duskwight sellswords we suspect may be them. Ilberd: Would that we could have enlisted the aid of the Immortal Flames or the Brass Blades. Alas, we're here to aid them─they're in no position to aid us. Ilberd: Well, at the very least, we have secured the weapons. Yet even that accomplishment is lacking, for the information we received indicated a massive shipment, and this is anything but...
Best Laid Schemes Ilberd would like nothing more than to have this incident forgotten.
Ilberd: I will join the 1st in their hunt for the Duskwight sellswords. If the gods are good, we will catch them before they escape into the Black Shroud. Ilberd: In the meantime, I ask that you deliver these weapons to Ul'dah in my stead. Ilberd: Entrust them to the 3rd's Yuyuhase. He will take care of the rest.
Yuyuhase: Ah, the Warrior of Light, ever-reliable friend to the Crystal Braves. You have my deepest thanks for your assistance in Coerthas. Now, what brings you to us this day?
Confiscated Crate A wooden box willed with contraband.
Yuyuhase: A gift of weapons from a certain black marketeer, courtesy of Captain Ilberd, you say? Yuyuhase: Understood. Once we've cataloged the contents, I'll have them delivered to the Hall of Flames. Alianne: This cannot be everything, can it? Alianne: Riol stated with confidence that there would be a far greater quantity of weapons. Yuyuhase: A blatant falsehood. Clearly, Riol is unfamiliar with the ways of Ul'dahn merchants, who ever strive to present themselves as greater than they are. Yuyuhase: We should be thankful that his information was not completely erroneous, and that we managed to achieve anything of worth at all. Wilred: It's still something worth celebrating, isn't it, Lieutenant? Wilred: Besides, we've got more important things to worry about─like fighting those Garleans up north! Alianne: There'll be no fighting if I have anything to say about it. Our orders are to stand watch, not to seek glory in battle. Alianne: If you have no further need of us, then I shall take my unit to the Ceruleum Processing Plant. Yuyuhase: Time for the 4th to earn their keep, eh? Fight well, Alianne─for the freedom of all! Yuyuhase: Excellent work as always, my friend. Rest assured that the Immortal Flames will hear of your contribution. Until we meet again. Riol: Forename. A word, if it please ye. Riol: Not here─look for me at the Sapphire Avenue Exchange. No need for whistlin' this time, don't ye worry.
Riol: Thanks for indulgin' me request. Riol: Few places better than a market for privacy, I find. All the hustle an' the bustle o' commerce means most conversations go unnoticed. Riol: I'll get to the point: at the Burnin' Wall, when you an' the captain interrupted the exchange, what happened? Tell me everythin'─leave no detail out. Riol: Hmmm...that's not quite how the 1st told it. Riol: These Duskwights they were chasin'─latest word is that we lost the trail. Riol: But ye never saw 'em yerself? Not before the fightin' started, an' not after? Riol: Somethin' ain't right. I don't know what it is, but I can feel it in me bones. Riol: I'm not daft enough to be misled by some merchant's drunken boasts. Our information was reliable, godsdammit! I know he purchased those weapons! Riol: Hmph. As if I've never deciphered a moneylender's books, or had to follow a transaction back to its source... Riol: Did plenty o' that back when the Braves were gettin' started, believe me. The commander wanted assurances that we weren't takin' gil from the wrong sort o' benefactors. Riol: 'Course these days the money flows like water, an' the 1st an' 3rd get the shiniest new toys... Riol: ...Forgive me, friend. I've a lot on me mind these days, an' I appreciate ye lendin' an ear. Right, then─best get back to it. Tataru: Forename, can you hear me!? This is Tataru! Tataru: Your presence is urgently requested at the Rising Stones! Please come and see me as soon as you are able!
Tataru: Thank you for coming so quickly, Forename! Tataru: We've a guest from Ishgard who wishes to speak with you─a most, um...determined lady, by all indications...
The Rising Chorus Tataru seems eager to escort you to the solar.
Tataru: Our guest is with the Antecedent in the solar at present. Tataru: Let's not keep them waiting any longer. Shall we?
Minfilia: We have a guest from Ishgard who wishes to speak with you. Minfilia: I believe the two of you have met? Lucia: We have. I had hoped to speak with Commander Leveilleur as well, but I cannot afford to wait any longer. Lucia: The lord commander sent me hither to request your aid in a matter of grave import. Moenbryda: You see now why I had Tataru summon you. Minfilia: Now that we are all assembled, perhaps you would be good enough to elaborate on the nature of the matter which brought you to us. Lucia: The Observatorium's astrologians have sounded the alarum. Lucia: Last night, the dragon star burned with an intensity not seen in fifteen summers. Lucia: Not since the Dravanians engaged the Empire in the Battle of Silvertear Skies. Urianger: “The northern sky doth burn full bright upon the wyrm lord's call. The red behemoth beckoneth, and flame consumeth all.” Lucia: The old Coerthan rhyme, aye. Lucia: The brightening of the dragon star is said to accompany the roar of a great wyrm. The astrologians believe that it was Midgardsormr himself who cried out on this occasion. Urianger: After an absence of centuries, the king of kings did return to lead his kind against the might of Garlemald... Urianger: ...Only to fall in his duel with the Agrius, proud flagship of the Garlean fleet. Devoid of life, his corpse remaineth entwined about the magitek monstrosity even unto this day. Minfilia: Urianger has the right of it. Whatever this alteration in the dragon star portends, the great wyrm has shown no sign of life. Minfilia: Tataru, have the Domans reported aught out of the ordinary? Moenbryda: Correct me if I'm wrong, but if Midgardsormr had roared, wouldn't we have heard it here in Revenant's Toll? Lucia: “Roar” is but a figure of speech. Dravanians can communicate in ways beyond our ken. Lucia: It is for this very reason that we are forced to look for signs in the heavens. We cannot say with any confidence that a great wyrm roared at all, much less that it was Midgardsormr. Lucia: Only by directly examining the Keeper of the Lake can we be certain. However, it will take too long to gain the Holy See's approval to dispatch the Temple Knights. Lucia: Therefore, Ser Aymeric would entrust this task to you. Do you accept? Lucia: We knew you would not disappoint us. Now, if you would excuse me, I must return and assist the lord commander. We have precious little time to prepare. Minfilia: To prepare for what, pray tell? Lucia: When a great wyrm roars, his brethren cannot choose but answer. We prepare for battle.
Minfilia: Forgive me if I state aught which you already know, but I would ensure that you understand the nature of your destination. Minfilia: As Urianger stated, what we now call the Keeper of the Lake is the wreckage of the Agrius, former flagship of the imperial fleet, and the corpse of the wyrm responsible for its destruction. Minfilia: Fifteen years ago, as the next step in his campaign to subjugate Eorzea, Gaius van Baelsar attempted to seize control of Mor Dhona. So massive was his force that all thought his victory a foregone conclusion... Minfilia: But an unlikely ally came to Eorzea's aid that day─Midgardsormr, legendary guardian of Silvertear Falls, burst forth from beneath the waters of the lake and led a host of dragons against the Garlean airships overhead. Minfilia: In what would later become known as the Battle of Silvertear Skies, the great wyrm felled countless airships before engaging the Agrius. Minfilia: In the ensuing struggle, the flagship's ceruleum engines failed, and it tumbled into the lake below. Yet this victory came at a great cost, for the explosion which followed claimed the life of the great wyrm as well. Minfilia: That same explosion transformed Silvertear Falls into the desolate wasteland it is today, draining the lake of its waters and crystallizing aether for malms around. Minfilia: Yet a remnant of the lake remains, and at its center a constant reminder of that fateful day long ago... Minfilia: In accordance with Ser Aymeric's wishes, our Doman allies have been standing watch over the Keeper of the Lake. It would be wise to speak with them before investigating the wreckage yourself. Minfilia: Be careful, my friend. We know not what dangers await you within. Minfilia: Now then, let us not neglect our own tasks! There is much to be done, and precious little time to do it.
Doman Watch: You're in luck, miss. I was about to send word to Revenant's Toll about the Garleans. Doman Watch: Of late, I've seen small airships─likely from Castrum Centri─come and go from the Keeper of the Lake. Though I cannot say for certain at this distance, I believe they may be salvaging something from within the wreckage. Doman Watch: The castrum's supply lines have been cut for some time, and I'd wager they're desperately in need of spare parts and other equipment. Doman Watch: So it's true, then? The Ishgardians honestly fear that the wyrm might rise again? Doman Watch: Well, from here that seems rather unlikely...but if it's assurances they want, you've no choice but to inspect the corpse in its entirety. Doman Watch: Easier said than done, given the creatures which inhabit the wreckage─and the aforementioned Garleans who won't take kindly to your presence. Doman Watch: They're sure to fire upon an airship, so I'd advise a more stealthy approach. Take this boat and a few of your comrades to the base of the Agrius, then climb to the top. That's the only viable approach, I'd say.

The Keeper of the Lake

Fifteen years ago, in the skies above Silvertear Falls, the invading forces of the XIVth Legion were set upon by a host of dragons. Leading the charge was Midgardsormr, legendary king of kings, who engaged the Garlean flagship, the Agrius, in battle. In the end, both Midgardsormr and his foe fell to the earth, and their tangled remnants stand as a memorial to that day—a ruined airship, and the charred corpse of the wyrm lord who brought it low, forever devoid of life...
Scion Marauder: Hmmm. This scaffolding seems sturdy enough.
Scion Thaumaturge: What will we find in here, I wonder? Scion Conjurer: Nothing we cannot handle, surely.
Scion Conjurer: Something tells me there are more nearby...
Scion Conjurer: I dare not ask how they learned to use explosives like that. Scion Marauder: Thankfully, their aim was poor.
Scion Conjurer: There's no turning back now.
Scion Conjurer: I like not the looks of that inductor. Best we get rid of it. Scion Thaumaturge: Leave it to me!
Scion Marauder: Well, I certainly wasn't expecting a gunship. Scion Conjurer: Come what may, you'll not want for succor.
Scion Marauder: I thought it would prove more of a challenge than that. Scion Thaumaturge: Did I burn it down too quickly for your liking?
Scion Thaumaturge: Bah, another aerial assault?
Scion Conjurer: Are we almost there? I fear my legs may give out soon.
Midgardsormr: Who treadeth now upon my bones and waketh me from slumber sweet? Midgardsormr: Thou hast forgotten the face of thy lord. Remember, mortal, and fear me.
Scion Marauder: Even should our enemy be a great wyrm, we mustn't falter! Midgardsormr: Come, then. Thou shalt be weighed in the balances.
Midgardsormr: Into thee I place my spirit. Rise, my child, and join in the chorus. Midgardsormr: I bid thee rise, my child, and join in the chorus once more. Midgardsormr: How bold thy defiance. Midgardsormr: Yet full of fear is thy heart. Midgardsormr: Hearken to me, mortal, and thou shalt know I am thy lord. Midgardsormr: Heh heh heh. So thou art gifted...
Midgardsormr: By Her gifts hast thou earned a moment's reprieve. Midgardsormr: Speak, mortal, and I shall listen. Midgardsormr: Guided by a star...? Heh heh heh. Midgardsormr: My people have heard the song. Ishgard shall burn. Midgardsormr: Sons must answer for their fathers' misdeeds. Midgardsormr: We do not forget. We do not forgive. Midgardsormr: Seven children did I sire. One now singeth of retribution. Midgardsormr: I rise to join in the chorus. Midgardsormr: Thou art powerless to silence us, mortal. Yet thou shalt not live to labor in vain. Thy reprieve is at an end. Midgardsormr: Hmph. Trickery is thy shield. This frail, ignoble creature is not gifted, but chosen... Midgardsormr: Hearken to me, Hydaelyn! I remember...and I consent. Midgardsormr: Fear not, mortal... I shall not harm thee... Midgardsormr: Heh heh heh. Mayhap thou thinkest me an oathbreaker? Midgardsormr: Thou art mistaken. If thou comest to harm, it shall be by another's hand, not mine. Midgardsormr: I did but strip thee of thy mistress's feeble blessing. Midgardsormr: Thou didst profit much by Her grace, but no more. Midgardsormr: The covenant binds me to thee. Midgardsormr: I shall watch...listen...and wait. Midgardsormr: Fight and struggle, if it be thy will. Midgardsormr: Man hath ever coveted that which lieth beyond his grasp. Midgardsormr: I drink of Her body, and thence doth mine own find new life. Midgardsormr: When it hath grown whole, the loyal and penitent shall rejoice. Midgardsormr: The Dragonsong heraldeth a beginning...and an end.
Doman Watch: I was beginning to fear the worst! Were those explosions I saw? Doman Watch: Ah, but you shouldn't waste time talking with me. Alphinaud left a message stating that you were to return to the Rising Stones at once.
Alphinaud: Praise the Twelve that you are hale and whole! Alphinaud: I came as soon as Minfilia informed me of Ser Aymeric's request. Alphinaud: You have completed your investigation of the Keeper of the Lake, I take it? Then I would hear your report.
Alphinaud: You...conversed with Midgardsormr? I swear, were anyone else to make such a claim, I would regard it with considerable skepticism. Minfilia: Are we to understand that the wyrm lord did not perish, and has in sooth lain dormant these past fifteen years? Urianger: Less a resurrection and more a rejuvenation for he who dwelleth in eternity, years passing as moments... Alphinaud: Though his words were ambiguous at times, one statement left little room for interpretation: Alphinaud: “My people have heard the song. Ishgard shall burn.” Alphinaud: Clearly, an attack is imminent. We must share this information with Ser Aymeric immediately. Alphinaud: However, we dare not divulge your conversation with Midgardsormr in its entirety. Alphinaud: To even acknowledge that you heard the voice of a Dravanian is a grave but necessary risk. Lest we forget, men have been executed as heretics for declaring as much. Alphinaud: For your own protection, and for the sake of our tenuous relations with Ishgard, the truth cannot leave this room. Alphinaud: As for how we shall present our revelation to Ser Aymeric's emissary, you may leave that to me. Pray remain here for now. Minfilia: Is there something you are not telling us, Forename? Minfilia: You seem...different, somehow. 'Tis almost as if you are missing something...something important. Minfilia: Twelve forfend! Midgardsormr stripped you of the blessing of Light!? Are you all right? How do you feel!? Minfilia: I see... It is a relief to hear that you are otherwise unharmed. Minfilia: It beggars belief that any being could possess the power to deprive you of Her blessing. Minfilia: Hmmm... Midgardsormr made mention of a covenant, did he not? Minfilia: One of the ancient myths regarding Silvertear Falls states that when the waters came into existence, so too did the great wyrm. Minfilia: Althyk and Nymeia, Brother Time and Sister Fate, decreed that Midgardsormr ever watch over the source, from which all water─and magic─was said to flow. Minfilia: I wonder... What if this was the covenant of which he spoke, and 'twas not the gods with whom he treated, but Hydaelyn Herself? Minfilia: Well, if he is watching over you as he claimed, mayhap you will have an opportunity to ask. Minfilia: Let us keep this matter to ourselves. I do not wish to burden our friends needlessly. Midgardsormr: Art thou a pawn, or master of thy fate? Midgardsormr: What hast thou wrought by thine own hands, mortal?
Lucia: My friend! I can scarce believe it! You confronted the wyrm lord and lived to tell the tale! Lucia: I give thanks to Halone for your preservation. It is our sole cause for gladness. Lucia: Your encounter with the Keeper of the Lake served to confirm our fears. A great wyrm has roared, and it makes little difference if it was one of the two in Eorzea or any other... Lucia: The Dravanians are coming. Alphinaud: I am told that Ishgard has magical defenses against Dravanian attack, though I am not privy to their exact nature. Alphinaud: Will they be enough to repel a massive force? Lucia: Ishgard has weathered countless assaults over centuries. This will be no different. Lucia: And now that you have confirmed the threat, none can ignore the lord commander's calls for the wards to be strengthened. Lucia: I dare not presume to speak for him, but I expect the lord commander would sing your praises. Lucia: I must away, but we shall meet again soon. Alphinaud: Countless assaults weathered...and this will be no different? Why am I not convinced?
Alphinaud: The Ishgardians have warred with the Dravanians for centuries─nay, nearly one thousand years. Alphinaud: In all that time, not once have their enemies breached their defenses and entered the city proper. Alphinaud: Yet regardless of how strong these magical wards may be, I nevertheless fear that the Ishgardians are underestimating the gravity of the situation. Alphinaud: Though it was not Midgardsormr who roared, a call to arms by one of the first brood cannot be ignored... Alphinaud: Until such time as they choose to request our aid, however, we can do naught but observe the situation at a distance, and pray that our fears are unfounded.
Aether on Demand Alphinaud has a message from Moenbryda for the Scions.
Alphinaud: Ere I forget, I believe Moenbryda has requested a gathering of the Scions. I assume there has been some progress concerning our efforts to combat the Ascians. Alphinaud: Pray inform her that our business with the Ishgardians is concluded for the moment─I shall be along once I've completed my communications with the Crystal Braves.
Moenbryda: All done with your talk of dragons? Wonderful, because Ascians are next on the menu! Let's head into the solar, shall we?
Moenbryda: Now that everything's calmed down a bit─relatively speaking, I mean─I thought it might be a good time to share our progress on the weapon. Moenbryda: I believe we're on the verge of a breakthrough. Minfilia: Well, don't keep us all in suspense. Moenbryda: Just in case anyone's forgotten, let's start by reviewing what we already know. So! An Ascian is an immortal because its soul doesn't return to the aetherial realm when its host is defeated. Instead, it flees to the place that lies between our world and the void. Moenbryda: Therefore, the first step to permanently defeating an Ascian is preventing its soul from making this journey. And if you recall, when we last gathered here, I had verified that white auracite has adequate capacity to entrap the beings, albeit only briefly. Thancred: Which left the small matter of their extermination. Urianger: Aye. To unmake an Ascian soul, one must needs smite it with a concentrated burst, or “blade,” of purest aether. However, we wanted for both the data and the means to forge such a weapon. Moenbryda: Short of experimenting on an actual Ascian, you see, there's no way to gauge how much aether its soul is made of. Moenbryda: As such, we don't know what aetheric density our blade needs to have in order for it to work. Yda (Lyse): So we'll just have to make the densest blade we can, and hope for the best! Though that would require a lot of aether... Yda (Lyse): Hang on a minute! Why didn't we think of this before!? White auracite can hold an absolute heap of aether, can't it!? Papalymo: Please tell me you're joking. Gods' sakes, Yda! I feel as though I'm reliving the same scene over and over with you! How many times do you need to be told that white auracite cannot store aether for long periods? Papalymo: Being intangible matter, aether is given to dispersion; only in its crystallized form is it a stable source of energy. I will test you later on this, so see to it you do not forget. Yda (Lyse): Ah...r-right, yes... It's all coming back to me... Thancred: So our hopes rest on good old crystals again, do they? While they are certainly reliable, they leave something to be desired in the area of portability. Y'shtola: Indeed. I am reminded of the quantity of corrupted crystals required to thwart Leviathan, and the extraordinary lengths to which the Lominsans went to transport them. What if it should prove that a similar quantity was needed to destroy an Ascian soul─or still more...? Thancred: I do not envy the poor sod who has to lug all of that around on the off chance that an Ascian appears. Moenbryda: That's the very problem we set out to solve, and I reckon we've found the answer. If it isn't practical to lug around the aether we need, we'll just have to draw upon another source. Moenbryda: And the only viable source is the land. Y'shtola: If you mean to tap the great river of aether, know that it will entail considerable risk. Meddling with the currents may well induce a surge like to the one which despoiled Mor Dhona. Moenbryda: Give me a bit more credit, will you? Why would we need to tap the river when there're veritable reservoirs jutting out all over the land? Moenbryda: Aye, I speak of corrupted crystals. It might be that their aspect is out of balance, but a crystal's a crystal─it contains aether, and we can help ourselves to it. Thancred: While corrupted crystals are indeed abundant, there is no guarantee that they will be in close proximity at a crucial moment. Moenbryda: Ah, but what if we don't need them to be? What if we could tap their power from afar? A malm away, say? Moenbryda: If we could do that, we'd have ready access to aether aplenty in almost every corner of Eorzea. Moenbryda: I've yet to put my theories to the proof, but I've got a good feeling about this. If no one has any objections, I'd like to see where this avenue leads. Minfilia: If you think it worth your while, you have my blessing. Minfilia: But tell us, what are your theories? I for one am most eager to understand the process, however vaguely. Moenbryda: I thought you might say that. But no one wants to listen to boring old theories all day, do they? I know I don't. So, with your permission, I'd like to try something a bit more hands-on. I've already built an aetheric siphon especially for this purpose, and I've been meaning to try it out. Moenbryda: Thing is, the profusion of corrupted crystals in Mor Dhona makes it something of a high-risk testing ground. If anything goes awry with the siphon, it would be better if it didn't happen within spitting distance of quite so much aether. Moenbryda: Ideally, I need an isolated specimen. Does anyone know where I can find one? Alphinaud: May I suggest northern Thanalan? There you will find corrupted crystals of middling size, standing a reasonable distance apart. Ideal for your needs, I should have thought. Oh, and if you do elect to visit the place, I should be much obliged if you would assist me in another matter while you are in the area. Minfilia: Has something happened? Alphinaud: Movement has been observed at Castrum Meridianum. Alphinaud: During Operation Archon, the Alliance dealt the stronghold a heavy blow. Its facilities were extensively damaged, and its garrison reduced to a fraction of its former strength. Alphinaud: Not long after our forces withdrew, however, their ranks were replenished by reinforcements from Castrum Centri. They now seek to rebuild, and to this end they have their sights set upon the Ceruleum Processing Plant. Alphinaud: Having lost the Empire's support, the XIVth Legion lacks the resources to sustain itself. To them, this is a bid for survival, and they will doubtless fight like desperate men. Alphinaud: Though I have dispatched the Crystal Braves, I fear their strength alone may not suffice to stay the imperial assault. I would request the Scions' aid in the defensive effort. Moenbryda: If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to inveigle us into fighting your battle with the promise of shiny crystals! Moenbryda: Well then, consider me inveigled! I won't lie, the crystals you speak of sound perfect─so the Garleans have to go! Moenbryda: Besides, we can't afford to beat about the bush. There's no telling when the Ascians will next appear. Urianger: Thine eagerness to hurl thyself into the jaws of danger cometh as little surprise. Exercise due caution, I prithee. Minfilia: Though you have become a Crystal Brave, you are yet a Scion, Alphinaud. We could hardly refuse you. Minfilia: Pray join the Crystal Braves and lend them your support. Thancred and Papalymo shall accompany you. Minfilia: Yda and Y'shtola─in the meantime I would have you assist Moenbryda. Scout out the crystal clusters, that the testing may commence as soon as the Garlean threat has been eliminated. Urianger: If it please you, I shall continue mine own experiments on white auracite. Minfilia: Thank you, Urianger. Everyone, pray see to your preparations and depart as soon as you are able. Go well, and be safe.
Alphinaud: 'Twould seem that events have once more conspired to rob us of rest and recuperation. Though I would wish it otherwise, I must ask that you head straightaway to the processing plant. Alphinaud: The 4th have already deployed to the area, and await the arrival of the Scions. Wilred will brief you on the developing situation. Alphinaud: Meanwhile, I must rendezvous with Captain Ilberd at our headquarters in Ul'dah. I shall take command of our forces there with a lighter heart, knowing that you go to support the front lines.
Hoary Boulder: Your duties take you to northern Thanalan, do they not? Coultenet: We, too, must say our farewells to the Rising Stones for a time. F'lhaminn travels to Ul'dah, and we shall serve as her escort. F'lhaminn: At my daughter's behest, I go to contact certain old acquaintances in the gilded city. F'lhaminn: We are beset on all sides by civil unrest and imperial machinations, threatened by primals and troubled by dragons─we need all the allies we can muster. F'lhaminn: Many of my friends hold positions of power, you see, and it is my hope that they can be convinced to aid the Scions' cause. F'lhaminn: If past events have taught us anything, then we know that Eorzea must present a united front or we shall fall... F'lhaminn: Ah, how extraordinary that my little Ascilia is involved in such far-reaching affairs. F'lhaminn: I am proud that I might now stand at her side not only as a mother, but also as a colleague. Coultenet: A colleague with influential connections! But I fear that Ul'dah has become a place of danger even for one so familiar with her streets. Hoary Boulder: Bah! Woe betide the blackguard that so much as glares in your direction, milady! F'lhaminn: Ahaha, I shall be well protected, it seems. Coultenet: Shall we be on our way, then?
Wilred: Commander Leveilleur sent word that you'd be coming─a veteran of your talents is most welcome. Wilred: Not that I don't think we can handle the situation, mind you! I've learned a trick or two since that disaster with the Amalj'aa. Wilred: But returning to the task at hand... Wilred: The Flames' reconnaissance scouts have reported imperial soldiers assembling at Raubahn's Push. Such a force is likely interested in only one thing: getting their hands on the resources found here at the processing plant. Wilred: The Garleans could begin marching on us at any time. Pray speak with Lieutenant Edelstein, that we might coordinate our counter strategy. Wilred: In the meantime, I will inform the others that you have arrived. No doubt it will be welcome tidings.
Edelstein: Captain Surname! My soldiers yet tell tales of your deeds during Operation Archon! Edelstein: Would that we could sit a while and reminisce about old times...but I fear more pressing matters require our attention. The civilian draughtsmen, you see, have come across several highly suspicious crates within the boundaries of the processing plant. Edelstein: I had my sappers take a closer look, and our worst fears were confirmed─these boxes contain powerful explosive devices. Devices of imperial design, no less. Edelstein: By my order, the Flames stationed here are conducting a thorough sweep of the compound as we speak. Edelstein: Though it troubles me that we were unable to apprehend the imperial spy behind this, I have faith that our men will be able to neutralize the threat for now. Edelstein: In the meantime, our scouts bring troubling news on the latest movements of the imperial army. I would once again ask for your aid.
On the Counteroffensive Lieutenant Edelstein wishes to share a report with you concerning the Garleans' movements.
Edelstein: We've been keeping a close eye on that Garlean garrison, and 'twould seem the imperials have finally begun to mobilize. Edelstein: According to the reconnaissance report that just came in, the squads seen leaving the castrum are too few in number to effectively take and hold our position. They will likely mount a swift assault, and focus on the acquisition of resources. Edelstein: I have, of course, also shared this report with the Crystal Braves─they've decided to take to the field to meet this assault head-on. I have apprised your fellow Scions of the situation, and am heartened to know that they will be joining the effort. Edelstein: Pray report to Lieutenant Alianne, and lend your much-welcome strength to the counteroffensive.
Alianne: Glad to have you with us, Forename. As I'm sure Lieutenant Edelstein has explained, the Garleans have deployed a small force from Castrum Meridianum. Wilred: Their main column assembles to the north near Dalamud's Talons, but we've also spied several squads attempting to conceal themselves on the approach to the west. Ilberd: They wish you to rush forth and commit to battle with the main column, leaving the detached force free to raid the plant and pillage supplies. Not much of a strategy, but these are desperate men. Alianne: Captain Ilberd! Ilberd: Greetings, Scion. I understand the commander bid you and your fellows come lend a hand to the Braves. With such mighty heroes at its disposal, the 4th should have little trouble contending with aught the Garleans might throw at them. Ilberd: But even you cannot be everywhere at once. The 3rd was getting restless holed up in Ul'dah, so I marched them out here to fill any holes in the plant's defenses and add their numbers to your counterattack. Alianne: The reinforcements are welcome. We've enough soldiers now to divide our own forces and safely engage the enemy far beyond the walls. Ilberd: Aye, 'twould be best to avoid staging a battle anywhere near this much ceruleum. Let's take this fight to the Garleans. Papalymo: A wise course, indeed. I shudder to think of the consequences should any of these storage tanks be exposed to fire... Papalymo: If there are no objections, the Scions shall join the 4th and give battle to this main column. Ilberd: You're with the 3rd, then, Warrior of Light. Your job will be to intercept these squads hiding out in the west and prevent them from reaching the processing plant. Ilberd: When you're ready to proceed, report to Lieutenant Yuyuhase─his scouts should have a rough idea of where the imperials have concealed themselves by now.
Yuyuhase: A pleasure to be fighting at your side once more, Scion. Our operations invariably succeed when you're around, and victories are wont to pave the road to greater coin. Yuyuhase: Now, this detached force we've been sent to eliminate has split into smaller squads─the better to conceal themselves within the terrain hereabouts, I imagine. We'll need to split ourselves up as well to cover more ground, and make sure we root out all these would-be raiders. Yuyuhase: And seeing as you're an army unto yourself, I've assigned you your own areas to scour clean of enemy soldiers. Aye, this will be a simple search and destroy. Yuyuhase: We'll rendezvous back here when the task is done. Happy hunting, Scion.
Yuyuhase: You seem grim, Scion. I'll take that to mean that, between us, more than a few Garleans won't be making it back to the castrum. Yuyuhase: These imperials, though, they certainly made us earn our pay. I would be a happy man if I never had to tussle with another of those magitek horrors... Yuyuhase: It is time we bid this war-torn land farewell. I will contact the 4th, and let Lieutenant Alianne know the west is now clear. Yuyuhase: I would appreciate it if you would do the same when you report to Lieutenant Edelstein.
Edelstein: Captain Surname! What news of the Garleans? Edelstein: Their raiding parties are no more, then? Excellent. Edelstein: The Amajina engineers will be most relieved to hear that the plant is no longer in any immediate danger. Thank you again for your assistance.
An Uninvited Ascian Lieutenant Edelstein appears concerned for Moenbryda's well-being.
Edelstein: You must be anxious for word of your fellows. Lieutenant Alianne has reported a sound victory over the main column, and informs me that the Scions have already turned their attention to other duties. Edelstein: All but one, that is. The Roegadyn lady with the large axe? 'Twould appear she has chosen to remain at the site of the battle. Edelstein: I know not what task keeps her from returning to civilization, but northern Thanalan is no place to wander alone─even for a capable sort such as her. I would certainly feel better about things if you could check in on her before you continue on your way.
Moenbryda: Hold on. I won't be a second. Moenbryda: The beast seemed peckish, so I gave it a taste of my axe. Moenbryda: I know, I know... As Urianger never tires of reminding me, “An axe ill becometh the hand of a scholar.” What can I say? I like axes. To hear my mother tell it, I came into this world holding one. Moenbryda: And it's not as if it stopped me picking up a quill, is it? I often think of the man who introduced me to the joys of learning... He's one of the reasons I decided to come to Eorzea. Moenbryda: ...Him and my excruciatingly stiff childhood friend. Considering how unalike we are, it's a wonder we ever got on. The world's a strange old place, isn't it? Moenbryda: Aye, that ought to do it. Moenbryda: So far, so good. At these concentrations, it shouldn't matter too much if something goes awry. Just enough aether to make it interesting. Moenbryda: Did you see that? The way the crystal glowed? Moenbryda: The siphon works, I'm happy to say. With a few refinements, it should satisfy our appetite for aether. Which just leaves the small matter of forging our blade. Moenbryda: I'm not sure how to go about it just yet, but I swear to find a way. I'll put a blade in your hands if it's the last thing I do. ??? (Nabriales): She senses me. A useful talent. Moenbryda: An Ascian!? Are they onto us!? Nabriales: By your brand, I see you are an Archon of Sharlayan. Keeper of knowledge. Seeker of truth. Meddler. Moenbryda: I don't know what the hells you're saying, but I don't much like your tone. Nabriales: Hahaha. Your instincts serve you well. But come, be not unsettled on my account. That lovely brow was not made for frowns. Ah, but I waste my breath. Nabriales: Let me direct my words to one who understands them. We meet at last, Warrior of Light. I am Nabriales... Nabriales: ...And you have long been a thorn in my side. I suffered the overweening presence of Lahabrea that men might host the power of gods, only for you to undo my hard work. Nabriales: Do settle down. Nabriales: You must concede that I acted in self-defense. Nabriales: But what's this? I do not sense the blessing of Light... Nabriales: Oh dear! Could it be that frail Hydaelyn has forgotten Her champion!? This I did not foresee! Nabriales: Shorn of Light as you are, you are no longer a threat. And better yet, the seal is broken. Nabriales: Now is the time to claim the staff! Nabriales: With it in my grasp, I shall rise above them all and take my place at Lord Zodiark's right hand! Moenbryda: What did that bastard want with us? Moenbryda: Nabriales, he calls himself? With charm like that, I'll bet he has maidens falling at his feet. Unconscious. Moenbryda: But this staff─you say just talking about it had the bastard grinning like a brat on his nameday? Must be quite a staff. Moenbryda: Oh, gods... He means Tupsimati, Master Louisoix's staff! Moenbryda: Minfilia's in danger! We have to get back to the Rising Stones!
Moenbryda: You're here! Moenbryda: Master Louisoix's staff is kept in the solar, isn't it? Quickly, now!
Minfilia: You two! Nabriales: So you were able to divine my intent. What now, Warrior of Light? Ah, but that name is no longer fitting. You have become decidedly dull, and quite incapable of barring my entry. Minfilia: What do you mean!? Nabriales: You truly do not know? Then I suppose it is only right that I enlighten you. Nabriales: The blessing of Light kept you and your fellow meddlers safe. It was that which prevented my kind from entering your domain. Nabriales: My kind, I say, though it had no power over the likes of Elidibus and Lahabrea. Being of this world, they could come and go as they please, while I could only look on... Nabriales: But I need look no longer. Now that the seal is gone, I mean to act. Unlike the others, I am not given to waiting. I shall take that staff and bring about the next Rejoining. Minfilia: ...Rejoining? Then it was your doing! The Isle of Val, the scholars─all of it! Moenbryda: You will not harm her! Minfilia: Moenbryda! Nabriales: Why must you insist on forcing my hand? Did you learn nothing from our last meeting? Ah, but I forget─my words fall upon deaf ears. Minfilia: The staff is but a broken relic─a memorial to the departed. What possible use could you have for it? Nabriales: What use!? You mean to say that all this time, you kept the key, never knowing what it was you possessed? Nabriales: The staff Tupsimati─or rather, the stone tablet it bears─is host to a great power. Nabriales: Together with the horn, it can be used to draw vast quantities of aether from its bearer's surroundings. Nabriales: How else do you think Louisoix was able to invoke the power of the Twelve without making them an offering of crystals? Nabriales: Summoning requires not only prayer, but a profusion of aether. Even a child knows that. Minfilia: If I did not know before, you may be certain I do now. But above all, I know that we cannot allow this staff to fall into your hands. I will die before I let you take it. Nabriales: Insufferable woman. I would happily end your miserable life here and now... Alas, Elidibus would never let me hear the end of it. Nabriales: Very well. If you will not part with the staff, I will take you too. Moenbryda: After them! Quickly...before the rift closes!

The Chrysalis

A ruthless Ascian known as Nabriales has intruded upon the sanctum of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, spiriting away both the Antecedent and the powerful relic she refused to yield. Pursue the Paragon through the dimensional rift and prise Minfilia─and Tupsimati─from his tenebrous grasp.
Nabriales: I shall not toy with you as does Lahabrea!
Witness the terrible might of a true servant of Zodiark! Nabriales: Writhing powers of ruination!
From the deepest pits of the abyss I summon thee! Nabriales: Insatiable hunger of the void!
Devour all light and return this world to perfect darkness! Nabriales: By Zodiark's name I command thee!
River of time, mire mine enemy in thy sluggish flow! Minfilia: Impossible!
Has he power over...time itself!? Nabriales: You shall wither in the merciless embrace of eternity! Nabriales: But...you are shorn of Her blessing!
How do you yet resist me!?
Moenbryda: You're safe... Thank the Twelve... Nabriales: You may have bested me this day...but what of the next? What of all the days to come!? Nabriales: Remember: Light no longer holds sway here. I may return whensoever I wish. Again and again and again. Eventually, you will falter and the staff will be mine. Until next time, Scions. Minfilia: There will be no next time! This is the end! Nabriales: What!? What trickery is this!? Nabriales: No! Nooo! You cannot! Nooooooooo! Minfilia: Use Tupsimati to gather aether! Quickly, before he breaks free! Minfilia: Concentrate! Call to mind the time you struck down Lahabrea with the blade of Light! Minfilia: Why won't it work? Is it because we lack the blessing of Light? Moenbryda: Damn it... So much aether...and it still isn't enough... Nabriales: Fools! No mortal prison can contain me! I shall make you pay for your insolence! Minfilia: Please, Mother Hydaelyn! Hearken to our plea! Lend us Your divine Light! Minfilia: Why can You not hear us? Do our words no longer reach You? Moenbryda: If only we had...a bit more aether... Minfilia: Moenbryda! What are you doing!? Moenbryda: Master Louisoix... I understand now...the choice you made... Moenbryda: In death...there is life... Farewell, Urianger...you daft old coot... Nabriales: What!? Nooo! It...it cannot end! Nabriales: I am eternal! I am immortaaaaaal! Minfilia: Moenbryda... She's...she's gone... Minfilia: You did it, my friend. The Ascian is dead. Minfilia: This device is a legacy of Moenbryda's toils and sacrifice. Minfilia: I shall hold on to it for safekeeping. Yda (Lyse): Minfilia! Are you all right? Minfilia: I am. Papalymo: We were surveying northern Thanalan when we received the distress call. Papalymo: We returned as swiftly as we were able. Thancred: It seems you have everything in hand, however. Y'shtola: What happened here? Where is Moenbryda? Thancred: She gave her life to temper the blade of Light? I...I have no words. Y'shtola: Rather than await the inevitable, she took her fate into her own hands. Yda (Lyse): Does...does Urianger know...? Minfilia: My friend. There is something I must tell you. Urianger: I heard all, my lady. Urianger: The moon sinketh, taking her leave of the heavens. Yet her passing heraldeth the coming of a new day.
...Moenbryda hath fulfilled her destiny, hath she not? Urianger: Long ago, far across the seas in the Sharlayan motherland, Moenbryda and I did study under the sage tutelage of Master Louisoix. Urianger: Full oft did he impress upon us that knowledge existeth to serve the greater good. This sentiment, however, was contrary to the nation's policy of neutrality, which censured intercedence in the affairs of foreign lands. Urianger: In spite of vehement opposition, he founded the Circle of Knowing and journeyed hither to the heart of Eorzea. Through his noble sacrifice was the realm spared its doom. Urianger: Yet this great soul, whom all should rightly have honored, was branded a pariah in his own land. His peers did accuse him of forsaking his duty as a man of learning, and of meddling in the course of history. Urianger: When he left Sharlayan behind, Master Louisoix gave no word to signal his intent to Moenbryda. Close as they were, as master and disciple, she was deeply wounded by the sudden exclusion from his confidence. Urianger: Above all, however, she was confused. Try as she might, she could ill comprehend her master's motive. The slanders that were heaped upon him after his passing served only to inflame the turmoil within her. Urianger: For years upon end, she knew not what to believe, torn as she was 'twixt the man whom she revered, and the man who forsook her and his duty both. Minfilia: The Louisoix I knew would never forsake his duty, much less one of his own. Urianger: This I know full well, my lady. 'Twas not for want of love that Master Louisoix hid his intent. He but desired that Moenbryda discover her own path, free of the shadow of his influence. Urianger: Long did I contemplate revealing the truth to her, and long did I hold my peace. After all, was it not Master Louisoix's wish that she come to the truth unaided? I told myself it was, and resolved to let her suffer. Urianger: Knowingly did I deny my friend the comfort she craved. And now she hath gone to her rest with doubt still in her heart. Urianger: Speakest thou in earnest? Did Moenbryda truly come to understand Master Louisoix's will before the end? Urianger: The realization hath set her free. She may now find the peace which hath for so long eluded her. Urianger: Oh, Moenbryda... My dearest... How I shall miss thee... Minfilia: Moenbryda gave her life that we might possess the means to defeat the Ascians. Minfilia: Her sacrifice must not be in vain. Let us continue her work on the blade of aether and see it to completion. Urianger: My lady. I would mourn Moenbryda in mine own way. I beg your permission to return to the Waking Sands. Minfilia: Of course, my friend. Take all the time you require. We shall be here should you have need of us.
Minfilia: Never have I seen Urianger so utterly defeated. No one should be made to suffer such grief... Minfilia: We shall gather in the Sharlayan manner to celebrate Moenbryda's life...and mourn her passing.
In Memory of Moenbryda Minfilia wishes to gather the Scions and honor the fallen Moenbryda.
Minfilia: As Moenbryda was a native of Sharlayan, I feel it is only fitting that we gather before the mark of the Scholar. Are you familiar with the stone? Minfilia: 'Tis a monument found at Rathefrost, and is sacred to Thaliak, guardian deity of the city of learning. Minfilia: There shall we pray for our dear friend's soul, and bid her a peaceful return to the light of the Mothercrystal.
Minfilia: Forgive me, Moenbryda. Had I been quicker, or wiser... Minfilia: But I was not, and you paid the price. Minfilia: But you would not suffer us to wallow in our sorrow, would you? You would tell us to...pick ourselves up and get on with it. Minfilia: And so we shall. We shall defend this realm and her people to the last. Midgardsormr: Life for death. A fair exchange. Midgardsormr: Other bargains will be struck.
Minfilia: Though we have said our farewells, the pall of sadness has diminished but little. Forgive me: as Antecedent, 'tis my job to be the pillar of strength for all others to lean upon. Minfilia: Yet I also believe the grief we feel now is precious in its own way, and not to be lightly swept aside. Do you not agree, Forename?
Minfilia: 'Tis as if a dagger has been thrust into my breast... Minfilia: But 'tis a pain we must learn to bear if we are to forge ahead with our duty. Minfilia: The battles we have fought have taken the lives of so many. Louisoix. Moenbryda. Our fellows at the Waking Sands. Minfilia: Their spirit and dedication to our cause, however, will never be lost as long as we rise to fight once more. Minfilia: I hardly need remind you of this, of course. 'Tis for my own benefit that I repeat these words─a reaffirmation of mine own chosen path. Minfilia: If I do not rebuild the foundation of my resolve, I am like to collapse in a fit of weeping... Minfilia: My apologies again, Forename─there is no other to whom I could display such weakness. Minfilia: You are my pillar of strength, and I fear I shall have need of your steadfast presence in the days to come...
A victory won, a comrade lost... To honor the fallen, the living forge ever on, towards the light of a new day

Crystal Tower (Alliance Raids) (2.5)

The World of Darkness Rammbroes has a furrowed brow and the look of one with ill tidings.
Rammbroes: Ah, Forename, it is good you are come. I have news you must be made aware of. Rammbroes: Alas, none of it bodes well for us, nor for Unei, Doga, and Nero imprisoned in the dark realm. G'raha Tia: Think back upon our last foray into Syrcus Tower, if you will. The Calamity stirred the place from its long slumber and awoke Emperor Xande. But you, Forename, you ensured he was laid to rest permanently. G'raha Tia: Yet the emperor had sealed a binding covenant with the terrible voidsent known as the Cloud of Darkness. Even as Doga and Unei labored to annul this contract, the entity reached through a rift and dragged the pair of them─and Nero─out of our realm. Rammbroes: Since that day, NOAH has devoted itself to rescuing Unei, Doga, and Nero from beyond the rift. Our research, however, has exposed a far more dire problem. Rammbroes: The Crystal Tower still acts upon Emperor Xande's orders, and collects energy to open another voidgate even as we speak. Indeed, the place nigh hums with energy. Rammbroes: We have done all we can to stop the imperial edict, but to no avail. Just as the gate would open only for Unei and Doga, so too will the tower heed only those with the royal blood of Allag. G'raha Tia: 'Tis a most galling design. Granted, this was not always so vexatious, according to the Allagan tomestone Nero presented us. G'raha Tia: During the golden age of Allag, the royalty had some means of bestowing their blood upon others. If they hadn't such a technology, Amon and his underlings could never have controlled the Crystal Tower. Rammbroes: But we do not have either this art or any with royal blood. Every moment we wait, a vast rift through which the Cloud of Darkness can enter our realm threatens to open. Rammbroes: Such a disaster cannot be allowed to come to pass. We must seal the Crystal Tower, and annul Xande's covenant with the dark realm. Rammbroes: If only breaking the latter would suffice... But then what of the energy building in the Crystal Tower? Without suppression, that power could discharge and cause a calamity like to the one that destroyed Allag. Rammbroes: In truth, we have more than just three lost compatriots to worry about. If we do not act, our very world will fall before the might of this threat. G'raha Tia: We know but one way out of this predicament: rescue those who can control the tower from beyond the dark realm, and seal the rift shut after them. And mercifully, not all our news is quite so bleak. G'raha Tia: 'Tis true we cannot stop the voidgate from manifesting within the tower, but this can be to our benefit. G'raha Tia: We can use Syrcus's power for our own purposes, and create a portal to carry us into the dark realm! Rammbroes: We have heard this is possible from a man of the Thaumaturges' Guild well versed in otherworldly matters. And with Master Garlond working to create said portal, the final preparations are well underway. Ah, and here comes the man himself. Cid: Forename! Just the woman we need! Rammbroes: Yes, our fellowship is indeed complete, and all parties privy to our strategy. And you, Master Garlond, how fare your endeavors? Cid: Quite well! The device is nearly ready─though attaching the damnable thing to Syrcus Tower took every onze of ingenuity the Ironworks has got. But it should produce the energy we need. Cid: With just a little more fine-tuning, we can open a rift. I'm here to request your presence at the tower. Cid: I'll leave Biggs and Wedge at the Eight Sentinels as guides. And do hurry, Forename. I'm sure you wouldn't miss another chance to save the world, would you? G'raha Tia: Well, Cid certainly seems to have a firm hand on the helm. Shall we make our way to the Crystal Tower?
Wedge: Forename! I'll bet you're here to watch us pry open a rift between worlds, eh? Wedge: We're almost ready. Syrcus Tower is full of engineers scurrying around and making adjustments. We're dealing with a lot of power, and if a single coupling's off... Well, boom! Wedge: B-But it should be fine. Really! Anyway, you'd best wait at the top. The chief's there overseeing the whole operation.
Cid: My friends, you've arrived. I'm just waiting for my engineers to give the signal. Then, we'll see if we can't open a gateway to another world! Cid: Hm? Is there something amiss, G'raha? Cid: ...Ahhh, Emperor Xande's throne─how the mighty have fallen, eh? Once, it stood as a symbol of Allag's art and power. Now, it's nothing more than an empty chair. Cid: Just imagine if Allagan civilization had lived on, and a just emperor still sat on that throne. How different would our history be, how much further would we have advanced? <sigh> Unfortunately, there was no stopping Xande and his ambition. G'raha Tia: There...there were those who tried. G'raha Tia: Xande's war of dominion left no one unscathed. Unable to abide the horrors inflicted upon the people, warriors young and brave took up the sword against Allag. G'raha Tia: These men and women became as beacons of hope to those who had suffered─not unlike the Warriors of Light in our age. G'raha Tia: But all this merely hastened the destruction. Just as they moved towards Allag's heart for the kill, Xande lashed out in anger and frustration...as trapped beasts are wont to do. G'raha Tia: In his desperation, Xande desired that a great rift be opened to hasten the Cloud of Darkness's coming. To this end, he commanded the sun's power held within Dalamud be emptied into Syrcus Tower at once. G'raha Tia: The act bore terrible consequences. The tower only withstood the blast by flooding the land below with energy. Syrcus was swallowed by the very earth upon which it once stood. Cid: The Fourth Umbral Calamity... I'd learned of its cause from Unei and Doga. I had no idea that rebellion incited Xande to rashness, though. Cid: Your knowledge of Allagan history is astounding, G'raha. Why, a man could study for two lifetimes and only learn half of what you know. G'raha Tia: Mayhap... 'Tis strange, though─I cannot seem to remember where I learned such things... Cid: Yes? Ah, Biggs, are you ready? Biggs: Ready and raring to open up that voidgate, Chief! Biggs: We reckon when this machine's up and running, she'll be able to float five airships the size of the Agrius. So just give us the word, and we'll start channeling energy into the tower. Cid: Good! Then let's get started! Cid: Our preparations are complete. Everyone, step away from the throne. Cid: All right, let's see what this machine can do. Now, Biggs! Rammbroes: Ahhh, a rift to the World of Darkness, as Unei called it. Splendid work, Master Garlond! Cid: We can't break out the mead just yet. The tough part's still ahead. We've broken into the dark realm, but the gate's not all that stable: it won't stay open forever, and only a few can use it. Cid: I, for one, will remain here to ensure the voidgate stays open. Rammbroes: As will the Sons of Saint Coinach. This rift is our sole path to salvation─if it closes, we are all truly lost. Rammbroes: Which leaves...Forename. My friend, 'tis a heavy burden I must task you with, but there are none more able. Pray lead the adventurers beyond the rift. Rammbroes: I do not know what awaits you, save the Cloud of Darkness and our three comrades. But you must go, for the fate of our world now rests upon your shoulders. Rammbroes: This is our only gambit, but I have every faith you will succeed. Rammbroes: It will be no small feat to return after you have passed beyond the rift. Make certain you are prepared before leaving. G'raha Tia: ...Might I have a moment of your time, Forename? There is a matter of import we must needs discuss ere you leave.
G'raha Tia: Forename, I wished to speak to you about my eye. As you are no doubt aware, 'tis a trait seen only amongst Allagan royalty. G'raha Tia: Long I have pondered why such is my inheritance. The sanguine hue must have some bearing upon my destiny─this much Doga himself admitted. But what? G'raha Tia: In truth, the more I learn of the Crystal Tower, the less I am myself. Somehow, meeting those two clones has wrought great change in me. G'raha Tia: I am consumed with remembering...something. Something ancient, but ever so important. G'raha Tia: And my father's words echo in my mind, the selfsame ones his father told him: the truth of our eye rests with Allag. G'raha Tia: Mayhap what I wish to remember and these words are related. Mayhap not. But I know I must learn the truth that history hides from me. I would see this journey─our journey─through to the very end with mine own two eyes. G'raha Tia: So I implore you: allow me to join you beyond the rift! G'raha Tia: You have my thanks, my friend. Now, let us venture into the World of Darkness, to save our comrades and our realm!

The World of Darkness

In the twilight of his reign, the first and last emperor of Allag, Xande, desired power above all else. He turned to the terrible being known as the Cloud of Darkness, a ruler of the void, and asked of her strength to make the world kneel before his throne with a covenant of blood. When Xande was slain, his ambitions were laid to rest alongside him. Yet the Cloud of Darkness still seeks to enter the material realm, and will soon find passage through the Voidgate set to manifest within Syrcus Tower. With the fiend's coming, can the fellowship of NOAH brave the void and rescue the three souls able to stem the Cloud's flood of shadows, or will the expedition itself vanish beyond the rift in the World of Darkness?
Angra Mainyu: I spy with my giant eye...prey for the hunting!
Angra Mainyu: Round and round the hand does go.
Who will it slaughter? Nobody knows!
Angra Mainyu: N-No, my fate is grown dark before my eye...
Five-headed Dragon: Grrrrrrrrr!
Cerberus: Grrraaaaaawr!
??? (Cloud of Darkness): Who disturbs the gloom?
Ahhh, mortals from the realm of light.
You have not stumbled here without purpose... ??? (Cloud of Darkness): I am the Cloud of Darkness.
What I do not smother, I devour.
What I cannot devour, I destroy. ??? (Cloud of Darkness): The covenant is everlasting.
All mortals before the flood of darkness
will sink lifeless into the void!
Cloud of Darkness: The void shall consume all that is!
Cloud of Darkness: Darkness take you all!
Cloud of Darkness: In darkness, all is as one. Be it hope or despair, everything is mine to devour.
Cloud of Darkness: You cannot overcome what does not exist!
Of darkness I am born...and to darkness I shall return!
G'raha Tia: Where in the seven hells are they!? Without them to stem the energy in the tower, our defeat of the Cloud aids our cause little. G'raha Tia: Doga! Unei! Can you hear me? Nero! ??? (Nero): Must you be so infernally loud!? Are you so keen to attract more voidsent? Nero: ...Though I don't blame you for missing my company. G'raha Tia: Thank the Twelve! Are you all right? Nero: As all right as can be expected. Unei has simply passed out. G'raha Tia: Nero, by the gods... What's happened to you? Doga: Alas, his wounds were too deep, and allowed this foul place entry to his body. Now, the darkness claws at the aether of his very form. Would that we could have protected him... Doga: The Cloud of Darkness was bound by Xande's unholy covenant to bring prosperity to Allagan royalty. The same blood that sealed this contract gives us a measure of protection. Doga: I say “a measure,” for this vow does not protect us from other voidsent. The Cloud imprisoned us here precisely to unleash fiends upon us. We would be dead had Nero not defended us so valiantly. Nero: Mistake not my actions for kindness. I have use for you yet in Eorzea, and simply couldn't let harm befall you here. Unei: Wh-Where...? Doga: Unei! You are safe─our friends have come for us. Unei: H-Have they? Then perhaps, Doga, there is yet hope we may fulfill our purpose. Cloud of Darkness: Mortals! You have dared to challenge me, and now must feel my wrath! Cloud of Darkness: Did you think to destroy me in my realm? Here, I am eternal! I will smother your light and entomb your bones amongst my shadows! G'raha Tia: A-Are we truly so powerless here? Doga: As long as we fight the Cloud in this realm, I fear so. Doga: And yet...though we may not be able to destroy it, this may be our chance to stop it. If we strike now whilst the Cloud can barely hold her form, mayhap we can sever Xande's covenant! Unei: Yes, and raze the bridge between the Crystal Tower and this foul place once and for all! Forename, G'raha─you must flee! G'raha Tia: You...you and Doga mean to stay here!? G'raha Tia: 'Tis madness! You must return with us! No one but you can save the world from the threat of the Crystal Tower! Cloud of Darkness: What is this trickery? ...Your blood! You too gain protection from Xande's blood! Unei: G'raha Tia... You are possessed of royal blood! That is why the Royal Eye runs in your line! Unei: 'Tis a gift you have inherited. G'raha─you have been granted authority over the Crystal Tower! Doga: ...I had thought time would consume all of Allag that was. That a man should still live with his forebears' blood in this age can be no coincidence. Doga: Some person must have planted this gift in your line, and used the highest of Allagan technology to do so. Doga: True, the Crystal Tower is not like to recognize you as Allagan, not as you are now. But your Royal Eye bespeaks a simple truth: within you dwells one feeble glitter that will illuminate all, the light of hope! G'raha Tia: But...how should I use this light? Pray, tell me! Unei: You must gain control of the Crystal Tower. We will share our blood with you, G'raha. Though its effects will be but ephemeral, it will bolster the Allagan presence within you. Doga: This is our gift to you, that you may fulfill your destiny. All with the Royal Eye are bound by fate to Allag. Our part in this journey is to bury Xande's dark ambitions in the past. This was the true Unei and Doga's purpose, one we have carried into the future. Doga: Know that as long as this light of hope survives in you, our souls will still remain─even if our bodies are lost. Doga: You must leave us as well, Nero. I am sorry we could not live up to your expectations. Unei: I must return to you what is yours, though. You dropped it whilst defending us. Unei: What you seek by this instrument may not be possible, Nero. But do not give up. There are many other paths that await you. Nero: ...Of course they do. G'raha Tia: Doga, Unei, I... Thank you. We shall never forget you. Now, Forename, Nero, let us quit this place. Cloud of Darkness: You shall not escape me, impudent children of light! Unei: No, you shall not escape us.
Here, Xande's bloodstained dreams of glory end. G'raha Tia: There! The glint of light! G'raha Tia: It...it grows faint! Then the bridge between realms grows fragile by the covenant's annulment! G'raha Tia: If that light dies, we are stranded here! Hurry! G'raha Tia: Nero, no! You must move! Nero: Leave me! Nero: I don't need you! If I die here, it'll be because I bloody well decided to! Nero: I failed to master darkness. I'll not suffer watching a green boy master the tower. Nero: Do what you will with it. But remember me, son of Allag! Nero: I am Nero tol Scaeva, the man who'll yet outdo Allag and Garlond! G'raha Tia: That was what you hoped to─ ??? (Salina): May the Crystal Tower...
again be a beacon of hope for mankind. Nero: Go, damn you! Nero: <cough> Must move onwards... Th-This is not where I come to rest! Nero: But how did...?
...So those damn clones did it, after all. Nero: Now, onwards! Nero: Aaaaaaaaah! Cid: You owe me, Nero. Nero: The hells I do!
Rammbroes: You are returned unharmed, thank the gods! Wedge: When that voidgate started to close... I had never felt so powerless in all my life! Biggs: We were running about like madmen, trying to keep the gate open─and then the chief actually went and dived in! But if you're all sa─ Hm? Wedge: Wh-Where are Unei and Doga? They're not...? Rammbroes: ...I see. I will miss the two of them dearly, but I am happy they fulfilled their purpose. Rammbroes: We who live on must still attend to the Crystal Tower...though we now have no one able to seal it. G'raha Tia: That is not true, my friend. Unei and Doga have entrusted me with their blood. I can now control the Crystal Tower. Rammbroes: G'raha... Yes, I can see it in your eyes. Good. Then let us put an end to this, and seal away the tower. G'raha Tia: I understand your instinct, Rammbroes, but please, give us a moment to rest. I am weary to the bone, and Nero and Forename are both emerged from long battle. Rammbroes: Of course, of course, you have the right of it. Come, we shall leave this place for a spell, and repair to Saint Coinach's Find. G'raha Tia: No one but you could have succeeded in the World of Darkness, Forename. G'raha Tia: Would that I could have been of more use beyond the rift. As it stands, I was but a vessel for Doga and Unei's blood... G'raha Tia: Hm? Have I remembered what I wished to? G'raha Tia: ...Yes, something has come back to me. Gaining royal blood and witnessing true bravery has reminded me of my forebears' dearest wish. G'raha Tia: But we need not speak of these things now. It was not my place to keep you. Pray go on ahead of me; there is something small I would do before I return. G'raha Tia: I could not have asked for a better comrade. If only I could have been a part of your adventures for longer, Forename... Alas, fate dictates I have a different role to play. G'raha Tia: A wish hidden for millennia, and brought to light by the good people of NOAH... G'raha Tia: Now, finally, 'tis my time to see it realized.
Rammbroes: I cannot express how glad I am you returned safely, Forename─and with the means to dispel the threat of the Crystal Tower for good! Rammbroes: Rest if you will, and then let us free ourselves from the specter of the Allagans!
The Light of Hope With a look of finality upon him, Rammbroes seems intent upon sealing the Crystal Tower once and for all.
Rammbroes: I trust you have rested, my friend. Good. I wish to seal the tower now...but there is something we must do first. Rammbroes: Let me summon the others, and hear in full what happened beyond the rift.
Rammbroes: ...So the Allagan Eye that runs in G'raha's line does mean that royal blood flows in his veins. Rammbroes: I suppose it is not so odd to think his forebears gained it via ancient technology. But who imbued his family with the blood, and for what purpose? Rammbroes: Mayhap all this was fate, from discovering the tower to G'raha gaining Unei and Doga's blood. Biggs: Has G'raha said anything? For that matter, where is G'raha? And what of Nero? Cid: I'm not sure about our resident historian, but Nero left the tower with me. Where he's vanished to since, I cannot say. Cid: But knowing him as I do, I don't believe he'll scheme against us for the time being. ...Though he is still Nero. Rammbroes: Forename, you say G'raha stayed behind at the Crystal Tower. I wonder if he even now prepares to seal the place off. Son of Saint Coinach: Master Rammbroes! Master Rammbroes! Son of Saint Coinach: 'Tis G'raha Tia, sir! He came into the Crystal Tower, and began ordering researchers out! Rammbroes: What? Why would he do such a thing? Son of Saint Coinach: I do not know, sir, but he was quite insistent. He all but bodily forced me out of the gates. Son of Saint Coinach: I suppose it's possible he told one of the others, but I wasted no time in finding out. I thought it best to hasten here and ask your guidance. Rammbroes: Very well. Let us go and speak with these researchers, and get to the bottom of this queer business. Rammbroes: Master Garlond, Forename, please come with me. No doubt G'raha means to seal off the Crystal Tower, but it worries me that he did not breathe a word of his plan to us.
Son of Saint Coinach: What in the world was G'raha Tia thinking, demanding we leave the tower? Son of Saint Coinach: No doubt you want to know why. I wish I knew that myself! Son of Saint Coinach: Of course, he would tell me nothing. But he will be honest with you, miss─I am certain of it!
??? (G'raha Tia): Go no further, my friends! The doors will close ere long. Rammbroes: So you are of a mind to seal the tower, G'raha. Rammbroes: I know time is of the essence, but all I ask is a hint of your plan. Please, come here so we can discuss this. G'raha Tia: ...No. My apologies, but I cannot. Rammbroes: Come, man, what is this nonsense!? If aught is amiss, surely we can help! G'raha Tia: Not this time, my friend. Just as Unei and Doga fulfilled their destiny, so too must I fulfill mine. My blood has awakened me to this fact. G'raha Tia: As my father told me, the truth has always lain with Allag. Or, rather, 'twas there the wish I must grant was born. G'raha Tia: You see, not all the world perished in Xande's calamity. Survivors stood amidst the ruins of Allag, looking to the Crystal Tower. But it was nowhere to be seen. G'raha Tia: Yet they hoped its spires would again dominate the land, and prayed that the Crystal Tower would be a beacon of hope to people everywhere. G'raha Tia: Word of this soon reached the only member of Allag's royalty to outlive the empire: the princess Salina. G'raha Tia: Salina was moved by the people's dearest wish. She used the very best of Allag's technology to give her blood and memories to he whom she trusted most. That man was my forebearer. G'raha Tia: For millennia, we waited. Allag's art and ingenuity faded. Our royal blood grew thin. But before the last drop could vanish from the realm, the memory of all this returned to me. G'raha Tia: And now, I must fulfill the wish of the ancients. The tower will shine forth as a new beacon of hope. Cid: G'raha, the Crystal Tower's strength poses too great a threat to Eorzea now. Cid: We would need technology as advanced as Allag's to use it correctly. As things stand, we barely understand the tower's workings. Hells, we may never fully comprehend them. G'raha Tia: 'Tis as you say, Cid. We could wait for someone, someday, to reach the same heights as Allag, but by then we will have lost the royal blood and the means to control the tower. G'raha Tia: But what if I do as Amon did, and put the tower into a deep sleep? Cid: What!? You cannot mean that! G'raha Tia: I am deadly serious, Cid. The tower may only be used once men rival the Allagans in knowledge. I will slumber within Syrcus Tower until then, to greet those with the means to open the gates. G'raha Tia: Then, I will guide them. And thus will the tower shine forth as the beacon of hope it was meant to be. 'Tis the only way to make the wishes of the ancients come true. G'raha Tia: The future is where my destiny awaits. G'raha Tia: But yours lies outside of these doors. Go. Create a future where hope reigns, and the tragedies of the past are but memories. No one but you can accomplish such things. Cid: Nothing we say will make you change your mind, will it? Cid: Onwards to a brighter future... It won't be easy, of course. But that's exactly why we'll do it! Wedge: W-We'll catch up with Allag, just you wait! We'll cover all that lost ground before you even know it! Biggs: Well said, Wedge! It'll only be a few years before we come knocking, G'raha. Then you're in for a rude awakening! Rammbroes: You shall be witness to NOAH's accomplishments. Pray keep alive our successes, and forgive us our failures. And may we meet again, my friend. G'raha Tia: The Twelve keep you till then, Rammbroes. I look forward to learning of your exploits. And you, Forename─I know history will remember you. No doubt your heroism will be the star by which I chart my course when I awake. G'raha Tia: Well, now I must rest. Recalling so much has put me in the mood for sleep. G'raha Tia: Farewell, my friends. I eagerly await a future born of your courage and the ancients' wish.
Nero tol Scaeva: The Crystal Tower slumbers again, then. 'Tis too quiet for my taste. Nero tol Scaeva: Good-bye, Cid. I must put all this at my back. Possibility beckons, and I am bound to follow. Nero tol Scaeva: A new dawn has come for me.
Rammbroes: You have just missed Cid, Forename. There is much that needs his attention if he is to fulfill G'raha's wishes, it seems. Rammbroes: But this is not the end of NOAH, no matter how lonely Saint Coinach's Find has become for our friends' departure. Rammbroes: We must all walk in different directions now. Remember that we labor for a brighter future, lit by G'raha's beacon. Sealing the Crystal Tower was but the first step. Rammbroes: Farewell, my friend. May our paths cross again.

A Realm Reborn: Before the Fall (2.55)

Mask of Grief Minfilia has a request to make of you.
Minfilia: Have you a moment, Forename? I believe Yda wished a word with you. Minfilia: I should consider it a personal favor if you would lend a sympathetic ear to her troubles. Minfilia: She has not been herself since Moenbryda's passing, and my heart aches to see her so downcast...
Yda (Lyse): Hey, it's Forename! Great! Yda (Lyse): ...Oh, it's no use. I'm trying to stay positive, but... It's just hard, you know...? Yda (Lyse): The thing is, I know Moen would tell me off if she saw me moping around like this... Yda (Lyse): ...Which is why I decided to cheer myself up by getting her a special flower. Yda (Lyse): I placed an order for a moon daisy with Rowena a little while ago, and it's ready to be picked up. Yda (Lyse): The trouble is...I find Rowena a bit difficult at the best of times, and...well, this isn't one of them. I know it's silly, but I just can't face it at the moment. So, I was wondering...do you think you could maybe collect it for me? I have the coin to pay for the flower right here. Yda (Lyse): Thank you so much! I'll be waiting for you─and the daisy─at Rathefrost!
Rowena: What can I do for you today, adventurer? Eldritch trinket to trade?
Flower Payment A sack of gil received from Yda in exchange for a single moon daisy.
Rowena: ...Eh? They've got you runnin' errands now? <snort> Them Scions really know how to make the most o' your talents, don't they? Sendin' the savior of Eorzea to the bleedin' market... Fine use o' your time, that is! Rowena: Seriously, though─you'd best learn how to say “no,” or they'll have you muckin' out the chocobo stables next. Rowena: Anyway, what was it you were here to pick up? The moon daisy, was it? Here, then─take it. And tell that Yda lass I've got a wide selection o' headwear in stock if she ever decides to replace that dowdy ol' mask o' hers. Gods know, she needs to...
Yda (Lyse): Ugh, Rowena can be so annoying! She just will not take no for an answer. Every time I visit her, she insists I replace my visor with something more “fashionable.” And when I tell her I like it just fine the way it is, she says it again. And then again. And then AGAIN! It drives me crazy! Yda (Lyse): Uh, what I mean to say is, I really appreciate you doing this for me. So anyway...let's see it!
Moon Daisy Moon daisies are often hung to rafters, trees, or other elevated locations to represent the celestial body when performing holy rituals to the goddess Menphina during daylight hours.
Yda (Lyse): <sigh> Moenbryda loved these things, you know... I hope that somewhere, somehow, she knows I'm still thinking of her...
Yda (Lyse): I'll never forget you, Moen. None of us will. Midgardsormr: The song riseth to a crescendo. Yda (Lyse): Is that what I think it is...? Alphinaud: Hello!? Can you hear me!? Alphinaud: We have received grave tidings from Ishgard. Pray return to the Rising Stones at once.
Alphinaud: My apologies for the interruption... I was deeply saddened to learn of Moenbryda's passing. Her loss will be sorely felt... Alphinaud: Alas, recent developments in Ishgard leave us little time to mourn. The envoy from Coerthas will soon arrive, and we must hasten to hear her report.
Defenders for Ishgard Alphinaud awaits the arrival of the Ishgardian envoy.
Alphinaud: ...The envoy is here. Lucia: I thank you for receiving me at such short notice. Time is of the essence, so I would forgo the usual pleasantries, if I may. Minfilia: Certainly. You come with news of the Dravanians? Lucia: Aye, the dragons have begun their attack in earnest. The first wave reached the central highlands a short while ago, and battle was joined soon thereafter. Lucia: Ser Aymeric himself sallied forth with a contingent of Temple Knights and several companies of the noble houses' finest. Though the beasts were ultimately forced into retreat, our victory─if such it may be called─came at the cost of many of our own. Too many. Lucia: We will not withstand a second wave should the Dravanians renew their assault. Alphinaud: You paint a grim picture, my lady. It is reinforcements you seek, then? Lucia: We do. Though it pricks our pride, it is plain we cannot protect Ishgard with our ranks thus thinned by the Horde. Ser Aymeric would meet with you to discuss the possibility of enlisting your aid. Alphinaud: Very well. I shall depart for Coerthas at once. Alphinaud: I must warn you, however, that the involvement of the Crystal Braves is by no means assured─our commitment to quelling the unrest in Ul'dah must take precedence. Lucia: It is with such contingencies in mind that I must make another request. The Scions of the Seventh Dawn are known for sharing close ties with all three of the Grand Companies of Eorzea. Would you consent to plead our case to their leaders? Minfilia: Hm. Though I will gladly appeal to the Grand Companies on your behalf, I dare not promise a favorable reply... Lucia: You need say no more. Considering our past dealings with the Eorzean Alliance, I can well imagine how our plea will be received. Lucia: But the fate of Ishgard hangs in the balance. We must explore every avenue still open to us─no matter how unpromising. Minfilia: I see. Very well. I shall send envoys to each of the allied nations, and have them present your request directly to the heads of the Grand Companies. Minfilia: In the event that your plea does receive a favorable answer, know that any support is certain to be conditional. Demands will be made of Ishgard... Lucia: That is only to be expected. Rest assured that I speak with Ser Aymeric's authority in this matter, and that our actions are fully sanctioned by the Holy See. Lucia: ...Which brings me to my final request: a personal appeal to you, Warrior of Light. The lord commander much desires to speak with you, regardless of your fellows' involvement. Lucia: You faced Midgardsormr and survived. Anything you can share of your experience may yield us an advantage over our foe. Lucia: Thank you. You wear the mantle of hero well. Alphinaud: 'Twould seem the road leads us both to Camp Dragonhead. Seek me out when you arrive, Forename.
Iceheart: The sons must answer for their fathers' misdeeds. Only then will the cycle be broken... Iceheart: Brothers and sisters of the heavens! We raise our voices and join you in the chorus! Iceheart: The sinners' feeble magicks are undone! Come! Claim your retribution! Iceheart: Ahahahahahah!
Alphinaud: It seems I was the swifter, Forename. You too, however, have arrived with time to spare, for our host has yet to make an appearance. Alphinaud: The murmurings about camp tell of some manner of trouble at the Gates of Judgement...
In the lord commander's absence, I suggest we visit the place, and find out what is afoot.
Bothered Bowman: The Gates of Judgement are much more than mere doors─they are the outermost layer of Ishgard's magical wards. If our first line of defense can be so easily shattered...
Tenterhooked Temple Knight: When I laid eyes upon Lady Iceheart...I felt the marrow freeze within my bones.
Dyspeptic Dragoon: Heretic scum! How dare they meddle with our divine protections! I shall rid our nation of their blasphemy even if it means cutting them down one by one!
Trembling Temple Knight: W-We need not fret overmuch─there are yet several layers of arcane protection that shield the city from invasion. Mother will be fine...
Alphinaud: 'Twould seem the heretics struck the first─and most telling─blow against Ishgard... Lucia: Scions! We expected you at Camp Dragonhead! Alphinaud: My apologies. We chanced to hear that there had been trouble at the gates, and thought it prudent to investigate the cause. Lucia: Then you have learned of the heretics' treachery. Lady Iceheart led a force of her followers against our defenders, and came close enough to dispel the first of our wards. Lucia: But let us speak more of this back at the camp. Ser Aymeric awaits you...
The Wyrm's Roar Alphinaud seems eager to return to Camp Dragonhead.
Alphinaud: ...Lady Iceheart has grown bold indeed if she would risk direct action against the city. Come, let us do as we were bid, and return to Camp Dragonhead. Alphinaud: Lord Haurchefant will know where Ser Aymeric means to receive us.
Haurchefant: 'Tis reassuring indeed to behold the countenance of a friend when one's homeland teeters upon the very brink of disaster! Haurchefant: Though a single misstep could send us plunging into the abyss, your heroic presence stokes the flames of courage within my heart! Haurchefant: Ah, but you did not come to Dragonhead to listen to my prattling! The lord commander has arrived, and would treat with you in the intercessory.
House Fortemps Guard: Greetings, madam. I shall show you in at once.
  • Proceed to the intercessory?
  • Yes
  • No
Aymeric: I thank you for coming with such haste...and apologize for my absence. Suffice it to say, Lady Iceheart and her heretics have much to answer for... Alphinaud: Yes...we are but recently returned from the Gates of Judgement ourselves. Given the circumstances, we quite understand if you would prefer to postpone our appointed audience. Aymeric: On the contrary, Master Alphinaud─I think it more important than ever that this meeting take place. Rest assured, I shall return to my post on Ishgard's walls the moment our business is concluded. Aymeric: Before we move on to the subject of reinforcements, however, I would introduce you to a close friend and stalwart ally. Estinien! Aymeric: May I present to you Ishgard's Azure Dragoon. Alphinaud: An impressive title...though I confess, I know precious little of the order of dragoons. Aymeric: They are formidable warriors all. Yet even among such masters of the lance, Estinien is without equal. Aymeric: He, out of all the warriors of Ishgard, was chosen to wield the power of dragons, and may thus contend with any Dravanian. Estinien: ...You flatter me overmuch, Lord Commander. Estinien: So, you are the adventurer of whom they spoke...
I see now why my blood fair sang in anticipation of our meeting. Aymeric: ...Well, now that we have all been introduced, let us proceed to the matter at hand. I would share with you what we have learned of Iceheart's design, as confessed by the heretics taken captive after the assault on the gates. Aymeric: 'Twould seem that Lady Iceheart and the Dravanians share a common goal─the reclamation of Nidhogg's stolen eye. Alphinaud: Nidhogg...
One of the seven great wyrms. Alphinaud: His name features prominently in your nation's history. Though once defeated by the hero Haldrath, the beast is said to have terrorized Coerthas since Ishgard's founding. Aymeric: Aye, many are the scars our walls bear from Nidhogg's relentless efforts to raze the city. Aymeric: The trophy Haldrath plucked from the bested wyrm's skull─known simply as “the Eye”─is a treasured relic of Ishgard, and one possessed of untold power. Aymeric: Should it ever be returned to Nidhogg, the dread creature would be restored to the height of his strength. ...And then no wall or ward we could erect would be stout enough to deny him. Voice of Midgardsormr: My vengeful son hath waged war against Ishgard for a thousand years. No mortal mind could comprehend the depths of his rancor. Aymeric: The Eye itself is secreted deep within the Vault. It is kept under heavy guard─surrounded at all times by men and women who have proven their loyalty to the Holy See. Aymeric: But though stout walls and sharp blades may suffice to discourage the heretics, the dragons are another matter. There are individuals within the Dravanian Horde whom an entire company of knights would labor to repel─to say nothing of Nidhogg himself. Estinien: Nor does age rob them of their strength. Through the endless march of years, the dragons endure. Patient. Calculating. Inexorable. You must understand: these creatures do not share our perception of time. Estinien: And that is especially true of the great wyrms─they who spend centuries in slumber only to wake and resume their campaign as if mere hours had passed. Aymeric: It has been twenty years since Nidhogg last darkened our skies. Twenty years for him to gather his strength, and for us to bolster our defenses... And now, just as he seems primed to return, the heretics strike at the gates... Alphinaud: ...You believe that Lady Iceheart is in league with the creature, then? Aymeric: Of that, we cannot be certain. Though we know the heretics covet the Eye, we have been unable to determine their plans for it. Aymeric: Such questions aside, we must needs address the ragged hole their mistress has seen fit to rend in Ishgard's protections. 'Tis a weakness the Dravanians are not like to leave untested. Alphinaud: So it would seem... You have described your plight in admirable detail, Lord Commander. Yet I cannot help but wonder at your candor. Why share such sensitive information with us? Aymeric: I shall speak plain. Ishgard has need of allies, and I would have you bolster our front lines in readiness for the coming battle against the dragons. Alphinaud: This much I expected. Unlike our arrangement concerning the Keeper of the Lake, however, only you stand to benefit from our assistance in this matter. I fail to see why we should intervene in a conflict which concerns only Ishgard and Dravania. Alphinaud: When the Eorzean Alliance requested Ishgard's assistance during Operation Archon, you refused us. Alphinaud: Does it not seem grossly unjust to demand that we now risk our lives in your private war? Aymeric: I make no attempt to defend my country's conduct. I only ask that you consider what would follow were Ishgard to fall. Aymeric: Having razed our city to the ground, the Horde would have little cause to linger, and most would return to their lairs in Dravania. Soon thereafter, the ruins of Coerthas would be buried in snow, and the land would become the sole province of beasts and beastmen. Aymeric: ...Until the Garleans' arrival, that is─for you may be certain that the Empire would not hesitate to claim Coerthas. They would not even have to draw steel. Alphinaud: An imperial province sharing a border with Mor Dhona...? Seven hells... Alphinaud: ...Ahem. Very well─we will assist you in repelling the dragons. The roar of a great wyrm may have shaken the firmament, but we of Eorzea will not abandon our Ishgardian brothers to face the coming Horde alone. Aymeric: Nor did I ever think you would. Now, upon the matter of the roar─ Estinien: Allow me, Ser Aymeric. Estinien: Through the power of the Eye, I have become the vessel of Nidhogg's strength. His essence has stolen into my very blood. Estinien: Fear not─I am in full control of my faculties, I assure you. And the Eye itself is of no relevance to this tale─it is not essential that I bear it with me wheresoever I go. Estinien: Its lingering influence does, however, allow me to hear Nidhogg's voice... Alphinaud: Then the wyrm who roared...? Estinien: ...Was Nidhogg, aye. He means to hurl his Horde against Daniffen's Collar, and shatter the remaining wards that protect the city. Estinien: There can be no doubt─the wyrm has summoned his minions to war.
Alphinaud: Though the circumstances are far from ideal, this desperate endeavor will at least provide us an opportunity to bring the sister states of Eorzea together in common cause. Alphinaud: ...Ser Aymeric was more ruthless in his negotiations than I had anticipated. I suppose one must give no quarter when one's home is at stake. Alphinaud: But did you see the look on his face when he formally requested our assistance? Though the lord commander has long campaigned for Ishgard to open its gates to outsiders, I suspect this softening of the Holy See's attitude towards foreign cooperation comes as something of a bittersweet victory. Alphinaud: The days ahead promise to be interesting indeed...
Committed to the Cause Alphinaud is ready to begin making preparations for war.
Alphinaud: If we are to aid the Ishgardians in this war of theirs, preparations will have to be made, and soon. Alphinaud: Before proceeding, however, we must needs return to the Rising Stones and make our report to the Antecedent.
Minfilia: Alphinaud, it is good to see you. Tell me, what have you learned? Alphinaud: Pray summon the others. Everyone must hear my report. Minfilia: So this was all but a taste of what's to come... Alphinaud: Indeed. The main host advances upon Ishgard as we speak. Papalymo: Whose vaunted defenses have been nullified. Y'shtola: Shorn of its wards, the city will bear the full force of Nidhogg's fury. Yda (Lyse): All those people... Thancred: Alphinaud is right. The Dravanians cannot be allowed to prevail. If Ishgard falls, all of Eorzea will suffer the consequences. Alphinaud: Then you agree that we have no choice but to intervene. For the good of the realm, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and the Crystal Braves must join the defense of Ishgard. Minfilia: Let there be no ambiguity about what has been proposed. We would be directly intervening in the war. Minfilia: But if all here believe the cause to be just, then to war we shall go. Minfilia: The path we now embark upon is perilous, but I pray you will walk with us to the end. Minfilia: For those we have lost. For those we can yet save. Alphinaud: Then it is settled. I shall inform the council of our intentions, and request that they contribute their own forces to the defense of Ishgard.
Volunteer Dragonslayers Minfilia would have you assist with the preparations being made for the defense of Ishgard.
Minfilia: I have bid the Archons travel to their assigned nations. Minfilia: Should the members of the Alliance agree to pledge Grand Company soldiers to Ishgard's cause, our comrades will be on hand to act as intermediaries for the duration of the conflict. Minfilia: ...The small matter of persuading the Alliance leaders to grant such support I leave to Alphinaud. Minfilia: For you, my friend, a different task awaits: I would have you reach out to your fellow adventurers, and gather what allies you may for the coming siege. Minfilia: I would also have you consider the matter of our own security. Revenant's Toll is but a short flight from the snowfields of Coerthas─it is not unimaginable that the fighting may spill across the border. Minfilia: Pray brief Slafborn on the brewing conflict, and discuss potential contingencies. The frontier settlers must be prepared for aught that might wing its way over our walls. Minfilia: I only hope that such precautions prove unnecessary...
Ah, before you leave─might I suggest that you have Tataru accompany you? She has a talent for administration, and a firm grasp of the practical challenges we may encounter.
Tataru: Hmm... We are rather close to Coerthas, aren't we? We'd best see to our own defenses and take stock of our supplies. Tataru: Oh, and we'll also need to have beds and bandages laid out just in case. Tataru: A good receptionist is ready for any eventuality! Let's go, Forename─I've a hundred and one things to discuss with Slafborn!
Slafborn: I appreciate the warning. If war is coming to Coerthas, then the Toll must be made ready. Slafborn: I'll increase the number of patrols and lookouts immediately. I'll also see about finding room for an infirmary, as well as temporary housing for victims of the conflict. Ishgard has done well by us in the past and I would return the favor. Slafborn: But as for rounding up volunteers for the fighting itself, I'm afraid I must disappoint you. I will not send my fellow guild members to die on Ishgardian soil, and I am certain headquarters will say the same. Slafborn: There will be no official Adventurers' Guild presence at this siege. That said...each adventurer is of course free to do as he or she will. Slafborn: ...I shall have a word with some of my more capable colleagues on your behalf, and you might try your luck here in Revenant's Toll. I daresay there are a few stout souls about town who will answer your call to arms.
Tataru: Let's get started, shall we? We have a town to rouse!
Accomplished Adventurer: Spare me your talk of glory and fame─I'm not in the habit of volunteering for lost causes. Accomplished Adventurer: I've survived this long by trusting my instincts, and my instincts tell me to stay well away from Ishgard.
Riol: Ishgard sounds like she's in a right mess...but that ain't what I wanted to talk to ye about. Riol: I need ye to cast yer mind back to that scuffle with the Empire out by the processin' plant. A lad from Little Ala Mhigo by the name o' Wilred was there with the 4th that day, an' I want to know if ye've seen him since. Have ye? Riol: Godsdammit, I feared as much... No one's bloody seen him. It's like the ground opened up an' swallowed him whole. Riol: But that ain't all. Around the time Wilred stopped turnin' up for duty, them black market weapons went missin' from our vault in Ul'dah... Riol: So now, o' course, half the Braves suspect the lad o' makin' off with the goods. Riol: Folk like to believe our company's a disciplined fightin' force, but as you an' me both know, it's no more'n a motley collection o' mercenaries, adventurers, an' Grand Company veterans. Riol: The only thing as binds us together is some vague oath about fightin' for the freedom of all. That an' the steady pay. Riol: Now, compared to most others in this crew, Wilred's a fresh-faced novice─a bleedin' whelp amongst wolves. Riol: But the boy's got passion. When he talked about bein' a guardian of Eorzea, he bloody well meant it. A lad like him wouldn't rob us blind an' bugger off like that. He ain't the type. Riol: An' then─an' this is just between you an' me, mind─there's the fact that the lad wanted to tell me about somethin' queer he'd noticed in the ledgers. Somethin' about the Braves' numbers not addin' up... Riol: Aye, there's a villain at the end o' this trail I've stumbled on, an' I'll bet me good eye it ain't young Wilred. Riol: Anyroad, ye've got a war to wage, so I'll let ye get on. I just thought someone should know... I'll be seein' ye, Forename.
Adventurous Frontier Hand: So Ishgard seeks sellswords to bolster its ranks, eh? Though I'm not sure I like the sound of this siege, those nobles will surely be generous with their rewards... Adventurous Frontier Hand: Ah, but I have pledged myself to guard Revenant's Toll. Modest work though it is, I am loath to break the terms of my contract. What to do, what to do...
Angular Adventurer: Volunteer my services in the defense of Ishgard? I think not. Angular Adventurer: Dragons claimed the lives of every one of my brothers─I do not mean to offer them mine. 'Twas to escape such a fate that I took up the mantle of adventurer in the first place. I would sooner die in the pursuit of fortune than huddled behind an icy wall.
Austere Adventurer: Sell me blade to the Ishgardians? Well...them dragons are a fearsome lot, but I'd slay me fair share if the coin was good. Austere Adventurer: I've worked for one o' them knights before, ye know. Watched me like a bloody hawk, he did. Still, I'd put up with worse than that for a heavy purse.
Tataru: There you are, Forename! So? Did you sway any hearts? Tataru: One or two, eh? Well, added to mine, that makes three or four, not including Slafborn's friends! We won't have the largest company in the army, but I'd say one Revenant's Toll veteran is worth a dozen clanking knights at least!
An Allied Perspective Tataru has a message for you from Alphinaud.
Tataru: Oh, I've been so caught up with recruiting that I almost forgot! There's been word from Alphinaud. Tataru: Apparently, the Alliance leaders are convening in Ul'dah to discuss Ishgard's plight. Tataru: And they've requested your presence! As usual. Tataru: Anyway, you'd best make your way to Ul'dah, or you'll be late! Alphinaud said that he would meet you on the Royal Promenade.
Alphinaud: My apologies for calling you away from your tasks. I had hoped to proceed with these negotiations one leader at a time, but it seems my urgent requests for an audience have prompted a gathering of the council. Alphinaud: Needless to say, I felt obliged to attend. Alphinaud: The Alliance leaders are already seated within. Let us join them, shall we?
Merlwyb: We are well aware of Ishgard's dilemma, and we agree with your assessment. Alphinaud: Then I trust there are no objections to the Crystal Braves' intervention? Raubahn: Ul'dah has none. Kan-E-Senna: Gridania does not object. Merlwyb: The Crystal Braves are yours to command, Alphinaud. Do what you will. We shall pray for your success. Alphinaud: It was my hope that you would offer more substantial aid than prayer. I know it is within your means. Merlwyb: Do not presume that you have knowledge of our every concern. The Garleans and the beast tribes are but two of many. Merlwyb: We are not in a position to contribute greatly to the defense of Ishgard─not when our own homes are still under siege. Kan-E-Senna: We dare not leave our interests in Carteneau undefended as well. Teledji Adeledji and his ilk would seize control of the territories in our absence. Alphinaud: The enemy is at their gates, and you would cower behind yours!? Raubahn: No one is cowering, boy. We will offer what support we can. Merlwyb: Aye. Support. A handful of men and no more. Kan-E-Senna: Would that we could commit more than a token force to this cause. Yet there are others to whom you might turn. The free companies ever want for work. Raubahn: Ah, yes, the free companies... They're not like to turn you down. Alphinaud: I beg your pardon!? You would entrust the survival of Ishgard to sellswords!? Alphinaud: Crises like these are the very reason why this alliance was formed! It is our duty to aid our fellow man! Merlwyb: My duty is to my country and my people. Merlwyb: If you expect us to place the welfare of a foreign power above our own, you're going to be sorely disappointed. Merlwyb: Lest you doubt, Limsa comes first, then the Alliance, and finally─circumstances permitting─Ishgard and the rest. Merlwyb: If you cannot understand so simple a concept, then you have no place at this table. Alphinaud: Forgive me, Admiral. I was...careless in my choice of words. Raubahn: I suggest you assemble a party of elite adventurers, assuming you haven't already. Your fellows served us well during Operation Archon. I daresay they will do so again. Raubahn: If I may, Your Grace, I wish to propose a redistribution of forces. Raubahn: If we entrust the security of Ul'dah to the Brass Blades for a time, we can dispatch a larger force to Ishgard. Raubahn: Your Grace? Nanamo Ul Namo: Yes, yes of course. Do what you will.
Raubahn: Is Her Grace not feeling well? Lady-in-waiting (Meriel): To the best of my knowledge, Her Grace is in perfect health. Raubahn: I see. Carry on.
Alphinaud: Once again, I owe you an apology. It seems you have been conscripted into leading a contingent of adventurers on yet another mission of inestimable danger. Alphinaud: ...But I fear we have been left with little alternative. We cannot well abandon Lord Haurchefant and Ser Aymeric to their fate. Alphinaud: We must abide by the council's decision─as shortsighted as it is─and strive to fulfill our roles as Eorzea's guardians. Alphinaud: ...Captain Ilberd. What news? Alphinaud: ...Then the assault is begun? We have but this moment concluded our audience with the Alliance leaders. Alphinaud: Move our forces into position. Your unit will join House Durendaire at the Steel Vigil. Alphinaud: Man the cannons alongside the knights, and thin the Dravanian Horde ere they descend upon Ishgard. I will join you as soon as I am able. Alphinaud: Forename─I would have you and your adventurer allies bolster the defenses at the Steps of Faith. Alphinaud: Report first to Ser Marcelain at the Gates of Judgement, and he will direct you to where you are needed most. May the gods grant us victory!
Marcelain: You are the appointed captain of the sellsword contingent? Then, welcome! There is no shortage of bladework to be done! Marcelain: As we speak, Dravanian skirmishing parties are harrying positions across the central highlands. Marcelain: I've assigned the Crystal Braves and your fellow adventurers to contain these scattered attacks─and for the present, I would have you join them. Marcelain: This is, of course, merely a precursor to the assault on Ishgard proper. The wily serpents seek to divide and confuse our forces, but we will not be so easily drawn out of position. Marcelain: The Temple Knights will remain on the Steps of Faith and continue our preparations. When the Horde arrives in force, they shall face a wall of Ishgardian steel. Report back to me once their advance skirmishers are slain!
Marcelain: What news, adventurer? ...The reinforcements? ...Decimated, you say? Dravanian devils! Damn their scaly hides! Marcelain: Hold fast to your grief and fury, my lady. We will avenge the deaths of your fellows in the battle to come!
The Steps of Faith Ser Marcelain wishes to prepare you for the siege of Ishgard.
Marcelain: Ere you commit yourself to the siege, you should know what it is you are tasked with defending. Beyond the Gates of Judgement lie the Steps of Faith─a great bridge of stone that leads directly to the city of Ishgard. Marcelain: More than simply a means to cross the Sea of Clouds, the bridge serves as a foundation for the arcane wards that form the barrier we call Daniffen's Collar. Marcelain: Alas, in dispelling the barrier's outermost layer, that thrice-damned witch Iceheart stripped the bridge of its protection, and thus are the dragons now able to land unhindered upon the Steps of Faith. Marcelain: Should the Dravanians succeed in destroying the remainder of the wards, the winged devils will be free to swarm within the city itself. Marcelain: Needless to say, we cannot suffer that to happen. It shall be our task as defenders to prevent any harm from coming to those parts of the bridge wherein the wards are sealed. Marcelain: Three yet remain, and we have dispatched our forces accordingly. I would ask you and your comrades to accompany our defenders at the outermost ward. ??? (Thancred): I should hope that includes us as well, yes? Marcelain: The Scions of the Seventh Dawn!? Y'shtola: We could not well stand idly by while the Horde threatens the good people of Ishgard. Papalymo: Indeed. To do otherwise would go against all that Master Louisoix has taught us. Papalymo: As for where we may be of most assistance, I think it prudent we divide into two groups. Yda and I will join the rear guard. Yda (Lyse): Right! If the dragons should reach us, we'll be sure to give them what for. Marcelain: Thank you. All of you. Pray speak with me again when your preparations are complete, and together we shall stand against the Horde!
Marcelain: I trust you are ready, then? Good. Come, let us make for the battlefield!
Lucia the Radiant: We claim victory this day, or Ishgard falls! Lucia the Radiant: Accept the Fury into your heart, and defend this bridge with your life's blood! Y'shtola: Steady now! Seasoned Adventurer: We fight to protect our home! To protect Ishgard! Plucky Adventurer: Reinforcements! Lucia the Radiant: They mean to destroy the wards of Daniffen's Collar. Let not a single dragon pass! Thancred: Let's finish this quickly, shall we? Devoted Dragoon: Down with you! Y'shtola: I shall make it quick! Devoted Dragoon: Leave the skies to us! Lucia the Radiant: Have the rear guard ready the cannons! Vishap makes ready to breathe fire. Lucia the Radiant: It readies to strike! Devoted Dragoon: Do not lose heart! Devoted Dragoon: We too can ride the wind! Y'shtola: 'Tis like unto an inferno. Thancred: There'd be no walking away from a blast like that. Vishap's flames have damaged the first ward of Daniffen's Collar. Vishap makes ready to breathe fire. Vishap's flames have severely damaged the first ward of Daniffen's Collar. Lucia the Radiant: Focus your attacks on the armored dragon! Thancred: They'll need more than thick hides to prevail over us. Lucia the Radiant: Urgh! Thancred: Argh! Y'shtola: Such terrible strength... Vishap makes ready to strike with a powerful attack... Lucia the Radiant: What in the...? Lucia the Radiant: Everyone, fall back! Fall back now! Lucia the Radiant: On your feet! Thancred: Fall back! Temple Banneret: Ahhh! Temple Banneret: Gods, please no! Y'shtola: Back, ere we burn to ashes! Plucky Adventurer: Run! Temple Banneret: We're not dying here! Not today! Lucia the Radiant: Pull back the artillery! Their champion advances! Temple Knight: What is that!? Temple Knight: Out of the way! Stalwart Adventurer: We're no good to the Holy See dead. Y'shtola: Aether, to me! Lucia the Radiant: We will not yield quite so easily! Thancred: That'll leave a mark. Y'shtola: Our foe is formidable. Have care. Lucia the Radiant: Do not let it reach the barrier! Hold your ground! Seasoned Adventurer: Remember what it is we fight for! Earnest Adventurer: We've come too far to lose now! Stalwart Adventurer: No... Temple Banneret: But how... Vishap makes ready to breathe fire. Seasoned Adventurer: The warding! Lucia the Radiant: By the Fury! Vishap's flames have destroyed the first ward of Daniffen's Collar. Lucia the Radiant: The first ward has been breached! Lucia the Radiant: Fall back, and regroup! The battle is not yet lost! Thancred: We must find Papalymo and regroup! Y'shtola: Of course it could never be so easy. Plucky Adventurer: Bah! Damned dragons! Earnest Adventurer: A full retreat seems unlikely... Y'shtola: We must hold them here! Thancred: We will see to things here, Forename. Fall back and help the others guard the ward. Lucia the Radiant: We are in your debt. Papalymo: They mean to defeat us with sheer numbers, then? Yda (Lyse): Well, it's a good thing I can't count! Papalymo: We must bring our all to bear! Yda (Lyse): No holding back! Papalymo: Take heart, Forename. We will prevail! Temple Banneret: It can't end...like this... Stalwart Adventurer: Dammit... Yda (Lyse): This one'll sting! Lucia the Radiant: Brace yourselves! Papalymo: On your guard, Yda! Yda (Lyse): I know, I know! Lucia the Radiant: Let us end this here and now! Papalymo: Now the battle begins in earnest. Yda (Lyse): We can't give up! Lucia the Radiant: We must defeat their champion at all costs! Temple Knight: Mother... Stalwart Adventurer: Gah! Vishap makes ready to breathe fire. Lucia the Radiant: Dammit! The second ward! Yda (Lyse): Brace yourselves! Papalymo: This bodes ill... Vishap's flames have destroyed the second ward of Daniffen's Collar. Lucia the Radiant: The second ward has fallen! Lucia the Radiant: Fall back! There's nothing left to be done here. Papalymo: We must retreat─now! Yda (Lyse): We have to protect the last ward! Carefree Adventurer: Dammit all! Adventurous Frontier Hand: We mustn't lose heart! Yda (Lyse): We can't outrun them all. Papalymo: Yda and I have matters here well in hand. Forename, you must go and see to the final ward. Lucia the Radiant: Thank you, Scions. We will not fail! Knight Dragoon: Dragoons, to arms! Give the enemy no quarter! Estinien Wyrmblood: They will know the wrath of the Azure Dragoon! Lucia the Radiant: Hold your ground! Should this barrier fall, Ishgard will be awash in flame! Knight Dragoon: I will see this through to the end. Upon my lance, I swear it! Estinien Wyrmblood: Know your folly! Stalwart Adventurer: Is this...the end...? Lucia the Radiant: Their champion approaches! Make ready! Estinien Wyrmblood: If he would taste my lance again, so be it. Lucia the Radiant: Hold nothing back! Knight Dragoon: Our enemy is not without weakness! Keep it up! Estinien Wyrmblood: Fall! Knight Dragoon: The true battle begins here! Vishap makes ready to breathe fire. Lucia the Radiant: Come what may, we must hold on! Knight Dragoon: Stand clear! Estinien Wyrmblood: Look out! Stalwart Adventurer: No... Temple Knight: I... I don't want to... Vishap's flames have severely damaged the final ward of Daniffen's Collar. Lucia the Radiant: The final ward is weakened. Hurry, we must end this now! Vishap prepares to unleash the full force of his fiery fury. Lucia the Radiant: The barrier cannot suffer such an attack... Lucia the Radiant: We are the shield that keeps the Holy See! Even if it should cost us everything, they cannot be suffered to pass! Knight Dragoon: Let us show them the strength of Ishgard's finest! Estinien Wyrmblood: It's now or nothing! Temple Knight: Commander! Temple Knight: We stand as one! Temple Knight: Urgh! Temple Knight: Graaaaaah! Lucia the Radiant: Damn this infernal heat! Temple Knight: Halone, I beg you─grant us strength! The knights' resolve begins to wane... Lucia the Radiant: Ishgard will not fall. Not today! Temple Knight: We...must not...falter...! Temple Knight: We must hold on! We must!
Ishgardian Knight: The dragons─ They are withdrawing! Victory is ours! Estinien: One of Nidhogg's greatest champions...slain. The Horde will not soon recover from this blow. Estinien: But what of you, Nidhogg? Why did you not join your minions and make of this battle a slaughter? Have you grown so fond of the stench of your lair? Estinien: Mayhap you prefer to have your allies fight your battles for you... You have a girl to do your bidding now, do you not? No matter. I shall slay Iceheart, and all the rest... Estinien: ...But I yearn to spill the blood of a great wyrm, Nidhogg, and only your death will sate my lance.
Yda (Lyse): Phew, that was exhausting... Y'shtola: 'Tis a rare opportunity to find oneself confronted with so terrible a foe. Rarer still to emerge victorious. I should hope we need not contend with more of Nidhogg's champions. Papalymo: The famed dragoons of Ishgard commanding the skies of battle was truly a sight to behold. Thancred: It was a close victory, but a victory nonetheless. I think we have earned a brief respite. Alphinaud: Forename! The dragons are routed! Lest you wonder, the fighting at the Steel Vigil was also fierce, but my Crystal Braves were not found wanting! Aymeric: Commander Leveilleur, Forename... True to your word, you arrived to aid us in our hour of need. Aymeric: On behalf of the Holy See and the people of Ishgard, I offer you my humble thanks. Aymeric: Though I would stay and lavish you with well-deserved praise, I fear I must away to oversee the aftermath of the siege. Not all the dragons are fled, and there are yet wounded to be carried from the field. Pray let us meet anon that I might express my thanks with the proper courtesy. Alphinaud: We have indeed achieved a victory of singular importance. Alphinaud: With the Dravanian Horde thus weakened and scattered, the threat to Ishgard has been greatly diminished. Alphinaud: And, mayhap equally significant, the Holy See must now recognize the necessity of cooperation with foreign powers. Alphinaud: Long have they barred their gates against the outside world, but I am confident that the day will soon come when Ishgard proclaims itself a member of the Eorzean Alliance once more. Alphinaud: Much have we sacrificed in our struggles against dragons and primals, the Ascians and the Empire. But, step by unfaltering step, we march ever nearer to our goal. Alphinaud: And, as ever, the journey is made with you in the van. Alphinaud: The victory you have won this day gives us greater hope for the morrow. Alphinaud: 'Tis a hope that shall sustain us in the days to come, and bear us past the many evils that yet seek to hinder our progress.
Yes, we have done well, my friend, and I, for one, would take a moment to savor the enormity of our achievement! Alphinaud: ...The demands of duty, however, allow me little time for levity. I must accompany Captain Ilberd back to Ul'dah, and reassign those Braves whose squads suffered heavy losses. Alphinaud: You, my friend, have earned a rest at the Rising Stones. Pray return to Revenant's Toll, and share your tale with Minfilia in person. Thancred: We will see to informing the other nations of what took place here. Do be sure to give our regards to Minfilia.
Minfilia: Forename! Welcome back! Minfilia: Alphinaud sent word of the siege. And, of course, of the role you played in ending it. Minfilia: Your deeds never cease to amaze me, Forename... Thank you.
Administrative Decision Minfilia seems loath to put you to further trouble so soon after your last great exertion.
Minfilia: You must be weary, Forename. And now may very well be your only chance to─ Tataru: Antecedent! Tataru: A messenger from Ul'dah arrived with a missive for you. Minfilia: ...The royal seal. Curious indeed... Minfilia: ...Ah. An invitation. Minfilia: “On behalf of the Council of the Eorzean Alliance, Her Royal Majesty Nanamo Ul Namo invites the Scions of the Seventh Dawn to attend a feast at the Royal Palace of Ul'dah...in honor of Ishgard's recent victory.” Minfilia: It would seem we are to be recognized for our part in lifting the siege─you, for your valiant efforts as commander of the adventurers' contingent, and the Archons for their earnest attempts to rouse the city-states. Minfilia: Truly, I find it strange that the Alliance leaders should think themselves deserving of a place at such a celebration. Minfilia: All three refused to deploy their standing armies, preferring to send hastily assembled companies of sellswords, many of whom perished ere the siege began. Are they truly so brazen as to seek to share in the glory of your triumph? Minfilia: Ah, but mayhap they simply seek a pretext to meet with the Ishgardians while the mood is yet jubilant... Such an occasion would present a fine opportunity to press for Ishgard's return to the Eorzean Alliance. Minfilia: <sigh> We have scarce had time to mourn Moenbryda, and I, for one, am in no mood to carouse. But I suppose we must put away our grief for the good of the realm. Minfilia: Though you were promised rest, I fear I must insist that you also attend. It would be a strange celebration indeed if the victorious hero were not present. Pray content yourself with the thought that such occasions may bring about momentous change─and this without recourse to bloodshed. Minfilia: Tataru, if you would do me the favor of contacting the rest of the Scions? Tataru: Of course, Antecedent. Tataru: And please let me know if there's anything else I can do.

<sigh> Minfilia: Curious... I have never known Tataru to sigh at such requests. Could aught be amiss?
Tataru is conspicuous by her absence...
F'lhaminn: Tataru? I believe she just stepped outside. F'lhaminn: Now that I think on it, she did seem rather preoccupied...
Tataru: Oh, Forename─it's you. I didn't mean to worry anyone. It's nothing, really... Tataru: Well, it's not nothing exactly... But it feels like nothing compared to the towering trials you and the others face every day. Tataru: ...And that's why I should probably talk to Minfilia before things get any worse! Ah, you always know what to say, Forename! I'm glad we had this little chat!
Minfilia: Yes, Tataru? You have my undivided attention. Tataru: I've been hesitant to broach the subject, what with all the recent excitement, but Forename made me realize that there's no time like the present. ...And time is what I'm here to ask you for! Minfilia: I am not sure I understand. If you wish to be excused from your duties for a time, then you have certainly earned the rest. Minfilia: ...But I suspect that lying abed is far from your intent. Tataru: You know me too well, Antecedent. There is, in fact, something I've been wanting to try my hand at. Tataru: Along with the adventurers and the Crystal Braves, the Scions are constantly being thrown into dangerous battles and deadly predicaments. Tataru: Even Hoary Boulder and Coultenet have been promoted from guard duty to fill our need for competent warriors... Tataru: And so it seems only right that I, too, should acquire the power to defend myself! And others, more importantly! When I return, I shall be both your receptionist and your bodyguard! Hoary Boulder: Whoa─hey! Hoary Boulder: That's the first time I've almost been knocked to the ground by a Lalafell! I've never seen Miss Tataru so determined. Has aught befell with which I might help, Antecedent? Minfilia: Ah, not at present, thank you. ...Was there something you would ask of me? Hoary Boulder: Oh, yes! Pray excuse my distraction. An adventurer who was to join us for escort duty was injured while out on patrol. Hoary Boulder: And I fear we cannot properly defend the scholars entrusted to our protection without the aid of at least one more guard... Hoary Boulder: Therefore, I humbly request that another adventurer─of the capable kind, of course─be assigned to our party. Minfilia: Very well. I shall consider the potential candidates and provide you with a replacement as soon as I am able. Hoary Boulder: My thanks, Antecedent. I take my leave of you.
An Unexpected Ambition Minfilia is at a loss for words.
Minfilia: The power to defend oneself...? Hmm. Tataru has ever been full of surprises. Minfilia: Now that I think on it, I do recall Urianger mentioning that she had developed an interest in arcanima... Minfilia: Mayhap she hopes to gain admittance to the Arcanists' Guild in Limsa Lominsa? ...Yes, that will be the way of it. Minfilia: Would you be so kind as to journey to the guild and see that all is well? It is doubtless unwarranted─but surely I am not alone in my concern for her safety?
Tataru: Forename!? What are you doing here? Tataru: I didn't mean for her to worry... That's the last thing I wanted. Tataru: Putting an end to such worries is precisely the reason I'm here, don't you see? Tataru: I, Tataru Taru, shall become a great and powerful arcanist! Tataru: And now, at Mistress Thubyrgeim's behest, I must go and complete a special training exercise! Until we meet again!
Thubyrgeim: Greetings, and welcome to the Arcanists' Guild. Do you require assistance? Thubyrgeim: ...So you are acquainted with our newest member. Hmm... I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but...I fear young Tataru may not be ideally suited to the study of arcanima. Thubyrgeim: Nevertheless, she would not be denied, and goes now to undertake her first trial: a simulated inspection of three crates. A simple task, some might say, but one all arcanists are expected to complete. Thubyrgeim: A thought occurs to me─why not supervise Tataru's training? You are clearly an accomplished adventurer, and given your relationship with the girl, you seem an ideal person to have on hand. Her trial will be conducted at the cliffs south of the Zephyr Gate. You need only observe at a distance.
Tataru: O'er azure seas to pirates' port,♪
Where she met her shining jewel...♪ Tataru: For to bring the smugglers' plans to naught,♪
Came the lass whom none could fool!♪ Tataru: Beat 'em with a Backdraft!♪
Gut 'em with a Gust!♪
Deck 'em with a Downburst!♪
Go, Carbuncle, go!♪ Tataru: O～hohoho! Are those crates I spy? Tataru: Ah, and this must be the true test! But we're ready for them, aren't we, Carbuncle!? Tataru: ...Carbuncle? Tataru: Uwaaah! Come back, Carbuncle! Come baaack!
Tataru: I should've known you'd come, Forename. Tataru: You needn't say a word─your face says it all. I know you bore witness to my shame. Tataru: <sniffle> Betrayed by my own Carbuncle and left at the mercy of wild beasts... Tataru: I...I must accept the truth. I'll never be a warrior like you or the others. Tataru: I will inform Mistress Thubyrgeim of my intention to withdraw from the guild. Arcanima...like so much else...is beyond me.
Thubyrgeim: Ah, back so soon? How fared our fledgling arcanist? Tataru: Abysmally, Mistress Thubyrgeim, abysmally─as Forename will testify. Tataru: I was wrong to become an arcanist. Wrong as usual. I am completely and utterly unqualified, and I sincerely apologize for wasting your time. Thubyrgeim: ...Tataru. If that were true, I would not have permitted you to join in the first place. Thubyrgeim: We must all come to accept our limitations, lest our ambitions lead us astray. However, we must not lose sight of our strengths in the process. Thubyrgeim: For example, your exceptional skill with numbers helped you to gain a solid grasp of the fundamentals of arcanima. Were it not so, you would have struggled even to summon Carbuncle to your side. Thubyrgeim: In my opinion, the Scions are truly fortunate to have such a capable and good-natured receptionist in their service. Would you not agree? Tataru: You are too kind, Mistress Thubyrgeim. Though I could not overcome this challenge, I shall take your words to heart and try not to be discouraged.
Ancient Ways, Timeless Wants Tataru is considering her next course of action, and how you might aid her in it.
Tataru: <sigh> As fetching as these garments are, I fear I shall never don them again... Tataru: But I can't go back to the Rising Stones without something to show for my time away. Tataru: Wait─I know what I can do! That is, if you don't mind accompanying me for a little longer? Tataru: Wonderful! Then to Costa del Sol we will go! It's a bit of a gamble, but I'm confident it will pay off!
Tataru: Yes, this is it! This is where the man at the Drowning Wench told me to look! Tataru: There is a certain variety of clam which can be harvested this time of year in Bloodshore─one which produces the most marvelous pearls! Tataru: However, these clams are also coveted by certain wild creatures─and since I fared rather poorly in battle last time... Ahem. Let us be off!
Tataru: What fortune, I've already found one! Would you be so kind as to keep watch while I work? This should only take a moment...
Tataru: Well fought, Forename, well fought! I knew I was right to ask you to come. Tataru: As for me, I have my prize: a bounty of blood pearls! Tataru: So named for their reddish hue, they were treasured as wards against dark magicks in ancient times. Tataru: I thought I might make charms for everyone...so that no matter where they go, they will always come home. Tataru: It's sort of the power to defend myself and other people...in a way. Right, well, I mustn't keep F'lhaminn waiting! There's work to be done─and lots of it! Tataru: We're to secure provisions for the Scions in the Lominsan markets. She may have an eye for quality, but I have a nose for bargains! Tataru: Will you be heading back to the Rising Stones? If so, pray convey my apologies to the Antecedent, and tell her that she needn't worry about me. Tataru: Farewell, Forename, and thank you for everything!
Hmmm, that sounded rather final, didn't it? How about...until we meet again!
Minfilia: Welcome home, Forename. I gather you found Tataru in Limsa Lominsa? Minfilia: My, it sounds as though she had quite an adventure. And while it did not end as she had hoped, I suspect that it will prove to be a valuable experience. Minfilia: I daresay she could have managed without our intervention. Even so, I appreciate you indulging my request.
Where We Are Needed Minfilia is eyeing you with a mixture of regret and desperation.
Minfilia: I wonder, do you perchance recall the commitment I made to furnish Hoary Boulder with a capable adventurer? Well, I am sorry to say that I have as yet been unable to do so. Now, I realize that you are rather more than a “capable adventurer,” and that escort duty is frankly beneath a woman of your talents...but I have no one else to turn to at present. Might you be willing to forgo rest and assist us in this matter? Minfilia: Generous to a fault. I thank you, Forename. Minfilia: Now, it seems only fair that I explain the import of the task in question...
For some time, our order has employed a handful of scholars to travel around Eorzea taking aetheric readings that we might better understand the impact of primal summonings. Minfilia: Naturally, it behooves us to ensure our employees' safety, and so we ask the adventurers in our service to serve as escorts. Minfilia: Hoary Boulder and Coultenet were to act as two such escorts, as was a third adventurer... Minfilia: Alas, due to injury, said adventurer is not presently fit for duty─hence my need to impose upon your goodwill. Minfilia: You truly are a pillar of strength, Forename. Minfilia: Hoary Boulder will share with you the details of your task. He should be waiting for you outside. Be safe.
Hoary Boulder: Ah, Forename! Is it true that you agreed to lend us a hand? Hoary Boulder: Huzzah! What did I tell you, Coultenet? Our misfortune is become a blessing─an opportunity to serve alongside the Warrior of Light herself! Coultenet: Need I remind you that we have three scholars to escort, each of whom will take a different route? Hoary Boulder: True, true─but our mission is the same! Separated by malms we may be, but in spirit we shall be together! Coultenet: If such thoughts bring you joy, you are welcome to think them. Coultenet: To more practical concerns─Forename, we would have you attend to the scholar charged with surveying the South Shroud. Hoary Boulder: He is waiting at Camp Tranquil as we speak. All you need do is follow the man─he will determine the most appropriate locations to take his readings. Hoary Boulder: In spirit, Forename─in spirit, we shall be together every step of the way!
Unsettled Scholar: At last, the Scions' woman deigns to grace me with her presence. A pity that we have no time for pleasantries. Unsettled Scholar: Our first destination is Issom-Har. Come─we are late enough as it is.
Unsettled Scholar: Yes, this location should suffice. Once I finish calibrating my instruments, I will require but a moment to take the necessary measurements. Unsettled Scholar: I trust I need not explain that my work can suffer no interruptions? Then please─stand at an appropriate distance and keep watch for wild beasts.
Unsettled Scholar: I see we have both completed our respective tasks. A satisfactory outcome. Though, if I could make one suggestion: you might try to dispatch your foes more quietly in future. I do not like to pick fault, but I really must be allowed to concentrate. Unsettled Scholar: Now then, Snakemolt awaits. Shall we?
Unsettled Scholar: Right about...here, yes. As before, I would ask that you keep an eye out for dangerous beasts as I work.
Unsettled Scholar: Fascinating. These readings are not at all what I expected... Unsettled Scholar: ...Though perhaps that should come as no surprise. I am not given to superstition, but there is a queer, almost blasphemous air hereabouts. Let us quit this place and return to Rootslake. We have one more site to survey.
Unsettled Scholar: As before, my guardian. Pray leave me to my task and ensure our safety.
Unsettled Scholar: This data should prove invaluable to─ <sniff> <sniff> Ye gods, what is that stench? Did you slaughter a creep of adamantoises while my back was turned!? Unsettled Scholar: Quickly now, to Camp Tranquil! I will not have my clothing reeking of blood and offal!
Unsettled Scholar: Hm. You chose to paddle in the ichor awhile longer, I take it... No matter─I took advantage of my unexpected privacy and performed a cursory analysis of my data. Unsettled Scholar: It would appear that there has been a measurable decrease in Eorzea's ambient aether concentrations since the Calamity... Unsettled Scholar: However, this data is far from conclusive. We must take additional measurements to confirm my assessment.
The Least among Us Who better to serve the Scions of the Seventh Dawn than a humble scholar and his faithful assistant?
Unsettled Scholar: For our next survey, I would have you escort me to Urth's Fount. Unsettled Scholar: The ambient aether concentrations there are so high that crystalline structures form spontaneously. Consequently, anomalous fluctuations should be much easier to detect. Brilliant, yes? No, don't bother answering─that was rhetorical. Now, come along!
Unsettled Scholar: You should be more than familiar with the procedure by now. Pray find a suitable position from which to keep watch while I take measurements.
Unsettled Scholar: Yes...yes...quite high, yet still markedly lower than the historical measurements taken near the end of the Sixth Astral Era... Unsettled Scholar: Could the presence of a primal account for the difference? Or is there something else...something else... Unsettled Scholar: Something...else... Unsettled Scholar: Scion! Scion, come here! I-I need you! Hoary Boulder: Fear not, my friends! Help has arrived! Coultenet: There you are, Forename! Hoary and I were worried when you and your charge failed to return at the appointed hour. Hoary Boulder: <sigh> Gutted like a hog...but not by one, no. These wounds were made with a blade... Doesn't look like he put up much of a fight, either. Nary a mark on his sword or his shield... Coultenet: I've heard nothing of any Crystal Brave operations in this area. What cause had Wilred to come here? Unsettled Scholar: Wh-What should we do!? Coultenet: We will see to the scholar's protection, Forename. Hoary Boulder: Aye, and the boy's remains. You should return to the Rising Stones. The Antecedent will want to know what happened here. Hoary Boulder: And so do I...
Minfilia: Forename, you are returned! And you seem troubled. Did the role of escort chafe so? Minfilia: Wilred...dead? Mayhap murdered? By the Twelve! How can that be!? Minfilia: I will send word to Alphinaud at once. He will want to conduct a full investigation, and send word to Wilred's family... Minfilia: Gods... He was just a boy. Who would do this─and why? ...But I am sorry, Forename. Doubtless this weighs heavy on your heart...and we have already imposed upon you so much. Minfilia: Pray take some time for yourself─I daresay you have more than earned a respite. After all, we will be most busy with preparations as the banquet draws near. Should other adventures summon you elsewhere, perhaps now is the time to heed their call?
A Time to Every Purpose While others look forward to the impending royal banquet, Minfilia cannot help but look to the past.
Minfilia: Though recent events weigh heavily on our minds, we must needs set them aside for now. Minfilia: We are come to a defining moment in Eorzean history... Minfilia: The grand commemoration of our joint defense of Ishgard─the first time in fifteen long years that our people have stood side by side with our neighbors to the north to fight in common cause. Minfilia: This may mark the true rebirth of the Eorzean Alliance. Failing that, it should at the very least serve to bring our nations closer together. Minfilia: ...We have every reason to raise our voices in celebration, do we not? Minfilia: We have bested Dravanians and Ascians both. Against desperate odds, we have fought and won. Minfilia: But the primals still plague us, and the Empire still plots our subjugation. And our triumphs, remarkable though they are, were bought at a terrible price. Minfilia: Brave adventurers and allies, broken on the Steps of Faith. And before our eyes, in this very room, our dear friend Moenbryda... Minfilia: This is the victory we have wrought, and it is as bitter ashes in my mouth. Minfilia: I would sooner stay here and invite those with more appetite to enjoy the feast in my stead. Minfilia: Alas, it is a royal banquet, and all of our allies will be in attendance. It is our duty to present a united front, that we might serve as a beacon of hope to all... Minfilia: It seems I have no choice but to take my own advice. Minfilia: I instructed the others to meet us in Ul'dah, that we might make our grand entrance together. Minfilia: Unfortunately, I had to settle for leaving Tataru and Lhaminn a note. If they do not return quickly, they will have to settle for whatever leftovers I can smuggle out of the Fragrant Chamber...
Riol: Off to the big soirée, Forename? Raise a glass for me, eh? ...Or not. You don't look best pleased, lass. Somethin' on yer mind? Riol: By the Navigator, Wilred's dead!? Godsdammit! They must know they've been rumbled... Riol: I mean, er... Sod it. 'Tis past time we had this talk. After our last conversation, I got to thinkin' about where certain funds were comin' from. So I had a dig around─on the quiet, like─an' sure enough, I found it. Riol: Seems a fair bit o' coin's made its way into the Braves' coffers courtesy of a “Dodo Consortium”─a daft name for a business if ever I heard one, which is what first gave me an inklin' that somethin' weren't right. Riol: So I went through the ledgers again, an' found another half-dozen donations from organizations with stupid bloody names. Didn't take long to find the common thread: all were owned by the Mirage Trust. Riol: Oh, I'll give the bastard credit─he showed us up for the amateurs we are. Short o' callin' one o' his businesses the bloody “Bribery Consortium,” I don't know what more he could've done to mock our rules on financial contributions. Riol: The gods only know how many men o' the 1st an' 3rd are takin' Teledji's coin. But now we know as some of 'em are, I'd wager me right eye they're the ones what did for Wilred. Riol: The earnest young fool had taken to askin' the wrong kind o' questions. Bound to attract attention, he was... Should've seen it at the time─but I didn't, gods damn me... Riol: Still, I don't see what Teledji hopes to accomplish. He hid his scheme with all the care of a drunk pissin' into the wind... Riol: No, he's cleverer than this─so we need to be clever too. That's the only way we'll ever repay this debt o' blood. Riol: We'll purge every one o' them traitorous bastards from our ranks! On that you have me word. Riol: An' Forename─mind yerself when yer in Ul'dah, eh? We're headin' into a storm. I can smell it. Riol: ...The kind what'll sweep a man overboard an' drag him under 'fore he knows it.
Minfilia: We have been waiting for you, Forename. The celebration is due to begin shortly. Minfilia: I had hoped that we might make our introductions together, but Mistress Momodi just sent word that you are needed at the Quicksand...
Come, but Not Gone A hero must go where'er he is needed, and according to Minfilia, you are needed elsewhere.
Minfilia: We will go on ahead, Forename. Pray join us once matters at the Quicksand are resolved. Thancred: Give my regards to Momodi, and let her know that I will call upon her anon.
Momodi: I appreciate you droppin' in on such short notice, Forename. I know you've got places to be, so I won't waste your time. Momodi: You're friends with a Crystal Brave by the name of Alianne, aren't you? Former adventurer? Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure you recruited her yourself. Momodi: Well anyway, she came 'round for a meal not long ago, and before she left, she asked me to give you a message. Said if the others ended up draggin' you to the feast, I was to see you got it before you made your grand entrance. Momodi: “Meet me at the station west of the Coffer & Coffin. There's something I must show you.” Momodi: A short message, I'll grant you, but she thought long and hard before pickin' those words. Barely touched her food, too. Under other circumstances, I'd've thought those signs of a troubled heart, but somethin' tells me she ain't plannin' to ask your thoughts on a gentleman caller.
As you stand upon the platform, your thoughts begin to wander...and all too soon, the ghosts of comrades lost and enemies slain begin to file by your mind's eye in solemn procession... Clearing your head, you scan the horizon, but see no sign of Alianne.
Straining your ears to listen, you hear the chatter of Qiqirn and the buzzing of syrphids, but no approaching footfall. Sighing, you bow your head...only to notice the vial lying at your feet.
Laurentius: Forename, is that you? What brings you out this way? Laurentius: Lieutenant Alianne? Why no, I haven't seen her about... Laurentius: Had she come this way, I guarantee we would have crossed paths. I must have passed this spot a dozen times. Laurentius: We're to patrol the city's environs, on account of the royal banquet. Captain's orders, you understand. Speaking of which─isn't it about to begin? Laurentius: You should be with the other honored guests, enjoying your well-deserved respite. Aye, pray return to Ul'dah, Forename. If I chance to meet the lieutenant, I will tell her you were here.
Nanamo Ul Namo: O Sultantree, hallowed spirit of my line... Nanamo Ul Namo: Through my weakness, the glorious House of Ul has all but disappeared beneath the sands. For want of the strength to raise it up again, it were better that it fall. Nanamo Ul Namo: Forgive me, but I know not what else to do...
Momodi: I reckoned you'd head straight to the feast after meetin' with Alianne. What's the matter? No appetite?
Clouded Vial This tiny glass container appears to have been used before... but to contain what, pray tell?
Momodi: ...So she wasn't there, but this was, eh? Let's see... Momodi: Hmmm...looks to me like an alchemist's vial, but beyond that, I can't say. Might be best if you hold on to it for safekeepin', though. Momodi: Anyroad, no use worryin' about Alianne. I'm sure she'll turn up before too long, and when she does, we'll soon find out what this was all in aid of. Besides─you've got more important things to think about.
The Parting Glass Judging by Momodi's grin, your star could not rise any higher.
Momodi: Would you believe that, while you were away, another message arrived for you? Well, one did. Momodi: One delivered by the sultana's handmaiden, no less. Seems Her Grace desires a private audience. Momodi: Her handmaiden will meet you on the Royal Promenade and escort you to the sultana's chambers.
...So what are you waitin' for? Go on, then! Go!
Minfilia: Everyone looks to be in high spirits. Alphinaud: With good cause. Minfilia: A common victory may serve to unite even the most unlikely of allies. Minfilia: You've brought us one step closer to a united Eorzea. Alphinaud: Your modesty knows no bounds, Antecedent. Alphinaud: Were it not for your efforts, Ser Aymeric would never have become such a steadfast ally. Alphinaud: When he convinces his countrymen to rejoin the Alliance, we shall all reap the benefits─military and economic. Alphinaud: I tell you, we are on the cusp of a new era of unity and prosperity. Alphinaud: Territorial disputes are all that divide us now. Alphinaud: But I have faith that we will find an amicable solution in time. Alphinaud: And failing that, I'll have my trusty Warrior of Light box the ears of all concerned. Speaking of whom...? Minfilia: She will be joining us shortly. A matter at the Quicksand required her attention, but it did not sound serious.
Lady-in-waiting (Meriel): Thank you for coming, madam. Her Grace is most eager to speak with you. Lady-in-waiting (Meriel): If you require a moment to compose yourself before your audience, you may have it. Or, if you are ready, it would be my honor to escort you to Her Grace's chambers forthwith.
  • Proceed to the sultana's bedchamber?
  • Yes
  • No
Nanamo Ul Namo: Enter. Lady-in-waiting (Meriel): Your Grace. Your guest has arrived. Nanamo Ul Namo: Pray come in, and take your ease.
Merlwyb: 'Tis well that the Steps of Faith held against the Horde. Kan-E-Senna: And what of the city proper? Aymeric: We sustained some few losses, but the heart of our nation yet beats with vigor. I am not certain I could say the same had we not received your most generous aid. Raubahn: An attack on Ishgard is an attack on the realm. We stand together or fall divided. Alphinaud: Such noble words...after the fact. Aymeric: I had hoped to speak in the presence of Her Grace, but it seems she has been delayed... That being the case, now would seem as good a time as any... Aymeric: Honored friends! Pray allow me to convey Ishgard's warmest gratitude for your part in the defense of our lands. Aymeric: 'Tis upon the success of this very alliance that my recommendation to throw open the Gates of Judgement shall be founded. With the blessing of the archbishop, it is my hope that Ishgard will soon be reunited with her long-estranged sister nations─and that Eorzea shall once more be as one! Alphinaud: Very well. Minfilia: Is aught amiss? Alphinaud: Nothing to worry about. I shall return anon.
Alphinaud: You wished a word, Yuyuhase?
Nanamo Ul Namo: You may go. Lady-in-waiting (Meriel): Your Grace. Nanamo Ul Namo: You must be curious as to the reason for this private audience. The matter I would discuss, however, will soon make apparent the need for discretion. Nanamo Ul Namo: I intend to abdicate the throne and dissolve the monarchy. Nanamo Ul Namo: You have seen for yourself the storm of turmoil that howls through our streets. The government fails in its responsibilities, and my subjects suffer the consequences of our incompetence. Nanamo Ul Namo: But I will see them suffer no longer. The victory feast shall provide the stage on which I declare the dissolution of the sultanate. Nanamo Ul Namo: 'Tis mine intent that the ruling class of our golden city should take its place beside the common man in a fair and equitable republic. No more shall this nation bow to the whims of a privileged few. Nanamo Ul Namo: Yet that which I propose will entail the tearing up of this city's very foundations. And even Raubahn with all his strength and influence will be hard-pressed to keep his footing on such treacherous ground. Nanamo Ul Namo: Thus would I ask you to lend him a steadying hand. Nanamo Ul Namo: You who have endured the wrath of innumerable foes are the one hero in whom I can place my trust. Will you do this thing for me? Nanamo Ul Namo: I am truly grateful. More grateful than I can well express. Nanamo Ul Namo: Much of my dread for the coming days has been quieted... Teledji Adeledji: Your Grace!? Teledji Adeledji: Her Grace... The sultana is dead. Teledji Adeledji: Poison in her wine...? Teledji Adeledji: You! You did this! Teledji Adeledji: Spare us your denials! I see no other suspects, and the room has but the one entrance! Teledji Adeledji: I hereby accuse you of regicide! Men─arrest this viper!
Alphinaud: <gasp> Crystal Brave: Sir. Barring a few exceptions, we have detained all those with allegiance to the Scions. The Rising Stones is also under our control. Alphinaud: And what do you hope to achieve with this mutiny? Yuyuhase: Why, that which we have striven for all along, Commander: the salvation of Eorzea.
Raubahn: What is the meaning of this? Aymeric: Knights from the homeland? This cannot bode well... Teledji Adeledji: Lord Commander. We have received an urgent message from the Holy See. Teledji Adeledji: I am grieved to report that your serpentine foes have resumed their assault. Needless to say, your presence is urgently required. These knights have come to bear you swiftly home to Ishgard. Aymeric: ...A surprise attack? Lucia: We've had no such word from our men. And the timing is most fortuitous to catch us away from the city... Aymeric: Most fortuitous indeed... Ishgardian Knight: Lord Commander, we must away! Aymeric: You have been a most gracious host. I hope that I might one day return the favor. Aymeric: Come, Lucia.
Thancred: Whatever is going on in there...? Thancred: Ah, the ever-dutiful Brass Blades. I must apologize, but my dance card is rather full. Another time, perhaps? Brass Blade: Thancred of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. You stand accused of committing acts of espionage in service to the Garlean Empire. Thancred: Espionage? What in the seven hells are you talking about? Thancred: Ah. If you're referring to that business with the Ultima Weapon, then you must understand─I-I wasn't myself... Brass Blade: Under interrogation, an imperial prisoner revealed your involvement in numerous dealings with the enemy. We've also been investigating reports that you are a practitioner of forbidden arts. Brass Blade: You'd best come along with us. Thancred: You invite me to your party and now you want me to leave? I do so detest receiving mixed signals. Thancred: Come, then. I believe I've lost my appetite for this farce of a celebration!
Raubahn: You go too far, Lord Adeledji! By what right do you march armed soldiers into a royal banquet and eject state visitors without Her Grace's consent!? Raubahn: You treat the Brass Blades as your personal army, and show contempt for the throne with your every act. Leave us. Now. Teledji Adeledji: Is that an order, General? Mayhap you have mistaken me for one of your Flames? You will find I am not so slavishly obedient. And you lecture me on personal armies! Teledji Adeledji: As for your outrageous claim that I have shown contempt for the throne, let all here observe that it was not I who feasted while an assassin removed its occupant! Teledji Adeledji: I expect this is your idea of defending the nation, is it? This and diluting our forces through these distractions in Carteneau and Coerthas! Teledji Adeledji: I do begin to see how the ranks of the Immortal Flames came to be riddled with Garlean sympathizers! You are plainly unfit for command! Raubahn: Wait... Wait, gods damn you! Your words make no sense. What assassin? Teledji Adeledji: You mean to say you don't know!? We caught the vaunted champion of the Scions in Her Grace's private chambers not moments after the deed was done! Minfilia: No─ No, this cannot be! Teledji Adeledji: Save your breath. You will need it to plead your case. You and your entire order are to be tried for this atrocity. Teledji Adeledji: Bring in the prisoner!
Ilberd: This woman stands accused of poisoning Her Royal Majesty Nanamo Ul Namo. And as suspected accessories to the crime, all members of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn will be detained for questioning! Minfilia: This is madness! Ilberd: What a pity... Who'd have thought your tale would end like this? Teledji Adeledji: Should you demand further proof, a vial with traces of the substance used to poison Her Grace was found upon the assassin's person. Y'shtola: How very convenient. Teledji Adeledji: You would speak of convenience? Teledji Adeledji: Who persuaded Her Grace to host this celebration? A diversion which presented you and your confederates ample opportunity to commit the crime, and a crowd within which to fade from view! A more “convenient” occasion I could scarcely imagine! Minfilia: How dare you! After all we have done for Ul'dah! Teledji Adeledji: Hold your tongue, witch! I'll not be ensorcelled! I know all about the dark gift that you and your disciples wield! Teledji Adeledji: Oh, yes...I've observed how you worked upon the minds of the Alliance leaders, bending them to your will! Teledji Adeledji: And what of your cordial relationship with Ser Aymeric? For years, Ishgard abjured all contact with the outside world, and now the lord commander of the Temple Knights treats you with the familiarity of a childhood friend! Teledji Adeledji: I'll tell you what I think─I think this desperate defense of Ishgard was but a ruse to deceive us into dividing our forces. Teledji Adeledji: Your next move will be to charm your Coerthan allies into invading our lands! Papalymo: Now that is truly ridiculous. Yda (Lyse): How do you even think of this stuff!? Raubahn: She... She cannot be dead... Raubahn: Stand aside, Ilberd! I want to see the sultana! Ilberd: Spare yourself the pain, brother. I saw her with my own eyes. Ilberd: For a mercy, the poison took her swiftly─her handmaiden can attest to that. Raubahn: This cannot be... Raubahn: Nanamo... Nanamo... NOOOOOO!!!
Teledji Adeledji: Plainly, the Royalists can no longer be relied upon to keep our nation safe. And so it falls to the Monetarists of the Syndicate to govern Ul'dah. But should you wish to help us, General, we would be more than happy to entrust the task of planning Her Grace's funeral to you. Teledji Adeledji: It seems only right that you should bury your precious sultana, and we will be glad to be rid of that burden. Raubahn: I'll bet you will. You more than any man. Teledji Adeledji: ...Whatever do you mean? Raubahn: I mean you had her killed, you black-hearted bastard! Teledji Adeledji: What rot! ...Though I did have sufficient motive, 'tis true. That young lady caused me no end of grief. Teledji Adeledji: She always was a most unwilling puppet. I daresay Her Grace was grateful that someone thought to cut her strings. Raubahn: You would mock her? THEN MOCK HER FROM HELL! Lolorito: Have you lost your mind, General!? It is forbidden to draw steel in the royal chambers, much less slaughter our fellow Syndicate members! Lolorito: ...You're one of them! You've been in league with the Scions all along! Raubahn: YOU! You're next, you scheming bastard! Kan-E-Senna: Raubahn! Merlwyb: Seven hells! Maelstrom Soldier: Admiral, we must leave! Merlwyb: Rrrgh!
Ilberd: How unlike you, old friend. I did not expect to take your arm so easily. Lolorito: Take the Scions into custody! They have conspired to commit regicide! Lolorito: And arrest this traitor as well! Raubahn: Ilberd! I hope you choke on their coin! Ilberd: 'Tis better than the dirt I've supped on these long years. We can't all abandon Ala Mhigo and become great war heroes as you have. Ilberd: You are not the man you once were, Raubahn. Since that girl strapped the yoke around your neck, you've become docile. Ilberd: She took the mad bull and cut off his balls. And a bull that cannot rut is fit for naught but slaughter. Ilberd: Shall I tell you who really killed your precious sultana? Ilberd: ...It was me. Raubahn: You...You'll die! Raubahn: I never doubted you. Not for a moment. But there is more to this than I yet understand. Raubahn: Flee this place. Clear your names. Raubahn: Find out who is behind this plot! It is the only way! Now go!
Thancred: Ah, there you are! Y'shtola: Thancred! Where have you been? Thancred: Avoiding the fumbling advances of some very persistent admirers. Thancred: When I realized the celebrations had turned sour, it seemed prudent to slip away and take stock of the situation. Thancred: 'Twould appear that much of the city is already under tight guard. It occurs to me that expanding the Brass Blades' authority may not have been such a wonderful idea after all... Papalymo: The success of this plan was contingent upon those thugs having the run of the place. Just how long has this scheme been in motion? Y'shtola: The careful preparations, the maneuvering of forces... I am inclined to agree with the General's insistence that a deeper plot exists here. Yda (Lyse): So...would I be right in thinking we now have an excuse to pummel as many Brass Blades as we like? Papalymo: Unless you plan on pummeling them all, I'm not sure that will greatly aid our cause. Minfilia: The sultana's assassination was but one part of the scheme. We too were its targets. And though we did not share poor Nanamo's fate, we are yet hobbled by the charges laid at our door. Where now might we seek refuge? Papalymo: Where indeed. We may safely assume that our foe has thought to have the Rising Stones watched. Thancred: Forgive me for stating the obvious, but our choice of destination will matter little if we cannot secure an escape route out of Ul'dah. Thancred: Happily, I believe I can provide one. Papashan once told me about the passages hidden in the walls of the palace. If I recall correctly, the fireplace in Nanamo's chambers conceals the entrance to a tunnel. Thancred: It should lead outside the city, and allow us to avoid any messy confrontations. Yda (Lyse): The rest of you go on ahead. I'll handle this lot! Papalymo: By yourself!? Papalymo: ...I suppose I shall just have to join you. Yda (Lyse): Crystal Braves, too, huh? Now this should be interesting! Minfilia: Yda! Papalymo! Papalymo: We will hold our pursuers here. Hurry, now! Find this tunnel of Thancred's! Thancred: Minfilia! We cannot linger!
Yda (Lyse): Ow! Now look what you've done! Papalymo: Yda, are you all right!? There are just too many of them... Yda (Lyse): I'm fine! I could do this all day! How about you? Papalymo: ...Nearing the end of my tether. Yda (Lyse): This is so stupid! We're the Scions of the Seventh Dawn! The ones who stand between this realm and the evil that's trying to destroy it! Papalymo: And if you think we'll leave the stewardship of Eorzea to the likes of your masters, then you're sorely mistaken! Yda (Lyse): Sorry I dragged you into this, Papalymo... Papalymo: Hah, 'tis hardly the first time. And I'll be damned if it will be the last. Papalymo: Let them have it, Yda! Yda (Lyse): I was hoping you'd say that!
Minfilia: I never knew such a watercourse existed beneath Ul'dah. Y'shtola: The architecture is of the Sil'dihn style, if I am not mistaken. The ancients plainly foresaw the need for a ready means of escape. ??? (Crystal Brave): This way! Thancred: Well, that didn't take long. It seems these tunnels were not as secret as I had hoped. Y'shtola: You two go on ahead. Thancred and I will deal with this. Minfilia: Wh-What do you mean to do!? Y'shtola: Only that which is required to ensure that the dawn's light survive to brighten the morrow. Thancred: Fear not, Antecedent. You haven't seen the last of these fair features. Minfilia: My friends... Y'shtola: Leave us! Thancred: What is the plan, milady? Shall I take the dozen on the left, and you the dozen on the right? The odds are not exactly stacked in our favor... Y'shtola: Numbers will count for little when I bring the tunnel down upon their heads. Though I cannot say I relish the thought of being entombed with you for all eternity. Thancred: You wound me! I will have you know that many a maid would kill for the chance to spend forever at my side! Now, may I have the last dance? Thancred: Well, this is going splendidly... Now would be a good time, milady! Y'shtola: 'Tis done! Y'shtola: Forgive me, Mhitra... Thancred: Farewell, Minfilia...
Minfilia: Hydaelyn... She speaks to me. Minfilia: No! Minfilia: I must remain behind...but you cannot stay with me. Minfilia: Please, you must go on! You are the Warrior of Light! You are hope─for the Scions, and for all the realm! Minfilia: As long as your flame continues to burn, the light of the dawn may ever be relit! Minfilia: You must escape, and save Eorzea from those who would plunge it into darkness! Minfilia: 'Tis the only way...
Alphinaud: I am glad to see you safe, my friend! What of the others? Alphinaud: Damn that man! Alphinaud: Teledji played me for a fool! I thought the Crystal Braves mine till the very moment I felt the blade at my back... ??? (Pipin): There will be ample time for soul-searching later. For now, we must put some malms between us and Ul'dah. Brennan/Bremondt/Brendt: Well, would you look who it is! Need a ride? I doubt it'll be half as excitin' as the last trip we took─not if I have anythin' to say about it, anyway! Brennan/Bremondt/Brendt: Let's not dawdle, eh? All aboard!
Brennan/Bremondt/Brendt: I was stockin' up on supplies over in Vesper Bay, you see, when your sister come up an' begged a favor. Said her brother was havin' some trouble down in Ul'dah, an' likely needed a helpin' hand gettin' away. Brennan/Bremondt/Brendt: Thinkin' them ruins would make a fine hidin' place, I decided to try there first...an' lo an' behold, there you were. Brennan/Bremondt/Brendt: Aye, an' judgin' by them soldiers as were pourin' out of the city, I arrived not a moment too soon... Brennan/Bremondt/Brendt: Must've been fate that we happened to find you there though, eh? Alphinaud: I had thought to look out for Alisaie, but 'twould appear she was the one watching over me. I've made such a mess of things... Brennan/Bremondt/Brendt: An' who might you be, young sir? Pipin: Pipin Tarupin, Vice Marshal of the Immortal Flames. Pipin: I had been on the Ala Mhigan front these past few moons, but an urgent communication called me back to Ul'dah. Pipin: Scarce had my boots touched the cobbles, though, when the streets erupted with cries of assassination. I immediately went in search of answers, and came across Master Alphinaud here. Needless to say, I did not think his imprisonment justified. Pipin: The blame plainly lies with the Monetarists. Their greed and corruption are well known to me, but for them to take advantage of the situation with such alacrity... Brennan/Bremondt/Brendt: ...Was that “Pipin,” you said? Ain't that the name of General Aldynn's lad? Pipin: Yes, I am his son. Adopted, of course. 'Twas only as we were leaving Ul'dah that I learned of Father's fate. Pipin: Once I have seen you a safe distance away, I mean to return to the city and extricate him from this madness. Brennan/Bremondt/Brendt: Then you needn't travel no further than Black Brush─our fugitives have a friend waitin' for 'em there. Alphinaud: I dreamed of bringing about Eorzea's salvation, but in the end... Alphinaud: 'Twas I who needed saving.
Brennan/Bremondt/Brendt: Them soldiers'll keep searchin' for a while yet. Reckon we'll take the carriage back towards Ul'dah an' get the lay of the land─maybe provide a distraction if need be. Brennan/Bremondt/Brendt: You three wait here. Help'll be along shortly. Stay strong, friends─the real fight's to come! Brennan/Bremondt/Brendt: All right, let's go!
Alphinaud: How could I have been so blind... Pipin: The most unassuming folk can prove to be our greatest allies. That fellow was but a passing merchant, yet he lent us aid without a moment's hesitation─or any hint of concern for his own safety. Pipin: Though I can well imagine how a man could feel inspired to risk all in your presence. Pipin: Father spoke often of you, Forename, and long have I looked forward to our first meeting. Needless to say...this is not at all how I envisioned it. Pipin: Master Alphinaud, you must not give in to despair. That would only play into our enemies' hands! So long as you and Forename are free, we may still set things right. Alphinaud: Forgive me, Marshal Tarupin, but I─ ??? (Cid): Alphinaud, my boy─sorry to keep you waiting! Alphinaud: Cid? What are you doing here? Cid: Pulling you out of the fire, as usual! Your merchant friend told me everything. Pipin: Truly? Then he is no merchant but an angel in peddlers' clothing... But tell us─how do you intend to bear our friends to safety? Cid: I hid the Enterprise but a short distance away. All I need is a destination. Pipin: We must find a place beyond the reach of both the Monetarists and the Crystal Braves... Alphinaud: ...Coerthas. Ishgard will not suffer the intrusion of foreign forces in their territory. Cid: That settles it. With me, everyone! Pipin: Not I, I fear. I must remain here. I dare not abandon Ul'dah to the Monetarists and their cronies. Pipin: You may be certain that they will seek to defame you, both here and in the other city-states. But know that I shall do my utmost to thwart their every effort. Pipin: Frankly, I do not expect it to be much of a challenge. The smallfolk will not turn so easily on the Warrior of Light and her allies, no matter what the Monetarists claim. Alphinaud: Marshal Tarupin, I...I know not what to say. Pipin: Hah! Now that Father would labor to believe! But enough talk─you must go, Master Alphinaud. Your airship awaits!
Cid: Up, up! There's no rest for the righteous!
Alphinaud: We should make for Camp Dragonhead and speak with Lord Haurchefant. Mayhap...mayhap he will know what to do.
Haurchefant: Master Alphinaud told me your tale, Forename. It warms my heart that you should turn to me before all others─and I shall endeavor to deserve your trust. Haurchefant: Alas...the situation here has grown more complicated in your absence. 'Twould be best if I explained in full.
Before the Dawn In times of trouble, there are few things more precious than unconditional support.
Haurchefant: There has been word from the capital. Ishgard has weathered another assault, and 'tis said several wyverns broke through into the city proper. Haurchefant: The Temple Knights succeeded in slaying the beasts, but the intrusion prompted orders to further strengthen the guard and to place the city under a perpetual state of alert. Haurchefant: How keenly we feel the loss of our wards at the Gates of Judgement... Haurchefant: Yet we must not bemoan our misfortune. Ser Aymeric is safely returned from Ul'dah and once more leads the defense of Ishgard. Haurchefant: As for the matter of your asylum, I am afraid no progress will be made until the threat to our nation has diminished. Haurchefant: But do not despair! You are not without allies. Haurchefant: You are more than welcome to shelter here for as long as you wish. Pray think of it as a new headquarters of sorts─the “Falling Snows” or some such! Haurchefant: All frivolity aside, any who come here in search of you will receive no aid from House Fortemps. For once, the Ishgardian reputation for inhospitality shall work in our favor. Haurchefant: Agents of Ul'dah will find their every inquiry dismissed, and their every request for entry rebuffed, until such time as their masters have acknowledged your innocence. Haurchefant: You once fought to preserve the honor of my dear friend─'tis a blessing that I may now repay that debt in kind. Haurchefant: But let us dwell no more on this. Pray join the rest of your companions. Haurchefant: 'Tis bitterly cold this day. I suspect there are those who might welcome the warmth your presence brings.
House Fortemps Guard: Greetings, madam. Shall I show you inside?
  • Proceed to the intercessory?
  • Yes
  • No
Tataru: Alphinaud!? Forename!? Is it really you? Tataru: I...I'm so happy that...that you are... <sniffle> <sob> Tataru: I tried contacting Minfilia and the others, but no one would respond... Tataru: And then Crystal Braves─our own people!─turned on us in the marketplace. Tataru: F'lhaminn told me to run, and so I did. I ran and I ran until my lungs burned and my feet ached... But I lost my way...and then... ??? (Yugiri): Fortunately, I had observed some of the Braves behaving suspiciously beforehand. Yugiri: Hm? Ah, yes, my mask─it was lost in the struggle. Tataru: Pretty, isn't she!? Tataru: Anyway, after Yugiri found me, we traveled to Vesper Bay and met up with Urianger. When we told him what had happened, he used his magicks to weave a glamour around the Waking Sands. From the outside, our old headquarters now looks like an abandoned storehouse! Tataru: The transformation didn't take long, either. Apparently, Urianger started making preparations after the imperial attack, just in case the Empire ever chose to pay us another visit. Good thinking, eh!? Tataru: Sorry, where was I? Oh yes, so we waited there at the Waking Sands, hoping others would come...but no one else did. Yugiri: My people are searching for the other Scions even as we speak, but we have met with no success as yet. I had hoped that you might be able to suggest further places to look. Ah, but you should know, the Rising Stones did not share the Waking Sands' good fortune. Only Crystal Braves await you there. Yugiri: Be that as it may, we yet have cause to hope, do we not? If the two of you escaped, it is not impossible that the others could have done so as well. Yugiri: You may have been forsaken by men and women believed true, but rest assured that the people of Doma yet stand with you. We welcome this opportunity to repay our debts, and shall continue our efforts to locate the others and see the Scions restored to their rightful place of honor.
Alphinaud: 'Tis all my doing... Alphinaud: I believed myself the only one who truly understood Eorzea's woes. And look what that arrogance has wrought. Alphinaud: I gave commands, influenced governments with my certainty... Alphinaud: I treated the Crystal Braves, and even the Scions themselves, as pawns in my great scheme to save the realm. Alphinaud: But in my headlong rush unto imagined glory, I paid no heed to the ground upon which I trod! Alphinaud: The salvation of Eorzea... What was it that I hoped to achieve? Alphinaud: Did I believe that I could rid the realm of every danger and difficulty? That I could defeat the Empire and the Ascians, and find homes for every refugee? Alphinaud: Oh yes, I was so very clever. “Become a guardian of Eorzea,” I implored, and sat back to watch my perfect army cleanse the land of chaos. Alphinaud: 'Twas all but a means to feed my own vanity. Alphinaud: Only when all is lost do I finally realize the truth. Tataru: Oh, Alphinaud... Haurchefant: So, Master Alphinaud, are you content to remain a broken blade? Is there no flame hot enough to reforge you? Haurchefant: What of the fine companions who yet stand at your side? I daresay the fires of their determination will soon have you slicing the air again with your customary wit! Alphinaud: I hardly deserve such friendship. And besides, where are we to go...? Tataru: Alphinaud? If I may...? Tataru: Should this place not serve our purpose, then...then we shall go to Ishgard! Tataru: Minfilia told me many times: as long as we stand fast against despair, the beacon of hope will never be lost to sight. Tataru: Be it in the snow or in the clouds, we few will see that the dawn's light shines again! Alphinaud: You are right, Tataru, thank you. And thank you for your kind words, Lord Haurchefant. Alphinaud: 'Tis true that Eorzea yet has her guardians. Alphinaud: The Scions have achieved much, and 'twould be remiss of me to discard it all in a fit of self-pity. Alphinaud: Let us then resume our journey, together...one step at a time.
Lady-in-waiting (Meriel): All has been arranged as you desired, my lord.
Elidibus: Nabriales is no more. Lahabrea: The Ardor was not his to invoke. His demise was of his own making. Lahabrea: Nevertheless, it concerns me. They have...extinguished that which should rightly be eternal. Elidibus: Mayhap he was not wholly mistaken. Greater haste may be warranted. Lahabrea: We are of one mind. Elidibus: The northern lands, then? Lahabrea: The earth is fertile, and the seeds well sown. By my will, they shall reap salvation unlike any the world has known. Elidibus: By His will. Lahabrea: ...By His will. Urianger: I have answered thy summons, Emissary. Speak and make thine intent known. Elidibus: I would speak of fate, Archon. Yours, mine─the fate of this very star.
Midgardsormr: Heh heh heh. Thou thinkest sanctuary lieth beyond? Midgardsormr: Delusion. Despair. Death. Thou shalt find naught else here.
To preserve the dawn's light, the heroes journeyed north Their hearts filled with hope and eyes fixed heavensward

Heavensward (3.0)

Coming to Ishgard The time for action has come, and Alphinaud knows what he must do.
Alphinaud: The dawn's light will shine again... Alphinaud: So long as we have these specious accusations hanging over us, we will struggle to achieve anything. Alphinaud: You must go to Ishgard, as Tataru proposed. I will return to Ul'dah and set things right. Haurchefant: Pray do not be so hasty, Master Alphinaud. Alphinaud: Lord Haurchefant? Haurchefant: Full well do I understand your desire to clear your names. Haurchefant: But now is not the time for drastic action. You yet have allies upon whom you can rely. There is no need to act alone. Alphinaud: Yes...yes, of course. Pray forgive my impatience. Haurchefant: I bring tidings. Count Edmont has decreed that the three of you be taken in as wards of House Fortemps. Under our patronage, you shall be granted access to the city proper. Haurchefant: Pray consider our manor your new headquarters, from which you may gather information and plan how best to proceed. Haurchefant: Needless to say, should any of your missing allies be found─as I am certain they shall─they will of course be welcome to join you there. Alphinaud: You are more than generous, my friend. On behalf of my fellows, I humbly accept your offer of hospitality. Haurchefant: The count is a good man and just. He will treat you with the kindness and respect that a hero─and dear friend─deserves. Alphinaud: To Ishgard, then─together. Alphinaud: There we shall carry on the Scions' legacy. There we shall begin anew. Tataru: Hear, hear!
Haurchefant: I must go on ahead and speak with the count. Fear not, however, for everything has been arranged. Haurchefant: The sentries at the Gates of Judgement have been informed of our decision. You need but state your names, and they will allow you to pass. Haurchefant: My manservant shall be waiting for you at the city gates, ready to escort you to our manor, where we shall meet again. Until then!
Temple Knight Gateguard: Wards of House Fortemps? Ah, yes... You may pass.
  • Proceed to Ishgard?
  • Yes
  • No
Count Edmont de Fortemps: And so they came, at a friend's behest. Count Edmont de Fortemps: To Ishgard, shining city on the mount, overlooking the dominion of Coerthas... Count Edmont de Fortemps: A great and proud nation devoted to Halone, the Fury, ruled by Thordan VII, Archbishop of the Ishgardian Orthodox Church... Count Edmont de Fortemps: The last bastion of the Faith, her walls ever bristling with the sworn swords and spears of her four High Houses... Count Edmont de Fortemps: A land that after a thousand years of war had forgotten what it was to be at peace. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Through gates long closed the Warrior of Light and her companions passed, entering at last a city whose history was written in blood. Count Edmont de Fortemps: In the midst of the Dragonsong War they came—three weary travelers whose arrival would set in motion great change... Count Edmont de Fortemps: Though none knew then how great... From the memoirs of Count Edmont de Fortemps
Heavensward Heavensward
House Fortemps Manservant: Greetings, Mistress Surname. On behalf of House Fortemps, I bid you welcome to Ishgard. House Fortemps Manservant: My lord humbly requests your presence at his residence in the Pillars. House Fortemps Manservant: If you all would come with me...
Haurchefant: The Warrior of Light and her brave companions, walking the streets of Ishgard at last! What a glorious sight! Haurchefant: I cannot tell you how long I have waited for this day. Allow me to present to you my family home: Fortemps Manor! Haurchefant: I should like nothing more than to show you around, but everyone is gathered to receive you. Haurchefant: Come, my friends! Introductions must be made!
Haurchefant: My lord, I have returned with the Scions. Count Edmont de Fortemps: I hope your journey was not too taxing. Count Edmont de Fortemps: I, Count Edmont de Fortemps, do bid you welcome. Count Edmont de Fortemps: As wards of House Fortemps, you shall be afforded every courtesy. My home is your home. Alphinaud: My companions and I are deeply honored, Count Fortemps. Count Edmont de Fortemps: The honor is mine, Master Alphinaud. Consider it an expression of our gratitude for your service to Ishgard. Alphinaud: Forgive me, my lord, but...are you not concerned? To accept foreign guests at such a juncture─especially ones with our...reputation... Count Edmont de Fortemps: Do not worry yourself on my account. 'Tis true that Ishgard's first thought has ever been the war effort, hence the closing of our borders... Count Edmont de Fortemps: ...Yet it is in troubled times most of all that men should seek allies, don't you think? Count Edmont de Fortemps: Granted, my decision will have raised eyebrows in the Vault and in the halls of the other High Houses. Count Edmont de Fortemps: But so long as you continue with your altruistic endeavors, I doubt my honored peers will feel moved to voice their concerns. Alphinaud: Then there is naught to fear. Though our numbers are much reduced, we are no less determined to carry on our work. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Full glad am I to hear it. Ah, but before you return to your labors, why not take a tour of the city? Count Edmont de Fortemps: You would do well, I think, to acquaint yourselves with your new surroundings. After all, you may be here for some time.
Taking in the Sights Alphinaud has a mind to learn more about Ishgard.
Alphinaud: Though our friends in House Fortemps have been generous enough to extend us their protection, we must take care not to impose too much on their hospitality. Alphinaud: It is only proper that we learn about our new home, so that we might become more self-sufficient. Tataru: It'll take a while to learn the lay of the land, but learn it we must. Then there's the markets and taverns─we'll need to know where to shop and where to hear small talk. Alphinaud: 'Twould seem a tour of the city is indeed in order. Alphinaud: I thank you for your counsel, my lord. My companions and I shall of course do as you suggest. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Very good. Then my manservant shall accompany you. He will be able to answer any questions you might have. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Ah, but I grow forgetful in my dotage─there is something I must give you ere we part. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Their documentation is in order, I trust? House Fortemps Manservant: Yes, my lord. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Those documents identify you as wards of House Fortemps. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Given that our borders have remained closed for decades, many of my countrymen are unaccustomed to treating with foreigners. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Should anyone happen to question your presence here, it may prove necessary to remind them that you remain under the protection of House Fortemps. But let us hope it shall not come to that. Alphinaud: Rest assured that we shall do our utmost to avoid any situation which might compel us to invoke your name. Alphinaud: Forename, Tataru─the city awaits. Tataru: Let's go!
House Fortemps Manservant: As this is your first time in our fair city, pray permit me to show you to the Hoplon, from whence we may gaze upon the splendor of the Holy Vault. Though all other sights pale in comparison, 'tis only meet that you see it first. House Fortemps Manservant: I shall then show you around the Jeweled Crozier, where you may purchase all manner of goods and services, before descending to Foundation's aetheryte plaza. If there are no questions...
House Fortemps Manservant: The Hoplon, so named for the bronze greatshield borne by our nation's patron deity, is the largest plaza in Ishgard. House Fortemps Manservant: The magnificent cathedral to the north is, of course, the Holy Vault. House Fortemps Manservant: The Vault is both Ishgard's seat of government and the residence of the archbishop of the Ishgardian Orthodox Church. Alphinaud: Begging your pardon... The statues to the south─are they perchance Thordan's famed “knights twelve”? House Fortemps Manservant: Very good, Master Alphinaud. They are the fathers of Ishgard─the brave knights who joined with King Thordan I to put down Nidhogg and found this great nation. House Fortemps Manservant: Ours is a city rich in history and tradition, and there is much you can learn by exploring the Pillars─time permitting, of course. House Fortemps Manservant: Now then, if you would follow me to the Jeweled Crozier, I shall introduce you to Mistress Elaisse, our master of the markets.
Elaisse: Well you're clearly not locals or traveling peddlers, which makes you all...? Elaisse: Ahhh, wards of House Fortemps! How very interesting. Alphinaud: Count Edmont has granted us leave to remain in Ishgard for as long as we wish─which may be some time. Alphinaud: Accordingly, we will have need of sundry goods, hence our desire to make your acquaintance. That is, of course, assuming you are content to accept the custom of foreigners. Should you be uncomfortable─ Elaisse: Young sir, we do not discriminate in matters of money. If you have coin to spend, who are we to refuse it? Elaisse: Weapons, armor, accoutrements, medicine, materials─whatever your desire, it can be found in the Crozier. Our merchants will be more than happy to accommodate you, as you shall soon see. House Fortemps Manservant: Our next destination is the aetheryte plaza in Foundation. If everyone is ready...
House Fortemps Manservant: And here we have Foundation's aetheryte plaza. If you have yet to attune to the aetheryte, it would be wise to do so now.
The Better Half Your guide is eager to continue your tour of Ishgard.
House Fortemps Manservant: As for our next destination... Alphinaud: Mayhap we should decide together. What else can be found nearby? House Fortemps Manservant: The Skysteel Manufactory stands to the west. There our engineers conceive and manufacture weapons for use against the dragons. The Holy Stables, where chocobos are trained for war, also lie in that direction. House Fortemps Manservant: To the north and east can be found the Congregation of Our Knights Most Heavenly, while to the south and east...well... 'Twould be best if you avoided that area. Alphinaud: And why is that? House Fortemps Manservant: I...I fear our knights may not be able to ensure your safety in the lowest levels, Master Alphinaud... ??? (Unsavory Character): Hold yer nose when ye pass the Brume, little lord! A delicate flower like you is like to wilt in our fumes! Alphinaud: You misjudge me, sir, for I am no lord but a humble traveler. Unsavory Character: Oh, come to see the sights, have ye? Take a turn down the Hoplon and gawp at the statues? Unsavory Character: Bwahaha! Well, if ye've a mind to learn how the better half live, come and have a drink at the Forgotten Knight─if yer nursemaid'll let ye! House Fortemps Manservant: My humblest apologies, Master Alphinaud. Pray pay that drunken lout no mind. Alphinaud: Oh, but I must. It would not do to refuse such a heartfelt invitation. Yes, I simply must see this Forgotten Knight for myself. Alphinaud: I trust you see the wisdom in this, Forename. There are few sources of information more abundant than a bustling local hostelry. Alphinaud: Not that I expect to hear any news of our missing comrades just yet. Nevertheless, who can say what we might learn of recent events? Tataru: Then I'm coming too!
Gibrillont: Must say, this is rather unusual. Not just one, but a whole party of fresh new faces in my tavern. Alphinaud: We but recently arrived in Ishgard and are eager to acquaint ourselves with her more notable establishments, Master...? Gibrillont: Gibrillont─just Gibrillont'll do. And I'm flattered you think so highly of my establishment. Can't promise it'll live up to your expectations, but if it's decent food and drink you're after, you could do much worse. Alphinaud: Judging by the number of customers I see, I suspect your fare is rather more than decent. Speaking of your clientele...I could not help but note a difference between those who frequent the upper and lower floors... Gibrillont: Spotted that, did you? Aye, up here you'll find peddlers, porters, off-duty knights, and so forth, dropping in on their way to or from somewhere else. Regulars maybe, but not locals. Gibrillont: Folks from the Brume, they tend to congregate downstairs, where we offer a menu more suited to their tastes. Cheaper meals, stronger spirits─all quality, mind, but not the sort of stuff I'd recommend to yourselves. Alphinaud: You speak of the lowest levels, yes? Why do they call them the Brume, if I may ask? Gibrillont: 'Cause when the weather's foul and the brume rolls in thick, it's the poor sods living at the bottom who have to deal with it. Alphinaud: I see... Gibrillont: ...And it's not just the weather. When the wyverns broke through the wards and started tearing up the city, it was the Brume that got the worst of it, while the Pillars enjoyed the protection of the High Houses and the Temple Knights. Gibrillont: More'n a few people are still sore about that, mind, which is why, considering your present company, I'd recommend you keep your wits about you if you mean to go below─and something sharp in your boot, just to be sure. Alphinaud: ...I shall take your words to heart, sir. House Fortemps Manservant: Master Alphinaud, I think it would be best if we returned to Fortemps Manor. Tataru: You go on ahead without me. I'm staying for a drink or two! House Fortemps Manservant: M-Miss Tataru...I am afraid that is out of the question! My lord the count would never forgive me if I abandoned one of his charges in such a place─least of all a maiden! Alphinaud: What are you up to, Tataru? Tataru: Look around, Alphinaud─this tavern is full of people whose business regularly takes them beyond the Gates of Judgement. Tataru: With friends like that, I could practically live here and wait for the newest gossip to come to me. Alphinaud: Indeed. But will you be safe here on your own? Tataru: Oh please─do you know how often I looked after the Waking Sands and the Rising Stones by myself? If I had a gil for every unwelcome caller I've driven away, I'd be rich beyond my wildest dreams! I'll be fiiine! Gibrillont: Not that I doubt the lady's knack for fending off unwanted advances, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let anyone lay an unwelcome hand on a patron in my establishment. Alphinaud: That settles it, then. Tataru, Forename and I shall return to the manor for now. Contact me by linkpearl if you require assistance. Tataru: I will!
Count Edmont de Fortemps: Tell us, then, Master Alphinaud─does Ishgard meet with your expectations? Alphinaud: That which I imagined pales in comparison to the reality. I felt the weight of a thousand years of history with every step I took...and when those steps took me past the scars left by the wyverns in Foundation, I understood how easily that history could end in tragedy. Count Edmont de Fortemps: The attack was devastating─the casualties...unspeakable. The wyverns did not discriminate. Unarmed men and women...even children were given no quarter. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Ser Aymeric has ordered his knights to strengthen our defenses, and each house has been called upon to lend what support it can. There is much to be done, yet alas, able-bodied men and women are in short supply. Alphinaud: Mayhap we could be of assistance, my lord? After all you have done for us, we would welcome any opportunity to repay your kindness. Count Edmont de Fortemps: That is...a most generous offer, Master Alphinaud. Count Edmont de Fortemps: You are guests in my home, to whom I have extended my hospitality without obligation, let, or lien. Nevertheless, Ishgard's need is great, and if you are willing to aid our cause, I cannot well refuse. Alphinaud: Good. What would you ask of us? Count Edmont de Fortemps: From what I have heard, you are an intelligent and persuasive young man. Such qualities may prove most useful to us in our efforts to secure provisions from foreign sources─identifying trustworthy suppliers, brokering contracts, and so on. Count Edmont de Fortemps: As for you, Mistress Surname... I could ask for no one better than a storied veteran such as yourself─a woman with the capacity to act swiftly and decisively when needed─to aid Artoirel and Emmanellain in their duties. Artoirel: I beg your pardon!? Artoirel: I am more than capable of carrying out my duty by myself. I have no need of our honored guest's assistance! Emmanellain: Now, now, be reasonable, Brother. What manner of fool would say no when a famous hero offered to do his work? Count Edmont de Fortemps: Hold your tongues! By the Fury...the two of you will conduct yourselves with dignity befitting your station and show Mistress Surname the respect she deserves! Count Edmont de Fortemps: This is the woman who slew Gaius van Baelsar and some half-dozen primals besides! She is not here to steal your glory or serve as your errand girl! Count Edmont de Fortemps: ...If you can pardon them their impropriety, Mistress Surname, I should be much obliged if you would lend my sons a helping hand. Count Edmont de Fortemps: My thanks. Fury willing, they may even learn something from you.
Alphinaud: 'Twould seem we shall not want for employment over the coming days─though that was never in doubt. Alphinaud: Our host's initial reluctance to accept our offer of aid was solely for appearance's sake. In truth, he is glad of this opportunity to put us to work. Alphinaud: By granting us patronage, House Fortemps has taken a tremendous risk. Until we demonstrate our worth to Ishgard at large, the count will face considerable opposition from his peers in matters great and small. Alphinaud: And so he would have us publicly serve Ishgard─whilst simultaneously keeping his sons in check. Alphinaud: 'Tis an arrangement we may benefit from in unexpected ways. My own duties may feasibly bring me into contact with people who know something of our missing comrades. Alphinaud: And as you go about helping our two lords with their various responsibilities, you will inevitably make new acquaintances in Ishgard, mayhap even new allies. Yes...the more I think on it, the more confident I am that by furthering their goals, we shall further our own.
Onwards and Upwards When a man like Lord Emmanellain is in high spirits, you can be sure that trouble is in store...
Emmanellain: Shall we be off then, old girl? Emmanellain: Ah, but where are my manners. Emmanellain de Fortemps, second son of Count Edmont de Fortemps─trueborn, that is. Emmanellain: Yes, yes─I know what you're thinking, and you are absolutely right. What ill fortune to be born second in a society where the eldest inherits all. Emmanellain: Oh, my brother would never cut me off, 'tis true, but who could be satisfied subsisting on a meager allowance, forever overshadowed by his sibling? Not I, old girl, not I! Emmanellain: Which is why I need your help to ensure that this business in the Sea of Clouds goes swimmingly, so that the tales of my great deeds can win me a place in the people's hearts─or better yet, raise me higher in their estimations than Artoirel! Ambitious, I grant you, but then I do have a legendary hero to do my bidding! Hah hah hah! Emmanellain: Oh, don't look at me that way! I jest, I jest! Anyway, we are to aid the good men and women of House Haillenarte. They have ever been steadfast friends to our house─though they've fallen on hard times since the Calamity, poor blighters. Emmanellain: As for what precisely we will be doing, well... What fun would it be if I told you everything in advance? Emmanellain: Just come along with me to the airship landing. We'll need to take the airship to Camp Cloudtop.
Airship Ticketer: Are you ready to depart, madam? The airship bound for Camp Cloudtop will be leaving shortly.
  • Board the airship to Camp Cloudtop?
  • Yes
  • No
Count Edmont de Fortemps: Upon an airship conceived within the fecund mind of Cid Garlond, renegade prodigy of Garlemald who had come to call Eorzea home... Count Edmont de Fortemps: High into the heavens where isles of earth and stone floated as clouds—frontier the knights of Ishgard had scarce begun to explore... Count Edmont de Fortemps: To a fledgling outpost within the Sea of Clouds where careworn scouts ever scanned the skies for winged shadows, she came...
Emmanellain: Awfully cold up here... I mean, Coerthas may not be blessed with the warmest weather in the world, but compared to this, it seems positively balmy... Emmanellain: ...And, of course, our hero is wholly unperturbed. You don't have to maintain that strong, silent persona all of the time, you know. Emmanellain: ...Never mind. We need to find Lady Laniaitte─she is in charge of the garrison here. Oh, and when we find her, just...just follow my lead, yes? Excellent!
Laniaitte: Mistress Surname! Welcome! I am Ser Laniaitte de Haillenarte, commander of the forces stationed here at Camp Cloudtop. Laniaitte: Strange though it may sound, I have long dreamed of meeting you. I am in your debt, you see, and shall ever remain so. Were it not for you, my younger brother Francel would have been executed upon the word of a false inquisitor. Laniaitte: Alas, a knight must go where duty demands, and thus have I been unable to seek you out. But by the grace of Halone, I have been granted an opportunity to thank my brother's savior in person, and to call upon her generous aid besides. Truly, I know not what I have done to deserve this double blessing! Emmanellain: Ahem! 'Tis a pleasure to see you again, my lady Laniaitte! You cut an elegant figure as always─a steel-clad rose, equally at home on a battlefield or in a ballroom. Laniaitte: ...Lord Emmanellain, if it is not too much to ask, I should be grateful if you would allow me to finish speaking with Mistress Surname. Laniaitte: Camp Cloudtop was established to provide early warning of impending Dravanian incursions. The high elevation afforded by the floating isles makes it ideal for this purpose. Laniaitte: Naturally, it also makes us a ready target for attack. We are not defenseless, however. The Protector, our largest and most advanced airship, is capable of downing all but the mightiest dragons. Laniaitte: Alas, as you may have noticed, it is currently undergoing repair. What is worse, our efforts have been hampered by an indigenous beast tribe known as the Vanu Vanu, with whom we have had several skirmishes already. Emmanellain: No beastman is a match for a man of Ishgard! Bring me a birdman and I'll show him a thing or two! Laniaitte: <sigh> I fear much and more may be asked of you in the days to come, Mistress Surname...
An Indispensable Ally Lady Laniaitte knows all too well what must be done to ensure that your time spent in Camp Cloudtop is not for nothing.
Laniaitte: While I understand Count Edmont's intentions, I would rather not waste valuable time ensuring that the young lord doesn't get trampled underfoot. Laniaitte: True, it is entirely possible that he may learn something from this experience...but if left to his own devices, I think it far more likely that he will make a mess of things. Laniaitte: Tell him...tell him that I would like him to keep watch for...Dravanian outflyers. Then, when you have a moment to speak with his manservant in private, make it clear that it is his responsibility to keep Emmanellain from shirking his duty.
Emmanellain: Hm? A request from Laniaitte? Why didn't she think to ask me in person? Surely she must see me standing here but a few yalms away... Emmanellain: Oh, never mind. What is it?
  • What will you say?
  • A mission of paramount importance: keep watch for Dravanian outflyers. Emmanellain: A m-mission!? Yes...yes, of course! That is why I am here. I shall do as my lady asks!
  • Roam about and keep an eye out for anything unusual. Emmanellain: Oh, is that all? No “leading the van against a beast tribe stronghold” or some such? Well, it is a rather droll task, but who am I to deny her? I shall begin at once!
  • ... Emmanellain: Well, that's rather childish of you.
Honoroit: Ah, Mistress Surname. I do not believe I have properly introduced myself. My name is Honoroit, and I serve at the pleasure of Lord Emmanellain. Honoroit: ...Lady Laniaitte would have me accompany Lord Emmanellain on his mission!? Honoroit: Ah, I understand completely. I will do my utmost to keep him out of harm's way.
Laniaitte: Were he of another house, mayhap I would not feel obligated to go to such lengths to preserve his safety and dignity... Laniaitte: In any case, I appreciate you speaking to him for me. It would seem he actually listens to you─at least, more so than others. Laniaitte: Or mayhap you are more skilled at this than most. Aye, I suspect you have had to humor your fair share of difficult men before.
Meeting the Neighbors Lady Laniaitte is eager to get to more important business.
Laniaitte: Now that Emmanellain is out of harm's way, we are free to discuss matters of actual import, such as our struggles with the Vanu Vanu. Laniaitte: We first encountered the Vanu several years ago, when we had just begun to explore the Sea of Clouds. After an exchange of pleasantries and gifts, we received permission to construct a permanent lookout post. Laniaitte: There was peace between our peoples for half a year, until suddenly, for reasons unknown, their attitudes towards us changed. They began to attack our foraging parties without provocation, forcing us to rely more heavily on supplies flown in from Ishgard. Laniaitte: ...But words are no substitute for firsthand experience. Go and see Ser Marielle─she could use your assistance.
Marielle: Mistress Surname, I presume? Lady Laniaitte told me you were coming. Marielle: I hear tell you've never faced a Vanu before? Well, spend enough time on patrol and you're sure to cross paths with them eventually. Marielle: These birdmen are native to the floating isles. I say “birdmen,” but they're not at all like the Ixal─unless that Ixal's mother was a gigas. Marielle: Here, let me mark several locations on your map. If you discover any Vanu in these areas, kill or drive them away.
You steel yourself for a mighty struggle, yet find no Vanu lying in wait.
Marielle: Finished with your patrol? Anything to report? Marielle: Heh, maybe it was too much to hope for a day without a skirmish. At least I can take solace in the fact that Halone has blessed us with a mighty ally.
Sense of Urgency An undisciplined unit is a unit ripe for destruction, as Ser Marielle knows.
Marielle: Excepting your recent clashes with the Vanu, it cannot have escaped your notice that things here are rather peaceful─to the detriment of our garrison's discipline. Marielle: Despite being built as an observation post, we have yet to record a single intrusion by the Horde. That is why, as far as everyone is concerned, Camp Cloudtop is a backwater of no significance. Marielle: And of course, the pride of our camp, the vaunted Protector, is in a perpetual state of needing repairs, so even were the Holy See to come under Dravanian attack, we would be unable to fly to their aid. Marielle: Simply put, Mistress Surname, this is where ambition comes to die. If you haven't aspirations for advancement, you'll be right at home. Marielle: However, I would like to think that enthusiasm can be just as contagious as apathy. If you'll indulge me, I would have you seek out the sentries and stoke their fighting spirit─psych them up, you might say.
House Haillenarte Knight: Wh-What!? What is it!? Is it the Horde!?
...By the Fury, what ever possessed you to do that? House Haillenarte Knight: I'm awake, I'm awake, worry not. After the shock you just gave me, I doubt I'll sleep for a fortnight!
House Haillenarte Knight: Ye gods, where did that come from? House Haillenarte Knight: Fine, if you insist, I will make an effort to be more alert. But really, I fail to see the point! We're hundreds of malms away from the front lines─which is just the way I like it, thank you very much!
Emmanellain: I-Is it an attack!? What should we do!? What should we do!? Emmanellain: ...You had me fooled there for a moment, old girl! An amusing jest─albeit a tad cruel. Surely you must realize how unsuited I am to the monotony of mere sentry duty─yet still you tempt me with the promise of excitement! Emmanellain: No, this won't do. This won't do at all. Lady Laniaitte will give me a grand mission as befits my station!
Marielle: Many thanks, Mistress Surname. Already I can see a change in our sentries' behavior. Marielle: Beg your pardon... Lord Emmanellain said what? Hah, well... I have no doubt that Lady Laniaitte will do her utmost to oblige him.
Hope Springs Eternal Ser Marielle fears what might come of Lord Emmanellain's newfound ambition.
Marielle: If Lord Emmanellain is going to demand a more dangerous duty, then I expect Lady Laniaitte will want you to accompany him. Marielle: Aye, you might as well speak with her sooner rather than later. There's no use avoiding the inevitable.
Laniaitte: Mistress Surname! Lord Emmanellain has just informed me that “mere sentry duty” is beneath him. I understand we have you to thank for this epiphany? Laniaitte: Well, there's nothing for it but to give him something more demanding, then. Can I count on you to keep him safe? Laniaitte: Excellent. We are in constant need of fresh water in Camp Cloudtop, as there are no underground sources we can tap with wells. However, there is a unique variety of crystal we have recently discovered which may enable us to obtain water through other means. Laniaitte: These spring crystals can be found in Voor Sian Siran, to the east of here. I would have you and Emmanellain bring one back to us. Laniaitte: You may have to contend with the feral beasts which populate the lakes, not to mention Vanu scouts ranging from their nearby settlement. Of course, that all pales in comparison to keeping the young lord entertained, but you have doubtless grown accustomed to that by now. Good luck, and be safe.
Emmanellain: Hm? Lady Laniaitte told you to tell me about my mission once again? If I didn't know any better, I'd swear she's avoiding me! Anyway, what is it?
  • What will you say?
  • A vital mission, on the success of which the very survival of Camp Cloudtop rests: the procurement of potable water. Emmanellain: Finally! It's about time she entrusted me with a mission of real import. Right, then─let's go, let's go!
  • Go and fetch a spring crystal from the floating lakes to the east. With me. Emmanellain: ...You're not making this sound terribly appealing. Still, I shall be glad to have you along. Come along, then!
  • ... Emmanellain: Again with the silent treatment? Really now, that's just mean. That's mean!
Emmanellain: So this is the Voor Sian Siran of legend. And nary a Vanu in sight. How disappointing. I could do with some sport. Emmanellain: I know! Why don't you and I make it a competition? Whoever finds the superior specimen wins! Emmanellain: Honoroit shall judge our entries on size, purity, and, say, aesthetic sensibilities! Let us begin at once!
This water crystal does not appear to exhibit the properties described by Lady Laniaitte. Perhaps you should inspect another.
This crystal appears to be secreting a steady stream of water. Perhaps it is the spring crystal Lady Laniaitte seeks...
Honoroit: Ah, Mistress Surname. Have you brought your entry for the contest?
Spring Crystal A crystal so aspected to water that it feels wet to the touch.
Honoroit: My understanding of such things is...limited, but can this truly be used to draw moisture from air like water from a pump? Fascinating...
A Series of Unfortunate Events Honoroit is more than a little concerned for Lord Emmanellain's well-being.
Honoroit: Lord Emmanellain has been gone for an awfully long time. Did you perchance see him while you were searching for your crystal? Even he must realize the dangers of wandering too far in such a place... Honoroit: Mayhap I am worrying about nothing, but...I must ask that you assist me in looking for him, Mistress Surname. We shall find him more quickly if we split up. Pray search the southeastern area of Voor Sian Siran as swiftly as you are able and rendezvous with me in the north. Farewell, and good luck.
You survey the surrounding area for a time, but see no sign of Emmanellain.
Honoroit: M-Mistress Surname! Lord Emmanellain...Lord Emmanellain has been taken by the Vanu! Honoroit: They had my lord surrounded─a whole gang of them! Please, you must come quickly!
Honoroit: The Vanu must have taken him to that village, mayhap to present to their chieftain... Honoroit: I-I will make haste to the Rosehouse and tell Lady Laniaitte what has happened. Honoroit: Yet... Yet by the time I return with aid, i-it may already be too late... Forgive me for asking, Mistress Surname, but should you spy an opportunity to sneak past the sentries and rescue Lord Emmanellain in my absence, I beg you to take it! Honoroit: I know he can be a trifle presumptuous...and insensitive...and, well...insufferable─but he doesn't deserve this!
Emmanellain the Lofty: By the Fury, you're...you're not going to eat me, are you? That's not what you do to prisoners, is it!? Emmanellain the Lofty: Forename! Forename! I'm over here! Chief Honu Vanu: Netherlings come to free prisoner! Spread word like thunder, and cast them into cloud sea! Chief Honu Vanu: Netherlings slink away like guileful gaelicats! Rally, warriors of Gundu! Let none escape! Haurchefant of the Silver Fuller: Help has arrived, Forename! Emmanellain the Lofty: Haurchefant, is that you!? Thank heavens! Get us out of here! Haurchefant of the Silver Fuller: Keep Emmanellain safe, Forename! We will hold them off!
Haurchefant: Reinforcements!? Chief Honu Vanu: Anger of Honu, chief of mighty Vundu, roils like blackest storm clouds! Chief Honu Vanu: Offer netherlings to the White! Cloud sea swells and He comes! Chief Honu Vanu: The White! The White! Mighty Bismarck, Lord of the Mists! Haurchefant: A flying whale!? By the Fury, i-it's a primal! Haurchefant: We must away! Haurchefant: Damn! Cid: Bloody typical... All right─we're going in! Biggs and Wedge: Aye aye, chief! Cid: All aboard!
Cid: The gods only know what might've happened had we not been around to save you... No need for thanks, though. It's not as if you haven't done the same for us on a few previous occasions. All right, more than a few. Cid: 'Twas but blind chance that brought us together this time, in case you were wondering. The Holy See has petitioned the Ironworks for assistance with this creation of theirs, the Protector. Apparently, they just can't seem to get her flying. Cid: Anyway, I came to Camp Cloudtop to cast an eye over the ship, only to learn that you had arrived some few days before with an Ishgardian lordling in tow. Cid: "Small world!“ I thought─just as said lordling's manservant skittered into view, babbling about his master having been captured and you risking all to rescue him. And the rest, as they say, is history. Cid: Right, well, I hate to cut short our reunion, but I am here on business after all, and the boys are already hard at work. Don't worry, old friend─we'll speak again soon, I promise.
A Reward Long in Coming Lord Emmanellain appears to be rather pleased with himself.
Emmanellain: Very well, I admit it: it was an incredibly harrowing experience. I could very well have died, you know! Me! Dead! Emmanellain: On the other hand, by risking life and limb in the line of duty, I did succeed in uncovering the existence of a new primal. And that, old girl, is no small feat! Emmanellain: I have made an historic discovery─a fact even Lady Laniaitte will have no choice but to acknowledge! Yeeesss, I am rather looking forward to basking in the sunshine of her praise. Speaking of which─isn't it time we made our triumphant return?
Laniaitte: Praise Halone, I feared the worst! What happened out there? Laniaitte: A primal!? Are you sure!? Laniaitte: Yet...now that I think on it, this Bismarck is reminiscent of the white whale of Vanu legend─a massive creature said to “swim” in the Sea of Clouds. Haurchefant: From what I have learned of comparable summonings, the presence of the Vanu's god would certainly explain the sudden change in their behavior toward the people of Camp Cloudtop. Honoroit: Ah, you mean to say that they have fallen under the primal's influence? I recall reading of such things in the documents provided by Master Alphinaud... Emmanellain: Aren't we forgetting something important, Lady Laniaitte? A little recognition for the hero of the hour? A few choice expressions of gratitude, respect, admiration, and so on...? Laniaitte: ...Why yes. You are right, of course. Mistress Surname deserves all that and more for having risked her life to rescue such an...esteemed personage. Haurchefant: Well, if there is naught else to discuss, I would depart for Ishgard forthwith. The Holy See and the Temple Knights must be informed of this new threat without delay. Laniaitte: But of course.
Mistress Surname, you have done more than enough here. Pray return to Ishgard with Lord Haurchefant and give my warmest regards to the count. Emmanellain: So that's it, then? No more forays into enemy territory? Very well, I can see my services are no longer needed. Take care, Lady Laniaitte. May our next meeting take place under more...felicitous circumstances. Haurchefant: All's well that ends well, eh? To the airship landing, then! We can speak on the journey home.
Haurchefant: I confess, I have always been rather fond of airship travel. The chill of the wind upon your face, the warmth of the blood pumping in your veins from the excitement...! I find the whole experience indescribably invigorating! Haurchefant: Or mayhap it is simply the joy of having cheated death yet again!? Ha ha! In any event, I must make for the Congregation and inform Ser Aymeric of all that has occurred. Haurchefant: Emmanellain should have returned to the manor by now. Why not go and see if he has recovered from his ordeal?
Emmanellain: Oh, it's you, Forename...
<whimper> Gods, did he have to strike me so hard? Emmanellain: Father, he...he did not approve of how I handled matters in Camp Cloudtop─how I endangered the lives of others through my own...<sniff>...recklessness and incompetence. Emmanellain: It's not easy playing the hero, is it...
Over the Wall Lord Artoirel is less than eager to brief you on his mission.
Artoirel: Let us begin anew, Mistress Surname. I am Ser Artoirel de Fortemps, eldest son of Count Edmont de Fortemps. Artoirel: You will forgive me my outburst, I hope. I meant no disrespect. I merely consider myself equal to the duties entrusted to me...unlike some. Artoirel: ...Haurchefant has spoken of you often. If you are even half the woman he claims, I shall be glad to have you at my side. Artoirel: To the matter at hand, then: we will be assisting my esteemed compatriots of houses Durendaire and Dzemael. Artoirel: You are aware of our friendly rivalry, I take it? Aye, well, suffice it to say, the prospect of assisting said houses does not fill me with joy. Artoirel: However, it is the will of the Holy See that we set aside our differences at this crucial juncture. But we shall speak more of that anon. Artoirel: First, we must needs secure transport to Falcon's Nest. Let us make for the chocobo stables in Foundation.
Chocobokeep: Greetings, Mistress Surname. I've saddled a black chocobo for your journey to the western highlands, as per Lord Artoirel's instruction. Chocobokeep: Will this be your first time riding a black chocobo, may I ask? If so, you're in for a treat. As I daresay you know, this particular breed can fly. Given the right conditions, they can carry you quite high, too─even over Snowcloak. Chocobokeep: You needn't worry about directing the bird, of course. Like all porters, she's trained to carry you to your destination all by herself─so just relax and enjoy the view! Oh, but be sure not to relax your grip, will you? Two hands on the reins at all times, if you please.
  • Travel to Falcon's Nest?
  • Yes
  • No
Count Edmont de Fortemps: To the frozen wastes of the western highlands, once verdant tracks made pallid by the Calamity... Count Edmont de Fortemps: Beyond the towering wall of ice, to lands long forsaken that the knights of Ishgard strove tirelessly to reclaim... Count Edmont de Fortemps: To the hamlet of Falcon's Nest, once abandoned, now freed of its pall of snow and ash, she came...
Artoirel: The world looks quite different when viewed from the back of an airborne chocobo, does it not? I still find the experience strangely liberating... Artoirel: To business. Ser Redwald is in charge here. He should be expecting us.
Redwald: It has been far, far too long, Lord Artoirel. And who might your companion be? Artoirel: Pray forgive us our lateness, Ser Redwald. I present to you Forename Surname, ward of House Fortemps. Redwald: Ahhh, yes, of course! Lord Drillemont spoke of you. I, Ser Redwald of House Durendaire, do bid you welcome to Falcon's Nest. Artoirel: We are both eager to contribute to the settlement's restoration. How may we be of service? Redwald: Before we speak of that─would I be correct in assuming that Mistress Surname is unfamiliar with our recent history? Then, with your permission, I shall recount the tale for her benefit. Redwald: As you may know, Falcon's Nest was once a hamlet with a small garrison of knights and some few villagers. And then came the Calamity. Redwald: When it became clear that the snow would not stop falling, we had no choice but to order a complete withdrawal. The settlement─and the entirety of the western highlands─were to be abandoned. Artoirel: ...Abandoned to the heretics. Lady Iceheart and her kind have walked these lands with impunity ever since. Redwald: Aye, but no longer. The Holy See has commanded the reclamation of the western highlands and the expulsion of heretical elements. Redwald: Falcon's Nest is key to accomplishing these objectives. But, as you can see, rebuilding the hamlet will be no small undertaking. Redwald: Our craftsmen require support and protection. Any assistance you can offer will be greatly appreciated. Artoirel: As promised, we of House Fortemps are at your disposal, Ser Redwald. You need but tell us where to begin.
Work in Progress Ser Redwald would have you assist the craftsmen rebuilding the fortifications of Falcon's Nest.
Redwald: Several craftsmen in service to House Dzemael are contributing to the restoration of Falcon's Nest. Redwald: These men and women are quite skilled at building and repairing fortifications, but their progress has been hampered by a number of factors. Redwald: Rothe, their foreman, tells me he has need of a woman with your talents. Would you be so kind as to seek him out?
Rothe: Hm? Yes, I'm Rothe, and who might you be...? Rothe: Ah, the promised help! Glad to have you aboard! Rothe: I've the honor of overseein' this fine mess you see before you. Sent me over on one of them black birds, same as you, to build and mend and tell others how to build and mend. But Fury take me, this ice! It's bloody unnatural how fast it forms! Rothe: It's icicle sprites, I tell you. Mark my words, there're pockets of 'em here and there, just waitin' for me to turn my back so they can sneak out and do their dirty work! So I need you to search the hamlet and put an end to it. If you stand watch long enough, you're sure to find 'em.
Rothe: Hah! Now there's a woman what looks like she's found her marks! Rothe: You're just the sort we need around here─the kind that'll hop to when she sees a task undone!
The First and Foremost Good help is hard to find─a sad truth that Rothe knows well.
Rothe: You're a dab hand at warcraft, I can tell. Not that I've any skill at arms to speak of, mind, but it doesn't take an expert to recognize expertise. Rothe: Be a waste to keep you to myself when there're others out what need help same as me, so if you're keen to keep on doin' what you've done, I'd ask you to head north to the Pike─the bloody huge statue out in the wastes, if you've never been. Rothe: Mason by the name of Thierremont is out there tendin' to the thing. Good man, Thierremont, but I reckon he's taken on too much work for one. Might be there's somethin' you can do for him.
Thierremont: Hail to you, traveler! What brings you out this way?
...Hm? Foreman Rothe bid you assist me? Well, far be it from me to turn down a helping hand! Thierremont: I've been tasked with the restoration of this sculpture. Five years of neglect have not been kind, to say the least. Thierremont: Fortunately, I've just the thing for it─rather, those deepeyes have it. If you could slay three and bring me their bristles, I would be in your debt.
Thierremont: There you are. Have you the bristles?
Dark Bristles Thick, deep-grey bristles sheared froma wild beast.
Thierremont: Ahhh, feel how coarse that is? That's why they're perfect for scrubbing the soot from this statue. Thierremont: Beautiful, isn't it? The spitting image of Haldrath, first of the Azure Dragoons and one of Ishgard's founding fathers... Thierremont: A symbol of everything the Dravanians despise, which is why they've taken to searing it with dragon fire every time they pass by. Thierremont: But no longer will we suffer this desecration of our nation's hero. Soon this statue will be as it once was─a proud, shining testament to the determination of Ishgard, and a message to the heretics that we have returned. Thierremont: The work may be hard and the conditions harsh, but as a proud Ishgardian, I could ask for no greater honor.
From on High Before you return to Falcon's Nest, Thierremont has a favor to ask.
Thierremont: Are you for Falcon's Nest? If so, I've a favor to ask. Thierremont: There's this knight, Ser Ysaudore, stationed at the Anvil to the west of here. She's always treated me with kindness and respect─more than I deserve, to be honest... Thierremont: Anyroad, while you were away, she came through on patrol, and I think she might have left a package behind. Thierremont: It's a bit of a detour, but would you mind returning it to her? My thanks to you, friend.
Ysaudore: What's that? A package? I haven't the foggiest what you're talking about.
Ice-crusted Bundle A once-hot package unintentionally left by Ysaudore to cool in the frigid highland winds.
Ysaudore: Confound it, that fool of a... <sigh> What a waste. Ysaudore: It was a gift, adventurer. Thierremont labors day and night without regard for his own well-being. At the very least, he ought to try to eat better. Ysaudore: ...Why not simply give it to him? By the Fury, have you no sense of decorum? A highborn knight cannot be seen favoring a lowborn mason in such a manner! Ysaudore: Nevertheless, I appreciate your concern, as well as your willingness to assist Thierremont. Ysaudore: May your journey back to Falcon's Nest be safe and swift. Pray give my regards to Ser Redwald.
Redwald: I must applaud your initiative, Mistress Surname. Rothe tells me you have been quite busy. Redwald: Alas, we have not the time to thank you properly. I have a task to which I would commit all able-bodied men and women─you and Lord Artoirel included.
Reconnaissance Lost In times such as these, Ser Redwald is glad to have veterans like you to whom he can turn.
Redwald: Calm as ever, even when you must surely sense the gravity of the situation. A veteran through and through, just as Lord Drillemont said. Good. Redwald: We have lost contact with a reconnaissance party sent north to Riversmeet in search of the heretics' hideaway. Redwald: Whether they were attacked or met with some other misfortune, we know not. But regardless of the cause, we must act quickly, for this is a harsh, unforgiving land which can claim─and has claimed─the lives of many men. Redwald: To ensure we find our missing knights as quickly as possible, I have assigned each party a different area to search. You and Lord Artoirel will be working together. Seek him out when you are ready to depart, and good luck.
Artoirel: It seems we have been assigned the area near Camp Riversmeet, Mistress Surname. Artoirel: Lest you are unaware, the camp was one of many our knights were forced to abandon when we withdrew from the Coerthas western highlands─one of many sacrifices made in the wake of the Calamity. Artoirel: 'Twould not surprise me if our knights took shelter there. There is but one way to find out, though. Let us be off!
Artoirel: There, below us─Camp Riversmeet, or what remains of it. Artoirel: I see no way to descend the cliffs safely from here. Should we fall, the beasts below would make short work of us. Come─I know a path to the riverbed below, east of the Black Iron Bridge.
Artoirel: If the reconnaissance party came this way, I see no sign of it. Artoirel: Still, it is possible that recent storms have obscured their trail, or that they took an alternate route to Camp Riversmeet. Until we investigate the camp itself, we cannot be certain. We must press on.
Artoirel: Are you all right? I heard sounds of a struggle. Reconnaissance Party Knight: Thank...thank the Fury... I thought no one would come... Artoirel: Three heretics slain and one knight saved, just like that. You certainly live up to your reputation, Mistress Surname. Artoirel: What happened here, ser? Is there no one else? Reconnaissance Party Knight: We were caught in a furious blizzard north of here, my lord. <cough> <wheeze> Naught but white all around...until we saw shapes moving towards us─running towards us, with naked steel in their hands. Reconnaissance Party Knight: I cut down a few of the bastards who came close, but the others... There was shouting and screaming, but after a while I could only hear unfamiliar voices... I found my way to the camp, hoping to hide while the storm passed. Artoirel: But the heretics tracked you here. Reconnaissance Party Knight: Aye... <cough> <cough> ...My lord, the heretics' hideaway lies somewhere to the north. We must move quickly, before the snow buries all traces of their passing. For my brothers, we...we must... <cough> <wheeze> Artoirel: Have faith, ser. Justice will be done. But first, we must see you to safety.
At the End of Our Hope Lord Artoirel seems loath to forgo any opportunity to locate the heretics' hiding place.
Artoirel: He has the right of it, Mistress Surname. Whatever remains of the heretics' trail will be gone with the next snowfall. But we cannot very well leave our friend here... Artoirel: I will see him to Falcon's Nest and gather reinforcements. In the meantime, I would have you search the area to the north of the camp for signs of the attack. Should you pick up the heretics' trail, do not wait for me─follow it back to their lair forthwith, being sure to leave me some clear footprints. Artoirel: ...I realize that this plan may place you in considerable danger, but I see no alternative. Artoirel: Rest assured we will not be far behind. And Forename...thank you.
The tracks continue to the north...
The tracks continue to the north... The tracks continue to the north... Spell-weaving Heretic: N-No, I won't... Urrrgh!
Iceheart (Ysayle): Looking for me, I presume. Midgardsormr: Ahhh, the child who glimpsed the truth. Iceheart (Ysayle): No, it cannot be! Midgardsormr: She cameth unto me, as didst thou. Midgardsormr: Alike in gifts, yet set upon different paths. Iceheart (Ysayle): He speaks true, Warrior of Light. Like you, I have been blessed with the Echo. Iceheart (Ysayle): The visions terrified me at first. They came without warning. I wondered what I had done to deserve them... Iceheart (Ysayle): But I had no time to ponder such things once the Calamity came. Iceheart (Ysayle): The land turned against us, and in a matter of hours, Falcon's Nest was buried under ten fulms of ice and snow. We had no choice but to flee for Ishgard. Iceheart (Ysayle): We came to the wall, and while we searched for a way through, there was an avalanche. And then I was alone. Iceheart (Ysayle): So I set forth for Dravania. I knew full well what might happen were I found, but I could not survive on my own. Iceheart (Ysayle): I was found, of course─and not by a mere dragon, but by the great wyrm Hraesvelgr! Iceheart (Ysayle): And it was then that I knew why I had been given this gift, for with it I heard his voice, and saw the truth through his eyes! Iceheart (Ysayle): I was chosen to deliver this revelation to the people─to bring dragon and man together, as they once were, and should ever be!
  • What will you say?
  • Killing civilians won't bring them together!
  • What of the innocents who died when you attacked Foundation?
Iceheart (Ysayle): It wasn't supposed to be like that! You have to believe me! It was...beyond my control... Iceheart (Ysayle): Children taught to fear the skies, who saw their loved ones slaughtered... Iceheart (Ysayle): Yet the Dravanians─though they know where the fault truly lies─fell upon them with such fury... Midgardsormr: Men die, and their children forget. But we are everlasting. To us, then is as now. Midgardsormr: Thou canst not comprehend the violation. The outrage. The fury. Iceheart (Ysayle): I will make this right. Iceheart (Ysayle): I am neither a saint nor a savior─just another sinner. Yet I will not forsake this cause. I cannot. I will see this cycle broken and peace restored. Iceheart (Ysayle): I... We can do naught else, for we are now as one...
Artoirel: Mistress Surname! Praise Halone, you are alive! We came as swiftly as we could, but I see we are too late... Artoirel: So they were lurking in the cellar of this farmhouse... Artoirel: 'Tis a pity Lady Iceheart escaped, but we must not let that detract from your accomplishment! We have them on the run! Artoirel: You have dealt our foes a telling blow this day, my friend, and I shall see that your efforts are recognized.
Artoirel: Establishing an outpost in so remote a location could not have been easy. Tenacious devils.
Knights Be Not Proud Lord Artoirel would rather not linger without cause.
Artoirel: The knights have matters here well in hand. Let us return to Falcon's Nest and share our discoveries with Ser Redwald. Artoirel: Come! After tracking heretics across malms of ice and snow, I would say you are due a few hours' rest next to a warm fire.
Redwald: Lord Artoirel, Mistress Surname! Full glad am I to see you both hale and healthy. What news? Redwald: ...You mean to say you hunted the heretics down on your own, and slew them before reinforcements could arrive? By the Fury! Artoirel: I believe we have made great strides toward purging these lands of heretics─and I mean to say as much when I deliver my report to my father and the Holy See. Redwald: As will I, Lord Artoirel. May it serve to remind our superiors what houses Durendaire and Fortemps could achieve through continued cooperation. Artoirel: Indeed. I trust you and your knights are content to handle the rest? Redwald: We most certainly are, my lord. Redwald: During your short time with us, you and Mistress Surname have accomplished far more than I had thought possible. I cannot in good conscience impose upon you any longer. Pray return to Ishgard with my thanks. Artoirel: As you wish, Ser Redwald. We thank you for your hospitality.
Artoirel: Mistress Surname...I would speak plain. From the first, I questioned your motives and your competence─unjustly, I now realize. Artoirel: Rumors have a way of growing more fantastic as they spread, and quite frankly, those surrounding you beggar belief. But Haurchefant swore that all the stories were true. He championed your cause and begged Father to grant you patronage... Artoirel: And he duly listened, because for all his wisdom, he has never been able to say no to my dear half-brother─the legacy of my father's sole indiscretion. Artoirel: Mother hated him, of course. Even on her deathbed, she refused to acknowledge him. And...to be honest, she was not alone in her feelings. Artoirel: But that is not the worst of it.
...At Camp Riversmeet, when we came upon the wounded knight, I knew immediately that one of us would have to pursue the heretics alone. An onerous task, fraught with danger... Artoirel: And there you were─the savior of Eorzea and honored guest of House Fortemps. My new comrade-in-arms. Haurchefant's dear friend. Artoirel: I told myself it was to be a test, but part of me...part of me hoped that you would fail. Artoirel: Yet you accepted the task without a word of protest, nor any sign of fear. And you duly tracked the enemy down, faced him alone, and lived to tell the tale. Artoirel: Plainly, Haurchefant had the right of it all along. That I doubted your strength bespeaks mine own weakness. But I will not doubt you again, Mistress Surname, on that you have my word.
Divine Intervention The Fortemps steward looks as though he has something to say.
House Fortemps Steward: Ah, Mistress Surname. My lord the count much desires to speak with you regarding your time with Lord Artoirel and Lord Emmanellain. If you would remain here for a moment...
Count Edmont de Fortemps: The hero returns! I cannot thank you enough for saving young Emmanellain's life. Aye, aye─he told me everything. Count Edmont de Fortemps: I've also received letters from both House Dzemael and Durendaire praising your conduct─and that of House Fortemps. You've won us much honor, my friend. House Fortemps Steward: My lord! Count Edmont de Fortemps: What is it? Speak. House Fortemps Steward: Pray forgive the intrusion, my lord, but I-I bring grave tidings! House Fortemps Steward: Master Alphinaud and Mistress Tataru have been detained on suspicion of fomenting heresy! Count Edmont de Fortemps: What? Explain! House Fortemps Steward: They...they were observed entering a tavern in the lower levels on some half-dozen occasions. There, it is claimed, they made a number of inquiries... House Fortemps Steward: Inquiries which brought them into contact with certain...ahem...elements. 'Twas this which prompted a knight of the Heavens' Ward to demand that they be questioned. Ser Grinnaux, my lord... Count Edmont de Fortemps: Ser Grinnaux is a brute─an exceedingly accomplished brute, but a brute nonetheless. Alas, he is also a son of House Dzemael. Count Edmont de Fortemps: How quickly we forget the petty nature of men. I'd wager your friends are no more than pawns in another of my countrymen's games. Such is the way of things between the High Houses...
Count Edmont de Fortemps: Though you have won the hearts and minds of many of my countrymen, there are those who will never be swayed. Men who will dismiss your efforts and resent your successes, even as we celebrate them. Count Edmont de Fortemps: 'Tis like that one such member of House Dzemael is manipulating Ser Grinnaux, for he is not a man to dabble in politics of his own volition. He may genuinely believe your friends to be guilty, though I am quite certain his masters know better. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Yet the truth will avail us naught if we cannot prove their innocence. Count Edmont de Fortemps: You would do well to speak with Ser Aymeric at the Congregation of Our Knights Most Heavenly. He will know more of these charges.
Aymeric: It has been too long, Forename. Would that this visit came under happier circumstances. You are come to plead for Master Alphinaud and Mistress Tataru, I take it? Haurchefant: Word of their detainment reached us while I was delivering my report on the Vanu primal. Truly, I know not which is the more ludicrous─these charges or that flying feathered whale! Aymeric: That Ser Grinnaux's accusations are baseless, I have no doubt. Refuting them will be difficult, however, as he is a knight of the Heavens' Ward. Aymeric: I speak of the personal guard of the archbishop─the twelve finest knights in all of Ishgard, sworn to serve His Eminence alone. Suffice it to say, their testimony is unimpeachable, and I have not the authority to challenge their actions. Haurchefant: After all the Scions have done─routing the heretics and defeating Shiva, helping us to defend the Steps of Faith and drive back the Dravanian Horde─after proving themselves true allies on countless occasions, is there naught we can do!? Aymeric: I fear there is but one path left to us...
We must demand a trial by combat. Haurchefant: But of course! Haurchefant: In a trial by combat sanctioned by the inquisition, the victor's claim is judged true regardless of the petitioner's standing! Aymeric: Under Ishgardian law, a trial by combat pits the accuser against the accused. In this instance, Master Alphinaud and Mistress Tataru would be expected to face Ser Grinnaux and a second of his choosing─another knight of the Heavens' Ward, most like. Haurchefant: Two of them!? By the Fury, that can hardly be considered fair... Aymeric: Master Alphinaud's magical talents will not have gone unnoticed, meaning that he will have no choice but to participate. Mistress Tataru, on the other hand, is quite obviously bereft of martial skill, and should be afforded the right to name a champion to fight in her stead. Aymeric: Lest you doubt, I am ready and willing to serve in this capacity, as I am sure is Lord Haurchefant...but all here present know that you are the most accomplished warrior among us, and mayhap in the realm at large... Haurchefant: Then it is settled! I will visit Master Alphinaud at once, and inform him of our intentions. Forename─meet me at the Tribunal when you have made ready. Until then, my friend!
Haurchefant: Listen carefully, Forename. When the trial begins, the petitioner will be asked to restate his charges, and the accused invited to respond. Then, in accordance with the law, they will be asked to restate their request for a trial by combat. Haurchefant: Once the high adjudicator acknowledges Mistress Tataru's right to name a champion, that is when you must make your entrance! Ohhh, I cannot wait to see the look on Ser Grinnaux's face when he sees his true opponent! 'Twill be priceless! Haurchefant: More seriously...should you begin to lose heart, look to me in the stands, and I shall cheer so loud, you will wonder how you could ever have contrived to doubt yourself! Now, are you ready?
High Adjudicator: We are gathered here today, under the watchful gaze of the Fury, to ascertain the guilt of two souls in a trial by combat! Petitioners, step forward! High Adjudicator: Ser Grinnaux─for the benefit of all here present, I would ask you to repeat the charges which you have leveled against this man and this woman. Grinnaux: I, Ser Grinnaux de Dzemael, brother of the Heavens' Ward, did bear witness to these two foreigners consorting with heretics! High Adjudicator: Let the accused step forward! High Adjudicator: Alphinaud Leveilleur, Tataru Taru─you have heard the charges leveled against you. High Adjudicator: Will you take up arms to refute Ser Grinnaux's claim and thereby prove your innocence in the eyes of gods and men? Alphinaud: I, Alphinaud Leveilleur, am innocent of this charge, and claim my right to trial by combat! Tataru: I, Tataru Taru, am innocent of this charge... Tataru: But I am no warrior, and cannot fight, so I claim the right to name a champion! High Adjudicator: To the old and the infirm, the young and the weak, this right we allow. Very well. Who will stand for this woman? Alphinaud: Just as I was beginning to doubt the efficacy of the Ishgardian justice system! Come, my friend─let us put an end to this mummer's farce! High Adjudicator: O Halone, render unto us Your judgment! Raise up the righteous, and cast down the wicked!
Alphinaud: I shall do what I can to support you, Forename! Now, let us teach these noble sers the folly of bearing false witness! Ser Paulecrain Coldfire: Well, well, who do we have here? This one is mine, Ser Grinnaux. Go and play with the boy. Ser Grinnaux the Bull: Hmph. Bloody waste of... Come on, then! You wanted this, remember!? Ser Grinnaux the Bull: I've had enough of your tricks! Tataru: Forename! Alphinaud's in trouble! Ser Paulecrain Coldfire: Ha! A fine champion you are! Ser Paulecrain Coldfire: You have been indulged enough, heathen swine! Tataru: Forename, Alphinaud! Look out! Ser Paulecrain Coldfire: This isn't—funny.
Tataru: Th-They... I mean, WE WON! High Adjudicator: The Fury has spoken! High Adjudicator: Alphinaud Leveilleur, Tataru Taru─you are hereby acquitted of all charges. High Adjudicator: Blessed are we who receive of Her wisdom and see justice wrought by Her divine hand! Petitioners, accused─go forth in peace! Alphinaud: Delivered from an untimely demise yet again. My thanks...as always.
Haurchefant: By the Fury, what a splendid victory! To see how you strove in the face of adversity─two brave young souls bound together by the puissant bonds of camaraderie...! Why, it stirred me to the very depths of my soul! Haurchefant: Having been treated to such a rousing spectacle, it seems only right that I present you with a humble token of mine admiration. Pray receive of me this chocobo whistle. Haurchefant: With it, you may summon a black chocobo─fully trained and ready to fly! Haurchefant: Magnificent, is she not? Strong yet sleek, elegant yet eager! What say you, Forename─will you take her for your steed? Inquisition Guard: Lord Haurchefant! Chocobos are prohibited in the Supreme Sacred Tribunal of Halonic Inquisitory Doctrine! Your steed must remain outside!
Disclosure Lord Haurchefant thinks you could do with a well-deserved rest.
Haurchefant: Black chocobos are all well and good, but the true reward for your efforts is the exoneration of your comrades. Haurchefant: They shall be released upon the completion of certain minor formalities, which I mean to see to personally. In the meantime, pray return to Fortemps Manor. The count has done so already, and will doubtless be eager to discuss the day's events.
Count Edmont de Fortemps: Halone smiles on us yet again, Mistress Surname, guiding you to victory and setting your comrades free. Artoirel: I confess, I did fear for your safety. Which is not to say I doubted your prowess, you understand... I merely knew the strength of your opponents. Ahem. You do have a habit of exceeding my expectations. Emmanellain: Besting two of the Heavens' Ward while the city's elite looked on? By the Fury, anyone who hasn't been paying attention to you will surely do so from now on! House Fortemps Steward: M-My lord! House Fortemps Steward: We have just received a message from the Vault. His Eminence the archbishop requests the presence of Mistress Surname. Emmanellain: An invitation from the archbishop!? Artoirel: What an honor... Count Edmont de Fortemps: A personal summons is indeed a great honor, and given recent events, you would be wise not to delay... Count Edmont de Fortemps: Go, Mistress Surname. We shall speak anon. House Fortemps Steward: A priest will be waiting for you outside the Vault. Identify yourself to him and he will escort you inside.
Ishgardian Priest: We are honored to receive you, Mistress Surname. This way, please.
Aymeric: Your Eminence, it is my honor to present to you the Warrior of Light. Archbishop Thordan VII: I have heard the tales of your many grand endeavors. The lord commander has also been most effusive in his praise. Archbishop Thordan VII: I am Thordan VII, Archbishop of the Ishgardian Orthodox Church, and I bade you come here that I might offer my personal apologies. Archbishop Thordan VII: You will forgive me for not calling upon you as courtesy would dictate, but as you can see, my more sprightly days are long behind me. But I digress. Archbishop Thordan VII: Your companions were wrongly accused of heresy and subjected to gross indignities. This, I am sorry to say, was the result of negligence on the part of our nation's protectors─negligence born of an excess of zeal. Is that not so, Ser Zephirin? Zephirin: Yes, Your Eminence... Regrettably, it would appear that we of the Heavens' Ward were in receipt of erroneous information. Zephirin: Ser Grinnaux has ever been headstrong. He pressed charges before the truth had been ascertained, for which I most sincerely apologize. Archbishop Thordan VII: An unfortunate misunderstanding born of an earnest desire to serve Ishgard─but one which should never have occurred... Archbishop Thordan VII: For who could doubt the character of those who bested Shiva and drove the Horde from the Steps of Faith? Not I, that much is certain. Archbishop Thordan VII: That will be all, Ser Zephirin. I would speak with our guest in private. Zephirin: Your Eminence? I─ Zephirin: As you wish, Your Eminence. That will be all for today! Archbishop Thordan VII: Privacy is a luxury rarely afforded one in my position. Archbishop Thordan VII: Now, tell me, young lady: what do you know of the Ascians? Archbishop Thordan VII: Much and more, I shouldn't wonder, being the Bringer of Light. You should know that I myself have met with them─have entertained them as guests, even. Archbishop Thordan VII: Those harbingers of chaos and strife offered us power, that we might continue our war against the dragons. Archbishop Thordan VII: I have no intention of aiding their cause, of course, nor less of being their puppet. Archbishop Thordan VII: Yet were I to refuse them outright, I should learn naught of their true objectives and remain powerless to stop them. Archbishop Thordan VII: Thus have I hearkened to their words with interest, and paid lip service to their beliefs, biding my time and preparing for the inevitable conflict. Archbishop Thordan VII: And why do I tell you this? Because there is naught in this world they fear more than the power of the Warrior of Light. Archbishop Thordan VII: If we are to rid ourselves of these vile interlopers, we must needs work together. With our combined strength, I have faith that we can wrest Eorzea from their grasp, and pave the way for a lasting peace. Think on it.
Alphinaud: There you are. I confess, I was more than a little concerned when I learned that you had been summoned to the Vault. What did they want with you? Alphinaud: Well, well. A formal apology and an admonishment of those responsible? I see my fears were wholly misplaced. Alphinaud: By the gods, the archbishop freely admits to consorting with Ascians? So their ambitions extend to Ishgard as well... Alphinaud: We will have new primals to contend with ere long, of that you may be certain. 'Tis but a matter of time. Yet shorn of the support of our missing allies, what can we realistically hope to achieve? Tataru: Ahhh! In the midst of all the excitement, I completely forgot to tell you! Tataru: When I was asking around about the Scions, I heard the most awful rumor! Tataru: General Raubahn is to be executed for crimes against the sultanate! Alphinaud: If the Flame General dies, we will lose a staunch ally, and the one man capable of holding the sultana's assassins to account. Alphinaud: Lord Haurchefant was wise to counsel restraint, but this business will brook no delay. Alphinaud: We cannot permit this execution to take place. We must save Raubahn!
Flame General Affairs Alphinaud wishes to share his plan of action for rescuing Raubahn.
Alphinaud: Though the situation calls for urgency, it would avail us little to charge headlong into Ul'dah without a plan. Before we can formulate a plan, however, we must first learn how things stand in the sultanate─which is why I propose that we visit Limsa Lominsa. Alphinaud: Aye, you heard me right. While you were about your altruistic endeavors, I acted as an intermediary in trade negotiations between House Fortemps and a Lominsan consortium. During said negotiations, an opportunity to send word to the Admiral presented itself, and I duly seized it. Alphinaud: I am happy to report that we yet have a stout ally in Limsa. The Admiral has pledged her full cooperation in any effort to rescue Raubahn. Alphinaud: Accordingly, I have agreed to meet with her, that we might discuss how best to proceed. Naturally, I told her to expect us both. Your presence never fails to embolden our allies, after all. Alphinaud: When you arrive in Limsa Lominsa, make yourself known to Sergeant Zanthael at Bulwark Hall on the lower decks. He will admit you to the Bridge.
Zanthael: The Admiral has been expecting you. Say the word and I will take you to her.
  • Proceed to the Bridge?
  • Yes
  • No
Merlwyb: Friends. 'Tis good to see you safe and well. I will admit, I had not counted on you seeking─let alone finding─refuge within the Holy See, but full glad was I to learn that you had. Alphinaud: Thankfully, we had allies there who took us under their wing. And theirs was not the only aid we received, I suspect. Alphinaud: When we fled Ul'dah, we fully expected to become wanted men, known to all and hounded at every turn. Yet that did not come to pass. On the contrary, 'twould seem the charges against us have not been made public. Might we have you to thank for that, Admiral? Merlwyb: Sharp as ever, Master Alphinaud. On Marshal Tarupin's urging, the Elder Seedseer and I demanded that the Syndicate suppress news of the Scions' alleged crimes until such time as irrefutable evidence could be found. Merlwyb: Our argument was simple: lacking proof, to accuse the saviors of the realm of so unlikely a crime would have the people up in arms. In their wisdom, the Syndicate agreed, as you yourself have seen. Merlwyb: There is something you should know. Some few days prior to the banquet, the Elder Seedseer and I were summoned for a private audience with the sultana. Merlwyb: There, she revealed her intent to announce her abdication, that she might pave the way for the establishment of an Ul'dahn republic. Alphinaud: What? But such an announcement would have plunged the entire nation into chaos! Merlwyb: She was well aware of that. 'Twas for fear of what might ensue that she summoned us. Her Grace wanted the Elder Seedseer and I to lend Raubahn a helping hand, you see─to aid him in preserving the peace during the transition. Alphinaud: So...having somehow caught wind of her plan, Lolorito and Teledji plotted the sultana's assassination in the hope of maintaining the constitutional status quo...? Alphinaud: But they must have known that her death would sow as much chaos as her abdication─chaos from which Teledji alone might feasibly stand to profit. Surely Lolorito would never knowingly─ Alphinaud: Ah. Could it be...? I dare not hope... Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: The Ul'dahn authorities have yet to announce the sultana's passing. Eynzahr Slafyrsyn: To allay any suspicion that may arise from Her Grace's absence, they have issued a statement to the effect that she is presently convalescing from illness. Merlwyb: Mayhap they're waiting for a fitting moment to break the news. Or mayhap they know of some other reason to delay. Alphinaud: Something else has been bothering me, Admiral. I was dismayed to learn that General Raubahn is to be executed─yet upon hearing the news, I could not help but wonder why he had been kept alive for so long. Alphinaud: Pray mistake not my meaning─I am, of course, overjoyed that our friend still draws breath, and that he might yet be saved. But if his enemies truly wished to eliminate him, they could have done so immediately. I see no reason for this delay. Merlwyb: Aye... You've struck upon an important point, Master Alphinaud. Merlwyb: Following his capture, Raubahn had been held in the Marasaja Pit within Ul'dah. In recent days, however, he has reportedly been moved to an unknown location. Merlwyb: Queerly, 'twas not the Brass Blades who spirited him away, either, but a band of soldiers decked in blue... Alphinaud: The Crystal Braves. Merlwyb: Aye. If I read the winds aright, the arrangement between Lord Lolorito and the Braves has come under strain. Merlwyb: At any rate, if we're to rescue Raubahn, we'll have to find him first. And you'll be glad to hear that I have already entrusted the task to those best able to see it done─our friends of Doma. Merlwyb: Raubahn's survival is vital to the Eorzean Alliance. We can ill afford to lose him. Merlwyb: But I cannot send troops into Ul'dah. 'Twould spell the end of the Alliance, and war, like as not. If there is to be a rescue, it falls to you and yours to attempt it. Alphinaud: I would not have it any other way, Admiral. Alphinaud: It was I who founded the Crystal Braves, and I who must take responsibility for their actions. Merlwyb: Spoken like a true leader, Master Alphinaud. Merlwyb: By way of a first step, you should seek out our Doman contact. You will find her among the frontier hands at Revenant's Toll, working in a kitchen.
Higiri: Mistress Forename! I knew in my heart that you were safe, but to see you again in the flesh... Words cannot well express my relief. Higiri: Even as the victory feast was taking place, the Crystal Braves turned upon us and took the Rising Stones by force. Higiri: Amid the chaos, some few of my compatriots and I were able to slip away unnoticed. Since then, we have remained in Revenant's Toll, keeping watch over the mutineers while awaiting your return. Higiri: You have done well by us, and we Domans do not soon forget our debts. We swear to do all within our power to aid you.
In Search of Raubahn Higiri is eager to assist you.
Higiri: Shortly before you arrived, I received word from Limsa Lominsa that you were searching for General Raubahn. Higiri: As the Admiral will have informed you, he was recently moved from his cell in the Marasaja Pit. Higiri: At the same juncture, Yuyuhase and the 3rd Unit were observed leaving the Rising Stones. Higiri: This can be no simple coincidence. Their purpose, we believe, is to escort the Flame General to the scene of his execution. Higiri: Suffice it to say, we have people shadowing the 3rd. If you would join the hunt, pray seek out Doware at Highbridge, where I too am bound.
Doware: I have been expecting you. Time is of the essence, so I shall be direct. Doware: Yuyuhase and his men are bound for Halatali. Doware: We believe that this is where they intend to carry out the execution. Doware: Hozan is presently keeping watch over the entrance. Let us make haste and join him.
Hozan: You come at a good time, my friends. But moments ago, the traitor Ilberd arrived and entered Halatali. Hozan: From this, we may be certain that General Raubahn is being held within.
Keeping the Flame Alive Hozan would brief you on the mission to rescue Raubahn.
Hozan: There is no time to lose─General Aldynn may be executed at any moment. You must enter Halatali and free him from his captors. Hozan: Please see to your preparations, and tell me when you are ready to proceed. One of our own will accompany you inside.
Yugiri: Pray forgive me my lateness. Alphinaud: Lady Yugiri! Yugiri: Master Alphinaud. I am pleased to see that the light of resolve shines in your eyes once more. Alphinaud: Ah, yes... How pathetic I must have seemed to you when we last met. I am ashamed to recall it. For a time I was well and truly lost. But with the aid of my comrades, I have since refound my purpose, and I shall take care not to misplace it again. Yugiri: Since your escape from Ul'dah, my fellow shinobi and I have shadowed the Crystal Braves' every step in hopes of learning the Scions' whereabouts. Yugiri: Regrettably, our investigation has yet to yield any useful information. Pray forgive us. Alphinaud: You need not apologize, my lady─we are grateful for all that you have done on our behalf. Besides, Raubahn is no less a friend, and we cannot well abandon him to his fate. Yugiri: Hozan─the three of us shall attend to the Flame General's rescue. Pray draw away the guards by the entrance. Take Doware and Higiri with you. Yugiri: With me!
Alphinaud: Not a soul from the Coliseum to be seen. This bodes ill. Yugiri Mistwalker: Take the lead, Forename. I shall follow close upon you. Yugiri Mistwalker: The General...but where are his captors? I mislike the look of this. Alphinaud: General! Raubahn: You...came...
Yugiri: He is bound by some manner of magitek device. Yet I dare not force it open─it may well be booby-trapped. Alphinaud: I have heard of such devices. The Crystal Braves will possess the key. Let us split up and look for it. ??? (Yuyuhase): That will not be necessary. Yuyuhase: Pray do not take it personally, my friends. You are the victims of harsh economic conditions. Yuyuhase: Happily, you will not suffer for long. This poison will convey you swiftly unto the bosom of Thal, where I hope to join you, after the passing of many prosperous years.
Golden Eye Yuyuhase: Farewell, friends. Oh, and do try to relax. They tell me struggling only makes it worse. Yugiri Mistwalker: Confound it! The mist stifles my healing! Raubahn: <cough> Leave me... <splutter> Save yourselves... Alphinaud: We cannot let them escape! Forename, force the gate! Alphinaud: ...Beasts!? The mist must be drawing them! Alphinaud: Hah! The way is clear! Yugiri Mistwalker: The mist remains... We must stop it at the source! Yugiri Mistwalker: I shall tend to the General! Pray see to the mist and the key! Raubahn: The Braves...have the key... Alphinaud: That takes care of the mist! Yugiri Mistwalker: The mist has cleared! Alphinaud: Next, to find the key and free Raubahn! Crystal Brave Lancer: How did they survive the poison!? Crystal Brave Archer: Bah, looks like we'll just have to finish the job! Alphinaud: The key! Take it to Raubahn!
Raubahn: My...thanks... <cough> Alphinaud: Slowly, General. You are yet weak from your ordeal. Yugiri: Nevertheless, we must quit this place. Ilberd: I should have known. What are clever contrivances to the Warrior of Light? ...Well done, hero. Alphinaud: Ilberd... Ilberd: You mean to struggle on, then? Very well. If you would stand in my way, I will cut you down like all the rest. Ilberd: Come, Scions─let's get this over with.
Ilberd of the Dull Blade: The sultana's assassins are here! Crystal Braves, to arms! Golden Eye Yuyuhase: Whatever it takes to survive! Legless Laurentius: I am no hero─never was, and never will be! Raubahn: My strength...has left me...
Ilberd: This changes nothing! Alphinaud: It is over, Ilberd! Lay down your arms and surrender yourself to justice! Ilberd: Justice!? Justice for what exactly? 'Twas not I who assassinated the sultana, boy! Alphinaud: Ere we debate who is responsible for the assassination, I would ask whether an assassination took place at all. Ilberd: Clever little shite... Ilberd: If you think you fight for justice, lass, you'd best wake up. The truth is, you fight for whoever bloody well tells you to. Can you not see you're being used!? By the Scions, the city-states, even the Crystal Braves. They none of 'em care a whit what you want─only what you can do for them. Ilberd: And how do I know this? Because I'm the same─a pawn to be used as my masters see fit. All I ever wanted was to liberate my homeland, and I ate dirt to make it happen. But what have I achieved after all these years in servitude? Nothing! Not a bloody thing. Ilberd: If we ourselves are not free─free to think and to act─how are we ever to reclaim our homeland? Know this: there is nothing I would not give to take back Ala Mhigo! NOTHING! Alphinaud: You'll not get away! Yugiri: No, Master Alphinaud. Now is not the time. Raubahn: I'm but a cripple and a fool, and still you came for me... I'm in your debt. Alphinaud: We are all of us fools of fate, General. But even fools have a part to play.
  • What will you say to Raubahn?
  • We stand with you.
  • On your feet, gladiator. This fight is not over.
Raubahn: Rest assured, I was not planning to die till I'd avenged the sultana... Still, your words are welcome, lass. Raubahn: Know this, Ilberd... There is nothing I would not give to see you pay for what you've done. My wealth, my arm, my life...nothing. Alphinaud: General─are you aware that Lord Lolorito has yet to announce the sultana's death to the public? Raubahn: ...What? No. No, I was not aware of that─nor of anything else outside my cell. 'Tis passing strange, though... I assumed the bastard would make it known at the first opportunity and set about tearing down the sultanate. Alphinaud: As did we all. And it is indeed strange that he did not─strange or perhaps revealing? Now, I have no conclusive proof, nor do I wish to give you false hope...but I have reason to believe that Her Grace may yet live. Raubahn: What? But how can that be? Yugiri: Forgive me, friends, but it is not safe here. Let us continue this conversation without.
Yugiri: The General is safe. What news without? Doware: My lady. The guards have been subdued, as per your command. Doware: We have since kept watch over the entrance. There has been no further activity. Yugiri: Then Ilberd and his minions have fled via some other egress. Scour the perimeter for signs of their passing. Doware: At once, my lady! Dark Stranger: General Aldynn, I presume, and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Alphinaud: Who are you!? Identify yourself! Dark Stranger: Pray do not be alarmed. My mistress is a friend, and I come bearing a message of goodwill. Dark Stranger: For your own safety, she bade me direct your steps to the Waking Sands. Know that Master Urianger awaits you there, along with others sympathetic to your cause. Dark Stranger: This is no ruse, I assure you. General Aldynn─if you will come with me, I have prepared a carriage, that you may travel in comfort, safe from prying eyes.
Alphinaud: I have spoken with Urianger via linkpearl. He confirms the man's story. Alphinaud: Raubahn is in safe hands. Let us make our own way to Vesper Bay.
Urianger: My dearest friends! Praise be unto the Twelve for delivering you from the clutches of treachery. Pipin: Father! Raubahn: Pipin, my son... And Master Papashan besides... Pipin: Forgive me, Father... I should have been at Her Grace's side... ??? (Dewlala): Save your tears. The sultana yet lives. Raubahn: You... ??? (Dewlala): It was I who arranged this gathering. Dewlala: And judging by your perplexed expressions, it would seem introductions are in order. I am Dewlala, head of the Order of Nald'thal, and member of the Syndicate. Raubahn: What you said about the sultana─is it true? Is she alive? Dewlala: Young lady─I understand you were with the sultana when she drank from the poisoned goblet and collapsed. Would I be correct in assuming that you did not personally verify Her Grace's vital signs? Raubahn: Why ask, when 'tis plain you know the answer! Dewlala: Calm yourself, General, and let me finish. The truth is not as you imagine it. You are all victims of a most ingenious ruse─a ruse conceived to eliminate the threat posed by Teledji Adeledji. Dewlala: 'Tis my belief that Teledji plotted the sultana's assassination alone, but that Lolorito caught wind of his plot, and exploited it to his own ends. Dewlala: He sought to manipulate you into eliminating Teledji for him, and you duly obliged. At one fell swoop, he removed his two foremost rivals, all the while remaining above suspicion. Raubahn: Gods strike me down for a fool... But the sultana─how can it be that she lives? Dewlala: She lives because Lolorito willed it. Her own lady-in-waiting is but one of his many little birds; by her sleight of hand, the poison was switched for a less deadly draft before it could reach her mistress's lips. Urianger: Some manner of sedative, perchance...of a potency sufficient to induce a slumber like unto death. Dewlala: Were I to guess, I would say Her Grace is being held somewhere, dreaming dreams of a brighter Ul'dah, even as we speak. Raubahn: Oh, Nanamo... Raubahn: I will never forgive Lolorito for his part in this. Dewlala: Though Lolorito's hands are far from clean, they did pluck Her Grace from the jaws of death. That must count for something. Dewlala: And though one may call the man's methods into question, it cannot be denied that he knows the value of stability─to the very gil, like as not. He craves power, 'tis true, but he has no desire to depose the sultana. Dewlala: I had never taken sides in your feud with the Monetarists, but it was not for want of concern for our nation's welfare. Indeed, 'twas out of the desire to see order restored that I furnished your Far Eastern friends with information, and arranged this gathering. Dewlala: I hope you are ready to work, General, for there is much work to be done. Our first priority must be to bring matters back into balance. Lest you forget Her Grace's words, the true wealth of Ul'dah lies in the health, happiness, and hopes of her people. Dewlala: As for the more worldly kind of wealth, I am content to let Lolorito help himself to whatever Teledji Adeledji left behind. Dewlala: You, meanwhile, must do that which you alone can do: rescue Her Grace and take your place at her side once more. For her sake...and that of our nation.
Alphinaud: I had not counted on Prioress Dewlala herself appearing. In my defense, my suspicions regarding the sultana proved more prescient. Alphinaud: Much remains to be done, but in rescuing Raubahn, we have taken a vital first step towards resolving matters in Ul'dah. We couldn't have done it without you, Forename. Thank you.
To Siege or Not to Siege Alphinaud is distracted by a call on his linkpearl.
Alphinaud: Tataru? ...Yes, General Raubahn is now in safe hands. Alphinaud: What? ...Another assault? Very well. We shall return at once. Pray notify the count of our coming. Alphinaud: It would seem we face another crisis. The Dravanians are preparing to resume their siege of the Holy See. Alphinaud: ...Though I am loath to abandon the sultana to her fate, we lack the necessary evidence to act upon Dewlala's claims. Alphinaud: That being the case, I propose we leave Marshal Tarupin and the others to investigate, and return with all haste to Ishgard.
Tataru: Ah, there you are! Sorry for cutting your reunion with General Raubahn short. Tataru: I wouldn't have bothered you, but the city's awash with rumors of another Dravanian attack, and Lord Haurchefant was desperate to get hold of you. Speaking of whom, he and the others are waiting for you inside, so you'd better head in!
Haurchefant: My friend! I thank you for answering our call with such alacrity! As I am sure you are now aware, the Dravanians are once more gathering for war. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Mistress Surname, Master Leveilleur─I must apologize for this abrupt summons, but we thought it best to have Mistress Tataru contact you by the most direct means available. Artoirel: When the Observatorium's bells toll, 'tis a warning that cannot be ignored. The Holy See has ordered that we make ready for battle. Emmanellain: In case you haven't heard, a band of trappers returning from the west claim they saw a cloud of dragons big enough to dim the midday sky! Count Edmont de Fortemps: Nidhogg's minions gather once more for war... Count Edmont de Fortemps: But I would not have you take up arms in another of our conflicts. When first you came to Ishgard, I offered you my protection. If I cannot ensure your safety here, I cannot well accept your aid, much less ask for it. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Scions of the Seventh Dawn, you are faced with a choice: to remain in a besieged Ishgard, or seek sanctuary elsewhere. I would not presume to influence your decision, but I must ask that you make it swiftly, lest our enemies force your hand.
Alphinaud: Though we flee to the ends of the world, 'twould seem that no place in this troubled age is free of strife. Once more the Horde descends upon Ishgard, and once more her weary defenders must take up spear and bow. Alphinaud: The count would have us seek shelter from this storm, but I, for one, grow tired of running. If we are to shine the light of dawn, we must do so in the sight of our fellow man, not hunkered in a hole. Alphinaud: What say you, Forename?
  • What say you?
  • I would stay and fight. Alphinaud: Then fight we shall! Let it never be said that we abandoned our allies in their hour of need!
  • We cannot stay here. Alphinaud: ...That is your answer? By the Twelve, how could you─ But, wait. Mayhap remaining in the city would not best serve our friends and allies. Mayhap there is another choice...
  • Hmph. Alphinaud: ...That is your answer? By the Twelve, how could you─ But, wait. Mayhap remaining in the city would not best serve our friends and allies. Mayhap there is another choice...
Alphinaud's Way Alphinaud is deliberating how best to proceed.
Alphinaud: The choice we make this day may have grave implications for our order. It is only right that Tataru should have a say. Come, let us all meet outside and discuss the path that lies before us.
Alphinaud: Ishgard cannot well endure another assault. Even should her knights succeed in turning back the Horde, the casualties will be catastrophic. Tataru: But what other choice do we have? It's not like we can talk it over with them. Dragons and men aren't exactly on speaking terms. Alphinaud: ...With certain notable exceptions. Tataru: You don't mean...Iceheart!? Alphinaud: When last you spoke with her, she lamented her crimes, did she not? Alphinaud: Then there remains a sliver of hope. If we can persuade Iceheart to act as our intermediary, we may yet be able to convince Nidhogg to abandon his bloody course. Estinien: If there is to be a meeting, I would accompany you. Alphinaud: ...Estinien!? Estinien: Even with your intermediary, Nidhogg's bloodrage may render him deaf to reason. However, the mere attempt may afford our forces precious time to prepare. Estinien: Of course...you might also consider a more direct approach to ending this conflict. With the power of the Eye at my disposal, and the vaunted strength of the Warrior of Light, we could conceivably slay the beast outright... Alphinaud: If we are to risk a face-to-face meeting with the dread wyrm, I for one would feel safer in the company of the Azure Dragoon. However, I should only turn to your lance if my words failed to find their mark. Is that clear? Estinien: Perfectly. I shall assume that Iceheart enjoys similar diplomatic protection until instructed otherwise. Estinien: A word of advice: think carefully before divulging the particulars of this plan to Ser Aymeric. 'Twould not do to have the lord commander accused of consorting with heretics. Alphinaud: Indeed. I thank you for your counsel, Estinien. We shall be honored to have you with us. Estinien: I am glad to be of service. Alphinaud: We have chosen a difficult road─yet even should we succeed in winning Iceheart to our cause, our plans for parley will swiftly come to naught should the Holy See decide to strike first against the Horde. Alphinaud: We must petition the lord commander's aid ere we set forth. I only hope that Ser Aymeric will be willing to muzzle Ishgard's forces on the strength of our vague assurances. Alphinaud: Tataru─I would ask that you remain at Fortemps Manor and inform the count of our decision. Tell him that the Scions of the Seventh Dawn mean to do all in their power to ensure that Ishgard and her people survive. Tataru: Yes, sir!
Temple Knight Guard: You would speak with the lord commander? Pray make it quick.
  • Proceed to the Seat of the Lord Commander?
  • Yes
  • No
Aymeric: I want the defenses of the outer ward rechecked. See to it that the ballistas are in good repair and supplied with enough ammunition for a prolonged siege. Timorous Temple Knight: At once, my lord! Aymeric: Ah, 'twould seem I have visitors─and unlike those massing beyond our walls, these ones are welcome. Alphinaud: Pray forgive us for interrupting you in the midst of your preparations, Ser Aymeric, but our suit concerns the impending assault. To speak plain, we believe there is a chance the invasion might be halted before it even begins. Alphinaud: I can divulge little more at this time, but I must nevertheless request that you advise the Holy See to refrain from launching any preemptive sorties whilst we seek to put our plans in motion. Aymeric: I will gladly lend my support to any endeavor that could spare the blood of my countrymen─but I would know more of the cause you would have me champion. Will you not share aught of this mysterious undertaking? Estinien: Know that I have offered my lance to aid in this endeavor. I cannot claim that its success is assured, but our actions should serve to delay Nidhogg's advance at the very least. Estinien: Which is more than can be said for the ill-conceived counterattack advocated by the See's more vocal crusaders. They offer glorious death, but little hope of victory. Aymeric: Aye...their proposal does not inspire confidence. Our resources should rightly be spent shoring up the city's defenses. Aymeric: Hmmm. The Azure Dragoon and the Warrior of Light, sallying forth together to face the dread wyrm, Nidhogg... Aymeric: I must admit, the mere thought of it does much to dispel my misgivings. Go, then─carry out your plan. I shall do what I can for you within the Holy See.
Alphinaud: Having secured Ser Aymeric's support, we may proceed without fear of a preemptive Ishgardian attack─which is not to say we can afford to dither. Alphinaud: History tells us that the Dravanians will attack as soon as their Horde reaches a critical size. Before that happens, we must needs track down and win over the Lady Iceheart...and then locate and parley with Nidhogg. Alphinaud: In short, time is against us. If you are ready, Estinien, let us be about our task.
Archbishop Thordan VII: Such commotion... Zephirin: Yes, Your Eminence. The bells of the Observatorium warn of our enemy's approach... Archbishop Thordan VII: So...the dragons are coming. Archbishop Thordan VII: Let them come─in their hundreds and their thousands. With the divine blade in our hands, we shall rend their flesh and drown the heretics in their masters' blood. Even Nidhogg and his foul brood shall be powerless to resist us. Archbishop Thordan VII: And when we have rid the world of their pestilence, we shall turn our attention to our Ascian allies─see that they are suitably rewarded for their invaluable assistance. Zephirin: If I may, Your Eminence. The Paragons wield powers strange and unknowable. Can we be certain that they will not see through our deception? Archbishop Thordan VII: We can be certain of naught save the righteousness of our cause. If you would be a true leader of men, you must possess conviction as well as caution. Archbishop Thordan VII: We seek to excise the root of an evil that has blighted us for a thousand years. The risk is worth the reward. Zephirin: And what of Estinien and this Warrior of Light? They have plans of their own... Archbishop Thordan VII: Leave them to their purpose. We must each play the role we have been given...you and your chosen brothers most of all. Zephirin: For the glory of King Thordan...
In Search of Iceheart Alphinaud would see to one final matter before setting forth.
Alphinaud: Before we set forth, we must needs inform Tataru of our plans. Estinien: Then I shall await you at Saint Reinette's Forum. Tell your friend we may be some time─the road you have chosen is neither short nor easy. Alphinaud: Of that I need no reminding. Come, Forename. Let us head back to Fortemps Manor.
Alphinaud: Our course is set, Tataru. It may be some time before Forename and I return to Ishgard. Tataru: Well, just you be careful, all right? Oh, and don't worry about me─I'll be busy listening out for news of our lost friends! Alphinaud: If anyone can find them, it is you, Tataru. Farewell, for now... Tataru: Oh! Oh! Before you go! You must put this on, Alphinaud! I made it specially! Alphinaud: No, no, I...I couldn't possibly... <sigh> Very well. Alphinaud: By the Twelve... It fits perfectly. And the quality is...actually rather good. Tataru: I'm glad you like it! I've been practicing my needlework while I listen to rumors and the like. A good receptionist is always learning new skills! Alphinaud: My thanks, Tataru. Whatever else awaits me upon the road, I shall not fear the cold. Tataru: 'Twas the least I could do. Now, I must be getting back to the tavern, or I'll never catch up with all the gossip! Best of luck on your journey!
Estinien: You have said your farewells, then? Alphinaud: Aye, we are ready to depart. I suggest we begin our search for Lady Iceheart without delay. Estinien: Very well, but she will prove an elusive quarry. Where do you intend to start looking? Alphinaud: In the absence of any fresh intelligence on Ysayle's movements, I propose we pick up the trail where she was encountered last─the Coerthas western highlands. Alphinaud: Let us speak with...Ser Redwald, was it? As the commander of Falcon's Nest, it is like that he will know if any heretic activity has been reported in the area.
Redwald: Well, well! Mistress Surname! What business brings you back to Falcon's Nest? Redwald: ...Judging by the company you keep, it can be no trifling matter. The Azure Dragoon I know, of course, but I do not believe I have met this young gentleman...? Alphinaud: Alphinaud Leveilleur, at your service. And you are not mistaken as to the gravity of our mission, Ser Redwald. As I am sure you are aware, the Observatorium has warned that the Dravanians gather for another assault. Alphinaud: We believe there may yet be a way to avert the coming conflict─but only if we can find the elusive Lady Iceheart. Thus have we come to Falcon's Nest in the hope of acquiring the latest intelligence on the heretics' movements. Redwald: I see. Then you would be best served by speaking directly to my men. A patrol is due to return from its sweep of the surrounding lands at any moment. Redwald: You may also wish to question the knights assigned to pick over the remains of the heretic refuge at Gorgagne Mills. 'Tis possible they have unearthed information that could be of use to you. Mistress Surname knows well the place I speak of, for it was she who first discovered it. Estinien: Let us divide our forces, then. I will stay and await the return of the patrol while the two of you visit this refuge. When I have completed my inquiries, I will join you there. Alphinaud: A wise use of our time. Alphinaud: Come, Forename. I am eager to learn what Ser Redwald's men have found in the heretics' lair.
Expedition Leader: Mistress Surname! ...Our findings, you say? Well, there is something of a tale there... Expedition Leader: No sooner had we chanced upon a promising-looking sheaf of letters than we were ambushed from the shadows by great white beasts. Expedition Leader: 'Twould seem the heretics foresaw our coming, and left behind their pets to discourage further investigation. Several of our number were badly wounded... Alphinaud: ...And you cannot carry out your duties until the creatures are slain. We have not the time to wait for reinforcements─let us deal with these “pets” ourselves, Forename.
Expedition Leader: The beasts are slain, then? My thanks, Mistress Surname... We may return to our duty without fear of a mauling.
From One Heretic to Another The expedition leader has a promising lead to aid you in your search for Lady Iceheart.
Expedition Leader: You wish to track down Lady Iceheart, is this not so? The records we discovered ere those beasts mauled my comrades appeared to be some manner of correspondence. Expedition Leader: We had not the luxury of perusing their contents more closely─intent as we were on surviving an onslaught of fang and claw─but I'd wager those epistles contain more than friendly salutations betwixt lonely heretics. Estinien: My interrogation of the patrol proved fruitless. Either we divine some clue from these letters, or we wander the snowfields and pray that the gods lead us right to Iceheart's door. 'Tis hardly a choice at all...
Expedition Leader: Have you recovered much of the heretics' correspondence?
Heretic Epistle What appears to be a record of past correspondence held between individuals regarded as heretics by the Holy See.
Expedition Leader: Splendid. Added to the contributions from Master Leveilleur and Ser Estinien, we now have more than a dozen letters. Expedition Leader: What have we here, then... Hmmm. Every one of these pages is a record of the dealings betwixt the Gorgagne Mills heretics and their fellows in the Akh Afah Amphitheatre. Expedition Leader: There are requests for foodstuffs, clothing, and all manner of provisions. Iceheart's followers must yet inhabit the ruins we had thought abandoned...
Sounding Out the Amphitheatre Alphinaud seems intent on traveling to the Akh Afah Amphitheatre.
Alphinaud: The Akh Afah Amphitheatre... The very place where you witnessed the manifestation of the primal Shiva, was it not? Estinien: If that is our destination, the journey will be long indeed. The amphitheatre lies on the other side of a treacherous tract of ice and snow that cannot swiftly be crossed. Alphinaud: Then we must place our faith in the Aethernet. As you may recall, our dear friend Moenbryda succeeded in recreating the Akh Afah beacon after it had been destroyed by Lady Iceheart. At the time, it was assumed that the resultant aetheryte would only be temporarily viable, but given that the heretics of Gorgagne Mills seem to have been in regular contact with their brethren at the amphitheatre, I'll wager it still functions. I suggest we make for the aetheryte within Snowcloak without delay. Alphinaud: Correct me if I am wrong, Estinien, but in the course of mapping the Snowcloak tunnel system, a passage was discovered leading out into the western highlands, was it not? Might it be possible for us to reach the aetheryte from this side of the wall? Estinien: It should. House Durendaire posted soldiers at the western highlands entrance after the tunnels were cleared, but they will not deny us entry.
Tristechambel: Ah, the guests of House Fortemps...accompanied by the Azure Dragoon, no less! Tristechambel: I cannot imagine what brought you out this far, but you are welcome to enter the tunnels if that is your will. Alphinaud: Assuming the Akh Afah beacon still functions─and we must pray to the Twelve it does─we shall arrive at our destination in mere moments. Alphinaud: Though I do not expect to be greeted by the primal Shiva, we should nevertheless be prepared for a frosty reception. ...The heretics are not like to rejoice at the appearance of uninvited guests─particularly ones with our history.
Alphinaud: An impressive structure. I wonder how many ages it has endured... Estinien: Mayhap you should ask its occupants. They seem a friendly bunch. Heretic: Dogs of Ishgard! Is it not enough that you banish our beloved saint? Will you not be satisfied until the ice is slick with the last drops of our blood!? Alphinaud: Stay your weapons! We come under the flag of parley! We wish only to speak with your mistress, that we might broker a peace! Heretic: Do you think us fools, boy!? It will take more than honeyed words to earn our trust. You walk with the dragonslayer, and we know all too well what he is capable of! Estinien: My reputation precedes me... Alphinaud: <sigh> ...They give us little choice. Heretic: Come, brothers! May dragon wings bear us to victory!
Wild-eyed Swordsman: You will not defile this sacred place a second time! Alphinaud: N-No! Wait! We did not come here to fight! Estinien Wyrmblood: Waste no more words on them. They are deaf to reason. Estinien Wyrmblood: By the Fury... They partake of the blood of dragons! Alphinaud: Seven hells... Can dragon blood truly bring about such a transformation? Louistiaux of the First Line: You should not have come here, Ishgardians... Louistiaux of the First Line: You are fortunate indeed. Behold the true power of our faith! Alphinaud: Twelve forfend! Estinien Wyrmblood: At last, a foe I might sink my lance into.
Heretic: <gasp> Th-They fight like demons... 'Tis death to remain! Heretic: Fall back, brothers! Retreat to the Cinders! Alphinaud: I see no sign of Lady Iceheart. Would that we could have questioned one of them... Estinien: What would you ask that we do not already know? They make for the Cinders, and so must we. Even should an ambush await us, 'tis certain there will be more heretics to question. Alphinaud: “The Cinders,” you say? I confess, the name is unknown to me. Mayhap you would be so good as to enlighten us, Estinien? Estinien: ...I suspect it is the heretics' way of referring to the Dreaming Dragon─an island of sorts found in the midst of the frozen lake of Ashpool. Estinien: Some five hundred years past, 'tis told that the Azure Dragoon of the age fought a dragon of titanic proportions. After a savage struggle, the mighty creature was weakened unto the point of death, and forced into a magicked slumber by an entire chapter of the Holy See's sorcerers. Estinien: Ere long, a rain of ash and cinders did begin to fall upon the sleeping serpent's motionless form, covering the creature at length in a shroud of grey. ...Of course, a thick layer of ice has since formed on top of it, but you may be sure I speak true. Alphinaud: A fascinating tale. We should make haste to this ashen isle.
Estinien: The Dreaming Dragon lies far to the west. Before we approach the frozen beast, however, there is another place I would visit first. Estinien: I am told the Convictors have set up camp in Twinpools. Their leader, Jantellot, may have information of use to us. Estinien: Ah, but mayhap you are not familiar with that name, either... The Convictors are dragonslayers─after a fashion─but I am willing to wager that they encounter their fair share of heretics. If we are indeed walking into a trap, I would learn all there is to know of our foe. Alphinaud: A sound suggestion. Let us speak with these Convictors, then, and temper our haste with a measure of caution.
Jantellot: Well, well. What do we have here? Hoping to join the esteemed ranks of the Convictors, are we? Jantellot: The hard-eyed lass looks promising, but you have a frail look about you, boy... I give you three days ere the wilds claim your corpse. Alphinaud: I beg your pardon...? Estinien: Be not so quick to judge. I have seen this “frail” youth fell heretics with a flick of his wrist. Jantellot: And who are you to question my─ By the Fury! Jantellot: That armor... That lance! The Azure Dragoon himself graces our camp! Jantellot: Pray forgive my disrespect, ser. I am Jantellot─leader of the Convictors and fellow slayer of dragons. Jantellot: ...May I ask what winds─fair or foul─carry you into our humble camp? Jantellot: Ah. Lady Iceheart, is it? Aye, I know her by reputation─but I'm afraid I've seen naught of her or her people. Jantellot: That said, my own men can be...ahem...somewhat lax when it comes to making reports. You may wish to question them yourselves. Alphinaud: Thank you. We shall. Alphinaud: Forename, Estinien─let us make our way through the camp, and see what information there is to be had.
Camp of the Convictors Alphinaud is eager to gather information on the heretics.
Alphinaud: Surely one of these people will have encountered heretics while out hunting. Pray speak with as many as you can, Forename.
Boorish Banneret: Nay, I know of no heretics. Do you honestly expect me to keep track of every Raitmeaux, Vairemont, and Bertennant that wanders in and out of camp?
Boorish Bowman: Hm? Are there any heretics in the area? I have not the faintest idea. Why, a heretic could pass under my very nose and I should be none the wiser. Boorish Bowman: I hunt dragons, my dear lady! The big ones! Forever do I scan the skies for signs of my prey─I care not for the miserable creatures that scurry upon the ground!
Luciae: Looking for heretics, you say? Hmph. Why don't you go and bother Pierriquet or someone? Luciae: I've enough trouble keeping these preening fops fed and clothed as it is. 'Tis no business of mine what folk do with themselves out there in the wilds.
Pierriquet: Summat I can help you with, milady? Pierriquet: Heretics, is it? Well, I've never seen one meself...but that ain't to say I haven't heard a thing or two. Alphinaud: We would be grateful for any information you can share with us. The gods know we've gleaned precious little from talking to the rest of these...people. Pierriquet: If it please milord, I'm Pierriquet─a soldier by trade, though not much of one, if I'm honest. It weren't for the love of stabbing folk that I took up the spear, see. Pierriquet: No, it was by order of Ser Jantellot's father. Still, as long as they keep paying me wages, I ain't fussy as to what they have me do. Pierriquet: Not everyone's as patient as me, though. Plenty of lowborn lads who get pressed into service start grumbling before they've seen their second battle. Pierriquet: And once they've got to thinking how unfair it all is, it don't take much for the heretics to turn their heads. From what I hear, the simple promise of freedom tends to do it. Alphinaud: That may explain how Lady Iceheart was able to expand her following so swiftly. Pierriquet: Sad to say, some mates of mine gobbled down the heretics' tripe and asked for seconds─told me they were off to the western highlands to light a signal fire. That's how you let the heretics know you're serious about joining their ranks, apparently. Send up some purple smoke, and the bastards come to you. Estinien: ...Is that so? Why then...I am minded to start a fire.
Purple Flame, Purple Flame Estinien wishes to prepare a signal fire to lure in the heretics.
Estinien: If we are to lure our foes to our position, then we must find a means of producing a signal of purple hue. Estinien: ...As it so happens, I once heard the tale of a trapper who dropped the hide of a wooly yak onto his campfire. Aside from the terrible stench, the story also described in detail how the smoke from the smothered flames was tinged a deep violet. Estinien: You are a monster hunter of some note, are you not, Forename? It should prove a trifling task for you to procure a number of hides. We may need to burn more than one ere the heretics notice our beacon. Estinien: Master Alphinaud. You and I shall gather wood for the fire. Aye, it will take the both of us to find enough dry fuel in this frozen wasteland. Let us meet again at the Dreaming Dragon with the fruits of our labor.
Estinien: 'Twould seem that collecting firewood is a new experience for Master Alphinaud. His must have been a privileged upbringing... Ahem. Have you the hides we need?
Yak Hide The bristly hide of a (now hideless) yak.
Iceheart (Ysayle): Ah, I should have known it would be you... Iceheart (Ysayle): Word reached me of a struggle with a small but well-armed band of trespassers. Forgive my comrades their hostility─few come here uninvited, and fewer still with good intent. Iceheart (Ysayle): Now, tell me why you are here.
  • What will you say to Lady Iceheart?
  • We wish to stop Nidhogg's attack on Ishgard.
  • We wished to speak with you.
Iceheart (Ysayle): So, you seek to stem the Dravanian tide with talk? A romantic notion. Iceheart (Ysayle): If you but knew the truth─the spark which lit the flames of this animosity─you would understand the futility of your quest. Iceheart (Ysayle): Shall I relate it to you? The sordid history my gift has shown me? That which the Holy See has taken such pains to suppress? Iceheart (Ysayle): 'Twas more than a millennium past when an Elezen tribe first sought to claim the lands of Coerthas as its home. Iceheart (Ysayle): Unfortunately for them, Coerthas was already home to dragonkind, and they were not inclined to make way for the invaders. Thus did a bloody war begin─a war which might well have rumbled on until one or the other side was exterminated, had it not been for the resolve of a single woman. That woman's name was “Shiva.” Iceheart (Ysayle): While those around her fought and died, she attempted to parley with the dragons, and in so doing discovered them to be possessed of profound intelligence and reason. The great wyrm Hraesvelgr in particular so enchanted Shiva that she found herself growing to love the creature, whom her people considered a monster. Iceheart (Ysayle): In the eyes of a near-immortal dragon, however, the fleeting life of an Elezen is as that of a freshly cut rose─scarce has the flower bloomed before it begins to fade and wither. Iceheart (Ysayle): Such melancholy musings plagued Hraesvelgr, who had found in Shiva an unexpected and beloved soulmate. He knew that all too soon, death would snatch her away from him. Iceheart (Ysayle): Unable to bear the thought of their separation, the maid bid the wyrm consume her, that their spirits might be entwined for eternity. Iceheart (Ysayle): ...Though loath to perform the deed, Hraesvelgr ultimately gave in to her plea, and soon thereafter, the tale of their ill-fated love spread throughout the two warring factions. No more could they raise blade or claw against one another, knowing that the souls of their kin were so inextricably bound. Iceheart (Ysayle): In the days that followed, man and dragon learned to live in harmony, and together built a nation unlike any the world had ever known. For two hundred years did this blissful age of peace continue, as it would to this day, had vilest envy not stirred in the hearts of the Elezen. Iceheart (Ysayle): It is said that wyrms owe their longevity to the boundless reserves of vitality found within their eyes─and 'twas in this belief that a traitorous band of knights deceived their allies of some two centuries, and took by force that which they coveted... Iceheart (Ysayle): Nidhogg─he who now stands poised to unleash his wyrmlings upon Ishgard─was the great dragon who lost an eye to Elezen treachery. Iceheart (Ysayle): And until he prises it from the hands of the traitors' progeny, no amount of conciliatory words will stay his fury. Estinien: You are wrong, Lady Iceheart. Estinien: Lest you misunderstand, I do not doubt your vision of the past─'tis true that Nidhogg greatly desired to reclaim the Eye. Estinien: Indeed, it was for that very reason that I kept it with me as I roamed the land, attempting to draw him away from the city. Alphinaud: Good gods... Estinien: Until recently, Nidhogg seemed unable to resist its allure, and pursued me relentlessly. Needless to say, that is no longer the case. Now, it would seem he has fixed his attention on Ishgard itself, though he knows full well the Eye does not reside there. Iceheart (Ysayle): You believe he targets the capital for another reason...? Estinien: I believe reason has all but left him. Through the Eye, I feel much of what Nidhogg feels, and the dragon's thirst for vengeance will not be quenched by aught less than a sea of blood. Alphinaud: If Nidhogg is indeed lost to reason, might we not seek an audience with Hraesvelgr instead? Alphinaud: He has thus far shown no inclination to aid in the invasion of Ishgard, and may yet welcome our efforts to broker a peace. Iceheart (Ysayle): You still believe that a peaceable solution can be found? Very well. I will take you to him. Iceheart (Ysayle): Our road will lead us to Dravania, the homeland of dragonkind. There we shall ascend unto the clouds, where Hraesvelgr resides... Alphinaud: Is aught amiss, my friend? Alphinaud: I sense the many battles are beginning to take their toll. Rest awhile. And should you lose sight of us─Dravania lies beyond the mountains to the west. Midgardsormr: Curious... The vestiges of thy mistress's blessing are not as faint as once they were... Midgardsormr: Thy will to succeed grants thee unusual fortitude. But will it be enough...?
Where the Chocobos Roam Lady Iceheart stands ready to lead you and your companions into Dravania.
Ysayle: You are Forename, yes? Pray address me as “Ysayle” if you wish.
...'Tis passing strange, is it not, that fate should bring us together thus. Never did I think to walk alongside the Warrior of Light. Ysayle: ...But history is full of such unexpected alliances. Shall we make our way into Dravania, then? Ysayle: The chill of the western highlands is unrelenting, and I would sooner be under the sheltering canopy of the Chocobo Forest.
Count Edmont de Fortemps: Beyond Abalathia's Spine—the great mountain range that spans the continent of Aldenard from east to west... Count Edmont de Fortemps: Into the deepening shadows of Sohm Al, where lies the ancient home of dragonkind... Count Edmont de Fortemps: To a land where the soil slithers, and the skies seethe with sinuous shapes, they came.
Ysayle: We now stand on the threshold of Dravania. The path to Sohm Al will take us far to the west, beyond the embrace of the forest's branches. Ysayle: It will be a long and demanding journey. Might I suggest that we take our rest at the village up ahead, and see that we are properly provisioned? Alphinaud: There is a village here? But I thought these lands the sole domain of dragonkind. Why would anyone choose to live in so perilous a place? Ysayle: The wild chocobos. Tailfeather was built by hunters who make their living capturing and selling the beasts. Their leader, Marcechamp, is an acquaintance of mine. Ysayle: Being a gregarious sort, he will no doubt welcome our arrival. And he will also possess more recent knowledge of the road we seek to travel. I trust there are no objections? Estinien: Only to this ceaseless chatter. If we are to meet this acquaintance of yours, let us do it before Ishgard burns.
Marcechamp: Well, tan my hide an' call me leatherface, we have visitors! Marcechamp: Oho, an' if it ain't the lovely Ysayle! It's been too long, girl! Ysayle: That it has, Marcechamp. That it has. Ysayle: My companions and I are on a pilgrimage to Sohm Al. Might we stay in Tailfeather awhile, and prepare for the next leg of our journey? Marcechamp: Of course, of course, stay as long as you like! In fact, I wouldn't suggest leavin' the forest at all. The dragons've been absolutely bleedin' murderous of late. Alphinaud: Forgive me, sir, but I am not sure I understand. Do the dragons not bother you here in the forest? Marcechamp: Bother us? Did Ysayle not explain things to you, boy? Marcechamp: You've seen them towerin' caelumtrees all about, haven't you? If you were flyin' above the canopy, you'd barely be able to see the ground. Marcechamp: An' as you'd expect, the local wildlife's canny enough to stay hidden beneath the leaves─which is why the dragons do their huntin' elsewhere, an' we can do ours in peace. Alphinaud: ...I see. Thank you for the explanation. Marcechamp: You're welcome. Now, I know it won't stop Ysayle here, but dragons ain't the only things you'll need to keep an eye out for. Especially if you're set on headin' west...
Worse than Dragons Marcechamp would give you fair warning about what awaits to the west.
Marcechamp: I daresay you're wonderin' what could possibly be worse than dragons, eh? Well, I'll tell you: the bloody Gnath. They're what you might get if you crossed an antling with a megalocrab an' taught the thing how to walk on two legs. Marcechamp: They never used to stray far from their hives out of fear of the dragons, but they've gotten a lot more aggressive of late, sendin' out war parties for malms in all directions. Marcechamp: They've even taken to harassin' the Dravanians in their own lairs, if you can believe it. Marcechamp: An' when they venture into the forest─which is more an' more, by the way─they certainly ain't afraid to come after my lot. I can only imagine how much worse it'd be closer to the Gnath's home territory...
Ysayle: 'Twould seem that much has changed in Dravania. The Gnath were not wont to cause such strife when I lived here. Alphinaud: You lived here? In Dravania? Ysayle: Aye, 'twas in the time following the Calamity. My family was dead, my home was gone, and I had fled from the bitter cold into these lands. I knew not the paths of the forest then, and wandered out from under the protection of its boughs. Ysayle: That was when I chanced upon Hraesvelgr. He had descended from his mountain lair to hunt for food. Ysayle: My exhausted mind could not contend with the sight of the majestic wyrm─nor the vision of the past his presence visited upon me. Thankfully, Marcechamp found my unconscious form at the edge of the trees, and nursed me back to health. And in Tailfeather I remained for some time. Alphinaud: ...Hence your familiarity with the locals. But I interrupted you─you were saying these Gnath were once a peaceful people? Ysayle: “Peaceful” would not be the most fitting description. They are a fiercely territorial tribe, and any who intrude upon their domain are attacked without hesitation or quarter. Ysayle: Outside the borders of their homeland, however, they were rarely hostile. Indeed, we were even able to trade with them on occasion. Estinien: They have changed, then. What of it? We have not the time to creep through the underbrush on some roundabout route. I say we make straight for Sohm Al and crush any unruly insect we meet underfoot. Ysayle: A more direct path, then. Very well. Let us first follow the trail west out of the forest, and make for the statue of the Stained One. Ysayle: From there, we should have a fair view of the road that leads to Sohm Al. Shall we...?
Alphinaud: Should we chance to meet Marcechamp again, remind me to thank him. Had he not warned us to expect the Gnath, I doubt I would be standing here. Alphinaud: ...Amid ruins that I would tentatively describe as Ishgardian...? The style, if not quite identical, betrays a definite resemblance... Ysayle: You have a scholar's eye, Master Alphinaud. This structure is, in fact, over a thousand years old. It is a remnant of the age when our ancestors and dragonkind lived together in peace. Estinien: Hmph. You claim this as evidence of our harmonious past? I was taught that these buildings were constructed by heretics, in honor of your Dravanian masters. This rubble inspires no such awe in me... Ysayle: Stubborn fool. How desperately you cling to the false teachings of your beloved Holy See! Alphinaud: Enough! Both of you! You threaten the success of our mission with this incessant squabbling! Alphinaud: Forename, pray reason with these two.
  • What will you say?
  • Our goals are the same. Alphinaud: Quite! Lest you forget, our goal is to prevent a war which will claim the lives of Dravanians and Ishgardians alike. If we are to accomplish this, you must learn to tolerate each other's presence.
  • Set aside your differences for now. Alphinaud: Quite! Lest you forget, our goal is to prevent a war which will claim the lives of Dravanians and Ishgardians alike. If we are to accomplish this, you must learn to tolerate each other's presence.
  • The truth of the past will be revealed. Alphinaud: Quite! Lest you forget, our goal is to prevent a war which will claim the lives of Dravanians and Ishgardians alike. If we are to accomplish this, you must learn to tolerate each other's presence.
  • <grunt> Alphinaud: ...Gods above, even Forename has lost patience with you. We have a common goal, lest you forget: to prevent a war which will claim countless lives on both sides. If we are to accomplish this, you must learn to tolerate each other's presence.
Alphinaud: Trust in Forename's gift─in time, the secrets of history will be brought to light. Let that be enough, Estinien. Estinien: You would have me keep my counsel until Forename's visions confirm the truth? Very well. But bait me not. Ysayle: Our meeting with Hraesvelgr will likely provide the catalyst Forename's gift requires─as it did mine. Let us press on.
The Trine Towers Ysayle wishes to survey the approach to the distant towers.
Ysayle: Spy you the three great towers to the west? Ishgardians know them as Anyx Trine. The place serves as a roost for Hraesvelgr's lesser kindred. Ysayle: If we are to reach the peak of Sohm Al, then we must first beseech these dragons to open the way. But do not be disheartened─the one who leads them is a friend. Ysayle: Of rather more concern is the disposition of the Gnath. Let us survey the approach to the towers, and see if the path is clear.
Ysayle: 'Tis as I feared: the road ahead is teeming with Gnath soldiers. Alphinaud: Marcechamp did not exaggerate, then. These beastmen have grown brazen indeed if they would threaten the dragons so openly. Do they intend to assault the lair itself...? Ysayle: I pray they do not... Mighty though my Dravanian friends are, they are yet vulnerable to the Gnath's muskets. Ysayle: There is no route save the one before us. Should the beastmen offer battle, we have no choice but to accept.
Ysayle: I take no pleasure in killing the Gnath. 'Twas to avoid bloodshed that I agreed to join you on this journey. Ysayle: ...Well, it cannot be helped.
We may proceed into the courtyard together─but leave the task of hailing its occupants to me. Ysayle: And keep your lance on your back, dragoon. Estinien: On my word to the Warrior of Light, I shall start no fight...only finish it. Ysayle: You truly are beyond salvation. Come, then...
Ysayle: Vidofnir! Vidofnir: Ah, 'tis thee, Little One. From above, I did mistake thee for a Gnath. 'Tis well I chanced to look again, or thou wouldst now be ash. Ysayle: Dear Vidofnir...how I have missed you. Would that I had come sooner...and not out of dire necessity. Vidofnir: Thou art troubled. Speak, that I might know thy plight. Vidofnir: Thou wouldst have Father admonish his brood-brother? Ysayle: I would end this war without further bloodshed. Vidofnir: How am I to believe thee, Little One...when thine own companion beareth Nidhogg's stolen eye!? Estinien: Have care, dragon...or I shall gouge out one of yours. Ysayle: You forget yourself, ser! We are here on a mission of peace! Vidofnir: My sire's will forbiddeth me from inviting discord to our home... 'Tis for this reason, and no other, that thou still drawest breath, knight. Ysayle: Vidofnir, please─we must be allowed to convey our intentions to Hraesvelgr in person, with words of our own choosing. Ysayle: Grant us this favor, and open the way to Sohm Al! Vidofnir: Thou hast ever been welcome, Little One. Vidofnir: ...But I cannot grant thy wish. I am bound to remain here, and protect my kin from the Gnath's god. Ysayle: The Gnath have summoned a primal!? Alphinaud: Pray excuse my forwardness, but if we were to eliminate the threat to your territory, would you consent to Lady Ysayle's request? Vidofnir: Ha! Dost thou imagine thyself equal to the task─to succeed where dragons have failed? Vidofnir: 'Tis beyond thee, mortal. But thou art welcome to try, nonetheless. Only know that idle promises shall avail thee naught! Ysayle: It would seem we have no choice but to make good on Alphinaud's offer. Why must our every bid for peace breed yet more war?
Gifts for the Outcasts Ysayle seems occupied with thoughts of the Gnath and their primal.
Ysayle: So, the Gnath have summoned their god... And thus is the mystery of their newfound belligerence laid to rest. Estinien: Are you not glad, Lady Iceheart? I thought you would applaud them for summoning a primal to further their own ends. After all...you did. Ysayle: I did not reach out to Saint Shiva to further mine own ends! I desired her strength only to forge anew the peace between man and dragon! But what a fool I am to speak of peace to you─a bloodthirsty savage who murders without thought or compunction! Alphinaud: Enough! Enough, I say! If the Gnath have truly brought forth their deity from the aether, we must face it together or watch our hopes fall apart! All now rests upon this primal's defeat. Alphinaud: ...But ere we think of confronting it, we must first study its origins. What is the nature of this god? What manner of faith sustains its existence? Ysayle: ...My apologies. You are right, of course. Let us return to Tailfeather and consult with Marcechamp─he knows more of the Gnath and their culture than most.
Marcechamp: Oho! Back already, are we?
...Hm? Ah, met the Gnath, did you? And what is it you'd like to─ Marcechamp: Summoned a primal, you say!? Seven hells... Well, I don't know bugger all about Gnath religion, if I'm honest. Beyond their tradin' habits, there never seemed much point in askin'. Marcechamp: But it shouldn't be that hard to find out. From time to time, we barter with a small hive to the north and west of here─outcasts from the main tribe, from what I understand. I reckon they'd be willin' to tell you a bit about 'emselves...if you give 'em the right incentives. Alphinaud: That sounds promising. And what exactly would a Gnath consider to be “the right incentives”? Marcechamp: Oh, nothin' your average hunter couldn't scrounge up in a day or two. But seein' as you're in a hurry, you might want to divide the chores amongst yourselves. You'll want a good-sized jar of landtrap nectar, a basket of caelumtree fruit, and─always a Gnath favorite─a generous portion of young nanka flesh. Estinien: I shall gather the fruit─leaping to the lower branches of these forest giants should present little challenge to me. Ysayle: Then I shall collect the nectar...with Master Alphinaud's arcane assistance. Marcechamp: An' that leaves you to bring home the meat. You'll need to carve it from the smaller nankas that live in the rivers─three big hunks should be enough, I reckon. Marcechamp: Once you've got everythin' together, you'll need to set it down at what we call the “tradin' post.” Here─I'll mark the spot on your map for you. Alphinaud: You have been most kind, Master Marcechamp. Alphinaud: Well, then! Let us attend to our respective tasks, and reconvene at the trading post. I need hardly add that the last one there is a rotten nanka egg!
Alphinaud: I was able to gather a goodly amount of nectar from the landtraps─though I would not have known how to harvest it without Ysayle's help. Do you have the nanka meat?
Nanka Flesh The tender tail meat of an underdeveloped ninki nanka.
Alphinaud: Splendid. I shall put this with Estinien's fruit and assemble a suitably generous-looking hamper for the Gnath.
The Nonmind Alphinaud is eager to make contact with the Gnath.
Alphinaud: Well, everything appears to be in order. Assuming no one has any objections to my choice of presentation, I shall place our offerings at the trading post as instructed. Were I of the Gnath, I think I would be suitably impressed. Alphinaud: Well? How long must we wait? Should we have sounded a signal or some such? Estinien: Calm yourself, Master Alphinaud. Our offering has not gone unnoticed. Vath Fleetfoot: <click> <click> Long has it been since hunters last came to trade, bearing gifts that filled the air with such delightful scents. Excited Gnath: Landtrap nectar! Exultant Gnath: Caelumtree fruit! Gnath Trio: And nanka flesh! Vath Fleetfoot: What delectable foods you have brought for us. Our meager existence is much enriched by your bounty. Vath Fleetfoot: <click> <click> Come, hunters. Come to our hive if you would trade. Cramped and stifling our homes are, but the rancid incense keeps the dragons at bay. Excited Gnath: Cramped! Exultant Gnath: Stifling! Gnath Trio: And horribly smelly! Vath Fleetfoot: But better to live in stench than be cracked and crunched by dragon jaws, yes? Come, come, it is not far.
Vath Fleetfoot: <click> <click> Your presence has been announced to the storyteller. You must speak to our chosen leader in words, for we are Vath. We are the Nonmind.
Vath Storyteller: <click> <click> Welcome to our hive, hunters. You have brought delicacies much sought after by our people, and we are much pleased. What would you have in return? Alphinaud: Honored elder─pray allow me to begin by thanking you for welcoming us into your home, and for accepting our humble offerings. My companions and I are come in search of knowledge─specifically, knowledge of your people's god. Vath Storyteller: Knowledge alone? What strange hunters you are! But if it is words you desire, then words you shall have! We are the Vath─the Nonmind─and to speak is our fate! Vath Storyteller: You will hear the tale of the Gnath's god─of the god the Onemind summoned into our midst. Ysayle: The “Onemind”...these are the Gnath who reside in the main colony? Vath Storyteller: Yes, they are one. Connected. But let us begin the story at its beginning... Vath Storyteller: Some moons ago, a single dragon flew in from the east, bleeding and weak. It fell from the sky and into the hive, where it was swarmed by my brethren. And with spear, and spell, and musket, the dragon was slain. Estinien: 'Twas likely one that had fled battle with my kinsmen. I should commend you for finishing the job. Vath Storyteller: Dragons are fierce and terrible adversaries. The Onemind would always cower when their winged shadows passed over the ground. But no longer─they had learned that a battle-weary Dravanian was easy prey. Vath Storyteller: Thus did the Overmind decide to heed the words of the black-robed men. The Onemind would call forth our god, and unleash His blades upon the dragons... Vath Storyteller: Dravanian lands would become Gnath lands, and ever larger would grow our domain. Vath Storyteller: But our god ever hungers. The price He demands in crystals far exceeds the rewards for this war. We of the Vath despise and revile His insatiable existence!
A Gnathic Deity Ysayle seems troubled by the Gnath's war of expansion.
Ysayle: I call upon the power of a primal for the greater good...conscious all the while that I do so at grave cost to the land. I reason that it is a necessary evil, and willingly shoulder the burden of my sin. Ysayle: In suggesting that such crimes can be justified, you may argue that I presume too much─but you must surely see that I am aware of the magnitude of my transgressions. Not so the Gnath. They summon their deity for no greater purpose than to expand their dominion. Alphinaud: To a Scion of the Seventh Dawn─one sworn to eliminate the primal threat─the distinction you draw seems questionable at best. But the fact remains that my own grandfather risked unleashing the power of the Twelve in an attempt to prevent the Calamity. Thus, while I may not condone your actions, I at least understand them. Alphinaud: Not so the Gnath, as you so rightly put it. If they truly seek naught but territorial gain, I can only conclude that they are ignorant of the ruinous consequences of their god's insatiable appetite. The longer this primal is suffered to exist, the greater the suffering it will cause. It must be destroyed. Estinien: How lightly you propose the destruction of this god, Master Alphinaud─a being of whom we know naught. Has it occurred to you that you may be sending the Warrior of Light to her death? Alphinaud: No, I─ <sigh> ...You have the right of it, Estinien. 'Twould seem it is I who am guilty of presuming too much. Alphinaud: Pray forgive me, Forename.
  • How do you respond?
  • I do not fear my duty.
  • ...
Ysayle: Wait. Forename need not face this foe alone. Like her, I am blessed with the Echo's protection, and may do battle without fear of primal influence. Let me bear this burden. Estinien: Ha! Do you truly imagine yourself a second Warrior of Light? Remind me: how many primals have you faced, my lady? Not that it matters─we know not where this god resides, or how to challenge it. Unless you mean to pray until it appears? Alphinaud: Hm. Estinien makes a valid point. Let us speak with the Vath, and learn how best to secure an audience with their deity. In this, at least, I may be of assistance. Estinien: The young lord certainly appears eager to prove his worth...
Cibleroit: We are Vath. We are the Nonmind. We do not hear the Onemind's thoughts. We cannot predict their will.
Vath Fleetfoot: <click> <click> Put this idea from your minds, generous hunters. If you meet with our god, then He will have your souls. Surely you are not so generous as that?
Vath Storyteller: <click> <click> You wish to meet our god? Offer yourself as a sacrifice, and you will soon be brought before Him. We would mourn the loss of such generous hunters, however...
Voracious Vath: You are generous hunters, yes? Many gifts you have brought, but not enough for all Vath to enjoy. Maybe you could bring us just one more? Voracious Vath: We are very fond of nanka flesh. Yes, the meat of a young nanka would make a fine repast.
Voracious Vath: We Vath do enjoy our nanka flesh. Have you been out hunting yet...?
Nanka Flesh The tender tail meat of an underdeveloped ninki nanka.
Voracious Vath: Another gift for the Vath!? So unexpected! Mmm, yes, you will have more of the words you strange hunters hunger for. Listen, now. Voracious Vath: The senses of the Onemind are enmeshed by the Overmind─what one sees, all see; what one feels, all feel. Voracious Vath: Alert a single Gnath, and the whole hive is alerted. To reach our god undetected is all but impossible!
Alphinaud: The Vath are wont to allude to certain concepts without explanation, but I believe I am beginning to grasp a few of the fundamentals. Alphinaud: From what I understand, the king-like “Overmind” sits at the center of Gnath society, and its presence somehow allows its subjects to communicate without need of word or gesture. Alphinaud: These Gnath─the ones who inhabit the larger hive─are known as the “Onemind,” and it was by their combined will that the primal was summoned. Alphinaud: Those who reside in this smaller hive, however, are the Vath─or the “Nonmind”─who, for reasons that yet escape me, seem to have been excluded from the telepathic bond which connects their Gnath counterparts. Thus are the Vath ignorant of the Onemind's thoughts and intentions. Estinien: ...And of the nature of their own god. In summary, we have wasted our time. Ysayle: Not so. Perilous though it may be, the Vath did furnish us with one certain method of approaching the primal: as sacrifices. Should we allow ourselves to be captured in the environs of the colony, the Gnath will bring us before their deity to make an offering of our souls...
Breaking into Hives Alphinaud wishes to review Ysayle's plan for infiltrating the Gnath hive.
Alphinaud: Forgive me, but let us be clear about what it is that you propose. You mean to say that you would deliberately provoke the Gnath, surrender yourself into what might generously be termed their “custody,” and then wait until their god arrives to claim your soul? Ysayle: Aye, that fairly well describes my plan. You will join me in this endeavor, will you not, Forename? Ysayle: Judging by the great risks you took to prevent the summoning of Saint Shiva, you are not a woman to err on the side of caution. Estinien: ...Would that I could fight at your side, Warrior of Light. But the power of the dragon is no protection against primal influence. Forgive me, but I must remain here with Master Alphinaud. Ysayle: Then it is settled. Forename, you and I shall challenge the guards at the entrance to the colony. Once the hive is roused, we shall feign a brief show of resistance, and then allow them to take us prisoner.
Gnath Drone: <click> <click> Intruders! Your lives are forfeit!
Ysayle: The Overmind must by now be aware of our intrusion. Let us press on into the hive, and ensure that we have our hosts' undivided attention.
Ysayle: That should be sufficient. If we did not have our hosts' full attention before, we must surely have it now... Ysayle: Our audience with the primal may be granted soon after our capture. Pray advise me once you have steeled your mind for the battle to come.
Lord of the Hive Ysayle awaits an opportunity to surrender to the Gnath.
Ysayle: You are prepared, then? Ysayle: Hold here, Forename. When next the Gnath come, we offer no resistance. Gnath soldiers: Surrender, intruders! There is no escape! Ysayle: Enough! We surrender! We throw ourselves upon the mercy of your god!
Ysayle: They seem eager to proceed. Good. When they take us before their lord, pray leave matters to me. If what I know of summoning rituals holds true, I shall be well placed to act. Ysayle: ...Hmmm. Mark the sound of the river rushing through the ravine behind us. Passing loud, is it not? I imagine the noise would serve to mask our escape should we need to withdraw temporarily. Ysayle: But you are prepared, are you not? I do hope so. If I were to be dragged away for sacrifice while you were haggling over the price of potions, I should not be amused.
Gnath Priest: O Lord Ravana! Master of the Sacred Blades! Wrath of the Colony! Conqueror of the World! Hear our prayer! Gnath Priest: Pray grant unto Your devoted children the gift of Your divine presence! Ysayle: He comes! Ravana: All strength to the colony. Speak and I shall listen! Gnath Priest: O Glorious General! We have captured intruders, and would make unto You an offering of their life's blood... Ravana: These feeble fleshlings dared to invade Gnath lands? Ysayle: Hear me, Lord Ravana! My companion and I did not come to contest your children's territory. Ysayle: We wished only to learn the reason you wage war against the dragons. Ravana: Thou wouldst flirt with death merely to satisfy thy curiosity? Wherefore should the glorious conquests of the Gnath concern thee so, Elezen? Ravana: ...Ahhh, mayhap thine own kind's struggle against the wyrms fareth poorly, and thou art desirous of a pact. Ysayle: We crave no alliance, Lord Ravana─only peace. We would bring an end to our war with the dragons. Yet so long as they remain embroiled in this conflict with your children, our goal shall remain out of reach. Ysayle: Never before have the Gnath risen up in such numbers, and never yet with you at their head. Why do you lead them to war? Ravana: Thy question hath no meaning. To live is but to fight. Ravana: Long have my children waited, gathering their strength in the shadow of thy ceaseless conflict. Ravana: The Gnath would see the Dravanians slain, and their territory secured─and by such fervent prayers am I now given form and purpose. Ysayle: As I feared, your very existence is an obstacle to our goal. Since you are so fond of fighting, we challenge you, Lord of the Gnath! Ysayle: And should we emerge the victors, I would have you swear to withdraw your soldiers from Dravanian soil! Ravana: Gahahaha! Thou art bold indeed to risk thy fleshy hide so readily! Ravana: Very well. I, Ravana, fourfold master of the blade, do accept thy challenge! Ravana: But should I emerge the victor, I would have thee swear to serve in mine army till thy last breath is spent! Do you accept!? Ysayle: I do! And I believe the first bout is mine! Ravana: What is this!? A god clad in flesh!? Shiva: Is aught amiss, my lord? Thou wilt not break thy word, I trust. Ravana: Mine oath is unbending as steel, little goddess! Thy ruse will but add to mine enjoyment! Shiva: I thought myself...stronger... Mayhap with more crystals...? Ravana: Be thou god or maid, thou art nothing to me! ...And what of thee, mortal? Art thou warrior or craven? Ravana: A warrior, then! Good! Mayhap thou wilt provide more sport than thy feeble companion!

Thok ast Thok (Hard)

An insectoid beastman tribe connected by a hive mind, the Gnath have but one collective desire: to expand their territory and prosper without fear of dragons. It was by this simple yet powerful wish that a mighty primal bent on war and conquest was summoned into existence. Bound by your promise to Vidofnir to remove this threat to dragonkind, you must now lead your companions into battle against the savage entity known as Ravana, Lord of the Hive.
Ravana: Dance to the song of ringing steel! Ravana: Furious as a blaze! Ravana: Take wing, ye souls of war! Ravana: Prepare thyself! Ravana: Rejoice in the glory of combat! Ravana: Unyielding as the earth! Ravana: Thou hast bested me...
??? (Ravana): Thus doth the sacred rite of combat proclaim the victor... I lay my blades at thy feet, child of man...
Ysayle: You do not disappoint, Warrior of Light. Would that I had your skill in battle. ...I do begin to see why so many place their faith in you. Ysayle: For all his savagery, I do not think Ravana one to break his word. Provided the dragons do not trespass upon Gnath lands, they should have little to fear of the primal's biting blades. We have done well, have we not? Come, let us return to Vidofnir and share these glad tidings. Igeyorhm: Once more you achieve the impossible, Bringer of Light... But with every mortal heart that succumbs to fear and fury, another voice is joined to the chorus beseeching divine succor. Igeyorhm: At their bidding, warring gods will shake the firmament, and your world will be consumed in the swelling storm of chaos...
Ysayle: Never since we first fought have I seen you draw upon the full extent of your power...and never from afar till this day. You were a marvel to behold, Forename. Ysayle: Well...'tis time we rejoined our companions. They will be eager to hear the tale...and to continue our journey.
Alphinaud: Forename! Lady Ysayle! Thank the Twelve! Alphinaud: ...“Lord Ravana,” you say? How curious that the Vath never mentioned his name... And you are quite certain he will keep his word? Ysayle: There was honor beneath his savagery. Ysayle: That we survived the encounter at all was a miracle─a miracle I must attribute to Forename. Estinien: Never did I doubt you, Warrior of Light...unlike some. You were gone so long that Master Alphinaud here nigh lost his wits with worry. Fretting like a maid for her sweetheart, he was! Alphinaud: Estinien! Was that truly necessary!? Estinien: Hahaha... Not truly necessary─but certainly true. Alphinaud: Ahem! What matters is that the primal is banished, and our promise fulfilled. We should return to Vidofnir without delay. Alphinaud: Lest you forget, this was but a means to secure an audience with the wyrm Hraesvelgr. Nidhogg's minions will not be halted by idle chatter! Come, now─we must make every moment count! Ysayle: You are unkind, Estinien. For all his experience and intellect, Alphinaud is still but a boy.
Mourn in Passing Alphinaud is keen to inform Vidofnir of Lord Ravana's defeat.
Alphinaud: Shall we be on our way to Anyx Trine, then? I would not have the dragons think that we have forgotten our bargain.
Vidofnir: Thou art returned, Little One. Hast thou abandoned thine ill-conceived contest with the Gnath? Ysayle: Nay, my friend, we return in triumph. By Forename's hand was the beastmen's god, Lord Ravana, laid low. Ysayle: In his overconfidence, the primal swore to withdraw his followers from your lands in the event of his defeat─a promise we believe he will keep. The Gnath shall trouble you no longer. Vidofnir: The deity is slain, then...? How didst thou contend with his biting blades!? ...But the particulars matter not. Thou hast fulfilled thy promise, and I shall fulfill mine. Vidofnir: Attend me, mortals: hie you unto the deepest reaches of Mourn, and there shall you find Halo─the altar from which you may begin your ascent to the summit of Sohm Al. Vidofnir: But be fairly warned: the minions of Nidhogg shall not lightly suffer your presence on that sacred mount. By your struggles within the cavern shall I judge your party possessed of sufficient fortitude to proceed. Ysayle: We shall not disappoint you, Vidofnir. Ysayle: If memory serves, the cavern of Mourn is entered from the second floor of the central tower. Let us begin the climb.
Vidofnir: Well done, Little One. As promised, I shall open the way to Sohm Al's summit for thee and thy companions. Vidofnir: Heed me now, children of man: the domain you seek to enter hath not seen visitors of your kind in nigh on a thousand years. Though I freely grant you passage, your presence will not be welcomed. Vidofnir: To my kin, this mountain is revered as holy ground and resting place both─ware you the minions of Nidhogg during your ascent, for 'tis certain they shall take great offense at your intrusion. Ysayle: We are grateful for your warnings, gentle Vidofnir. Vidofnir: My final words are for thee, dragoon: have care to keep the stolen power thou wieldest in check, lest it breed further despair. Ysayle: Estinien...? Estinien: The way is open. Let us not tarry here. Ysayle: A moment! Shall we blindly forge on, knowing the dangers that await us? Tioman herself is said to guard this peak. Estinien: I do not fear Nidhogg's consort. Any dragon foolish enough to bar our path shall feel the sting of my lance. Ysayle: Spoken like a true butcher! Need I remind you that we are come to parley a peace!? Estinien: Let us be clear, heretic: 'twas to save Ishgard and her people that I first lent my support to this doubtful venture. And 'tis for their sake that I go now to speak with Hraesvelgr. Estinien: But I said nothing of Tioman. Should the opportunity present itself to rid my people of one of their deadliest enemies, I shall take it. That is my duty as Azure Dragoon. Ysayle: You are beyond redemption... Alphinaud: We will accomplish nothing by bickering. If we are to meet with Hraesvelgr, our path leads up the mountain. Alphinaud: We shall defend ourselves if attacked, but avoid conflict wherever possible. What other choice do we have?

Sohm Al

Sohm Al. Casting its shadow over the Dravanian forelands, this towering peak is revered by the dragons as both holy ground and resting place. And now, in accordance with your pact, Vidofnir has thrown open to you the final ascent to the sacred mount's summit. But Nidhogg's minions will not lightly suffer this intrusion. Ere you gaze upon the fabled expanse of the Churning Mists, you must first carve a path through the mountain's denizens and overcome the consort of Nidhogg, herself─the she-dragon, Tioman.
Alphinaud: I feel I've seen this plant's like before, but where...? Ysayle: Drakespur! Beware its pollen!
Estinien: Bah, more drakespur. Alphinaud: Focus on cutting down the plants. I'll provide support.
Estinien: I didn't come all this way to cut down overgrown weeds... Ysayle: Nevertheless, I would see if your lance is suited to the task.
Ysayle: We've still a long way to go. Estinien: Then let's keep moving.
Ysayle: Stop! We did not come here to do battle. Alphinaud: Forgive me, but we have to defend ourselves.
Ysayle: Must we always resort to violence? Estinien: We must slay or be slain. Make your choice.
Alphinaud: Its scales are like unto armor. Estinien: A thick hide will not spare it from my lance.
Estinien: Hmph, it was a worthy adversary. Ysayle: We are not here for you to enjoy sport, dragoon.
Ysayle: Please, I beg you─let us pass! Estinien: Your words fall on deaf ears.
Ysayle: Tioman, consort of Nidhogg, we beseech you─grant us safe passage to the mountain's summit. We mean you no harm. Estinien: As I thought. Blind to reason like all the rest. If you would see our mission to its conclusion, you know what must be done. Ysayle: Such rage and rancor... Is there truly no other way?
Estinien: If you would flee, now is the time. Tioman: You dare intrude upon this sacred mount!?
My jaws shall run red with the blood of men! Ysayle: And abandon our mission? Don't be absurd. Tioman: Arrogant insects!
Be crushed beneath the weight of my fury! Tioman: Nidhogg, my beloved...
Avenge me...
Alphinaud: Forename!? Estinien: 'Twould seem Tioman was the last. I sense no other dragons nearby. Alphinaud: What is happening!? Estinien: <gasp> Nidhogg... He roars. Ysayle: He knows we are here, then? Estinien: His fury... <gasp> It bleeds through the Eye. Estinien: Fear not, I am yet my own master... Estinien: ...But that damned wyrm's wrath burns hotter than flame... Come, the heart of the dragons' homeland yet lies before us. Ysayle: Thus do we add another link to the chain of vengeance. Oh, Saint Shiva, when will it end...?
??? (Count Edmont de Fortemps): To the peak of Sohm Al, at the end of a perilous mountain path... ??? (Count Edmont de Fortemps): Whence could be seen a string of pearl-like islands, floating impossibly atop a sea of clouds. ??? (Count Edmont de Fortemps): To a domain where fragons and men had once lived in harmony, whose majesty no mortal eye had glimpsed for nigh on a thosand years, they came.
Alphinaud: We have reached it at last... The peak of Sohm Al. Alphinaud: 'Tis said to be the highest mountain in all of Eorzea, you know. I thought it cold in Coerthas, but the air here carries the chill of a dozen winters...
Beyond the Clouds Alphinaud ponders the means by which you might find Hraesvelgr.
Alphinaud: Now that we have scaled the mountain, there remains the problem of finding Hraesvelgr himself... Ysayle: What manner of creature is that...? Alphinaud: Forename. Do my eyes deceive me, or was that a moogle? Alphinaud: It was my understanding that they only dwelled within the Twelveswood. I certainly never expected to see one in the Churning Mists... Alphinaud: If the moogle does live here, however, he may know where Hraesvelgr makes his lair. Quickly, now, before we lose the creature completely!
Alphinaud: Bah, he's gone! Forename, we must widen our search.
The nearby air appears warped. You sense that concealing magicks are at work.
Ysayle: I have heard tales of these moogles, but 'tis the first time I've ever laid eyes on one. They are rather adorable, aren't they? Ysayle: What─ Why do you stare at me so? Can I not find a creature adorable? My heart is not truly made of ice...
Estinien: I see no evidence of this moogle of yours. Are you certain it wasn't a trick of the light? Mayhaps 'twas simply one of these strange plants, shifting in a breeze...
There is no sign of a moogle in the area...
Alphinaud: I'm sure I glimpsed the moogle fleeing in this direction. Could he be concealing himself with magic...?
Mountaintop Diplomacy Alphinaud seems convinced that the moogles hold the key to finding Hraesvelgr.
Alphinaud: Confound it. Could we but enlist the aid of one of the local moogles, I am certain Hraesvelgr would not elude us for long... Estinien: Though the Eye enables me to sense the presence of dragons, I can only identify Nidhogg's with any certainty. We could wander the Mists for days, and not know if we were any closer to his brood-brother... Alphinaud: And those are days we cannot well afford to squander. Shall we divide our forces, then? Alphinaud: Lady Ysayle─might I ask you to question any dragons whom you judge it safe to approach? Ysayle: I shall try. Yet I fear the influence of Nidhogg's rage will render most of the Dravanians in the area deaf to reason. And what of you, Master Alphinaud? Alphinaud: I have not yet given up on the moogles. Alphinaud: Forename─come with me to Gridania. I mean to petition the aid of the moogles' kin in the Twelveswood. After that business with Moggle Mog, I daresay they will be glad to help us. Estinien: Assuming you have no need of me, I shall remain here. Estinien: Nidhogg senses both the loss of his consort and the coming of the Eye, and his attention is firmly fixed in this direction. I mean to do what I can to hold his gaze, in the hope that it might delay any action against Ishgard. Alphinaud: Thank you, Estinien. Alphinaud: Come then, Forename, let us make haste for Gridania, and rendezvous at Nophica's Altar. Ah, but I neglected to tell you... Alphinaud: There is an aetheryte of ancient construction here which should make the return journey rather less arduous. Pray do not forget to use it!
Alphinaud: I sent word to the Elder Seedseer upon arriving in Gridania, and I am pleased to report that she has agreed to grant us an audience. If anyone can help us to contact the Twelveswood moogles, it is she. Alphinaud: We are expected at the Lotus Stand. I trust you are familiar with the conjurer stationed at its entrance?
Silent Conjurer: The Elder Seedseer awaits you. Pray follow me.
  • Proceed to the Lotus Stand?
  • Yes
  • No
Kan-E-Senna: I bid you welcome, friends. The Admiral spoke of having met with you, but 'tis no less of a relief to see you safe and hale with mine own eyes. Alphinaud: We humbly thank you for agreeing to receive us upon such short notice, my lady─and for all you have done for us in our absence. Would that it were solely to express our gratitude that we came to you this day... Alphinaud: Alas, the tides of battle yet dictate our comings and goings. Elder Seedseer─we would beg your wisdom in a matter that may finally bring an end to the Dragonsong War. Kan-E-Senna: Speak on, friend. Kan-E-Senna: ...I see. So you seek a means to contact these moogles of the Churning Mists... ??? (Kuplo Kopp): Kupopopo! I say, kupo! Kan-E-Senna: Greetings, Kuplo Kopp. To what do we owe the pleasure of your company? Kuplo Kopp: I was struck by the sudden urge to bring you some fruit, Kan-E─and I'm jolly glad I did! Tell me more about these moogles in the sky, kupo! Alphinaud: I will gladly tell you all I know─though it amounts to precious little. We encountered a moogle high in the clouds of Dravania, and had hoped that you and your kin in the Twelveswood might agree to facilitate a meeting. Kan-E-Senna: Pray correct me if I am mistaken, Kuplo, but there are legends, are there not, which speak of moogles who dwelled beyond the clouds? Kuplo Kopp: Indeed there are, kupo! Long, long ago, back when the world was still young, they say my ancestors served the gods up in the heavens. Of course, that was before their masters took to bickering like spoiled children... Kan-E-Senna: Ah, yes, the tale of Good King Moggle Mog XII. He is revered for holding fast to a rope of miraculous length, that his subjects might climb down from the sky and escape to the world below. Alphinaud: Hmm... Ignoring the more fanciful aspects of the tale, it may well be that Kuplo's ancestors hailed from the Churning Mists. Given how long his kin have resided in the Twelveswood, it is perfectly possible that the details of their history have faded into myth... Kan-E-Senna: Indeed, Master Alphinaud. Such stories oft contain a measure of truth. 'Tis like that the moogles of the Churning Mists tell similar tales of the world below... I can well imagine why the one you encountered fled at your approach. Kuplo Kopp: Oh, fleeing's second nature to us! We often hide when the larger races come tramping through the forest. Of course, where there's one moogle, there's bound to be more... Kuplo Kopp: ...Which is why I've decided to take a trip to the clouds, kupo! They surely won't be afraid to talk to me! Alphinaud: I was hoping you might say that, Master Kuplo. You will accompany us, then? Kuplo Kopp: Just you try and stop me, kupo! I'll admit, the thought of venturing outside the Twelveswood is a bit unsettling, but I can hardly refuse a chance to meet my distant, distant cousins! Kan-E-Senna: If you will have me, I too will accompany you on this venture, and lend my voice to your cause as an ambassador of Gridania. Alphinaud: M-My lady, I─ Are you quite certain? Kan-E-Senna: How oft has our nation turned to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn in its hour of need? How oft have we asked the Warrior of Light to risk her life to save our own? Kan-E-Senna: Full many times, I say to you─and never have they refused us. Thus do I choose this day to offer mine aid to our allies for the good of the realm. Kan-E-Senna: ...Is this not just? Alphinaud: A most unexpected─and most welcome─offer, Elder Seedseer. We would be honored by your presence.
Alphinaud: Pray return to the summit and inform our companions of these developments─I will serve as the Elder Seedseer's guide on the journey back to Sohm Al. Alphinaud: It being a path I have already trodden, I do not anticipate any great difficulties. Besides, we shall have the Elder Seedseer's personal guard to escort us.
Estinien: Well met, Warrior of Light. Nidhogg has not stirred, but he watches us, unblinking... Estinien: ...Hm? The Elder Seedseer herself answers your call? Then there is naught to do but wait. Estinien: They are here, Forename. Alphinaud: Greetings, my friends. I am happy to report that our journey was mercifully uneventful, devoid as the road was of Dravanians. 'Twould seem the dragons have abandoned Sohm Al for the Churning Mists. Alphinaud: Elder Seedseer, may I present to you Ser Estinien, Ishgard's Azure Dragoon. Kan-E-Senna: 'Tis an honor to meet you, Ser Estinien. I have heard many tales of your order's extraordinary skill and courage. Kan-E-Senna: Friends─I feel it only right to inform you that we are not alone. The moogles are all around us even as we speak. And I should imagine they are more than a little concerned by the horde of strangers that have descended upon their home. Mayhap now would be an opportune moment to introduce ourselves.
Kan-E-Senna: This should serve... Kuplo Kopp: They're hiding, of course─but there are so many of them, kupo! Kan-E-Senna: I am Kan-E-Senna. My companions and I have braved the long road from the Twelveswood to share words with you. Kan-E-Senna: On this, the occasion of our first meeting, we bring an offering of light and wind. ??? (Moglin): Oooh, such a gentle and pleasing glow, kupo... Moglin: I am Moglin, the chieftain of this moogle clan. Kan-E-Senna: Chieftain Moglin─it is an honor to meet you. Kuplo Kopp: Greetings! I am Kuplo Kopp, ambassador of the Twelveswood moogles! Moglin: ...A moogle from the world below? Your hide is of a different hue, but that pom is unmistakable! I might need a moment here, kupo... Kan-E-Senna: My companions were no less surprised to learn of your existence here amongst the clouds. I hope they did not startle you overmuch in their eagerness to make your acquaintance. Full well can I imagine your wariness. I am told that men have not walked here in nigh on a thousand winters. Kan-E-Senna: Mayhap you will forgive them their forwardness when I unfold to you the grave matter which first brought them into your midst. My companions crave an audience with the great wyrm Hraesvelgr that they might negotiate an end to the war 'twixt man and dragon. Moglin: An end to war, you say? Hmm... I trust you, Kan-E-Senna─the light of peace shines brightly within your soul. Moglin: ...But I'm afraid the same cannot be said of your friends. To be plain, we did not hide ourselves because they were the first of your kind to be seen here in a thousand years─well, not only because of that. We hid because we smelled dragon blood. Moglin: These skies are home to many, many dragons. Moglin: While some crave peace, such as Hraesvelgr, many others crave the opposite...such as Nidhogg. Suffice it to say, we are worried that the presence of your blood-spattered warrior friends will attract the attention of the nastier kind, and invite destruction into our happy home. Kuplo Kopp: Now just a moment, Chieftain! Forename here may have doled out the odd thrashing or two, but it's always been for a really good reason! Kuplo Kopp: She is a champion of the Twelveswood moogles, and I'll not hear her good name slandered! Moglin: Now, now, Ambassador─let's not ruffle each other's fur. I shall of course take your testimony into consideration... Kan-E-Senna: If I may, Chieftain: there is little room for trust 'twixt strangers. Might we not take this opportunity to learn more of each other? Moglin: An excellent suggestion, kupo. In the interests of fostering friendship─and keeping an eye on you─I extend to you the hospitality of Moghome. Moglin: Prove yourselves worthy of our assistance, and it will be yours. I shall be watching, kupo!
Moglin: Tell me─in the world down below, do all of your kind look so different from one another? It must be terribly disconcerting... Moglin: What was it Kuplo Kopp called you again? Moglin: "Forename“? Hmph! Your names are as odd as your appearance. Have you ever considered a nice moogle name? ”Moglin“ is taken, by the way, kupo! Moglin: As are “Moghan,” “Mogmug,” and “Mogwin”─these being the names of the three wise moogles who will administer the momentous challenges that I have devised to measure your worth. I call them...the Trials of Trustworthiness. Moglin: Undertake these trials, and we shall soon see whether or not you are worthy of our aid!
Moghan's Trial Moghan would test your trustworthiness with a trial.
Moghan: Hello! Yes, I am Moghan─the foremost alchemist in Moghome, if you must know! Moghan: If your tummy's gloopy or your wings're droopy, I've a potion to fix that! Moghan: Or, I would if I didn't keep running out of ingredients. Luckily, you're here to do my chore─ Er, trial! Yes! Go forth, mighty adventurer, and mightily pluck three sprigs of cloudsbreath for me! Moghan: You'll find it blooming near the entrance to Eil Tohm. It's not the safest of places, so don't let yourself be too distracted by the pretty flowers, kupo!
Moghan: Did you have any trouble finding cloudsbreath? I do need it quite urgently, you know...
Cloudsbreath Lack of imagination has led to most white flowers found growing in the skybound regions of Dravania and Abalathia to be named after clouds, this light-petaled specimen being no exception.
Moghan: Oh, yes, these are perfect, kupo! Now I have the main ingredient for my pom tonic. Moghan: ...Speaking of which, how are you feeling, miss? Should you ever feel your pom losing its bounce, then I'm your moogle, kupo!
Mogmug's Trial Mogmug would test your trustworthiness with a trial.
Mogmug: Hm? Yes, you have the pleasure of speaking with Mogmug. I know, I know, I am the fluffiest, most enchanting creature you have ever laid eyes upon, kupo. Mogmug: It isn't easy being this adorable! I can barely take a stroll outside without those relentless Dravanians throwing themselves at me... Why, they look as if they might just gobble me right up! Mogmug: In any case, fleeing their overbearing adulation is growing a bit tiresome. Your trial, madam, is this: find these ardent archaeosaurs, and slap some manners into them, kupo. Mogmug: Perhaps a firm smack on the snout will teach them to appreciate my charm from afar!
Mogmug: You were able to humble my Dravanian devotees? Wonderful! You are as capable as I am captivating, kupo! Mogmug: Still, my precious perfection does not excuse those louts from pursuing me so mercilessly, their tongues lolling and bellies rumbling! Mogmug: The Dravanians and their ilk have much to learn about acceptable acts of admiration!
Mogwin's Trial Mogwin would test your trustworthiness with a trial.
Mogwin: Mogwin's the name, and art is my game. When it comes to painting, there are none in Moghome who can match my talent with a brush, kupo! Mogwin: I know why you have come─Chieftain Moglin has demanded that I test your trustworthiness. But as I trust no one to create art that will satisfy me, I instead charge you with retrieving a masterpiece I seem to have misplaced... Mogwin: It was an ambitious and innovative work─guaranteed to fetch at least four kupo nuts on the open market. You must find it! Question the masses! Mogwin: Surely a pebble painted with such vibrant color and unmistakable panache cannot have escaped the notice of every moogle in Moghome...
Mogomo: Mogwin is missing his masterpiece, kupo? Oh, you mean that paint-smeared mess of a pebble? I've not seen it recently─a fact for which my eyes are profoundly grateful.
Muddled Moogle: Maestro Mogwin has misplaced his masterpiece, kupo!? Oh, happy day! Muddled Moogle: If I am the swifter in finding it, I will soon have a genuine Mogwin for the price of a little perspiration! Honestly, who has four kupo nuts just lying about to spend on such luxuries...
Mogtoe: Hmmm. I don't know much about his stone, but I do know Mogwin's been creeping out the back way to Sohm Al's summit from time to time, kupo. Maybe he left it up there...
Mogwin: Well, what did you find out, kupo? Mogwin: Ah. Ah, yes. Now that you mention it, I do seem to recall leaving my pebble out in the sun to dry... Mogwin: Ahem! The second part of your trial commences! Go, adventurer, and retrieve my masterpiece before some art-starved admirer swipes the stone for himself!
Mogwin: Do you have it, kupo? Is my masterpiece safe?
Moogle Masterpiece An ordinary rock awash with extraordinary color. What that color represents, however, you cannot discern from any angle.
Mogwin: Yes, this is my work! Is it not exquisite? I call it Contemplations of Zenith. Mogwin: Thank you, madam! At last, I can exchange my art for those delectable kupo nuts! Chieftain Moglin will hear of this valorous deed!
Moglin's Judgment Chieftain Moglin is ready to pass judgment on your trial performance.
Moglin: Forename─if that is what you insist on calling yourself─you have completed the Trials of Trustworthiness administered by the taskmasters Moghan, Mogmug, and Mogwin! Moglin: During these grueling tests of character, I closely observed your conduct─as well as that of your companions... Moglin: And...I am decided, kupo! Gather your friends before me now, so that I need not repeat myself...needlessly.
Alphinaud: Are these “trials” over, then? My tasks have been little more than household chores... Alphinaud: If our hosts elect not to grant their aid after working us like pack chocobos, I shall demand compensation in kupo nuts out of principle. But I hope it will not come to that. Let us hear the chieftain's verdict, shall we?
Estinien: How go your trials, Warrior of Light? I myself have been sent on a number of expeditions to “chastise” the local dragon population. Did not their chieftain wish to avoid inflaming the Dravanians...? Estinien: Such contradictions aside, our hosts seemed entranced by the height of my leap. They compared me to “Mog,” a lance-wielding moogle warrior of eld who also favored such attacks. Estinien: 'Twas meant as a compliment, I expect, but I doubt these furry lumps could outleap a karakul lamb, much less a dragoon. Conclude your business here swiftly, Forename─I like not this place.
Ysayle: What sorcery is this...? That my heart should stir at mere...fluffiness... Ysayle: Forename! I-I was... No matter. What is it? ...Chieftain Moglin has made his decision? Well, let us not keep him waiting, then!
Kan-E-Senna: Standing here in Moghome, my thoughts turn inevitably to the legend of Good King Moggle Mog XII, and his seat in the heavens... Kan-E-Senna: Like most, I thought it no more than a myth─a story for younglings that grew with the telling. But with every passing moment, I become more certain that we have discovered the origin of the tale. Full eager am I to hear what the chieftain has to say.
Kuplo Kopp: We've become such friends, kupo! My moogle cousins love to sing and dance as much as I do! Kuplo Kopp: ...Chieftain Moglin has finally come to a decision, has he? Well, I suppose I'd better flutter over and see him, then!
Moglin: Never have I seen such determined workers, kupo! It would have taken us moons to complete all those dreary chores and niggling errands! Kan-E-Senna: And have our labors proven the purity of our intentions, Chieftain? Moglin: Without a doubt! In fact, there was never really all that much doubt to begin with... You were, after all, already friends with a fellow moogle. Moglin: But, you see, before any meeting with Hraesvelgr could take place, certain preparations needed to be made... And what better way to help you pass the time than by having you perform all the tiresome tasks that no one ever wants to do, kupo! Estinien: Grrr... Moglin: Ohhh dear... Th-The horn! Bring out the horn! Quickly now! Moglin: We blow on this wondrous instrument whenever we wish to speak with the great wyrm, kupo. Moglin: We, uh...we haven't perhaps been treating it with the care it deserves of late (and I think Moghan may have sat on it), so we needed some time for cleaning and polishing (and straightening). Moglin: No lasting harm done, though! Now, you need simply head to Zenith─the wyrm's dwelling to the west─and give the horn a good toot. Ysayle: We are in your debt, Chieftain. Thanks to your noble gift, we shall finally have a chance to plead our case to Hraesvelgr. Moglin: ...Very possibly, yes.
...But I wouldn't get my hopes up too high, kupo. The old wyrm isn't terribly fond of...um... Ysayle: Your concern is appreciated, but I am quite certain that Hraesvelgr will welcome our overtures. Estinien: ...Should we ever arrive at his lair. Come─we have squandered enough time already. Kan-E-Senna: Chieftain Moglin, we thank you for your gracious hospitality. Though we must soon take our leave, I pray that we may continue to nurture the shoots of this new-sprung friendship 'twixt earth and sky. Moglin: Of course, of course, kupo! Visit us whenever you wish! Consider Moghome your home amongst the clouds!
Moghan: Thanks for the help, kupo! I doubt I would ever have found time for all those rotten chores! Moghan: ...H-Hey, it wasn't my idea! If the chieftain had spent a little less time sitting about and a little more time chieftaining, things would never have gotten so messy in the first place! (And he was the one who sat on the horn, by the way.) Moghan: But now all the errands are done and the horn is fixed, so...all's well that ends well, eh, kupo?
Leaving Moghome Moghan is ready to lead you out of Moghome.
Moghan: Well, uh...I expect you're eager to be on your way! ...Did I mention your friend was looking for you, kupo? If not: Alphinaud is looking for you! Moghan: I'll be waiting just outside, stretching my wings. Let me know when you're ready to depart!
Alphinaud: To the best of my knowledge, we have all that we need for our trip to Zenith. And I believe the Elder Seedseer and her retinue will soon be making the journey back to Gridania. Alphinaud: It would be remiss of us, I think, not to convey our gratitude to them prior to going our separate ways. Shall we?
Kan-E-Senna: Alphinaud, Forename─I do humbly thank you for what has been a most enlightening experience. Were it not for your pioneering spirit, the existence of these moogles might never have been revealed to us. Alphinaud: 'Tis we who should be thankful, Elder Seedseer. Were it not for your timely diplomacy, they would never have chosen to reveal themselves at all. Alphinaud: And 'twas your presence, Kuplo Kopp, that ultimately won us their trust. It must have taken great courage to leave the sanctuary of the Twelveswood, and we are exceedingly glad that you did. Kuplo Kopp: It was my pleasure, kupo! I've made so many new friends, and have so many fantastic tales to tell my kinsmoogles back home! Kan-E-Senna: And it is to our home that we must now return. May you ever walk in the light of the Crystal, my friends. Alphinaud: Safe journey, Elder Seedseer. We too must be on our way. Hraesvelgr awaits. Kan-E-Senna: Warrior of Light... Pray attend closely to your companion, Ser Estinien─beneath that stoical facade, a storm of anguish seethes unseen.
Moghan: Have you said your good-byes and dabbed away your tears, kupo? Then we are indeed ready to go!
The Road to Zenith Moghan has volunteered to lead you to Zenith.
Moghan: As Chieftain Moglin already explained, the shiny instrument we gave you is the best means of grabbing Hraesvelgr's attention. I'll come along, and show you the way to Zenith─that's the big palace where you need to blow the horn. Moghan: First things first, though, we need to make for Asah. Oh...and watch out for rampaging dragons. Hm, maybe that should have been the first thing, kupo.
Moghan: Things were a bit bitey for a while there, but I think we've arrived in one piece, kupo. Moghan: I wonder what has the dragons so awfully snappy... I mean, the bad ones are always bad, but they seem worse than usual.
Waiting for the Wind to Change Moghan seems fretful about the weather.
Moghan: Hmmm...we may have a small problem, kupo. When the winds are high like this, Hraesvelgr invariably abandons his lofty perch and heads to the lands below to hunt. Moghan: If you tried blowing the horn now, I doubt he'd hear it. I suggest we stop at the clearing up ahead and rest until the wind dies down.
Moghan: This should do nicely, kupo. The winds will likely have died down by tomorrow, but until then, we might as well make ourselves comfortable! Alphinaud: If we must interrupt our journey so close to its end, I suppose this place is as good as any. Alphinaud: And mayhap a brief respite from the hardships of the road will help to clear our minds in readiness for the coming parley. Very well, then. I believe a campfire is in order. Alphinaud: Leave the gathering of fuel to me─I acquired a keen nose for firewood during my time in the frozen wastes of Coerthas. Estinien: Hmph. “Clear our minds”? 'Tis Master Alphinaud whose mind needs clearing. The thought of meeting a great wyrm in the flesh has befuddled the boy. Estinien: Did you see him stroll away as if these ruins were not crawling with deadly beasts? Follow him, Forename, and see that the wildlife does not make a meal of our young friend. Estinien: We will have the camp ready by the time you return.
Estinien: Once Alphinaud returns with the wood, we can see about supper. The ice queen has filled a pot with what looked like stew ingredients, ready for the fire.
Alphinaud: Ahhh...few things compare to the simple pleasure of sitting beside a crackling campfire of one's own making. Estinien: Hah! So speaks the “great explorer.” Until recently, you wouldn't have recognized firewood if it came with kindling and a flint. Alphinaud: 'Tis well you instructed me so patiently, then! But yes, left to my own devices, I would have been compelled to signal to Ysayle with a pile of damp leaves. Alphinaud: I was born the pampered son of a Sharlayan dignitary, and, alongside my twin, became the youngest student ever to be accepted into the Studium. Alphinaud: How proud I was to match wits with scholars and philosophers... How ignorant of mine own shortcomings... That hubris invited manipulation and betrayal...and led to the downfall of the Scions. Ysayle: We all of us are guilty of similar ignorance. How many men lay down their lives, never knowing what it is that they fight for? Never questioning that which they have been taught to believe? Ysayle: 'Twas only upon meeting Hraesvelgr that I learned the truth hidden within our history. Were it not for that chance encounter, I would never have vowed to tear down the Holy See, and expunge the falsehoods with which it fans the flames of conflict. I would have lived and died in ignorance. That the truth has driven me to do terrible things, I cannot deny, but I would rather sin in the pursuit of peace than imagine myself virtuous for perpetuating a needless war. Alphinaud: If this journey has taught me anything, it is the importance─and difficulty─of holding to one's convictions in the face of failure...of striving always to replace one's ignorance with knowledge. Estinien: You are well on your way, Master Alphinaud. At your age, I was but a fool swinging a spear, with scarcely a thought in my head. Estinien: Even now, I struggle to acknowledge the misconceptions under which I have labored. Estinien: Sitting here, amongst these grand ruins, how can I deny that man and dragon once lived in peace? Estinien: But for all that such an age existed, we are now in a time of war. Nidhogg killed my family, and no quirk of history will exonerate him. Estinien: I may be ignorant of how the Dragonsong War began, but if we do not put an end to this conflict now, I can say for a certainty that it will only breed more vengeful souls such as mine. Estinien: In my hands resides the power to vanquish a great wyrm. If Ishgard's survival rests on me wielding that power, I will slay Nidhogg myself...orders or no. Ysayle: Estinien... You gave your word... Estinien: My word is contingent upon the success of our parley. Show me the strength of your convictions, Lady Iceheart. Convince Hraesvelgr of the righteousness of your cause. Ysayle: Doubt not but that I shall, dragoon. Alphinaud: Well...winds willing, we shall have our answers on the morrow. Let us sleep now, and face our fate with the rising of the sun...
Heart of Ice Moghan is gazing meaningfully at the path to Zenith...
Moghan: The campfire was so cozy... I must have fallen asleep, kupo. Moghan: But do you feel how the winds have shifted!? They will have borne Hraesvelgr back to the skies above Zenith─I'm sure of it! Moghan: This is your chance to climb to the highest floor of the palace, and summon him with a toot on that shiny horn! So, uh...I-I'll be heading back now, if it's all the same to you. Good luck, kupo! It was nice knowing you!
Hraesvelgr: Mortals... Why do you disturb my solitude? Alphinaud: Hraesvelgr... Hraesvelgr: Thou speakest the name of a creature that but awaiteth the release of oblivion. Leave me... Alphinaud: By the Twelve... Mine ears hear the tongue of dragons, yet the meaning rings clear within my mind... How can that be...? Ysayle: Hraesvelgr...do you not remember me? 'Twas I whom you found in Dravania─I who glimpsed the truth. Ysayle: The truth about your past, about Shiva─ Hraesvelgr: Do not speak her name, mortal! Ysayle: But speak it I must! I have summoned Shiva's soul from the beyond, and offered myself as her vessel! She has made her heart known to me! Hraesvelgr: Foolish girl. Thinkest thou my beloved's spirit hath descended from the heavens!? Hraesvelgr: That the secrets of her heart are thine to know!? Ysayle: I have surrendered mine to her! Do you not see, my love? I am Shiva reborn! Hraesvelgr: Gullible fool... The Light but illuminated the past for thee, it did not grant thee omniscience. Hraesvelgr: The spirit thou hast summoned belongeth not to Shiva─'tis but a shade conjured by thine own fancy. Hraesvelgr: In an age long past, mine own kin were guilty of like folly. Beguiled by the dark ones' lies, they attempted to resurrect a king amongst wyrms─yet the divinity they called forth merely borrowed the semblance of my fallen brood-brother. Hraesvelgr: Such gods are not summoned, but created. Phantoms spun from the threads of misplaced faith. Ysayle: Then the spirit that answered me... Hraesvelgr: ...Was but thy dream of Shiva. Thy soul hath been corrupted by a deity of thine own making, child. Alphinaud: Be that as it may, Lord Hraesvelgr, Ysayle's desire to heal the rift between man and dragon is real, and it has borne us this far. Alphinaud: We would spare both our kind and yours the ravages of this senseless war! Pray join your voice to ours in a call for peace and forgiveness! Hraesvelgr: The tale of thy kind is one of avarice, treachery, and death─and thou wouldst speak to me of peace? Hraesvelgr: Hark thee, mortal, to the naked truth...then tell me thou deservest forgiveness! Hraesvelgr: Twelve hundred years ago, my beloved Shiva's sacrifice served to bring an end to the war 'twixt man and dragon, paving the way for an age of peace and cooperation. Hraesvelgr: Two centuries of harmony were to follow, during which time the Elezen learned much about us, not least that the eyes of a great wyrm are the wellspring of his strength. Hraesvelgr: 'Twas out of the selfish desire to possess this strength that King Thordan then conspired to undo all that our peoples had achieved together. Hraesvelgr: With the aid of his leal knights, that most noble of Elezen lured my brood-sister Ratatoskr into an ambush, and took from her that which he craved. Hraesvelgr: Fain would I strike the image from my mind, yet still the scene doth linger─of my brood-sister's tattered corpse, defiled by her Elezen allies. They had torn out her eyes, and feasted upon them in the manner of wild beasts. Hraesvelgr: Yet that was not all, for from their bloody banquet, the fiends had gained strength beyond that of mortal men... Even now, I labor to comprehend the enormity of their betrayal. Hraesvelgr: Nidhogg was the first to learn of the atrocity, and he took to the skies, hungry for vengeance. Hraesvelgr: But though he slew Thordan and some few of his knights, their fellow butchers knew only too well where to aim their spears, and with now-practiced savagery, they set about my brood-brother, sending him flailing from the field... Hraesvelgr: Such is the truth the Holy See would keep hidden. Such was the beginning of the Dragonsong War. Hraesvelgr: 'Tis a song my kind shall ne'er forget, e'en should ten thousand years pass and Ishgard crumble into dust. Estinien: Your tale bears scant resemblance to the one I was taught. How convenient that it should absolve your kind of all responsibility. But tell me, dragon: why should I believe your version of events? Hraesvelgr: What thou choosest to believe is immaterial. The betrayal that yet haunts mine every waking moment is no less than the truth to my kind. Hraesvelgr: And Nidhogg meaneth for Thordan's people to suffer for this sin till the end of days. Hraesvelgr: That which thou imaginest a war of extinction is but a punishment─a siege of the spirit. Hast thou not seen those who tire of the torment? Those who abandon their own and side with dragonkind? Alphinaud: Ishgard's so-called heretics... Hraesvelgr: Know that all the traitors' progeny bear a trace of Ratatoskr's essence. But a single sip of our blood is enough to awaken it... Ysayle: Then...the seed lies within us...? Hraesvelgr: 'Tis for this reason that those who abandon their loyalties are rewarded with a drink. And thus are they transformed, to join the ranks of Nidhogg's ever-growing army as newborn dragons. One by one, through death or defection, my brood-brother shall account for all of the betrayers' children... Alphinaud: Ye gods... I have borne witness to such a transformation! Looked on as a heretic assumed the shape of a dragon... I imagined it some manner of Dravanian enchantment! Alphinaud: But if any Ishgardian, regardless of allegiance, has such potential within them... Twelve forgive us. To think of all the dragons we've slain...! Hraesvelgr: There will always be some, of course, who choose to fight until the bitter end─like thee, dragoon... Hraesvelgr: But struggle as thou might, thy youthful vigor will be spent ere thou reachest two score and ten. And Nidhogg shall remain to torment thine offspring. Estinien: Oft have I wondered why Nidhogg did not simply raze Ishgard to the ground. Estinien: Now I have my answer. He has no intention of winning the Dragonsong War, for it is no war at all, but vengeance─an eternal requiem sung for his murdered sister. Hraesvelgr: Thou hast the right of it, dragonslayer. Comprehendest thou now the futility of thy quest? Ysayle: I have not come this far only to admit defeat. We can still return the Eye to Nidhogg, and beg forgiveness for our ancestors' crimes. Mayhap our words will sway him! Hraesvelgr: Stubborn child... Thou thinkest in mortal terms. Our perception of time is too broad for thee to grasp. Hraesvelgr: 'Tis a simple matter for thee to offer thine apologies─thou didst not perpetrate the crime. Despite thy visions, the deeds of history seem distant to thee. Hraesvelgr: For a wyrm such as Nidhogg, however, that history is yet part of his present, as fresh as the blood that did gush from Ratatoskr's wounds. How could he not be driven mad? Hraesvelgr: 'Tis only by the calming embrace of Shiva's soul that mine own fury hath not consumed me. Hraesvelgr: But let us speak no more of what is done. My faith in your kind is spent, and I would be alone.
Alphinaud: Hraesvelgr was every bit as awe-inspiring as I imagined. His voice fairly dripped with power─the will behind his words so undeniable that it transcended my ignorance of the dragons' tongue. 'Tis but a pity that I misliked what he said. Alphinaud: <sigh> So far did we travel─even unto the very heavens themselves─only to be dismissed like unruly children. And far from mitigating this...humiliation, the hidden truths we have learned serve only to prove that our grand mission of peace was destined to fail from the first. Alphinaud: Nothing will deter Nidhogg from his course.
The Wyrm's Lair Alphinaud is considering your party's next course of action.
Estinien: Well, what do you propose we do now? I, for one, am intent on continuing to the east... Alphinaud: What is there to be found in the east? Estinien: Nidhogg's lair─the Aery─is said to lie in that direction. And the Eye tells me he is near... Ysayle: You cannot still mean to slay him!? Estinien: You cannot still mean to stop me. I have been true to my word, and aided you in this fool's errand with Hraesvelgr. Estinien: But your efforts at parley have come to naught, Lady Iceheart. I would see Ishgard saved, and for that, Nidhogg must die. Ysayle: With the tale of our ancestors' vile betrayal yet ringing in your ears, you speak of continuing this war? Estinien: Nay, lady, I would but pierce its vengeful heart. When Nidhogg dies, this war shall die with him. Alphinaud: A moment, Estinien. You yourself spoke of the great wyrm's strength─that you believed him powerful enough to raze your city to the ground. How then are we few to challenge him? Alphinaud: Even behind the stout walls of Ishgard─with an army of knights manning the defenses─our victory would be hard-won. Yet you propose to contend with the beast in his own lair? Estinien: In close combat, this will afford us an advantage. And if the tales are true, the Warrior of Light has bested many an invincible foe. Estinien: But such speculation is meaningless if we cannot even find the wyrm. Our first task must be to seek out Nidhogg's lair. Alphinaud: The story of this nation grows bloodier by the moment. Must death always be answered with more of the same? Estinien: Such is the way of things, I fear. I shall consider it a miracle if mine armor is not stained crimson ere this conflict is ended. Ysayle: That I should be blinded by my own lies... Everything I believed... Everything I thought I was... Gone... All gone... Estinien: Leave her. Your words will not reach her now. And we have not the time to wait for her to gather up the pieces of her shattered faith.
Alphinaud: Is that it? Estinien: Aye... That would be the Aery. I feel Nidhogg's presence through the Eye─his caustic hatred gnawing at my soul. Estinien: 'Twould seem the death of his consort has put him on guard. Mark how he wards his lair with tempestuous winds. Alphinaud: A similar barrier once barred our entrance to the primal Garuda's domain...until we discovered the means by which it could be penetrated. Alphinaud: Mayhap it is time we called upon Master Garlond. 'Twill be just like the good old days, no?
New Winds, Old Friends Estinien would have you enlist the aid of Cid Garlond.
Estinien: Hm. A force of sufficient power to break through a primal's defenses might conceivably grant us access to the Aery... Estinien: ...And I can offer no better solution. Pray consult this engineer friend of yours. Alphinaud: Very well. On the condition that you swear not to lure Nidhogg from his lair in our absence. Estinien: And steal all the glory for myself, you mean? Nay, I am not so selfish as that. Contact me by linkpearl when your preparations are complete, and we shall set forth from Ishgard together. Alphinaud: I suggest we rendezvous back at Saint Reinette's Forum, Forename. From what I gleaned of the Holy See's decidedly ambitious airship project, Cid will still be in Ishgard.
Alphinaud: When last you saw Master Garlond, he was advising the Ishgardians on their ailing airship, correct? In that case, he might still be at Camp Cloudtop. Failing that, we could try the airship landing, or mayhap even the Skysteel Manufactory... But let us not waste time searching aimlessly. Someone in the city is sure to know where to find him. The question is who? Ser Aymeric would seem the obvious choice, but there is no guaranteeing he will be able to grant us an audience at short notice... Alphinaud: Ah, I have it! Count Edmont's youngest son prides himself on knowing all of the Holy See's juiciest rumors. Let us return to the manor and see if Lord Emmanellain is about.
Emmanellain: Ah, the hero returns! How goes the fight, old girl? Well, I trust! ...Hm? In search of a “Cid Garlond,” you say? Then say no more! Emmanellain: The taverns are full of talk, and the name of said silver-haired genius has cropped up more often than most. I hear he has been tasked with getting that monstrous airship the Holy See commissioned to actually fly. 'Twould seem the project has been plagued with mishaps from the first. Emmanellain: In any case, Garlond Ironworks employees are known to frequent the airship landing, and I'll wager their master does too. Alphinaud: The airship landing? Yes, I thought as much. Come, Forename─we must find Cid and trouble him for his expert opinion.
Cid: Forename! Alphinaud! How fare you both? Not terribly well, judging by your faces. Alphinaud: Greetings, Master Garlond. I am sure it will come as little surprise when I tell you we have need of a favor... Cid: ...Another wind barrier? And you say it was conjured by Nidhogg? Cid: Hm. The Enterprise could certainly take you where you need to go...but she would not fare well against dragons. She's agile for a ship her size─but not that agile. The Dravanians would fly rings around her. Cid: And if they took it into their heads to incinerate the rigging, there would be precious little we could do to avoid them. Alphinaud: But there must be something we can do! Some manner of weapon we could employ...? Alphinaud: Estinien stands vigil at the edge of the Churning Mists, but we do not know how much longer─ Cid: All right, all right, I didn't say it was impossible. I said it was impossible for the Enterprise. We need a smaller boat. Cid: Biggs! Wedge! It's time we gave that new toy of yours a proper field test. Cid: It's probably best if I let the lads show you. Come on, the manufactory's not far!
Biggs: Our little project's just inside. Oh, you're going to like this one...
Wedge: Feast your eyes upon our latest and greatest feat of engineering! We call it a “manacutter”! Biggs: After you put down Gaius, Wedge and me struck out on our own for a bit, and started work on the successor to the Tiny Bronco. Cid: Impressive little thing, isn't she? My talent for ship design has plainly rubbed off on them. Cid: They've adapted the principles of corrupted crystal technology, and constructed a mechanism which converts aether from its surroundings into elemental wind. Said wind is then harnessed by the specially engineered sails, providing the craft with propulsion and lift. All in all, a most elegant solution... Cid: ...I'm actually a little upset that I didn't think of it myself. Wedge: The design does, however, come with one small flaw... Biggs: The energy conversion ratio's bloody awful. To generate enough power to get you off the ground, you need to be in an area awash with predominantly wind-aspected aether. Wedge: In other words, there are a few places you can fly...and lots of places you can't. Cid: The new Ishgardian airship hasn't left the boys much time for tinkering─meaning it may be a while before this particular project takes off, if you'll forgive the pun. Tataru: Hah...hah...hah... Wedge: Tataru, what's happened!? Tataru: I've been looking all over for you! There's been word from Ul'dah! It's about Her Grace, the sultana! Cid: It seems you're required elsewhere. Leave the manacutter with us. We'll see that she's airworthy and suitably equipped to slice through those winds. Cid: You, meanwhile, should concentrate on providing Raubahn and the sultana whatever help they need!
A General Summons Tataru has news for you from Ul'dah.
Tataru: General Raubahn says they may have uncovered the sultana's whereabouts! Tataru: And he wants you─by which I mean both of you─to go to the Waking Sands right away and help with the investigation. Alphinaud: Come, Forename─pressing though Ishgard's plight may be, our presence here will not serve to hasten the manacutter's completion. Let us return to the troubled lands of Thanalan and lend what aid we may. Alphinaud: Tataru─have our friends at the Congregation send a message to Estinien. Tell him we have identified a solution to our problem, but that it will take some time to prepare. Tataru: As you wish, Master Alphinaud! Alphinaud: To the Waking Sands, Warrior of Light. 'Tis past time Ul'dah was delivered from this darkness!
Raubahn: Thank you for coming. Alphinaud: No thanks are necessary, General. I trust your recuperation continues apace? Raubahn: I cannot complain. Thanks to Higiri and her ministrations, I've regained much of the strength I lost during my imprisonment. Alphinaud: I gather you have made progress in the search for Her Grace. Raubahn: Aye, some good fortune at last. A few days past, Dewlala informed us that a sizable shipment of alchemical supplies had been delivered to the palace. Pipin: With Papashan's assistance, I set out to ascertain the source and nature of the shipment. My inquiries led me to Frondale's Phrontistery. Pipin: There I learned that an order had been placed for a curious substance designed to sustain patients trapped in deathlike slumber─an invention of the former head alchemist, apparently. Alphinaud: A deathlike slumber...? This cannot be a coincidence! Raubahn: It lends some weight to Dewlala's claims, aye. Her Grace is likely somewhere within the palace─abed but alive. Yugiri: Before making any attempt to extricate the sultana, however, it seemed prudent to learn what manner of substance was used to induce her torpor. To that end, I made inquiries as to the whereabouts of the one most like to have administered it─the lady-in-waiting, Meriel. Yugiri: We sent for you as soon as we learned of her location. All that remains is to apprehend the woman. Raubahn: We shall find our cat's-paw in the Silver Bazaar. Raubahn: But we must tread carefully. The market is not the bustling place it once was, and someone is sure to mark our coming. Should they inform the Monetarists, we'll have a fight on our hands. Raubahn: We must be prepared for the worst─and being short an arm, I thought it wise to take another in its stead. What say you, Warrior of Light? Will you lend me yours? Raubahn: Then I pity the bastard that stands in our way. Come, my friends! For Nanamo...and for Ul'dah!
Yugiri: Our target is Meriel, the sultana's former lady-in-waiting─a woman of Midlander heritage. I am told the two of you have met. Yugiri: Our sources indicate that she left the palace shortly after the incident, and quietly rejoined the dwindling population of the Silver Bazaar. I suggest we begin by questioning the market's residents, and confirm that Meriel is still in hiding there.
Kikipu: Greetings, Forename! What can I do for the Silver Bazaar's favorite adventurer? Kikipu: Looking for Meriel, you say? If you're hoping to lure her back to Ul'dah, you may as well give up now─the girl's done with city life.
Spotted Meadow: Do I know of any returning residents? Gods, don't tell me they're starting to come back! My masters will not be pleased to hear of this...
Danyell: Meriel? Aye, she's here─left the city for good, she says. Barely leaves her house, though. Hm? It's the one closest to the market entrance.
Alphinaud: You are Meriel, the sultana's former lady-in-waiting? Meriel: I know no one of that name! Pray excuse me... Meriel: General Aldynn!? Raubahn: We will have the truth from you, girl... Lolorito: Mayhap 'twould be better coming from me. Raubahn: Lolorito... You'd best talk fast. Lolorito: As you know, Teledji Adeledji's Carteneau Reclamation Bill was no more than a facade─a means to get his grubby little hands on that Allagan monstrosity, Omega. Lolorito: When he learned of Nanamo's intention to abdicate, however, he was forced to amend his plans. Suddenly, assassination seemed the most promising way to further his ambitions. Lolorito: I am told Teledji had discovered a maid in whose veins ran the blood of House Thorne─a new, more pliable puppet to sit the throne. 'Twould have caused an uproar, of course, but few could have contested her claim. Lolorito: 'Twas plain that Teledji's wild machinations had outgrown our ability to control them. So I decided to usurp his scheme, and left the fool to seal his own demise. Raubahn: And what of Nanamo? Lolorito: Oh, I have no desire to harm Her Grace─'twould profit me little to destabilize our government. Thus did I employ young Meriel here to administer a potent sleeping potion in place of a poison. Lolorito: You should know, General, that your dear friend Ilberd was fully aware of my plan. Lolorito: I had him lie about the assassination as a means to prime your rage against Teledji. We weren't entirely sure how you would react, but things went rather better than expected. Raubahn: You conniving little worm... You had your claws in the Crystal Braves before their first recruit had sworn to serve! Lolorito: But of course. When a new game begins, 'tis only prudent to have a piece on the board. Ilberd was mine. Lolorito: Truth be told, a significant proportion of the Braves' initial endowment was also mine. With such large sums moving about, 'twas a rather trifling matter to disguise my own contribution. Lolorito: Ah, Ilberd... I secured his services with a promise to support his cause once my authority had been solidified. I swear, the man thinks of naught but prising Ala Mhigo from the grasp of the Empire. Lolorito: Unlike you, General, the poor fellow seems quite unable to forsake the land of his forefathers. Mayhap that's why he called you a traitor to your people and a disgrace to your homeland...amongst other things. What was it he always compared you to? Oh, yes! “An overgrown lapdog, begging for scraps at the sultana's table!” Oh, how we laughed... Lolorito: Alas, Ilberd's entertaining little outbursts eventually gave way to wearisome tirades, and the zealous brute became rather unruly. I had no wish to see you executed, you understand, but he would not take no for an answer. Rest assured, his employment with me has long since ended. Lolorito: ...Which brings us neatly to the present. What say you, General? Both you and the sultana are alive; we have one corpse and one fugitive; and preparations have been made to restore your good name. Shall we cry quits and start again with a blank ledger? Hm? Raubahn: The hells we will! Do you honestly expect me to forgive and forget? After all you've done!? You're guilty of high treason! Dewlala: Stay your blade, Master Aldynn! You yourself are not innocent! Or have you forgotten your own crime in executing Teledji Adeledji without trial!? Dewlala: Though you acted out of loyalty to the sultana, such deeds are in violation of both the word and spirit of the law! Dewlala: ...If you would, Lord Lolorito? Lolorito: This potion will wake the sultana from her slumber. Consider it a gesture of conciliation. Lolorito: You will find Her Grace resting comfortably within her private chambers. Should you doubt my word, I shall willingly accompany you to the palace as your hostage. Raubahn: I like not your motives, Lolorito...but you saved the sultana's life, and for that you have my gratitude. Dewlala: Raubahn Aldynn, you are hereby reinstated as general of the Immortal Flames! The citizens of Ul'dah shall once more be united under Nanamo Ul Namo, and together we shall usher in a new age of prosperity!
Alphinaud: By the Twelve... I feared Lord Lolorito's arrival would herald another bloodbath. Little did I suspect that he of all people would gift us the means to rouse the sultana.
Awakening in Ul'dah Alphinaud would see this dark chapter in Ul'dah's history brought to a close.
Alphinaud: Shall we also make our way to Ul'dah? I should imagine Bartholomew has been instructed to admit us.
Bartholomew: Flame General Raubahn mentioned you might be coming. Please, this way if you will.
Nanamo Ul Namo: Ugh... Nanamo Ul Namo: I was having the longest dream... Raubahn: 'Tis time to wake up, Your Grace. Another day begins in Thanalan, and the sun blazes bright upon the sands.
Raubahn: Her Grace is awoken. The palace physician assures me she is none the worse for her slumber. Raubahn: I believe Her Grace will soon resume her plans to place the government of Ul'dah into the hands of its citizens. Raubahn: Whatever path she chooses to take, I shall walk it with her. And we shall tread slowly, lest the nation be unsettled in our wake. Lolorito: Her Grace's compassion is a shining beacon to us all...but what our city truly thrives upon is competition. Lolorito: 'Tis in the struggle against our rivals that opportunities are seized and fortunes made. And with the Empire on the offensive once more, now would hardly seem the time to turn our system of government upon its head. Alphinaud: Are you privy to new intelligence, my lord? Lolorito: I would hardly call it new. Remind me: what was the name of that enormous imperial warship which met its end in Mor Dhona? Wait, I have it! The Agrius. Yes, well, 'twould appear that the Garleans have been hard at work on another such vessel. Pipin: How close are they to completing this ship!? Is it operational!? Lolorito: Its maiden flight was a success, I hear. I should imagine Emperor Varis is eager to see how it performs in battle. Lolorito: My lords and ladies, I move that it is time to repair the damage caused by Teledji Adeledji, and prepare our great nation to repel the Empire once more.
Alphinaud: 'Tis well that the sultana has awoken. The Syndicate yet needs to put its house in order, but 'twould seem the worst of the confusion has passed. Alphinaud: Ul'dah has taken control of its future...and I must do the same. Alphinaud: I have decided to disband the Crystal Braves. Alphinaud: Among the recruits, there were those who supported our order's goals and convictions with all sincerity. 'Tis my hope that these loyal men and women will choose to remain our allies in the battles to come. Alphinaud: As for those who sided with the traitor, Ilberd, they shall be hunted down and held to account for their crimes. It is my earnest hope that they will surrender themselves peaceably when the time comes...though I think it unlikely. Alphinaud: Ah, my all-conquering Crystal Braves... The model army meant to pave the way for a single, unified Grand Company of Eorzea. That so high an ideal should be brought so low... Alphinaud: I need not tell you how deeply the betrayal stung me. Yet I see now that it was mine own naivety and pride which allowed the Braves to fall prey to corruption. Alphinaud: As ever, it is to your own shining example that I turn for inspiration. Like you, I mean to stand firm in the face of hardship, and give mine all for the cause. Alphinaud: Let us resume the search for our missing comrades, that we might come together to shine the light of dawn across the realm once more. Alphinaud: The role of Crystal Brave commander suited me ill, and I shall play it no longer. Henceforth, I shall be no more or less than Alphinaud, proud member of the Scions.
Alphinaud: I blush to speak thus of mine inner turmoil... Alphinaud: But the fact remains: there is no woman alive in whom I would rather confide. Were it not for your shining example, I might never have emerged from beneath the pall of my despair.
A Brave Resolution Alphinaud would know how things stand at the Rising Stones.
Alphinaud: Hm, still no word from Master Garlond. I hope this manacutter of theirs is nearing completion... Yugiri: I am assured that Her Grace will make a full recovery. Alphinaud: Aye, and Ul'dah, too, shall flourish once more. General Raubahn and his colleagues have matters well in hand, I believe. Alphinaud: ...Lady Yugiri, a question, if I may. I believe your people have been keeping a close watch on the Crystal Braves. Might you know how things stand at the Rising Stones? Yugiri: Ah, yes, of course. You will be pleased to know that the 3rd Unit Braves abandoned Revenant's Toll when they learned of Captain Ilberd's defeat. The only blue uniforms to be seen there now are those worn by soldiers loyal to you, Master Alphinaud. Alphinaud: ...To me? I see. I am grateful to hear that at least some of our members were true to their oaths. Alphinaud: Ere we return to Ishgard, I must go to the Rising Stones and thank these stalwarts for their service. It shall be my final act as Crystal Brave commander. Alphinaud: Will you join me, Forename? You were there at the company's inception─'tis only fitting that you be present at its end.


And...I would appreciate the support.
Alianne: C-Commander!? You're alive! Riol: An' Forename, too! I knew ye'd scrape through! Alphinaud: My splendid Crystal Braves. I have wronged you. All of you. My promises of glory and salvation have brought you naught but blood and betrayal... Riol: Bah, ye'll not hear us complainin'. 'Twas a sight messier than expected, aye, but we was still fightin' for the freedom of all─just like we swore. Ain't that right, mates? Crystal Braves: Aye! Alphinaud: You humble me. I am truly blessed to have such steadfast comrades. It is with the most profound regret, then, that I must─ Riol: That's enough o' that, Commander! We know what ye've a mind to say, an' we ain't havin' none of it. Riol: We've talked it over, see, an' we're all agreed: ye can take our uniforms, an' strip us of our ranks─but we won't be no less of a company. Alphinaud: But the Crystal Braves─ Alianne: The Crystal Braves may be finished, but the ideals upon which the company was founded live on. They bind us to each other─and to you. Riol: Commander.
...Alphinaud. Our minds are made up, so ye may as well get used to it. Let us help the Scions. Let us help you find Minfilia an' the others. Alphinaud: My friends... A-After all that has happened... I know not what to say...
Alphinaud: <sniff> Pray excuse me... I had thought my tears spent. Alphinaud: My grandfather used to say that one could measure a man by the constancy of his comrades... Mayhap I am the exception which proves the rule. Nay, do not protest. I know that I am not worthy of their loyalty, Forename... Alphinaud: ...But as Thaliak is my witness, I shall do everything in my power to earn it.
Ready to Fly Alphinaud has matters to attend to at the Rising Stones.
Alphinaud: I must speak of future plans with the remaining Braves. Any information we uncover on the missing Scions will need to be shared with our allies across the realm─specifically, Urianger in the Waking Sands, and Tataru in Ishgard. Alphinaud: While we are organizing our various channels of communication, I would ask that you call upon Master Garlond at the manufactory. I will join you in Ishgard as soon as I am able.
Cid: Forename! How in the seven hells do you do it? I was just about to send for you! We have but this moment completed the manacutter's first successful test flight! Cid: A few minor adjustments and she'll be ready to go. While we see to the finishing touches, you might want to pay a visit to Fortemps Manor─a dragoon by the name of Estinien was looking for you.
Estinien: You have fulfilled your obligations to the Ul'dahns, then? Mistress Tataru has been keeping me apprised of the situation. Estinien: Once I learned that these “manacutters” of Master Garlond's were nearing completion, I saw no reason to tarry in the Mists. Estinien: For the present, Nidhogg seems content to remain in the Aery, plotting his revenge. Estinien: Might not this be an apt moment to unfold our plans to Ser Aymeric? I think we have kept him in the dark long enough.
Temple Knight Guard: Ser Aymeric has been eager to speak with you. Pray proceed.
  • Proceed to the Seat of the Lord Commander?
  • Yes
  • No
Estinien: All stands ready, Lord Commander. Aymeric: Ah, the moment has come, then? Alphinaud: Pray excuse my lateness. I paid a brief visit to the workshop to inquire about the manacutters. The engineers assure me that they are ready. Estinien: The Aery is now but a short flight away. Yet what a long and winding path we took to reach this point. Estinien: Were it not for Master Alphinaud's proposal, we never would have attempted to parley with the dragons. Estinien: Though our negotiations yielded little, our expedition with Lady Iceheart taught us much. Aymeric: You took an unimaginable risk... I could scarce believe the tale Estinien told. Estinien: Aye, 'tis true that many of our countrymen would sooner die than join hands with the heretics' mistress, but 'twas through that most unlikely of alliances that we came to speak with Hraesvelgr. Alphinaud: A conversation that went rather poorly, as I recall. Estinien: In this instance, the journey was more important than the destination. Had we not slain Nidhogg's consort, Tioman, and put the great wyrm on his guard, the Dravanians would have arrived at Ishgard's walls long ago. Aymeric: Aye, that they would. Full grateful am I for every hour of respite your actions have afforded us. Thanks to you, our defenses are much improved. 'Tis but a pity they won't be enough. Alphinaud: Thus you believe an assault upon the Aery represents the city's best chance of survival. Is that not so, Estinien? Estinien: I am under no illusions. Nidhogg's might is legendary. But with his eye in my possession, I can stifle his strength at the source. Estinien: Victory will be hard-won, even so, and I shall be glad indeed to have the Warrior of Light at my side. Aymeric: You shall have my blade as well. There are more of these “manacutters” to be had, yes? Lucia: Lord Commander, no! Aymeric: How can I, a proud knight of Ishgard, stand by and do naught while an outsider risks life and limb for our homeland? I swore an oath to protect this city! Estinien: Pray leave the slaying of dragons to dragoons, ser knight. Your duty to command the city's defense is no less vital. Estinien: Should we fail, and Nidhogg slip through our grasp, who, then, will hold the walls against him? Will you leave Ishgard in the hands of the Holy See's zealots? Aymeric: There are others─ Estinien: Who but you has the authority and the standing to orchestrate a citywide defense? I do not, and neither does the Warrior of Light. That is why it is our place to fight, and yours to remain here, Lord Commander. Estinien: What, you too, Master Alphinaud? By the Fury... You have shown some promise, but this adversary is far beyond your skills. Alphinaud: Your candor is appreciated, ser dragoon. I shall remain, then, and cheer you from afar. Estinien: Well, my friend, 'twould seem I have discouraged the last of the volunteers, and claimed the task as ours alone. But if any alive can best this wyrm, 'tis surely we two!
Estinien: I have pricked Master Alphinaud's pride I fear. But had I been less forceful, the boy would have insisted on accompanying us to the Aery. Estinien: Do not think me blind to his talent. With a few more campaigns under his belt, I have no doubt that Alphinaud will make a fine field commander. Estinien: But one does not practice on an adversary such as Nidhogg. We shall be hard-pressed enough without the added worry of carrying a novice.
Into the Aery Estinien is eager to set forth for the Aery.
Estinien: We have tarried long enough. Let us call upon Master Garlond and take possession of the manacutters.
Cid: Forename, old friend! The 'cutters are ready when you are! Wedge: The finer adjustments cost us a few sleepless nights, but we got there in the end! Biggs: Which means you can get where you need to go. I tell you, these little beauties'll tear through that wind barrier like a cermet drill through cottage cheese. Cid: And that, my friends, is a Garlond Ironworks guarantee! Estinien: You have our thanks. Come, Warrior of Light─the dread wyrm awaits!

The Aery

Sensing the death of his consort, a wary Nidhogg has surrounded his lair with a wall of tempestuous winds. After calling upon the assistance of Cid and his ingenious engineers, however, you and Estinien are now ready to breach this howling barrier on the wings of their latest airship prototype─the manacutter. Join the Azure Dragoon on this, the greatest of wyrm hunts, and mount a direct assault upon the Aery. Only with the death of Nidhogg can you ensure the preservation of Ishgard...and bring an end to the Dragonsong War.
Nidhogg: Wicked mortals! I shall melt your flesh, and turn your bones to ash!
Temple Knight: These lightning strikes... Are they the work of dragons? Estinien: Never mind that. We have to hurry.
Estinien: Hmph. More lightning. Temple Chirurgeon: We must tread carefully.
Estinien: Your lightning won't save you now.
Estinien: Let's keep moving.
Estinien: They have the advantage here. Temple Chirurgeon: Even so, we must remain calm.
Estinien: They'll not defeat us through sheer numbers.
Estinien: This one appears stronger than the others, but it matters little. Temple Knight: I leave the vanguard to you.
Temple Knight: <pant> <pant> ...Is it over? Estinien: Nidhogg is close. I sense him.
Estinien: Watch out! Temple Chirurgeon: Seven hells!
Estinien: We must rout them quickly, ere they overwhelm us.
Estinien: This ends here, Nidhogg! Temple Knight: Halone grant us strength! Nidhogg: Impudent mortal!
Thou wouldst use mine own eye against me!? Nidhogg: Tremble at my fury! Nidhogg: Attend me, my kindred!
Slay these treacherous children of man! Nidhogg: My rage will consume you! Estinien: We shall see whose rage is the greater! Nidhogg: Treacherous mortals!
Nidhogg: Thou wouldst use mine own eye against me!? Time hath done naught to dilute thy kind's depravity! Nidhogg: I have not forgotten thee, dragoon! Mine essence claimed thee once...and shall do so again! Estinien: No, wyrm! This ends here! Estinien: You gifted my people a thousand years of suffering. Now I gift you an eternity in darkness!
Sylvetrel de Dzemael: They are ours, Lord Haldrath... The eyes of Nidhogg! Haldrath: Aye... The wyrm lies broken and my father is avenged. With the wellspring of his vitality thus denied him, Nidhogg shall not linger long in this world. Haldrath: But behold the terrible price we have paid. My sire is dead; so many brother knights slain. Haldrath: We traded our honor for the strength which now courses in our veins. And still we are forced to make such sacrifice. Sylvetrel de Dzemael: But not in vain, my lord. Hraesvelgr is the only great wyrm left in Dravania, and he dares not leave his lair. Sylvetrel de Dzemael: With Nidhogg's eyes in your possession, who now can challenge the might of Ishgard? Ascend the throne, and take your rightful place as the ruler of our people! Haldrath: Nay, my friend, I must forsake the mantle of king. Though Nidhogg be defeated, his wyrmling horde yet darkens the skies with wings beyond counting. Haldrath: As one who partook of Ratatoskr's strength, it shall be my penance to bear a knight's arms until death grants me leave to retire. When that day comes, no prince shall perish, but a hells-bound hunter of dragons... Sylvetrel de Dzemael: But Lord Haldrath! What then shall become of the royal line!? Flavien de Fortemps: Think of your people, my lord! Without a king, who will the common man turn to in his hour of need? How will he find his way without your benevolent hand to guide him? Haldrath: I thank you, Ser Flavien and Ser Sylvetrel─for dispelling my remaining doubts. With men of such wisdom and compassion in service to the realm, 'tis plain that Ishgard has no need of a king. Haldrath: But if you must bow to the demands of tradition, you need look no further than yourselves for one worthy to wear the crown. Haldrath: Fare thee well, my brother knights...my loyal friends. On these shoulders shall I bear the weight of my father's sins; with this lance shall I repay the debt accrued through our misdeeds.
Sylvetrel de Dzemael: What cruel jest has fate played upon us...? Have we seized this desperate victory only to lose a king? Flavien de Fortemps: We can but act as our lord has bid. We few who remain must divide between us the rulership of Ishgard and her people. Brawny Knight: Not I. My oath was to Lord Haldrath, and he alone. If he is not to be king, then I would hang up my shield, as well. Sylvetrel de Dzemael: Will you abandon us, too, ser? Brawny Knight: I would wash my hands of blood and betrayal and take up an honest trade. Mayhap I shall serve ale instead of sharpened steel...
Flavien de Fortemps: We four, then... Sylvetrel de Dzemael: Fortemps, Haillenarte, Durendaire, and Dzemael... Sylvetrel de Dzemael: But four houses to rule all of Ishgard... Flavien de Fortemps: ...And what of the throne? Sylvetrel de Dzemael: We keep it empty. Until the day a king rises once more, we must assume the role of stewards. Sylvetrel de Dzemael: We shall shape our nation anew with a history of our own making─and let the truth of this dark day die here, upon the battlefield.
Estinien: What ails you, friend!? Are you wounded? Estinien: You have borne witness to history...to the culmination of the first battle with Nidhogg. Estinien: The legend of Ishgard's founding tells that our ancestors were led to the land of Coerthas by the valiant King Thordan. Estinien: In the midst of their journey, they came to a wide chasm, where they were set upon by a great wyrm─Nidhogg. A furious battle then ensued, with Thordan leading the van. Estinien: Though the brave king was slain defending his people, his son, Haldrath, the first Azure Dragoon, fought on undaunted... Estinien: And with a mighty thrust of his lance, he gouged out Nidhogg's eye, forcing the wicked creature into retreat. Estinien: Thus did this eldritch orb become a sacred treasure of Ishgard, lending its power to every knight deemed worthy to bear the title of Azure Dragoon. Estinien: A rousing tale, is it not? Would that I could still believe it. But your vision, which we must accept as immutable truth, leaves no room for doubt─save on one point. Estinien: If Haldrath took both of Nidhogg's eyes, then how came this eye to be lodged in the wyrm's skull? Estinien: Beneath every answer we unearth, another question lies buried...
Estinien: 'Twas a fierce battle, but one I knew we would win. Your fame is well deserved, Warrior of Light. Full proud am I to have fought at your side. Estinien: I would fain return with all swiftness to Ishgard to inform the lord commander of our triumph... Estinien: But we must first have words with Hraesvelgr. There are parts of this tale that the wyrm has kept from us, and I would know wherefore...
Estinien: Though Nidhogg is fallen, my heart is yet heavy. Estinien: ...And this stain of corruption pleases me not.
...When all has been put to rest, I must needs forge my armor anew.
The Song Begins Estinien would know the origin of Nidhogg's mysterious eye.
Estinien: With Nidhogg fallen, none save Hraesvelgr remains to answer our questions. Let us trouble the wyrm again. Estinien: And if Iceheart yet lingers at Zenith, all the better. I would have her hear the truth from the dragon's maw.
Ysayle: 'Twas you, was it not? The furious screams of the dragons carried far... Ysayle: You have slain Nidhogg─what more could you desire from this place? Will you not allow Hraesvelgr to mourn the death of his kin in peace!? Estinien: Spare us your sanctimonious judgment, ice maiden. We have a gift for the great wyrm...and a mystery that can no longer lie buried. Estinien: Lady Iceheart─the Dragonsong War has all but consumed your life and claimed many of your followers. 'Tis time you learned the truth of its beginning─the whole truth─that we may at last bring this bitter conflict to an end. Estinien: Sound the horn, Warrior of Light!
Hraesvelgr: Impenitent mortals, ever seeking to bury old wrongs under new. Hraesvelgr: I did sense the moment of Nidhogg's demise... Estinien: You mean the moment I prised your eye from his head? Hraesvelgr: 'Twould seem thou hast uncovered my secret. Aye. Unto the blinded Nidhogg did I yield one half of my strength...
Hraesvelgr: Nidhogg... What hath befallen thee? Nidhogg: We are undone by covetous mortals. They did take Ratatoskr's eyes...and glut their appetites upon her essence... Hraesvelgr: She is slain, then? What madness hath unmade our peaceful accord!? Nidhogg: Did I not warn thee, brood-brother? They have ever been untrustworthy creatures, these short-lived Elezen. Nidhogg: But thou wert enchanted by thy mortal maid. Thy folly hath cost Ratatoskr her life, and me mine eyes... Hraesvelgr: Oh, my beloved Shiva... How swiftly are thy kin made bestial by their appetites. Nidhogg: Hraesvelgr. 'Twas thy blindness that did invite disaster into our lands. Surrender thee an eye to me, and let that be thy penance. Hraesvelgr: Nidhogg... Nidhogg: They bested me once, but I was reckless. I shall need but a single eye to inflict enduring torment upon these traitors and every child of their line! Nidhogg: Yield to me thy strength, brood-brother! Nidhogg: My vengeance is begun!
Hraesvelgr: Thou hast borne witness to a scene from my past. Ysayle: It was yours... Your strength that sustained Nidhogg all these years... Estinien: Would that Haldrath had dealt the wyrm a killing blow... Hraesvelgr: When my brood-brother did appear before me, bloody and blinded, his life was all but spent. He demanded half my vigor, that he might exact his revenge upon the mortals who had wronged us. Ysayle: And so you acquiesced! You surrendered your eye to Nidhogg knowing full well the suffering he would inflict! Hraesvelgr: The peace my beloved so dearly desired had been shattered by her own kin. Hraesvelgr: Their treachery claimed my brood-sister's life and my brood-brother's reason! Thinkest thou thy fits of indignation will move me to remorse!? Hraesvelgr: Go, mortals! Take your unruly passions and leave this place... Your presence here spelleth naught but misery. Hraesvelgr: Were it not for Shiva's soothing embrace, I would slay you where you stand. Woe betide you should the bond we share ever weaken!
Unrest in Ishgard Estinien is frustrated by yet another mystery.
Estinien: Though he lifted not a single claw, 'twould seem that Hraesvelgr wreaked his own manner of vengeance against us...
Estinien: 'Twas my life's goal to slay Nidhogg, but I find there is little joy to be had in its accomplishment. Ysayle: But you have rid the world of a hate-filled creature, and ended a bloody war in so doing... Estinien: I lost my family to Nidhogg's flames. And 'twas with fury in my heart that I took up the lance. Every blow I struck, I struck in the name of vengeance. We were not so different, he and I. Ysayle: I will not judge you for your deeds─I have not the right. Too many innocents have perished in the name of my “greater good.” Estinien: Yet even with all that has passed, the tale is incomplete. Estinien: We are short a great wyrm's eye. Of the pair which Haldrath took from Nidhogg, only one is known to us─the one I bear. What, then, became of the other? Estinien: Why did Nidhogg, who had taken such pains to prolong the Dragonsong War, suddenly decide to hurl his entire army against the walls of Ishgard? Estinien: Lord Commander... Aye, the deed is done. Nidhogg is slain. Estinien: What? ...In the city!? A battle with whom!? Estinien: At once, Lord Commander. Hold firm till our return. Estinien: Fighting has broken out in the city. Lord Aymeric was sparse with the particulars, but it seems some commoners threw open the gates to a force of heretics. Ysayle: I gave no order to attack! Estinien: Are we to mark the end of the Dragonsong War by spilling the blood of our own? Mayhap Hraesvelgr was right about us... Estinien: Let us away, Warrior of Light. The people must be saved from themselves. Ysayle: Wait! I would join you! Ysayle: There has been enough violence. I will appeal to my people in the city and make them see reason! Estinien: Come, then, Lady Iceheart. Let us write the final chapter in this damnable war.
Zephirin: A small army of heretics has invaded the city, Your Eminence. Zephirin: But there is no cause for concern. A sizable contingent of our soldiers is already in place to repel the Dravanian assault, and the intruders will soon find themselves outnumbered and outmatched. Archbishop Thordan VII: Our plans proceed apace, then. Zephirin: Yes, Your Eminence. This unrest shall serve to feed the people's fear of the heretics and the dragons both. Archbishop Thordan VII: And lend renewed fervor to their prayers for deliverance... Archbishop Thordan VII: Very good. Grant our guests what time they need to sow a measure of chaos, then order the Temple Knights to crush them. Zephirin: Your will be done. Lahabrea: The moment is at hand? Lahabrea: Excellent. All shall soon be in alignment. Lahabrea: It is time for the Bringer of Light to die.
Haurchefant: There! Ysayle: Comrades! Sheathe your swords! There is no need for further bloodshed! Heretic: My lady!? Heretic: She is come! Ysayle: Hear me, brothers and sisters! The war is ended! Nidhogg is no more! Ysayle: Aye, it is so! This adventurer and the Azure Dragoon laid the great wyrm low! Ysayle: The endless cycle of violence between man and dragon was born of our forefathers' treachery. Ysayle: You have followed me─bled with me─to bring this truth to light, that we might all know peace! Ysayle: But Nidhogg is dead─Nidhogg is dead, my friends! He who bore such hatred towards Ishgard is dead! Ysayle: Let his hatred die with him, I say! Let us sheathe our swords and go in peace! Heretic: Have we lost!? Ysayle: No, my friend, far from it! At long last, the peace for which we have so desperately fought is within our grasp! And I for one would not forsake it! Heretic: Peace...? Timorous Temple Knight: Seize the witch! Let none escape! Haurchefant: Providing aid and succor to the wounded should be our first concern. Haurchefant: If the heretics mean to observe the peace, then it would be folly not to do the same!
Haurchefant: That was rather too close for comfort, but 'twould seem that calm is returning to the streets. My mind, however, yet clamors with a thousand questions! You return to Ishgard in the oddest of company, my friend!
He Who Would Not Be Denied Lord Haurchefant has more than a few questions to ask.
Haurchefant: That, my friends, was rather too close for comfort. Praise Halone that things did not end in bloodshed. I confess, I was more than a little dismayed to see you in the company of the Lady Iceheart. Whatever is going on, Forename? Haurchefant: Beg pardon...? You traveled to the Churning Mists together? ...Along with Estinien!? Haurchefant: Never was there a more unlikely alliance─nor one so magnificently effective! Nidhogg, dead; the heretics, pacified─Father and Ser Aymeric must know of this! Estinien: Let us break the news to them together. I will bring Ser Aymeric to Fortemps Manor. Haurchefant: Hmm...yes, an excellent suggestion. Haurchefant: Very well. Forename and I shall await you there!
Count Edmont de Fortemps: Praise Halone, you are safe! Haurchefant: My safety was never in doubt, Father, for I had the Azure Dragoon and the Warrior of Light by my side. Haurchefant: We bring the most wonderful tidings! Count Edmont de Fortemps: The infamous Lady Iceheart, here in Ishgard? This is most unexpected... Aymeric: She has done much to quell the violence. The inquisition may not approve, but we are glad of her presence. Count Edmont de Fortemps: And with the great wyrm's demise, even our nation's more reactionary elements will have scant grounds to press for her immediate impeachment. Aymeric: My thoughts exactly. Alphinaud: What of the truth revealed to us by Hraesvelgr? That the origins of the Dragonsong War─a core tenet of Ishgardian faith─are quite unlike those depicted in the scriptures. Aymeric: ...That men and dragons once lived together in harmony, and that it was man's treachery which shattered the peace and plunged our peoples into war. Count Edmont de Fortemps: The same scripture also describes the origins of the High Houses. Were it exposed as false, the legitimacy of our rule would be called into question. Count Edmont de Fortemps: If both highborn and lowborn can trace their ancestry to Thordan and his knights twelve... Alphinaud: But a single sip of dragon's blood is required to confirm their lineage. Aymeric: If the Holy See knew of this and chose to remain silent, their crimes are grievous indeed. Regardless, this state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Ser Aymeric! You cannot mean to raise this matter with the archbishop!? Haurchefant: Pray consider what you are proposing! If the Holy See chose to conceal the truth for centuries, what reason would they have to reveal it now!? Alphinaud: At best, you will be branded a heretic and clapped in irons! Aymeric: Then, at least, the archbishop will have shown his true colors. My friends, this war will never truly be at an end until the truth is made known. Aymeric: You must see what lies on the horizon if it is not. When ruled by fear of a common enemy, we were united. Aymeric: But now we have none. During the war, the highborn needed men to lead, and the lowborn, men to follow. Not anymore. 'Tis but a matter of time before the old order is called into question. Aymeric: Lady Iceheart will share the truth with her followers, and the Holy See will be powerless to stop its spread. The disenfranchised will rise up, united, and blood will flow in the streets once more... Aymeric: A divided Ishgard will not survive. Lucia: Tread carefully, Lord Commander... Alphinaud: My lady, is it wise to let him go? Alphinaud: I sympathize with the lord commander's desire for reform, but to approach the archbishop in this manner bespeaks an idealism to which I did not think Ser Aymeric prone. Lucia: Though he comports himself as a realist, he has long dreamt of reform. 'Twas that idealism which first drew me to him─that which made me swear an oath to serve. Lucia: We must not think of ways to hinder his cause, but rather ways to aid it─even should the Holy See cry heresy. Alphinaud: You cannot mean... Lucia: If the lord commander does not return from the Vault at the appointed hour, I mean to go and fetch him. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Have care, my lady─your words border on treason! Should they reach the wrong ears, you would be declared an enemy of Ishgard! Lucia: That is a risk I am willing to take. Lest you forget, my lord─I am not born of this land. My loyalty is to the lord commander alone. Lucia: But I speak only of what may come to pass. If the rumors regarding his heritage are to be believed, we have naught to fear. Estinien: Hmph. Lies and slander. Alphinaud: Forgive me─what rumors are these? Lucia: That Ser Aymeric is the archbishop's bastard son. Lucia: Senior clergy are not permitted to marry and sire children. But even the holiest among us are not immune to temptation. Alphinaud: I labor to believe it... Ser Aymeric is truly the archbishop's son? Lucia: He has never been publicly acknowledged as such, but the rumors have plagued him since childhood. Lucia: That he rose to his current position, despite being despised as a bastard, and accused of profiting from his father's influence, bespeaks the quality of his character. Lucia: It is my hope that on this occasion, the burden of his birth will work in his favor. Should our worst fears be realized, the archbishop will not be so quick to execute his own flesh and blood, affording us time to mount a rescue. Estinien: Bastard or trueborn, he is our nation's best hope. If the Holy See dares to threaten him, I shall lead the charge against the Vault myself. Haurchefant: Hear, hear! The future of Ishgard rests on Ser Aymeric's shoulders! I too will do mine utmost to aid his cause! Count Edmont de Fortemps: Haurchefant, be reasonable... Haurchefant: A knight lives to serve, Father─to aid those in need! The people need Ser Aymeric─more than ever─and we may be his only hope! Haurchefant: There is no greater calling for a knight than to save the life of his fellow man. I swear to you, on the sigil of our house, that I shall do this and make you proud. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Even you? <sigh> Romantic, reckless fools, the lot of you. So be it─make your preparations. Lucia: I thank you all for your support.
Lucia: Though your assistance is most welcome, I fear it will not be enough. Lucia: Few as we are, we will struggle to reach the lord commander. If we are to succeed, we must needs recruit others to our cause.
Ill-weather Friends Adversity acquaints a man with strange bedfellows, as Alphinaud knows only too well.
Lucia: The lord commander has need of us...and we of him. We must act now. Alphinaud: But how are we to carry out this bold endeavor? Even with an army of knights at our backs, a direct assault on the Vault seems unlikely to succeed. Lucia: You are correct, Master Alphinaud. Not even the assembled might of House Fortemps and the Temple Knights would be sufficient. With the support of another party, however, we may yet stand a chance. Alphinaud: You speak of one of the other High Houses? Lucia: Precisely the opposite. I speak of the revolutionaries rumored to reside in the Brume. Lucia: 'Twas these disgruntled Ishgardians who opened the gates of our city to the heretics, I believe. Alphinaud: But of course! If their hatred of the Holy See drove them to such deeds, they might well be persuaded to assist in Ser Aymeric's rescue, knowing the truth he would lay bare... Lucia: Such is my hope, Master Alphinaud. And I would have you and Forename reach out to them. Lucia: As a Temple Knight and sworn servant of the Holy See, any overtures I make are doomed to fail. Lucia: But as outsiders, the two of you may receive a warmer welcome. Alphinaud: Very well. We shall seek out the leader of these revolutionaries, and make our case. Lucia: My thanks. Estinien─will your brothers heed your command if you order them to stand aside? Estinien: The dragoons have no love for politics, my lady. They will gladly watch and wait while the highborn fight amongst themselves. Alphinaud: How very wise. Forename─we should hurry to the Forgotten Knight. Tataru may have knowledge of the revolutionaries.
Tataru: Forename, Alphinaud! Gods, I've been worried sick! It's so good to see you! Alphinaud: And you, Tataru. How did you manage to escape the chaos in the streets? Tataru: Gibrillont and the others barricaded the doors until the heretics left. No one was harmed, thankfully. But what about you two? What came of your journey? Tataru: ...You're not serious. What was Ser Aymeric thinking!? I mean, the way you two talk about him, I wouldn't have believed... Anyway, I've heard rumors of the people you're looking for, but I doubt they'll be of much use. Tataru: The only thing I can say with any certainty is that they're led by someone called “the Mongrel.” Alphinaud: A queer moniker if ever I have heard one─but mayhap it will make the individual in question easier to find. Come, let us all make inquiries below.
Brume Starveling: A mongrel? Not sure I catch your meaning. To a blue blood, we're all of us dogs down here.
Brume Elder: Eh? What's that? Speak up! I can't hear as well as I used to.
Brume Rat: I don't know a godsdamned thing about the Mongrel, but if I did, you can be sure I wouldn't tell you!
Alphinaud: Not a single shred of information? Just as I expected. These revolutionaries would not have evaded capture for so long without the masses' complicity. Still, it is good to know that Tataru's ears are as sharp as ever.
The Spice of Life Alphinaud is not one to be easily deterred.
Alphinaud: Frustrating though it may be, we must press on. While I continue speaking with the people of the Brume, why not go and see if Gibrillont knows aught of value? Alphinaud: As the proprietor of the Forgotten Knight, surely he must have heard whispers of the Mongrel before. We can only hope that he will be more forthcoming than the others.
Gibrillont: You know, people long for a sympathetic ear, but they need to know that it comes with tight lips. Gibrillont: Discretion, Forename─that's what my customers expect. If they don't get it, then I don't get them. Gibrillont: That being said, I'm not without my sympathies. I've heard the tales, and I know you've done right by highborn and lowborn alike. Gibrillont: Least I can do is point you in the right direction. But to do that, I'll need you to do something for me. Gibrillont: So happens there's a hunter up in the Crozier who owes me a fair bit of coin. However, I've agreed to accept payment in fresh herbs. Go and get them for me. Agreed?
Hulking Hunter: So you're Gibrillont's errand girl? Good, good! How's he doing? Same as always? Right, right... Hulking Hunter: Anyroad, I hope he appreciates how much trouble I had to go through on account of his bloody herbs. Tell him to enjoy them while they last, because I doubt I'll be able to find any more next year.
Gibrillont: <sniff> <sniff> Well? You going to hand them over or not?
Fresh Herbs This nameless flora has a pleasant-enough scent to suggest it is most-likely not poisonous.
Gibrillont: Aye, this ought to do it. With a few other spices, I can make it just like she used to... Gibrillont: There are few things which stir the hearts of men like a sip of mulled wine. Share a glass with the right people, and who knows what stories they'll share?
Noble Indiscretions Gibrillont has a faraway look in his eyes.
Gibrillont: Now that I think on it, there's a woman I know who's rather fond of this blend. Hierytha is her name, and she resides in the Pillars. Gibrillont: She's a maidservant to some noble house or another, I forget. Anyway, be a shame if she didn't get to try this wine. Why not give her a bottle?
Hierytha: Y-Yes, I am Hierytha. Beg your pardon, but do I know you, miss?
Twice-mulled Wine This wine is cooled after its first mulling and allowed to sit for a fortnight before mulling a second time with a fresh muslin bag of spices. For delivery to one Hierytha.
Hierytha: I...I know this smell! This is the wine that girl used to prepare! Her special recipe! It must be decades since I last tasted this. Hierytha: Oh, the poor dear... Such a shame that she was taken in by that baron. Hierytha: He cut a dashing figure, I'll grant you that. Tall, slender, long of ear... <sigh> But those dazzling ruby eyes of his were filled with lust. 'Twas naught more than infatuation, what she felt, but she convinced herself it was love...and he couldn't help but take advantage. Hierytha: But when her belly started to grow, gods, the scandal! I mean, 'tis not an uncommon occurrence, but that it was with a Hyur made it so much, well...I needn't tell you. She was discharged from his service─cast out onto the streets, like so much refuse. Hierytha: After she returned to the Brume, we drifted apart. I only learned of her death years later by chance...
Gibrillont: So the amorous nobleman beds his maidservant, then casts her aside when the seed takes root. Gibrillont: Not the most original tale, is it? Cold comfort for the women and children who live it, though.
A Child Apart Gibrillont's face is a mask, but beneath it you sense something old and bitter.
Gibrillont: Even the penitent can appreciate wine from time to time. Take Gerraldieux, for example. Surely you've heard of him. No? Gibrillont: He's a monk who offers succor to the poorest of the poor in the Brume. A man of many vows, but none which prohibit spirituous beverages. Aye, if ever there was a man who deserved a drink, it'd be him.
Gerraldieux: Halone's blessings be upon you, miss. I─ A gift? For me?
Twice-mulled Wine This wine is cooled after its first mulling and allowed to sit for a fortnight before mulling a second time with a fresh muslin bag of spices. For delivery to one Gerraldieux.
Gerraldieux: This scent...how reminiscent of a wine once made by a dear old friend, may her soul rest in peace... Gerraldieux: Forsaken by her family, she toiled tirelessly to feed and clothe her child. Yet somehow she found time to help me tend to those in even worse circumstances, so compassionate she was, so full of love for her fellow man. Gerraldieux: 'Twas that love which gave her child strength to endure the scorn of the other younglings... <sigh> That little girl, bless her heart, she couldn't help what she was. Eventually, she won them over, but those first few years were trying─even more so when she had to start fending for herself. Gerraldieux: I remember days she spent standing on the walls─raven black hair flowing in the wind, staring out, as if searching for her mother's face in the mists...
Gibrillont: ...She was a remarkable woman, Forename. Gibrillont: After everything she was forced to endure, she still remained hopeful for the future. For her daughter's future...
Bloodlines Gibrillont has the look of a man weighing his words with the greatest of care.
Gibrillont: Some bonds are thicker than blood...but blood still defines us─and divides us in the end. Gibrillont: It's the legacy of our parents, Forename, and we can't escape it, no matter how hard we try. Gibrillont: So the Mongrel and her pups chose to embrace theirs─to proclaim it to all and sundry. Gibrillont: If you can understand that, then maybe you can find her on your own.
Brume Starveling: Still looking for your mongrel? Like I said before, take your pick. Plenty around, if you know where to look. Or did you fancy someone specific?
  • What will you say?
  • I'm looking for a mongrel with ruby red eyes and raven black hair. Brume Starveling: Ho, someone's got unusual tastes. Afraid I can't help you, though. Brume Starveling: Won't, rather. It's bloody obvious you ain't of the Brume. Did you think I'd just tell you 'cause you asked nicely?
  • I'm looking for a mongrel with raven black eyes and ruby red hair. Brume Starveling: Doesn't ring a bell, sorry.
  • ... Brume Starveling: What, coeurl got your tongue? Off you trot, then.
Alphinaud: Have you made any progress, Forename? Alphinaud: Hmm... So our mongrel was born of an Elezen nobleman and a Hyuran maidservant. Alphinaud: Granted, it is no location, but it is far more information than we had before. Yes...now that her striking features are known to us, mayhap we need only remain vigilant.
Fire and Blood Alphinaud is considering how best to proceed with the hunt for the Mongrel.
Alphinaud: There must be a way we can draw the Mongrel out into the open. Hmm... Mayhap we should discuss this with Tataru. Alphinaud: Speaking of which, where is Tataru? She... Oh, confound it. She went below to make inquiries on her own, didn't she? We must find her quickly, Forename─I have a premonition this is not going to end well.
You cast your gaze over the streets below, but see no sign of Tataru...
Alphinaud: She must be around here somewhere... I take it you've had no luck either? Tataru: Uwaaah! I'm sorry, forget I said anything! Alphinaud: Wait─down there! Isn't that Tataru? Alphinaud: <gasp> Those men are chasing her! Quickly, Forename─after them!
Beggarly Fellow (Eudestand): Where d'you think you're goin', missy? Tataru: I-I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend! Alphinaud: What's going on here!? Beggarly Fellow (Eudestand): What's it to you, boy!? Piss off! Filthy Fellow (Symme): Hold on! I've seen them around. They're in and out of House Fortemps's manor all the time. Beggarly Fellow (Eudestand): Ohhh, I see. Skulkin' about at your highborn masters' biddin', eh? Bloodhounds hopin' to catch a whiff of heresy, is that it? Alphinaud: You are quite mistaken, I assure you. We came here to help. And if you know what's good for you, you will let us pass! Beggarly Fellow (Eudestand): Haha! Listen to the pup's yappin'! Come here, boy─I'll give you cause to yelp! ??? (Hilda): Enough! Leave threatenin' women and children to our “betters”! We don't have the knack! Filthy Fellow (Symme): Hilda!? Hilda: Lay a finger on the blue bloods' pups and you're like to lose the hand. Hilda: It ain't often I get called on by glorious heroes like yourself. So tell me: what have I done to deserve you?
Hilda: Before you start─let's go somewhere a bit more private, eh? The Forgotten Knight, say.
Hilda: ...So while you were on your way to kill Nidhogg, you stumbled on some dirty secrets that the Holy See has been hidin' for centuries. Beggarly Fellow (Eudestand): Eh? What are they on about? Hilda: The High Houses, and what makes a nobleman so bleedin' noble. They trace their blood back to King Thordan and his knights twelve─the founders of Ishgard. Hilda: But our friends here reckon we're all descended from the heroes of eld─highborn and lowborn alike. Hilda: And so Ser Aymeric, lord commander of the Temple Knights, has gone to ask the archbishop if he wouldn't mind lettin' everyone know. Filthy Fellow (Symme): Is he simple!? The old bastard'll have him executed for heresy! Hilda: Well, seems to me that's what the good ser wants. Seems he thinks a noble sacrifice will serve to prove his claims. Alphinaud: We cannot stand idly by and allow Ser Aymeric to do this. Ishgard has need of him. Hilda: Look, you've a good heart. I can see that. Willin' to risk your neck for someone else, even when his troubles ain't yours. But what's this got to do with me? Alphinaud: If Ser Aymeric is imprisoned in the Vault, we will need all the help we can muster to breach their defenses and rescue him. Hilda: What in the hells─!? Charibert: <sniff> Ahhh, the unmistakable scent of heresy... Charibert: And what do we have here? The honored guests of House Fortemps consorting with the queen of rats? Charibert: Oooh. Plotting insurrection I shouldn't wonder! Tsk-tsk. That won't do. Charibert: Sickness is wont to fester and spread. It must be burned out ere the infection takes hold. Hilda: I reckon ser'd be happy to wield the irons himself. Well, so happens I've got irons of my own. Charibert: Ahahaha! Such simple creatures, rats. Certain to attack when cornered. Charibert: Let us step outside, milady. In here, your toys could hurt someone.
The Mongrel (Hilda): If it's a fight you want, then come and get it! Ser Charibert the Stern: My, such fury! Patience, my queen. We've only just begun. Temple Banneret: Defend Ser Charibert! Kill the rebels! The Mongrel (Hilda): Damn! There's no end to them! Ser Charibert the Stern: It seems you are beyond reason. How marvelous... Alphinaud: I suppose now is as good a time as any... Haurchefant of the Silver Fuller: Stop this, all of you! It is madness! Why are you fighting!? Alphinaud: Lord Haurchefant! Over here! Ser Charibert the Stern: Hmph. How fitting. The noble bastard and the mongrel bitch. The Mongrel (Hilda): This mongrel bitch is going to put a bullet between your eyes!
Charibert: There's no denying your gifts... A well-deserved reputation indeed. Lucia: Enough! Charibert: Hmph. Hilda: Gah! Lucky bastard. Alphinaud: Nay...'tis we who are lucky. Had we fought on, 'twas but a matter of time before our conflict claimed the life of an innocent bystander. Lucia: I thought the Heavens' Ward might come here as well. Haurchefant: They came to the Temple Knights' headquarters? Lucia: Aye. Ser Grinnaux announced that the lord commander had been imprisoned under suspicion of heresy, and that the Heavens' Ward had been granted full authority in his stead. Haurchefant: Then the Heavens' Ward now commands the Temple Knights... Lucia: Those still loyal to Ser Aymeric answer to me. Alas, that amounts to but half our number. Lucia: The other half, who opposed his promotion to lord commander, have gathered at the Vault as ordered. Hilda: Bolsterin' the guard already, eh? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're expected. Lucia: I take it you're in charge around here? Hilda: Hilda, and yes. The young master was just persuadin' me to join his lost cause. Convincin' little beggar, isn't he? Hilda: Aye, your passion moved me─a bit. That, and the fact that we're sick of livin' off the leavin's of our “betters.” Hilda: If you've a mind to change things around here, then we've a mind to join you!
Hilda: Let me guess: you're wondering why I chose “the Mongrel,” right? Hilda: Because it's what I am, and I'm not ashamed of it. Not anymore. Hilda: Besides, even my pureblood pups have more in common with me than the lords and ladies up on high. They none of 'em are well bred. Hells, some of their mothers were cast out after a spot of fun, same as mine. Hilda: Story old as time─and one we're sick of hearing, which is why we took up arms. Hilda: Not that we mean to hold all the blue bloods to account. Some have done right by us, I'll allow, like them in House Haillenarte. Hilda: But enough talk. Your friend's still rotting in a cell. Let's not keep him waiting.
A Knight's Calling Now that all the players are assembled, Hilda is eager to get on with it.
Hilda: We've been working in secret to undermine the Holy See and the High Houses. That much I'll acknowledge. Hilda: But this nonsense about us throwing wide the gates for the heretics is just that: nonsense. Lucia: If not you, then who? Hilda: You Temple Knights, of course. Reckoned it was your beloved Ser Aymeric's doing at first, but then I heard how he lost his head. My next best guess would be the Heavens' Ward. Hilda: That way they'd have the perfect excuse to go door-to-door through the Brume. Slaughter the heretics and their “sympathizers” in one fell swoop. Haurchefant: But the Heavens' Ward's scheme did not account for Lady Iceheart's intervention...and so they have been forced to improvise. Hilda: A fine bloody mess, ain't it? But the die is cast. So what's the plan? Lucia: We must divert the attention of the High Houses away from the city, and to do that, we need the cooperation of your allies in their service. Hilda: ...And what makes you think I have friends in high places? Lucia: You would be fools not to, given your goals. Lowborn knights are ideal recruits. Lucia: Most swore fealty only out of desire for a better life. If offered an opportunity to shed the yoke and live for themselves, who among them would not at least be tempted to take it? Lucia: Rare is the man eager to die for a cause he does not hold dear. But it need not come to that this day. If they and their fellow knights are deployed afield to deal with a new threat─a massing of heretics, for example─then they will be unable to join in the defense of the Vault. Hilda: Huh. Spread false reports of an attack to get 'em out of harm's way, you mean? Alphinaud: The city will not soon forget the heretics' last assault. If the High Houses believe another attack is imminent, they will have no choice but to act. Lucia: Can it be done? Hilda: Can we trick them into leaving Ishgard? Aye. Can we keep them out for long? Not bloody likely. Make sure you're ready before I send word, because you won't get a second chance at this. Alphinaud: Then it is decided. To the Vault! The archbishop must be held to account! Lucia: And the lord commander granted his liberty!
Lucia: Hearken to me, everyone! We have two objectives: rescue Ser Aymeric and apprehend the archbishop. We will therefore divide our forces into two parties. Lucia: Estinien and I will make ready to breach the underground gaol and search for the lord commander. We will not move, however, until the second party has entered the Vault. Lucia: I speak of your party, Warrior of Light, together with Lord Haurchefant and Master Alphinaud. For this plan to succeed, you will need to fight your way into the highest levels of the Vault, even unto the archbishop's private chambers. When the Heavens' Ward realize what you intend, they will fly to their master's side, leaving only a token force to guard the gaol. Lucia: Temple Knights loyal to our cause have already secured the entrance to the Vault. Once you are within, they will signal to us. If all goes to plan, we shall rejoin you with Ser Aymeric and confront the archbishop together. Lucia: Is everyone clear as to their duties? Then let us do what must needs be done!
Temple Knight Squire: The others are in position, Mistress Forename. Temple Knight Squire: I will send word once you and your party have entered...

The Vault

Ser Aymeric's attempt to bring the truth of the Dragonsong War to light has ended in failure. Imprisoned by the archbishop under suspicion of heresy, he now languishes in the gaol underneath the Vault. Yet all is not yet lost, for Lucia has hatched a bold plan to see justice done. While her party frees Ser Aymeric from captivity, you are to lead a party into the highest levels of the Vault and seize Thordan VII. Though the knights of the Heavens' Ward will attempt to bar your passage, you must press on, for the future of Ishgard hangs in the balance!
Alphinaud: We must stop the archbishop before it's too late! Haurchefant: For friends and countrymen!
Haurchefant: Here to delay us, no doubt. Alphinaud: There's no time. We must force our way through them!
Alphinaud: A knight of the Heavens' Ward!? Ser Adelphel Brightblade: I trust you know your lives are forfeit. Haurchefant: Ser Adelphel Brightblade! Alphinaud: What sorcery is this? Haurchefant: Do not be disheartened, my friends. We must give it our all! Alphinaud: How did he transform into that monstrosity? Haurchefant: I fear we have little time to ruminate. Come, my friends!
Alphinaud: The statues─they're alive! Haurchefant: They would turn the Vault itself against us?
Alphinaud: Ser Grinnaux. I should have known you would be here. Ser Grinnaux the Bull: I'll cut you to pieces! Haurchefant: You bested him once before. Together, we shall do so again. Alphinaud: His title as a knight of the Heavens' Ward is well earned. Haurchefant: You fought well, my friend, but our mission is far from over.
Alphinaud: Still no sign of the archbishop. Haurchefant: He cannot be much farther.
Haurchefant: Gargoyles!? Alphinaud: I'd expect nothing less from the Vault's defenses.
Haurchefant: He means to escape by airship? Alphinaud: We have to hurry! Ser Charibert: Filthy rats! Ser Charibert: And now the final curtain! Ser Charibert: This shall be a mercy! Ser Charibert: What!? No... NO!
Charibert: Our power... How can this be!? Zephirin: Fall back!
Aymeric: Father, please! Estinien: For a mercy, we were not too late. Aymeric: Why must you do this, Father!? Aymeric: Nidhogg is fallen! There is no need for further deception! Now is the time to renounce the lies which led us down this path─to start anew! Archbishop Thordan VII: And tear down the very pillars of our society─our history, our values─everything we have built over a thousand years? <sigh> A fool to the last. Haurchefant: Look out! Archbishop Thordan VII: Go. Azys Lla awaits. Aymeric: Lord Haurchefant! Alphinaud: It's no good... The wound is too deep. It refuses to mend... Haurchefant: You...you are unharmed? F-Forgive me... I could not bear the thought of...of... Haurchefant: Oh, do not look at me so. Haurchefant: A smile better suits a hero...
Temple Knight Squire: I...I know not what to say. The others, they...they are gathered at Fortemps Manor.
House Fortemps Guard: The others are... Please enter, Mistress Surname.
Count Edmont de Fortemps: Don't. Please. Count Edmont de Fortemps: A knight lives to serve. To protect. To sacrifice. There is no greater calling. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Leave me to mourn, and give chase. For my son, and for the nation he loved. Go. Alphinaud: ...His sacrifice shall not be forgotten. Count Edmont de Fortemps: My...son...
Alphinaud: I...I could not stand there in silence, but... Alphinaud: When all others had forsaken us, Lord Haurchefant took us in. Our beacon of hope in a world of darkness. Alphinaud: He did his utmost to raise our spirits, so that we might face our troubles with courage. With conviction. Alphinaud: So that we might face them as...as knights...
The Sins of Antiquity Alphinaud is lost in thought.
Alphinaud: I... We must press on with our mission. Tataru, pray return to your duties at the Forgotten Knight. Alphinaud: Let us go and speak with Ser Aymeric, Forename. I worry for his well-being.
Temple Knight Guard: An audience with the lord commander? Yes, yes of course...
  • Proceed to the Seat of the Lord Commander?
  • Yes
  • No
Aymeric: My friends. I am in your debt. Alphinaud: Think nothing of it. Your wounds are healing well, I trust? Aymeric: Some wounds do not heal...
Aymeric: The founding, the scriptures─a thousand years of lies─all to deceive the common man! Aymeric: Nay, our own brothers and sisters─for the blood of the knights twelve flows within all our veins! You knew this to be true. You knew and you concealed it! Archbishop Thordan VII: I should be interested to hear how you came by this knowledge. But yes, you have the right of it. Archbishop Thordan VII: The architects of Ishgard, King Thordan and his knights twelve, entrapped and butchered the great wyrm Ratatoskr, that they might partake of her eyes, and thereby transcend their mortal limits. Archbishop Thordan VII: Upon learning of their treachery, Nidhogg was consumed with a murderous─and justified─rage. I daresay you know what followed... Aymeric: The great wyrm slew the king and half of his knights. Archbishop Thordan VII: Aye...but Nidhogg was subdued, and his eyes plucked from their sockets by the knights that remained. Archbishop Thordan VII: Their one mistake was to show mercy, for from his brother Hraesvelgr did Nidhogg receive a new eye, thus rejuvenating his form and empowering him to embark upon an eternal quest for vengeance. Aymeric: ...Whilst Thordan's son Haldrath took one of Nidhogg's eyes and learned to wield its power in defense of his people... Archbishop Thordan VII: Thus was the first Azure Dragoon born. And ever since that time, his honored successors have risen to drive Nidhogg from our lands whenever the wyrm has returned to plague us.
Archbishop Thordan VII: I ask you, my son: will you answer for my sins? Will your son and his son answer for me as well? Aymeric: What do you mean? Archbishop Thordan VII: If a man cannot atone for his sins in the course of his all-too-fleeting life, must his progeny then be held to account? Must every subsequent generation be judged as well? Archbishop Thordan VII: Thordan's betrayal of Ratatoskr was an unconscionable, unforgivable sin. Archbishop Thordan VII: Should we, then, as his descendants, meekly surrender ourselves to an eternity of punishment? Archbishop Thordan VII: Nay, say I. I would not see our children sacrificed in a vain attempt to appease an implacable foe. Archbishop Thordan VII: Dragons are not like us, my son. To they who live forever, the wrongs of antiquity are as those of yesterday. No reparations shall ever suffice. Archbishop Thordan VII: This fact alone should serve as ample justification for our actions, yet some refuse to see it as such. For men like you, who yearn to commit themselves to a nobler cause, a more compelling narrative is required. Aymeric: This is your solution!? This is how you protect our people? Aymeric: You have given us a lost cause! A death sentence! With your compelling narrative, you but doom our countrymen to give their lives for a lie! Archbishop Thordan VII: And they do so gladly. Highborn and lowborn alike are proud to serve─to fight and die for their country. Archbishop Thordan VII: And what would you say to them? Archbishop Thordan VII: What would you tell the wives who have lost their husbands, the mothers who have lost their sons? ...That their loved ones died for naught? Aymeric: I... Archbishop Thordan VII: Over the course of a thousand years, countless men have donned these robes, and every one of them came to accept the necessity of this solution. Once, I hoped you might come to accept it as well. Archbishop Thordan VII: Do not despair, my son. Soon I shall free us from the sins of antiquity... Archbishop Thordan VII: ...And bring about the change you so fervently desire. Archbishop Thordan VII: If he has spoken with others, I would have their names. Escort him to a cell and question him─thoroughly. Zephirin: Your Eminence.
Alphinaud: You saw something, did you not? A vision of the past? Aymeric: So this is the power of the Echo. Would that it had shown you a finer moment from my past. Aymeric: 'Twas an exercise in futility, as you saw. Faced with the firmity of his conviction, and his many ready rejoinders, my words deserted me. To be frank, I am embarrassed to recall it. Alphinaud: A friend once impressed upon me the importance of differentiating between words, deeds, and beliefs. Were he here, I suspect he would judge your father's “conviction” to be no more than rank, self-serving delusion. Alphinaud: Even so, I cannot help but wonder what manner of “change” he intends to bring about. Aymeric: I have given some thought to that as well. Aymeric: During the battle within the Vault, the Heavens' Ward demonstrated strange and unnatural abilities. Lucia: Aye, the manner in which Ser Zephirin struck down Lord Haurchefant was unlike anything I've ever seen before. Aymeric: The spectacle called to mind King Thordan and his knights twelve as they are depicted in scripture─holy powers and all... Alphinaud: Mere fabrications...which have become objects of faith...instilled with the belief of countless devoted souls... Alphinaud: Seven hells! Aymeric: If Lady Iceheart can use her own body as a vessel for summoning, I see no reason why others could not... Lucia: Are the Heavens' Ward truly so reckless? Alphinaud: Unbelievable. Aymeric: As they fled, my father spoke of Azys Lla. Aymeric: Though I know not what he intends, I fear no good shall come of it. His ambitions are too great, and his minions too powerful... Aymeric: We must find the Heavens' Ward, and stop my father, before it is too late.
Aymeric: Mistress Surname, Master Alphinaud─I, Aymeric, lord commander of the Temple Knights of Ishgard, do hereby entreat the aid of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Alphinaud: Our aid in preventing whatever it is that the archbishop intends? Aymeric: Your aid in bringing him to justice. Too much blood has been spilled for the lies he perpetuated. No more.
  • What will you say?
  • I shall pursue him to the end of the world if I must. Aymeric: I thank you, Forename. I have heard many men make such pledges, but you─you speak in earnest.
  • Life for death. I will have Ser Zephirin's heart for what he did to Haurchefant. Aymeric: Yes...yes, of course. You two were close, I know.
  • ... Aymeric: I make no claim to know the turmoil in your soul, but I implore you, Forename─in this darkest of hours, pray lend us your strength.
Alphinaud: Much has changed since our order's founding, but our duty to combat the primal threat has not. If the archbishop and the Heavens' Ward are guilty of the crime of summoning, then Forename and I will stop them. Aymeric: Would that I could join you in the pursuit, but alas, my father's absence has thrown our government into chaos. Aymeric: Ever since the founding of our nation, there has been an archbishop to serve as a guiding light for the masses─a force for stability to counterbalance the High Houses' ceaseless maneuvering. Aymeric: Convincing the people to recognize the truth of our origins would have been difficult even with my father's support. The road ahead is that much more fraught with peril without it. Aymeric: Yet walk it we must, for unity is more vital to our survival than ever. After all, Nidhogg's death did not mark the cessation of Dravanian hostilities. Far from it. We will have great need of each other in the days to come. Estinien: You may ever count on my lance, Ser Aymeric. To my dying breath, I shall defend Ishgard from the Horde. Lucia: If I may, Lord Commander, I would like to assist the Scions in their search for the archbishop. Lucia: Forename, Master Alphinaud, pray attend me outside. Alphinaud: Very well. With me, Forename. I believe we have much to discuss.
In Search of the Soleil Lucia appears to have something to say.
Lucia: The Soleil was eastward bound, so I sent word to Camp Cloudtop on the off chance the airship passed nearby. Lucia: Sure enough, Lady Laniaitte informed me that it had been sighted by her scouts. Alphinaud: Then the archbishop is somewhere in the Sea of Clouds? Lucia: Or was, not long ago. The airship has not been seen since it disappeared into the northern reaches near the Blue Window. Lucia: Alas, because the region is firmly held by the Vanu Vanu and not easily accessible from Camp Cloudtop, House Haillenarte has yet to establish a foothold. We will need not only an airship, but a captain bold enough to risk the beastmen's wrath. Alphinaud: I think we both know the perfect candidate, Forename. Let us pay a visit to Master Garlond at the Skysteel Manufactory. Lucia: I see... Then I will take my leave for now. There are other matters which require my attention.
Cid: Ah, the dastardly duo. What mischief have you two been getting up to lately? Alphinaud: ...You haven't heard, have you? I hardly know where to start. Cid: ...He was a good man. Alphinaud: Cid, have you ever heard of “Azys Lla”? The archbishop spoke of it before he fled. Cid: No, but it's probably some source of phenomenal cosmic power that's key to his plans. Cid: From what he told Forename, the Ascians tried to tempt him as they tempted Gaius with the Ultima Weapon. Even if he spoke true about playing along, I can see him attempting to seize it. Alphinaud: As if we needed another reason to pursue him... Cid: Well, I'm convinced. The Enterprise is at your disposal. Come to the airship landing when you're ready to depart. Cid: Heh, it's just as well. After pulling you out of the fire these last few times, I reckoned I was due to deliver you into it.
Into the Blue Alphinaud must see to one last thing before he departs.
Alphinaud: Into the fire, is it... In that case, I should inform Tataru of our plans. Alphinaud: Pray go on ahead to the airship landing. I shall join you anon.
Cid: The boys have been hard at work preparing for our flight, and I'm pleased to say we are ready to depart. Cid: That is, as soon as a certain... Ah. Alphinaud: Pray forgive me my lateness. Tataru and I had much to discuss. Alphinaud: We still have no news of the missing Scions, but she assures me that Urianger and Riol are pursuing promising leads. Cid: Come, come─we can continue this discussion aboard the Enterprise!
Wedge: The others are waiting for you aboard the Enterprise, Forename! Shall we get going?
  • Board the Enterprise?
  • Yes
  • No
Count Edmont de Fortemps: To the northern reaches of the Sea of Clouds, where countless isles yet remained uncharted... Count Edmont de Fortemps: In search of a mysterious land known as Azys Lla, and the unmasked villain who sought to claim its secrets... Count Edmont de Fortemps: Oblivious to the new threat which followed in their wake, they came...
Alphinaud: From here, Camp Cloudtop looks rather far... Alphinaud: Ahem. Be on your guard, Forename. The Vanu could be anywhere─even watching us as we speak...
Familiar Faces Alphinaud has a mind to start searching the Blue Window.
Alphinaud: Assuming the Soleil is here, I doubt she will come to us. We should begin searching the isles in earnest... Alphinaud: Of course, we must remain vigilant for Vanu scouts as well. I would rather avoid needless bloodshed.
You search the skies for the Soleil, but see nothing resembling the missing airship.
Alphinaud: Mayhap this effort was doomed to failure... ??? (Lonu Vanu): Begs mercy of netherlings! Does not fight! Does not wish to die! Alphinaud: Was that a Vanu being attacked? But by whom? Alphinaud: Over there! Alphinaud: Imperial troops!? Imperial Centurion: Ishgardians!? Seize them! They'll know where the archbishop is! Alphinaud: The enemy of my enemy... We've no choice. With me, Forename! Protect the Vanu!
Imperial Centurion: Remember: Lord van Hydrus wants them alive! That's an order! Alphinaud: Lord van Hydrus? Regula van Hydrus!? Imperial Centurion: What are you doing!? You're a disgrace to the VIth! Subdue these savages! Alphinaud: There's no end to them! Unarmed Vanu Vanu (Lonu Vanu): No weapons to fight netherlings! No desire to die!
Lonu Vanu: Netherlings save Lonu Vanu from certain death! Showers netherlings with thanks like summer squall! Lonu Vanu: Lonu Vanu knows not what wind bears netherlings to cloud sea, but warmly welcomes them! Shows gratitude where gratitude is due!
Devourer of Worlds Lonu Vanu would like very much for you to enjoy the hospitality of his village.
Lonu Vanu: Lonu Vanu owes much and more to netherlings. As saviors, as heroes, Zundu welcome you! Lonu Vanu: To village we go! To north! Come, come!
Alphinaud: So the Garleans were searching for the archbishop and believed that the Vanu Vanu knew something of his whereabouts. Alphinaud: Methods notwithstanding, they may have had the right of it... Alphinaud: I conclude that we should accept Lonu Vanu's offer of hospitality, and visit his village.
Lonu Vanu: Like breeze guides leaves to rest, come and lay down your burdens, netherlings! Lonu Vanu throws wide arms in greeting! Behold─Ok' Zundu! Alphinaud: A far warmer welcome than the one you received from the Vundu, I think. Lonu Vanu: Hah! Vundu bluster and blow hither and yon. Sound and fury, like aimless gale. Lonu Vanu: Eh!? What unseen lightning begets such thunderous report!? Cid: There you are! Did you see it!? Cid: It's that damned flying whale again! The imperials are after it! Alphinaud: Where!? Lonu Vanu: The White!? Cid: He's wounded! Alphinaud: By the Twelve... Did the beast just eat that island!? Lonu Vanu: O insatiable White, O devourer of worlds! Why must You torment us!? Lonu Vanu: Bah! Lonu Vanu wastes no more words on His unfathomable deeds. Come, netherlings! Come and break words with chief of Zundu!
Lonu Vanu: With wisdom deep as nethers and eyes clear as cloudless blue, Sonu Vanu speaks for Zundu. Hearken to his words!
Lonu Vanu: Netherlings deliver Lonu Vanu from claws of steel-shod fiends and prove nobility. He knows not to ignore zephyr winds, and brings before you with all haste. Sonu Vanu: Soft rains to soothe the heart and sunshine to warm. Gratitude of Sonu, chief of Zundu, is boundless. Alphinaud: We are honored to meet you, Chief Sonu. I am Alphinaud Leveilleur, and these are my companions Forename Surname and Cid Garlond. Alphinaud: We are come in search of an airship─a flying vessel of the nethers─which we believe is somewhere in the cloud sea. Sonu Vanu: Ah, like to black steel-shod contraption from which you save Lonu Vanu? Alphinaud: Alas, no. That ship belongs to the Garlean Empire─an old enemy of ours...though not the enemy we are looking for at present. Alphinaud: The men we seek wear armor of purest white, and are led by an older man in white robes. Lonu Vanu: Wait! Lonu Vanu hear tell of these netherlings! Alphinaud: You do? Are you certain? Sonu Vanu: As sun rises and falls and returns, we are. Zundu scouts can testify to words of Lonu Vanu. Lonu Vanu: Aye, aye! Winds carry purpose of netherlings to our ears as well. Netherlings seek key to Azys Lla! Cid: Now we're getting somewhere! Tell us, Chief Sonu: what exactly is this “Azys Lla”? Sonu Vanu: Beware, netherlings, for blackest clouds portend greatest danger. Look not into heart of tempest. There lies ancient birthplace of sin, home of forbidden secrets. To speak more is to call the wind! Lonu Vanu: But the White devours isle where key is kept. Deep within bowels of mighty Bismarck, it lies, beyond reach of the foolhardy! Cid: And beyond ours... Sonu Vanu: Rejoice not in His gluttony, Lonu Vanu, for as stone gives way to water and wind, all yields to the White. Lonu Vanu: This he knows, Chief Sonu. Madness of Vundu bodes ill for all Vanu...
Black and the White Alphinaud has that familiar look in his eye, which can mean only one thing...
Alphinaud: So Azys Lla is home to forbidden secrets, accessible only to the bearer of a key which the archbishop covets... Much as I would like to believe it safe within the belly of Bismarck, the knights of the Heavens' Ward wield primal powers. If we do not slay the whale and claim the key first, they surely will. Alphinaud: Quite how we will go about it is another matter. As was the case in our battle with Leviathan, we are out of our element, and this time, we have far fewer allies to call upon... Be that as it may, our customary approach still holds true. We must begin by learning more about the White. Let us each question the residents of the village, then regroup and share our findings anon.
Lonu Vanu: If netherlings seek knowledge of the White, then speak with Kunu Vali, foremost keeper of tales. Lonu Vanu: But neglect not to present self with humility and respect. As sun yields to moon and moon to sun, netherlings must greet Kunu Vali with a bow.
Kunu Vali: Zephyr winds at your back and sunshine to warm your brow, traveler from below. Kunu Vali, keeper of tales, hears your words, and she remembers. Kunu Vali: In times long ago, in lands elsewhere, before even the cloud sea, the White is one among many. Newborn, He swims beside His many brothers, in seas of endless water. Kunu Vali: But hated, the White is, for His brothers are purest black. So great is their contempt, their loathing, that they turn upon Him and rend His flesh asunder. And so He falls, only to rise again, for merciful gods raise Him to the heavens, and there He is reborn. Kunu Vali: The White still longs for the sea to which He cannot return. But in rebirth, a splinter of the divine is shared, and so He opens His maw, from whence come the clouds, and a new sea is born, home to Him alone. Kunu Vali: Content, He gazes below, and sees others who are as He─hated and hunted. He weeps, and in His benevolence, He raises up isles of earth and guides these people to the cloud sea. Such is the tale of His rebirth, and the salvation of the Vanu. May it never be forgot. Kunu Vali: But this demon which menaces the cloud sea...His rage is that of the Vundu, His hunger that of a wild beast. The isles are His gift to us─yet now He must consume them? Kunu Vali knows no tales like this.
Alphinaud: So according to the Vanu Vanu, the Sea of Clouds and the floating isles were gifts from Bismarck to his people... Cid: Gifts which he has taken to eating, yes. Technically within his rights, I suppose, if perhaps a little ungenerous. Gods, eh!? But what of you, Alphinaud? Did you learn aught of value? Alphinaud: Alas, no. That is, unless you have an interest in the intricacies of Vanu skyfishing... Cid: Skyfishing...?
My gods, that's it! Alphinaud, my boy, I could kiss you! Cid: From what we have observed, Bismarck is a creature of pure instinct, driven primarily by hunger. When wounded by the imperials, it fled─but not before devouring another island to restore its strength. Cid: What I propose is this: we tow a suitably appetizing island through the Sea of Clouds, in essence “fishing” for our flying whale. Cid: Once we draw Bismarck out of hiding, we shall use dragonkillers to fire grapnels into the beast's hide, and then reel it in close, enabling our resident eikon-slayer to engage it directly. Alphinaud: A bold plan, Master Garlond─but an exceedingly dangerous one. Should Forename fail to subdue the creature, she would almost certainly be eaten, along with the rest of your “appetizing island.” Cid: Oh, she won't fail. And if anything does go wrong, I'll be at the helm of the Enterprise, ready to tow her out of trouble. I wouldn't entrust a task like this to anyone else. Alphinaud: Nor I. I trust you have no objections to my joining you as well? Cid: Not at all, the more the merrier! Cid: Right, then─it seems the boys and I have a lot of work to do if the Enterprise is to be ready for our fishing trip, while you two need to find me some bait! And not just any island, mind─I want a mouthful at most!
Bolt, Chain, and Island Alphinaud loves it when a plan comes together.
Alphinaud: Well, you heard Cid. We need an island to bait the hook. Alphinaud: By way of a first step, I propose we speak with Chief Sonu. If the Zundu are as concerned by Bismarck's behavior as they have given us to believe, they may well be supportive of our efforts to slay him.
Sonu Vanu: The tramontane is upon us. The White feasts, and the Vundu rejoice in His carnage... Alphinaud: Hear me, Chief Sonu. This creature which torments you now is not the deity who raised up the floating isles and made a gift of them to you. Alphinaud: He is a perversion of your beliefs given form by the Vundu─a false savior who consumes that which he should rightly safeguard. Alphinaud: Yet it need not be this way, Chief Sonu. We have the power to strike down this impostor...but we must beg of you an island to see it done. Sonu Vanu: Motes against the tempest. In vain do they struggle... Sonu Vanu: ...Yet who is Sonu to speak of what may be? Perhaps even the tramontane can turn to the ponente. Very well, netherlings. When you are ready, tell Zundu scouts what manner of island you require and they guide you to it. Alphinaud: We shall not fail, Chief Sonu. On that you have my word. Alphinaud: Come, Forename─let us see how Cid's preparations are progressing.
Cid: Our Ishgardian friends have furnished us with dragonkillers and ammunition, and I've taken the liberty of procuring a magitek field generator as well. Cid: Rest assured, we've chains to spare, every link forged by the manufactory's master craftsmen. If you've any lingering doubts as to their strength, know that they were originally intended to bind dragons─and were not found wanting. Alphinaud: It pleases me to inform you that the Vanu Vanu have agreed to furnish us with an island of our choosing. Cid: Then all that remains is to confirm the readiness of the poor buggers who'll actually be doing the fighting. Forename, let Wedge know when your party is assembled.
Wedge: I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but I don't like this plan. I don't like it one little bit! ...But I can't help being excited all the same! Wedge: So tell me, Forename: are you ready to hunt the white whale?
  • Are you ready to hunt the white whale?
  • Yes
  • No
Wedge: After you, then, Forename! All aboard!

The Limitless Blue (Hard)

Inspiration often finds us in surprising ways. So it was that a casual mention of skyfishing helped Cid Garlond conceive a plan to lure out Bismarck, the Lord of the Mists, by using the Enterprise to tow an island through the Sea of Clouds. After binding the beast with chains fired from dragonkillers, he hopes you can engage it in the traditional fashion. Though the plan is somewhat sound in theory, there is no telling how effective it will be in practice. Nevertheless, the engineer has seen you through many dangerous situations in the past, so at least the odds are in his favor...
Cid: Get ready, everyone! Here it comes! Cid: Use the field generator!
If the island goes, so do you! Cid: What in the seven hells was that!?
On your guard! Cid: I'm detecting a huge increase in─
Oh gods, brace yourselves! Cid: Dammit! We've lost the generator!
Hydaelyn: Warrior...Light. Beloved... Hydaelyn: ...Hydaelyn. All made... Hydaelyn: Darkness...like to none...known... Hydaelyn: Hard...receive...blessing...more...
Igeyorhm: So falls the Lord of Mists, as did all others before him. Igeyorhm: How many times does this make, Warrior of Light? Ahhh, how much you have grown─far beyond the limits of mere mortals. Archbishop Thordan VII: She has what we seek? Igeyorhm: That she does. The key to Azys Lla and the secrets of Allag. Igeyorhm: I see you have regained the blessing of Light─albeit at a fraction of its former strength. Archbishop Thordan VII: My thanks to you, Ascian─and to you as well, Warrior of Light, for saving us the effort of slaying Bismarck. Archbishop Thordan VII: Now that the key is within our grasp, the path to the heavens shall at last be laid bare! Archbishop Thordan VII: Hahaha... Ahahahahaha! Archbishop Thordan VII: By our deeds shall the wrongs of antiquity be righted, and man reclaim the reins of history!
Alphinaud: Forgive me, Forename. Had I known what was happening, mayhap I could have done something to stop them... Alphinaud: Alas, Wedge and I were still sealed within the engine room and heard naught of the struggle until it was over. Alphinaud: And now, for all our efforts, the archbishop holds the very thing we sought to keep from him... Alphinaud: But all is not lost, for we yet live, and we know their destination! Let us give chase and bring an end to their machinations!
A Difference of Opinion Alphinaud seems determined to put all thoughts of failure aside, and turn his mind to the struggles ahead.
Alphinaud: Though we failed to secure the key, we must not forget that we succeeded in ridding the realm of another primal─and prevented the Vanu Vanu's lands from being consumed in so doing. The Zundu, at least, shall be glad of our deeds this day. Alphinaud: Let us go and inform Chief Sonu of our victory. Cid and the others will need a moment to tend to the Enterprise, besides.
Alphinaud: Wait. Something is amiss... Alphinaud: Imperial troops─and they have already secured the area. Regula van Hydrus: Reveal yourselves at once! Regula van Hydrus: And there I was expecting more beastmen. Who are you!? Varis zos Galvus: I thought Ishgardians responsible for the disappearance of our scouts, but I see now that I was mistaken. Varis zos Galvus: Just as Roaille observed. The Warrior of Light is wont to appear at the most inopportune times. Regula van Hydrus: The Warrior of Light? She who bested van Baelsar!? Varis zos Galvus: It would seem that the famous hero of Eorzea seeks Azys Lla as well. Varis zos Galvus: Hardly unexpected. The secrets of the Allagans' power to bind eikons to their will could scarcely fail to interest the Scions of the Seventh Dawn... Varis zos Galvus: You know as well as we what will ensue should these insatiable creatures be allowed to roam free─that their very existence threatens the life of this star. We but disagree on the solution to the problem. Alphinaud: Genocide has ever been the Empire's favored recourse─and that is why we will continue to oppose your every attempt to claim Eorzea! Varis zos Galvus: You do not hesitate to speak your mind...even when your every word could be your last. Varis zos Galvus: Alas, your sentiments betray the narrowness of your view. The fate of Eorzea and its inhabitants is of little concern next to the fate of the world. Varis zos Galvus: 'Tis my solemn charge as emperor to bring the eikons to heel. If this requires the extermination of certain elements, then so be it. Alphinaud: No, don't! They are not his thralls! Regula van Hydrus: Where did that come from!? Lucia: Take cover! Regula van Hydrus: Your Radiance, we must withdraw! Varis zos Galvus: We shall meet again, Warrior of Light. On that you have my word. Alphinaud: So Garlemald, too, has designs on Azys Lla... But why would the Emperor himself elect to lead the expedition?
Alphinaud: Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would stand less than twenty paces from the Emperor of Garlemald... Varis zos Galvus in the flesh... Alphinaud: I assume the commander that accompanied him must be the legatus of whom the centurion spoke... Alphinaud: Ah, forgive me. This is neither the time nor place for such idle speculation. Pray return to the Enterprise at once. It occurs to me that our friends may have run afoul of imperial forces as well. Alphinaud: I have yet to apprise Chief Sonu of all that has occurred, but once I have, we will rejoin you at the airship.
Cid: Thank the Twelve you're alive, Forename! When that battleship appeared and fired on the village, we feared the game was up for you and Alphinaud. What in the seven hells happened out there? Cid: First the archbishop turns up with an Ascian in tow, and now the godsdamned Emperor pays us a visit!? What is this, a procession of notable bastards? Who's next? The Keeper of the Seventh bloody Gate!? Alphinaud: No one so “notable,” Master Garlond.
I am happy to report that the Zundu were overjoyed to learn of Bismarck's demise. Alphinaud: Chief Sonu sends his warmest regards, Forename. There was much talk of westerly winds. Lucia: Miraculously, none suffered lasting harm during the raid. It would seem the Zundu were taken entirely unawares, and wisely chose to offer no resistance. Alphinaud: I sense they have no more to fear from the Empire, for the present, at least. Had the Emperor truly been intent on their extermination, Ok' Zundu would already have been leveled. Plainly, Varis is only interested in reaching Azys Lla. Cid: Speaking of which, if you're all ready to continue the chase, the Enterprise is as well. Shall we?
One Good Turn Judging from Cid's expression, he has news which he believes will please you.
Cid: Lest you wonder, Wedge was able to calculate the heading indicated by the beam of light emitted by the key. If Azys Lla lies in that direction, we'll find it. Cid: The Soleil may have a lead on us, but she's no Enterprise. We'll catch them─you'll see!
Lucia: I did not think that I would ever have occasion to pilot a suit of magitek armor again─least of all under these circumstances. Lucia: My full name is Lucia goe Junius, and I was born a citizen of Garlemald. Cid: Ah, that explains it! When we first met in Ishgard, I very nearly called you Livia. Alphinaud: Livia...? Livia sas Junius? The tribunus who served under Gaius van Baelsar!? Lucia: Aye, she was my sister─though we spent little time together. After our parents were killed in an uprising, we were sent to live in different households, setting us on separate paths... Lucia: Livia felt at home on the battlefield and chose to become a soldier, while I underwent training to become a spy. Alphinaud: Then...Ishgard was...? Lucia: My mission. 'Twas believed that Allagan relics of great worth were stored in the Vault, and I was sent to investigate. Lucia: Though I was given little information at the time, I now suspect I was searching for the key we but recently lost. And then I met Ser Aymeric. Lucia: 'Twas his usefulness to my mission which prompted me to approach him, but I soon found myself drawn to him for other reasons. Lucia: He too was a prisoner of his past─judged for his heritage as a bastard son of the archbishop. Yet unlike my sister and I, he did not curse his fate. He simply rose above it. Lucia: In time, I came to realize that I had found a man worth following, and a new home besides. And when I subsequently confessed all to Ser Aymeric, he was good enough to accept me into his service. Alphinaud: ...I do not question your loyalty to Ser Aymeric. 'Tis your loyalty to your sister which concerns me. Lucia: I have long been of the opinion that those who dwell in the past risk losing sight of their future. Lucia: My sister fought for her convictions, and for those she held dear. So do I. So must we all. Cid: Well, I for one am happy to welcome a fellow Garlean to our merry band─especially one who can make magitek armor sing! Biggs: Chief, we should be getting close. Wedge: Once we break through those clouds, we'll be right where the light was pointing─right where Azys Lla should be! Cid: Hold on, everyone! Cid: Look! I think that's it! Biggs: Chief, is that...? Cid: Allagan, aye. There's no mistaking their handiwork. Alphinaud: What was that!? Cid: Some sort of barrier!? Wedge: She won't hold, Chief! She's breaking up! Biggs: I've lost the auxiliary propeller! Alphinaud: Cid, it's no use! We must return to Ishgard and find another way! Cid: Damn it all! Why do the Allagans always have to make everything so bloody complicated!?
Cid: Ack! And we'd barely finished repairing the damage incurred during our skyfishing trip. On the other hand, any landing you can walk away from, as they say... Cid: I can only presume the Soleil passed through the barrier unscathed. That would certainly explain why the Vanu called it a key...
An Engineering Enterprise Alphinaud appears relieved to be standing on solid ground once more.
Alphinaud: Assuming Cid is correct─and I have no reason to think that he is not─the Vanu's key is required to pass through the barrier protecting Azys Lla. Alphinaud: But even without it, we must find a way to reach the isle. I shall have everyone convene at the Seat of the Lord Commander, that we might discuss how best to proceed. Alphinaud: As before, make yourself known to the guardsman when you arrive, and he will show you in.
Temple Knight Guard: Ah, you are returned! Ser Aymeric and the others await you within!
  • Proceed to the Seat of the Lord Commander?
  • Yes
  • No
Cid: ...In summary, the isle owes its lofty position to the industry of the Allagans. And we can be all but certain that the archbishop and his cronies are enjoying the view from its top. Aymeric: I see. Cid: If we are to join them, we will first need to pass through the isle's aetheric barrier─which is, alas, more powerful than most. Powerful enough to make a mess of a perfectly good airship, at any rate... Cid: As far as I can gather, the barrier mechanism draws aether from the surrounding environment, and polarizes its elemental aspect to produce what is, in effect, a wall of lightning. Alphinaud: It seems plain that without the Vanu's key, any attempt to reach the isle will end in failure. Cid: Alas, the key was careless enough to leave without us, and I don't think the Vanu keep a spare. Aymeric: Master Garlond─based on your experience, is there no other way that we might breach the barrier? Cid: Well, in the past, we've beaten similar barriers by nullifying them with elemental converters. Cid: But the one we're up against this time dwarfs aught we've encountered before. The Enterprise simply isn't large enough to bear the requisite amount of crystals. Alphinaud: I am reminded of the quantity needed to nullify Leviathan's command of the sea... A veritable mountain of crystals that could only be borne by lashing two galleons together to form a “twin vessel” scarcely able to propel itself, much less fly. Cid: That said, we're not without options. If it isn't feasible to nullify the barrier, we might try piercing it. Aymeric: How? Cid: We create a ram of condensed aether and mount it on my ship. There's just one problem─I don't have the faintest idea how to build one. It's going to take a true authority in the field, I reckon. Alphinaud: Would that the Archons were still with us... Count Edmont de Fortemps: But yesterday evening, I chanced to find Mistress Tataru in unusually high spirits. Assuming I understood her excited ramblings correctly, she has acquired a clue pointing to the whereabouts of one such individual. Alphinaud: An Archon!? Truly!? Cid: Hah, fortune favors the righteous, eh? Well then, let's not waste any time. While you go and look for our missing friend, I'll work on modifying the Enterprise. Her hull will need reinforcing to bear the punishment, not to mention a mount for the ram. Cid: Just you wait, my pretty─by the time I'm finished, you'll be an airship reborn!
Tataru: Welcome back, Forename! How goes the mission? Did you manage to catch up with the archbishop and his cronies? Tataru: So, you finally arrived at Azys Lla...only to find your way barred by some sort of barrier... Typical. Tataru: But it's not all bad news! I've made progress in the search for our friends! Don't worry, Forename─we'll get to Azys Lla yet!
Aetherial Trail Tataru is eager to share her progress in the search for the missing Scions.
Tataru: When you fled the victory feast, you used the ancient watercourse beneath the city, right? Tataru: Well, shortly after things went back to normal in Ul'dah, I asked Marshal Tarupin to have the tunnels searched. Alphinaud: A logical place to look... It was there that you lost contact with Minfilia, Thancred, and Y'shtola, was it not? Alphinaud: Dare I ask what the marshal found? Tataru: Um...I don't actually know. Pipin's message just said that there had been a discovery, and that we were to come to the Hall of Flames at our earliest convenience. Alphinaud: I dare not think what it might be... We shall depart at once. Tataru─let Urianger know to join us in Ul'dah. He will wish to be present as well. Tataru: Yes, sir!
Alphinaud: We are grateful for your assistance, Marshal Tarupin. Pipin: You saved Her Grace and Father both. 'Tis the least I can do to repay you. Tataru: Forgive me my impatience, Marshal, but your missive mentioned a discovery...? Pipin: Yes, of course. As per your request, I had my men scour the waterways. Almost immediately, we encountered a difficulty: an entire section of the tunnel had collapsed. Pipin: With the Mineral Concern's cooperation, however, we were able to remove the rubble, which yielded the battered bodies of a dozen Crystal Braves. Alphinaud: Go on... Pipin: Be at ease, Master Alphinaud─your friends were not among the deceased. That alone is cause for hope. And then there is this... Tataru: <gasp> Y'shtola's wand! Pipin: I had assumed as much. Urianger: If I may, Marshal... Urianger: 'Tis as I did surmise. Judging by the aetheric imprint that lingereth yet upon this wand, it hath assuredly been employed in the casting of a most uncommon magick. Alphinaud: Namely? Urianger: The very first that man did conceive to traverse great distances, and the ancient precursor to all methods of travel that utilize the Lifestream: Flow. Urianger: The spell entaileth the reduction of the corporeal form into its constituent aether, that the caster might enter the Lifestream, and ride its currents thereby. Unlike the teleportation magicks of modern times, it requireth not a lengthy incantation. That Y'shtola should choose to employ such a spell bespeaketh the need for haste. Alphinaud: All of which would suggest she managed to escape! Urianger: Would that it were so simple. Know that the scholars of Sharlayan forbade the use of this spell─and with good reason. Urianger: The caster hath but limited control over his course. For every mage who came safe unto his destination, another would be set adrift in the Lifestream, never to emerge. Tataru: What? No! No, you can't mean... Urianger: Be not downcast, my friends, for there is yet hope. 'Tis like that Y'shtola's passage hath left traces in the Lifestream. Could we but follow these from the point at which the magick was invoked, we may yet find her. Alphinaud: To the Sil'dih excavation site, then. Our thanks for your aid, Marshal. Pipin: Do not mention it. I shall pray for Lady Y'shtola's safe return.
Urianger: Evidence of Y'shtola's passage will have been made faint by time. But mayhap some few scant traces yet remain to guide our steps. Urianger: The trail leadeth to the north and east... Urianger: ...Unto the bosom of the Twelveswood. Alphinaud: Are you certain? Urianger: Aye, there is no mistake─thither hath Y'shtola journeyed. Alphinaud: And yet the Gridanians have reported no sightings. We must take this to mean she is still adrift. Urianger: If it be so, I do fear for our friend. Contrary to its name, the Lifestream is more akin to a raging torrent. Linger overlong in the midst of this maelstrom, and the aether that formeth one's soul shall surely be scattered, ne'er to be reformed. Alphinaud: We have no time to waste. Urianger─pray explore all possible options for reversing the effects of this forbidden magick. Forename, Tataru─we three shall press on to Gridania and petition the Elder Seedseer's aid.
Alphinaud: It is said that the elementals perceive the Lifestream. If, as we suspect, Y'shtola is still adrift in its midst, they may be able to find her. But if we are to appeal to them for assistance, we must needs do so through their chosen─the Padjal.
It is imperative therefore that we speak with Kan-E-Senna without delay.
Lost in the Lifestream Alphinaud is eager to petition the Elder Seedseer's aid in rescuing Y'shtola.
Alphinaud: I have already requested an audience with the Elder Seedseer. She will receive us in the Lotus Stand presently. We need but speak with the conjurer yonder to be admitted.
Silent Conjurer: The Elder Seedseer awaits. Pray follow me.
  • Proceed to the Lotus Stand?
  • Yes
  • No
Kan-E-Senna: Be welcome, my friends, and speak freely. I gather your suit will admit no delay. Alphinaud: It will not, my lady. Pray forgive the abrupt nature of our request, but it is a matter of life and death. Kan-E-Senna: I see... As you say, we must needs act swiftly if we are to free Y'shtola from the ungentle pull of the Lifestream. Kan-E-Senna: And as you have surmised, we cannot do this unaided. However... Kan-E-Senna: In requesting the elementals' assistance to find Y'shtola, you must needs be aware of one difficulty─a difficulty born of the fundamental difference between man and elemental. Alphinaud: That being...? Kan-E-Senna: In perceiving the world around him, man relies upon senses such as sight and sound. For the sake of convenience, he gives names to such things as are near or dear to him. Kan-E-Senna: Being formed of pure aether, however, such concepts are foreign to the elementals. Instead, they perceive by observing the ebb and flow of the energies of life. Kan-E-Senna: So profound a division cannot be bridged with simple discourse. The elementals' voices stir not the air, and thus reach not our ears, while our words are but wind to them. Kan-E-Senna: Though we seers can commune with them through feelings, naught that we can impart will serve to aid them in identifying Y'shtola. Nay, they must needs be presented with aether which is akin to hers. If you could but find a family member... Tataru: Oh, I know just the person! Tataru: Y'shtola has a sister who came to live in Gridania. She told me about her once. Kan-E-Senna: That is most fortunate indeed! Pray seek this sister out, then, and bring her to Everschade. Kan-E-Senna: There, we shall petition the great ones' aid in finding your lost companion.
Alphinaud: I was not aware that Y'shtola had a family member here in Gridania. How very convenient. Forgive me... I have grown so accustomed to being laughed at by the fates, I cannot help but mistrust them when they smile on us. We must, of course, seek the woman out at once. Tataru: If memory serves, Y'shtola's sister is named Y'mhitra. She's supposed to be a member of the Sons of Saint Coinach. Tataru: Anyway, she spends most of her time around Apkallu Falls, from what I recall. Let's look for her there!
Y'mhitra: Yes? Is there something you require? Alphinaud: Lady Y'mhitra, it is an honor to meet you. My name is Alphinaud Leveilleur, and this is Tataru Taru. Y'mhitra: So you are my sister's comrades in the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Y'mhitra: When I heard that your people were being pursued, I desperately sought to reach Shtola, but all mine efforts were to no avail. Now I know why. A forbidden spell, of all things! That she should be so reckless... Y'mhitra: But what's done is done. I thank you for bringing word to me. Needless to say, I should be glad to help. Y'mhitra: Though we were born of different mothers, our veins course with the same father's blood. I hope that this will be enough for the elementals. Come, let us make for Everschade at once.
Kan-E-Senna: Let us begin. Kan-E-Senna: Raya-O, A-Ruhn─if you would. Kan-E-Senna: Hearken to me, O great ones. Pray give yourselves to the Lifestream, a drifting soul to find. Tataru: Please, Y'shtola... Please come back to us... Kan-E-Senna: There! Kan-E-Senna: Now! Kan-E-Senna: A room has been readied at the Roost. Pray bear her thither at once. Kan-E-Senna: All that remains is to pray, my friends.
Tataru: <sniff> <sniff> Oh, Y'shtola... Tataru: Just seeing her face again... It's... <sniff> Oh, I've been so worried...
Tataru's Surprise Tataru needs you to fetch a few items for a crafting endeavor.
Tataru: Y'shtola is resting within an inn room. Though she's still unconscious, the signs are positive. Tataru: The conjurers say she is in sound health and should awaken before long! Isn't that wonderful? Tataru: Now, while we wait for Y'shtola to wake up, I thought I'd take the opportunity to finish my little surprise for her. Tataru: It's something I've been working on for a while now, in the hope that she'd one day return to us. It wants for just a couple more items before it's ready. Tataru: I've already placed orders for these items. Could I ask you to retrieve them for me? One is with the Leatherworkers' Guild and another is with the Conjurers' Guild. Speak with Mistress Geva and Brother E-Sumi-Yan, and they ought to take care of you!
Geva: What is it? I am a busy woman, so be quick about it. If you wish to place an order, speak with Randall.
...Hm? Here to retrieve an order? For Mistress Tataru, you say? Geva: You come at a good time─I finished it but moments ago. It was no small coup working it to her specifications, but I did it nonetheless. Payment has already been settled. Geva: However did that girl come by chimerical hide, anyway? You need either balls of steel or a bottomless coinpurse, and it seemed to me she had neither.
E-Sumi-Yan: Greetings, Forename. I trust you have been well. Is there aught you require of me? E-Sumi-Yan: Ah, yes, Mistress Tataru's order. As requested, it has been sanctified in the sight of the elementals. E-Sumi-Yan: I know not what she intends for the staff, but it is a most singular artifact. Even one possessed of my experience would struggle to wield it.
Tataru: Ah, you're back! You have the items, I hope?
Tataru's Leatherwork Commission A leather bag containing an item prepared by the Leatherworkers' Guild as per Tataru's request.
Tataru's Conjury Commission A cloth bag containing the item prepared by the Conjurers' Guild as per Tataru's request.
Tataru: ...Oooh, it's precisely as I requested─a perfect match for the other pieces! Truly, Geva is a master among masters! Tataru: And the staff completes the surprise! Thank you so much, Forename! Tataru: Tee hee, I can't wait to see what Y'shtola thinks of the surprise! Tataru: Lest you wonder, she's doing very well, and the conjurers have left her in her sister's care. Let's go and pay them a visit, shall we?
Tataru: Y'shtola! I'm so glad you're back! Y'shtola: Tataru... Y'shtola: You are safe... Thank the Twelve. Y'shtola: Something has changed about you, Alphinaud. Or mayhap the change is with me? I seem to sense the aether around me more keenly than before. Alphinaud: I am pleased to see you well again. Do you feel strong enough to talk? Y'shtola: Worry not. I am well enough. Alphinaud: Tell us, then─what befell you after you fled the feast? We were told that there had been a tunnel collapse. Y'shtola: That was my doing. I brought the tunnel down that you and Minfilia might escape. Y'shtola: At the last moment, I invoked a teleportation magick in hopes of spiriting Thancred away, at least. Needless to say, it did not go quite as planned, and I found myself adrift in the Lifestream. Y'shtola: The others─where are they? Did they not escape? Alphinaud: They remain unaccounted for. You are the only one we have been able to find. Alphinaud: I am truly sorry. It was the Crystal Braves who pursued you that day─my hubris that led to our undoing. Y'shtola: No apologies are necessary, Alphinaud─you are not to blame for what occurred. Know that were our comrades here, they would commend you for keeping the light of hope alive. Tataru: Don't...don't worry! The others are alive and well, I'm sure of it! We just need to find them! Alphinaud: Indeed, Tataru. Let us find our friends and rebuild the Scions. Y'shtola: Ha! There is the Alphinaud I remember─and I feel much the better for his return! 'Tis time I arose! Tataru: That reminds me! I have a change of clothes for you! I don't like to boast, but I made them myself. I learned how to weave while we were in Ishgard, you see.
Y'shtola: Tataru has apprised me of all that took place in the aftermath of the assassination plot. It would seem I have been away for some while. Alphinaud: Yes, much and more happened during your absence. At present, we seek to follow the archbishop to Azys Lla. Y'shtola: And you want for some manner of aetheric ram to pierce the floating isle's protective barrier. Alphinaud: We do. Might you be able to furnish us with one? Y'shtola: A means to prise open a hole in an Allagan barrier─and one large enough to admit an airship, no less... Hm... Nay. I lack the knowledge to devise such a weapon. Y'shtola: ...But I know of one who could. Y'shtola: A leading figure in the field of aetheric research, and one of the finest scholars ever to grace Sharlayan─Matoya, my former master.
Onward to Sharlayan Y'shtola wishes to tell you more about her former master, Matoya.
Y'shtola: In my youth, I had the honor of studying under Matoya. In the field of aetheric research, she was without rival. Y'shtola: I have no doubt that her knowledge will be of aid to our cause. The question is, will she share it with us? My master has ever been willful─the gods forbid anyone disagrees with her. Y'shtola: When the Garlean Empire first marched upon Eorzea some fifteen years ago, the denizens of Sharlayan were summoned back to the motherland. Y'shtola: However, Matoya refused to join the exodus. To this day, she lives a hermit's life on the fringes of the abandoned city. Alphinaud: So it is to the Dravanian hinterlands that we must go. To the place of my birth... Alphinaud: Though Alisaie and I were born in Sharlayan, our days there were short. We remained only until the exodus, and I have not returned since. Y'shtola: Oh, so it's to be a homecoming, then? As fine a reason as any to go to Sharlayan, and it would afford us the opportunity to pay my master a visit. Alphinaud: Ahem. I believe you have mistaken our primary objective, Y'shtola. At any rate, the journey will take us through largely unknown territory. Let us first return to Ishgard and make our preparations.
Alphinaud: Sharlayan is situated in the Dravanian hinterlands. Alphinaud: To get there, we must strike west and traverse the breadth of the Dravanian forelands. Make no mistake, it will be a grueling journey. Alphinaud: The party shall be comprised of Forename, Y'shtola, and myself. Tataru, pray remain in Ishgard and continue the search for our missing friends. Tataru: Yes, sir! Alphinaud: First, let us make for Tailfeather.
Y'shtola: A long soak in the Lifestream followed by a long journey... I would not recommend it to anyone. Y'shtola: But rest assured my strength is returning to me. I shall be back to my former self ere long.
A Great New Nation Y'shtola is ready to press on westward to the Dravanian hinterlands.
Y'shtola: I believe I am sufficiently rested. Let us continue west to Sharlayan. Y'shtola: Once we descend the mountain path, we will arrive at the Dravanian hinterlands. From there, it is but a short distance to the city. Y'shtola: Be warned that we shall be passing through Gnath territory. We must needs be wary of them and the dragons both.
Count Edmont de Fortemps: To the Thaliak River, whereto the melted snows of Abalathia's Spine eventually find their way by means of a thousand silver streams... Count Edmont de Fortemps: Whose waters have long nourished the Dravanian hinterlands, and so provided for a settlement of learned souls from across the northern seas... Count Edmont de Fortemps: To the city of Sharlayan, that great seat of knowledge, now abandoned by her keepers, they came.
Y'shtola: Matoya dwells on the far side of the Thaliak River. Let us search for a crossing.
Y'shtola: “Knowledge Seeks No Man”... So says the motto of Sharlayan engraved upon yonder stone. The meaning is simple: it falls to us to seek enlightenment. Y'shtola: During the Sixth Astral Era, at the turn of the thirteenth century, men from the northern nation of Sharlayan journeyed across the seas to Eorzea in search of knowledge. Y'shtola: Upon arriving at these shores, they established a camp for their scholarly endeavors. Over time, this camp grew into a settlement, and the settlement prospered, and so much so that it came to be counted amongst Eorzea's great city-states. Y'shtola: Alas, those glory days are now but a fading memory. With her keepers lost to her, Sharlayan has become an empty husk of her former self. ??? (Slowfix): Pshkohhh... Uplander is mistaken. Sharlayan has new keepers, is on cusp of new age of glory! Alphinaud: Goblins? Here to plunder the city!? Well-spoken Goblin (Slowfix): <gasp> Uplander is mistaken muchly! We are not thieves! This place is our home! Y'shtola: Your home? When last I looked, it was mine and Alphinaud's. We were born here. Well-spoken Goblin (Slowfix): Pssshmph! When uplanders abandoned city, uplanders gave up claim. Born here or no, uplanders are trespassers! Alphinaud: My friends, please. We did not come to dispute your claim to this land. Our purpose here is peaceful: we desire but to cross the river. Alphinaud: Be calm, I beg you, and let us speak like the civilized folk that we are. Surely we can come to a mutual understanding. Slowfix: Pssshkoh... If that is truth, then uplanders are welcome here. Come with Slowfix─Slowfix will show uplanders settlement.
Slowfix: Pshkohhh... Here is heart of settlement, name of Idyllshire! Midnight Dew: What've we got here? Guests? Alphinaud: Greetings to you. I am Alphinaud Leveilleur, and may I introduce my companions, Forename Surname and Y'shtola. We have journeyed far in search of a friend, and seek to cross the river. Midnight Dew: But findin' the main bridge collapsed, you went lookin' for a detour, and ended up stumblin' into Slowfix and his crew. Is that right? Y'shtola: That is the short of it, aye. This place, Idyllshire─I came expecting a ghost town; suffice it to say I am surprised to find it so alive. Midnight Dew: Well, with all them precious artifacts lyin' about, 'twas only a matter of time afore treasure hunters like me moved in. But we weren't the first to arrive, neither. By then, Slowfix and his gobbie friends were already settled. Slowfix: At first, gobbies and hunters disliked each other. But understanding came, then friendship. Now gobbies and hunters have joined hands to build great new nation! Y'shtola: So that is what happened after we Sharlayans departed... Midnight Dew: Oh, so you're locals...? Um, no hard feelin's, I hope? All these nice buildings, but no one to live in 'em─felt like a waste, you know? Midnight Dew: We've been tryin' to put the place to rights, and things've been goin' well for the most part, but it ain't all smooth sailin'. Not to sound ungrateful, but the traps your people left lyin' about are a bloody nuisance. And there's the Illuminati harryin' us day and night... Slowfix: Pshkohhh, Slowfix has bright idea! Uplanders desire mutual understanding, yes? Best way to understanding is helping one another! Help citizens of Idyllshire, and uplanders can be citizens too! Citizens are free to cross river! Alphinaud: Well, I am not aware of a quicker way to reach our destination. Let us assist Slowfix and his people.
Golems Begone Slowfix wants you to eliminate the golems that prowl Idyllshire.
Slowfix: Pshkohhh... So uplanders agree to help? Good! Here is what Slowfix wants uplanders to do. Slowfix: Many golems prowl Idyllshire, get in the way of expansion plans. Slowfix wants uplanders to eliminate golems. Slowfix: Uplanders are Sharlayan, yes? Sharlayans should know best way to deal with creatures.
Y'shtola: So we are to eliminate the golems. That should be a simple enough affair. Y'shtola: The automata were employed as sentinels, and by design can be unmade with a coded command. At the time of the exodus, it was “Noughts and Crosses,” and I see no reason why it should not still work. Y'shtola: Let us divide the task between the three of us, the quicker to be finished with it.
With a shudder, the golem crumbles to pieces.
With a shudder, the golem crumbles to pieces.
Slowfix: Golems are no more? Wonderful! Slowfix: Now we can resume work to expand settlement!
An Illuminati Incident Slowfix has the look of a goblin who is about to ask a favor.
Slowfix: Pssshkohhh... Uplanders helped gobbieflock, earned right to be citizens of Idyllshire. But Slowfix must ask another favor. Alphinaud: ...Another favor, you say? Slowfix: Short time ago, dear friend of Slowfix ventured into Illuminati territory. Slowfix: Illuminati are nasty goblins, show no mercy even towards gobbiekin. Slowfix fears for friend's life. Please find friend before Illuminati do. Y'shtola: I am suddenly taken by a sense of foreboding. Alphinaud: Be that as it may, we cannot turn a blind eye. Let us make haste and find Slowfix's friend.
Brayflox Alltalks: Pshhh... Shkohhh... Goodly uplander! Long time no eyecatch! What is bringing uplander here? Brayflox Alltalks: Does uplander have lustyeyes for junk of Brayflox? Uplander must not be touching junk of Brayflox! Brayflox is finding junk first! Y'shtola: I knew I recognized that voice... Greetings, Brayflox. It has been a while. Y'shtola: Forgive us for interrupting your work, but Captain Wheiskaet gave me to understand that you are marked by the Illuminati. This happens to be Illuminati-held territory. Is it wise to be here? Brayflox Alltalks: Pshhhawww! Brayflox eat Illuminati for sunupses! Quickthinx Allthoughts: Pshhhkohhh... Who eats who for sunupses? Brayflox Alltalks: Uwaaah! Quickthinx Allthoughts: Brayflox Alltalks! Unwise you are to come here after dirty-taking secret knowings of cheesemake from Illuminati! Brayflox Alltalks: Brayflox did no unright! Cheese recipe is gobbie birthright! Quickthinx Allthoughts: Save tongueflaps for trading in deathpit! Quickthinx Allthoughts: Pray to gobfathers, for punishment is neartimes! Y'shtola: It appears we have no choice...
Brayflox Alltalks: Pssshkoh! Brayflox showy-do Illuminati gobbie trick or two! King Gobtank G-IV: To deathpit with you! Alphinaud: Whatever this is about, Brayflox needs our help! King Gobtank G-IV: Tremble before might of Illuminati! Y'shtola: Whence came all these bombs!? Brayflox Alltalks: Spill bladder not over unstrong firebooms of Illuminati! Brayflox Alltalks: M-More lentfists!? Alphinaud: Yet more of them! At this rate... Y'shtola: Now seems as good a time as any... Y'shtola: I shall invoke a spell! Y'shtola: Pray keep the enemy at bay! Y'shtola: Aether, to me! Y'shtola: Have at you!
Brayflox Alltalks: Psssheehee! Illuminati no match for furious gobfists of Brayflox! Brayflox Alltalks: More junk is awaiting Brayflox muchly! Brayflox is taking leave of uplanders!
Y'shtola: Being embroiled in a cheese war was the last thing I expected coming to Sharlayan. At any rate, we have fulfilled Slowfix's request. Let us return with the good tidings and be on our way.
Slowfix: Uplanders are back! Did uplanders find friend of Slowfix? Slowfix: Pshkohhh... Time has not cured recklessness of Brayflox. Without help from uplanders, Brayflox would now be dead gobbie. Slowfix owes uplanders debt of gratitude! Slowfix: Slowfix and Brayflox are joined by unseverable gobbiebond. If Slowfix had known that uplanders are friends of Brayflox, Slowfix would have welcomed uplanders to gobbieflock at first meeting!
Leaving Idyllshire A grateful Slowfix is ready to grant you your heart's desire.
Slowfix: Pssshkoh... Uplanders have upheld bargain most highly. As promised, Slowfix makes uplanders honored citizens of Idyllshire, free to cross river at will. Slowfix: Though uplanders must leave for now, Slowfix hopes that uplanders will pay many visits and help build great new nation! Alphinaud: You are most kind, my friend. You may be certain that we will return. Y'shtola: I must confess, at first it upset me to learn that my home had been occupied by others. But I see now that it is in good hands. Y'shtola: Under your care, I look forward to seeing Sharlayan thrive once more, to become a home to people of all races and creeds. Slowfix: Slowfix has already ordered the gobwatch to let uplanders through. Safe travels! Y'shtola: Alphinaud, Forename─shall we, then?
Gobwatch: Pshhh... Shkohhh...
By order of Chief Slowfix, uplanders can come and go at will. Gobwatch: One moment for clearing away barricade. Y'shtola: Finally, we can continue our journey. Y'shtola: Ahem. Barring any misadventure, we shall soon arrive at the cave where Matoya resides. Unless you have unfinished business in Idyllshire, let us strike out at once. Alphinaud: I am ready whenever you are. Let us go and meet the legendary Matoya.
Y'shtola: Ahead lies the Answering Quarter, where the scholars of Sharlayan gathered to hone their knowledge. Y'shtola: Even from this distance, 'tis plain that much of it has been given back to the wilderness.
Matoya's Cave Y'shtola is ready to lead you to Matoya's Cave.
Y'shtola: The cave in which Matoya resides is situated on the southern edge of the hinterlands. Y'shtola: In choosing the spot, my master desired privacy above all else. As such, the cave is extremely well hidden; you'll not find it unless you know to look for it. Y'shtola: We shall follow the road south until we reach a bridge. Rather than cross it, however, we shall ford the stream it spans, thence head straight until we arrive at the base of a bluff.
Y'shtola: This is the entrance.
...Hm? You seem unconvinced, Forename. Well, that will only add to the surprise. Y'shtola: A word of warning before we proceed: stubborn geniuses make poor hosts, and time will have done naught to improve my master's temperament. Y'shtola: Doubt not but that there will be sentinels and traps both to deter unwanted guests. But we'll not be deterred, will we? Y'shtola: Go on and touch the wall yonder. You will want to have your weapon near at hand.
Y'shtola: Those sentinels may suffice to discourage the average trespasser, but not the Warrior of Light. Y'shtola: The way should now be clear. Come, let us go and see my master.
Matoya: Don't you know it's rude to enter without knocking? Hmph, the youth of today─no manners at all... Y'shtola: Though we neglected to knock, we did create something of a commotion. I had hoped that would suffice. Matoya: Heavy-handed as ever, I see. And still not a hint of grace. Some things never change. Y'shtola: To give credit where credit is due─I learned from the best. It has been too long, Master Matoya. Matoya: Indeed it has. It's good to see you again, my girl, and with your fiery spirit unquenched. But look at you─all grown up and womanly. Matoya: ...The one there in the fancy duds─that's Louisoix's granddaughter, I take it? Alphinaud: Ahem. Grandson, begging your pardons. You knew my grandfather, my lady? Matoya: ...Knew him? We were constantly at each other's throats! Like rabid dogs, we were! He was a stubborn bugger, was your grandfather. Never a dull moment when he was around, though, I'll give him that. As for you, boy, I've known you since you were a rosy-cheeked babe at the teat. Alphinaud: And my sister, too, I gather. May I say what an honor it is to meet you again, my lady. Matoya: Spare me the hollow pleasantries, boy. I'll wager my remaining good teeth you didn't come to a forgotten corner of Eorzea to flirt with a wrinkly old woman. Now, out with it─what is it you need of me? Matoya: Azys Lla... I never thought I'd hear that name again... Y'shtola: You are familiar with it? Matoya: As familiar as one can get from poring over musty old tomes. The Allagans set the isle afloat not long before the sun set on their empire. Old Louisoix and I often talked about it. Matoya: The place is home to a research facility dedicated to finding ways of mastering mighty beings such as primals and dragons. And find ways it did, too─frightening ones. Matoya: Such secrets as lie buried on Azys Lla aren't fit to see the light of day. And now you tell me a band of dragon-baiting primal-botherers are trying to dig them up!? Alphinaud: Indeed. And to make matters worse, the Ascians have a hand in their plot. They must be stopped, no matter the cost. Matoya: I see. Very well. Y'shtola: You will help us, then? Truly? I had not anticipated such an impassioned response. Could it be that the presence of young blood has stirred your own? Matoya: Ah, some things never change... One day, that pertness is going to cost you your tail, my girl. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Forbidden Knowledge Matoya is in a mood to reminisce.
Matoya: 'Twas some fifty years ago, shortly after Garlemald had brought all of Ilsabard under its rule. Matoya: Faced with the threat of invasion, the people of Sharlayan scrambled about for a means to resist the Empire. For my part, I was tasked with developing an aetheric converger. Y'shtola: Ah, yes, a device which draws in aether and concentrates it to produce a destructive force. Matoya: But as my research neared its end, it was denounced by the Forum, who claimed that my device was more likely to destroy us than our enemies. Matoya: After that, they and I had a little falling-out, and I decided to seal away all the fruits of my research, lest the dunderheaded ingrates reap any benefit. Petty, I know, but gods, it was satisfying! Y'shtola: Do mine ears deceive? 'Twas you, was it not, who was so fond of saying that all knowledge exists to advance mankind? That how it is used depends on us? Matoya: I don't remember. Perhaps. All right, yes, that was a pet phrase of mine. And that should give you a notion of how sick and tired I was of those spineless wretches of the Forum. All talk and no trousers, that lot. That's why I decided to remain behind rather than join the exodus. Alphinaud: You may have had your disagreements with my grandfather, but upon that point, your minds were as one. Y'shtola: With respect, Master─the fruits of your research should not be left to spoil. Will you share with us the secrets of the aetheric converger? Matoya: Aye, I will. All the information you need is contained in a tome I wrote on the subject. But you'll have to fetch it from the forbidden section of the Great Library. Y'shtola: You were not exaggerating when you said that you had sealed it away. Though the city is abandoned, the library's guardians are all but certain to remain. We must needs cut a path through them. Come─let us away. Matoya: Not so fast! You don't expect that you can just waltz on in, now, do you?
Matoya: Oh, the Great Library's guardians shouldn't pose any difficulty for a hero like you. Matoya: But if it turns out you aren't up to the task... Well, then I'll know you can't be trusted with something as dangerous as an aetheric ram. Matoya: I'll put a pair of familiars at your disposal. One's a poroggo who'll help you locate the tome. Matoya: The other's that broom yonder, who'll let you into the library.
...Well? What are you waiting for? Introduce yourself, girl!
Enchanted Broom (Broomsy): Greetings, good madam. I am Broomsy, my lady's servant of some fifty years. May I say what an honor it is to serve you! Enchanted Broom (Broomsy): I am given to understand you wish to enter the Great Gubal Library. To find it, pray head east upon leaving this cave. The building will come into view shortly after you reach the collapsed bridge. Enchanted Broom (Broomsy): I shall go and fetch my fellow familiar on my way to the entrance. When your preparations are in order, pray come and meet me there. It will be my pleasure to unlock the door for you.
Broomsy: You stand before the Great Gubal Library, one of Hydaelyn's foremost repositories of knowledge. Broomsy: Alas, it has fallen into disuse since the exodus some summers since. In all those years, its halls have welcomed not the coming of a single soul─its floors felt not the loving brush of a broom... Broomsy: M-Mine apologies, madam! Pray pay no mind to the dreams of a humble broom. You are doubtless eager to venture within and retrieve my lady's tome. I shall unlock the door at once. When you have what you seek, pray return to the cave and report to my lady.

The Great Gubal Library

Built by the learned men and women of Sharlayan, the Great Gubal Library is the grandest repository of knowledge in all of Eorzea. Lining its towering shelves are tomes beyond count, gathered from the farthest reaches of the realm. Like the city-state, however, the library was abandoned by its caretakers when they fled to their motherland in the face of Garlean invasion. And now, fifteen years since its doors were sealed, you will be the first soul to set foot within its halls. Your destination is the forbidden section deep within the library, where lies your objective: the fruits of Matoya's research on the aetheric converger.
Y'shtola: Pray lead the way. Pero Roggo: With pleasure, ribbit!
Y'shtola: Even at a glance, I see many interesting tomes. Alphinaud: 'Tis a pity they had to be abandoned.
Alphinaud: Is that supposed to be a grimoire!? Pero Roggo: Yes, but not the kind you want to read, ribbit.
Pero Roggo: Everyone hale and whole, ribbit? Alphinaud: Thank goodness we weren't crushed...
Pero Roggo: Watch out, ribbit! Alphinaud: What a curious familiar...
Y'shtola: Is that a treatise on the New World I spy? Alphinaud: Ah yes, I've read that one. I can recommend it.
Pero Roggo: The entrance to the forbidden section is just ahead, ribbit. Y'shtola: Which makes this fellow here the gatekeeper. Byblos: Argh, oil everywhere! You shall pay dearly, accursed mortals! Byblos: I am undone...but my master's seal is broken! Alphinaud: I wouldn't have guessed it weak to fire. Y'shtola: On account of being bound to a tome, I would assume.
Alphinaud: An arcane entity that can summon familiars! Y'shtola: The guardians of the forbidden section are a class apart.
Y'shtola: Forbidden tomes can certainly assume many forms...
Pero Roggo: Master Matoya's tome is at the far end, ribbit.
Alphinaud: Yet another guardian... Y'shtola: Did you ever doubt it? Come, let's finish this.
Alphinaud: So this is the tome. Excellent. Alphinaud: Let us take it to Master Matoya at once.
Matoya: I take it you found the tome. Well, let's see it, then.
On Aetheric Convergence Research compiled by Matoya on a device known as an aetheric converger.
Matoya: Aye, this is it all right... Y'shtola: I must say, the experience brought back memories. Just like the old days, you still send people into the thick of danger as if it were nothing more than a mundane errand. Alphinaud: But we were able to accomplish our task thanks to Pero Roggo. He is an eminently capable familiar─a creation worthy of the great Master Matoya─and to simply witness him in action gave me a better understanding of arcane entities. Alphinaud: Should the opportunity present itself, I should very much like to employ this knowledge for the betterment of mankind─create a new variety of Carbuncle, perhaps... Matoya: Don't get ahead of yourself, boy. Louisoix's grandson or no, it'll take another decade under me before you can call yourself a scholar, and a deal more than that to make you a scholar worth a damn. Y'shtola: As you may have gathered, Master Matoya is not easily impressed. Alphinaud: ...Indeed. Ahem. So, shall we examine the tome?
An Eye for Aether Matoya's gaze is firmly fixed upon her tome.
Matoya: I had not thought to behold this tome again... Matoya: There. It is deciphered. Now your friend should be able to make sense of the contents. Matoya: That said, it's one thing to understand the workings of the aetheric converger, and another to actually make it work. You do realize how much aether is required? Alphinaud: Cid is keenly aware of the energy dilemma. His airship is by no means large, and it can only bear a limited quantity of crystals. Y'shtola: If only we had white auracite and the aetheric siphon... Alphinaud: Alas, Minfilia is missing, along with both artifacts. And Moenbryda is gone... Y'shtola: Would that there were another ready wellspring of energy for us to draw upon... Alphinaud: Why did it not occur to us before? Alphinaud: We already have what we need: the Eye! Alphinaud: It has been drawing aether into itself for as long as the great wyrms have lived! It is a veritable wellspring of energy! Matoya: Hm, it might just suit our needs. But is this energy something that can be harnessed at will? Alphinaud: I believe so─with the aid of the Azure Dragoon of Ishgard. Y'shtola: Then it is settled. Let us return to the Holy See at once. Matoya: Shtola, wait. Matoya: When did the light fade from your eyes? Y'shtola: I might have known that it would not escape your notice. It has been this way since I returned from the Lifestream. An aftereffect of the teleportation magick I invoked, most like. Matoya: They are called “forbidden spells” for a reason. What were you thinking, girl? Y'shtola: I have no regrets. I but did what was necessary to preserve the light of hope─to keep my promise to Minfilia. Y'shtola: Besides, it afforded me the rare opportunity to wander the aether─a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Matoya: I need not tell you that it consumes your very life force to see by sensing the aether around you. Take care of yourself, do you hear me? Y'shtola: I will, Master Matoya. And thank you.
Alphinaud: Thanks to your customarily heroic efforts, we now possess the knowledge to build an aetheric ram. Alphinaud: All that remains is to secure its energy source. Let us hasten back to Ishgard and consult Ser Aymeric regarding the Eye.
Aymeric: Ah, you are returned! Alphinaud: Ser Aymeric, I am pleased to see that your recovery proceeds apace. May I introduce Y'shtola, a fellow Scion of the Seventh Dawn and Archon of Sharlayan. Y'shtola: My lord. Pray excuse me for forgoing due pleasantries, but we seek your counsel regarding the aetheric ram. Though we now possess the knowledge to build such a device, we yet lack an appropriate source of energy with which to power it. We believe, however, that Ishgard may possess the solution to our problem. Aymeric: You need not apologize, my lady. Full eager am I to learn of your progress. Please, tell me of this energy source that you believe we possess. Aymeric: ...And you are certain that the Eye can lend its power to Master Matoya's aetheric converger? Alphinaud: At Estinien's command─yes. Aymeric: Very well. I shall speak with him. Alphinaud: My thanks, Ser Aymeric. Aymeric: Nay, my friend, 'tis I who should thank you─as should every Ishgardian. You labor in our name, with nary a care for your own safety. Alphinaud: Let us next speak with Cid. He will doubtless be eager to begin work on the aetheric ram.
Cid: Ah, you're back! The preliminary work on the Enterprise is more or less finished. Tell me you found a way to build the aetheric ram! Y'shtola: Greetings, Cid. It has been a while. Y'shtola: This tome contains the fruits of my former master's research on a device known as an aetheric converger. Our ram should operate on the selfsame principle. Cid: Ack, where are my manners? Put a toy like this in my hand, and I go off into my own world... Gods, it's good to see you! And bearing a gift besides─a very distracting one, if I might add! If I didn't know better, I'd think it was my nameday.
...But there will be time for tearful reunions later. I'll make a start on the tome right away. So long as I have a grasp of the fundamentals, I should be able to knock something together. Which leaves the small matter of the energy source... Alphinaud: We believe we have found a solution to that problem as well. Aymeric: Pray forgive us our lateness. Estinien: The power of the Eye is not to be drawn upon lightly, but I believe we have sufficient cause to do so. Y'shtola: So this is the fabled Eye... By the Twelve...it seethes. 'Tis a wonder such power can be contained, much less controlled... Cid: Boys! Our friends have kindly provided all the ingredients. Let's see if we can't make something out of them! Biggs: You heard the chief! We're not resting till the aetheric ram is operational! Not one wink of sleep! Wedge: Oh... <mumble> <mumble> ...ing cart chocobo.
Hour of Departure Alphinaud has a final task for you before departing for Azys Lla.
Alphinaud: Given the danger of the task that lies before us, I think it only right that we take a moment to bid our friends and allies farewell. Alphinaud: Alas, Cid requires my assistance with Master Matoya's rather singular writings. Might I entrust the task of visiting those who will remain behind to you?
Aymeric: So the hour is nigh... Aymeric: Would that I could join you in the coming battle, but with my wounds, I fear I would only be a burden to you. Aymeric: In consorting with the Ascians and availing himself of primal powers, my father made himself an enemy of all that is good and right in the world. Aymeric: Do whatever you must to end his madness. May the Fury watch over you.
Lucia: This is it, then? Go well, my friend. I shall pray to the Fury for your preservation. Lucia: ...Hm? Mayhap you think it strange that a daughter of Garlemald should pray? I do not blame you─I used to think it passing strange myself. Lucia: But that all changed when I discovered something dearer to me than mine own life. Thereafter, praying seemed the most natural thing in the world. Lucia: Prayers are born of heartfelt faith. In manipulating the people's beliefs for his own twisted ends, the archbishop makes a mockery of their very existence. It cannot be borne.
Tataru: So you're off to face the archbishop, then... Please be careful. And...watch over the others, will you? Tataru: We've lost too many friends as it is. Some may yet return to us, but I couldn't bear to lose anyone else. I just couldn't. Tataru: I realize it's asking a lot, but you're the strongest person I know, and I don't think there's anything you can't achieve if you put your mind to it. Tataru: So please, whatever else happens, keep everyone safe!
Hilda: Well, if it ain't my old friend Forename. Off to face the archbishop and his cronies, is it? Hilda: I'd love to go and give those bastards a good wallopin' myself─that snake Charibert, especially─but I've got to stay here and keep an eye on things. Hilda: With the archbishop gone, some of the poor folk might get it in their heads to do somethin' stupid like stormin' the Pillars. But blood won't get us what we want, and I need to be around to remind 'em of that in case they forget. Hilda: No need to worry about us, anyway. I'll work with Ser Aymeric to preserve the peace. You just concentrate on settlin' the score with the archbishop, eh?
Count Edmont de Fortemps: Mistress Surname, how good of you to pay me a visit. Count Edmont de Fortemps: It feels as if it were only yesterday when first we met here in this chamber. You came to us a fugitive seeking asylum...and now you bear the hopes of our nation upon your shoulders. Count Edmont de Fortemps: He would not have told you, but when Haurchefant begged me to accept you into our household, he described you as “hope incarnate.” At the time, I assumed that he was waxing lyrical, as was his wont. But I have come to see that he simply spoke the truth. Count Edmont de Fortemps: You are hope─a shining beacon that shall guide the people of Ishgard through the raging snowstorm. Count Edmont de Fortemps: ...A memento. Were my son here, he would have wished to fight at your side in the battle to come. Take care, my friend, and return to us!
Alphinaud: ...Count Edmont bequeathed to you Lord Haurchefant's shield? A noble gesture. Alphinaud: We bear the hopes and dreams of full many souls. Let their faith in us be a source of strength and courage as we face our remaining trials.
The First Flight of the Excelsior The game will soon be afoot, and Alphinaud is keen to assemble the players.
Alphinaud: Work on the Enterprise is nearly complete. Let Y'shtola know to make ready.
Y'shtola: Until but recently, the Ishgardians had kept their doors firmly shut to outsiders. Y'shtola: But thanks to you, we have found in them stout allies, with whom we may fight to secure the future of the realm. Truly, you are the beacon of hope towards which all men are drawn. Estinien: Spare us the hyperbole. 'Tis not for praise that we fight. Y'shtola: Oh? In light of all we have achieved, I felt it only meet to express my gratitude. Estinien: All that we have achieved? Hmph. Spoken like a true outsider. Until the war is over, we have achieved nothing. Estinien: The coming battle is a chance to excise the root of this conflict, and by my hand, it shall be done. Then you may speak of achievement. Y'shtola: 'Twas not mine intent to make light of your struggle. If I have given offense, then I apologize. But if I may speak freely, you would do well to be wary of the Eye. Even now, it burns with insatiable hatred, watching unblinking for a sign of weakness. Should you falter for so much as a moment, it will surely consume you. Estinien: Save your concern. I will consume the Eye ere I let it consume me. Urianger: Twelve be praised, thou hast not yet set forth! Urianger: 'Cross sand and snow have I journeyed, that I might deliver this gift unto thee. Y'shtola: White auracite... But whence did it come? Urianger: To mine amazement, it lay hid amongst Moenbryda's last effects. 'Twas but blind chance, or providence, that I did hap to spy it. Let no man claim that my late friend e'er erred for lack of foresight. Urianger: In the place whither thou goest, servants of Darkness do lie in wait. Pray give unto me thy pledge that thou wilt strike them down and avenge our fallen comrade.
Alphinaud: Let us go, Forename! Azys Lla awaits!
Cid: Ah, excellent timing! We've just finished our work on the Enterprise. She's so much improved, I've decided to give her a new name to suit: Cid: The Enterprise Excelsior! Or simply the Excelsior, if pressed for time. Cid: Once again, she'll carry Eorzea's protectors into battle! Wedge: All aboard! Count Edmont de Fortemps: I can do no more than see you off with prayers for your safety and success. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Yet know that wheresoever you may go, my son's spirit goes with you. May the Fury grant you strength! Aymeric: Return to us─all of you! Cid: Enterprise Excelsior...engage!
Cid: This is it! Get ready! Estinien: Eye of mine enemy! Render unto me thy power! Estinien: Ugh... No... You will not claim me! I am the master! Alphinaud: We're through! Biggs: Chief! We've got an imperial battleship on our tail! And it's bleedin' massive! Cid: Damn it! The bastards were waiting for us to open the door for them! Cid: I'm going to try to shake them! Hang on to something! Wedge: Uwaaaaaah! We're all going to die! Tataruuu! Biggs: She won't take much more of this!
Ysayle: The time is come to use Hydaelyn's gift. Ysayle: Much blood has been spilled in my name. And for what? For a false cause that I created for want of the warmth of companionship. Ysayle: Saint Shiva...Hraesvelgr... Pray forgive this fool. Ysayle: But even now, I cannot let go of my dream─my dream of a tomorrow in which no child need freeze alone in the snow.
Ysayle: Thank you, Hraesvelgr. Alphinaud: Is that...Ysayle? What does she mean to do!? Ysayle: O goddess born of mine own hopes and dreams. For the last time, I beseech you! Ysayle: Fill this vessel with your light! Still the hatred within our hearts and bless us with eternal grace! Ysayle: Farewell, Warrior of Light. And thank you—for showing me the way. Alphinaud: NOOOOOO! Y'shtola: This aether... It was a Crystal of Light. Y'shtola: She, too, was one of Hydaelyn's chosen... Estinien: Fare you well, my lady.
Cid: Whew... I don't know about you, but I'm glad to be back on solid ground─even if said ground is floating in the sky. Cid: When that imperial battleship appeared, I honestly thought we were finished. And we would have been, had your friend not arrived when she did. Alphinaud: Twelve grant her mercy...
Brief though our time together was, Ysayle was a true friend─a gentle soul who fought for her beliefs. She...she would have made a fine Scion. Y'shtola: What is a Scion but one who fights for our cause? Our hopes survive thanks to her sacrifice. Let that be enough. Y'shtola: Yet I cannot help but wonder: how came she to know of our presence here? Estinien: From Hraesvelgr, I would wager. He will have felt my channeling of the Eye's power. Estinien: It would seem they were able to make peace with one another in the end. Cid: She gave her life because she believed in us. We owe it to her to see our mission through. Cid: See that dome-like structure further in? Let's make our way there.
Cid: The isle's sentinels don't seem to frequent this area. We should be safe here. Cid: Let's talk strategy, shall we?
Systematic Exploration Cid looks like a man with a plan.
Cid: First of all, in the interests of efficiency, I suggest we make this place our base camp. We can coordinate the search for the archbishop from here. Alphinaud: I have no objections. Now that we stand upon Azys Lla, I am struck by the vastness of the isle. We must needs be methodical if we are to find our quarry. Cid: Good. Now, unless I'm mistaken, this used to be an airship landing, and a major one at that. From what I know of Allagan design, there should be a terminal nearby that's linked to the isle's operational heart. Cid: If we can find such a terminal, we should be able to learn something of the archbishop's whereabouts. Let's split up and look for it.
Biggs: The Empire borrowed most of its technology from Allagan relics. If we can find the terminal, I reckon we can operate it.
Alphinaud: What ungodly vessels must the Allagans have built to warrant so vast a landing?
Estinien: Machines are beyond my ken─I shall leave it to the others to find this “terminal.” Of more concern to me are the dragons that I sense nearby.
Cid: ...Nothing? Damn it. There's just this terminal, then, but it doesn't respond to anything I do. Any bright ideas, Wedge? Cid: ...Wedge? He was here just a moment ago. Oh, don't tell me he's wandered off... Cid: I'm sorry, Forename, but could you help me search for him? Absent-minded as he is, I worry that he's strayed beyond the landing area, and made friends with the local sentinels.
Wedge: Owww... Cid: Wedge! Are you all right!? Wedge: I-I'm fine, Chief. I just tripped, that's all. Cid: Fool of a Lalafell! What were you thinking, coming here on your own!? Death by overwork is one thing─death by stupidity quite another! Wedge: I'm sorry, Chief... B-But I think I've found something! Cid: What is this? The wreck of a sentinel? Wedge: This is no wreck, Chief! She's still operational! Wedge: See? Guidance Node (Gilly): <blip> Initiating...
Performing diagnostics...
<blip> Diagnostics complete.
To proceed, please agree to the terms and conditions of use. Guidance Node (Gilly): Thank you. To register as a user, please state your name. Wedge: I'm Wedge, and that there is Forename! Guidance Node (Gilly): <blip> User registration complete. Welcome to Azys Lla, Master Wedge and Mistress Forename. I am Guidance Node G-LI.
Cid: Hm. This isn't quite what I had in mind, but it might just serve. Cid: Wedge, bring the node this way, would you? There's something I'd like to try. Cid: Node! I need a status report on the facility! Wedge: Gilly! You have to do what the chief says! Wedge: Yes, that's it! Good girl! Cid: Ah, here we are... Hmmm, not much of note. It appears someone recently reactivated “Helix,” which is this area. Alphinaud: Reactivated, you say? Cid: By the archbishop, I'd wager. I daresay he woke the place up when he used the Vanu's key. Cid: Are there any other people in the facility? If so, where? Cid: Let's see here... On the “Flagship”─that's the central isle─I'm seeing positive readings within the Aetherochemical Research Facility and the Fractal Continuum... Cid: And what have we here? Intruders detected in the Gamma Quadrant, defense system engaged. Y'shtola: Our imperial friends, I suspect. I hope they enjoy the defense system. But what of the archbishop and his cronies? Cid: Hmmm, what might offer an indication? ...Ah! How about this: which area is currently consuming the most energy? Cid: ...Somewhere called “Triad Control,” inside the research facility. Alphinaud: And what manner of place is that? Cid: It is, and I quote, “a regulation facility for the 'Warring Triad' test subjects.” And that's all it says. The rest of the information is only accessible to users with consular privileges. Y'shtola: I mislike the sound of this...which leads me to believe that it is indeed the place. Alphinaud: I am inclined to agree with Y'shtola. Whatever it is that the archbishop seeks, it is like to be there. Cid: That settles it, then. Let's find a way to cross over to the Flagship.
In Node We Trust The eons-old guidance node is patiently awaiting instructions.
Guidance Node (Gilly): <blip> Greetings, Mistress Forename. Is there something you wish to know?
  • How will you respond?
  • Tell me how to reach the Flagship.
  • Tell me how to reach the Aetherochemical Research Facility.
  • Nothing in particular, Gilly. Guidance Node (Gilly): Determining a recommended location for routine inspection...
    Location determined.
Guidance Node (Gilly): <blip> Requesting access to the Aetherochemical Research Facility...
Access granted. Generating route... Guidance Node (Gilly): <blip> Route generated. Commencing guidance to chosen destination. Guidance Node (Gilly): Please be aware that the designated route may take you through restricted sectors, and that the isle's defense systems may attempt to terminate you.
Be kindly reminded that, in accordance with the terms and conditions of use, you and your party assume all risk of damage or injury, including death, that may occur en route to your destination.
Alphinaud: Can the guidance node be trusted? I know not, but we have few other options. Let us see where it leads us. Alphinaud: Forename, Y'shtola, Estinien─we four shall proceed to the research facility. Alphinaud: Cid, the Excelsior is our sole means of escape. Pray remain here and have her ready to depart at a moment's notice. Cid: Understood. We'll see that she's repaired and ready to fly. If anything happens, just let me know via linkpearl. Alphinaud: Be on your guard, my friends─the enemy could be anywhere.
Guidance Node (Gilly): <blip> You are currently within the Alpha Quadrant. Guidance Node (Gilly): First, you must use the nearby matter conduit to travel to the Beta Quadrant. Please wait a moment while I activate it.
Guidance Node (Gilly): According to my records, this conduit was last serviced approximately five thousand and fourteen years, six months, eleven days, seven hours and thirteen minutes ago. Guidance Node (Gilly): That it should function without mishap may be described as a miracle.
Chimerical Maintenance The guidance node is ready to take you through the Beta Quadrant.
Guidance Node (Gilly): <blip> Resuming guidance to the Aetherochemical Research Facility. Please follow me. Guidance Node (Gilly): This sector, the Beta Quadrant, is home to laboratories which produce chimerical life-forms for both military and household applications. Guidance Node (Gilly): Our facility has been awarded three-star certification for compliance with ASO-3001. The good behavior of the creatures born here is guaranteed. Guidance Node (Gilly): Please be warned, however, that millennia of neglect may have had an adverse effect on their disposition. For your own safety, please refrain from approaching the creatures.
Guidance Node (Gilly): <blip> Unable to activate matter conduit. Energy shortage detected.
Identifying cause... Guidance Node (Gilly): Cause identified: unauthorized siphoning of energy by chimerical creatures.
Locations: the Recombination Labs and the Biomass Incubation Complex. Alphinaud: Time is short─let us split up and eliminate the culprits. Forename, pray dispatch the creatures at the Recombination Labs. Alphinaud: The rest of us shall sweep the Incubation Complex. Take care, and return hither when you are done.
Guidance Node (Gilly): <blip> Energy restored to the conduit. Please wait a moment while I activate it.
Alphinaud: So the Garleans managed to land... Repairs on their vessel appear to be well underway. Y'shtola: I doubt that they will leave any time soon, however. Nay, they will remain here long after they have stripped the isle of all its secrets. Estinien: Whether or not they mean to linger, their presence here and now is an unwelcome complication. Y'shtola: Indeed. Let us avoid confrontations unless absolutely needful.
Close Encounters of the VIth Kind The guidance node is ready to take you through the Gamma Quadrant.
Guidance Node (Gilly): Warning: intruders detected in force in this quadrant. It is recommended that you avoid confrontation where possible. Guidance Node (Gilly): Be kindly reminded that, in accordance with the terms and conditions of use, you and your party assume all risks of damages or injury, including death, that you may sustain in the course of guidance. Guidance Node (Gilly): Please follow me to the next matter conduit. It leads to the Delta Quadrant, where the facility's greatest achievement is located.
Estinien: Wait. Something is afoot. Regula van Hydrus: Our objective lies at the heart of the isle. Regula van Hydrus: The Third will remain to guard the ship, while the Second patrols the perimeter and eliminates any threats. Regula van Hydrus: The First will come with me to secure the research facility. Regula van Hydrus: Let no man doubt the import of our mission: the Allagans found a means to capture eikons alive, and their knowledge lies hid upon this isle. Regula van Hydrus: If we can but acquire it, we would be able to prevent the beings from returning to plague us, thus ending the cycle of rebirth. Regula van Hydrus: I need not remind you that success will raise our legion high in the Emperor's regard. Regula van Hydrus: Yet, by the same token, His Radiance does not tolerate failure. That is all. All troops, prepare for deployment! Y'shtola: So that is their purpose. Alphinaud: To think that the knowledge used to bind no less a being than Bahamut sleeps here... Y'shtola: Imprisoning a primal in such a manner would represent an effective means to halt the cycle of summoning─were it not for the grave and obvious risks. Alphinaud: Indeed. We need but refer to past experience─that of Bahamut's calamitous return─to see why this is not the solution we seek. Y'shtola: Held in duress, a primal will continue to nurse its hatred for mankind. And when it inevitably breaks free, its rage will be beyond quelling. Estinien: Whatever folly the Garleans mean to commit, they can wait. We must remain focused on our task. Alphinaud: Yes, of course. It would not be polite to keep the archbishop waiting.
Guidance Node (Gilly): <blip> That you have survived to this point is in defiance of possibility. But it appears the danger is not yet past. Guidance Node (Gilly): <blip> <bloop> WARNING! Intruders approaching. Please eliminate them if you wish to proceed.
Regula van Hydrus: That would explain my men's silence. Regula van Hydrus: We meet again. And this time, we will not be interrupted. Regula van Hydrus: Come! Show me your power, champions of Eorzea!
Regula van Hydrus: Come, eikon-slayer. Impress me. Regula van Hydrus: Surely you can do better than that. 1st Maniple Centurion: Let us aid you, Lord van Hydrus! Estinien Wyrmblood: Hmph, naught but toy soldiers to knock down. Y'shtola: Leave the rank and file to us! Focus on the legatus! Alphinaud: Obsidian Carbuncle! Come! Regula van Hydrus: I need air support! Now!
Regula van Hydrus: I had heard the tales of your strength, Warrior of Light. And now that I have experienced it firsthand, van Baelsar's defeat seems less inexplicable. Regula van Hydrus: You are a formidable foe, and I have thoroughly enjoyed our time together. Alas, all good things must come to an end. Allagan secrets await, and there is no profit to be had in remaining here. Regula van Hydrus: Keep them occupied! Estinien: Coward... Y'shtola: It would seem we have no choice. Alphinaud: You must continue on. We will hold them here. Estinien: Take the Eye. It should still hold enough energy to be of use to you. Estinien: I shall join you as soon as I am able. Y'shtola: Enough talk! Make haste and stop the archbishop!
Guidance Node (Gilly): <blip> Welcome to the Delta Quadrant, where methods are developed for mastering dragons. Guidance Node (Gilly): To this day, the sector is home to live specimens brought over from the southern continent of Meracydia. Truly a testament to the greatness of the Allagan Empire.
Fetters of Lament The guidance node has ill tidings to share with you.
Guidance Node (Gilly): <blip> I regret to inform you that the matter conduit leading to the Flagship is no longer functioning. Guidance Node (Gilly): According to my records, it was destroyed by a dragon, which broke free of its restraints when they failed approximately two thousand three hundred and sixty-nine years, one month, twenty-four days, seven hours and four minutes ago. Guidance Node (Gilly): Please find an alternate route to the Aetherochemical Research Facility. The Allagan Research Council apologizes for any inconvenience caused. Midgardsormr: So, thy journey hath led thee to this accursed place. Canst thou hear it, mortal? The ceaseless keening of my kindred, steeped in five thousand years of suffering... Midgardsormr: Long before the Ishgardians and their base betrayal, there lived still more wicked men whose ambitions knew no bounds. Midgardsormr: Fearful of our might and covetous of our power, they devised a means to enslave dragonkind... Their vile misdeeds did set in motion a train of events whose repercussions are felt to this day. Midgardsormr: Beyond, thou wilt find one of my first brood. Hark thou unto her words. Partake thou of her pain. Think thou upon the suffering that the conflict betwixt our kinds hath begot.
A great wyrm is being held in some manner of restraint.
??? (Tiamat): Who cometh to this forsaken place and disturbeth my solitude? Midgardsormr: Tiamat, my child. Tiamat: ...Father? Can it truly be you? Midgardsormr: None other. My form is such that I may journey with Hydaelyn's chosen─ Midgardsormr: A mortal who desireth to end the war between man and dragon. Tiamat: Millennia have passed since I was brought low by the men of Allag. To think that war rageth still between our kinds... Tiamat: Hearken to my tale, child of man. I am Tiamat, of Midgardsormr's first brood. Tiamat: In a time before time, my father did come to this star, bearing seven eggs. Midgardsormr: From these eggs did my children hatch. And once they were full-grown, they took wing and spread across all the lands of Hydaelyn. Tiamat: Together with my brood-brother Bahamut, I journeyed south to Meracydia. And together, we brought forth innumerable children into the world. Tiamat: We abided in peace, and all was well...until the men of Allag came, some five thousand years since. They slaughtered my children in droves, and took from me my beloved Bahamut. Tiamat: 'Twas then, when I had fallen into the depths of despair, that black-robed men came unto me. The Ascians. Tiamat: They offered to resurrect Bahamut through their dark arts, and I, in my grief, accepted─a decision which I shall regret unto my dying breath. Tiamat: For what they brought back was a mockery of my beloved. Worse, the Ascians gifted his murderers the means to entrap him. Tiamat: Know this, child of man: the beings thy kind call gods are but specters of thy mind's creation, given form at great cost to Hydaelyn. Tiamat: Many such beings yet slumber across the land, brought to heel by the selfsame empire that bound me. They must not be released into the world. Tiamat: If thou wouldst end the conflict, vanquish thee the Ascians, and deliver the weak of will from the bonds of their dark influence. Midgardsormr: It hath been five thousand years, my child. Wilt thou not forgive thyself? Tiamat: The release of death is denied me here, yet I desire not freedom. Nay, Father. I shall live with my regret until the world itself hath ceased to be. Tiamat: Such is my just punishment for consorting with Darkness─for calling forth a loathsome and lamentable creature which blackeneth my beloved's memory. Hydaelyn: Warrior of Light. Beloved daughter. Hydaelyn: The Light abideth within thy heart again. Hydaelyn: Full valiantly didst thou overcome thy many trials. Hydaelyn: But glory not in thy success. Hydaelyn: For the servants of Darkness are ever close at hand. Hydaelyn: Receive of me my blessing once more, Hydaelyn: And go forth, to shine thy Light on all creation. Midgardsormr: Thou hast broken down the wall I built around thee, and partaken of thy mistress's blessing once more. Midgardsormr: Strong art thou, mortal─stronger than any other of thy kind. Midgardsormr: Having looked upon thy deeds, I am convinced. Thou art worthy to bear Her Light. Midgardsormr: The covenant bound me to thee, but 'twould seem our fates were mingled from the first. Though I will not fight thy battles, I will yet lend thee my wings. Midgardsormr: Come, mortal─we go to cast out the Darkness!
Heavensward The guidance node has been awaiting your arrival at the Flagship with customary patience.
Guidance Node: <blip> Welcome to the Flagship, Mistress Forename. You are almost at your destination. Guidance Node: <blip> <bloop> WARNING! Intruders detected in the vicinity. Please eliminate them if you wish to proceed.
Guidance Node: <blip> <bloop> WARNING! Intruders approaching.
Guidance Node: <blip> Area secured. Lifting access restriction to the Aetherochemical Research Facility... Guidance Node: Restriction lifted. You may enter the facility at your leisure. Ending guidance. Guidance Node: <blip> Unknown energy source detected within the Aetherochemical Research Facility. Please exercise caution. Guidance Node: I am pleased to have been of service to you, Mistress Forename. Please send my regards to Master Wedge. Guidance Node: Deactivating... <bloop>

The Aetherochemical Research Facility

Your pursuit of the archbishop has brought you to the Aetherochemical Research Facility, at the heart of the floating isle of Azys Lla. However, he and his knights are not the only threat for which you must be prepared; shortly before your arrival, the VIth Imperial Legion entered the facility in search of the secret to mastering primals, and their presence will serve to complicate matters. With multiple factions and their ambitions set on a collision course, your mission promises to be fraught with danger and uncertainty both.
Scion Marauder: This place just keeps getting weirder... Scion Thaumaturge: Aye, it's downright uncanny here.
Scion Conjurer: Sentinels!?
Regula van Hydrus: No sooner do I clear away the rabble... Scion Marauder: If it isn't an imperial legatus! Regula van Hydrus: Let's get this over with, shall we? Regula van Hydrus: Turrets, deploy! Regula van Hydrus: Your reputation is well deserved.
Very well, let us try something different. Regula van Hydrus: The day is yours...but we will meet again. Scion Conjurer: At least he knows when to quit.
Scion Conjurer: What do you suppose are in those tanks? Scion Thaumaturge: Monstrosities─definitely monstrosities. Bioculture Node: Intruders detected. Releasing bioweapons. Bioculture Node: Releasing additional bioweapons.
All personnel, please proceed calmly to the nearest exit.
Scion Marauder: Here we go again. Scion Thaumaturge: Watch each other's backs! Bioculture Node: Intruders detected. Releasing bioweapons. Bioculture Node: Releasing additional bioweapons.
All personnel, please proceed calmly to the nearest exit.
Scion Thaumaturge: What a strange-looking...I'm going to go with “thing.” Harmachis: Activating Harmachis.
Commencing bioweapon assessment. Harmachis: Engaging anti-cobra mode. Harmachis: Anti-cobra testing complete. Harmachis: Engaging anti-naga mode. Harmachis: Anti-naga testing complete. Harmachis: Engaging anti-machina mode. Harmachis: Anti-machina testing complete. Harmachis: Assessment complete. Result: Outstanding.
Subject approved for mass production. Scion Thaumaturge: Clever how it transforms. Scion Conjurer: Certainly an efficient way to test creations...
Scion Marauder: Looks like we're heading down.
Scion Thaumaturge: I swear, every time you ride a lift... Scion Marauder: I know, right!?
Scion Conjurer: What could that illuminated place be?
Scion Conjurer: Looks like this is as deep as it goes. Scion Marauder: The archbishop must be close.
Lahabrea: The champion of Hydaelyn. Igeyorhm: Tell me: why do you despise the primals so? Igeyorhm: They are the embodiment of mortal will─of mortal desire. Igeyorhm: Plainly, you desire a foe to despise. And 'tis well that you do, for it is from the vortex of ceaseless conflict that Lord Zodiark shall be reborn. Lahabrea: Through the Joining, the world shall become whole again. Lahabrea: Then all shall be as once it was─as it should ever have remained. Igeyorhm: For the glory of Lord Zodiark. Lahabrea: Your meddling ends here and now, Warrior of Light!
Scion Marauder: It's over, Ascians! Scion Conjurer: We'll teach you to underestimate us! Igeyorhm: Come! We settle this once and for all! Lahabrea: Our might knows no bounds! Lahabrea: Fires of creation─arise! Lahabrea: My magicks flow as one! Igeyorhm: Mortal scum! I will entomb you in ice! Igeyorhm: Let us see you withstand two magicks at once!
Lahabrea: Such strength! It defies all reason... Igeyorhm: No! I will not be bested by the likes of them! Igeyorhm: Lahabrea! It is time! Lahabrea: Very well. Let us show these mortals the true power of the Echo... Lahabrea: The power to break down the barriers of existence! Igeyorhm: I am become you... Lahabrea: ...And we are become one. Ascian Prime: Come, mortals! Render up your souls, that Lord Zodiark might be reborn!
Ascian Prime: Ahhh, the power of Darkness surges... Tranquil as ice, vicious as fire! Ascian Prime: Feel the might of our magicks combined! Ascian Prime: Not even the laws of creation can withstand the tides of chaos! Ascian Prime: Stubborn mortals... Very well, we will show you our true strength! Ascian Prime: Know eternal despair! Fire and ice consume you! Ascian Prime: Even without the blessing of Light... How is this possible!?
Ascian Prime: Aaargh!!! Ascian Prime: What walls are these? Arrrgh! Damn you, Hydaelyn!
Lahabrea: That she might regain the blessing of Light I had foreseen... Lahabrea: But she is grown so strong in it as to deny us our power. Igeyorhm: Let us withdraw, Lahabrea. That power remains to us, at least. Igeyorhm: Impossible! Igeyorhm: Aaaaaahhh! Lahabrea: So you harnessed the Eye's power... A pity you spent it all. What will you do now, hero? Archbishop Thordan VII: So, not even the vaunted Warrior of Light can unmake an Ascian without relying upon mortal contrivances. Lahabrea: You! Archbishop Thordan VII: In the distant past, King Thordan and his knights twelve fought and defeated Nidhogg. Archbishop Thordan VII: Though the victory cost them dear, they were rewarded with a great prize: the dread wyrm's eyes, both of which have since been held in the Holy See's safekeeping. Archbishop Thordan VII: The Eye you possess was Nidhogg's left, and long has it served as the source of the Azure Dragoon's might. As for its twin... Archbishop Thordan VII: It has lain here, joined to the person of Haldrath, the first Azure Dragoon. For though he learned to harness its power, he was ultimately consumed by it. Even in death, his body decays not─a pitiful end for a fabled hero. Archbishop Thordan VII: My Ascian friend. Long have you and your kind sown the seeds of chaos by teaching mortals the secrets of summoning. Archbishop Thordan VII: But if you assumed that we would meekly serve as your pawns, then you are gravely mistaken. Lahabrea: You would raise a hand against us!? Archbishop Thordan VII: By taking unto my flesh the soul of the legendary King Thordan, I am become a god─ King Thordan: A god who knows not cessation, whose being is sustained by a millennium of fervent prayer and the Eye's nigh-bottomless reservoir of aether. Lahabrea: What!? King Thordan: Your contempt for man has proven your undoing, Ascian. For my first act as god-king, I do hereby sentence you to die. Lahabrea: Aaaaaargggh! King Thordan: Gods feed upon aether. It matters not what form that aether takes. Ascian souls are no exception. With this power, I shall put an end to a thousand years of conflict. King Thordan: Be they sown by Ascian, dragon, or primal, wheresoever the seeds of chaos threaten to quicken, I shall excise them with my divine blade and bring order to the world. King Thordan: I am become that which you abhor, Warrior of Light. If you would take issue with my godhood, I shall answer you with my blade.

The Singularity Reactor

Taking the soul of the legendary King Thordan into his flesh, the archbishop transforms into a primal before your very eyes. Sustained by a millennium of prayer and the Eye's aether, he declares his intent to rule over the world with an iron fist and for all time. Standing at his side are the sworn brothers of the Heavens' Ward, who have likewise transcended their mortal limits by becoming incarnations of the knights twelve. Strike them down, and eradicate the root of the Dragonsong War.
Zephirin: Brothers! The time is come to call upon the true power of the Heavens' Ward! King Thordan: Fight me if you will, Warrior of Light. King Thordan: I care not. All who stand against me will be destroyed─be they servants of the Darkness or the Light. King Thordan: By my blessing shall all men be sanctified, and an endless era of peace begin. Vice and conflict shall cease to be. King Thordan: You reject my divinity, yet what have you to offer my people in its stead? Bitter truth? Virtuous suffering? King Thordan: No matter. If you believe your cause just, I call upon you to defend it with your life!
King Thordan: Your feeble light shall fade before my brilliance! King Thordan: O Ascalon! Drink deep of the power of slumbering gods! King Thordan: I shall end your vain struggle! King Thordan: Y-You survived my divine reckoning!? Impossible! King Thordan: This is the power of Light? King Thordan: Impossible...
Archbishop Thordan VII: How...how can this be? A millennium of prayer and the Eye's power combined—and still you stand? Archbishop Thordan VII: Who—what are you?
Estinien: ...It is over, then? I had hoped that mine would be the hand to end it...but knowing you, there was little chance of that. Estinien: 'Twould seem the Eye has served you well. Estinien: Its twin... At long last... Estinien: All that remains is to take them beyond the reach of man and dragon both. With this task accomplished, my toils shall finally be at an end. Nidhogg: Thou hadst done well to resist mine influence, bathed in my power and blood as thou wert. Nidhogg: Alas, in thine anticipation of comfort, thou hast lowered thy guard! Nidhogg: The keening of my fallen kindred... Their smoldering desire for vengeance... Nidhogg: Mine eyes have partaken of a thousand years of pain─a pain which I shall bestow upon thee. Nidhogg: Drink deep of my rage, mortal...AND BECOME ME! Estinien: Grrraaarrrgh!!! Midgardsormr: Nidhogg, my child... What hath thy fury made of thee...? Midgardsormr: Let us away, servant of Hydaelyn.
Wedge: Chief! Over there! Biggs: Oi! Cid: Haha! Godsdammit, do you always have to cut it so bloody close!? Y'shtola: It would seem she has done it again. Alphinaud: Was there ever any doubt? Alphinaud: Let us return to Ishgard. Our friends will be eager to learn the battle's outcome...and welcome back their champion. Y'shtola: Where is Estinien?
Aymeric: I daresay you are the first soul in Ishgardian history to arrive in our city upon dragonback. This scene shall be remembered for a thousand years to come. Alphinaud: As we had feared, the archbishop summoned the soul of King Thordan unto himself and thence became a primal. Y'shtola: But he and his knights are no more, thanks to the Warrior of Light. Midgardsormr: Your struggles are not yet over, mortals. Aymeric: Whom do I have the pleasure...? Midgardsormr: I am Midgardsormr. I have journeyed with Hydaelyn's champion and observed her deeds in the conflict between man and dragon. Midgardsormr: Tell me, children of Thordan. Do you desire peace? Aymeric: My people have committed unspeakable atrocities against dragonkind─even against our own. Would that we could undo these wrongs...but we cannot. Aymeric: Be that as it may, the future yet presents a chance to begin anew. Our nation has broken free of the shackles of a false faith, and Nidhogg shall lead his kindred against us no more. Aymeric: I doubt not that it will require much effort and perseverance, but 'tis my belief that, in time, Ishgard will again become a place where man and dragon may abide together in harmony. Midgardsormr: I shall remember thy words. Midgardsormr: Yet be warned: Nidhogg's soul liveth on. Midgardsormr: His unbridled rage hath claimed for its vessel the one thou callest the Azure Dragoon. Aymeric: Estinien! Midgardsormr: Doubt not but that Nidhogg will call out to his brood ere long, nor that they shall answer him. Midgardsormr: Steel yourselves, for the true test is yet to come. Aymeric: Come what may, we will never cease to believe. Aymeric: Upon the souls of they who have sacrificed themselves to pave the way for peace, we will never abandon our cause. Midgardsormr: A thousand-year war cannot be ended in a day. It may take generations. What thou dost begin, thy children must continue. Midgardsormr: Entrust unto them thy hopes and dreams, that peace may reign again...and forevermore.
Nanamo Ul Namo: Let all here present attest that Ser Aymeric, acting on behalf of the archbishop, has appended his signature. Nanamo Ul Namo: I do hereby declare... Nanamo Ul Namo: That from this day forth, the Holy See of Ishgard shall once more be counted a member of the Eorzean Alliance. Nanamo Ul Namo: Let our nations move forward as one, and stand united against the Garlean Empire! Aymeric: For the future of Eorzea! Leaders: For the future of Eorzea!
Alphinaud: There you are. Alphinaud: A noble monument to a noble soul. Tataru: From here, Lord Haurchefant can watch over all of Ishgard... Alphinaud: It has been a long and arduous journey. And we have lost much and more along the way. Alphinaud: Yet come what may, we must stay true to our purpose and press on. Tataru: That's right, you two! It's high time we got back to rebuilding the Scions! Tataru: Which means we're going to need money─and lots of it!
Count Edmont de Fortemps: So ends a glorious chapter in their tale. Count Edmont de Fortemps: However, tumultuous days yet lie ahead for Ishgard. Count Edmont de Fortemps: After a thousand years under the yoke of the church, the people take their first tentative steps into the unknown. Count Edmont de Fortemps: And though they spy a glimmer of peace upon the horizon, Nidhogg's vengeful shadow yet remains to darken the way. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Be that as it may... Count Edmont de Fortemps: So long as the young commander of the Temple Knights and his heroic companions are there to guide them, the people may hold fast to hope─ Count Edmont de Fortemps: the hope that, one day, true peace will return to Ishgard, and that man and dragon may live in harmony once more. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Let the deeds writ herein never be forgot, Count Edmont de Fortemps: that they may inspire generations yet unborn to strive ever heavensward.
Elidibus: So Lahabrea and Igeyorhm have fallen. Elidibus: Bested by mortals in their attempt to initiate the eighth Rejoining. That they should be so complacent... Elidibus: And now it falls to me to deal with the consequences... Elidibus: Without intervention, the balance between Light and Darkness will begin to shift, placing our mission in jeopardy. Elidibus: Hydaelyn's champion has grown too strong. Her might encroaches upon the realm of gods. Elidibus: Equilibrium must needs be restored. The time is come for you and yours to join the fray... Elidibus: ...Warrior of Darkness.
Cid: Remind me: why is there no rest for the righteous? Y'shtola: Because they care, Master Garlond. Cid: Of all the things they could have picked to play with... That's not a toy, you bloody fools─it's a primal!
Spires of deception crumble to dust, to lay bare truths long concealed Beyond simmering shadow lieth shimmering light
Alphinaud: After long years of estrangement, Ishgard rejoins her sister nations in the Alliance. Words cannot well express my joy. Alphinaud: None of this would have been possible without you, my friend. Alphinaud: Change is coming to Eorzea. Though it will inevitably bring with it a measure of upheaval, with hard work, peace and prosperity are sure to follow. Alphinaud: And yet, even as we look forward to the coming of a new age, we must needs be wary of old threats. Alphinaud: The lords of Garlemald have not relinquished their claim upon Eorzea, and we shall be forced to contend with them again ere long. And then there is the matter of our comrade Estinien, claimed body and soul by Nidhogg... If there is a way to rescue him, we must find it. Alphinaud: Suffice it to say, the path ahead holds no shortage of challenges, but together, we shall overcome them.

Heavensward: As Goes Light, So Goes Darkness (3.1)

An Uncertain Future Alphinaud wishes to share the latest developments in the search for the missing Scions.
Alphinaud: Fortuitous timing as always, Forename. Tataru was about to brief me on the search for our missing comrades. Alphinaud: If you would be so kind, then? Tataru: Absolutely! You'll be pleased to hear that Riol and his men have been making excellent progress! Tataru: You remember how F'lhaminn helped me to escape the Crystal Braves in Limsa Lominsa, only to then disappear? Well, according to Riol, she crept aboard a ship bound for Radz-at-Han, where she's been hiding ever since. He assures me that it won't be long before we're reunited. Tataru: As for Yda and Papalymo, the remains of their linkpearls have been found─and in Pearl Lane of all places. Riol thinks they must have disposed of them after escaping from the Royal Promenade. Alphinaud: Yes, that would make sense... They could not risk being eavesdropped upon by our betrayers. Tataru: We're all but certain they fled the city shortly after...though we still don't have a clue where they went. Alphinaud: I see. And what of Thancred and Minfilia? Tataru: ...I'm afraid I have nothing new to share about those two. But it's not all doom and gloom! The good news is, we've enlisted the services of a Sharlayan scholar─one of the Students of Baldesion─to aid in the search, who should be arriving any day now! Alphinaud: One of the Students, you say? I should very much like to meet this scholar─if time permits. Alphinaud: But first we must attend to a more pressing matter. Ser Aymeric has summoned the two of us for a private audience. The messenger did not specify what he wished to discuss─only that it was urgent. Alphinaud: Assuming you have no objections, Forename, I suggest we proceed to the Congregation forthwith. Alphinaud: And mayhap we can meet with the scholar afterwards. Agreed? Tataru: In that case, I think I'll return to the Forgotten Knight for now. Things are liable to fall apart if I'm gone too long, you know!
Temple Knight Guard: The lord commander is within. Pray proceed, miss.
  • Proceed to the Seat of the Lord Commander?
  • Yes
  • No
Aymeric: Thank you for coming. I wished to speak with you both in a place where privacy was assured. Alphinaud: We quite understand. What was it that you wished to discuss? Aymeric: With my father's passing, the seat of the archbishop lies vacant. And so, in accordance with canon law, I have assumed his responsibilities. Aymeric: I should stress that this is a temporary measure. It was never intended that the lord commander of the Temple Knights serve in this capacity indefinitely. Aymeric: Quite the opposite. The statutes specify that I should surrender my powers as soon as a conclave of the senior clergy and the High Houses have named a new archbishop. Aymeric: But in light of recent events, that would not seem appropriate. Alphinaud: I confess, I did not expect you to divulge quite so much quite so soon. The details of the archbishop's plans, perhaps...but the true origin of the war and all it entails...? Aymeric: I too had concerns. But when the Warrior of Light is witnessed returning to the capital upon the back of a dragon, one's options are rather limited. Aymeric: Mayhap I could have concealed certain details...but for how long? And at what risk? Should the truth have come to light in the meantime, how would the people have viewed my silence? Aymeric: After a thousand years of lies and secrecy, I could not well abuse their trust and hope to be believed. The time for deception has passed. Aymeric: ...I only wish the people agreed. That some would deny the truth, I had anticipated─but not this many. And among the few who acknowledge that my father had to be stopped, no small number question our methods. Alphinaud: If they suspect a coup, it will not be long before some turn to violence. Lucia: It has already begun─and that on both sides. Men and women of the cloth are being harassed in the streets. Some have even been assaulted in the Brume. Lucia: Hilda and her people have formed a watch to help us maintain order, but such measures will not prevent the unrest from spreading. Aymeric: For all our talk of peace, the people remain frightened and confused. For their sake, we must bring the Dragonsong War to a definitive end. Alphinaud: And we should be glad to help you, Ser Aymeric. But what precisely would you have us do? Lucia: We wish to treat with the dragons of Anyx Trine. To that end, I would trouble you for an escort and an introduction. Alphinaud: Anyx Trine? ...You would speak with Vidofnir, then? Aymeric: We must needs open a dialogue between our peoples. Acting as my representative, Lucia will extend an invitation to their leader, that she might visit us here in Ishgard. Aymeric: Were she still with us, I would of course have beseeched Ysayle's assistance in this matter. But as she is not, I must ask that you aid us in her stead. Will you do us this favor? Aymeric: Thank you, my friends. Aymeric: Lucia─I leave the rest to you.
Count Edmont de Fortemps: In the wake of the archbishop's fall, the nation of Ishgard trembled, the faith of her people shaken to its very core. Count Edmont de Fortemps: For a thousand years had they fought and died, certain of the justice of their cause, only to be told that their holy war was born of the sins of their forefathers. Count Edmont de Fortemps: What then, for those brave men and women, thus stripped of their righteousness, but to despair? To deny the truth and decry its speakers? Count Edmont de Fortemps: And what then for those whom they defamed but to hope on? To have faith in a brighter tomorrow? Count Edmont de Fortemps: A tomorrow in which man and dragon might live together in harmony─then as distant as the very stars in the heavens... Count Edmont de Fortemps: Yet while we dared to hope, deep within his lair, the enemy lay gathering his strength. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Nidhogg, now possessed of his two eyes and the body of the Azure dragoon─prizes to which he had laid claim at the very hour of the heroes' triumph. Count Edmont de Fortemps: As desperately as we sought the solace of peace, the great wyrm craved the misery of war. Nor was he alone in this misbegotten desire...
Lucia: I know little of the lands these dragons call home─this Anyx Trine. Had you not agreed to escort me, the coming journey would seem a far more daunting prospect. Alphinaud: I confess, I myself once shuddered at the thought of it. Yet even the longest journey begins with the first step, does it not?
Ah, but ere we set forth, Forename and I must needs inform our comrade of our plans. Lucia: Very well. I shall see to my preparations. Alphinaud: Then let us go and bid farewell to Tataru, Forename.
Tataru: So? What was your secret meeting all about? I'm all ears! Tataru: A diplomatic mission to Anyx Trine, you say? Well, I suppose that does take precedence... Tataru: But should your meeting with Vidofnir happen to end early, you might consider rendezvousing with Y'shtola in Idyllshire. She'll be there to receive our guest. Tataru: Don't get me wrong, your meeting with the dragons is terribly important and everything, but this scholar just happens to be─ Alphinaud: Time permitting, as I said. We shall endeavor to join Y'shtola, but if we cannot, pray pass on our regards. Alphinaud: Let us be off, Forename. We have kept the first commander waiting long enough.
Lucia: You are ready, then? Good─so am I.
Breaking the Cycle Alphinaud is ready to escort Lucia to Anyx Trine.
Alphinaud: The path is long but known to us. From Falcon's Nest, we shall cross the western highlands and make for Tailfeather in the Dravanian forelands. Alphinaud: There we can stop to rest and replenish our supplies. Questions? If not, then the stables await.
Lucia: I always imagined that the first time I set foot upon Dravanian soil would be at the head of an army. And here I am, ready to treat with the brothers and sisters of mine enemies. Alphinaud: Full well do I know how difficult it can be to set aside the past. Though it was I who first proposed recruiting Ysayle to our cause, I questioned the wisdom of my words almost as soon as I had uttered them...and for a long time after that. Alphinaud: Here was a woman with the blood of innocents on her hands. Men, women, children─all slain in the name of the implacable Lady Iceheart. Alphinaud: Yet she acknowledged her misdeeds and agreed to join us in common cause. At our side, she fought in service to that greater good...even unto her dying breath─and while that does not absolve her of her sins, I...I hope that one day she will be remembered not merely as a heretic, but as a misguided soul who dreamt of peace. Lucia: ...You ask much, Master Alphinaud. Yet who can say what might come to pass...should our negotiations bear fruit. Alphinaud: Yes─yes, of course. We must press on to Anyx Trine. If you will follow me...
Vidofnir: Thou art ever welcome here, friend of Ysayle. Vidofnir: But this one I do not know. Alphinaud: Pray forgive us this unannounced visit, Vidofnir. May I present to you Lucia, first commander of the Temple Knights of Ishgard─and our trusted friend. Lucia: It is an honor to meet you, Vidofnir. I am come as an envoy of Ser Aymeric, lord commander of the Temple Knights and acting leader of the Holy See. Vidofnir: Indeed. You may speak, knight. Lucia: For one thousand years, man and dragon have been locked in an endless cycle of bloodshed and sorrow. Lucia: To our shame, we long believed your kin to be the architects of this war. But now we know the truth: that King Thordan and his knights twelve did willfully betray and murder the great wyrm Ratatoskr, shattering the peace between our peoples. Lucia: For one thousand years, our leaders conspired to conceal this truth─a truth which was at last laid bare by the Warrior of Light, the Azure Dragoon...and Ysayle. Lucia: Alas, a deception so intricately wrought cannot be undone in a moment, and our people labor to accept the truth. After an eternity of war, who would dare to dream that peace could at last be within our grasp? Lucia: Yet dream we must, as Ysayle once did. And we must make that dream a reality, as she could not. Lucia: We humbly beseech you, Vidofnir: join hands with us in friendship once more, before the eyes of my people, in Ishgard. Vidofnir: ...A most unexpected invitation. Vidofnir: I have heard your request, knight. However, I cannot yet give you mine answer. Lucia: May I ask why? Vidofnir: This matter concerneth my sire. He must needs be consulted. Vidofnir: Moreover, the Gnath grow bold, even as they did before, and I would not leave my people at the mercy of the swarm. Lucia: Then we will wait. After a thousand years at war, we shall not give up on peace for want of patience. Vidofnir: Ha! Fear not, knight: thou shalt have mine answer within thy lifetime. Lucia: So soon? My humble thanks. I shall bear your words to my lord forthwith. Until we meet again.
Alphinaud: Given the circumstances, I would say that went rather well. Lucia: To be frank, I am surprised our proposal was not rejected outright. Whether aught will come of it remains to be seen, however... Lucia: Mayhap I should take this opportunity to speak with some of the other dragons...
Ah, but you need not wait for me. The return journey holds no fears for me now. Alphinaud: Well, if you have no further need of our services, we shall continue on to Sharlayan. We hope to welcome a scholar who has agreed to aid us in the search for our missing comrades. Lucia: Then I pray your journey is as swift and uneventful as ours was, and thank you again for sparing the time to assist us, even when such grave matters remain unresolved. Alphinaud: I can think of no graver matter than a thousand-year war─one which our friends gave their lives to see ended. Alphinaud: Suffice it to say, I would willingly make a thousand such journeys to ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain. Lucia: Of that I have no doubt, Master Alphinaud. I only hope the fates will not hold you to your word.
Another Time, Another Place Alphinaud is eager to set out for Sharlayan.
Alphinaud: So...it would seem we have time to greet this scholar after all. How delightful. I shall be interested to hear how she means to go about finding Minfilia and Thancred. I can only assume she is privy to some new investigative technique. Alphinaud: In any event, our first order of business is to rendezvous with Y'shtola in Idyllshire.
Y'shtola: Ah, Forename─'tis good to see you. I confess, I had assumed your business in Anyx Trine would detain you longer. Did your meeting with Vidofnir go well? Alphinaud: As well as can be expected. She must discuss Ser Aymeric's proposal with Hraesvelgr, of course, but she seemed amenable to the suggestion. Alphinaud: What of our Sharlayan guest? Has she arrived yet? Y'shtola: She has, but when I explained that you would be joining us, she asked if she might use the intervening time to explore. I agreed to meet her outside on Frontbridge. We should be on our way.
Krile: I am terribly, terribly sorry to have kept you all waiting! Y'shtola: You need not apologize. We arrived but a moment ago ourselves. Y'shtola: Pray allow me to introduce Krile, who is recently come from the Sharlayan motherland. She has generously offered to assist us. Krile: Oh please, think nothing of it! A trip to Eorzea was long overdue. Krile: You must be the Warrior of Light. Yes...you certainly do look the part. A pleasure to meet you at last, miss. Krile: And who is that I spy but young Alphinaud Leveilleur himself! I daresay someone's grown an ilm or two in my absence─or are those lifts in your boots? Alphinaud: We, uh... Ahem. Miss Krile and I met at the Studium, years ago. I shall forever be indebted to her for her sage guidance. Krile: It was no small task keeping him out of trouble, believe you me! The youngest ever to enter the Studium─him and his sister, eleven-year-old prodigies. Krile: Suffice it to say, social graces were not among his list of talents! Striding up to his seniors on his first day, head held high─what was it he said again...? Alphinaud: Thank you, Krile! Krile: For what? I haven't finished yet. Would you care to attempt a more dextrous deflection? Alphinaud: Ahem... Mayhap we should save this delightful conversation for a more fitting occasion, when pressing matters do not demand our undivided attention. Krile: A bit much, but better. I can tell you have been putting your skills to use here in Eorzea. Henceforth, I trust you will dazzle me with your eloquence at the first time of asking. Krile: Right. On to more pressing matters─finding Minfilia and the other missing Scions! Y'shtola: I gather you have new information to share with us? Krile: A new approach, actually. Tataru recounted the tale of your escape, and it gave me an idea. Krile: Simply put, assuming Thancred left some manner of trail when you whisked him away─as is almost always the case with teleportation magicks─I am confident I can find and follow it. Alphinaud: Then what are you waiting for!? Krile: The wherewithal to do it. The fact is, my abilities aren't quite up to the task. Not in themselves, anyway. If I had Master Matoya's Crystal Eye, on the other hand... Y'shtola: Then let us all call on her forthwith. I think it best that you explain your plan to her in person.
Krile: You did say we were headed for a cave, did you not? Because I certainly don't see a cave nearby. Is Master Matoya meeting us on the way or something?
In the Eye of the Beholder The prospect of meeting the famous Master Matoya seems to have set Krile thinking.
Krile: I have heard many stories of Master Matoya─some quite flattering, others less so. Y'shtola: Rest assured, they all are true. This way─and have care where you tread.
Matoya: <sigh> Is that trouble I smell, or did you forget to wipe your boots on the way in? Y'shtola: Forgive us, Master Matoya. We will be sure to wipe them on the way out. And may I say how glad I am that age has not yet deprived you of your senses. Matoya: Ever so quick-witted, aren't we─to the detriment of your manners. Well, out with it then. What do you want? Krile: Pray allow me to introduce myself, Master Matoya. I am Krile, of the Students of Baldesion. I hope you will excuse our unannounced visit. Matoya: Baldesion, you say? Ah yes, the old coot set up shop on the Isle of Val, didn't he? Krile: Regrettably, our order's headquarters─and the isle itself─were obliterated by a magick of immense power. I have the blessing of Light to thank for my own preservation. Alphinaud: Krile─you too possess the Echo!? Krile: Well yes, of course I do. Krile: Our order is devoted to uncovering the mysteries of Hydaelyn and interpreting Her will, particularly through the study of Her gift to us. Krile: It was in the course of these studies that I met and subsequently befriended Minfilia. She and I have rather a lot in common. Alphinaud: I had no idea. Krile: You weren't supposed to. Not that I wanted to deceive you, you understand, but precautions had to be taken. Matoya: Yes, yes─that's all well and good, but you still haven't told me why you're here. Krile: The Students of Baldesion are gone, and there is naught I can do to change that. But the Scions of the Seventh Dawn can yet be restored and my dear friend found. Krile: You have in your possession an ancient Crystal of Light─one you call your “Crystal Eye.” I believe I can use it to focus my abilities and locate one of the missing Scions. Matoya: And there I was thinking you might want to make use of my years of experience... <sigh> Wait here. Y'shtola: Long did I ponder the nature of this crystal and its familiar radiance...but never did I suspect it was a Crystal of Light. Krile: On the cusp of an Umbral Calamity, souls blessed with the power of the Echo invariably appear. Krile: To aid these Her chosen warriors, Hydaelyn bequeaths to each a sliver of Her strength in the form of a Crystal of Light. Krile: But as Her strength wanes, so too does the potency of Her gifts. This crystal, born of an earlier era, is infused with a power far greater than those of this age. Matoya: You could travel the length and breadth of the land and not find a crystal even a fraction as pure. Its value is beyond measure─as are the risks inherent in its use. Krile: No two manifestations of the Echo are alike. I, for example, can converse with beings of every shape and size─excepting beasts, contrary to what others would have you believe. Language has nothing to do with it, of course; rather, I am sensitive to the whispers of the soul. Their intent, their very essence even─the traces of which served to guide the elementals to Y'shtola. Krile: Far-fetched though it may sound, I believe that with your Crystal Eye, I may be able to pick up where they left off and follow the remaining trail to Thancred. That is, if I have your permission...? Matoya: Well, the poor sod's not going to find himself. So, as long as you don't drop it or take it out of my sight, you may do with it what you will. Krile: Thank you, Master Matoya! Krile: Then let us begin. Krile: From the Black Shroud, the trail continues to the north and west...towards a mountain...the foot of Sohm Al. Krile: It was a near thing, but he was not deposited within the rock. I think. Alphinaud: The hunters of Tailfeather know those lands well. I say we begin our search there!
Alphinaud: Were I to find myself in an unfamiliar wilderness, my first instinct would be to seek out signs of civilization. Y'shtola: Ordinarily, perhaps, but in his wounded state, he may not have wished to risk contact with strangers of unknown allegiance. Yet even had Thancred chosen to remain in the forest, the hunters would surely have stumbled across his trail. Krile: Tailfeather doesn't strike me as an isolated outpost, though. Merchants and traders pass through reasonably regularly, do they not? In which case, we'll need to provide a more detailed description when we question the locals. Alphinaud: Fear not, Krile─I have already prepared several sketches of Thancred for that very purpose. Y'shtola: This...this is impressive. You drew him from memory? Alphinaud: A skill I acquired some years ago for reasons I no longer remember. Alphinaud: I propose we split into two pairs. Y'shtola and I will inquire at the outlying encampments, while Forename and Krile question the residents of Tailfeather. Afterwards, we shall regroup near Loth ast Vath and share our findings. Alphinaud: Assuming there are no objections, let us be about it. Krile: My, he certainly has matured, hasn't he? Hard to imagine he was once a boy who practiced drawing for hours to impress young ladies... Krile: Anyway, we had best get started. Find me when you've finished making your rounds.
Marcechamp: What's that you've got there? A sketch?
Alphinaud's Sketch A surprisingly accurate depiction of the missing Thancred, suggesting that Alphinaud may have mistaken his life's calling.
Marcechamp: Hmm... Can't say I know the face. You say he's somethin' of a warrior? Marcechamp: Hmm...I heard a tale the other day about a Hyuran vagabond who brought down a bandersnatch by himself─an' with style. Way they tell it, he was dancin' with the beast like it was the belle of the bleedin' ball. Sound like your man?
Loupard: Searchin' for a friend of yours? Let's have a look then.
Alphinaud's Sketch A surprisingly accurate depiction of the missing Thancred, suggesting that Alphinaud may have mistaken his life's calling.
Loupard: Hmm...no, ain't seen him around. Sorry.
Grimold: A Hyuran man? We're not exactly rare, you know. Could you be more specific?
Alphinaud's Sketch A surprisingly accurate depiction of the missing Thancred, suggesting that Alphinaud may have mistaken his life's calling.
Grimold: ...I did spy this one bloke a while back. Didn't get a good look at his face, but it could have been him. Grimold: This was beyond the forest, as I recall─along the river, to the west of Tailfeather. I remember thinking he wasn't much of a hunter. The lad was making no effort to cover his tracks, see. That, and he was carrying an axe instead of a bow.
Krile: Finished? In that case, I think we've learned everything we can here. Krile: Let's see what the others have found out.
Alphinaud: My apologies for our late arrival. We thought it wise to question as many hunters as we could. Y'shtola: Many have made camp in inaccessible locations─ideal for hunting game, not so receiving visitors. Alphinaud: Nevertheless, our time proved well spent. There have been countless sightings of an exceptionally capable Hyuran hunter with whom no one is familiar. Alphinaud: Though none chanced to see the man's face, his height and build match Thancred's description, as does his fighting prowess. Alphinaud: ...So you have heard the same tales. Be that as it may, we yet want for conclusive proof... Krile: Mayhap this is unrelated, but I heard a curious tale regarding a Vath trader. Krile: He came to Tailfeather in search of garments fit for a “man of refinement”─which seemed a rather curious description for one of his kind. Y'shtola: ...You are implying that Thancred sent a Vath to market in his stead? Why would he not go himself? Alphinaud: Well, if you recall, you yourself emerged from the Lifestream as naked as your nameday. It is a scene I shall never forget─ Y'shtola: Is it now? Alphinaud: Well, I was pleased to see you! I-I mean─ It was a simple statement of fact! Alphinaud: It stands to reason that Thancred found himself in the same...predicament. Krile: In any case, if he had dealings with the Vath, they should be able to tell us, no? Alphinaud: Quite right, Krile, quite right...
A Little Slow, a Little Late Alphinaud would like very much to continue the search for Thancred.
Alphinaud: Well, what are we waiting for? For all we know, Thancred could be waiting for us in Loth ast Vath! Alphinaud: We must go and see the Vath right away. Come along, everyone! Come along!
Vath Storyteller: <click> <click> Great hunters, we welcome you once more to Loth ast Vath. What do you seek this day? Alphinaud: We seek a man. A man with whom we are told you may have had certain dealings. Vath Storyteller: ...How curious. The hunters tire of godly sport and pursue mortal prey? Alphinaud: No, no, he is not prey, but a friend long missing. Vath Storyteller: <click> <click> Good, good. He is a friend to the Vath as well, one with whom we have traded many times. Alphinaud: Truly? And you are quite certain it was this man? Vath Storyteller: There is no doubt. <click> <click> The fleshling clothed in skins came to us from Sohm Al, lost and weak. He offered meat and hides in trade, and in exchange we tended his wounds. Vath Storyteller: He brought us much flesh, so skilled a hunter he was. Much flesh. When he asked for garments, we were glad to provide them. Y'shtola: And where is he now? Vath Storyteller: <click> <click> Gone to Loth ast Gnath. Not long ago. When he heard the Onemind had summoned our god once more. Y'shtola: Ravana is returned!? Alphinaud: Vidofnir did say that the Gnath had grown as before. But what could Thancred hope to accomplish by himself? Alphinaud: Honored elder, we thank you for your help. Would that we could repay this kindness ere we depart, but we must hasten to our comrade's side. Vath Storyteller: Go, great hunters, lest the Gnath claim him as a sacrifice. <click> <click>
Alphinaud: Who else could be... Thancred! It could be Thancred! We must hurry!
??? (Ardbert): This day we reclaim the reins of history! This day we rid ourselves of the Ascians forever! Black-robed Ascian (Mitron): Fools playing at heroes, all of you. Is this how you believe you can save your world? ??? (Ardbert): We can and will, Ascian! You shall see─or perhaps you will not!
??? (Ardbert): So you are the Warrior of Light. The savior of Eorzea. ??? (Ardbert): It's a wonder you didn't come sooner, what with the primal and all. Lost a step, have we? Y'shtola: Have care. The aether moves strangely around him. Alphinaud: It would seem we share a common enemy. Mayhap you would tell us who you are? ??? (Ardbert): ...Shall we show them? ??? (Ardbert): Not very sporting of you to interrupt, but so be it. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Mark well our faces, Warrior of Light, for we are the Warriors of Darkness. Walkers of a different path. And we shall meet again. Krile: Warriors of Darkness? ...Really? Alphinaud: Thancred! Are you all right? Thancred: Pleasantries can wait. I'd rather not be here when the Gnath arrive. Agreed?
Y'shtola: Suffice it to say, our reunion was not at all as I pictured it. Waiting until the last instant to join the fray. 'Tis plain you have not lost your appetite for the dramatic. Thancred: My appetite for the dramatic!? Have you forgotten the circumstances of our parting? The heroic last stand, the tunnel filling with light, and then... <sigh> Thancred: Had I known you intended to use forbidden magicks to deliver me to some godsforsaken wilderness... Thancred: ...I would have thanked you in advance. Y'shtola: Thancred... Thancred: If nothing else, you might have warned me that I would emerge from the Lifestream in the altogether. Thancred: Eventually, I managed to fashion knives from some obsidian I found, and set about hunting for meat and hides. Thancred: Given that I'm not all that skilled in leatherworking, it's probably for the best that I met the Vath before I was reunited with you. Alphinaud: So you were the “fleshling clothed in skins” of whom the storyteller spoke. Thancred: A description which fit me as ill as the skins themselves. Happily, I was able to trade with the Vath for garments better becoming a man of refinement. Thancred: From them I learned of Ravana, and of the great warrior who had once laid him low. Y'shtola: And thence did you conclude that were you to track the primal's movements, it would surely bring you into contact with the Scions once more. Thancred: It seemed a reasonable assumption. I could think of no one else with your enthusiasm for slaying beastman gods. Until now, that is. Alphinaud: Ah yes...the self-proclaimed “Warriors of Darkness.” 'Tis only fitting that they stand in opposition to the Warrior of Light, I suppose. Krile: I glimpsed the leader's past─if only for a moment. They were confronting a man in black. An Ascian, I think. Alphinaud: If these warriors are capable of doing battle with Ascians and primals both, they must be possessed of powerful protection─protection not unlike the Echo...
Dreams of the Lost Alphinaud is lost in thought, doubtless ruminating on the implications of your encounter with the Warriors of Darkness.
Alphinaud: Blessed with the power of the Echo, and driven to put down primals... Despite his declaration that they walk a different path, I struggle to see how their goals conflict with ours. Alphinaud: Nor is that the only oddity. I find it passing strange that such exceptional individuals should have wholly escaped our notice until now. Surely we would have heard rumors and attempted to recruit them to our cause? Y'shtola: I recall no such adventurers─and I would not soon forget their like. Nor would any of us, I think. Y'shtola: One of our primary duties was to scour the city-states for promising candidates─which is how Yda and Papalymo found Forename. Thancred: Ah, the memories. It seems like only yesterday that you slew your first primal. Speaking of which, I had the distinct impression that it was not the first time that band of merry men and women had killed a god. Y'shtola: I labor to believe that a band of preternaturally gifted adventurers has been traveling the land, slaying primals without our knowledge. 'Twould imply gross negligence on our part. Alphinaud: Speculation will avail us naught. There is far too much we do not know. Alphinaud: For the present, we must needs concentrate on what we do know, namely that Lord Ravana is no more. Vidofnir must be informed. The news may render her more receptive to Ser Aymeric's invitation. Krile: Since you seem to have affairs here well in hand, I shall take my leave. Simply being in the vicinity of this colony is giving me a stinking headache. Krile: If you have need of me, I shall be with Master Matoya. I would beg her assistance with the search for Minfilia. Thancred: Wait─Minfilia is missing? I thought she escaped with Forename! Alphinaud: I shall explain on the road. Much has happened in your absence...
Vidofnir: I had not thought to see thee again so soon, mortal. If thou seekest the knight, know that she hath long since departed for Ishgard. Alphinaud: My thanks, Vidofnir, but it was not for her that we came. We bring good tidings for you and yours. Lord Ravana, who had been summoned by the Gnath, has again been laid low. Vidofnir: Truly? Once more you mortals have succeeded where mine own kind did fail. You have our deepest thanks. Alphinaud: Would that we could take credit. The god fell by another's hand. Vidofnir: Another? Revelation upon revelation. Regardless, it is cause for celebration. The Gnath will have no choice but to withdraw. Vidofnir: But to another matter. I have tidings for thee as well. Alphinaud: Regarding the Ishgardians' invitation? Vidofnir: As promised, I brought the matter to my sire. Hearken to his answer now. Vidofnir: “For a thousand years have I mourned my beloved, who gave her life to forge a peace thy king betrayed. Such was my lot, until a child of Ishgard came unto me. Vidofnir: “For want of warmth, she wrapped herself in a dream. Yet the world will remember her deeds. For truth, she fought. For justice, she sinned. For redemption, she sacrificed, and became as light. Vidofnir: “To follow one's heart, to have faith in one's convictions─be it for weal, or be it for woe. Such is the folly and the glory of man...and of dragon.” Vidofnir: He hath entrusted the choice to us, and we have made it. We will keep faith with you who walk in the Light. Alphinaud: Then you accept Ser Aymeric's invitation? Vidofnir: Let it be known that I, Vidofnir, shall journey unto Ishgard on behalf of my people. Alphinaud: We are honored to receive your answer, and will convey your words to our allies without delay. Alphinaud: It is happening, Ysayle. Would that you were here to see it...
Count Edmont de Fortemps: Even as the Scions celebrated the return of a long-lost friend, honorable men plotted to deprive them of another. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Honorable men, to whom Ser Aymeric was no hero but a scheming patricide. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Honorable men, who would fain wash the paving stones of Foundation with the tyrant's blood. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Honorable men, whose knife in the dark was the spark which set the city aflame. And who sang as it burned.
Alphinaud: Right. Let us not keep Ser Aymeric waiting. Alphinaud: ...Are you quite well, Thancred? Thancred: Yes─yes, quite well. Forgive me. You have given me rather a lot to digest. This whole affair with the Ishgardians and the Dravanians...and our friends nowhere to be found. Thancred: 'Twould seem there is no end to our troubles. Y'shtola: We can but face them head-on, one at a time. For now, we must apply ourselves to our allotted tasks and leave the others to theirs. Y'shtola: Remember, Thancred─we found you, as they found me. In time, we will find Yda and Papalymo and Minfilia as well. Y'shtola: These troubles will soon be but a memory─one which we will look back on together. Thancred: Pray do not misunderstand─I did not mean to imply that it would be otherwise. I merely wish that I had rejoined our grand adventure at one of its more triumphal moments. Despite your recent accomplishments, the mood here is less than celebratory. Thancred: But I have no doubt that we will enjoy many more glorious victories soon enough─and you may rest assured that I will play my part in them to the very hilt. Alphinaud: I know you will. So then─to the Congregation!
Lucia: You have returned! In this at least the fates are kind. Alphinaud: Greetings, First Commander! It pleases me to inform you that Vidofnir has accepted Ser Aymeric's invitation. Lucia: She has!? These are glad tidings indeed... Lucia: Would that the lord commander were here to hear them. Alphinaud: Ah. Is he otherwise engaged? Hilda: Aye─sleepin' off a knife to the gut. Alphinaud: What? What happened!? Will he live? Lucia: The chirurgeons tell me he will make a full recovery. But had Lord Edmont and Lord Artoirel not been on hand when the assassin struck, he would not have been so fortunate. For a mercy, they subdued the fiend before he could land the telling blow. Hilda: The attack was just the beginnin', though. Not long after, buildings all 'round the city─includin' several of ours─burst into flame. Hilda: Bastards caught us completely by surprise. We've been dowsin' the fires, but for every one we put out, it seems like two more start up. Casualties are mountin'─especially in the Brume. Lucia: 'Tis plain these fires were started by the assassin's conspirators. Until they have been rounded up, there will be no end to this. Will you help us find them? Lucia: Then let us be about it.
Against the Dying of the Light Lucia would begin the hunt for the arsonists without delay.
Lucia: The flames are spreading. We must needs begin our investigation immediately. Lucia: Witnesses must be found; suspects must be identified. Alphinaud: Have you been able to determine the precise locations where the fires were set? Mayhap there is a pattern. Lucia: If there is, we have yet to discern it. Fires have been reported throughout the city, in both the Pillars and Foundation. Lucia: Indeed, given the size of the area affected, I think it best to divide our forces. Master Alphinaud and Mistress Y'shtola─I would have you take charge of the investigation in Foundation. Alphinaud: As you wish. Mayhap Tataru can be of assistance as well. Hilda: Meanin' Forename and me get the Pillars. Oh, they'll like me up there. Only question is, will the grizzled old rogue strikin' a pose over there be joinin' us? Thancred: Thancred, of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. And may I say what a pleasure it is to meet you too, my lady. Hilda: I'll bet. The name's Hilda. A Scion, eh? And there I was thinkin' I'd found a fellow ruffian amongst all these illustrious personages. Lucia: I will remain here to coordinate the fire-quenching effort. If you learn aught of value, pray inform me immediately. That is all.
Thancred: While we could begin by sifting through charred rubble and questioning random passersby, in my experience, every town has at least one individual who can be counted on to know things he or she should not. Hilda: Oh, aye...the infamous Lord Emmanellain de Fortemps, lover of women and wine─though neither care for him that much. They say he could gossip for Ishgard. Thancred: Just the sort of fellow I had in mind. Capital suggestion, Forename. Hilda: He'll be at the Crozier most like, makin' an effort to be seen. So let's go and see him. Thancred: ...Grizzled I will accept, but old? <sigh>
Emmanellain: Well, well, if it isn't Forename, dearest of all my friends! You're looking rather glum. Something the matter, old girl? Emmanellain: Ah, yes, the arsons. Dreadful business, that─and awfully curious, wouldn't you say? There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it at all. Naturally, we've doubled the guard outside the manor, along with most of the other houses. Can't have the old pile going up in flames, after all! Emmanellain: Oh, in case you were wondering why the Hoplon is awash with refugees, the lower levels of the Vault have been opened to those unfortunate souls who have lost their homes. Ser Aymeric's orders, from what I hear. Remarkable man─not even a knife in the ribs can keep him from his duties! Emmanellain: Actually, old girl...if you were thinking of questioning the refugees, I should be more than happy to accompany you to the Hoplon. While you conduct your inquiries, I could offer words of comfort to the distressed and despondent young maidens...? Emmanellain: Wait a moment...I know what that is. You're giving me one of your looks, aren't you? You do me an injustice, old girl! I will have you know, my heart yearns for but one rose─prickly though she may be! Emmanellain: ...I sense you remain unconvinced. Very well, if it will help to prove the purity of my intentions, I shall gracefully rescind my offer. Now run along and catch those arsonists! Thancred: That was...not entirely what I had hoped for. Whose idea was it to come here again? Thancred: Never mind. For our next step, I suggest we divide our efforts. While you question the refugees in the Hoplon, Forename, I shall investigate the locations where the fires were set. Would you be so good as to join me, Hilda? Hilda: You know what, I reckon I would. Can't have you roamin' about in an unfamiliar city by your lonesome, can we? You'd only get robbed blind and left shiverin' in your smallclothes.
Unruffled Refugee: Ours was one of the first homes to be claimed, but I didn't see how the fire began. Unruffled Refugee: It was only when I heard our neighbors shouting that I looked outside and saw the flames. We barely escaped with the clothes on our backs. Were it not for the church's generosity, I don't know what we'd do.
Maelie: There was a man with a satchel. I saw him kneelin' outside the window, and then there was smoke everywhere, and it was so hot, and I couldn't breathe... Maelie: I don't remember how I made it out. I s'pose I must have climbed... Maybe my arm is gettin' better after all?
Vault Priest: Come, my brothers and sisters! There is food and shelter enough for all in the basilica! Ragged Refugee: Halone's blessings be upon you, Father. Ragged Refugee: I confess, we were not sure if we should come. There are so many unbelievable tales these days─about the archbishop, and Ser Aymeric, and the Dravanians... Vault Priest: Trust in your heart, brother, and pay no heed to the lies of lesser men. They seek only to lead you astray. Vault Priest: Do you require succor as well, miss? Vault Priest: So the Temple Knights have begun their investigation at last! Good. This madness has gone on far too long. Vault Priest: Would that I could do something to aid you in your search, but I have a duty to these poor souls. Farewell, and may the Fury guide your steps.
Thancred: Ah, there you are. Anything to share? Thancred: Hmph. We will require more than the muddled testimony of a traumatized girl if we are to identify the culprits... Thancred: While you were questioning the refugees, we inspected the scenes of several of the fires, including one near Saint Reymanaud's Cathedral and another near the Tribunal. For a mercy, neither structure suffered significant damage. Thancred: Some might say they were spared by the grace of the Fury. Others might question how such ruthlessly efficient arsonists contrived to fail so miserably on the two occasions when their target was a bastion of Ishgardian orthodoxy. Thancred: Nothing conclusive, of course, but it does give one cause to wonder. Alphinaud will doubtless have an opinion.
Alphinaud: Silence will avail you naught, sir. Alphinaud: Ah, Forename! I was just about to summon you. As you can see, we have detained a suspect. Y'shtola: We found this man loitering near the remains of one of the stricken buildings. According to eyewitnesses, he was also present before the fires broke out. Y'shtola: We wished to have words; he did not. So we insisted. Captive: Let me go, damn it! You've got the wrong man! Thancred: <sniff> <sniff> My, but you reek of oil. And are those burns on your hands? An occupational hazard, I suppose. But tell me─does arson pay well? Captive: I-I'm a victim, you imbecile! Look at me! Thancred: Aye, that you are─after a fashion. You should know that your pious patron has already spun us a delightful yarn about how his pet mongrel slipped the leash and set about burning half the city to the ground. Not very noble of him, I grant you─but then these highborn types rarely do show loyalty to their pets. Thancred: ...In fact, he called you rabid and begged us to put you down. Captive: Th-That's bollocks! He's the one what told me to keep goin'! Captive: ...Even a sinner such as me could find salvation in the Fury's work, he said. I'd left it behind─tried to, with all my heart! Said my prayers every day, like a good man. But he came to me! He came to me! Thancred: And there you have it. Hilda, would you be so kind as to escort our friend here to the Congregation? Hilda: Aye. So long as you don't mind if he's limpin' when he gets there. Tataru: That was incredible, Thancred! But how did you know he would confess? Thancred: Well, I have seen his like before. A troubled soul, manipulated by men of power and wielded as a weapon... Thancred: I could not be certain, of course. But given the stakes, I thought it worth the risk. Y'shtola: And if our captive had called your bluff? Thancred: Must we entertain hypotheticals? The world as it is is vexing enough. Alphinaud: Thank you, Thancred. Whether by luck or judgment, we have at last confirmed that these arsons were orchestrated by a person or persons of influence. I think it best that we now return to the Congregation and discuss how best to proceed.
Lucia: On behalf of the Holy See of Ishgard, I thank you all. Lucia: The man you apprehended is being interrogated as we speak. Though he fell silent upon realizing that we had not turned his master, he will soon tell us what he knows, one way or another. Artoirel: Pardon the intrusion, First Commander... Lucia: Ah, Lord Artoirel. Are you come to see your father? He is attending Ser Aymeric in his chambers at present. Artoirel: I am. He bid me bring this salve. Lucia: Then do not let me detain you. And thank you for your kindness, my lord. Artoirel: In times of trouble, every man must do his part. Would that I could do more. Alphinaud: ...My lord Artoirel did not seem to be in the best of spirits. Lucia: 'Tis little wonder, Master Alphinaud. His father is widely slandered, and his half-brother not yet cold in the grave.
As Goes Light, So Goes Darkness Lucia is not one to rest on her laurels.
Lucia: I do not mean to diminish our accomplishments, but until we identify the ones who ordered the fires set, our work is far from finished. Thancred: Between the various conservative and religious factions in Ishgard, I daresay there is no shortage of parties who would like to see the status quo preserved. Do any likely suspects spring to mind? Aymeric: Far too many to count. Lucia: Lord Commander, your wounds! Aymeric: Are healing well, thank you. Aymeric: Time is of the essence. Lest we forget, these men would sooner put their own city to the torch than see it change. Aymeric: When our enemies learn that we have apprehended their arsonist, there is no telling how they will react. Tense Temple Knight: Lord Commander! An armed mob has seized control of the Vault! Aymeric: And now we know. Tell us what happened, ser. Spare no detail. Tense Temple Knight: We were directing refugees into the basilica, as you ordered, when all of a sudden, men brandishing weapons were all around us. It happened so fast, my lord. We had no time to respond. Tense Temple Knight: They've taken the refugees hostage and barricaded themselves inside the Vault. Aymeric: And they sent you to deliver their demands. Tense Temple Knight: They...the True Brothers of the Faith demand that a conclave to select the next archbishop be held forthwith. Furthermore, th-they declare that you, Lord Commander, are guilty of patricide and high treason, and that you must surrender yourself at once to receive of the Fury's judgment. Lucia: Ridiculous! Do they honestly think that executing Ser Aymeric will change anything? That the truth will somehow die with him? Artoirel: These fundamentalists rage against the passing of the old ways, unable to accept there can be no going back. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Given the fanciful nature of their demands, a peaceful resolution does not seem likely. If the hostages are to be rescued, it will be by force, I fear. Aymeric: Agreed. Lucia, take a contingent of knights and establish a perimeter outside the entrance. Lucia: At once, Lord Commander! Aymeric: Hilda, I need your people out in force throughout the Brume. When word spreads of the situation, the friends and family of the hostages may try to take matters into their own hands. I will not give these militants more targets. Aymeric: I shall lead the assault on the Vault. Master Alphinaud, can I count on the support of the Scions? Alphinaud: Of course! Aymeric: We are in your debt. Artoirel: I shall join you as well, Lord Commander! Aymeric: Your assistance is most welcome, Lord Artoirel. To arms then, friends! Time is against us!
Aymeric: Listen well. We will enter the basilica silently via this gate. According to our latest reports, there are at least six hostages being held within. The numbers and readiness of the True Brothers of the Faith are unknown. Artoirel: I am told one claimed to have served under Thordan VII. Might the same be true of the rest? Aymeric: Given the swiftness with which they seized control of the Vault, I think it highly likely, yes─which means that they may well possess the knowledge required to turn the building's defenses against us. Aymeric: Be that as it may, we have no choice but to press on. Lord Artoirel─you are a brave man and true, and none would dare question your honor if you chose not to risk your life in this endeavor. Are you certain you wish to join us? Artoirel: I am no stranger to the battlefield, Ser Aymeric! My arm will not falter; my shield will not break! Halone as my witness, we will bring these fanatics to justice! Aymeric: Well said, my lord! Friends─follow me!
Aymeric the Blue: 'Twould seem our presence yet goes unnoticed. Come─we must secure the entrance. Aymeric the Blue: Remember: saving the hostages takes precedence over all else. Mind your attacks, and subdue the enemy quickly. Ragged Refugee: You must hurry! The others were taken elsewhere by Ser Simeonard. Artoirel Ironbone: Ser Simeonard? So this is indeed the work of the archbishop's former servants... Artoirel Ironbone: On your guard! They've sounded the alarum! Y'shtola: I will hold the entrance and look after this one. Now go! Aymeric the Blue: Secure the hostage, Forename! Leave the others to us! Rugged Refugee: Th-They took the others somewhere. I... It all happened so quickly... Vault Friar: There they are! Let none escape! Alphinaud: Keep going! I will hold them here! Thancred: Not alone you won't! Forename─stay with Ser Aymeric and Lord Artoirel! Aymeric the Blue: This way, Forename! To the Quire!
Aymeric: Ser Simeonard! Lay down your arms and release the hostages, and you will be shown mercy! I give you my word! Simeonard of the Holiest Flame: Hah! The word of a heretic and kinslayer! I would sooner trust a dragon. Activate the knights! We shall show the hostages the same mercy he showed the archbishop! Simeonard of the Holiest Flame: Unlike you, Ser Aymeric, I am a man of honor. By my hand, you shall receive of the Fury's judgment! Aymeric: So it is to be a trial, then. Lord Artoirel, Forename─leave us and save the hostages! I will deal with Ser Simeonard!
Simeonard of the Holiest Flame: O Halone, render unto us Your judgment! Raise up the righteous, and cast down the wicked! Aymeric the Blue: Come, then! Let us see whom the Fury favors! Artoirel Ironbone: Ser Aymeric is still wounded, Forename! If we do not move quickly, he will surely fall! Artoirel Ironbone: There must be others nearby, but where!? Simeonard of the Holiest Flame: Traitor! Kinslayer! By what sorcery do you yet stand!? Enough! All of you─attack! Artoirel Ironbone: Ser Aymeric's strength is almost spent, Forename! We must go to his aid at once! Artoirel Ironbone: I see no others nearby. Come, Forename! Ser Aymeric needs our help! Aymeric the Blue: Well done! Now let us finish this, ser─before the eyes of gods and men! Simeonard of the Holiest Flame: Stand fast, my brothers! The Fury is with us! Simeonard of the Holiest Flame: One day...I swear...you will... Ragged Refugee: You must hurry! The priest took Maelie upstairs when he saw you kill his men! Aymeric the Blue: Have no fear, child. We will save your friend!
Aymeric: Where is he? Where is he!? Vault Priest: Come no closer! Aymeric: You have nowhere to run! Release the girl and surrender! Vault Priest: Surrender to whom!? The blasphemer who throws wide the gates to our enemy, who breaks bread with him and calls him brother!? Ungodly swine! I would sooner die than surrender to you! Aymeric: Is it godly to spill the blood of an innocent child!? To burn the homes of your brothers!? Tell me, priest─is that godly!? Vault Priest: Do not speak to me of godliness, heathen! Your father's blood is on your hands─as is hers! Maelie: What? But I... Lucia: Vidofnir! Vidofnir: Well met, knight. Mayhap I chose an inopportune moment? Lucia: Not at all! Pray forgive us this most unworthy reception. We are honored to have you with us, and right glad of your aid! Vidofnir: Fortune delivered the child unto me. I had but to receive her. Maelie: Thank you for savin' me... Vidofnir: Thou art welcome, child. Aymeric: Never did I think to be indebted to so unexpected a savior. But full glad am I to be so. Vidofnir: Friend of Ysayle, warrior of warriors, I had hoped to meet with thee. Vidofnir: I bear a message from my sire. Aymeric: From Hraesvelgr? Vidofnir: Upon returning to our lands, Nidhogg's shade did sing unto his brood, and they for skies unknown did then take wing. Vidofnir: This thou must know, for your fates are inextricably bound. Alphinaud: What of Estinien? Is he truly lost to us? Vidofnir: Such matters are beyond my ken. I but bear my father's words. Take from them what thou wilt. Vidofnir: Fare you well, mortals. Count Edmont de Fortemps: So it is as they say, then. A great white dragon swooped down from the heavens to rescue an innocent child. Aymeric: A most unexpected turn of events...but not an unwelcome one. The people will not soon forget this day. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Yet how will they choose to remember it, Ser Aymeric? And will these events serve to bring man and dragon closer together, or drive a deeper wedge between brothers? Count Edmont de Fortemps: After a thousand years, the world these men once knew is changing─and with ungentle swiftness to boot. Though their actions are misguided, their sentiments are only to be expected. You may be sure that others will rally to their cause. Count Edmont de Fortemps: I share your desire for a lasting peace with the Dravanians, I do, but I would not see it built on the bones of our countrymen─nor on our own. Count Edmont de Fortemps: I see much of Haurchefant in you. And I could not bear to mourn the passing of another son. Aymeric: Lord Edmont...
Alphinaud: This has been a day of surprises, has it not? 'Tis but a pity Vidofnir could not stay longer. Thancred: Yes, I think it's fair to say that she timed her departure rather less well than her arrival. Y'shtola: Well-timed scarcely does it justice. But one moment later would have been a moment too late. Alphinaud: Let us pray that the Ishgardians who yet harbored doubts will take these events to heart and accept the truth of Ser Aymeric's words. Alphinaud: Well, 'tis only meet that I inform Tataru of what has occurred here. If you have need of me, I shall be at Fortemps Manor. Thancred: Allow me to accompany you. Tataru would never forgive me if I left for the Rising Stones without saying good-bye. Y'shtola: A moment, Forename. I wish a word. Y'shtola: Tell me, does Thancred seem quite well to you?
  • What will you say?
  • He held his own in the Vault. Y'shtola: That he did─which is especially remarkable given the injury to his eye. I can only assume that his time in the wilderness afforded him ample opportunity to compensate for his impairment. Y'shtola: However, I speak not of his physical state, but rather his aetheric flow, which I fear has been irreparably disrupted.
  • He got on well enough with Hilda. Y'shtola: Of that I have no doubt. His time in the wilderness did not deprive him of his charm. Y'shtola: But that is neither here nor there. What concerns me is his aetheric flow, which I fear has been irreparably disrupted.
  • I'm not sure how to put it into words, but... Y'shtola: So you sense it too. A subtle change, imperceptible to most. I myself did not notice it at first, but upon closer examination, I saw that his aetheric flow had been irreparably disrupted.
Y'shtola: As a result, I strongly suspect that his ability to manipulate aether has been compromised. Simply put, Thancred may no longer be able to wield magicks. Y'shtola: It would do much to explain why he chose to remain within the wilderness instead of seeking us out. He would have been compelled to rely solely on traditional methods of travel, significantly prolonging his journey. And when he learned that a nearby beast tribe was making preparations to summon a primal, it may well have seemed more sensible to wait. Y'shtola: But this is still little more than speculation. Until I have proof, pray speak no word of it. Y'shtola: Right, then. I should be on my way. Krile may have charmed Master Matoya for now, but who can say how long it will last.
Alphinaud: That Vidofnir should chance to arrive even as the girl fell... Truly, I could not have planned it better myself. Artoirel: Ah, good. We were afraid you might have left. Alphinaud: A shield, my lord? Artoirel: Fit for a true knight. An expression of our gratitude to you and yours, long overdue. Artoirel: ...But there is something else I would discuss ere you part. Something which cannot leave this room. My father will soon step down as head of our house. Artoirel: Ser Aymeric was not the only one to fall under suspicion following the death of the archbishop. There are some who believe my father complicit in a coup d'état. Artoirel: Thus he intends to renounce his title to absolve our house of suspicion and secure the support of our peers. Alphinaud: Surely there must be another way to convince houses Durendaire and Dzemael? Artoirel: So I said to him. Alas, he will not budge. Artoirel: Ever since I was a child, I knew that I would one day succeed my father, and the thought of it filled me with pride. Yet once I learned the day was at hand, my heart was filled with naught but dread. Artoirel: Our legacy is built upon the lies of our forefathers. In accepting this title, am I not perpetuating this injustice? Why should I become the next count?
  • What will you say?
  • A knight lives to serve. Artoirel: You sound just like him. Aye, I suspect that is what Haurchefant would have said. “To aid those in need...”
  • ... Artoirel: ...But then I thought of my brother. “A knight lives to serve─to aid those in need.”
Artoirel: When you look on that shield, I trust you will remember his words. And should I once more find my resolve wavering, I ask that you show me the way. Artoirel: You were a sister to Haurchefant. Will you be a sister to me as well? Artoirel: Come, Emmanellain. There is much to be done. For Father, and for Ser Aymeric. And for Ishgard. Artoirel: <sigh> To think we share the same blood... Pray excuse us.
Count Edmont de Fortemps: Those were the days of promises and vows─of tentative first steps into an uncertain future. Count Edmont de Fortemps: A future shaped by the choices we made, in ways we could never have foreseen. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Born of good and evil, of light and darkness, and shepherded by our hand. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Be it for weal, or be it for woe. From the memoirs of Count Edmont de Fortemps
Heavensward: As Goes Light, So Goes Darkness
Urianger: ...This is thy proof? The Gerun Oracles? Apocrypha. ??? (Elidibus): It is a truth long forgotten─a tale of the beginning, and of the path we have been set upon. Elidibus: Our fates were ordained long ago, Archon. The Garleans are no exception. Nor the Triad. You know what must be done.
Papalymo: ...Well? Yda (Lyse): Everyone has their orders. Yda (Lyse): The Masks will attack as soon as all units are in position. The imperials won't know what hit them. Papalymo: I fear it will be bloody... Yda (Lyse): By Rhalgr, it had better be. Papalymo: We cannot stay here forever, Yda. We have other responsibilities. Yda (Lyse): I know full well what my responsibilities are─and I mean to fulfill them, every one!

Heavensward: The Gears of Change (3.2)

As It Once Was Tataru is waiting to share good tidings with you and Alphinaud.
Tataru: Alphinaud, Forename! I've been looking all over for you! Tataru: We've received news regarding F'lhaminn, Hoary Boulder, and Coultenet! Alphinaud: Really? Has something happened? Tataru: No, no, it's nothing bad─quite the opposite, in fact! It seems that once they learned the Scions' good name had been restored, they boarded the next ship bound for Limsa Lominsa. They should be arriving any moment now! Tataru: It's easy to forget how useful linkpearls are, isn't it? When they work, I mean. And you don't mind being spied on. Alphinaud: Quite. But what wonderful news! To think that our reunion is close at hand. Thancred: A pleasure to see you too, Alphinaud. Alphinaud: Ah, Thancred...and Krile. What brings the two of you here? Thancred: Krile and I have been looking into how we might track down Minfilia. Krile: And we may just have found the answer. Krile: Forename─when you were fleeing Ul'dah with Minfilia, you said that Hydaelyn spoke to her shortly before you parted ways, yes? Krile: Well, assuming that is true─and I see no reason to suspect that it is not─it seems reasonable to conclude that Hydaelyn commanded her to remain behind. Krile: That is to say, the Mothercrystal directly interceded to guide Minfilia. Krile: Admittedly, this is all still quite hypothetical, but I propose that such intervention, however subtle, must surely leave some residual trace. A lingering disturbance in the aether─or ripple, if you will. Krile: In order to establish the existence of such ripples, of course, we will require suitable data. Thancred: Fortunately, I know where such data can be found: the battleground where Forename felled the Ultima Weapon...and the site of my personal ignominy. Thancred: 'Twas there that Hydaelyn intervened to shield her from the magick I invoked. Krile and I will infiltrate the castrum and analyze the aether therein. Alphinaud: The two of you? Alone? Thancred: I have a proven knack for subterfuge, and I am confident there will be sufficient nooks and crannies in which to hide Krile while the patrols pass. Thancred: Besides, if you and Forename come along, who will see to F'lhaminn's grand homecoming? Alphinaud: When you put it like that... Very well, I will trust in your plan. Alphinaud: I know not whether this data will yield a means to find Minfilia, but it will at the very least eliminate another avenue of inquiry. Alphinaud: Tataru and I will return to the Rising Stones and make preparations for our comrades' return. Might I impose upon you to meet them at the Lominsan docks? Alphinaud: Then I shall see the four of you at the Rising Stones. Safe travels!
F'lhaminn: Oh, Forename! How have you been? Come here─let me have a good look at you. F'lhaminn: Thank the Twelve. One hears the strangest tales in foreign lands. I worried about you all every day... Coultenet: We would have sent word sooner, but the Braves afforded us no opportunity. When they fell upon us in the market, it was all we could do to escape. Coultenet: Tataru found her way to you, of course, but we were forced to seek shelter aboard a Hannish vessel. Hoary Boulder: It pained us not being there when you needed us most. But we made the most of it, didn't we, Coultenet? Studied and trained from dusk till dawn, we did! F'lhaminn: We would have sent word sooner, but we knew not whom to trust, and with the vast distance... F'lhaminn: But those dark days are behind us at last. I shall be glad indeed to return home and speak with my daughter. F'lhaminn: What do you mean she's missing!? How could you let this happen!? F'lhaminn: Forgive me, I...I am sure you are doing everything in your power to find her. F'lhaminn: ...As Thancred must be. He watched over her from the first─long before me. And he will watch over her to the last. F'lhaminn: I shall pray for her safe return, and busy myself in the meantime. Coultenet: For a certainty, there is much and more to be done. The Braves may have bloodied us, but the path remains, and we shall not be swayed from it. Hoary Boulder: Aye, that's the spirit! To the Scions, and a long overdue reunion! Huzzah! F'lhaminn: Well, there you have it. To the Rising Stones!
Krile: Well done, sir. And with that, I believe we are ready to proceed. Thancred: Let us be about our business then. The next patrol may not be so credulous. Krile: Why must you be so disappointingly brusque? You're not at all as Minfilia described, you know. I don't think you've favored me with so much as a single compliment since we set out. Krile: Tell me, did your time in the wilderness sap you of all your charm, or are you holding it in reserve for your beloved? Thancred: This is neither the time nor the place. Krile: Well, call me old-fashioned, but when I'm risking life and limb infiltrating an imperial castrum, I like to be sure of my comrades' motivations. Thancred: I see now where Alphinaud gets it from. Thancred: Minfilia is dear to me, it is true─but not in the way you think. Thancred: Fifteen years past, when she was still but a child, there was an incident at a parade. A goobbue broke free of its fetters and ran amok through the streets of Ul'dah. Had I been more attentive, I could have prevented it...but I was distracted, and her father was killed. Thancred: I feared she would never recover, but in the years that followed, she showed herself to be more resilient than I had ever imagined. And when she learned of her gift, she did not flinch from the responsibility, but sought to guide others on the path. Thancred: She touched the hearts of all around her. Mine, Louisoix's, every Scion's. In those dark days following the Calamity, she was our guiding light─our hope for a brighter future. Thancred: She had so many dreams...and I would give anything to make them come true. Krile: My apologies. I can see she means the world to you. I did not mean to pick at old scars. Thancred: No harm done, I assure you. But fair is fair, my lady─what is Minfilia to you? Krile: You mean you don't know? Only my dearest friend. Krile: When I finally emerged from my torpor, I learned that nary a day had passed without her asking after me. She never gave up hope. Krile: And neither will I. Thancred: Then for Minfilia's sake, let us pray that these vestiges of Hydaelyn's intervention will lead us to her.
F'lhaminn: ...It feels good to be home again. F'lhaminn: To think that everyone is waiting for us, just beyond those doors. Friends and family with whom we have shared so much... F'lhaminn: ...Gods help me, but the older I get, the more sentimental I become. Come, let us not keep them waiting.
F'lhaminn: Alianne, Ephemie! It fills my heart with joy to see you both hale and healthy. And what of Higiri? Ephemie: She is well, though abroad on a mission at present. Alianne: It just wasn't the same without you. Welcome back, my lady!
Aergmhus: Ah, we could do with more of that around here! Heartfelt reunions with stalwart companions! Brings a─<belch>─brings a bloody tear to the eye!
Homei: To secret oneself in a ship's hold to secure safe passage to a faraway land... This is a tale we know all too well. Homei: When they are well rested, I should like to seek a formal introduction. Isildaure: Why wait, my friend? Come, there is no need to be shy! Homei: Pray grant me a moment longer, at least! Though I am happy to oblige you, my legs are rather less accommodating...
Hoary Boulder: Ocher! What in the seven hells drove my little brother to come to Mor Dhona? Ocher Boulder: Why, you, Brother─you and the Scions, of course! For a thousand days I trained, that I might grow as strong as you─that I might fight alongside you! Ocher Boulder: Yet now that you are here, I sense that you have surpassed me once more... No, do not tell me─you trained with the Hannish, did you not? Hoary Boulder: Your eyes do not deceive, Brother! Aye, I have studied the Trials of the Braves, and drunk deep of the souls of mine enemies!
Coultenet: Glad though I am to be home, I cannot help but think of those who have yet to return... Coultenet: Once we have settled in, I would join the search.
Tataru: It's been so long since I've seen them all like this. Alphinaud: Too long... Alphinaud: 'Twas the chaos born of my foolish ambition which forced them to flee. Alphinaud: Though they are returned, there are others yet missing─others whom we cannot forsake. Tataru: We'll find them, Alphinaud─I know we will! Minfilia, Yda, Papalymo...every last one! Tataru: And when they walk through those doors, we'll be here to welcome them home. Tataru: With me at the head of the queue, of course!
The Word of the Mother Alphinaud is eager to return to the search for Minfilia.
Alphinaud: Thancred and Krile contacted us a short while ago. It would seem that their foray into Castrum Meridianum bore fruit. Alphinaud: They ask that we rendezvous with them and Y'shtola in Idyllshire, where they will share their findings. Alphinaud: Rude though it is to depart without speaking to the guest of honor, I expect she will forgive me if I return with her daughter.
Alphinaud: My apologies, I see I am the last to arrive. So─what news have you for us? Krile: Well, as we postulated, there were indeed what appeared to be the remnants of an unexplained disturbance in the aether at the scene of the Ultima Weapon's destruction. A ripple at odds with the presiding pattern. Krile: Though faint, the waveforms bore a strong resemblance to those observed following the destruction of the Isle of Val─when I believe Hydaelyn shielded me with the blessing of Light. Thancred: To confirm our findings, we paid a visit to the Sil'dih Aqueducts. Thancred: There we detected the same waveform, but orders of magnitude larger...as one would expect of a more recent disturbance. Y'shtola: Hydaelyn. There is no other explanation. Krile: But there is more. When I studied the site where Y'shtola used Flow, it appeared that not two but three beings had been affected. Krile: Yet unlike Y'shtola and Thancred, there was no trail to follow. Our unknown third party was simply there...and then not there. Krile: Now, recall your visions of a vast crystal floating in a sea of aether. Though this too is but a theory, studies of gifted subjects suggest that, when communing with Hydaelyn, we briefly leave our bodies behind. Krile: So, let us consider the facts. One─Hydaelyn interceded. Two─a third being was caught in Y'shtola's Flow and vanished without a trace. And three─Hydaelyn may have the capacity to summon the consciousness of gifted individuals to Her side. Y'shtola: You are implying, I take it, that Hydaelyn guided Minfilia into the compass of my magick...that She might summon her, body and soul, unto the aetherial sea? Y'shtola: In which case, we must needs continue our search there. For a blessing, the means to do so already exists. Y'shtola: I speak of the Antitower─a Sharlayan construction conceived to provide scholars a vantage point over the aetherial sea. Y'shtola: Though I know not where its entrance lies, we need only ask its last custodian─a contrary old crone who, for another blessing, refused to join the exodus. Alphinaud: Master Matoya was the keeper of the Antitower!? I had no idea... Alphinaud: Then our course is clear. We must petition her aid once again.
Matoya: Oh, what a surprise. Well? What secrets have you come to extract from me this time? Alphinaud: Ah. Though it pains me to admit it, your words strike close to the mark. We humbly ask that you grant us entry to the Antitower, that we might use it to seek a friend who we believe has been transported to the aetherial sea. Matoya: And who told you I could do such a thing, I wonder. Matoya: The tower was abandoned to its magical keepers fifteen years ago. They have the run of the place now. If that is no deterrent to you, then by all means. Y'shtola: Is that all? I felt sure you would seek to dissuade us from our course, given your role as custodian. Matoya: Role? Hardly. The Forum foisted the title on me. Matoya: During the exodus, every entrance to the Antitower was sealed save one. Matoya: My role consists of making sure no one with ill intent sneaks through it. Such was the Forum's final “order” to me. Matoya: Well? I can remove the wards right now. Will you be going or not? Krile: We will, Master Matoya. We will do whatever it takes to find Minfilia! Matoya: ...We'll see about that. Matoya: You, Baldesion girl─you're staying here with me. I need your help to restore the wards to their original state. Matoya: The rest of you can go─on the condition that you clean up the mess in the tower. If you encounter any unruly familiars, you're to tend to them. Those are my terms, and I'll hear no argument. Thancred: Well, it appears the mistress has spoken. Lead the way, Forename.

The Antitower

In all of creation, what greater mystery could there be than the fate of this very star? To sound the deepest depths, to study the aetherial sea itself—for these purposes and more was the Antitower built. Abandoned by her Sharlayan caretakers following the exodus, it has since been overrun by the magical guardians they left behind. Yet were one blessed with Her gift to brave these dangers and descend to the furthest reaches—to hear, feel, and think at the heart of this world—what would they find?
Y'shtola: An aetherial path... No simple thing to create. Thancred: ...Let's keep moving.
Alphinaud: By the Twelve, it's literally upside down! Y'shtola: The aether is so dense as to be blinding.
Alphinaud: Good gods, what an enormous poroggo! Zuro Roggo: Croaaak! Who dares approach the tower!?
Ones with ears to listen!? How wonderful! Thancred: They must provide excellent board here. Zuro Roggo: It's...it's not easy being... <croak> Alphinaud: I pray I never hear that song again... Thancred: Right, into the aether we go.
Thancred: Is this it, then? The aetherial sea? Y'shtola: This is the shore, you might say.
Alphinaud: More homunculi! Thancred: We'll deal with them like the rest.
Alphinaud: All these spriggans here... Y'shtola: I imagine they were drawn to the crystals.
Alphinaud: That was tougher than I expected... Y'shtola: Come, the lowest level awaits.
Alphinaud: Even the candles burn upside down... Y'shtola: How very Sharlayan to obsess over useless details.
Thancred: Defenses for the innermost sector, eh? Alphinaud: Can't lower our guard even for a moment!
Calcabrina: We are Calcabrina! Adorable dolls! Terrible dolls! Yip-ho-ho!
Alphinaud: Those dolls are the guardians of the viewing chamber? Y'shtola: Have care─I sense tremendous power from them!
??? (The Word of the Mother): Hear... Feel... Think... ??? (The Word of the Mother): Through time and space hast thou journeyed unto me...as I knew thou wouldst. The Word of the Mother: We are the Word of the Mother. We who were once called “Minfilia.” The Word of the Mother: Much time hath passed for thee, since the bloody banquet. Since...since I hearkened to Her word. The Word of the Mother: Mother... Hydaelyn guided me...towards Y'shtola and Thancred, that I might be swept up in their Flow...and delivered unto the aetherial sea... The Word of the Mother: There, adrift and alone, Her voice silent once more, I prayed... For those we have lost. For those we can yet save. To Her I would make an offering... The Word of the Mother: We speak now with one Voice. One Will. One Word. Unto thee we bequeath the most precious of gifts: the truth which lieth at the heart of this world. The Word of the Mother: Thus do we beseech thee once more... Hear... Feel... Think... The Word of the Mother: Before there was life, in the depths of the aetherial sea, Light and Dark did once dwell as one. The Word of the Mother: But the Darkness coveted power, and the balance was broken. Thus was I forced to banish Him unto the distant heavens, to forever remain apart. A moon bound. The Word of the Mother: In sundering the star did we cry out, and the barriers 'twixt planes chance to falter. The Word of the Mother: Across ten and three were we then divided. Reflections of the Source, each possessed of a shard. The Word of the Mother: Zodiark longeth to be made whole. For His restoration, for His resurrection, His servants labor without cease. The Word of the Mother: They seek to tear down the barriers which surround the Source. The Word of the Mother: Thus do they rejoice in their Ardor─in your calamities─for each marks a Rejoining. The Word of the Mother: Seven times have they succeeded. Seven times hath the Darkness grown stronger. Seven times have I failed. The Word of the Mother: The Ascians cannot be suffered to continue. This...this is my final... The Word of the Mother: The Crystal's power is all but spent. With what remains, I will return you to the shore of the aetherial sea. The Word of the Mother: Blessed children, go forth and seek...seek...
Alphinaud: You've had another vision, haven't you? Alphinaud: Let us return to Master Matoya's cave. Everyone will wish to hear what you saw.
Matoya: Still in one piece, are we? Matoya: Well? Did you learn anything? Alphinaud: The Word of the Mother...? I am not sure I understand. Y'shtola: Nor am I. Krile? Krile: As unbelievable as it sounds, I see no reason to doubt her─the Word's tale. No one was more sensitive to the will of Hydaelyn than Minfilia. Krile: And if Hydaelyn has grown so weak that She can barely make Herself heard, it is not hard to see why Minfilia, having joined with Her, might struggle to maintain her own form. Alphinaud: What? Why would she need to “maintain her own form”? Are you saying─ Are you saying she's gone? Alphinaud: But that cannot be! Not now, not after all we have accomplished! We were meant to usher in the dawn's light together! Matoya: She threw herself on the fire to fuel your “dawn's light,” boy. You'll just have to usher it in on your own. Y'shtola: Must you be so ungentle!? Matoya: Tell me about the Scions, boy. Alphinaud: The...the Scions of the Seventh Dawn labor for Eorzea's salvation. Alphinaud: Whenever the realm is threatened, be it by primal, Ascian, Garlean or any other, we take up arms in her defense, that all in Eorzea may live to see a brighter tomorrow. Matoya: And that's very noble of you. But in chasing after these lofty goals of yours, you seem to have lost sight of some basic truths. Matoya: To win a war, you must be willing to do whatever it takes. To fight, to kill, and, if necessary, to die. Matoya: The path you've chosen is paved with the dead. Walk it with your eyes open, or not at all. Y'shtola: I know the truth of which you speak, and have from the first. Y'shtola: If the Ascians will go to any lengths to resurrect their god, then we must needs be as committed to our cause─to unmask them and their schemes, and to crush them both utterly. Y'shtola: Come. There is much to be done. Krile: Y-Yes, of course. Alphinaud: Thancred, wait! Alphinaud: No... No, this is all wrong.
Alphinaud: She...she's not coming back, is she.
  • What will you say?
  • She did what she thought was best. Alphinaud: I know that, I do. To give all for her beliefs was ever her way. Alphinaud: So will we, as we must. What greater calling could there be than to stand against the Dark as defenders of the Light? And yet...where does it end? The sacrifice, the loss...
  • ...What now? Alphinaud: ...We carry on, as we must. She went to great lengths to inform us of the enemy's designs. We stand, as ever, against the Dark, as defenders of the Light. Alphinaud: Yet for how long, I wonder. How much more loss must we endure...?
  • ... Alphinaud: It weighs on you too, I know. I understand why she made her decision, and yet... Alphinaud: Every time we lose another friend, I have to ask myself if there was not another way...
This War of Ours Alphinaud has reached a decision.
Alphinaud: I must ask that you not breathe a word of this to any of the others at the Rising Stones─especially F'lhaminn. Alphinaud: I will brief Tataru on what we have learned, as well as Urianger. He may have insight into what the Word told us. Alphinaud: As for you, Forename...after all you have done, I would say you have earned a rest. Alphinaud: Ah, but speaking of well-earned rewards─I received a missive from Ser Aymeric while you were away. 'Twould seem he is planning a ceremony of some sort, and would like you to attend. Alphinaud: He did not divulge the details, preferring instead to explain in person. Mayhap you should pay him a visit?
Temple Knight Guard: Ah, Mistress Surname. The lord commander left instructions that you were to be shown inside.
  • Proceed to the Seat of the Lord Commander?
  • Yes
  • No
Aymeric: A pleasure to see you again, my friend. I take it you received our invitation? Aymeric: Good, good... You of all people should be present. Aymeric: When the True Brothers of the Faith seized control of the Vault, I feared the worst. Aymeric: Yet in adversity were we blessed with the promise of peace between man and dragon, through Vidofnir's timely rescue of an innocent child. Timely, I say, though “miraculous” or “providential” might better describe the event. The gods themselves could not have devised a more fitting symbol of hope. Aymeric: Needless to say, we could scarce let such an opportunity pass us by, which is why I set about making formal arrangements for a peace conference between our peoples. Aymeric: You and yours have done more to bring us together than any, and it is only right that you attend. Aymeric: But, I confess, that is not the only reason I would be glad to have you there. Given Nidhogg's implacable opposition to the peace, it is possible that he and his followers may attempt to disrupt proceedings, in which event, your presence would be a comfort to all in attendance. Aymeric: Pray understand, I have no wish to invite the wyrm's ire, but if our fractured nation is to heal─if we are to move forward as a people united─then we must do whatever is necessary to bring about lasting change. Aymeric: 'Tis nothing, 'tis nothing. <sigh> Lucia cautioned me against giving vent to my passions, lest my wounds reopen. Aymeric: It has not been easy reaching out to our opponents in Ishgard, many of whom sympathized with the actions of the “True Brothers.” But in so doing, we have limited the influence of the zealots. Aymeric: The people are ready, my friend. This conference must go ahead! Aymeric: I knew you would understand. Aymeric: The conference will take place on the border of Ishgardian and Dravanian territory, in Falcon's Nest. Aymeric: Lucia is there seeing to the final preparations even as we speak. Pray join her at your earliest convenience─'twould not do for the guest of honor to arrive late, after all. Aymeric: Oh, and one more thing! Aymeric: A drink! We should make time for one. Once the conference is concluded, I mean. By my reckoning, 'tis long overdue.
Lucia: The lord commander said you would come, Forename. Lucia: As you can see, preparations for the conference are proceeding apace. Lucia: Mark well the curtain above. Lucia: It conceals a relief that will be unveiled during the conference. The masons labor day and night to see it finished on schedule. Lucia: Ser Aymeric wanted a symbol which would endure long after this conference is concluded. I think he will be pleased with the result. Lucia: 'Twas not my war, but I made it mine...and to see it draw closer to a resolution fills me with a strange hope. Lucia: His faith is infectious, is it not? His certainty that we can be better than we are... Lucia: Forgive me, I am rambling. You must be tired from your journey. Go, rest. I will not keep you.
Staunch Conviction Lucia is concerned that you seem to be looking for something to do.
Lucia: If you would rather not take a rest, then why not take a walk around Falcon's Nest? Make your presence known to the people and so forth. Lucia: In addition to those who have come from far and wide to attend this ceremony, you may meet lords Artoirel and Emmanellain, who have graciously volunteered their services. Lucia: They should be glad to see you. Now, if you would excuse me, I must needs return to my duties.
Redwald: I am glad to see that the rumors were true! Well met, Mistress Surname, and fear not─I've no intention of begging your aid with this or that. Everything appears to be in order. Redwald: My only lingering concern is that one of the Convictors might not have been informed of our plans. As I recall, Vidofnir may pass directly over their encampment. Redwald: The last thing we need is a glory-seeking nobleman attempting to slay a Dravanian ambassador to a peace conference...
Lowborn Youth: Do you know when everything's set to begin? I wasn't sure how many might come, so I thought it best to come early and find a spot with a great view. Lowborn Youth: When I heard that Ser Aymeric was planning to make a speech, I knew I couldn't miss it. I mean, the man risked his own neck to rescue those hostages! How often do we get heroes like that in this day and age? Lowborn Youth: And he's more than a fighter, too─he's a thinker, he is. He's got plans to better our lives. To change things. And he'll do it, by the Fury. Me and my friends and family, we all believe he can do it.
Rothe: Bloody excitin', isn't it? Not just peace with the dragons, but with all them heretics besides! Rothe: Don't misunderstand─we've all got a healthy fear of being bathed in dragon fire. That being said, the heretics did far more to hinder our efforts here in the past, so hearin' that we're close to a reconciliation comes as a great relief!
Artoirel: How much has changed since we fought alongside each other in the Vault. If you had told me then that we would soon be hosting a peace conference, I would have thought you a naive fool. Artoirel: Yet here we are, preparing to make that fantasy a reality. Hah─and here I am, laboring to make it so. Lucia: Lord Artoirel, if I may. Artoirel: Certainly, First Commander. How may I be of service? Lucia: Some of the Convictors are refusing to stand down. Lucia: The majority were willing to do so, but a small party have instead pledged to engage any Dravanians bound for Falcon's Nest. Artoirel: Fury take me, they would defy Ser Aymeric's commands!? If they dare attack Vidofnir─ Lucia: It will not come to that. But to see that it does not, we must needs hasten to their encampment. Lucia: They should be far more reluctant to oppose us were a lord of House Fortemps present. Artoirel: I understand completely. Let us depart at once. Artoirel: But ere we do, I must ask: would you look after Emmanellain while I am away? Artoirel: As you know, he has ever been an impulsive, changeable child, but recently he seems to have been suffering from a bout of melancholy. Artoirel: I thought to lift his spirits by having him assist with guard duty─a simple but honorable charge, unlikely to expose him to danger given the presence of so many other knights. Alas, he has taken no interest, and I fear he may abandon his post in my absence. Artoirel: All I ask is that you keep an eye on him until I return...exhausting though that may be. Artoirel: Thank you, my friend. I promise we will not be long.
Once More, a Favor Emmanellain is less than his usual effervescent self.
Emmanellain: I'm rather busy at the moment, old girl. Guarding this tavern, as it were. Emmanellain: Oh, I see now. Artoirel thought I might be derelict in my duties, eh? The nerve of my brother to question my dedication! Emmanellain: ...But since you are here, mayhap I can put you to proper use. The wasteland beyond the walls must be kept safe for travelers, yet I have been forbidden from leaving Falcon's Nest. Emmanellain: It wouldn't do for our esteemed guests to be devoured by wolves, oh no. Yet that is precisely what will happen if we do not cull the roaming packs! Emmanellain: Your map, if I may. Right...there, those are the points our scouts marked for patrol. I'll leave you to it, old girl. Come, Honoroit─I must return to my rounds! Honoroit: Oh dear...do be careful, my lady.
Emmanellain: Forename Surname, Wolves' Bane! It pleases me to inform you that I have completed my rounds, and that all is well in Falcon's Nest. Emmanellain: Oh, and there was a grizzled fellow looking for you. You know, the one who made that arsonist confess. Clever, that. Emmanellain: Thancred, was it? He was asking after you. Emmanellain: Anyway, once I noticed the garish weapons he was sporting, I deemed it a waste to leave him be. I dispatched him to an area I neglected to mark on your map...yes, this one. If you hurry, he might still be there.
Thancred: Fancy meeting you here, Forename. Thancred: 'Twas fortunate I came when I did. These two would not have fared well against the wolves on their own. Thancred: The young lord wasted no time taking advantage of you, did he? And me, I suppose. Thancred: Let us return to Falcon's Nest, then, and see what other thrilling tasks he may have for us.
Emmanellain: And there they are, a pair of gallant heroes if I ever saw them. Comrades-in-arms, reunited at last. Emmanellain: By your selfless sacrifice have you guaranteed the safety of our many guests. On behalf of Ishgard, I thank you both. Emmanellain: And with that, there is naught left to do but to enjoy our well-earned respite.
For Those We Have Lost Emmanellain seems rather pleased with himself.
Emmanellain: Oh, and this should of course go without saying, but let's keep those last few favors between us, yes? Artoirel wouldn't understand. Emmanellain: Right, then─the first floor of those barracks has been converted into a tavern for the duration of the conference. Why don't you go and have something to eat? Thancred: For once, a suggestion with which I agree. Go on ahead, Forename. I will join you anon.
Earnest Maid (Lowdy): Welcome, welcome! Find yourself an empty seat, and I'll be with you in a moment. Earnest Maid (Lowdy): Cold out, en't it? Here─a mug on the house. Let's get some color back in them cheeks! Earnest Maid (Lowdy): 'Fraid food'll be a bit longer than usual. We've got a lot of hungry folk to feed what with the conference and all. Earnest Maid (Lowdy): <sigh> So many people with cause to celebrate. To think there could be peace in our time, after all them years of fightin'... Earnest Maid (Lowdy): When I heard about the conference, I knew I had to come. I knew I had to be here─to do my bit. Earnest Maid (Lowdy): My husband, he...he died fighting the dragons, you see... And here we are, about to break bread with them. Earnest Maid (Lowdy): You all right, my lover? You look tired. Reckon you could do with a good long rest. Earnest Maid (Lowdy): After all you've done, I'd say you've earned it. Earnest Maid (Lowdy): Sleep, now...sleeeeeep. Sleep and leave us to our affairs. Earnest Maid (Lowdy): This was never your fight.
Mournful Mother: My son, they...they told me he walks in Halone's halls. Him and the rest of his unit. Earnest Maid (Lowdy): ...They told me the same. Mournful Mother: I expect they think it's comforting. Mournful Mother: Every time I come, I cry. I cannot bear to remember, but to forget would be a thousand times worse. Mournful Mother: Yet that is what they would have us do. Accept this truth for the sake of peace. Bury the past and look to the future. Mournful Mother: But he was my future. My flesh and blood─my heart...
Hardened Man: Is this it? Are we the only ones with the courage to oppose this madness? Cowards, the lot of 'em! Bitter Knight: They think only of the prize─of the peace Ser Aymeric promises them. They know in their hearts it's a lie, but they go along with it anyway, desperate fools. But not I. Not I! Bitter Knight: I see the wyrm that killed my brother in my dreams every night! And I will not rest until he lies broken at my feet! Him and every last one of his accursed kin! Hardened Man: All this nonsense about kings of eld. As if I care what they did or didn't do! Makes no difference to me and mine! Have the dragons sued for peace in a thousand years? Have they bollocks! Hardened Man: It's a bloody ruse is what it is! And Ser Aymeric and the rest of 'em've bloody fallen for it! Mournful Mother: But what can we do? They believe, and naught we can say will ever change their minds. Mournful Mother: Whether we like it or not, man and dragon will come together at Falcon's Nest, and all will be forgiven. Forgiven and forgotten. Earnest Maid (Lowdy): No. I will not let that happen. Earnest Maid (Lowdy): They will remember the true face of the enemy. I will show it to them. And we will rise up against them once more!
Thancred: Hey! Hey! This is no time for napping! Thancred: Do you have your wits about you? Good. Come with me─we have a crisis on our hands! Earnest Maid (Lowdy): Hear me, brothers and sisters! Do not be fooled by the honeyed words of the Dravanians! The peace they promise is but a prelude to slaughter! Earnest Maid (Lowdy): Remember your husbands and wives, never returned from war! Your children, torn apart by fang and claw! All your loved ones, shown no mercy! Earnest Maid (Lowdy): Does not your heart cry out for vengeance!? Your blood boil at the injustice!? Remember the face of your enemy, brothers and sisters! Remember it and strike back! Emmanellain: You there! Don't just stand around gawping! Do something, man! Stop her! Panicked Knight: Yes, yes, my lord! Earnest Maid (Lowdy): See! See here the true nature of the highborn! With lies and deception they lead us to our doom, and dare we raise our voices in dissent─death is our reward! Earnest Maid (Lowdy): This is the choice they have given us, brothers and sisters! Death by dragon's fang or death by nobleman's command! Death to all we hold dear! Earnest Maid (Lowdy): I spit on your choices, nobleman! You will take no more from me... No more! NO MORE! Emmanellain: What have you done!? Panicked Knight: I─ I only did as you ordered, my lord... Emmanellain: I gave no such order! I did not! I...I never meant for anyone to...
Thancred: I daresay that could not have played out any worse, given that the first commander and Lord Artoirel are not here to take control of the situation. Thancred: I spoke with a messenger who said that they would be returning shortly, but until they do, naught will be done. Lord Emmanellain has retreated to the barracks and is refusing to speak to anyone. Thancred: Therefore it falls to us to ensure that order has been fully restored. Come, let us walk the streets and speak with the people.
Highborn Merchant: My wife and I fell while fleeing with the others at first. The chirurgeons tended to our bruises afterwards. Highborn Merchant: <sigh> Those mad fools have ruined everything, and for what?
Josseloux: They were wrong to resort to violence, but when I heard her speak, her words were as a dagger in my heart. Josseloux: Who are we to decide that enough is enough? That their calls for justice can never be answered? Will this be the end of it, or will there be others like them and the True Brothers? Josseloux: I do not want to bear steel against my kinsman ever again. I do not know if I even can...
Spirited Stonecutter: I'd heard the rumors that the young lord was a drunken fool. What imbecile thought it would be a good idea to let him have the run of Falcon's Nest!? Spirited Stonecutter: Well, I say him and Ser Aymeric take their bloody “change” and shove it up their arses. I'll not be taken in by that rot again.
Thancred: Well? What say you? Thancred: So, the violence has passed, but the people are far from recovered. That is to be expected. Thancred: For the moment, it appears that no innocents were harmed by the guards. The blame for all casualties can be placed squarely upon the protesters. Thancred: Nevertheless, the people will not soon forget the image of a young lordling ordering the public execution of an unarmed protester─one whose words resonated with the hearts of many. Thancred: After all, who among us has not lost loved ones...
Consequences Thancred would like nothing more than to leave Falcon's Nest behind.
Thancred: Lord Artoirel and the first commander should have returned by now. Thancred: To the tavern, then. Their first order of business will be to speak with Lord Emmanellain, and I somehow doubt that he has moved an ilm since last we saw him.
Lucia: My apologies, Forename. I bear full responsibility for this...debacle. Thancred: There will be time for that later. I, for one, am more concerned about picking up the pieces. What do we know? Lucia: According to initial reports, the protest was orchestrated by the young woman whom Lord Emmanellain ordered shot. She and her conspirators infiltrated Falcon's Nest posing as servants and guests. Lucia: Several were taken alive. Others resisted and were struck down. Still others took their own lives. Lucia: Our forces suffered casualties as well, but by the grace of the Fury, no civilians were seriously injured. Lucia: Still more remarkably, the ringleader yet lives─for the time being, at least. The chirurgeons are doing what they can for her, but she may not live through the night. Artoirel: Given their impeccable timing, it is like that the Convictors who drew us away from the hamlet were in league with the protesters. Accordingly, we have detained them for questioning. Artoirel: <sigh> I'll be sworn that these villains spent as much effort plotting the failure of this peace conference as we did its success. Thancred: Well, if the mood of the hamlet is any indication, theirs have been the more fruitful labors. In the wake of the protest, the people seem disillusioned. Lucia: You spoke with them, then? I see... Lucia: ...Ser Aymeric placed his trust in me. It will be difficult to explain what has happened here. Artoirel: Remember how far we have come, First Commander. The people's faith may be shaken, but we convinced them before, and will do so again. Artoirel: If we can but find a means to remind them─to show them once more the promise that change holds for all─then this tragedy too shall pass into the past. Lucia: We must pray that you are right. Nevertheless, for the time being, I have no choice but to suspend the peace conference, pending Ser Aymeric's final decision. Lucia: Under the circumstances, I cannot leave Falcon's Nest. Forename, will you deliver my report to the lord commander in my stead? Artoirel: Get up, Emmanellain. You're going with her. Emmanellain: Go on without me. Artoirel: ...I was not asking. Artoirel: You will answer for your actions. In person. Is that clear? Emmanellain: ...Yes, my lord.
Come, Honoroit. Thancred: Your manservant is not here. In fact, I have not seen him for some time... Emmanellain: Honoroit...? Honoroit! I could have sworn he was...
Emmanellain: Honoroit! Emmanellain: No, no! What have they done to you!? Honoroit! Honoroit! Honoroit: Is that you, my lord? You...you seem rather flustered. Emmanellain: Because of you, you imbecile! What in the seven hells happened to you!? Honoroit: My...my apologies... Some few of the guests expressed a wish to leave...and I implored them to stay. Honoroit: It would seem they took issue with my request. Emmanellain: Gods forgive me... If I had only been more careful with my words! Honoroit: D-Do not blame yourself, my lord... I know... I know that you and your brother have Ishgard's best interests at heart. Honoroit: That poor woman... She lives in the past, clinging to the memories of the lost. Honoroit: But the future holds so much promise. So much joy. And you...you know that better than any... Emmanellain: Honoroit!? Thancred: Calm yourself. The boy will live. But it's imperative we get him inside and into the care of a chirurgeon without delay. Emmanellain: Gah! We were so close! Why does it all have to fall to pieces!? Emmanellain: Don't they want to live in peace!? Don't they want to be happy!? We all want the same thing, and still─STILL it falls to pieces! Emmanellain: Tell me: what─what was I supposed to do, hm!? Someone, anyone, tell me: what was I supposed to do!? Thancred: Stop looking to others. You make your choice and you live with the consequences. Emmanellain: And what would you know about consequences!? You who always know just what to say, and just what to do! Your every deed is greeted with a round of applause! Thancred: You know nothing about me. I have fought tooth and nail for the people I hold dear─done everything in my power to save them...and I have failed. Thancred: Learn to live with it. I have.
Thancred: ...I may have overreacted. But it needed to be done. He was becoming hysterical. Thancred: I understand the desire to look for reasons. For excuses. To convince yourself you had no choice. Thancred: But the past is the past, and there is naught to be gained from reliving your mistakes. I know this. I know this. But he...
Choices Thancred has lost all patience with Lord Emmanellain.
Thancred: I have no desire to wait for the lordling to emerge from his puddle of self-pity. We have important matters to attend to in Ishgard.
Temple Knight Guard: You are expected, miss. Pray proceed.
  • Proceed to the Seat of the Lord Commander?
  • Yes
  • No
Aymeric: Word of the demonstration and its resolution outstripped you, Forename. Every man, woman, and child of Ishgard has heard the tale. Count Edmont de Fortemps: 'Tis rumored that my youngest's lack of judgment was to blame. Of course...such stories are prone to exaggeration. What exactly came to pass? Count Edmont de Fortemps: ...I see. So that is the truth of it. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Regardless of his intent, the result is undeniable. He has furthered the cause of these misguided few who cannot let go of the past. Count Edmont de Fortemps: In an instant, the delicate peace we were poised to forge is once more beyond us. Aymeric: To dwell so deeply on the war and the vengeance it begets, only for that too to be taken away─is it any wonder that they were left bereft? Aymeric: For what was this sacrifice? Have we naught to show for our suffering? I thought peace a sufficient salve, but mayhap I was mistaken. Aymeric: We are warriors, Lord Edmont, and ours is a nation built on centuries of warfare. Right or wrong, this is who we are, and we deny it at our peril. Aymeric: To hold on to the past, without being beholden to it... Aye, we must needs find a way to honor the sacrifice of our forefathers without glorying in their excesses. Count Edmont de Fortemps: A difficult path, to be sure. We dare not deny the scars which mar our nation's soul, lest we spur other disillusioned souls to retrace them... Count Edmont de Fortemps: ...But, as you say, we dare not revel in past glories either, for they are tainted all. Count Edmont de Fortemps: A clear, unambiguous enemy, and an undeniably righteous cause... 'Tis a bitter reflection, but lies though they were, they did long serve to unite us. Aymeric: No truth will ever serve as well, I fear. Yet...we are not without options. Aymeric: At our last meeting, a proposal was tabled by the other members of the Eorzean Alliance for joint military exercises─to strengthen the ties between our nations, and test our readiness to meet with a common threat. Aymeric: I had thought to delay these exercises until after the peace conference, but mayhap a grand melee would be just the thing to lift our beleaguered spirits. Aymeric: Better still, an occasion for the Temple Knights and the watch to take the field as allies─a unified Ishgardian force filled with men and women from all walks of life, which would stand against a coalition of the allied nations' finest! Aymeric: Hosted by Ishgard, in the shadow of the Gates of Judgement! A victory under such circumstances would serve as a reaffirmation─nay, a declaration to all and sundry that we are as strong and united as ever! Count Edmont de Fortemps: Such a victory would do much to fan the flames of patriotism, it is true. But if we should be defeated...? Though...even to hold our own against the cream of three nations might be presented as a triumph... Count Edmont de Fortemps: Very well. You may count on my support, for what little it is worth. However, I have a request: I would have my son Emmanellain take part in the grand melee. Count Edmont de Fortemps: By his deeds has he brought shame upon Ishgard, and so by his deeds I would have him bring our nation honor. Aymeric: ...As you wish, my lord. If that is his desire, then it shall be so. Aymeric: Now then, we have no time to lose. Forename, would you be so kind as to deliver my instructions to Lucia? Aymeric: I shall write to the Alliance leaders at once and begin making arrangements for the grand melee. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Should you chance to see my son, pray inform him of his duty. Count Edmont de Fortemps: If he has not already returned, he will soon enough─making every effort to avoid me.
Thancred: So that is their solution. A “grand melee” to unite the people... Thancred: And what part would they have you play in this affair, I wonder. You, whom they have taken into their confidence, upon whom they have come so heavily to rely. Thancred: And will you oblige them, when the proposition is made? Will you stand for Ishgard once more?
  • What will you say?
  • We have come this far, have we not? Thancred: Well, when you put it like that, I suppose it would be a shame not to see it through to the bitter end.
  • I will stand for my friends and comrades, not a nation. Thancred: A poor choice of words. For friends tried and true, then. The living and the lost.
  • It is getting to be a bit much, isn't it... Thancred: You say that, and yet here you are. Here we are. This is, after all, the life we chose. Thancred: In any event, let us not forget that the Ascians sought to profit from this war. To put an end to it is to put an end to their plot, and that, my friend, is ever a worthy cause.
Thancred: So, for this grand melee of his, Ser Aymeric wishes to field a force comprising both his Temple Knights and Hilda's watch, yes? I can only imagine what she will have to say about that. Thancred: In fact, curiosity compels me to go and see for myself.
Lucia: Well met, Forename. Have you spoken with Ser Aymeric? Lucia: ...I was aware of the Alliance's request. So─Ser Aymeric would turn these exercises into a spectacle for the masses. Lucia: It is not that I doubt the efficacy of such a plan. Indeed, I know its effectiveness only too well, having witnessed it firsthand... Lucia: Nevertheless, he has not once given me reason to doubt his intentions─and these are desperate times indeed. Lucia: I will select knights for the event forthwith. As for the watch─ Lucia: ...Did he now? How considerate of Master Thancred to seek out our young watch commander of his own volition. Lucia: Alas, he acted prematurely. Pray deliver this list of watch candidates to Hilda. I would have her best men, not her most dispensable.
Hilda: Thancred's been tellin' me all about Ser Aymeric's grand soirée. Seems we're expected to join in. Hilda: It's nice of him to invite us and all, but I hope he knows what he's doin'─'cause we ain't dressed to dance with professional bleedin' soldiers.
Letter to Hilda Correspondence from Lucia, addressed to Hilda.
Hilda: ...Well, well─seems the first commander's gone and handpicked her guests. Can't say I disagree with her choices, though. She's got a good eye. Hilda: Will you be fightin' too? Reckon it'd inspire the lads if you were. Might take their minds off gettin' their hides tanned, and all. Think about it, eh? Thancred: I hate to ask, but you haven't seen our favorite lordling, have you? Thancred: I thought not. On the assumption that he is not to be found in his father's loving embrace, I suggest we split up and look for him. I will search Foundation, and you the Pillars.
Emmanellain: ...I carried Honoroit to the manor. Emmanellain: Our best chirurgeons are tending to him as we speak. He has yet to wake, but surely...surely he will. Emmanellain: So Father has volunteered me for this “grand melee” of theirs? Emmanellain: <sigh> My beloved family. Always making my decisions for me. Emmanellain: No, it's not like that! It's just... Oh, you wouldn't understand. How could you? You are free to be the woman you want to be, whereas I...I... Emmanellain: I am a son of House Fortemps, don't you see? My future was determined before I was born. What I could and could not do. Emmanellain: Right or wrong, that was the way of it─until the old order began to crumble. Now we wander amidst the rubble, searching for a purpose, for a place... Emmanellain: All around me, brave men and women rise to the occasion. With faith and conviction they dedicate themselves to their causes. But not I. Emmanellain: I was terrified of making the wrong choice, which is why I let better men make them for me. Do this, do that, take this duty, guard this conference─ Emmanellain: I suppose I had convinced myself I was above it...until your friend showed me otherwise. Emmanellain: When I saw Honoroit, I wanted to scream. I wanted someone to blame! But, in the end, there was only me. Only me. Emmanellain: So you see, I cannot meekly bow my head and accept Father's command. Such cowardice is what brought me to this point. Emmanellain: I will go to Ser Aymeric, and I will make my own decision.
Temple Knight Guard: The lord commander is not to be disturbed. May I ask what matter demands his personal attention? Temple Knight Guard: ...I see. Very well─you may enter.
  • Proceed to the Seat of the Lord Commander?
  • Yes
  • No
Emmanellain: Lord Commander, if I may. I wished to speak with you before the grand melee. Aymeric: Proceed. Emmanellain: How do you do it, my lord? How do you lead with such certainty when so many of our countrymen will not hear of peace with the Dravanians? Emmanellain: Some of them hate you almost as much as the dragons themselves. They decry you as a patricide in the streets. They even tried to kill you, for gods' sakes! Yet still you march on, undaunted, where no archbishop dared to tread. What is your secret? Where do you find the strength? Aymeric: For centuries, our nation has been punished for the sins of our forefathers. Aymeric: If our punishment is to end, I believe we must right the wrongs of antiquity and move forward as a nation united. Needless to say, my father did not share this opinion. Aymeric: He did not believe the people strong enough to bring about their own deliverance, trusting only in himself. Tyranny seemed to him the only solution. Aymeric: But I have faith in the people, Lord Emmanellain. I have faith that they will weather this storm, and overcome every trial we set before them. Aymeric: Many have fought and died to see this blight upon our nation's history cleansed, and I would not let their sacrifices be in vain. Though we invite reprisals, the risk is worth the reward. Emmanellain: I want to believe...I do... Emmanellain: Lord Commander─through my careless orders, a pall has been cast over these proceedings, and I beg the opportunity to make amends. Emmanellain: I, Emmanellain de Fortemps, do hereby request leave to take part in the grand melee! Aymeric: Who am I to deny such a heartfelt plea? We would be honored to have you join the fray, my lord. Count Edmont de Fortemps: You will take charge of the Ishgardian forces? Aymeric: For all my other responsibilities, I am still lord commander of the Temple Knights, and I would not soon yield this duty to another. Count Edmont de Fortemps: The esteemed Ser Aymeric, leading the Temple Knights and the watch into battle, along with my youngest. I could wish for no more. Aymeric: Then you wish for too little, my lord! There is another who might yet join the fray. An indispensable ally to whom we owe much and more. Aymeric: An adventurer beholden to none, who nevertheless chose to champion our cause. Who has shared in our suffering, and in our glory. Aymeric: A warrior without equal, whom I am privileged to call a friend. There is no one I would rather have fighting by my side. Aymeric: I ask this in full knowledge of your obligations, and will not think less of you should you refuse. But if your conscience will allow it, might you oblige me, my friend? One more time? Aymeric: Ha! Together, we shall give the people a spectacle for the ages─a celebration to mark the dawning of a new era!
Thancred: Gods help me, I think it might be love. Thancred: I daresay it might be cheating, too. Your mere presence is enough to turn the tide of most battles. Thancred: And did you see the way his eyes lit up when you nodded? 'Twas a look of boundless relief and joy. One would think a politician more practiced at concealing his emotion. Thancred: Still, his honesty does him credit. For a moment, I was fair inspired to pledge myself to the cause. But that would be improper. This is their fight─and yours─but not mine.
A Spectacle for the Ages The grand melee is poised to begin, and Lucia would not be late.
Lucia: Ser Aymeric informs me that the Alliance leaders have agreed to his proposal. The grand melee will be held here, in the shadow of the Gates of Judgement, and in sight of the capital. Lucia: An announcement has been made, and Allied forces are currently en route. Lucia: The eyes of Ishgard are upon us, Forename. We must not fail. Thancred: A rare opportunity to see you pit yourself against Allied forces─outside of Carteneau, perhaps. I would not miss this for the world.
Emmanellain: There she is! I say, when you didn't appear, I began to question... N-Nothing! Never mind! Emmanellain: Ahem. To think that we are mere moments away from facing the cream of Eorzea's soldiery in battle. That I am...mere...mmm... But what if...? Emmanellain: Oh, what am I saying!? I have to stop imagining the worst! I must think of the victory, of the glory! Of the stories I will tell Honoroit when he awakes!
Emmanellain: I am ready, old girl! Are you!? Emmanellain: By the Fury, how could I forget? Father bid me present this to you. Emmanellain: I know it is sudden, but we believe the men would find it inspiring if you bore the colors of House Fortemps into battle. Pray do us this honor.
Aymeric: Let all here present heed well the rules of engagement! Aymeric: For the honor and the glory of Ishgard! Nanamo Ul Namo: All is ready, then. Very well. Nanamo Ul Namo: Brave men and women of the Eorzean Alliance. Let the grand melee begin!
Aymeric the Blue: Forward, forward! Ishgard! Ishgard! Aymeric the Blue: The Fury's Gaze is upon us! Aymeric the Blue: Forename, Lord Emmanellain─attend to the marked ones! Aymeric the Blue: They fall! Find the next─press our advantage! Flame General Aldynn: Come, Ishgardians! Show us your mettle! Aymeric the Blue: Ishgard! Rally to the first commander! Aymeric the Blue: Victory is within our grasp! Ishgard! Ishgard! Flame General Aldynn: Aye, that's the spirit! Flames, Adders, Maelstrom─forward! Aymeric the Blue: The Fury's Gaze has fallen upon...General Raubahn and...
Flustered Temple Knight: Cyclops! Cyclops! Everyone, on your guard! Lucia: All forces, fall back! Thancred: Continue the melee! I will deal with him! Hilda: Hmph. Daft sod...
You heard the man! Back to it! Aymeric: All forces, form a line on Forename! Now! Raubahn: Well met. I will not lie─I was hoping it would come to this.
So then...shall we dance? Aymeric: Damn it all!
Emmanellain the Lofty: By the Fury, it's just the two of them in there! Lucia the Radiant: On your guard, Lord Emmanellain! Our fight is not yet finished! The Mongrel: That all you bastards've got!? Come on, then! Give us another! Emmanellain the Lofty: Gods, they just keep coming!
But we cannot...we will not yield! Emmanellain the Lofty: You hear me, old girl!? Don't you dare lose! Flame General Aldynn: Bwahahaha! Brilliant, brilliant! You are indeed the Warrior of Light... Flame General Aldynn: ...But I am the Bull of Ala Mhigo! Aymeric the Blue: Strength, Forename, strength! Now is your chance! Aymeric the Blue: Strike him down! For the glory of Ishgard! Flame General Aldynn: Aye, all right... Take your victory. You've earned it.
Emmanellain: Did...did she win? Then we...we... Aymeric: Victory is ours! Ishgard! Ishgard! Aymeric: Well fought! Well fought, my friend! You truly are the warrior of warriors! Thank the Fury you were on our side! Emmanellain: Hah hah...my lungs are burning, and I can barely stand! Emmanellain: I didn't think I could do it...but then I did! We did! We faced the Alliance's best, and together, with one heart, with one purpose, we prevailed! Emmanellain: After a thousand years of hardship, of strife and bloodshed, we are strong enough to rise to any challenge─be it on the battlefield or beyond. Emmanellain: The future holds so much promise. So much joy. We need only show them the way.
Nanamo Ul Namo: A truly magnificent display, ser knight. While doubtless less than pleased, I am quite sure the Grand Companies are honored to have been bested by such valiant warriors. Aymeric: The honor was ours, Your Grace. Nanamo Ul Namo: I am pleased to see that Ishgard's proud martial tradition is being upheld. Nanamo Ul Namo: When the time comes, I trust you will fight alongside your brothers and sisters in the Eorzean Alliance with the same fervor you displayed in opposing them. Nanamo Ul Namo: I note that our friend elected to take the field in Ishgardian colors. Aymeric: At my behest, Your Grace. If we have given offense, the blame lies with me. Nanamo Ul Namo: Fear not, ser knight. It was a surprise, nothing more. And any hint of ill-feeling was thoroughly dispelled by the spectacle of our mutual friend's duel with General Raubahn. Nanamo Ul Namo: On the subject of surprises, I could not help but marvel at the passion and unity of purpose displayed by your countrymen...given the troubling reports we have received of late. Aymeric: I shall take that as a compliment, Your Grace. The events to which you allude are the price of change. The end of the Dragonsong War marks the beginning of a new era for our nation─and for the people, high- and lowborn alike, who will lead her into the future. Nanamo Ul Namo: Ah, yes... The people. Nanamo Ul Namo: Change is indeed a perilous thing, for we who seek it and they who fear it. I shall pray for Ishgard─and for you. Thancred: Well, that made for a refreshing change. Congratulations on your victory, by the way. Thancred: The Ishgardians certainly seem happy with themselves. I, for my part, am merely glad you did not strain anything in the process of single-handedly winning the battle for them. Thancred: 'Tis but a scratch, I assure you. And I will not suffer you to worry over me─not when we have a dozen far more important concerns. Thancred: ...Make that two dozen. Still, as Y'shtola never tires of telling me, we can but face them head-on, one at a time. One day at a time...as Minfilia would have done.
Raubahn: Thal's balls... I had forgotten what it was like to feel so alive! Raubahn: Not since leaving the bloodsands have I had the privilege. Not since the Bull of Ala Mhigo hung up his swords. Raubahn: Back then, the outcome might have been different. But I do not begrudge you your victory. I know how far you have come, how much you have endured. Our fight only confirmed it. Raubahn: We shall have to do this again one day, when time allows. I shall look forward to it. Now go. Go to the Ishgardians and celebrate your victory. You have earned it. Raubahn: Come, Pipin. Her Grace is expecting us. Pipin: Lead on, Father!
Thancred: Said your good-byes? Thancred: In all the years I have known Raubahn, I cannot recall ever seeing him look so happy in defeat. Thancred: Well! Everything seems to be falling into place, does it not? The Ishgardians have claimed their symbolic victory, and the Eorzean Alliance has been strengthened in the process. Be proud, Forename. You made this happen.
For Those We Can Yet Save Ser Aymeric is beaming with pride.
Aymeric: We have done it─nay, you have done it. You have brought us the victory we so desperately needed. Aymeric: There is naught left but to return to the capital. Come─let us see what reception awaits us.
??? (Honoroit): My lord! Emmanellain: Honoroit, my boy! Shouldn't you be in bed? Honoroit: Thank you for your concern, my lord, but I have largely recovered from my ordeal, and I have naught but several scars to show for it. Which, I have been told, some women may find...appealing. Emmanellain: I see! And to think I was worried sick over you! Honoroit: I'm not sure I understand, my lord. Emmanellain: Well, let's put that theory to the proof, shall we? Honoroit: M-my lord? Alphinaud: 'Twould seem that a great many things have occurred in my absence. I thought I might begin to make amends by welcoming you in person. Count Edmont de Fortemps: The messengers spared not their chocobos to bring us word of your victory in the grand melee. I cannot well describe our elation when we heard the news. Count Edmont de Fortemps: It called to mind the day we rejoined the Eorzean Alliance, when I glimpsed hope rekindled in the eyes of the people. Lucia: The Fury Herself ushers us into a new era. Ser Aymeric, the time is now! Aymeric: Aye, that it is. Reconvene the conference and summon Vidofnir to Falcon's Nest. Aymeric: We will make peace with Hraesvelgr's brood and hasten this bloody war to its end. Lucia: Yes, Lord Commander! Count Edmont de Fortemps: I will send word to Artoirel and bid him resume preparations. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Emmanellain─you will place yourself at your brother's disposal. He will be glad of your assistance. Thancred: No stopping it now, is there? We should inform Y'shtola and the others. Aymeric: My dear friend...I doubt I will ever be able to thank you enough. But when the conference is successfully concluded, I damn well mean to try.
Alphinaud: They say you dueled General Raubahn within a ring of flames. I did not think the man so ostentatious. Would that I could have seen it... Alphinaud: After we parted ways in Matoya's Cave, I returned here to speak with Tataru. We agreed to tell the others only that our search for Minfilia had reached an impasse. Alphinaud: I subsequently learned that you had left for Falcon's Nest, but I thought it best to keep to myself for a time. I am wont to rely on you overmuch when we are together, and I needed to think. To reflect. Alphinaud: I still do, I suspect, but matters here seemed to be coming to a head. In short, there are some things I feel I must say─though nothing so urgent that it cannot wait until after the conference. Alphinaud: So let us make for Falcon's Nest, and see if Lord Artoirel has need of our assistance.
Artoirel: Well met, Mistress Surname, and thank you for looking after my brother. Artoirel: They say he fought bravely─that he did not dishonor his house. But you, my lady─to you we owe everything. Artoirel: As you can see, we have made every effort to strike while the iron is hot. We made our intentions known, and that all would be welcome to attend. And so they came. By the grace of the Fury, they came. Artoirel: The ceremony will not be a lengthy affair, but there is still much to be done! I would speak with you more, but I must see to my duties. As for you and Master Alphinaud─you will do naught but enjoy yourselves, is that clear? If any dare beg your assistance again, I will have words.
Alphinaud: Well, there you have it. We have been forbidden from meddling. Shall we wait, or have you other matters to attend to before the ceremony begins?
  • What will you do?
  • Wait with Alphinaud for the ceremony to begin. Alphinaud: Excellent. I only hope Thancred and the others will not be late. Epochal events do not come around very often.
  • See to other matters first. Alphinaud: By all means, then. I will remain here.
Lucia: The appointed hour approaches. Aymeric: Aye. Lucia: She begged leave to watch the proceedings. I saw no reason not to grant it. Aymeric: Should I choose to deviate from my prepared remarks, I ask that you trust in my judgment. Lucia: Have I ever done otherwise? Vidofnir: Ah, how long it hath been since our peoples met thus, children of Thordan. Even by our reckoning. Aymeric: Vidofnir, daughter of Hraesvelgr, we give thanks for your visit and bid you welcome to Falcon's Nest. Vidofnir: Our sire bade us hearken unto the whispers of our hearts. They spoke to us of a paradise lost─of bonds of brotherhood which they yearn to see restored. Aymeric: Ours too yearn for such a restoration. And they have guided us here this day, that they might yearn no longer. Aymeric: Brothers and sisters, ye who stand as witness, hearken to me! Aymeric: Since the days of eld, when the bonds betwixt man and dragon were sundered by our hand, our peoples have known only war. Aymeric: Bloodshed without end, losses beyond counting─and still we fought. And still we fought. Aymeric: Some wounds do not heal. The dead cannot be returned to us. Aymeric: But we the living can yet choose another course. Here and now, we can lay down this burden─this hatred, this vengeance. Aymeric: Our forebears fought not so that we could die, but that we might live! So let us honor their sacrifice and spare our children this death sentence. Let us gift them a new legacy. Life! Vidofnir: Betwixt our peoples yawneth a divide deeper than the deepest abyss; wider than the widest sea. Vidofnir: Generations will live and die ere this divide is bridged. Knowing this, doth thy heart yet yearn for peace, son of Thordan? Aymeric: Look now on the legacy we would leave to our children. A dream of peace inscribed in stone for generations to come. Vidofnir: Father and his beloved. As they were so long ago. Happy and at peace. Vidofnir: The dream they shared shall be ours once more. ??? (Nidhogg): Never! Aymeric: Your bow! Estinien (Nidhogg): Child of Dravania! Art thou grown so forgetful that thou wouldst forsake kith and kin, and consort with the spawn of Thordan? That thou wouldst dare contemplate peace! Estinien (Nidhogg): Hearken unto me, all of you! The final chorus is nigh, and all will be held to account! All will bathe in the flames of retribution! Estinien (Nidhogg): Till the coming of that day, look you on your sins and despair! For none shall 'scape my wrath! None shall 'scape my revenge! Alphinaud: Seven hells! Alphinaud: Damn you, Nidhogg... Disillusioned Lord: Hells take that wyrm! While he lives, we'll never know peace! Distraught Lady: Aye, there'll be no end to this war till Nidhogg is dead and gone! Furious Man: So let's kill the bastard and be done with it! Death to Nidhogg! Death to Nidhogg! Death to Nidhogg! Angry Mob: Death to Nidhogg! Death to Nidhogg!
Death to Nidhogg! Death to Nidhogg!
Death to Nidhogg! Death to Nidhogg!
Alphinaud: There they go, the last of the guests. Having come hither with hope in their hearts, they depart with hatred and bloodlust... Alphinaud: Until the moment I saw him strike, I still held some small hope that what you had seen in Azys Lla was...an illusion, perhaps. But he acted without hesitation...as did Ser Aymeric. Alphinaud: For a mercy, Vidofnir's wound was not mortal, or so Lucia tells me. The dragon was spirited away to Anyx Trine to receive care from her brethren. We can but hope her recovery is swift. Alphinaud: ...But such was surely Nidhogg's intent. To deliver a proclamation not only to the children of Thordan, but to his kindred. “War is coming, and ye who do not stand with us stand apart.” Alphinaud: She was an example─a message to her brood. Another instrument of his vengeance...like Estinien.
Causes and Costs Alphinaud knows at last what he must do.
Alphinaud: When I said I wished to speak with you after the conference, I confess I envisaged rather happier circumstances. If anything, however, this latest tragedy makes the need more pressing. There are things I must say. Alphinaud: Not to the Warrior of Light, or even my fellow Scion, but...to you, Forename. My friend. Alphinaud: But not here, no... Alphinaud: Ah, but of course. The intercessory in Camp Dragonhead is still open to us. Let us go there.
Alphinaud: Forgive me. That took longer than expected. Alphinaud: ...You seem puzzled. Oh, these? I thought something warming might not go amiss. Alphinaud: It was not all that long ago that we sat here, you and I. In our very own “Falling Snows,” as Lord Haurchefant called it. Alphinaud: I still struggle to believe he has gone. And Ysayle too... I had such hopes for her... Alphinaud: Master Matoya asked me what it was all for. Why we fight...and why we die. Alphinaud: Were I still commander of the Braves, I would doubtless have replied, “For the future of Eorzea,” but I am not that man. Not anymore. Alphinaud: I needed a new answer. One that I could live with. And when I saw Estinien at the ceremony, I knew at last what it was. Alphinaud: I do not want to be a man who sacrifices his friends and family for a cause. I want to fight for Estinien─and I want to save him. Alphinaud: When Nidhogg leads the Horde into battle, Ser Aymeric and his forces will do what they believe must be done. Alphinaud: That is their choice to make. Yet even if Ser Aymeric is willing to forsake Estinien, I am not. Alphinaud: We must fight for him, for he is our friend and ally. We may struggle, we may fail, but we must try.
  • What will you say?
  • We will find a way to save him. Alphinaud: We will. I know we will.
  • ...To aid those in need. Alphinaud: Lord Haurchefant would be proud. I knew you would understand! Together, we will surely find a way.
  • ... Alphinaud: Forgive me. I say these things to you in full knowledge of the fact that you have never yet given up on a friend. We will find a way. I know we will.
Alphinaud: Thank you, Forename. It is unfair of me to unburden myself in this manner, time after time, but I am glad that you permit me nonetheless. You are my true friend and ally. Alphinaud: Though not all of our fellow Scions will support our stance on Estinien, I have faith that we will win them over in due course. Such is the infectious power of hope. Alphinaud: Right. That is quite enough solemn introspection for one night. I think we would both benefit from some time in the company of Tataru. She stays for us at Fortemps Manor. Let us not keep her waiting any longer.
Alphinaud: Yet again we walk an all-too-familiar path. I am reminded of when we first came to this manor. Alphinaud: Lost and uncertain, we were granted succor in our hour of need. We were saved─and now it is our turn to return the favor! Tataru: Hear, hear! Let no one say that the Scions do not repay their debts! Tataru: After all, what kind of people would we be if we forsook our friends? If we stopped looking for Yda and Papalymo, or if we gave up hope of bringing Minfilia back? Alphinaud: Though she knew it would cost her dearly, Minfilia reached out to us to deliver a message. She believed it was imperative that we understand the true nature of this star─of the rift between Zodiark and Hydaelyn, and of the Ascians' aspirations. Alphinaud: But for all that has been revealed, I cannot shake the suspicion that there is much we have yet to learn... Alphinaud: In any event, I think it time we step back from the fray and carefully consider our next course of action. It will not be easy to turn this tragedy to triumph, but we will find a way. We will. We will.
Krile: Of all the ways for it to end. Krile: Even before his transformation, I could feel the wyrm's hatred swirling about Estinien. The terrible, all-consuming rage... Krile: Enough to fuel a thousand-year quest for vengeance. It was all I could do not to run away screaming. Krile: But Ishgardians─nay, all Eorzeans─are made of sterner stuff. They face danger and death on a daily basis, and understand what it takes to win a war. Y'shtola: Think not too deeply on Master Matoya's words. Her intent was but to steel our resolve. Y'shtola: That, and to remind us to look beyond these passing conflicts to trials greater still─to the truth which hides at the heart of this world. Krile: So that's your aim, is it? Y'shtola: You disapprove? Krile: Not at all! I believe it's traditional for the student to follow in the footsteps of the master. And you are so very alike.
Count Edmont de Fortemps: Change─that great, inexorable wave─was upon us, and soon all of Ishgard would bend to its will. Count Edmont de Fortemps: For all our sins, for all our scars, the future for which we had long yearned was at last within our grasp. Count Edmont de Fortemps: But it would be bought at a heavy price. Count Edmont de Fortemps: For in those twilight hours did Nidhogg cry out for vengeance, and his brethren raise their voices for the final chorus of the Dragonsong War. From the memoirs of Count Edmont de Fortemps
Heavensward: The Gears of Change
Papalymo: Caution, Yda─that is all I ask! Do not be so eager to place your faith in them. Not until we know more.

Heavensward: Revenge of the Horde (3.3)

The Man Within The House Fortemps knight has a message for you.
House Fortemps Knight: Ah, Mistress Surname! It is well that you are here. You are wanted within. House Fortemps Knight: I believe Master Alphinaud wishes a word with you...
Alphinaud: Ah, Forename, there you are. Have you a moment? There is something I would fain discuss. Alphinaud: I must ask you to recall the events which unfolded at the peace conference, though I daresay you would sooner forget them. Alphinaud: My mind returns again and again to the moment when Nidhogg appeared before the crowd in the guise of Estinien. It was a sight to chill the soul─but one which gave me reason to hope that our friend might not be beyond salvation. When you described his fateful transformation at Azys Lla, I feared him lost forever, but the mere fact that some semblance of his former self endures must surely count for something. Alas, I have no evidence to support this impression... Alphinaud: Thus did I turn to Y'shtola and Krile for a more empirical appraisal─and full glad am I that I did, for it would seem they have some observations of their own to share. Tataru: The ladies have saved us a table at the Forgotten Knight. Shall we go? Alphinaud: Excellent. Let us not keep our honored colleagues waiting.
Alphinaud: We have kept you waiting overlong, I fear... Krile: Not to worry, Alphinaud. We had some rather fine mulled wine to keep us company. Truth be told, you could have delayed your arrival a few moments more... Tataru: Gibrillont got the spicing just right this time. His latest batch is not only delicious and warming, but soothing to the humours! Y'shtola: Indeed. But 'twas not to soothe our humours that we gathered here. Krile: Ah, no─quite right. The matter of that poor dragoon... Alphinaud: You have discovered something─a means to save him? Krile: Let us not jump to conclusions, shall we? Assess the facts presented, then make an educated analysis, as you were taught. Y'shtola: Pray cast your mind back to the moment of Estinien's transformation. Do you recall how you described it to us? Y'shtola: You spoke of the sudden pangs which racked his body when he took up both of Nidhogg's eyes─and of how his form was twisted thereafter into a shadowy semblance of the great wyrm. Alphinaud: When he appeared at Falcon's Nest, the wyrm's eyes were fused to his mail. Y'shtola: Would that only his armor had been corrupted... Snaking forth from the eyes, I descried dark tendrils which entangled his very being. His aether has been all but smothered. Alphinaud: Then he is lost to us forever? Krile: What did I just say about jumping to conclusions!? Y'shtola clearly stated “all but smothered.” Krile: As I later discovered, her impression matched my own. Though Nidhogg's presence filled my mind's eye, beneath his seething aura, I sensed the merest hint of something else. Krile: And after listening to Y'shtola's observations, I became more certain of my suspicion: that the “something else” I had sensed was, in fact, the trace of a different will, submerged in the sea of Nidhogg's rage. Alphinaud: You mean... Y'shtola: Yes. 'Tis like that Estinien's spirit yet lingers. Alphinaud: Can we not wrest him from Nidhogg's grasp, then!? Tear the eyes from the armor!? Y'shtola: We know not if that would serve to separate wyrm's soul from man's. None have ever attempted such a feat. Alphinaud: Should it offer even the faintest hope of success, then by the gods, I shall be the first to try. Krile: Alphinaud... Krile: By all means, hold fast to your hope. But be mindful of the dangers. Krile: Even should you succeed in excising the eyes from the dragoon's mail, we have no way of knowing if your friend's soul would survive so violent a separation. And that is to say nothing of the possibility that his would-be savior might become Nidhogg's next host. Alphinaud: But what other choice remains to us? Should the opportunity present itself, I will tear those foul orbs from Estinien's armor and trust in the resilience of his soul─even at the risk of mine own! Honoroit: Ah! I've found you at last! Honoroit: A messenger of the Temple Knights came to the manor some few hours past. The lord commander humbly requests the company of the Warrior of Light and Master Alphinaud. Alphinaud: Ser Aymeric would speak with us? Very well. Thank you, Honoroit. Y'shtola: 'Twould seem duty calls. Pray see to yours, and we shall return to ours. Alphinaud: Thank you, Y'shtola, Krile. Your words have given me hope where there was none. Alphinaud: Come then. Ser Aymeric awaits. Krile: Alphinaud is allowing his feelings for this dragoon to cloud his thoughts. I worry he may do something rash. Keep an eye on him, would you? Midgardsormr: They think more of their friend's deliverance than their foe's defeat... But will history commend their fealty or condemn their folly?
Count Edmont de Fortemps: The conference held at Falcon's Nest was to be a celebration of the reconciliation 'twixt man and dragon. Count Edmont de Fortemps: But the lingering shade of Nidhogg, clad in the flesh of the Azure Dragoon, did mark the occasion by spilling the blood of his own kind. Count Edmont de Fortemps: A timely atrocity to remind the children of Ishgard that the Dragonsong War was far from over... Count Edmont de Fortemps: And when fear gave way to fury, the call to arms rang out anew: “Death to Nidhogg! Death to Nidhogg!”
Alphinaud: What news has Ser Aymeric to share with us, I wonder...?
An Ally for Ishgard Alphinaud is eager to hear what tidings Ser Aymeric has to share.
Alphinaud: Hmmm... Might Ser Aymeric perchance have received word of a Dravanian advance? Alphinaud: ...Or mayhap they have located Esti─ That is to say, mayhap Nidhogg has been found! Alphinaud: Come! I would hear what the lord commander has to say!
Aymeric: My friends, I thank you for coming. Alphinaud: You have had news of Nidhogg? Aymeric: Alas, not. Our scouts range far and wide, but they have as yet found no trace of the great wyrm. Lucia: We dispatched an elite unit of dragoons to reconnoiter the Churning Mists, but even they returned empty-handed. Alphinaud: A pity... Aymeric: Fear not, Alphinaud─we shall see the wyrm again soon enough. His words at Falcon's Nest attest to that. Aymeric: Indeed, he is like to come sooner than we would wish. Alphinaud: I assume Ishgard's defenses are being bolstered as we speak? Aymeric: With all haste. I mean to call upon every able-bodied warrior at our disposal, from the knights of the four houses to the men and women of the watch. Aymeric: But I did not summon you to discuss strategy. Alphinaud: What then would you have of us, my lord? Aymeric: I will speak plain: now that Nidhogg is possessed of both of his eyes, no mortal force we can muster will repel him. That being the case, we must needs recruit an ally of equal strength... Alphinaud: You speak of Hraesvelgr!? Aymeric: I do. To whom else could we turn? Alphinaud: That he is Nidhogg's equal I do not deny. Nor can I name another. But convincing the reclusive creature to do battle with his own brood-brother will be... How shall I put this? Aymeric: It will be no small undertaking, yes. Estinien's report was most particular about Hraesvelgr's unwillingness to involve himself in the affairs of men. Aymeric: But much has changed since your visit to Sohm Al, and if there is even a chance that the dragon may be swayed, I must plead our case. Whatever price the dragon asks of me, I shall pay it─such was my oath to defend the people of Ishgard. Aymeric: Come what may, my friends, the battle with Nidhogg will mark the end of my tenure as the acting head of church and state. Will you help me discharge this final duty? Alphinaud: We will, my lord─though I fear our involvement offers no guarantee of success. Alphinaud: Come, then─we will depart at your leisure. Aymeric: Thank you. Both of you. Aymeric: The city is yours, First Commander. Lucia: My lord. We shall pray for your swift return.
Aymeric: It grieves me to impose upon you in this manner, but you of all people understand the threat we now face. Alphinaud: It is no imposition, Ser Aymeric─to Forename and I, Ishgard is as a second home. Alphinaud: After the many battles we have fought and the bonds we have forged, the plight of your nation has become our own. If there is aught that we can do to aid in its salvation, then pray impose all you must. Aymeric: You are true friends... Alphinaud: Shall we be about our task, then? We have no way of knowing when Nidhogg's shade will strike, but we must assume that time is not our ally. Aymeric: Indeed. With that in mind, I have taken the liberty of dispatching a messenger to inform Mistress Tataru that you will be escorting me to Sohm Al. I confess, I did not provide the exact details of our destination, as they are as yet unknown to me... Alphinaud: We will summon Hraesvelgr at Zenith in the Churning Mists. Ere we begin our ascent, however, I think it best that we pay a visit to Anyx Trine. Aymeric: You seek an advantage in the coming negotiations? Alphinaud: I do. I would consult with Vidofnir. Alphinaud: I propose this in part out of concern for her condition. Were she to succumb to her wounds, it could have grave consequences for our alliance. That apart, she may be able to provide insight into her sire's current state of mind. Aymeric: Well reasoned. To the Dravanian forelands, then.
Vidofnir: Ah, 'tis the warrior of warriors and her companions. What bringeth you to mine abode? Alphinaud: Pray forgive us for disturbing your recuperation, Vidofnir. I hope your wound does not pain you overmuch... Vidofnir: Didst thou imagine me close to death? The thrust was deep, but not mortal. I will heal in time. Aymeric: Full glad am I to hear it. You were the guest of honor at our conference, and we failed in our duty of protection. On behalf of Ishgard, I apologize unreservedly. Vidofnir: ...I am a dragon full-grown, and thou thought to protect me, mortal? I was tempered by the fires of battle ere thy great-grandsire learned to crawl. Vidofnir: Thy words do remind me of a knight whom I called friend some thousand years past. He swore to defend me from harm and hardship... Aymeric: Would that we could return to that era of peace, when man and dragon knew such comradeship. Alphinaud: Would that our every effort to do so were not undone by ancient rancor... Vidofnir: For a truth, there can be no peace while Nidhogg's shade yet lingereth. Vidofnir: Ah, 'tis the warrior of warriors and her companions. What bringeth you to mine abode? Alphinaud: Pray forgive us for disturbing your recuperation, Vidofnir. I hope your wound does not pain you overmuch... Vidofnir: Didst thou imagine me close to death? The thrust was deep, but not mortal. I will heal in time. Aymeric: Full glad am I to hear it. You were the guest of honor at our conference, and we failed in our duty of protection. On behalf of Ishgard, I apologize unreservedly. Vidofnir: ...I am a dragon full-grown, and thou thought to protect me, mortal? I was tempered by the fires of battle ere thy great-grandsire learned to crawl. Vidofnir: Thy words do remind me of a knight whom I called friend some thousand years past. He swore to defend me from harm and hardship... Aymeric: Would that we could return to that era of peace, when man and dragon knew such comradeship. Alphinaud: Would that our every effort to do so were not undone by ancient rancor... Vidofnir: For a truth, there can be no peace while Nidhogg's shade yet lingereth.
Winning Over the Wyrm Alphinaud seems eager to press on.
Alphinaud: Though I expected no better answer from Vidofnir, I take little pleasure from having been proven right. 'Twould seem that our presence at Zenith will be every bit as unwelcome as I had anticipated. But what is the ire of one great wyrm to a trio of self-confessed fools such as ourselves?
Let us begin our ascent. Aymeric: After you, Master Alphinaud. Alphinaud: Scout ahead if you wish, Forename. We shall join you outside Moghome!
Aymeric: I had heard tales of the world above the clouds, but never did I dream...
One's mind paints a pale picture of its majesty. Alphinaud: Few live to see such wonders. I am reminded of my first visit to this peak, when Estinien and Ysayle yet walked at our side... Churning Mists Moogle (Moghan): Kupopo? Is that you, Forename? Alphinaud: Ah, if it isn't Mog... Mog...uh... Churning Mists Moogle (Moghan): Don't tell me you've forgotten my name, kupo!? After all we've been through together! Churning Mists Moogle (Moghan): But at least you remember me!
You...you do remember me, don't you, Forename?
  • Do you remember the moogle?
  • How could I forget you, Moglin! Churning Mists Moogle (Moghan): H-How could you mistake me for that overstuffed throne-warmer!? I'm Moghan! The courageous moogle who guided you to Zenith, kupo!
  • Of course I do, Moghan! Churning Mists Moogle (Moghan): Phew! You seemed a bit hesitant for a moment there! But I'm sure you were just fondly recalling the time we camped near Zenith, right, kupo?
  • Apologies, friend, but all moogles look the same to me... Churning Mists Moogle (Moghan): ...I see, kupo. Then I suppose our time around the campfire meant less to you than I thought it did. It's “Moghan,” by the way... <sniff>
Moghan: But putting our shared history to one side, what brings you and your friends to Moghome, kupo? Moghan: Ah, another audience with old Hraesvelgr... Moghan: Well, I hope you've brought the horn, kupo! With the winds as gentle as they are, a good loud toot should reach the great wyrm's ears easily enough! Alphinaud: That is good to hear, Moghan─thank you. We had best press on to Zenith, while the winds are in our favor. Moghan: Now that was unexpected, kupo. Chieftain Moglin will want to hear about this!
Hraesvelgr: You dare summon me again, mortals? Alphinaud: Great Hraesvelgr, 'tis not lightly that we beg this audience. Pray hearken to our words, for they concern the future of man and dragon both. Aymeric: Greetings, Hraesvelgr. I am Aymeric de Borel, acting ruler of the nation of Ishgard. Aymeric: I am come before you to parley on behalf of my people. Hraesvelgr: ...To parley? Thinkest thou thy purpose unclear to me? Thou art come to beg mine aid in the battle against the shade of my brood-brother. Aymeric: You...foresaw mine intent. Hraesvelgr: I but read that which is writ plain in thine eyes. Would that thou had wit enough to scry the answer in mine. Hraesvelgr: My beloved Shiva did once build a bridge 'twixt man and dragon─a bridge which thy treacherous forefathers saw fit to tear down, as thou well knowest. Hraesvelgr: Thinkest thou Nidhogg was alone in despairing at the murder of our brood-sister? Thinkest thou mine own soul did not cry out for vengeance? Know then that upon that accursed day, my heart did wither in my breast, and thy kind become unto me the harbingers of despair. Hraesvelgr: 'Tis only Shiva's gentle dream that preventeth me from flying at Nidhogg's shoulder. Be grateful that I swore to abjure aggression ere I consumed her. Hraesvelgr: I permit my children to offer or deny thee aid as they see fit; to warn thy people of my brood-brother's coming. That thou wouldst dare ask more of me but affirmeth thine incurable arrogance. Alphinaud: We understand that in your despair at man's betrayal, you seek only the refuge of solitude. Alphinaud: But despite your protestations of spent faith, do you not still nurture the smallest flame of hope? Hraesvelgr: Perceivest thou such light in the dusk of mine existence? Alphinaud: I do. If you claim I see falsely, then tell me: why did you consent to bear Ysayle upon your back? Hraesvelgr: Ysayle... Piteous, deluded Ysayle. The child did lament her past sins, and sought to balance the scales with her remaining days. 'Twas her unquenchable passion, so alike to that of my beloved, which did spur me into flight. Hraesvelgr: And for mine own part, I would countenance no longer the hands of evil men to use my brood-brother's eye for ill. Alphinaud: So you do distinguish between those who acknowledge and repent their sins, and those who perpetuate them. Interesting. Alphinaud: It seems to me that you have not, in fact, lost faith in mankind as a whole. Rather, you weigh our respective merits by how we allow the past to influence our future. Hraesvelgr: Spare me thine idle sophistry. Even were there a mote of truth in thy reasoning, what of it? Wouldst thou have me slay mine own sibling to save a city of mortals? Aymeric: Should we suffer ties of blood to bind our hands then? Nay. If the crime is one of unconscionable evil, we must needs condemn it─even should the transgressor be our closest kin. Aymeric: When my father corrupted himself and his followers with the power of a primal, I beseeched the Warrior of Light to slay him─an act alike to patricide. Aymeric: That he did not die by my hand matters little─if anything, it heaps greater disgrace upon my name. But had my father not fallen, he would have drawn countless thousands into a holy war of hellish proportions─which I hold the greater crime. Thus did I order his execution, sparing the lives of my people and yours. Aymeric: Alas, your brother wyrm now prepares to murder those whom I sought to spare. What is more, he has taken my comrade's body for his own─but if I must slay my dearest friend to defeat my direst foe, I will not flinch from my duty! Hraesvelgr: Thou wouldst strike down thy friend and, by example of thy righteousness, persuade me to break mine oath and kill my kindred? Midgardsormr: Heed me, my child. The servants of Hydaelyn envision a different outcome. They intend salvation not only for Ishgard, but for the doomed dragonslayer as well. Midgardsormr: Believest thou this shade to be Nidhogg returned? Is it not merely a manifestation of his vengeance─the shadow cast by thy brood-brother's rage? I would not command thee, but ponder well thy course lest it lead thee unto greater remorse...
  • What will you say?
  • While this shade of vengeance remains, the future will ever be uncertain. Hraesvelgr: Nidhogg's transformation into rage incarnate is, in part, of mine own doing. I rendered unto him mine eye, and empowered his revenge thereby... But 'tis the purity of my brood-brother's wrath that lendeth him his all-surpassing might.
  • Help us save our companion. Hraesvelgr: Thou wishest to rescue the dragoon from his fate along with all the rest? I do begin to see why Ysayle entrusted her hope unto thee. Thy purpose is pure. ...But so too is my brood-brother's wrath, and 'tis that which lendeth him his all-surpassing might.
  • ... Hraesvelgr: What, no words for me, warrior? I take it thou art resolved to act whether I aid thee or no... Ha! I do admire thy determination.
Hraesvelgr: Thou wishest to rescue the dragoon from his fate along with all the rest? I do begin to see why Ysayle entrusted her hope unto thee. Thy purpose is pure. ...But so too is my brood-brother's wrath, and 'tis that which lendeth him his all-surpassing might. Hraesvelgr: Hast thou the strength of will to stand against so terrible a shadow, I wonder? 'Twould seem I must put thee and thy companions to the proof. Hraesvelgr: I shall await thee in the ruins wherein Ratatoskr once dwelled. Heed well the words of my children, and hasten thee to the place of thy trial!
Aymeric: I believe I spied a wyvern landing just outside the palace. It is doubtless one of the “children” of whom Hraesvelgr spoke. Aymeric: Come, my friends: let us not keep our escort waiting.
Imperious Wyvern: My broodmates and I will bear you to the place of your trial. Make your preparations.

Sohr Khai

Majestic and forgotten, its existence unrecorded in the annals of man, a palace rests atop my clouds in the farthest reaches of the Churning Mists. This skyborne splendor was once home to Ratatoskr, brood-sister to Hraesvelgr and Nidhogg, until the treachery of mortals ensured that its stones would never again ring under the she-wyrm's talons. The dragons named it “Sohr Khai,” a grieving apology for their failure to avert her fate, and they watched with infinite sadness as Ratatoskr's empty roost was overrun by bird and beast.
Aymeric: Let us prove our worth, my friends! Alphinaud: Aye, beyond a shadow of doubt!
Alphinaud: By the Twelve, it's Chieftain Moglin! Aymeric: That he should be part of the trial... Chieftain Moglin: This is as far as you go, Forename!
You and your ridiculous name won't make it past me, kupo! Chieftain Moglin: Kupopo... That's enough... You've made your point.
This isn't a fight to the death, kupo... Alphinaud: I didn't expect to face the moogles... Aymeric: I pray they aren't too badly hurt.
Aymeric: <pant> The air is rather thin this high up... Alphinaud: It isn't a race, so let us pace ourselves.
Alphinaud: The wyrm depicted on yonder crest... Aymeric: Neither Hraesvelgr nor Nidhogg. It could only be Ratatoskr.
Alphinaud: A winged horse...and an enormous one at that! Aymeric: There isn't much room to maneuver. Have care! Alphinaud: That creature was truly fearsome in motion... Aymeric: Thankfully we managed to rein it in.
Alphinaud: Good heavens, what a majestic place... Aymeric: I daresay we are come to Ratatoskr's sanctuary. Hraesvelgr: Thou hast weathered my trial thus far...but I am not convinced.
I will try thy limits. Aymeric: We will win you over, Hraesvelgr. Mark my words. Alphinaud: What awaits, I wonder...
Hraesvelgr: Nidhogg will spare thee no clemency.
And thus neither must I.
Alphinaud: Pray watch over us, Ysayle! Hraesvelgr: Come, warrior. Show me what strength doth remain in thy frail mortal shell! Aymeric: All that I have, I shall bring to bear! Hraesvelgr: The sky is the domain of dragons.
How wilt thou contend with such mastery? Hraesvelgr: Thou art formidable...
But canst thou endure until the bitter end? Hraesvelgr: Fight on, warrior! Press thy attack! Hraesvelgr: ...Thy resolve hath withstood my scrutiny.
Mayhap there is hope to be had in one such as thee...
Hraesvelgr: Even bereft of an eye, my brood-brother was a fearsome foe indeed. Hraesvelgr: But having tasted thy strength firsthand, I do begin to see how thou didst bring him low. Hydaelyn chooseth Her servants well. Hraesvelgr: Very well. I shall trust in the seed of man one last time. By thy deeds shall the flickering hope that lingereth yet within my heart be kindled anew...or extinguished forever. Hraesvelgr: That you yet stand is ready proof of your determination, mortals. Hraesvelgr: Let us fight as allies, then, and together banish my brood-brother's vengeful shade. On my oath, the wrath that once was Nidhogg shall meet its end! Hraesvelgr: This I swear on the memory of my beloved Shiva, and on the soul of lost Ysayle...
Alphinaud: Oh...ohhh... Oh, my poor ribs... That was a painful reminder of a great wyrm's might... Aymeric: And had he truly meant us harm, we would not be standing here now. Plainly, his intent was to teach. His onslaught forced me to recall my training─about the speed of the dragon, his balance, his blind spots... It was, in short, a very thorough lesson. Moglin: Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow...kupo. Forename, let me begin by congratulating you on the completion of your trial. Moglin: For one with a name more befitting a jester, you fight with the savagery of a rabid demon. Moglin: Do you see how my wings are kinked? Even my pom aches! After this drubbing, I fear my loyal subjects will have to bear the load of my personal chores for quite some time, kupo. Possibly indefinitely. Moghan: What!? When I told you about Forename's trial, I didn't mean for the rest of us to suffer... Moglin: ...That's triple shifts for you, Moghan. Moghan: <splutter> Triple!? But that's not fair!!!
There's no justice, kupo... None at all!
Alphinaud: Our negotiations proved rather more strenuous than I had anticipated, but the results seem well worth the effort. Aymeric: The battle was indeed hard-won. Thank you, my friends─I would never have earned Hraesvelgr's cooperation had you not seen fit to grant me yours. Aymeric: 'Twas your stalwart heroism that moved the heart of the great wyrm at the last. Any gratitude I can offer is but poor reward for your continued service to Ishgard. Alphinaud: 'Twould seem our final reckoning with the dread wyrm is at hand. I only wish we had some inkling as to when he means to strike. Alphinaud: Oh gods! Midgardsormr: The cry heraldeth his coming. Nidhogg's shade hath taken wing. Aymeric: It has begun. We must away to Ishgard!
An End to the Song Aymeric is desperate to fly to Ishgard's defense.
Aymeric: Ishgard will not last long against Nidhogg and his Horde. We must away!
Hraesvelgr: Know you, then, what this roar portendeth? Aymeric: Aye. I must return to my city without delay. Hraesvelgr: Then we shall lend you our wings. Let us meet with Nidhogg on the field of battle, and together bring an end to his wrathful song.
Lucia: Remember your training! We hold fast until the lord commander returns! Lucia: Ugh... We must hold... Artoirel: Reinforcements!
By the Fury... That one is the size of Nidhogg! Lucia: Lord Commander! Artoirel: You are late, Warrior of Light! Nidhogg: Wherefore standest thou with these vermin, Brother? Hraesvelgr: Abandon this war, shade. Hraesvelgr: The suffering thou sowest serveth no end. The traitors' progeny have learned of their forefathers' betrayal, and seek now to make amends with our kind. Hraesvelgr: Never shall our grief be assuaged nor our loss forgotten, but reconciliation may yet halt the spread of this plague of enmity. Forsake thy vengeance and be at peace. Nidhogg: What soft-headed ramblings are these? Thy dalliance with that vile maid hath robbed thee of thy wits! Mayhap her cloying perfume hath made thee forget the stench of our brood-sister's lifeblood! Hraesvelgr: Thou darest speak thus of my beloved!? Nidhogg: Ah! So the flames of rage may yet be kindled! I feared thy heart's fire had long since gone out. But waste not thy fury on words, Brother─thou shalt have need of it for the battle!
Hraesvelgr: Guh! Nidhogg: Thou art weak, Hraesvelgr─a slithering wyrm who fawneth on the vermin who should rightly be his prey. For a thousand years have I fought without cease─and thou didst think to prevail against me! Hraesvelgr: Glory not in thy victory, shade. The battle...is not yet won. My power─and my hope─have I entrusted to another... Nidhogg: Thine eye! What hast thou done!? Nidhogg: Fool! Thou wouldst trust a mortal with thy strength!? Nidhogg: I know thee... 'Twas thou who didst intrude upon my lair and best the half of me. But now I am whole, and naught in creation shall deny me my vengeance!

The Final Steps of Faith

Imbued with Hraesvelgr's last sliver of hope, you stand at the forefront of your allies as the last bastion against the raging shade of Nidhogg. Have you the resolve to conquer the great wyrm at the height of his power, or will Ishgard perish in fire and ruin? Here, on the battle-stricken Steps of Faith, your deeds shall decide how the final verse of a thousand-year dirge of grief and vengeance will be sung.
Nidhogg: Wriggling maggots! I shall grind you to paste in my jaws! Nidhogg: Come, my children!
Claim the vengeance that is rightfully yours! Nidhogg: Look upon the fool who dared embrace my power!
Witness the darkened wings that beat about his shriveled soul! Nidhogg: Champions of man! Hearken to my fury! Nidhogg: Thy final verse is sung! Nidhogg: Thou hast survived my song...
Curse thee and thine eye, Hraesvelgr! Nidhogg: Brood-brother, thou hast doomed me...
But if I must meet mine end, then all shall burn upon my pyre! Nidhogg: Slain twice by mortal hands...
Alphinaud: Estinien! Nidhogg: Is this...to be...mine end? Nidhogg: Nay... I will not allow it... I am of the first brood... I am vengeance incarnate... I am Nidhogg! Nidhogg: Thou shalt die by my hand! Estinien: This is not your hand, wyrm! Nidhogg: Thou...wilt...obey! Estinien: I would ask one last favor of you, Warrior of Light... Finish me─now, while I have the beast subdued! Estinien: You waste your time. Kill me! It is the only way! Ending Nidhogg...will be my final duty... Alphinaud: No! You can't die like this! I won't let you! Nidhogg: Undone by mortal will. Whither now...? Aymeric: The eyes! Cast them into the abyss! Aymeric: He lives. Ah, Estinien, my ill-fated friend... Aymeric: Lucia! Summon the healers! I want them ready to receive him! Lucia: At once, Lord Commander! Aymeric: Allow me to do this much, at least... Hraesvelgr: The Horde have sensed the fall of their master, and scattered to the winds. Aymeric: You have my gratitude, Hraesvelgr. Your deeds this day have saved a great many lives. Hraesvelgr: Then our alliance hath served its purpose. Hraesvelgr: Thou didst wield the power I granted thee well. 'Twas thine own skill and not mine eye which earned thee victory. Hraesvelgr: I wish thy companion a swift recovery. Fare you well, children of man. Alphinaud: The battle is won. We can do no more for Estinien now than bear him home and wish him well, even as Hraesvelgr did. The rest we must trust to the hands of the healers and the grace of the gods.
Alphinaud: Through the haze of pain, I swear I sensed─ But no. The past is done, and we must look to the future. At long last, Nidhogg is gone, his foul spirit cast out once and for all. I only pray that Estinien survives the ordeal...
Heroes of the Hour Alphinaud seems distracted.
Alphinaud: Your battle with Nidhogg's shade will beget many an epic ballad, Forename, and rightly so. It was, without a doubt, one of your more epochal victories─though I must admit that I took greater joy in seeing you emerge from the experience unscathed. Alphinaud: ...And not only for your own sake. Had you not been there to aid me, those infernal eyes would still be fused to Estinien's mail... Alphinaud: Yet even with Nidhogg gone, I cannot help but wonder how much of our friend remains... Let us pay a visit to Lucia, and beg news of his condition.
Lucia: Forename, Master Alphinaud...my honored friends... As if winning Hraesvelgr to our cause were not enough, you took it upon yourselves to rid us of his brood-brother... I know not how to thank you. Alphinaud: My own contribution was hardly noteworthy. The true saviors of the day were Forename and Estinien. One triumphed over Nidhogg's shade through strength of arms and the other through strength of will. Alphinaud: ...And speaking of Estinien, what news of his recovery? Lucia: The Azure Dragoon was conveyed to the infirmary, where he now resides under the care of our hospitalier captain. I am told he has yet to regain consciousness. Lucia: But as you know, Estinien's mind and body were held hostage for many days. We must be patient, and allow the process of healing to begin. In the meantime, you would do well to rest and recover from your own ordeals. Alphinaud: But surely─ Lucia: Ser Aymeric is never long from Estinien's bedside, and will send word the moment there are any developments. Now, if I have satisfied your concerns, I believe Lord Edmont and his sons are most eager to celebrate your return. Alphinaud: ...Very well, First Commander. Alphinaud: Come, Forename─'twould seem that we are awaited at Fortemps Manor.
House Fortemps Guard: Well come, Mistress Surname. Shall I show you inside the manor? Count Edmont de Fortemps: The heroes of the hour return! Alphinaud: We but did our duty, my lord. It was the memories of fallen friends and not our heroism which saw us through at the last. Artoirel: I gave every onze of my strength, but mine efforts would have counted for naught had the Warrior of Light not arrived to challenge the great wyrm. As a sworn knight of Ishgard, I had hoped to do more for my city... Emmanellain: Well, we cannot all be heroes, dear brother. Let us put away our pride for a moment, and revel in the valiant deeds of our comrade! For your sterling service to Ishgard, we salute you! Emmanellain: And while we're on the subject of valiant deeds, I believe I myself have earned some small measure of recognition: under my watchful command, the ballistas of the outer ward struck down a veritable swarm of Dravanian invaders. Honoroit: My lord's command was certainly watchful. He bravely watched as the siege crews took aim, and continued to watch as countless wyverns met their end. Indeed, the ward's defenders proved so well drilled that my lord had little occasion to stop watching. Count Edmont de Fortemps: There will be time enough to determine who is most deserving of recognition later. Our friends are doubtless weary from their exertions. Count Edmont de Fortemps: I had chambers prepared in expectation of your return. You are welcome to retire at your leisure. Alphinaud: I am most grateful for your hospitality, my lord, but I believe I shall pay a visit to the Temple Knights' infirmary. Pray excuse me. Count Edmont de Fortemps: How Master Alphinaud has grown. The plight of his stricken brother-in-arms pains him more than his own hurts. Count Edmont de Fortemps: ...In which respect, he has come to resemble you, Warrior of Light. Go then─visit the Azure Dragoon, and grant him what comfort you may.
Aymeric: Forename, my friend. What can I do for the savior of Ishgard?
...You seek Master Alphinaud? Ah. He came to relieve me of my vigil a short while ago. Aymeric: When he begged to sit at Estinien's side, I could not well refuse him. Aymeric: Though he would sooner faint than admit it, the boy must be exhausted by Hraesvelgr's trial and all that followed...
Estinien is blessed to have such devoted comrades.
Litany of Peace Aymeric appears lost in nostalgia.
Aymeric: My own friendship with Estinien began some ten years past, shortly after we joined the Temple Knights... Aymeric: I learned his name soon enough, but Estinien barely registered my existence. I was less a fellow recruit, and more a shadow which occasionally darkened his path. Aymeric: And so I might have remained, had fate not seen fit to intervene. While out on patrol, our company was set upon by a dragon, and we were the only two to survive. The experience forged a bond between us, as such life-threatening situations are wont to do. Aymeric: Despite our friendship, he remained an intense and solitary youth, wholly obsessed with claiming vengeance against Nidhogg. Revenge was ever at the forefront of his mind─revenge for the death of his parents, and revenge for his younger brother. Aymeric: I would venture that in Alphinaud he sees something of his lost sibling. Aymeric: And in the ungentle chidings of Estinien, Alphinaud has found the elder brother he never had. Aymeric: Truth be told, Estinien's tactless observations have saved me from disaster more than once, and I can well understand Alphinaud's affection for him. He is a friend for whom I would gladly─ Temple Herald: Lord Commander! Your presence is required in the infirmary! Aymeric: Is he─ Tell them I am on my way!
Aymeric: Quickly, Forename! We must go to him!
Alphinaud: Oh... Estinien... Estinien: Cease your mewling, boy. It grates my ears. Alphinaud: Forgive me. When I saw you awaken, I could not─ It was such a relief! We feared you might never wake up! Aymeric: Now, now, Estinien. If Master Alphinaud thought any less of you, you would still be Nidhogg's plaything─or dead. Estinien: Aye, aye. 'Twas but a jest. Estinien: I thank you, Alphinaud...and you too, Warrior of Light. Quite how you managed to persuade Hraesvelgr to aid in his brood-brother's downfall, I cannot imagine─but full glad am I that you did. Yet again, you have achieved the impossible. Aymeric: I, for my part, owe you an apology. When last we met, I did willingly loose an arrow at your heart. Can you forgive me? Estinien: There is naught to forgive, Aymeric. You but acted in defense of Ishgard, as is your duty. Estinien: Were you any less single-minded about it, I would not follow you into battle─nor trust you at my back. Estinien: Besides, I had come to the selfsame conclusion─that I would have to perish for Nidhogg to be stopped. So let us dispense with the hand-wringing. I have heard enough mewling for one day. Alphinaud: Oh! Estinien: The tendrils of Nidhogg's foul presence bound up every fiber of my being, usurping my senses, but I yet retained some trace of awareness. Estinien: The wyrm's mind was as a vast and tumultuous sea. Endlessly its black waters churned, his grief and despair at Ratatoskr's murder never calming, never receding. And driven by this surging current came wave upon wave of unrelenting rancor. Estinien: It was the very image of my own heart. There I saw the dark reflection of the hatred I felt after Nidhogg slew my family, when no path remained save vengeance against dragonkind. Estinien: Neither one of us had a choice. But I was blessed with something Nidhogg was not─comrades and teachers to console and admonish me. Estinien: Had I not had them to gainsay my obsession, it would surely have consumed me, as Nidhogg's did him, and we would have been in all respects alike. Estinien: Though his shade is banished, his spirit scattered upon the Sea of Clouds, I feel no joy at his passing. Where once I craved vengeance, I now crave rest. Estinien: Lord Commander, my hunt is at an end. I would lay down the mantle of Azure Dragoon. Aymeric: My friend... Hospitalier Captain Abel: He has tired himself with too many words. Hospitalier Captain Abel: I doubt not that he will make a full recovery, but he must be allowed some few days of quiet. Aymeric: I too must see my path to its end. Sleep well, my friend.
Count Edmont de Fortemps: Following the battle with Nidhogg on the Steps of Faith, Ser Aymeric called an assembly that he might make his final proclamation as acting head of state. Count Edmont de Fortemps: 'Twas there, with one decree, that the thousand-year rule of the archbishops was ended, paving the way for a new republic. Count Edmont de Fortemps: The governance of Ishgard would now be placed in the hands of high- and lowborn alike, their ranks represented by the newly founded House of Lords and House of Commons. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Church was separated from state. The foundation for change had been carefully laid, and the reforms proposed by Ishgard's new government passed into law without incident. Count Edmont de Fortemps: His duty done, Aymeric de Borel gladly stepped down from the archbishop's dais... only to be raised unto the highest seat in the House of Lords. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Though he strove at first to refuse this honor, the unexpectedly strident voice of the Count de Durendaire left him little choice but to accept... Count Edmont de Fortemps: And so it was that the winds of gentle revolution came to stir. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Prominent among the many honored guests at Ser Aymeric's investiture were the ambassadors of dragonkind, a fitting symbol of Ishgard's newfound peace. Count Edmont de Fortemps: The people looked on in awe as he soared through the heavens on dragonback, and by their cheers did they hail him an Azure Dragoon for a new age. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Thus were the notes of the Dragonsong rewritten, the din of war giving way to a rising litany of peace and hope. From the memoirs of Count Edmont de Fortemps
Heavensward
Aymeric: I was gazing out at the Sea of Clouds, in an all too rare moment of idleness, when I chanced to behold a certain hero wending her way towards the city on dragonback. Welcome home, Forename. Aymeric: Nay, 'twas no grave matter that moved me to greet you in person. Between you and me, I merely sought respite from the pressures of office... No sooner do I surrender my role as temporary head of state than I am burdened with a position of more permanent responsibility! Aymeric: I fancy that it echoes in some small measure the way you must feel when your improbable feats of heroism are rewarded with still more impossible challenges... Aymeric: The myth which guided our society for generations lies in tatters─am I then to be scorned for building upon the system of nobility that I once sought to tear down? And what strange jest is this that places me at its pinnacle? An archbishop's bastard at the head of the House of Lords... Aymeric: ...Ah, but these questions are for me to answer. Aymeric: It is not in man's nature to change overnight. This I learned through painful experience. And it was this hard lesson which convinced me to take the path which we now follow. Even as we rebuild the bridge between man and dragon, so must we reimagine Ishgard─one carefully placed stone at a time. Aymeric: We must remember that it is not for us that we lay this groundwork, but for the men and women that our children will become. May their towers rise proudly from the fundament of our legacy. Aymeric: ...I hear word from Captain Whitecape that Estinien has vanished from his sickroom. His willfulness survives undiminished. Aymeric: Should you ever happen upon our unmannerly friend on your travels, pray assure him that I shall keep Ishgard safe until he deigns to come home. Aymeric: Thank you, Forename. And please, convey my warmest regards to Master Alphinaud.
Alphinaud: You spoke with Ser Aymeric? I do not envy him his new position. Alphinaud: Ishgard has chosen a new road, but one littered with the detritus of a thousand years of broken faith. Alphinaud: Yet though her people may stumble from time to time, I know of none better than Ser Aymeric to lead the march of progress. Alphinaud: As for us, there remains the small matter of ushering in a new dawn in the shadow of inscrutable Ascian machinations and a seemingly endless procession of primals... But we too must walk our chosen path─no matter how treacherous the footing!
Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Thank you, Blanhaerz. Nay, you need not remain there. We shall rendezvous at the usual place. Elidibus: All is proceeding as expected, then? Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Aye, there is naught to concern us. Aside from one overly curious mouse... Thancred: This way! Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Him again... Elidibus: It is of no moment. They will play their part, and we will play ours...
And thus did grey mists give way to azure skies,
man and dragon rise above, voices joined in song But beneath shrouded boughs,
Beyond the scope of Light
Shadow stirs

Heavensward: Soul Surrender (3.4)

Promises Kept A new day dawns in Ishgard, and the House Fortemps knight has tidings for you.
House Fortemps Knight: Mistress Surname, Mistress Surname! You are come at a most excellent time. House Fortemps Knight: An invitation from a truly preeminent personage was delivered to the manor but a short while ago. Would that you had been present to receive it, but in any event... House Fortemps Knight: Ser Aymeric de Borel, lord speaker of the House of Lords, lord commander of the Temple Knights, and viscount of House Borel, cordially invites Mistress Surname to dine with him at his estate. House Fortemps Knight: You seem surprised. The messenger assured me that his lord had broached the subject with you at an earlier date─when the arrangements for the peace conference were still being finalized... House Fortemps Knight: Of course, the intervening moons afforded little opportunity for leisure. But with the happy advent of peace, 'tis plain the lord commander sees no further cause to delay. What say you?
  • What will you say?
  • I should be glad to accept! House Fortemps Knight: Indeed, who would not! You will forgive me if I seem envious. Ahem! House Fortemps Knight: I shall send word of your acceptance to Borel Manor at once. When you are ready, pray report to the Astrologicum. They will have someone escort you the rest of the way.
  • I would, but I haven't the foggiest what to wear. Any thoughts? House Fortemps Knight: Y-You would ask me!? Well, I...I am sure that as a personal friend of Ser Aymeric, you are at liberty to wear whatever you deem appropriate. That said... House Fortemps Knight: “When in doubt, a man of note could do far worse than an alpine coat!” House Fortemps Knight: ...At least, that is what Lord Emmanellain has been heard to say. I-I assume the same holds true for ladies. Ahem. When you are ready, pray report to the Astrologicum. A man of House Borel shall be waiting near there to escort you the rest of the way.
  • To be honest, I'd rather not... House Fortemps Knight: You─ You would rather not? Well...that is a great shame. The messenger went out of his way to express how very much his lord was looking forward to the occasion... House Fortemps Knight: Forgive me, but might I trouble you to reconsider, if only as a courtesy to your friend, Ser Aymeric? At the very least, 'twill be an opportunity to sample the finest in Ishgardian cuisine. Should you choose to heed my counsel, a man of House Borel will be waiting for you near the Astrologicum.
House Borel Steward: Greetings and well met, Mistress Surname. House Borel Steward: I have the honor and the privilege to serve as head steward of House Borel─though, admittedly, our staff is somewhat smaller than those of other noble families...being countable on one hand. House Borel Steward: Ahem! My lord will be overjoyed to hear that you have accepted his invitation. As you will soon see, we have spared no expense. House Borel Steward: I daresay a woman of action such as yourself enjoys nary a moment's respite. Aye, the battlefield beckons even now, I am sure, but for this day, we bid you lay down your burdens and raise a glass to peace and prosperity.
Aymeric: To think the moogles would prove such harsh taskmasters! Forgive me, I did not know you had suffered so in your quest for the horn. Aymeric: I must say, your spirited accounts always come as a welcome change from the arid reports which fill my days. Aymeric: Though I have lived in these lands my entire life, to hear you speak of them, there is much and more I have yet to see. Truly, yours was a marvelous journey.
  • What will you say?
  • Though perhaps a bit long for my liking. Aymeric: Long and arduous, aye. Not unlike the journey that Ishgard has at last embarked upon─thanks to the efforts of you and yours.
  • Why not join me on the next? Aymeric: Hah! Well...truth be told, when I think back on the sweeping vistas of the Churning Mists, I do feel some slight pangs of wanderlust... Aymeric: Alas, much as I would like to accept your invitation, I fear my present duties with the House of Lords demand my undivided attention. Someday, perhaps.
  • It wasn't all sunshine and lemoncakes. Aymeric: Nor would I presume to imply otherwise. Neither I nor any man alive can truly understand what you have endured, and I cannot say with any confidence that I would have acquitted myself as well under the circumstances─much less grown stronger for it.
Aymeric: By your deeds, you have helped us to lay the foundation for lasting reform. Aymeric: The formation of the republic is but the beginning, for it is not only our system of governance which must needs change. We the people must learn to let go of our hatreds and rise above our bloody past. Aymeric: I only pray that I live long enough to see us achieve some measure of success─that I might know the lost did not die in vain. Aymeric: I can still see you there, on the Steps of Faith, striding fearlessly towards the wyrm... If you could do that, who are we to balk at the challenges ahead? Aymeric: The question of how best to strengthen ties with the other great nations of Eorzea has been debated at length in the Lords and Commons of late. Aymeric: As you may imagine, maintaining stability during this period of historic upheaval is our paramount concern. Nevertheless, we are greatly indebted to the Alliance for their support during the grand melee, and it would be remiss of us not to repay their faith in kind. Aymeric: Of course, we owe you the greatest debt of all, and it is my hope that in extending our support to you and the Scions, we might also express our gratitude to our neighbors─nay, our fellow Eorzeans, whom we pray you will continue to protect. Aymeric: The Lords and Commons agree on very little, but not a soul in either house begrudges your order this offer of patronage. For all you have done and will do, we thank you. Aymeric: ...May I ask a personal question? Aymeric: Now that the dust has settled, what will you do? Not as a Scion, I mean, but...what do you want for yourself? House Fortemps Knight: Lord Commander, pray forgive the interruption! Aymeric: News from House Fortemps? House Fortemps Knight: An urgent message for the Warrior of Light. I was instructed to deliver it without delay. House Fortemps Knight: Master Thancred returned to the manor a short time ago, bearing an injured maiden. House Fortemps Knight: Master Leveilleur and Mistress Tataru are tending to her wounds, but they like not her chances. Respectfully, my lord─they have requested the Warrior of Light's immediate presence. Aymeric: You must go to them, my friend. And I shall go with you. Papalymo: For every ending marks a new beginning. Papalymo: From tragedy and sacrifice we rise to greet a new dawn. As did she. Papalymo: Only to be drawn unto another battlefield, another cause, as if by fate...
Alisaie: The As—<gasp> Aymeric: Is that...? Thancred: Alisaie, Alphinaud's twin sister. Thancred: She ran afoul of the Warriors of Darkness. Thancred: I had been tracking them since the ceremony at Falcon's Nest. Little did I know I was not the only one. Thancred: Evidently she had learned of their activities and attempted to shadow them on her own. Poorly. Thancred: I rescued her in the Twelveswood, and together we fled north. But though I made every effort to cover our tracks, they caught up with us on the Ishgardian border, and in the ensuing struggle, Alisaie took an arrow to the shoulder.
'Twas only after we had made good our escape that I realized it was poisoned... Alphinaud: Thank you for coming so quickly. And you, Ser Aymeric. Aymeric: Think nothing of it. How is she? Alphinaud: We have done all we can for now. Although the immediate danger has passed, the poison yet lingers in her blood... Alphinaud: We came to Eorzea together, hoping to bring salvation to the realm our grandfather gave his life to protect. Alphinaud: But when confronted with the bitter realities of its politics and its petty powermongers, she was driven to anger─and to doubt. Alphinaud: She refused to become embroiled in what she termed Eorzea's “squabbles,” and distanced herself from the Scions. Alphinaud: Though she remained hopeful of a brighter future, she would walk her own path. Would that it had not been so perilous... Alphinaud: For all our differences, she is as dedicated as any Scion to the salvation of Eorzea. But more than that, she is my sister... Alphinaud: To be reunited with her, only to lose her forever... Gods, even to speak the words... Aymeric: Take heart, Master Alphinaud. She will be attended by our most skilled chirurgeons. Aymeric: Bear Mistress Leveilleur to the infirmary at once. Apprise Captain Whitecape of the situation, and inform him that she is to be treated as my personal charge. Alisaie: W-Wait... D-Don't go... Please, come closer... Alisaie: The Warriors of Darkness are in league with the Ascians... Slaughtering the primals is but the first step in their plan... Alisaie: They make for Xelphatol to bring about Garuda's summoning... And to kill her... Alisaie: You must... You must stop them... Tataru: I...I shall inform the others at once! Aymeric: Master Thancred─I would ask that you accompany Mistress Leveilleur to the infirmary. Your knowledge of her injuries may well prove useful in determining her treatment. Thancred: Of course.
Alphinaud: Surely, surely they won't let her... <sigh> Yes, yes, I know. We must trust in Captain Whitecape and his chirurgeons. Did they not bring Estinien back from the very brink of death? Alphinaud: ...I am uncomfortably reminded of how he mocked me for praying at his bedside for days on end. Alphinaud: What say you, my friend? Shall we turn our attention to a matter whose conclusion we yet have the power to influence?
Shadows of the First As Alphinaud and many others know all too well, there is no rest for the righteous.
Alphinaud: So the Warriors of Darkness and the Ascians are conspiring to bring about Garuda's summoning, that they might put her to the sword... Alphinaud: Then when we first encountered them in Loth ast Gnath...when they were confronting Ravana... Gods, has this been their aim all along? Count Edmont de Fortemps: What do you intend to do, Master Alphinaud? Alphinaud: There is much and more I do not understand, but I know this: a primal summoning cannot be ignored. Alphinaud: Alisaie risked her life to uncover this plot, and we squander her gift at our peril. Forename, will you accompany me to Xelphatol and help me stop the Ixal's ritual? Aymeric: Given that Ishgard shares a border with the Ixali homeland, we have a vested interest in the outcome of this ritual. Aymeric: We have been willing to suffer the beastmen's intrusions into Coerthan lands to a point, but the summoning of a primal is an escalation we cannot abide. Aymeric: You shall have our fastest airship, Master Alphinaud. The mountains of Xelphatol are not easily traversed, and this endeavor demands all haste. Alphinaud: The gesture is most appreciated, Ser Aymeric─but I fear an aerial approach is destined to fail. This is their homeland, after all, and Ixali dirigibles are not to be underestimated. Alphinaud: No, experience tells me the only conceivable approach is by land. I believe it would be wiser to cross into Xelphatol by way of the mountain pass east of Camp Dragonhead. Count Edmont de Fortemps: In that case, I shall send instructions for a contingent of the camp's knights to be placed at your disposal. They will secure you safe passage through the mountains, and escort you thence to Xelphatol. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Though my men are unqualified to confront a primal, they are more than capable of contending with the Ixal. Alphinaud: We should be glad of their assistance, Lord Edmont. Aymeric: In the event Mistress Alisaie regains consciousness, we will share with you any additional information she may provide. May the Fury watch over and keep you safe. Alphinaud: Then let us be off. We can procure any additional supplies we require in Camp Dragonhead.
Alphinaud: Have you everything you require, then? Excellent. Alphinaud: The entrance to the pass is north of Natalan and due east of Camp Dragonhead. Alphinaud: Though it is normally guarded by a score of Ixali warriors, I have been informed that House Fortemps knights have already dispatched them. Alphinaud: The enemy's gate lies open. We need but walk through.
Steadfast House Fortemps Knight: Mistress Surname, Master Alphinaud. As you can see, the gate is ours. Steadfast House Fortemps Knight: Be advised that our scouts are reporting increased activity around the First Mountain. Simply put, they are up to something, and don't want anyone interfering. Steadfast House Fortemps Knight: We stand ready to escort you to Xelphatol and aid you as you see fit. Alphinaud: The enemy will be thick on the ground. Upon arriving, let us advance with care as we search for the site of the summoning ritual. Alphinaud: If the gods are good, we should only have to contend with the Ixal─but if they are not, we may be forced to do battle with the Warriors of Darkness...

Xelphatol

Forced to flee the Black Shroud for fear of the elementals and their boundless wrath, the Ixal settled the windswept mountains of Xelphatol more than five hundred and fifty years ago. Since that day, they have labored tirelessly to eke out an existence in these harsh and unforgiving lands, slowly but surely expanding their dominion over the entire region. Yet the Ixal have never forgotten that which was once denied them, and so they seek divine intervention once more─to summon Garuda and beseech her strike down their enemies. In the shadow of the First Mountain, the ritual nears completion, as a brave hero once more races against time to deliver the realm from destruction.
Alphinaud: Falling rocks to add to the danger... House Fortemps Knight: Let us proceed with caution.
Alphinaud: It's over if we're crushed. House Fortemps Banneret: We can't lower our guard even in battle.
Alphinaud: Is that a balloon on his back!? Nuzal Hueloc: Fly from this sacred place, featherless ones will! House Fortemps Knight: Be on guard for attacks from above! Nuzal Hueloc: From on high, we rain down death! Nuzal Hueloc: Reach us, featherless ones cannot! Nuzal Hueloc: Squaaaaaak! Nuzal Hueloc: Fly free, we will... Alphinaud: His tactics were unique to say the least...
Alphinaud: They've fortified the very cave. House Fortemps Banneret: An impressive feat, I must allow.
Alphinaud: They even have mechanized lifts.
Alphinaud: Does she mean to rouse the wind with that fan!? Dotoli Ciloc: Sacred winds, come forth! House Fortemps Knight: The knights of our camp have just the defense! Dotoli Ciloc: Fury of the vortex, behold! Dotoli Ciloc: One with the wind, we become... House Fortemps Banneret: <pant> Her attacks were a veritable storm... Alphinaud: I daresay she was one of the Galeborne.
Alphinaud: An armored troop transport!
Alphinaud: We're well and truly in the sky now. House Fortemps Banneret: I can't be back on solid ground soon enough...
Alphinaud: We can't allow this summoning! Tozol Huatotl: Intrude upon sacred ground, who dares!?
Pay with lives, featherless ones will! Tozol Huatotl: Upon sliver of Her glory, we now call! Squaaawk! Squaaawk! Tozol Huatotl: From wrath of mighty Garuda, reprieve there is not! Squaaawk! Garuda: THE RECKONING COMES!!! Tozol Huatotl: To the goddess, all glory! All creation, Her dominion is! Tozol Huatotl: O Lady of the Vortex! In Your name, our lives we give...
Alphinaud: So they were unable to see the ritual to its completion... Then Garuda is no longer a threat, and whatever the Ascians and the Warriors of Darkness were planning has come to naught... Alphinaud: But we should not tarry. The knights have secured our path to safety. ??? (Branden): Well, well... What do we have here? You'd better not have killed the primal without us! Alphinaud: You! Ranger of Darkness (Renda-Rae): Wait, I know you! Still walking, I see. I could have sworn my aim was true... Knight of Darkness (Branden): Just what is your game? Leading us the long way, so these fools could step in and claim our prize? Devout of Darkness (Lamitt): Now, now. Let's not make hasty accusations. By the look of things, the ritual was proceeding as planned. Devout of Darkness (Lamitt): We arrived at the appointed hour. 'Twas they who erred. Alphinaud: It is hopeless. We cannot face them all... Ranger of Darkness (Renda-Rae): Do mine ears deceive? A boy! So that's the way of it. Twins! You had me worried for a moment there. Ranger of Darkness (Renda-Rae): Know that I will happily make it quicker for you...if you just stand still. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Enough, J'rhoomale. We wouldn't want to upset the man in white with any unnecessary bloodshed, now would we? Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): You've been awfully busy since we were kind enough to spare your lives. Alphinaud: While you were idly consorting with the Ascians, you mean? Seven hells! What could you possibly hope to achieve!? Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Should I explain it to you? Very well. Consider it a reward of sorts for beating us here. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): You know the tale of Hydaelyn and Zodiark, I take it. Of the great sundering, and the reflections it created? Alphinaud: Across ten and three they were divided. Reflections of the Source, each possessed of shards of Light and Dark... Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Just so. One of those reflections─the one nearest to the Source─is our home. And we were the heroes blessed with Her Light. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): But not all worlds hold Light and Dark in equal measure. In ours, the power of Light was greater by far. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): So the Ascians who once threatened our home were no match, and they fell before us, one after another, till none were left. Victory, we thought... Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): ...And then came the Light─a flood of pure, blinding radiance, annihilating shadow and color and life itself. Ere long, it will consume our world, leaving naught in its wake but blank perfection. Alphinaud: That─ That cannot be! Do you honestly expect us to believe such a story!? Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Believe what you like. But it has happened before, on a world far removed from ours. The Thirteenth, which was swallowed by the Dark, and transformed into what you call the void. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Unchallenged Light would condemn us to a similar fate. And so we joined hands with our former enemies, and with their aid came here...to the Source. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): For there is but one way to restore the balance and save our home: the Ardor. Calamitous destruction with the power to break down the barriers between planes, and see our worlds rejoined. Alphinaud: You would doom our world to save your own!? What would even become of us? Of you? Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Enough. I tire of talking. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): You know our cause. You know what is at stake. We are prepared to do whatever it takes! Are you? Alphinaud: If there is aught you would say, say it. Otherwise, begone. You have no friends here.
Alphinaud: All things considered, we should be grateful to have survived that encounter. Alphinaud: ...Do you think it could be true? That to save their world, they must bring ruin to ours? Alphinaud: No. No, it matters not. Such wanton destruction is beyond justification. Whatever their reasons, they must be stopped. The sacrifice, the loss─it ends here.
Two Sides of a Coin Alphinaud would like nothing more than to get out of the snow.
Alphinaud: Forgive me, this is neither the time nor the place for idle introspection. Alphinaud: The knights can apprise Lord Edmont of our success, and we the lord commander. More importantly, I should like to see if my sister's condition has improved... Alphinaud: You may take a moment for yourself if you wish. I will be at the Congregation.
Aymeric: It brings me joy to see you safely returned to us, Forename. What news from Xelphatol? Aymeric: ...Then we were not too late. On behalf of Ishgard, I offer you my deepest thanks. Aymeric: As for we who remained behind─Mistress Y'shtola has been tending to Mistress Alisaie in your absence...and I am pleased to report that she has regained consciousness. Aymeric: I imagine you have many questions, especially given your recent encounter with the Warriors of Darkness. I know I do. Aymeric: Come, let me show you to her room. Do not worry, her condition is much improved. She is a resilient one, much like her brother.
Alphinaud: Alisaie! How are you feeling? Alisaie: Well enough, Brother, thanks to the kindness of our hosts. Alisaie: They told me you had departed for Xelphatol while I was still abed. I slept much better knowing that. Thank you. Y'shtola: I take it your mission was a success? Thancred: ...As if we needed any further confirmation that they are in league with the Ascians. Thancred: ...But to save another world? I think not. Alphinaud: I too thought his story fanciful at first. But it is possible there may be a kernel of truth in all of this. At the very least, none of his claims contradict the Word's account. Y'shtola: You were following these people, Alisaie. Why? Alisaie: During my travels, I had oft enjoyed tales of the Scions and their exploits. But after a time, I began to hear whispers of a gifted, and theretofore unknown, band of adventurers. Alisaie: Adventurers who had supposedly sworn to travel the realm slaying primals in the Scions' stead. Alphinaud: The Warriors of Darkness... And in the course of investigating these rumors, you stumbled upon the Ascians' involvement. Alisaie: Yes. Exactly. Aymeric: Forgive me, but if these Warriors of Darkness mean to bring about another Calamity, to what end do they hunt primals? Alisaie: To prompt an escalation. To deepen the beast tribes' feelings of helplessness and despair, and thereby drive them to summon ever more powerful gods. Alisaie: And lest we forget, these events do not occur in isolation. With their patron deities being slain left and right, the news of man's victory over Nidhogg must surely have sown panic in the minds of the beastmen. 'Tis no wonder they wish to defend themselves. Aymeric: Power answered with greater power, death with more death. A vicious cycle fueled by fear and hatred. I know its like all too well. Alisaie: Indeed. The Ascians sow discord and desperation, and the Warriors of Darkness reap the harvest. And so it continues. Alisaie: Yet that is not the extent of their ambitions. The Ascian himself observed that once the powerless realize that the old gods have failed them, they will have little recourse but to look to a new one. Y'shtola: ...We cannot let that happen. Thancred: It should come as no surprise, but Alisaie and I have uncovered evidence that the Ascians have been manipulating certain parties to ensure that a constant stream of crystals flows into the hands of the beast tribes. Thancred: If we sever these supply lines, we should at least be able to slow the escalation. Y'shtola: Agreed. Krile and I shall journey to Xelphatol and learn what we can of the Ixal's source. Aymeric: Hm. Then I, for my part, pledge to lead a similar investigation into the origin of the Gnath's supply. Alphinaud: Ser Aymeric? Aymeric: As a member of the Eorzean Alliance, Ishgard is honor-bound to play an active role in maintaining the security of the realm. You might also say that I have some personal motivation, given the Ascians' dealings with my father. Aymeric: However, I make no secret of the fact that my knowledge of primal beings is scant at best. As such, I should be most grateful if one of your order were to assist me. Thancred: Allow me, Ser Aymeric. I have dealt with the Gnath before. Alphinaud: Let us consult with Urianger, then. Given his dedication to the study of primal beings, I should be surprised if he could not tell us something of value. Alisaie: Allow me to accompany you, Brother. And before you think to refuse, know that I am not the girl I once was. I shall not be a burden─you have my word. Alphinaud: But Alisaie, you... Alphinaud: ...You are more than welcome. After all, it was you who set us upon this path. Tataru: Wait a minute! I'm afraid I can't allow you to leave just yet─not until you try on the new outfit I prepared for you!
Alphinaud: Would I be right in assuming that you have not spoken with my sister since...one of the memorial services, was it? Alphinaud: By the Twelve, it seems a lifetime ago. I should like to think we have both grown since then... Alisaie: My apologies for keeping you waiting. Alisaie: Right, then. Shall we be off? Alphinaud: Tataru never ceases to impress... Though, for a moment, I feared she might furnish you with an identical outfit. Alisaie: Praise the Twelve she did not! Mother and Father were rather too fond of making us wear matching clothes. Alisaie: Do you remember that time at the Studium when that girl of yours crept up behind me in the hall and whispered─ Alphinaud: Sister, please! She was not my─ Ahem, can we not have this conversation in front of the Warrior of Light!? Alisaie: So be it. Another time, perhaps. Alisaie: It is an honor, Forename. I realize we are barely acquainted, but having heard so much about you, it hardly feels that way.
  • What will you say?
  • A pleasure to have you with us.
  • I've been meaning to ask about the carriage... Alphinaud: Ah, yes, the carriage that so fortuitously arrived to spirit us away from Ul'dah after the banquet. Alphinaud: The driver informed me that I had my sister to thank for his presence in Ul'dah. How did you know to send help? Alisaie: Oh, drunken Brass Blades are even less discreet than sober ones. Unfortunately, by the time I learned of the plot, it was too late to do anything more. Frankly, I'm still amazed Bremondt managed to find you.
  • Welcome to the fight.
Alphinaud: New garments aside, I must say that you seem different─more...resolute than when last we met. You have the look of a woman who is ready to fight for the future of Eorzea. Alisaie: To the extent of my abilities, perhaps, but I have no delusions of grandeur. Nor will I pretend to have “found myself” or any such thing. Alisaie: I am here today because I would regret it if I weren't. That is all. Alphinaud: Fair enough. Let us depart for the Waking Sands, then, and see if Urianger can be of assistance.
Alphinaud: Urianger─apologies for calling upon you unannounced. Urianger: Why, Master Alphinaud. Would that the Scholar had seen fit to grant me knowledge of thy coming. What bringeth thee and thine here this day? Alphinaud: The Warriors of Darkness have returned. Pray allow us to explain... Urianger: ...I too have heard tales in recent days of primal beings rising up only to be cast down by forces unknown. Urianger: Alas, as thou didst observe, this serveth but to spur the beast tribes to pursue their goals with redoubled fervor. Alphinaud: We have two objectives at this time: to identify and remove the source of the beast tribes' crystals, and to take direct action to prevent any further summoning rituals from reaching completion. Alphinaud: The second is easier said than done, of course. While we were fortunate enough to learn of the Ixal's plans before they came to fruition, I should be surprised if the Warriors of Darkness and the Ascians did not have similar designs elsewhere of which we have no knowledge. Urianger: Thou wert wise to come hither, for this very day did I receive tidings most troubling from across the Strait of Merlthor. Urianger: O'Ghomoro stirreth, and there are whispers that the Lord of Crags neareth his return. Mere rumors, mark thou─but in light of thine own discoveries... Urianger: ...Thou canst ill afford to turn a deaf ear to their claims. Alphinaud: Aye─we must ascertain the truth of the matter for ourselves. Let us consult with the Maelstrom forces stationed at Camp Overlook, Forename. Alphinaud: Thank you for your counsel, Urianger. Pray inform us should you learn aught else. Urianger: I shall. Alisaie: If I may, Brother─ Urianger, is there anything else you would like to say? Alphinaud: Alisaie? Alisaie: ...If not, then never mind. I only ask because you are normally rather more...verbose. Alisaie: Nothing to add? Very well. Ere we depart, I wish to make a request. The Warriors of Darkness spoke of how the Ardor had the power to “break down the barriers between planes,” that our worlds might be rejoined. I would ask that you research this for us. Alisaie: Being nowhere near as well-read as you, I'm sure I wouldn't know where to begin. That said, I have heard tell of a promising tome: The Gerun Oracles. Mayhap you could start there. Urianger: ...By thy leave. Alisaie: Camp Overlook, was it? Very well.
Bloeidin: Seven hells, at this rate, I'll have to appeal to Maelstrom Command for reinforcements... Bloeidin: Hm? Whatever it is, we don't want any. Bloeidin: Well, fancy that! Just when my kobold problems look like coming to a head, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn turn up, itching to pitch in! Bloeidin: Bloody brilliant timing is what it is! Right, then─let's get to it!
Unlikely Allies Commander Bloeidin is eager to put you to work.
Bloeidin: So our friendly neighbors in U'Ghamaro have got much more aggressive of late, just as you said. Bloeidin: Matter of fact, our scouts spotted one sniffin' about the stores just now, likely lookin' to make off with an armful of crystals. Bloeidin: I'll be damned if I'm about to let that happen! Lend a hand and help us search the camp for the little bugger, would you?
Alphinaud: Our Maelstrom friends seem notably more agitated than when first we arrived. Do you happen to know why that might be? Alphinaud: A kobold in the camp, you say...? Alphinaud: That would appear to corroborate Urianger's information, yes. But to be so reckless as to infiltrate a Maelstrom camp and draw attention to their efforts is passing strange. Alphinaud: Well, there will be time to think on this later. For the present, we must do everything in our power to prevent Titan's summoning─and that means finding and questioning this kobold.
Koboldling (Ga Bu): <gasp>
Koboldling (Ga Bu): S-Stay back! Away, far, back! I'm n-not a...not a... Koboldling (Ga Bu): Gah, it's no use! Pointless, hopeless, no use!
Koboldling (Ga Bu): P-P-Please, d-don't hurt me! I only wish to talk. Yes, yes, just talk... Koboldling (Ga Bu): I...I... Gaaah!
Koboldling (Ga Bu): This was a stupid plan! Stupid, stupid, stupid! But...if I tell no one, then everyone will... Koboldling (Ga Bu): Gah, she found me again! What to do, what to do, what to do...? Koboldling (Ga Bu): I...I come in peace, only to talk! Speak, say, talk! So please, please, do not hurt me! Alisaie: So this is our wily kobold infiltrator, is it? No wonder the soldiers were on edge. He could very well give one a bruised knee. Bloeidin: Huzzah, we've got him! Fine work, Scions! Bloeidin: So, little one─thought you could sneak into my camp, did you? Plottin' to steal my crystals, were you!? Koboldling (Ga Bu): No, no, no! I came to talk! To ask for help! But when your soldiers saw me, they drew their weapons and shouted, and I...I─ Alphinaud: Now, now, let us all take a deep breath and discuss this like civilized...individuals. What is your name, child? Ga Bu: Pickman Ga Bu of the 620th Order! At least...I will be a pickman...one day. Alphinaud: Well met, Ga Bu. I am Alphinaud, and this is my sister Alisaie. Alphinaud: Forename, the woman who found you, is our friend. And now that you know our names, we can be friends too. Alphinaud: Now, Commander Bloeidin here thinks you wanted to take his crystals, Ga Bu, but you said you came to ask for help. Why to us, and not to your own people? What happened, Ga Bu? Can you tell us? Ga Bu: I...um...er... Alisaie: No one is going to hurt you, all right? Not while we're here. I promise. Ga Bu: Th-The...
The patriarch, he...he's...
<gulp> ...The patriarch is going to summon the Great Father again, and you have to stop him! Beat him, fight him, stop him! Ga Bu: Ga Bu's parents said they didn't want it, along with many others! But the patriarch wouldn't listen. He was so angry─raging, fuming, angry! Ga Bu: He said that if they didn't have iron in their hearts, they would serve as coke for the furnace. And then the guards took my parents and the others away, and I haven't seen any of them since... Alphinaud: "Coke for the furnace“? Alisaie: I did not want to believe it...but I have heard tales of foci fashioned from the bones of beastmen, which worshipers use in their rituals, hoping to summon more powerful incarnations of their gods. Alphinaud: By the Twelve... That is... That is sickening. Ga Bu: No one listens to Ga Bu, no matter how much he cries─pleads, begs, cries! They do not listen, only talk about punishing the overdwellers and praising the Great Father. Ga Bu: Ga Bu loves the Great Father, but he loves his parents too! So please, help Ga Bu stop the patriarch and save his parents! Alphinaud: Commander─advise Maelstrom Command that Titan's summoning is imminent. Should the worst come to the worst, we will require their support. Alphinaud: Time being of the essence, we three will attempt to infiltrate the kobold stronghold, secure their crystals, and free the prisoners. Bloeidin: Well, if you're sure... You'll forgive me if I don't seem optimistic. We'll make ready, just in case.
Alphinaud: I have faith that we may yet stop the ritual. We would surely have detected the associated aetheric disturbance had Titan manifested already. Alphinaud: But I cannot speak for the prisoners. Twelve have mercy... That they would even contemplate sacrificing their own flesh and blood─brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers... Alphinaud: Time is of the essence. We must see what else Ga Bu knows and formulate a plan without further delay.
The Beast That Mourned at the Heart of the Mountain Shifting nervously from foot to foot, Ga Bu struggles to meet your gaze...
Ga Bu: I heard Great Father Titan loves crystals. Cherishes, covets, loves them, and if we gather enough, He will return. That's why the patriarch told everyone to go forth and gather them. Ga Bu: So I was thinking, if we take all the crystals away, maybe the Great Father won't come? Alphinaud: Very good, Ga Bu. I was just thinking the same thing. Do you know where these crystals are stored? Ga Bu: I know, I know, oh, oh, oh! Several spots, each defended by a different order! Ga Bu: Ga Bu wanted to steal them, but he was too afraid to go alone. Yes, yes, too afraid to go alone. Ga Bu: But together we can take them away and hide them! Come, come─Ga Bu will lead you to the first cache!
Ga Bu: Quickly, quickly!
Alphinaud: Do you have them all? Good. Lead on, Ga Bu. Ga Bu: This way, this way!
Alisaie: Time is short. If you have the crystals, we should move on to the next cache. Alisaie: Did you hear me, Brother? Brother! Alphinaud: Aye, aye, it's just that... Alphinaud: I am quite certain that crate once bore Ishgardian seals. Someone took great pains to remove all traces, but enough remains to make out the pattern. See for yourself. Alphinaud: I struggle to imagine kobolds traveling to Coerthas to obtain crystals, much less bothering to conceal their origins. Alphinaud: I suspect these crystals were smuggled into Vylbrand by another party─most likely a pawn of the Ascians, as Thancred speculated. Ga Bu: I don't understand. Who are the Ascians? Do they worship Great Father Titan too? Alphinaud: Ah, never you mind about that. As Alisaie said, we do not have a lot of time. Can you lead us to the next cache, Ga Bu? Ga Bu: Yes, yes, yes, of course! Ga Bu knows the way! Ga Bu: This next one is the last and is very large! Very big, very huge, very large!
Though you cast about for a time, you see no sign of the crystals... Alphinaud: Confound it. What about you, Forename? Any luck? Ga Bu: Nothing, nothing, nothing! But this cannot be! Ga Bu saw them! Spied, spotted, saw! Alisaie: Think, Brother, think! They must have moved them, yes? The question is, where to, and why? Alphinaud: ...Within O'Ghomoro, where they summoned Titan once before and mean to do so again. It is the only explanation. Ga Bu: What about Mother and Father and the others!? We have to help them! Alisaie: And we will, Ga Bu, we will! Stay calm─we still have time. Alphinaud: They have yet to call for the remaining crates, yes? If they had, then they would have found the other caches empty and sounded the alarum. Alphinaud: Nevertheless, I believe the time for stealth has passed. We must breach the Navel and seize the remaining crystals. There is no other way to prevent Titan's summoning. Alphinaud: But first, give me your crystals, that I might deliver them into Commander Bloeidin's custody. We dare not take them into the bowels of the mountain.
Alphinaud: The crystals, Forename, if you would be so kind.
Cache of Crystals A large quantity of crystals intended for Titan's summoning.
Alphinaud: Thank you. I shall deliver them to Camp Overlook for safekeeping and brief Commander Bloeidin on the situation. Alphinaud: Pray go on ahead. As I recall, there is an aetheryte within the U'Ghamaro Mines that should deliver you to the Navel. Ga Bu doubtless knows the way. Wait for me there─I shall rejoin you anon. Alisaie: Strange─I would've thought you eager to remain in the thick of the action. But if this is what you would prefer, then godsspeed, Brother. Ga Bu: This way, this way!
Alisaie: Ah. I take it this is the aetheryte we seek? Right then. Alisaie: As soon as Alphinaud arrives, we go. I trust you're feeling suitably heroic, Forename─there's no telling what sort of resistance we'll face in there.
2nd Order Patriarch Za Da: Quickly, you clods! Briskly, swiftly, quickly! I will not suffer any further delays! Alphinaud: Lay down your arms and surrender! We have your crystals. There will be no summoning this day! 2nd Order Patriarch Za Da: Overdwellers!? Here!? But how did you─ Ga Bu: Where are my parents, Patriarch!? Where are they!? Ga Bu: Mother...? Father... Alisaie: "Coke for the furnace“? You monster. How could you!? 2nd Order Patriarch Za Da: I... We are but servants of the Lord of Crags. We are His, that He may drink of our blood and partake of our flesh─that He might draw upon the strength of His children and defend them from the tyranny of the overdwellers! Alphinaud: No, Alisaie. Not yet. Alphinaud: I understand, Patriarch. I do. Your fear, your anger, your hate... Alphinaud: You would do anything to protect your people─anything to deliver them from despair. Whatever it takes to ensure that those who threaten you can never do so again. Alphinaud: But in your single-minded pursuit of this objective, you have brought suffering on your own kith and kin. You have sacrificed the lives of the very people you sought to protect! Alphinaud: But it need not be this way, Patriarch! Renounce this bloody course! Cease your attempts to summon your god, and work with us, together, to build a lasting peace! 2nd Order Patriarch Za Da: Another peace to be abandoned at the overdwellers' convenience! Oathbreakers, all of you! Liars, betrayers, oathbreakers! 2nd Order Patriarch Za Da: You take and you take and you take, and when you have had your fill, you sue for peace. You promise that this time, this time is the last─until you grow hungry again! 2nd Order Patriarch Za Da: And when we dare to defend ourselves, you declare that this “beast tribe” cannot be suffered to live! That our god drains the land of aether, and brings naught but suffering─death, destruction, suffering upon us all! 2nd Order Patriarch Za Da: I will hear no more lies from you and yours, overdweller! You've ruined your own lands─you'll not ruin ours! Ga Bu: I said I'd come for you, and I did! I'm here...I'm here...I'm here... Ga Bu: Say something, please. Please... Ga Bu: PLEEEAAASE!!! Ga Bu: Wake up... Wake up...
Wake up wake up wake up wake up
wake up wake up─ Ga Bu: WAAAKE UUUUUUP!!! Alphinaud: Seven hells! Ga Bu: I'm here...I'm here...I'm here... Alisaie: Alphinaud! Alphinaud: Leave him to me! Alphinaud: We must away!
Alphinaud: By the Twelve, how could I be so foolish? I should have known better than to let Ga Bu accompany us, given what we were like to find. Alphinaud: His anguish and despair have served to birth a primal, just as surely as would the supplications of the faithful. Worse, being born of such tumultuous emotion, this incarnation of Titan seems incapable of naught but violence. Alphinaud: If we have one cause for optimism, it is that while many crystals were present, they represented but a fraction of the quantity intended for the summoning ritual. Alphinaud: ...Meaning that Titan must be far weaker than planned. Alphinaud: Be that as it may, he is yet a primal, and the longer we leave him to bleed the land of aether, the stronger he will grow. Alphinaud: And should Titan be permitted to leave O'Ghomoro, more lives will be lost. The Maelstrom will rally their troops, and the cycle will continue. Alphinaud: Forename, you know what must be done. Will you face the Lord of Crags once more? Alphinaud: Thank you, my friend. Alphinaud: Alisaie and I will tend to Ga Bu. When you have finished with the primal, look for us in Camp Overlook. We will be expecting you.

The Navel (Hard)

From deep within their mines, the kobolds have watched and waited for another opportunity to summon their Great Father and wreak havoc on Limsa Lominsa. With the destruction of Ultima Weapon, the final obstacle to their plans was removed, allowing the beastmen to summon their god without fear of imperial reprisal. Once more, it falls to you to ensure that the Lord of Crags never sees the light of day.
Titan: I'm here... I'm here... I'm here... Titan: I said I'd come! I said I'd come!
I'm here... I'm here... I'm here... Titan: Mother... Father... I can't... I can't find you... Titan: WAAAKE UUUUUUP!!! Titan: Why... Why... Why... WHYYYYYY!!! Titan: Where are you... Where are you...
Alphinaud: Ah, there she is! Did I not tell you she would return safe and sound? Alphinaud: The deed is done, then? Titan is no more? Alphinaud: Good. There has been enough tragedy this day. Alphinaud: He has been like that since he regained consciousness. We believe he can hear us, but he has made no attempt to respond. Alphinaud: He is almost certainly still in shock, but...
But we cannot discount the possibility that he succumbed to the primal's influence. Should that prove to be the case─ Alisaie: He must be put to death, like any other thrall. Such is the Alliance's policy, yes? Alphinaud: ...You have the right of it. Alphinaud: But we must not rush to conclusions. After all, we once feared that Ysayle's followers were beyond reason, and many have since laid down their arms and accepted Ishgard's peace. Alisaie: ...We can but watch, wait, and pray.
Beneath a Star-filled Sky Alphinaud would rather not worry about what may or may not come to pass.
Alphinaud: There is naught to be gained from dwelling on an eventuality over which we have no control, much less one which may never even come to pass. Let us tend to more immediate matters─informing Commander Bloeidin of Titan's demise, for example. Alphinaud: You may be certain that he will be glad of the news. Would you be so kind as to break it to him?
Bloeidin: Ah, you're a sight for sore eyes! When the others came back without you, I feared the worst, but they said you had matters well in hand. Bloeidin: All settled then, is it? I'm glad to hear it. But not half as glad as my men'll be, believe you me! Bloeidin: Regardless of whether or not he was summoned properly, a primal's a primal. And there ain't a soul in the Maelstrom that hasn't lost a friend to one. Bloeidin: Don't get me wrong, like─we were all prepared to do our part. But we weren't so naive as to think we'd live to tell the tale. Bloeidin: Thankfully, of course, it didn't come to that─which, my friend, sounds to me like cause for celebration! Now, I know you lot have places to be, but why not stay the night? We'd be honored to raise a glass to the triumphant return of Titan's Bane!
Alisaie: Who goes there? Alisaie: Oh, it's you. Forgive me for straying from the camp. Alisaie: He hasn't been feeling too welcome, to say the least. I thought a change of scenery might do him good, but, alas... Alisaie: It's so quiet out here. The stars spread out before us, beckoning across time and space... Alisaie: “Dawn may banish even the darkest night.” How bitterly beautiful, those words. Alisaie: I should be stronger for all my experiences, yet my heart aches more than ever. Alisaie: I never understood why Grandfather gave his life that day. I thought that, if I came here, I would find the answers I needed. But when I finally laid eyes on the land he sacrificed everything to save, saw firsthand the bickering, the pettiness... Alisaie: I was disappointed. I was angry. I could not fathom how these people were more deserving of his love than his family...than me... Alisaie: Nevertheless, I had to believe he had good reason. I was determined to uncover the whole truth of the Calamity, and perhaps in so doing find my own purpose in this sea of chaos. Alisaie: My travels have been enlightening, but I cannot say that I have enjoyed them. I have lost count of the many petty crises that I was helpless to resolve, and of the people whose actions I could not understand. Alisaie: There were others, of course. Good people. People with whom I felt a kinship...whose lives I could not save. Alisaie: I found myself asking what it was all for. Why try if I was doomed to fail in the end? But then I recalled Grandfather's words to my father, years ago, before he left Sharlayan behind forever. Alisaie: “To ignore the plight of those one might conceivably save is not wisdom─it is indolence. We must all protect that which we hold most dear in the manner of our own choosing.” Alisaie: ...We have to try, do we not? Alisaie: Of course, it's one thing to try and another to do. There were times while I was tracking the Warriors of Darkness when I faltered─when I was afraid. But then I thought of my brother, of Urianger... Alisaie: Ah, pray forgive me. This conversation has been rather one-sided, hasn't it. Mayhap you could recount some of your adventures in Ishgard?
  • What will you say?
  • I traveled far and wide with two companions, Estinien and Ysayle, who were very... Alisaie: Gods, they must have been at each other's throats from dawn till dusk... Alisaie: I daresay you managed to keep the peace, though. Merely being in the presence of the Warrior of Light is surely enough to shame anyone into behaving.
  • Under some rather unique circumstances, I had the pleasure to fight alongside Ser Aymeric... Alisaie: He is quite a man, the lord commander. I shall have to thank him for his kindness. Truth be told, I was rather taken aback by it all. Given Ishgard's famous love of foreigners, I was half expecting the chirurgeons to berate me for bleeding. Alisaie: But I never heard an unkind word. Everyone there seemed relatively open and friendly, in fact─thanks in no small part to your tireless efforts, I suspect.
  • When Alphinaud and I came at last to the Dravanian Hinterlands... Alisaie: We had no clear memories of our life in the hinterlands, having returned to the motherland as infants. Nevertheless, I am quite familiar with Master Matoya, as is every Sharlayan. I should like to speak with her someday. Alisaie: 'Twould not surprise me if Alphinaud's recent maturation was at least somewhat due to her sage guidance. I would never tell him this, of course, but there have been moments when I've caught myself thinking of him as an elder brother...
Alisaie: The hopes and dreams of so many rest on your shoulders, Warrior of Light. Alisaie: As long as the sun rises, we can but carry on. For the sake of those we hold dear.
Masked Man (Urianger): To what end dost thou cling to the tainted gifts of the Mother? Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Every tool has its purpose. Even this. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Well, what is it? Masked Man (Urianger): The seeds sown in Vylbrand have been plucked from the earth and left to wither. Masked Man (Urianger): Alas, Titan's demise sufficed not to drive the kobolds to deepest desperation. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): What did the man in white have to say? Masked Man (Urianger): That we are to proceed as he did first set forth. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Well that's easy for him to say! It's not his bloody world on the brink of destruction, is it!? Masked Man (Urianger): Be thou well reminded that with an end to Ishgard's unrest, naught now remaineth to preoccupy the Scions' thoughts. And thus may they devote their every energy to thwarting thee and thine. I foresee only greater difficulties ahead. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Foresee? Are you sure you don't welcome them? I'm starting to think you might hold a candle for your old friends, after all... Masked Man (Urianger): Pray do not mistake mine intent. I but look upon the path which lieth before us with due trepidation. Masked Man (Urianger): Shouldst thou be of like mind, pray consider, then, another course, for the power to invoke the Ardor belongeth not unto the Ascians alone. Masked Man (Urianger): With thine own hand, strike down thine enemy─the so-called hero who would see thy home lost to Light. Do but this and thou wouldst, at a single stroke, disrupt the all too delicate balance of this realm, plunging her straightways into chaos. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): You do realize what you're suggesting, yes? Masked Man (Urianger): “To ignore the plight of those one might conceivably save is not wisdom─it is indolence.” The words of my teacher, and a creed I hold close to my heart. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Very well. Draw her out. We'll make it quick. Masked Man (Urianger): It shall be done. Masked Man (Urianger): What good a creed one cannot uphold? What hurts soothed, what lives saved... O hapless fool, what hast thou wrought by thine own hands? Masked Man (Urianger): Minfilia, my friends─I shall not now beg your forgiveness. Masked Man (Urianger): Full deeply though it paineth me to walk it, I shall not stray from my chosen path. As Moenbryda remained steadfast, so too shall I...
Alphinaud: What ho, Forename. I trust you had a good night's rest? Alphinaud: I was but this moment speaking with Thancred and Y'shtola via linkpearl. They had some interesting news to share. Alphinaud: Apparently, during the course of their respective investigations, both came across crates which had once borne Ishgardian seals. 'Twould seem that someone in the capital has been very busy indeed. Alphinaud: Accordingly, the Temple Knights have launched a full-scale investigation. Ser Aymeric believes that it is only a matter of time before the culprits are found, but we shall have to wait and see. Alphinaud: In the meantime, it seems only prudent to look into the recent activities of the other tribes, in case they too are flush with Ishgardian crystals. And with that in mind, I suggest we pay Urianger another─ Alphinaud: Wait. Where is Alisaie? She was here a moment ago...with Ga Bu.
Alisaie: Ah, let me guess: it's time to leave, isn't it? Alisaie: My apologies for disappearing again. If it is any consolation, I have already packed my things. Alphinaud: ...How is he? Alisaie: Brother. Commander Bloeidin. Something tells me you are not solely here out of concern for his welfare. Alisaie: But to answer your question, there has been no change. He will not speak or eat─I'm not even sure if he slept. If he did, he seems none the better for it. He just...shuffles about with that same expression on his face... Alisaie: You will look after him, won't you, Commander─and treat him with every kindness? Alisaie: He's still in there. I know it. Beneath the anguish and the despair, he's still fighting with all his heart. Alisaie: He deserves to be given that chance. Until he comes back to us─until we know for certain what has become of him. Bloeidin: Aye, aye, you needn't worry. If he hadn't risked his neck to warn us and help you secure the better part of the crystals, this could've turned out a damn sight worse than it did. We'll not soon forget that, and nor will Maelstrom Command. Alisaie: I'm so sorry, Ga Bu. I truly am. You should never have been made to... And I know I cannot possibly understand... Alisaie: Mayhap there is nothing I can do or say. The pain, the anger...the helplessness... Alisaie: ...Hold fast to the memories of better times. Remember them as they were. Alisaie: And when it hurts so much your heart feels fit to burst, let it burst. Let it burst, and fill up again with your love for them. And never, ever forget. Bloeidin: ...Come along, little one. Ga Bu: I...I will remember them. And you, Alisaie. Thank you... Ga Bu: ... Alphinaud: Have faith, Sister. Your words have reached him. In time, he will recover... Alphinaud: And those who orchestrated these events will be made to answer for their crimes. Alisaie: A thousand times over, aye. There will be a reckoning.
Urianger: We have heard the glad tidings from O'Ghomoro, my friends. By the grace of the Twelve and your most valiant efforts, the people of Limsa Lominsa may rest easy. Alphinaud: I should like to think so, yes. Though we failed to prevent the Lord of Crags from manifesting, we did succeed in weakening him, enabling our friend to dispatch him before the Warriors of Darkness could make matters worse. 'Twas by no means an unmitigated success, but it will have to suffice. Urianger: Then let us speak of another matter─one which weigheth heavy on my lady's mind. Urianger: As thou didst request, I sought out The Gerun Oracles, that we might better understand the aims of the Warriors of Darkness. Urianger: Though their copious use of allegory defieth any single interpretation, the oracles paint a most disturbing picture─one of worlds parallel to our own, apart yet linked, reduced to ruin with every Umbral Calamity... Alphinaud: “Seven times have they succeeded.” Then of ten and three, only six worlds remain. Urianger: Aye. All is as my lady Minfilia spake unto thee. Urianger: As for what becometh of these reflections when they and the Source are rejoined... Urianger: “Frail flesh undone in Umbral fires,
Each soul surrend'reth to Her call,
To flow unto the endless sea,
There to endure as one and none.” Alisaie: Then...then if the Warriors of Darkness succeed, everyone in their world will die? Urianger: In essence, aye. The verse speaketh of the renunciation of the flesh, and subsequent return to the Lifestream. Urianger: However, this fate may yet be preferable to the alternative, for if the First were to fall to transcendent Light in the manner the Warriors of Darkness described, it would give way unto a void wherein none may know either life or death. Urianger: Far better to die, they reason─for in death there is life. The essence of a soul which returneth unto the Source may be born anew. Saved. Such, at least, is their belief, I surmise. Alphinaud: If that is true, then... Gods. No one should ever have to make such a choice. Urianger: ...Ere we speak further on this subject, I would share with thee another recent discovery. Urianger: 'Twould seem that several sizable shipments of crystals have been delivered into the hands of certain Ala Mhigan parties. Alphinaud: Ala Mhigans? Strange... And you believe this to be the work of the same Ishgardian smugglers who supplied the beast tribes? Urianger: I know beyond a shadow of a doubt. And lest thou wonder at their motive, I would remind you that the Ascians did once attempt to bring about the summoning of Rhalgr. Urianger: The individuals who took receipt of these shipments are refugees belonging to a group devoted to the cause of Ala Mhigan liberation. Urianger: It may also interest thee to know that their Ishgardian suppliers appear to be none other than the remnants of Eline Roaille's network of spies. Alphinaud: Surely you jest... And yet...it is not so surprising. Bereft of leadership and hunted by the Alliance, I can well imagine such villains being desperate enough to conspire with the Ascians. Assuming they even know─or care─who their new employers are. Alphinaud: All of which is irrelevant. Forgive me. We must seek out the Resistance group which received the crystals without delay. Forename, Alisaie─will you come with me to Little Ala Mhigo? Alisaie: Yes, of course. I should like to hear what they have to say for themselves. Firsthand. Urianger: May you ever walk in the light of the Crystal.
Thancred: Alphinaud, Alisaie, Forename─are you three listening? Good. I have tidings. Thancred: The Temple Knights raided the smugglers' warehouse less than an hour ago. A cursory interrogation of the prisoners yielded confirmation that they were in the employ of─and I hope you are sitting down─a man in black robes. Alphinaud: Then you have them? And the crystals too? Thancred: What few remained, aye. Regrettably, it would seem they dispatched one final shipment in the hours before we struck. Thancred: 'Twas bound for Little Ala Mhigo, we are told, where it will be received by members of a local Resistance group. Thancred: Since Ser Aymeric's men no longer have need of my services, I have a mind to head that way. Alphinaud: As do we, by happy coincidence. We learned of the shipments but a few moments ago. Thancred: Hah! And there I was thinking I might finally be one step ahead of the Warrior of Light and her little helpers. Thancred: ...Ah! Wait a moment! There is more! And I defy you not to be surprised by this revelation. Thancred: The leader of the Ishgardian smugglers was formerly in the employ of one Eline Roaille─the infamous Ivy herself! Alphinaud: Once again, Thancred, I fear I must inform you that─ Alisaie: Thancred─with whom else have you shared this information? Thancred: About the smugglers? No one. As I think I mentioned, the raid was less than an hour ago. I was planning to contact Y'shtola next, but is there someone else you would have me notify first? Alisaie: No...there isn't.
Alphinaud: What in the world has gotten into her? It is twice now that we have sought Urianger's aid, and twice she has treated him as if he were a stranger. Alphinaud: The Archon was one of Grandfather's most dedicated pupils, and spent as much time at the Leveilleur estate as we did. He's practically a member of the family! Alphinaud: Truth be told, I struggle to recall a day from my childhood when I did not see the three of them laughing together. Alphinaud: If this continues, I may have to raise the matter. Later, though─Little Ala Mhigo awaits.
Alisaie: I will get to the bottom of this... Alisaie: Oh, forgive me. I was... It has been a long day. Did you have something to say? Alisaie: Urianger? Oh, I... I've always struggled to understand what's going on in his head. Now more than ever. Alisaie: Listen, Forename─if anything should happen, it should be me who... Just know that I am prepared to do what must be done. Alisaie: Right, then. To more pressing matters. Since we have no idea when Thancred might arrive, I suggest we see what information we can gather in his absence.
When We Were Free Alphinaud is eager to get to work.
Alphinaud: So, to review: we are reliably informed that members of the Ala Mhigan Resistance operating here have taken receipt of several large shipments of crystals, our task being to ascertain who and why. Alphinaud: Given the size of the settlement, I find it hard to believe that anyone here could be wholly unaware of the Resistance's movements. The challenge, of course, will be finding individuals who are both able and willing to share such information with outsiders. Alphinaud: It would seem sensible to divide our forces. Forename, why don't you question the residents in the eastern half of town? Alisaie and I will do the same in the west, and afterwards we can rendezvous here to share our findings.
Otelin: Eh? The Resistance? Damned if I know. It's not as if I'd be any use to 'em. <cough> <wheeze> Otelin: If you set store by all these tales of secret weapons, good luck to you─but I'm too old for the Masks' bedtime stories. This is our lot, and it's time we got used to it.
Sifrid: Ah, let me guess: come to join the fight, have you? No need to deny it, friend. You're not the first to answer the Griffin's call! Sifrid: While he's lit a fire in every Ala Mhigan's heart, he's also inspired more than a few Ul'dahns to pledge themselves to the cause. And little wonder─the Garleans won't stop until we're all under the yoke!
Talebot: ...I see you there, goin' around askin' questions. Lookin' for the Griffin an' his lot, I'll bet. Talebot: Seems they're the talk of Little Ala Mhigo these days. Folk wonderin' what he's about, what he's got in store for the Garleans─an' what's under that mask of his, of course. Talebot: Some say he's hardly got a face, what with all the scars. Others reckon he's been marked for death by the Empire, an' that they'd send a bloody legion if they knew he was here. <snort> Your guess is as good as mine.
Alphinaud: I suppose I should ask what you learned, but I think I already know. Alphinaud: ...This Griffin seems to be the leader of a newly formed faction within the Resistance. The Masks. Yet despite their growing popularity, no one seems to know much about them─only that they are the most aggressively militant group to join the movement in recent memory. Alphinaud: Indeed, many claim their commitment to the cause of Ala Mhigan liberation is unrivaled. We can but hope their revolutionary fervor is never channeled in the direction of a primal. Alphinaud: Though I feel confident that this is the group which received the crystal shipments, we yet lack proof. Before taking any action, I would speak with the settlement's leader to confirm my suspicions─and mayhap enlist his help while I am about it. Alphinaud: Given that you and Gundobald are already acquainted, mayhap it would be best if you took the lead. Shall we?
Gundobald: Much as it pleases me to see you again, Forename, I cannot help but wonder if I should be worried. I hear you and yours have been asking questions... Gundobald: The Griffin? Aye, I know of him, as do we all. He and his Masks have become a leading faction within the Resistance. Gundobald: Though there was suspicion at first given his secretive ways, he quickly proved himself a charismatic and capable commander. Men are drawn to his passion and his vision─they truly believe that he has what it takes to lead them to victory. Gundobald: Even I cannot help but admire the man for what he's accomplished.
...But I have not forgotten Wilred. I was blind to the danger of his ambitions...and you were not. Gundobald: The Griffin will soon deliver a speech to our people at the Sunken Temple of Qarn. Go and see him with your own eyes, weigh his words with your own heart. Alphinaud: How convenient. 'Tis but a pity Thancred is not here to join us. Alisaie: You two go on ahead. I shall stay behind and wait for him.
Alphinaud: Has it begun already? I hear voices coming from within...
The Griffin (Houdart): Brothers and sisters... Twenty years ago, Ala Mhigo, our home, was claimed by the Garlean Empire. The Griffin (Houdart): In our haste to overthrow the King of Ruin, we turned a blind eye to our foes in the north. With our glorious revolution, we but laid a path for a new tyrant to succeed the old...and when confronted with our failure, we fled. The Griffin (Houdart): Not a day goes by that I do not think of those we left behind─think of them, and feel ashamed. And I know each and every one of you feels the same. The Griffin (Houdart): We abandoned them, our own flesh and blood, to labor till their backs gave in and their breath gave out, building the twisted steel ramparts which now mar our once majestic mountains. The Griffin (Houdart): We abandoned them, the brave and true, to fight and die for their country─or worse, to be conscripted and sent off to rob another poor bastard of his home. The Griffin (Houdart): We abandoned them, the meek and powerless, to bow and scrape when the Garleans pass─to sully themselves that they might live to see another day of misery. The Griffin (Houdart): The Black Wolf may be dead, but a new imperial viceroy reigns in Ala Mhigo now. A beast not a fraction as merciful. The Griffin (Houdart): You all know the Eorzean Alliance will do naught to oppose him. For all their promises and platitudes, they will not act if there's no profit in it. Only we can free our brothers and sisters from the Empire's tyranny, my friends! Only we have the courage to stand and fight! The Griffin (Houdart): They have imprisoned us, they have enslaved us, and they have murdered us─but no more! Blood demands blood, and the Garleans shall pay for every drop they have spilt upon our lands! The Griffin (Houdart): This I promise you, for we have a power within us, my friends─a power befitting our pride, our righteousness! Only join us, and we shall grant you the means to unleash it, and together we shall see the Ala Mhigan standard raised over the mountains of Gyr Abania once more! Alphinaud: “A power befitting their pride...” Not at all ominous, that. Alphinaud: Wait. Is that─? Yda (Lyse): <gasp> What are you two doing here!? Alphinaud: I could ask you the same thing! Papalymo: Well, well, this is quite the surprise. The Griffin (Houdart): If you see what I see, if you feel what I feel, then I bid you join us. And those who cannot fight, fear not! For it is not strength of arms that will win this battle, but strength of heart! Papalymo: Might I suggest we continue this conversation in more...agreeable surroundings?
Alphinaud: Words cannot express how glad I am to see you both alive and well. Yda (Lyse): And you! Though it was pretty obvious you and Forename would be fine. Papalymo: The Crystal Braves never had a realistic chance of capturing any of the Scions, divided as they were and distrusted by the better part of Eorzea. Alphinaud: But if you truly believed that─ Forgive me. What exactly have you two been doing all this time? Papalymo: ...Repaying a favor. After the banquet, we had no choice but to flee Ul'dah, and we would not have been able to do so without the aid of some old friends from the Resistance. Yda (Lyse): That's right. They smuggled us out of the city and sheltered us in Little Ala Mhigo, all at great risk to themselves. Obviously, we couldn't let that go unacknowledged, so we offered to help them out with their operations for a while. Papalymo: When we learned of the Scions' exoneration─that Lolorito had severed all ties with the Crystal Braves, and that General Raubahn had been reinstated─we resolved to make contact. But having long since discarded our linkpearls as a precautionary measure, our options were rather limited. Papalymo: To make matters more complicated, we were embroiled in a delicate operation at the time, leaving me with little choice but to entrust a letter to a courier. I gather from your puzzled expressions, however, that you never received it. Yda (Lyse): To be honest, we thought this might happen. While the Masks are happy to let the refugees spread the word within the community, they're pretty strict about communicating with outsiders. Oh, and we also heard a rumor that the Griffin doesn't want us meddling in his affairs. Alphinaud: The Griffin mistrusts the Scions of the Seventh Dawn? Alphinaud: Curious. It is well known that we are no friends to Garlemald. One would think the man we saw beseeching all and sundry to join his cause would welcome our support. Papalymo: Ah, I should say that the man you saw was not in fact the Griffin, but an impersonator. And a talented rabble-rouser, to boot. 'Twould not surprise me if he were responsible for the majority of these public appearances. Papalymo: As you may have gathered, the Griffin is an extremely cautious and distrusting man who has made every effort to conceal his identity. Even when we participated in a raid under his direct command, we were not permitted to approach him. Yda (Lyse): It's hard to know what to make of it all. The secrecy, the impersonators, the masks... Yda (Lyse): What!? It's not as if I'm making all of you wear one! And mine only covers half my face. It's completely different! Yda (Lyse): Anyway, when we heard the Griffin was due to give a speech, we thought it might be a good opportunity to get a better sense of the man behind the─uh, to get a better sense of the man. Papalymo: And now you have heard the whole of it. But tell me─what prompted you to take an interest in the Griffin? Yda (Lyse): Summoning!? You're not serious! I can't believe it... Papalymo: The Resistance would never even entertain such a ridiculous plan, but the Griffin... Well, the man is an enigma. I cannot say with any confidence what he would or would not do. Papalymo: What I can say, however, is that the speech we heard today was not the first to make reference to a “power” capable of defeating the Empire. The Masks have made many such claims of late. I confess, I had assumed it to be mere bluster, but in the context of the shipments of which you spoke, it is not impossible that they are alluding to a primal. Yda (Lyse): Whatever it is, we'll find out together─and if anyone tries to stop us, they'll answer to me! Papalymo: Indeed. That is...assuming you'll have us?
Honorable Heroes Papalymo has a mind to learn the Griffin's true intentions.
Papalymo: If, as you suspect, the Griffin is indeed plotting to summon a primal, we must needs obtain confirmation while there is yet time to act. To that end, I propose we question his double. Papalymo: Given his role as the group's de facto mouthpiece, I should not be surprised if he were one of the Griffin's closest associates. And while he may not be aware of the most sensitive details, he can probably tell us the Masks' plans in broad strokes. Papalymo: Like the man whom he impersonates, however, he is wary of outsiders. He will not expose himself without a suitable incentive. Papalymo: My plan is as follows: you and Alphinaud will pose as adventurers fallen on hard times, inspired by his words to take up arms for a noble cause. Papalymo: Yda and I, as members of the Resistance, will recount tales of your past achievements, and testify as to your usefulness in the struggles ahead. With our enthusiastic assurances still ringing in his ears, he will decide to welcome you in person, and we will arrange a meeting. Papalymo: You will need to look the part that we might maintain the charade─until we have him cornered, at least. Here─this should be enough to purchase suitable garments from Talebot, and to have him rub a respectable amount of dirt on them for good measure. Any questions? Alphinaud: It all seems simple enough, thank you. And with that, Forename, let us be off!
Talebot: Eh? You want to buy what? I don't know what you're up to, but I want no part of it.
Sack of Gil A heavy leather pouch entrusted to you by Papalymo. Not all problems can be solved with a fistful of gil. For the rest, one must needs resort to a sack.
Talebot: Well, you're the ones with the gil, and seein' as you're friends of Papalymo... Talebot: There. Tunic and slops for the both of you, tailored and, er...treated to your tastes. Now, off with you, before someone sees us together.
Alphinaud: “Clothes maketh the man,” as they say. Alphinaud: Right, then. I will go and change, and see you at the spot Papalymo marked on our maps.
Alphinaud: Well, look at us─a pair of down-at-heel adventurers seeking a chance to recapture past glories. Yes, this should suffice. Alphinaud: And now we play the waiting game...
The Griffin (Houdart): My thanks, comrades. The Griffin (Houdart): You must be the esteemed adventurers of whom I have heard so much. I understand you have taken an interest in our cause. Alphinaud: A great interest, you might say. Alphinaud: Your words have certainly made quite an impression on my friend and I. The Resistance has long─and some would say wisely─avoided open engagements with the Garleans, but you and yours seem confident against the world in arms. Alphinaud: I can only assume you have good reason to be so bold. Why, one might even think you were planning to summon a primal. Alphinaud: Because that would do much to explain the sizable shipment of crystals you recently received from your smuggler friends─whom our Ishgardian allies have since detained, lest you wonder. Yda (Lyse): I'd like to hear more about the Griffin. The real Griffin. Your performance earlier didn't fool us! The Griffin (Houdart): Ah. The famous Scions of the Seventh Dawn. I should have known better than to think I could conceal the truth from you lot. The False Griffin (Houdart): You are right. I am not the Griffin. But I speak with his voice, and it was at his behest that we procured those crystals. The False Griffin (Houdart): You are wrong, however, if you think that we procured them to summon a primal. The False Griffin (Houdart): We used them to reach an accord with the Amalj'aa. In exchange for crystals to summon their god, they will aid us in the fight for Ala Mhigan liberation. Yda (Lyse): You've got to be joking! Have you gone completely mad!? Yda (Lyse): When people find out you helped the lizardmen summon Ifrit, they'll turn on the Resistance! Ala Mhigo will never be free! The False Griffin (Houdart): This isn't a faerie tale, girl. We don't have the luxury to play at being honorable heroes. The False Griffin (Houdart): It's because the likes of you wouldn't sully your saintly hands that Ala Mhigo's been under the yoke for the past twenty years! But the Griffin won't stand for it, and neither will we! We're ready to do whatever it takes! Papalymo: What proof do you have of this arrangement with the Amalj'aa? The False Griffin (Houdart): What, aside from a lack of crystals? None. But the beastmen have a great big pile of the things, if you fancy looking. You might want to hurry, though─it'll not be long before they summon their god. The False Griffin (Houdart): Search our camp if you don't believe me. We have naught to hide. Papalymo: If there is a cache to be found, Yda and I will find it. The False Griffin (Houdart): Then let us be off. The False Griffin (Houdart): Are you perchance the Warrior of Light? The False Griffin (Houdart): Aye, I thought so. You should know that a great many who have joined us did so because you saved them─because you showed them that one brave woman can make a difference. The False Griffin (Houdart): You saved me too, once. Helped a friend over in Quarrymill make some medicine I needed. But that was a lifetime ago... The False Griffin (Houdart): On behalf of my brothers and sisters, I thank you. You gave us hope where there was none; courage and strength when all was lost. We shall not squander your gift. Papalymo: I know that look, Yda, and I do not like it. You cannot seriously be contemplating taking up arms with that band of cutthroats? Yda (Lyse): I... I just... Papalymo: If the Griffin and his men have their way, it is only a matter of time before the situation in Ala Mhigo comes to a head. Papalymo: Your homeland's future teeters on a knife-edge, and any reckless action, however small, could have irrevocable consequences. Papalymo: You mustn't lose sight of that, Yda. When the time comes, we must all make our choices, but we must do so in full possession of the facts. Now let us away─there is work to be done.
Alphinaud: Quarrymill, he said? Do you remember...? Alphinaud: Forgive me. You cannot be expected to recall every name and face, and besides, it's not as if it matters. Alphinaud: I have long admired how you live in the present. How you focus on the problems at hand and always keep moving forward. Alphinaud: So let us keep moving forward together, Forename. We must find and secure those crystals─this is no time for looking back.
One Life for One World Alphinaud would keep moving forward.
Alphinaud: If we take the Griffin's double at his word, then the crystals are now somewhere within Zahar'ak...ready to be put to use by the Amalj'aa. Alphinaud: We must apprise Alisaie of all we have learned. I will join you both in Little Ala Mhigo after I have changed.
Alisaie: Now that Thancred has finally arrived, mayhap you could share your latest findings? Thancred: You mean to tell me that while we were worrying ourselves sick, Yda and Papalymo were here all along? Well, Y'shtola will be relieved. And also angry. Mainly angry, I should think. Thancred: As for the crystals, what choice do we have? We cannot very well leave them in the hands of the Amalj'aa. Thancred: For all we know, they could be preparing to summon Ifrit even as we speak. We must make for Zahar'ak without delay. Alphinaud: Agreed. If there is naught else to discuss, let us depart at once. Masked Man (Urianger): ...And so they go forth, in accordance with the Griffin's plan. Masked Man (Urianger): The players gather to assume their marks on a stage wreathed in flame... Ere long, the curtain shall rise, and the drama of which I am author, gods forgive me, shall at last be performed. Masked Man (Urianger): Naught else remaineth, save to stand at the ready and pray that the chance is seized. For never shall we know its like again.
Alphinaud: I confess, I expected a warmer greeting. But we must not jump to conclusions─not until we have braved the Bowl of Embers. Alphinaud: We must be ready to engage the enemy at any moment. If you would make any final preparations, pray do so now. I shall await your signal.
Thancred: This isn't right. The Amalj'aa would never leave this place so poorly guarded. Alisaie: Not willingly, no. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Hah hah! Ahhh, the saviors of Eorzea. Slow as ever. Alphinaud: By the Twelve... Will you never learn? Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): You know, you're right. Mayhap it is time for a change of tack. Killing primals, tormenting beastmen, hastening the birth of a new god... Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): It's all a bit much, isn't it? And, frankly, we don't have the leisure to do it. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Killing the Warrior of Light, on the other hand─that would soon plunge Eorzea into chaos. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): One life for one world. A fair exchange─wouldn't you agree!? Thancred: Lest you forget, you've more than one opponent! Alphinaud: Carbuncle, defend me! Ranger of Darkness (Renda-Rae): I sense you will offer more than mere target practice. Unlike your sister. Alphinaud: Alisaie! Alisaie: Did...did I not tell you, Alphinaud? I am not the girl I once was. Alisaie: My brother was always the clever one, while my talents lay elsewhere... Alisaie: If you would dare to stand against us, to destroy all that we hold dear, then you shall die by my sword!
Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): We've come too far, sacrificed too much to stop now! Alphinaud: You think you are the only ones to have known sorrow!? Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): No, NO! We will not be denied so easily! The Warriors of Darkness call upon the power of the Echo! Alisaie: Is this...the power of the Echo!? The Warriors of Darkness call upon the power of the Echo! Alisaie: Again they rise! Have these warriors no limits!? Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): No more games! Thancred: Godsdammit, I can't break free!
Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Let's finish this! Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): It ends, now! Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): What? Alphinaud: The chains! Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): You snake. You would betray us as well? Masked Man (Urianger): He that holdeth fast unto his convictions shall never count betrayal amongst his crimes, though all the world may call him villain. My path is unchanged; my creed sacrosanct. This I believe with all my heart. Masked Man (Urianger): But say, Warrior of Darkness, and speak true─what dost thou believe? That rendering up the souls of thy world in service to the Rejoining will grant it salvation? Nay. Alphinaud: By the Twelve─Urianger! Urianger: Mine apologies, Master Alphinaud. That the brightest light might shine, duty did compel me to walk in darkest shade. Alisaie: You sweet fool. I was almost willing to believe you had turned against us. Alisaie: I expect a full explanation when this is over. For now, may I assume you have turned your cloak for the last time? Urianger: Thou mayest, my lady. Urianger: By thy leave. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Even odds, then. No matter. We'll crush the lot of you in one fell swoop! Magus of Darkness (Nyelbert): Understood. Alisaie: Hearken to me! We only have one chance! Alisaie: Channel your aether into my blade that I might strike before the mage casts his spell! Alisaie: I cannot do it alone, but together...together we can defeat them! Alisaie: Make ready! They come!
Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Trying to beat us at our own game? Hah! Alisaie: I must have more aether! Alphinaud: Go to her, Forename! We will deal with the others! Alphinaud: I've...I've given her all I can. The rest is up to you! You feel the aether welling up within you... Thancred: You heard the man! Leave the fighting to us! Alisaie: Hurry, Forename! Give me your aether! Alisaie's blade shines brighter as it absorbs your aether! Alphinaud: Caution, Forename! You mustn't channel so much at once! Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Now, Blanhaerz! Kill her while she's weak! Urianger: Unto her blade we render our aether, that fortune may favor us this day... You feel the aether welling up within you... Urianger: The fate of two worlds hangeth in the balance, Forename! Quickly, thine aether! Alisaie's blade shines even brighter as it absorbs your aether! Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): This has gone on long enough! J'rhoomale─kill the girl! Alphinaud: Forename! The ranger! You must stop her! Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Hurry it up, Naillebert! You feel the aether welling up within you... Alphinaud: We'll hold the line, Forename, but you must...you must... Alisaie's blade is blinding in its radiance! Alphinaud: That's it, that's it! We've got them! Alisaie: 'Tis done! With this blade I banish the darkness! Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): No... Not like this...
Alphinaud: Alisaie! Are you hurt? Alisaie: A touch dizzy, but otherwise fine. Thank you. Thancred: And there you have it. Our friend is too stubborn to die. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Hmph. We are far from finished. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Or have you never considered how we came to this world? Thancred: Crystals? You mean...like the Ascians? Urianger: Just so. As the Ascians flee unto the rift 'twixt planes with Crystals of Darkness, so did these warriors come hither with Crystals of Light. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Eloquent, as always. Aye, like the Ascians, we too are beyond death! You cannot defeat that which is eternal! Alphinaud: Wait! Alphinaud: Such methods as the Ascians employ require the renunciation of the flesh. You...you would have had to... Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): At long last, you see. To save our world, we gave our lives. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): We were just adventurers trying to make our way. An odd job here, a favor there─we never aspired to be Warriors of Light. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): But word of our deeds spread, and soon people were calling us heroes. They placed their hopes and dreams on our shoulders and bid us fight for all that was good and right. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): We fought and we fought and we fought...until there was no one left to fight. We won...and now our world is being erased from existence. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): We did everything right, everything that was asked of us, and still─still it came to this! Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): You of all people should understand! We cannot─we will not falter. We brought our world to the brink of destruction, and now we must save it. Knight of Darkness (Branden): I've died before, Arbert. I'm not afraid to die again. Devout of Darkness (Lamitt): No matter how many times we fall, we must rise and carry on the fight. For those we left behind. Urianger: To have known the depths of sorrow and embrace the highest sacrifice─nonetheless...Master Louisoix, guide my hand, I pray you, as fate's thread spinneth upon this most capricious spindle. Urianger: Quickly! Thou must needs invoke the power of thy crystal!
Alphinaud: What is this place? The Word of the Mother: Such pain... Such sorrow... Oh, my dear children... Thancred: I-It can't be! Urianger: Mother Hydaelyn, hearken unto Your children's plea! From two worlds do we gather, and from two worlds do we offer a bounty of Light. Urianger: In this desperate hour, we do beseech Your intercession! We beg an audience with the Word of the Mother─with Your chosen, Minfilia! The Word of the Mother: Your cries go not unheard... Nor your sacrifices unnoticed... The Word of the Mother: Though many are lost, there are those we can yet save... Whom I can yet save... Alphinaud: Minfilia! The Word of the Mother: Blessed children of the First. The light of your world hath grown blinding in its radiance, but it is not yet absolute. The Word of the Mother: I will hie me to your world and there take unto myself the Light which riseth even now to drown it, as Darkness once did drown another. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Now you deign to answer our prayers!? I will suffer this farce no longer! Minfilia: As the Ascians must serve as instruments of Zodiark's will, so too must others carry out the will of Hydaelyn. Minfilia: But for the boon you have granted Her, She has grown strong enough to set me free, that I might serve as Her emissary. Minfilia: Your suffering, your sacrifice, your supplications─She has heard all. We will not let the First fall to Light. Minfilia: Thank you, Urianger, for bringing everyone here. It fills my heart with joy to look upon the faces of my friends once more. Urianger: In taking you unto Her bosom, I knew that Hydaelyn had bequeathed to you a sliver of Her grace, granting you strength long sought. Urianger: And in treating with the Ascians, I learned of a star like unto our own─a doomed world of fallen heroes, in whom I glimpsed ourselves. The First. Urianger: Full long did I search for a means to save this world, concluding at the last that the answer lay in the power of blessed crystals. And thus did I labor to set Light against Dark. Urianger: Yet I knew from the beginning that this salvation would not come without sacrifice, for the instrument of the First's deliverance would of necessity be required to journey thither...there to remain, mayhap forever. Alphinaud: You orchestrated all of this not to save her, but to send her away!? Urianger: One life for one world. Such was the bargain, and you the coin, though it were not mine to spend. Minfilia: Have we not walked together in the light of the Crystal, and at Her bidding borne witness to the joys and sorrows of this land? Each and every one of you knows my heart. If this be the price I must pay, I pay it gladly. Thancred: ...You would go alone then? Minfilia: My dearest Thancred... You who have ever watched over me... I am truly grateful for all you have done on my behalf, as would my father be. Minfilia: Your kindness, your compassion, your love... These are your gifts to me, and our gifts to them, forming a bond which transcends time and space. Thancred: Sometimes I forget you are not the child I once knew. Make me proud. Minfilia: Long have I watched you from Hydaelyn's side. Watched as you nurtured and kept safe the light of the dawn. Minfilia: The dark recesses of the world hide untold secrets and dangers. Thus do I entrust to you Tupsimati. I pray you keep to the path that you may never have need of it. Magus of Darkness (Nyelbert): 'Twould seem the power of our crystals is all but spent. Perhaps...if there is naught else to be done... Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Hear me, servant of Hydaelyn. If you would have us place our trust in you, then I would ask a favor. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): Take us with you. Take us home. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): We were blind to the truth once. So I tell you this, as one fool to another. Light, Dark, it doesn't matter. What matters is how you choose to use them. Warrior of Darkness (Ardbert): We made our choice, and you see what came of it. So please...forge a different path. Seize a better fate. Minfilia: 'Tis a strange feeling. So many times have I watched you depart, my heart filled with worry, and ever did you return to me in triumph. Minfilia: Someday, when I have found a way to free this star from Her sorrow, I promise you I shall repay the favor.
Minfilia: Thank you, Lhaminn...for everything...
Alphinaud: ...It would seem we are in southern Thanalan again. Minfilia's doing, no doubt. May the Twelve speed her on her way...and the Warriors of Darkness too. Alphinaud: I cannot help but wonder what awaits those wayward souls. If they gave their lives in order to travel to the Source, then in returning to the First, would they not...? Alphinaud: ...But mayhap that was their wish.
An Ending to Mark a New Beginning Alphinaud seems to be at a loss for words.
Alphinaud: ...Hm? Forgive me. My thoughts were elsewhere. And this when I know full well there is yet work to be done. The crystals─ Thancred: Leave them to me. I will go back into Zahar'ak and secure them. Thancred: The Amalj'aa will still be in disarray after the thrashing the Warriors of Darkness gave them. They are not like to notice a lone bard skulking about. Alphinaud: But Thancred, you─ Thancred: Don't have to do this, I know. But I want to. I will see you at the Rising Stones. Alphinaud: ...I should go and find Yda and Papalymo. They must have finished searching the Masks' camp by now. Not that it matters anymore...
Alisaie: You must be tired, Forename. I know I am... Urianger: If thou wilt permit me, my lady, I would ask a question. When didst thou become aware of mine independent pursuits? Alisaie: When I saw you meeting with that Warrior of Darkness and the Ascian in white at the Great Library. Alisaie: I tried not to think the worst. You've never been one to confide in others, so I knew that even were your intentions pure, you would not share your plans with us until you felt the time was right. Alisaie: But I cannot deny that a part of me feared you had simply betrayed us. Urianger: Would that there had been another way. Know that I took no pleasure in deceiving thee, and that these sins will forever weigh heavy on my heart. Alisaie: ...I understand why you did what you did. That you but sought to achieve the greatest good while inflicting the least harm. Not many would have the courage to make that choice. Alisaie: But even knowing what came of your actions...I find that I cannot condone them. I'm sorry. Alisaie: Forename, forgive me, but I believe the events of the day have taken their toll on me. I should like to rest for a while. Urianger: If thou wilt grant me leave, I would gladly escort thee unto a refuge of thine own choosing.
Once my lady hath regained her strength, we shall join thee at the Rising Stones. Until then, Warrior of Light.
Papalymo: Well met, Forename. Alphinaud said you would be joining us. Papalymo: 'Twould seem the Griffin's double was telling the truth, insofar as we found nothing resembling a sizable cache of crystals in the Masks' camp. Did you perchance find one in Zahar'ak? Alphinaud: Actually... Yda (Lyse): ...I don't believe it. The crystals, Minfilia, all of it. It's just─ I don't know what it is. Alphinaud: I sympathize, Yda. Even now, I struggle to comprehend that which I saw... The only thing I can say with any certainty is that I feel blessed to have been granted a final chance to speak with her. 'Twas bittersweet, aye, but also...affirming. Papalymo: ...Alphinaud, I believe it is past time Yda and I rejoined the Scions. We have been away for far too long. Papalymo: Though I am loath to leave the Griffin to his own devices, I feel our investigation would benefit from your more dispassionate perspectives. And I hope that we might, in turn, offer our own opinions on the many challenges that you have faced in our absence. Yda (Lyse): Gods, it's been absolutely ages, hasn't it? I can't wait to hear about everyone's adventures. Alphinaud: We should be glad to recount them. And Tataru's tales may well surprise you. Gundobald: Yda...? Yda! Rhalgr be praised, it is you! Gundobald: Yda, alive and standing here before me, in the flesh! I can hardly believe my eyes! Yda (Lyse): I... Er... Gundobald: Oh, come now, has it really been so long you don't remember me? It's Gundobald! I fought beside your father in the revolution! Gundobald: Do not think less of her, friends! It's been twenty years since the occupation sent us our separate ways. But the Resistance were always welcome in Little Ala Mhigo. They gave us hope─and young Yda most of all! Gundobald: Aye, Yda here was always full of fire, ever the first to volunteer for a mission. Until the day she up and vanished, that is! There were rumors, and we feared the worst, but here you are, alive and well, looking nary a day older! Yda (Lyse): W-Well, what can I say? I...I'm sorry for running off like that and making you all worry. Yda (Lyse): It's a long story, but, you see, I...I got involved with my friends here, the Scions─ Oh, sorry, we were still the Circle of Knowing back then, right! A-Anyway, I wanted to come back and tell you, but it was all very secretive stuff at the time and, uh...as you can see, I'm completely fine! Yda (Lyse): I know we've got a lot to talk about─and we will─but right now I've got to hurry back to our headquarters. My friends are expecting me! Papalymo: Pray forgive her. It has been a very long day for us all. I promise we will visit again at the first opportunity. Papalymo: Let us return to the Rising Stones. Papalymo: Hells take me for giving you that mask...
Alphinaud: Welcome home, Forename. I trust your journey was uneventful. You will be pleased to hear that Thancred has secured the crystals. He sent word a short while ago. Alphinaud: Once he has delivered them safely into the Temple Knights' care, he will rejoin us here, and we can declare this matter officially resolved. Alphinaud: While awaiting your arrival, I took the opportunity to contact Y'shtola and Krile, and briefed them on all that has occurred. I also requested that they return to the Rising Stones at their earliest convenience. Now that our lost friends have been found, it would seem meet to discuss the future.
Yda (Lyse): Back in the solar! It's been too long since we were all together like this. Not since...not since after Moenbryda... Papalymo: Much has changed since then─we ourselves most of all. Alphinaud: Though not all who were lost could be gathered here today, we may take comfort in the knowledge that those who are not are carrying on the fight. Tataru: While I am grateful to our friends in the north for their hospitality...it isn't half-good to be back! Alphinaud: But, as Papalymo rightly said, much has changed since we last stood here. The Scions of the Seventh Dawn are not as they once were. Nor should we be. Alphinaud: Our travels in the north brought us into contact with a host of fine and generous people, and their selfless deeds served to show me that it is not lofty causes that should inform our actions, but our hearts. Alphinaud: And I hope that the Scions might continue in this manner: as individuals driven by individual principles. Provided we all sincerely desire to work towards Eorzea's salvation, I believe the paths we follow to achieve it need not─and should not─be dictated by any single ideal. Y'shtola: Companions bound by a common purpose, free to go whither they will... The idea is not without merit. Y'shtola: Very well. I shall resume my research of the primals and the elder gods of Eorzea. Should anyone have need of my findings, you need only ask. Y'shtola: I should be glad of your continued assistance. Krile: Well, my main purpose in coming here was to see the Scions of the Seventh Dawn restored and my dear friend found... Krile: Nevertheless, having involved myself in your struggles, I feel compelled to see them through to the bitter end. For Minfilia's sake. That is, if there are no objections? Alphinaud: You will always be welcome here, Krile. Thancred: Urianger, can we trust you to carry on your investigation of the Ascians as before? Urianger: Regardless of mine own desires, I am undeserving of your trust, having so villainously deceived you all. Thancred: Now, now, I'll hear no more of that. 'Twould be disrespectful of Minfilia's wishes. Thancred: She entrusted matters here to us, that we might protect this star and understand the truth which hides at Her heart. Mayhap I can handle the former, but I think you far better suited to the latter, no? Urianger: Very well. Then out of love for my lady Minfilia and Moenbryda both, this shall be my solemn charge. Yda (Lyse): I... Papalymo and I should probably return to Thanalan to keep an eye on the Resistance. Yda (Lyse): There's still the matter of the Griffin and the Amalj'aa, not to mention the new imperial viceroy. That little lot must be worthy of our attention, right? Alphinaud: And what will you do, Alisaie? Alisaie: You know I have no great love for organizations and formalities. Alisaie: That being said...this new approach you propose is not wholly objectionable. And we've always got her to keep us from bickering. Alisaie: But I will suffer no titles. I am not here for House Leveilleur, nor to walk in Grandfather's shadow. Alphinaud: Upon that point, we see eye to eye. If it please you, you may think of me as but another comrade-in-arms. Tataru: Well then, Alphy─I, for my part, shall see to the paperwork and the finances with my characteristic aplomb. Alphinaud: I would not have it any other way, Tataru. Alphinaud: And we mustn't forget you. What now for the Warrior of Light?
  • What will you say?
  • A new adventure, what else?
  • The road goes ever on...
  • To strive for those we have lost. For those we can yet save.
  • ...
Alphinaud: Indeed. Y'shtola: The path behind us was fraught with hardship, and the path before us will be no less unforgiving. But a new dawn shall break over the realm, and I see before me the faces of those who will deliver it.
Alphinaud: Look at them, Forename. The Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Look how far we've come... Alphinaud: The people we've met. The moments we've shared. The losses we've suffered. The tragedies we've overcome. All of it has made us who we are today. Alphinaud: Where we go from here and what the future holds, only the Twelve know... Alphinaud: ...But I know that we will find out together.
Papalymo: One world's heroes are another world's villains. One world's loss another world's gain. Papalymo: “Where men go as one, there is life... And where there is life...” Papalymo: My friends. If I may, I would ask that you entrust Tupsimati to me. Papalymo: Clouds gather upon the horizon, and as Master Louisoix's disciple, I would keep it close at hand. Papalymo: Thank you. I shall guard it well. Papalymo: “...There is cause to hope.” Papalymo: For every ending, every parting, marks a new beginning.
The Griffin (Ilberd): Well done, brother. You may resume your normal duties and rejoin the others. The coming battle shall be our greatest yet, and I intend to stand with you all on that glorious day. Elidibus: ...True believers are so readily led. The Griffin (Ilberd): I have given them everything they desired. All for which they have prayed. I doubt you can say the same for your pawns. The Griffin (Ilberd): Get what you wanted, then? Was it all worth it in the end? Elidibus: There were some...unexpected developments, but they were ultimately to our advantage. Elidibus: Be it host to a surfeit of Light or Dark, a world bereft of equilibrium is but a void in waiting. And a void is of no use to my master.
I shall follow Her emissary with great interest. Elidibus: As for the “pawns” whom you so pity...they have delivered unto me a gift, which I do now present to you. Elidibus: The eyes of Nidhogg. Many were the candidates considered, but by your deeds, you have proven yourself the most deserving. Elidibus: A man of boundless rage and bottomless despair, in whose breast beats a heart which thirsts for vengeance. Only you are fit to wield these eyes─for weal or for woe.
??? (Nero tol Scaeva): Hmph. So it was here all along... Nero tol Scaeva: Oh, just you wait, my pretty! You and I are going to have so much fun!

Heavensward: The Far Edge of Fate (3.5)

Tidings from Gyr Abania Tataru has a request for you.
Tataru: Ah, Forename, just the hero I wanted to see! Would you mind doing me a small favor? Tataru: I need you to meet me at the Diamond Forge. This won't take long, I promise!
Tataru: I'm sorry to drag you away from your duties, but as I said, this won't take long! I just need you to stand perfectly still for a few moments... Tataru: Right, everyone! Ready to go to work? Tataru: No squirming now! Oh, and you might want to close your eyes... Tataru: Hee hee hee hee! Tataru: There! All finished! The Warrior of Light's every measurement, from heroic head to intrepid toe! Tataru: ...Well, wouldn't you like to know! All in good time, Forename! All in good time! Yda (Lyse): A-ha! Found you! Yda (Lyse): Alphinaud wants everyone in the solar for a meeting. I don't know what it's about, but he seemed to think it was very important. Tataru: Go on, we have everything we need. No sense in keeping everyone waiting!
Yda (Lyse): We're here! Did we miss anything? Alphinaud: We would not presume to begin without you, Yda.
Urianger has returned to the Waking Sands, but everyone else is now present. Alisaie: Yes, but for what, exactly? We all have duties to attend to, Alphinaud, so you may dispense with the preamble. Alphinaud: Thank you, Alisaie. It is the very subject of those duties which compelled me to call this gathering. Though the Warriors of Darkness no longer pose a threat, Eorzea's many troubles demand no less of our attention. Alphinaud: And while I stand by the decision to approach each task as we see fit, I fear our effectiveness will ultimately be diminished should we continue to act in ignorance of each other's efforts. Thus I propose we elect a successor to Minfilia─not to serve as a fully fledged Antecedent, perhaps, but as a coordinator of operations. Alisaie: Is that all? Then the decision seems clear. Alisaie: No one else has shown any enthusiasm for the role. And judging by your performance at our previous meeting, you would seem the perfect candidate. You always did have a flair for politics. Alphinaud: I-I did not mean to─ That was not my intention. Alphinaud: As my tenure as commander of the Crystal Braves comprehensively demonstrated, I lack the qualities required for such an office. I would much prefer to remain as I am now─a soldier in the field, so to speak. Y'shtola: Should none of our number step forward, must we then constrain some unwilling candidate to take up the position? Thancred: Well, based on merit alone, a certain adventurer would be my choice─though I concede she might struggle to balance her new responsibilities with, let me see...slaying primals, thwarting legatuses, and feeding the orphaned poor. Papalymo: Thancred makes a good point. Any who would wear such a mantle would be bound by its obligations. Have we not become sufficiently familiar with each other's methods to act without an overseer? At present, I see no cause to so willingly limit one of our number. Tataru: Oh! Oh, my goodness! You're─ Help! I need some help here! Alphinaud: Tataru! Are you all right!? Tataru: Me!? I'm fine! It's this poor girl who just staggered in and collapsed on the floor that I'm worried about! Yda (Lyse): Naago!? Gods, how did─ Y'shtola, please, you have to help her! Y'shtola: Krile, a hand if you would. Let us see about closing these wounds. Krile: Now, we've staunched the bleeding, but it may be a while before you can move about again. Though, having seen your wounds, I'm surprised you were still moving at all... M'naago: Thank you... My message... It was too important to delay. M'naago: I took the shortest route I could, though I knew it was more heavily patrolled... As you can see, my efforts at evasion were not entirely successful. Yda (Lyse): Honestly, you're too brave for your own good! What was so urgent that you needed to fight half the Empire to get here? You could have been killed! M'naago: I'm sorry, Yda. I had good reason... Ah, but I imagine your friends are wondering who this bloody mess of a Miqo'te is. My name is M'naago, and I belong to the Ala Mhigan Resistance. M'naago: I came to warn Yda and Papalymo about one of our leaders─a man who calls himself the Griffin. He's always been dangerous, but he's planning something new...something reckless. Thancred: The Griffin, you say? I've heard the name. Rumor has it, your man is eager to test his claws. M'naago: Aye, and on no easy target. He means to assault Baelsar's Wall from the Ala Mhigan side. Papalymo: But what does the Griffin possibly hope to gain from such an attack? M'naago: From what I understand, he wants the fires of war to spread to Eorzea. And for that, he needs to control the border with Gridania. Alphinaud: ...So he means to spark a conflict between the Alliance and the imperial forces stationed in Ala Mhigo─to have Eorzea's armies aid in the liberation effort, whether they will it or no. Papalymo: His plan is flawed. Even should the Resistance succeed in occupying the Wall, they would not be able to hold it. Imperial reinforcements would drive them out within a week! Krile: Be that as it may, if there is even a chance that this scheme could bring about an escalation in hostilities between Eorzea and the Empire, the Alliance must be informed. Y'shtola: Agreed. I shall depart for Limsa Lominsa forthwith and seek an audience with the Admiral. Thancred─Ul'dah is yours. Y'shtola: Alphinaud and Alisaie─make haste to the Twelveswood, and notify the Elder Seedseer of the danger to Gridania. She will duly call a council of the Alliance leaders, whom you must be ready to receive. Y'shtola: You will be our voice in Ishgard. Explain the situation to Ser Aymeric, and encourage him to send an envoy. Y'shtola: Tataru, Krile─I leave the care of our injured messenger to you. See that she remains quiescent and her wounds closed. Y'shtola: I believe that covers everything. Let us be about our tasks. Papalymo: I suspect the ill tidings from Gyr Abania will be held as a turning point—the beginning to a bloody end. Papalymo: The business of war was ever conducted with the coin of self-sacrifice. Papalymo: 'Twas Master Louisoix himself who taught us that such costs are not to be ignored or denied. Papalymo: And so I shall embrace them. When the time comes, I will make my choice—as you will yours.
Lucia: Greetings, Warrior of Light. What business brings you to Ishgard? Lucia: ...I see. Wait here. I will summon Ser Aymeric.
Aymeric: It is good to see you, my friend. 'Tis but a pity it must be under such circumstances. Had Lucia not informed me of the urgency of your suit, I would certainly have sent for some wine. Aymeric: But to business. I thank you for bringing these developments in Ala Mhigo to our attention. Ishgard will of course send an envoy to attend the council in Gridania. Aymeric: I cannot say who will represent us, however, as the choice is not mine to make─not mine alone, at any rate. Aymeric: Given the imminence of the threat, we may forgo the formalities of a full assembly, but I will still need to consult my counterpart in the House of Commons prior to proceeding. Will you permit me some time to make the necessary arrangements? Aymeric: I thank you. Aymeric: Our representative, whomever we select, will require a suitable escort. Make your preparations, and inform Ser Handeloup that he is to lead in your absence. Lucia: Yes, Lord Commander. Aymeric: Forename─pray accompany Lucia to the Gates of Judgement and make ready to depart for Gridania. I will have our envoy join you as soon as I can. Fury speed you on your way.
An Envoy for Ishgard Lucia seems eager to set forth for Gridania.
Lucia: If you have no other business in the city, join me at the Gates of Judgement. We must be ready to depart the instant the envoy arrives.
Aymeric: We meet again. As it happens, my counterpart in the House of Commons agreed that I should act as Ishgard's envoy. Aymeric: ...Not, I concede, that there was ever any real doubt. As lord commander of the Temple Knights, it is my duty to sanction any military cooperation. Aymeric: Be that as it may, I could not in good conscience make the decision alone─not with the ink scarce dry in the republic's book of statutes. Aymeric: I trust you understand, my friend. Alas, I must test your patience still further by making a brief stop at Camp Dragonhead. Given the trouble brewing in the Black Shroud, I would see that the garrison is ready to defend the border.
Aymeric: The garrison commander waits within. Why not accompany me, Forename? You may see a familiar face...
Emmanellain: Forename, old girl!? How wonderful to see you! And Ser Aymeric, too! To what do I owe these unexpected pleasures? Honoroit: I will have some mulled wine brought up from the kitchens at once! If you will excuse─ Aymeric: Nay, do not trouble yourself, Honoroit─we shall soon be on our way. Lucia, a brief summary, if you will. Lucia: Yes, Lord Commander. Emmanellain: Hmph. Those villains hardly need an excuse to wage war. Bloodletting comes as naturally as breathing to a Garl─I-I mean, to an imperial. Honoroit: ...And thus we shall strengthen our patrols as you suggest. We shall also be sure to communicate these developments to Lord Francel and the Observatorium. Aymeric: I see you have everything in hand. Carry on, Commander. Emmanellain: Surprised to see yours truly at the helm? Emmanellain: You and me both, old girl. I doubt I'll ever feel worthy to sit where he sat... Emmanellain: Yet we can but play the hand we're dealt. And with a little help from the veterans─and Honoroit's ceaseless chiding─I'm sure I'll muddle through. So worry not, old girl! Off to Gridania with you!
Aymeric: Diplomatic duties have brought me here on several occasions, but I find that I am as enraptured by the Black Shroud's beauty now as when first I laid eyes upon it. Aymeric: I fear that this time, however, events shall not afford us the luxury of enjoying the splendor of the forest...
An Allied Decision Ser Aymeric is ready to attend the council.
Aymeric: It seems we are to have an escort to the Lotus Stand. A pleasant place to discuss unpleasant matters, is it not? Aymeric: Yes, of course. 'Tis like that we are the last to arrive. Let us announce ourselves, shall we?
Silent Conjurer: The envoy from Ishgard is arrived? Very good. This way, if you pl─ Ah, and the Lominsan party, as well. Merlwyb: I had hoped to slip in unnoticed, but I see I was not the only one delayed in my arrival. Greetings, Ser Aymeric. Aymeric: Admiral, always a pleasure. Merlwyb: And Forename, I trust you are well? 'Tis a day for reunions, it seems. I believe you are well acquainted with my escort? Yugiri: Lady Forename. I was glad to hear from Riol that the missing Scions have now been found. Merlwyb: There is much and more I would discuss with you, but let us first attend to the issue at hand. Shall we?
Kan-E-Senna: I bid you welcome, my friends. As you will by now be aware, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn have come into possession of certain intelligence concerning recent developments in the region of Gyr Abania. It springs, I am assured, from an unimpeachable source─is that not so, Master Alphinaud? Alphinaud: Indeed, Elder Seedseer. Our information comes directly from a member of the Resistance's inner circle, and we have no cause to doubt its veracity. Raubahn: This “Griffin” of theirs is a fool if he thinks he can hold Baelsar's Wall against the Empire. Raubahn: When the imperials move to take it back, they will come in force─and the resulting fighting is all but certain to spill over into the Black Shroud... Kan-E-Senna: At the Battle of Carteneau, the combined might of three Grand Companies labored to contend with the remnants of but a single imperial legion. Kan-E-Senna: Alone, Gridania would be hard-pressed indeed to hold back the tide should the Garleans turn their minds from reclamation to invasion. Aymeric: May I once more convey my nation's deepest regrets for our inaction in the days prior to the Calamity. 'Tis a stain upon our ledger that I would fain remove. Aymeric: Elder Seedseer─I do hereby request leave to deploy a defensive force within the borders of Gridania. Ishgard's return to the Alliance shall be honored by more than mere ink upon parchment. Yugiri: The Doman people, too, would join any effort that weakens our common foe. We are few, but our most seasoned shinobi are at your disposal. Kan-E-Senna: On behalf of my people, I offer you my humble thanks. Gridania welcomes your assistance. Raubahn: It is time we set our contingency plans in motion. Is the Alliance agreed? Raubahn: Then let us make ready for war. Victory favors the swift, and there is much to be done.
Alisaie: The council knows that Ala Mhigo will not soon be wrested from the Empire, and its decision to bolster the border's defenses seems eminently practical. Why, then, Brother, do you scowl so? Alphinaud: I agree that they have chosen the wisest course available. Indeed, the only reasonable one. Alphinaud: Yet something feels awry. In making ready for war, is the Alliance not granting the Griffin the very thing he desired? Any attempt to hold the Wall is doomed to failure, aye, but I wonder if we have misjudged the prize for which he plays...
Alphinaud: ...That the council was able to reach an accord so swiftly is a heartening development in itself. I only hope my misgivings prove unfounded... Aymeric: Ah, good, you have yet to depart. I feared I had missed you. Alphinaud: Ser Aymeric! Aymeric: Master Alphinaud, a pleasure as always. And Mistress Alisaie, how wonderful to see you thus recovered. Pardon the interruption. I had hoped to thank Forename for serving as our escort before other duties called her away. Aymeric: I also wished to thank our Doman ally... Yugiri: Forgive me, my lord. I was but awaiting an opportune moment to join the conversation, and force of habit made me keep to the shadows. Aymeric: No apologies are necessary, Mistress Yugiri. I was most grateful for your interjection when I offered Ishgard's support. Aymeric: My nation's historic failure to heed the Alliance's pleas for aid is a matter of record. Aymeric: Even so, the Alliance leaders were plainly unprepared for my impromptu apology. Aymeric: The resulting air of awkwardness might have lingered longer were it not for your timely offer of cooperation, which allowed the Elder Seedseer to accept us both. I very much appreciated the gesture. Yugiri: I only did my duty, Ser Aymeric. The Empire is an enemy to us all, and we are grateful for the opportunity to fight at your side. Aymeric: And full glad are we to have you. Pray convey my regards to the Scions, my friends. We must return to Ishgard. Alisaie: Whatever is wrong with a simple “sorry” or “thank you”? Must these politicians always make a speech out of everything? Alphinaud: That is how we adults speak, dear sister. Alisaie: Hmph. Mayhap the ones who like the sound of their own voice. In any case, our business here is concluded. We should be on our way as well. Alisaie: Will you accompany us to Revenant's Toll, Yugiri? Alphinaud: Actually, I think I shall first pay a brief visit to the East Shroud. I am curious to know how Papalymo and Yda fared in their talks with the sylphs, not to mention what has been going on at Baelsar's Wall. I will join you at the Rising Stones anon.
Alisaie: Welcome back, Forename. I don't know about you, but I am heartily glad that all of the talking is over. I understand that these council meetings are important, but do you not find it tiresome to have to weigh every word before you speak it? I doubt I will ever feel at home in the realm of politics. Alisaie: That said, people have been known to change. And if my brother is willing to run his own errands, anything is possible.
Griffin, Griffin on the Wall Alisaie seems eager to discuss the council's decision with the other Scions.
Alisaie: Well, as much as I enjoy the bustle of the Toll, I think it's time we headed inside. My brother and the others will not be long.
Y'shtola: Ah, you are returned from the council. But what of Alphinaud? Did some other matter require his attention? Alphinaud: Mine apologies, friends. I trust we have not kept you waiting overlong. Yda (Lyse): Greetings, everyone!
Oh, Krile─how's Naago doing? She will be all right, won't she? Krile: I don't see why not. She's sleeping at the moment. Tataru is keeping an eye on her, so we'll know soon enough if there's any change in her condition. Y'shtola: Her wounds are healing well. With sufficient rest, I am certain she will make a full recovery. Yda (Lyse): Thank goodness for that. Y'shtola: Now, mayhap you would share with us the council's decision? Alisaie: Each of the nations, Ishgard included, has committed to providing military support to Gridania. The Eorzean Alliance will soon have a significant force in the Black Shroud, ready to respond to any imperial act of aggression. Yda (Lyse): You know, I almost wish the council would stop messing around and give the Griffin what he wants. I wouldn't like to be the imperial caught between the Resistance and the Alliance! Papalymo: Yda, you cannot seriously─ One does not lightly go to war with the Garlean Empire. Alphinaud: Quite. To open hostilities without due consideration would be to invite disaster. <sigh> If only there were some way to reach the Griffin─some means to convince him to abandon this reckless course... Papalymo: It may not be entirely unfeasible. Papalymo: There is a network of tunnels beneath Baelsar's Wall─secret passages dug by the Resistance to provide a way out of Ala Mhigo. Y'shtola: ...Which may equally serve as a way in? Papalymo: Precisely. If all are in agreement, I would be the one to undertake the necessary negotiations. I am familiar with the route, and the Resistance is familiar with me. Yda (Lyse): About as familiar as they are with me, you mean? Say what you want─I'm coming too! Yugiri: I have some experience in the practice of infiltration. If you would have me, my services are at your disposal. Thancred: As are mine. It has been far too long since I shared a shadow with a shinobi, and I do not intend to waste the opportunity. Y'shtola: Four is quite sufficient for an infiltration mission. Greater numbers will only serve to increase the risk of detection. Krile and I will direct our energies elsewhere. What of you Leveilleurs? Alphinaud: I will return to the East Shroud, and stand watch over the border. Should matters take a turn for the worse, 'twould seem wise to be on hand. Alphinaud: Might I prevail upon you to accompany me, Forename? Gridania will be safer for your presence. And...while it may not seem the most thrilling duty, dear sister, might I ask that you remain at the Rising Stones to pass on messages and so on? Alisaie: To hold the fort, you mean.
...Very well. I suppose the task must fall to someone. Alisaie: Safe travels, all of you.
Alphinaud: If you have any unfinished business in the Toll, pray attend to it now. I would depart for the Hawthorne Hut without delay. Alphinaud: The nearby watchtower offers an unobstructed view of Baelsar's Wall, and I should be interested to speak to the Alliance commanders who have installed themselves at its top.
Alphinaud: Ah, Forename, there you are. Come, Amarissaix's Spire awaits. Alphinaud: The Alliance officers on the platform should be able to apprise us of any developments at the Wall. Thancred: Fancy meeting the two of you here. We were about to set forth. Alphinaud: Indeed. I was about to say, “Twelve watch over you,” but I doubt you have need of divine protection, even if you are venturing into enemy territory... Yda (Lyse): Don't worry, Alphinaud─we'll have the Griffin by the scruff of the neck before you know it! Papalymo: Do make up your mind, Yda. Nary a moment ago, you seemed ready to shake the Griffin by the hand rather than the neck. So, which is it to be? 'Twould be best to decide before we enter into negotiations. Yda (Lyse): Trust me, Papalymo: I'll shake whatever needs shaking. The talking part I leave to you! Papalymo: ...I think I feel a headache coming on. Let's be on our way, shall we? Alphinaud: Ah, some things never change...
Well then, shall we make for the spire? Our Alliance friends will doubtless have news for us.
Serpent Scout: Welcome, Warrior of Light. I assume you are here to speak with our commanding officers? Serpent Scout: You will find them on the observation platform. Pray proceed.
Pipin: Greetings, my friends. 'Tis good to see you both well. Hilda: I was hopin' you might turn up. I've dragged half the watch here, see, and the sight of you might help remind 'em why we bothered. R'ashaht Rhiki: If memory serves, I have not seen many of you since the day of the grand melee. Having borne the brunt of your blows, may I say what an honor it is to stand at your side! Alphinaud: 'Tis heartening indeed to see the realm's most stalwart defenders thus gathered in common cause. Speaking of which─what news from the Wall? Vorsaile Heuloix: All has been quiet. Vorsaile Heuloix: Report! What? Seven hells... Fighting has broken out on top of the Wall! A full-scale assault! Pipin: So the Griffin has made his move. Vorsaile Heuloix: Someone has... Hilda: And what's that s'posed to mean? Vorsaile Heuloix: The attackers, they─ They're wearing Grand Company colors. R'ashaht Rhiki: Impossible. We gave no such order. Alphinaud: Of course... The Wall was never the Griffin's target─it was bait. We have been goaded into deploying our armies nearby, thus lending weight to this deception! Vorsaile Heuloix: If those uniforms were convincing enough to deceive my scouts, the Empire will surely think we've launched an offensive. This could mean war! Alphinaud: Even so...this may yet be no more than a diversion. With the armies of the Alliance occupying the Empire's attention, it would be comparatively easy for the Griffin's supporters to slip into Ala Mhigo. Alphinaud: He could then incite a rebellion amongst the populace which the imperial reserves would be hard-pressed to contain. Eorzea, meanwhile, would be plunged into chaos. Alphinaud: Forename, we must make for the Wall at once. Pipin: What, just the two of you!? Alphinaud: Our companions embarked on a mission to sway the Griffin from his course, and are likely halfway to his command post by now. They will emerge in the midst of a raging battle and I do not mean to abandon them to their fate. Alphinaud: It will be dangerous, aye, but the confusion may work to our advantage. If we are careful to avoid the skirmishing, it may yet be possible to reach the Griffin...and if we can do that... Pipin: Lady Hilda─might I ask that you have an airship ready to bear the Scions to safety? Hilda: Ha! I don't know who this Lady Hilda is, Marshal, but you can count on me. R'ashaht Rhiki: We must prepare for imperial reprisals. May the Navigator guide us through the storm!
The Griffin (Ilberd): Forward, comrades! The time has come to drive the Empire from Ala Mhigo, and force action upon those who have turned their backs to our suffering for so long! The Griffin (Ilberd): Let this victory be the first step in the liberation of our homeland! The Griffin (Ilberd): Ala Mhigo will be free─no matter the cost.
Alphinaud: From what Papalymo told me, the trail ahead should lead us into the shadow of the Wall. Alphinaud: As we have two objectives, I suggest we divide our forces. I shall make straightways for the tunnels, and attempt to intercept our comrades ere they stumble into a bloodbath. Alphinaud: While I do so...I must ask that you scale the Wall. Know that I would not propose such a course if there were any other way. But the time for subtlety is past. Take a band of your most trusted companions and cut a path through to the Griffin. Make him see reason─by any means necessary. Alphinaud: Once we are free of the tunnels, we will make for your position with all due haste. And if everything proceeds according to plan, Hilda will then swoop in and spirit us all away to safety. I only pray that we have enough time.

Baelsar's Wall

Marking the border between the Black Shroud and Gyr Abania, the legacy of Gaius van Baelsar is a towering monument to imperial tyranny. And now smoke rises from its iron crenellations. In a bid to drag the armies of Eorzea into the struggle for Ala Mhigan liberation, the Griffin and his Resistance fighters have disguised themselves in Grand Company uniforms and laid siege to Baelsar's Wall. While Alphinaud seeks to call your companions back from their now-meaningless mission of diplomacy, you must ascend the war-torn fortification by the swiftest route possible and persuade the Griffin—by force, if necessary—to abandon his reckless ambition.
Scion Marauder: Stay sharp, everyone!
Scion Conjurer: Seems there's fewer of them this way. Scion Marauder: Let's clear them out!
Scion Marauder: You're scrap metal! Scion Thaumaturge: Those claws were no joke. Scion Marauder: Right, the outer reaches are just ahead.
Scion Marauder: Is that the switch for the platform? Scion Thaumaturge: Only one way to find out.
Scion Conjurer: Is it finally over?
Scion Thaumaturge: Oh, this one's definitely dangerous. Scion Conjurer: Worry not, I'll tend your wounds! Scion Thaumaturge: I could've done without the swarm of little ones. Scion Conjurer: Those things are relentless...
Scion Marauder: We're almost to the top.
Scion Marauder: It's the Griffin's soldiers! Scion Conjurer: If they're here, then that means...
Scion Conjurer: The Griffin finally shows his face! Scion Marauder: Your scheming ends here, you bastard! The Griffin (Ilberd): I'll give you a glorious end, Warrior of Light!
Come! See what awaits you at the far edge of fate!
Ilberd: <pant> <pant> You've beaten me, aye... Ilberd: But you cannot stop what I've begun. Behold─a glimpse of things to come! Storm Soldier (Resistance Fighter): We did it! We showed the bastards! Serpent Soldier (Resistance Fighter): Aye! Victory is ours! Flame Soldier (Resistance Fighter): And who knows, lads? Mayhap the Eorzeans'll finally see sense...when the enemy turns up on their bloody doorstep! Laurentius: This is for Ala Mhigo... For Eorzea... Laurentius: They die, that others may live... Laurentius: Vanguards! Attack! Flame Soldier (Resistance Fighter): Seven hells, d'ye hear that? Serpent Soldier (Resistance Fighter): War machines... How did they get here so quickly!? Storm Soldier (Resistance Fighter): S-Stand your ground! For the Resistance! Flame Soldier (Resistance Fighter): There's nowhere to run! We're cut off! Flame Soldier (Resistance Fighter): Aaagh! Storm Soldier (Resistance Fighter): Gods help us... What were we thinking? The Empire's too big... Too powerful... Storm Soldier (Resistance Fighter): Mighty Rhalgr... Grant us...the strength...to crush...our...
Papalymo: There you are! Alphinaud: As you can see, our infiltrators did not elude me for long. Lady Yugiri is sending for an airship even as we speak. Yda (Lyse): What do we do!? This is a massacre! Ilberd: Heh heh heh heh... How wonderful to see you...Commander. Alphinaud: Ilberd! I should have known... Alphinaud: This has to end! It has to end now! Do you not see your countrymen dying? Have your ideals rendered you blind even to that!? Order the retreat, and we will help your soldiers to safety! Ilberd: Retreat? With the moment of my triumph so close at hand? You truly are a sheltered child, Leveilleur. Alphinaud: Nidhogg's eyes! ...No abyss is too deep for you, I see. But trust me when I say that such power was not meant for mortal hands! Ilberd: How long have I struggled to reach this point! My countrymen so inured to the taste of defeat, they no longer balk at its bitterness. Shouting my throat raw with rallying cries, only to be greeted with dull eyes and blank faces! Ilberd: My “brothers” and “sisters” in Ul'dah have surrendered to their apathy and their appetites. Were it not for the glint of Lolorito's coin, I doubt even those here now would have answered my call! Ilberd: “Take back our homeland! Free Ala Mhigo!” Hah! They'll happily mouth the words, but they won't spill the blood! Ilberd: You say no mortal should wield these eyes? Then I shall gladly become a demon! I will suckle on the souls of the hopeless, and liberate the homeland they no longer deserve! Alphinaud: What exactly do you mean to do...? Ilberd: Did you hear their cries as victory was snatched away from them? Even with their dying breaths they cursed the Empire! Never has their desire for vengeance been so raw, so true! A god has no need of faith when summoned by so pure a purpose! Papalymo: Summoned!? Alphinaud: You cannot mean to fight the Empire with a primal! You know full well the danger─the futility of relying on such power! Ilberd: Oh, yes, I know their limitations─which is why I will call upon a deity more terrible than the very black wyrm of the Calamity itself! Papalymo: What... Here!? Now!? Yda (Lyse): Like hells you will! Ilberd: An ending to mark a new beginning... My pain! My longing! You shall have it all! Ilberd: Hahaha─aaaaaaargh!
Alphinaud: This light, is it... Papalymo: His death completed the ritual. The primal is taking shape. Yda (Lyse): Well, can't we stop it!? There must be something we can do! Papalymo: There is...one thing. Yda (Lyse): Wha─? Hey! Where do you think you're going!? Papalymo: Master Louisoix briefly contained Bahamut by means of a potent spell of sealing. I will now attempt to do the same. Alphinaud: But that's impossible! We would need hours to collect the necessary aether, i-if not days! Papalymo: Ah, Alphinaud... Though I concede it may not always be apparent, I was ever your grandsire's finest pupil. Alphinaud: Tupsimati, of course! The staff still holds enormous power, broken or not. Yda (Lyse): Don't you dare, Papalymo! I know how that spell works! Yugiri: It is time to leave! Papalymo: Quite right! Quickly, now! Off you go! The further away the better! Yda (Lyse): No! If you're staying, then so am I! Papalymo: No, Yda! There is a path only you can walk, and it must not end here─not like this! Papalymo: Take her! Please, you have to take her! Alphinaud: Ugh... Yda (Lyse): Wha─ No! Damn it, Thancred! Put me down! Thancred! Papalymo: This is one battle you cannot fight. Away with you. Go!
  • What will you do?
  • Trust in Papalymo and leave on the airship.
  • Stay at Papalymo's side.
Thancred: Hilda! I think he means now! Papalymo: I bid thee farewell again, my dear Yda... Papalymo: Now, let us see how good a student I truly was...
Yda (Lyse): Why...? Yda (Lyse): Why didn't they let me stay!? Yda (Lyse): Papalymo is my friend! I should have been there with him! Thancred: You could see it in his eyes, Yda. He knew what he was doing─what had to be done. Thancred: Master Louisoix wore that same look, right before the end... Yda (Lyse): Do you think I don't know that!? I know, all right! I know. Thancred: There is nothing more you could have done. Ilberd caught us all off guard. Even Forename was powerless to stop him. Thancred: If you must blame someone, then blame me. Just promise that you will never forget what Papalymo strove to protect, or the lessons he tried to teach you. Yda (Lyse): ...Don't. Don't speak to me. Thancred: Leave Yda with me. Go on. Go back to the Rising Stones. The others need to know what happened here.
Louisoix's Finest Student It is plain that recent events have shaken Alphinaud to the core.
Alphinaud: ...Once again, I find myself at a loss for words. Alphinaud: But Thancred is right. We must return to the Rising Stones and apprise our companions of...all of this. Alphinaud: Pray make your way there at once. I will send word to Y'shtola and the others of our imminent return.
Alisaie: ...'Twould seem you bring ill tidings, Brother. Alphinaud: ...Aye. Behind the Griffin's mask, we found the grinning face of an old adversary... Ilberd. I know not how, but he had in his possession the eyes of Nidhogg, whose dread power he used to initiate a summoning ritual, even as we looked on... Y'shtola: By the Twelve... Alisaie: I don't understand. To attempt such a magick requires every onze of one's aether. No one─not even Grandfather─could cast it and hope to survive... Alphinaud: Indeed. It was ever a last resort─as I am certain Papalymo was aware. Urianger: Thus did the pupil follow in the footsteps of his master...even unto the grave. Alphinaud: I have as yet been unable to explain how Ilberd came to possess Nidhogg's eyes. Alphinaud: In the depths of the Sea of Clouds, a perpetual storm of water- and wind-aspected aether rages. No mortal could endure such conditions. Y'shtola: Then mayhap it was the work of an Ascian. But now is not the time for idle speculation. Krile, I have need of your assistance. Krile: I─ Yes. Yes, of course. Y'shtola: We must inspect the cocoon of light, and ascertain the state of the primal trapped within. Between our respective talents, I daresay we shall glean some measure of insight. Krile: Understood. I can't promise I'll be able to sense much through the barrier, but I shall certainly do my best. Y'shtola: As shall I. Let us be about it, then. Alisaie: ...What, without so much as a “by your leave”!? Urianger: Pray forgive Archon Y'shtola her brevity. She seeketh employment, lest her grief deprive her of the will to act. A desire to comfort Yda doubtless compoundeth her unseemly haste. Urianger: I, too, must contend with this grievous loss in mine own way. By thy leave, Lady Alisaie, I shall honor our fallen colleague through gainful study. There exist writings which may yet further our understanding of this cocoon of light... Alisaie: ...Mayhap I was too quick to judge. Surrendering to sadness and regret would be a poor tribute to Papalymo's sacrifice. Alphinaud: Quite. We must begin preparations to face Ilberd's accursed creation without delay. What time we have was purchased at too dear a price for us to squander it.

Heavensward: The Far Edge of Fate (3.56)

The Obvious Solution The interminable wait for news from Gridania seems to be taking its toll on Alisaie.
Alisaie: Ah, Forename. I wish I had more to tell you, but the situation in the East Shroud remains largely unchanged. Alisaie: ...Meaning we still have no idea how long it will be before─ Alisaie: A communication from the Alliance! One moment. Alisaie: ...Yes, of course. Our representatives will be present. My thanks. Alisaie: Word from Gridania: the council will shortly be reconvened. The Alliance leaders have already begun to assemble. Alphinaud: They wish to discuss the primal, of course. As of Y'shtola's last report, the cocoon yet hung above the Wall, unchanged... Alisaie: Yes. But the Elder Seedseer doubtless shares our concerns about how long it will remain so. I am told that Cid Garlond has been called in to add his expertise to proceedings. Alphinaud: A wise decision. The more minds we have working on this, the better. Alisaie: Well then, I suggest we leave the Rising Stones in Tataru's capable hands and make haste for the Lotus Stand.
Towering Traveler (Gosetsu): A word if you would, good sir. This place, it is within the realm of Eorzea? Vesper Bay Resident: You're an odd-looking fellow, aren't you? Still...takes all sorts, I s'pose. This here's Vesper Bay─“Thanalan's door to the ocean,” as some folk like to call it... Towering Traveler (Gosetsu): Am I to understand from your answer that I have indeed arrived in Eorzea? Vesper Bay Resident: Eh? ...Yes. You're in Eorzea. Towering Traveler (Gosetsu): Ah, a plain response at last! And the one I wanted, at that! My journey was not without its hardships, and I would sooner travel by land than put to sea again! Towering Traveler (Gosetsu): You do not believe that so small a bark could bear me across the ocean? Such timid little sailors! I had but to set my course, then set my jaw till I made port! Towering Traveler (Gosetsu): Hah hah hah hah hah hah hah! Towering Traveler (Gosetsu): Though...'twould perhaps have been wise to lay down my oars a moment to sup on more than the spray of brinewater. By the trembling of my limbs, I sense a brief repast may be in order... Towering Traveler (Gosetsu): Nay! I will not hearken to the feeble grumblings of an empty belly! Duty comes before all! Vesper Bay Resident: Good gods, man! Are you all right? Urianger: Thou art far indeed from home, friend...
Silent Conjurer: Welcome, Warrior of Light. This way, if you please.
Kan-E-Senna: Dear friends...pray accept my heartfelt thanks for your efforts in defense of Gridania's borders. I would fain dwell longer on my gratitude for the support of the Alliance, but the situation at Baelsar's Wall demands that we forgo such pleasantries. Keeper of the Entwined Serpents: According to our most recent intelligence, the cocoon of light that formed in the air above the Wall remains undimmed and unbroken. Keeper of the Entwined Serpents: After measuring the cocoon's aetheric concentrations, Archon Y'shtola has confirmed the presence of a primal entity... Raubahn: Hmph. So we must assume that Ilberd's thrice-damned god is indeed trapped within. And what news of the imperials? They are not like to ignore such a spectacle. Keeper of the Entwined Serpents: Sir. A Garlean airship was observed making an approach, but the vessel was destroyed when it drew near. The Empire appears to have made no subsequent attempts to reach the object. Kan-E-Senna: The soldiers who witnessed the incident spoke of a “lance of light” issuing from within the cocoon. Of an entire warship being reduced to smoking ruin in the space of a moment... Kan-E-Senna: Veterans of Carteneau, meanwhile...likened the destruction to that wrought by the fiery wrath of Bahamut. Alisaie: We could face another Calamity... Alphinaud: So the primal is awake, then? Contained, yes, but for how long? We must destroy it now, lest it break free! Cid: Agreed. There is, however, the small matter of how to get close enough to a being that swats warships from the sky as you would a bothersome gnat... ??? (Nero tol Scaeva): Is this truly so complex a puzzle? Or have you no stomach for the obvious solution? Cid: What in the hells are you doing here!? Nero tol Scaeva: A pleasure to see you too, Garlond. Now, if you would be so kind as to explain to these good people why you should be begging me for my assistance, that would be most appreciated. Aymeric: Who is this man? Nero tol Scaeva: Oh, how terrifically rude of me! Nero tol Scaeva, former tribunus of the XIVth Legion of the Garlean Empire. These days, however, one might say that I am something of a free agent. Cid: What do you want, Nero? Nero tol Scaeva: I was getting to that. Although you already know what I am about to propose, old friend. Nero tol Scaeva: As you have rather belatedly realized, within that frail binding lurks an entity alike in strength to the great Bahamut. And the only force in existence which might conceivably contend with such a foe is the very creation which captured the elder primal in the first place. I speak, of course, of Omega. Raubahn: Omega!? That hulk has been gathering dust beneath the plains of Carteneau since the Allagans breathed their last! And none alive knows how to wake it. Nero tol Scaeva: I'm sorry─do you understand who it is with whom you have the privilege of speaking? I am Nero tol Scaeva, master engineer─the mechanical genius who restored the Ultima Weapon to full operational capacity! Nero tol Scaeva: And, as luck would have it, I am graciously offering you the use of my considerable expertise. Cid: And, what, you just expect us to accept? You're a fool if you think your deeds at the Crystal Tower were enough to win my trust, Nero. Nero tol Scaeva: Trust? You wound me, Garlond! All those years studying side by side at the Academy, sharing both trial and triumph. We were countrymen, once, you and I. Nero tol Scaeva: But sentiment aside─have you a better solution? Or do you mean to send in your vaunted hero there, as you always do, and pray the world is not engulfed in flame? Nero tol Scaeva: Let us approach the problem in a rational manner. Does not the fact that Omega slumbers in stasis point to the existence of some overriding technology? A means of control? Kan-E-Senna: I would ask a question, if I may─Nero, was it not? In the event that we succeeded in using Omega to shackle the primal in the manner you propose, what then would become of it? Do we not risk repeating the mistakes of the Allagans? Nero tol Scaeva: Omega is but a tool. How we choose to employ that tool is entirely up to us. Of course, if you would rather leave it buried beneath Carteneau while you continue your petty squabbles above, then I suppose that is also your choice. Cid: Spare us, Nero! The Seedseer's concern is a valid one. He who controls Omega wields the power of the gods. The very power which led the Allagans to destroy themselves. Nero tol Scaeva: And does it not fall to we engineers to prevent such misuse? What was your company's proud slogan? “Freedom through Technology”? Cid: Hah. A creed you follow, is it? Cid: <sigh> What say you? Do we take this villain at his word?
  • What will you say?
  • He makes a convincing case. Cid: He makes me grind my teeth is what he does, but I suppose we don't have much of a choice.
  • No, but I'll keep an eye on him. Cid: ...As will I. I don't like it, but then it doesn't look like we have much choice.
Cid: Would the council be willing to entrust this matter to a pair of former imperials? Kan-E-Senna: Yes. The task of restoring the Allagan relic will be yours. But the responsibility for its reawakening must remain with the council. Do we condone this course of action? Raubahn: Aye. 'Twould seem we do. Let the records show that we invest this contingent with the authority to enter Carteneau and take command of Omega. Raubahn: Cid, I appoint you leader of the expedition. Scions─I would ask that you assign some few of your number to escort Master Garlond and supervise the other one. Alphinaud: We should be happy to oblige. The politics of Carteneau being what they are, I daresay our neutrality will prove useful in avoiding any unnecessary entanglements. Alisaie: If I am not mistaken, Doma occupies a similarly neutral position. Might we not persuade you to join the expedition, Lady Yugiri? If you suspected any foul play from Nero, you would be welcome to kill him. Yugiri: My blade is yours. Nero tol Scaeva: Not a moment's hesitation, eh? You'll forgive me if I do not shake your hand.
Alphinaud: Well, that was a rather unexpected development, and one which raises a number of questions...not least among them how Nero chanced to learn of the council meeting in the first place.
The Greater Obeisance
Alphinaud: Cid and the others are assembling at the airship landing. Alphinaud: Alisaie is already on her way, and it would not do to lag too far behind. Let us be off.
Cid: Forename, Alphinaud! Ready to go? The others have stepped out onto the landing for a moment, lest you wonder. Nero insisted that he be allowed to inspect the Excelsior before boarding. Alphinaud: And you let him? Despite his very timely offer of assistance, the thought of that man poking about in the workings of the ship without proper supervision does not fill me with confidence. Cid: Calm yourself, Alphinaud─your sister was adamant that he would never leave her sight. She and Yugiri are─ Ah, well here they are now. Cid: Right, I think that's everyone. Shall I set course for Carteneau? Alphinaud: Ah, might I ask that we delay our departure slightly? I require no more than a few hours at most. Our colleagues are studying the cocoon even as we speak, and I would hear their latest observations ere we proceed. Alphinaud: It would seem wise to gain as clear an understanding of the situation as possible before formulating our plan. Nero tol Scaeva: Oh? I thought time was against us! How foolish of me. Alisaie: Hold your tongue. When we want your opinion, we'll ask for it. Nero tol Scaeva: Forgive me, my lady! I shall keep my counsel until such time as you have finished procrastinating. Cid: All right. While Alphinaud speaks with his colleagues, I shall fly the Excelsior over to Mor Dhona, and we can reconvene at the Rising Stones. Alphinaud: Mine apologies for the trouble. I shall visit Y'shtola and the others forthwith, and join you as soon as I am able. Alphinaud: Forename, pray accompany Alisaie back to the Rising Stones. I should feel safer knowing you are present to entertain our “guest.” Cid: Right. Everyone heading to Mor Dhona is welcome to travel aboard the Excelsior. I'll clear things with the girl at the counter here. Let her know when you're ready to leave.
Hida: You are traveling with Master Garlond, miss? The Enterprise Excelsior is right this way.
  • Travel to Mor Dhona?
  • Yes
  • No
Cid: Not quite a door-to-door service, but I couldn't exactly land her in the Toll's main square... Cid: Shall we adjourn to the Rising Stones, then?
Nero tol Scaeva: Hm. So these are the fabled headquarters of the Scions... I confess, I would have expected an order of self-proclaimed warrior-scholars to surround themselves with the fruits of man's enlightenment. And yet there is not so much as a single piece of magitek in sight. Nero tol Scaeva: It never ceases to amaze me how primitive you Eorzeans truly are... Tataru: Hmph! I'll have you know that the Rising Stones is home to the very latest in magitek innovation. Tataru: Wedge calls it the “Mark XIV Thermocoil Boilmaster,” and it's the finest kettle I've ever had the pleasure to own. Alphinaud: We are returned. Alphinaud: Well, Yda and I, at least. Y'shtola and the others remained behind to continue their assessment of the binding magick. Yda (Lyse): There didn't seem much point staying just for that, so I decided to come back with Alphinaud. Papalymo bought us this time. We shouldn't waste it. Towering Traveler (Gosetsu): By your leave! Alisaie: Good gods. That voice could fell a gigas... Towering Traveler (Gosetsu): This is the Rising Stones, domicile of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn? I enter at the invitation of one Lord Urianger! Towering Traveler (Gosetsu): Ho-ho! I spy you there, shadow walker. You always were a hard one to find! Alisaie: Yugiri...? Do you know this man? Yugiri: Gosetsu!? Why are you come to Eorzea? Gosetsu: In search of you, Yugiri! For days and nights did I row across the angry sea... Gosetsu: I made port in good spirits, only for my own flesh to betray me over the trifling matter of an empty belly! Collapsed in the street like an unfed stray, I was, until Lord Urianger came to my aid. Gosetsu: Over a most welcome meal, we spoke of the plight of Doma, and I learned of our displaced countrymen's work to resettle this blighted land. 'Twas blind fortune I was able to locate you so swiftly! Gosetsu: But now we must make ready to depart! Our master languishes in dire peril, and Doma calls her daughter home! Yugiri: It is not so simple, Gosetsu. There are obligations which bind me here... Gosetsu: You─ You refuse? Did you mislay your oath during your flight from our homeland? The laws of hospitality must be honored, but surely the vow to defend your master demands the greater obeisance! Yugiri: It was our master who bid me guide our people to safe haven by any means necessary. And it was the Scions you see before you who provided us succor and sanctuary when all others refused.

Dire peril or no, were I to return without first repaying such “hospitality,” our master would cut me down at the threshold. Gosetsu: Mayhap that is so... Yugiri: There is more. A crisis threatens all within this realm, Eorzean and Doman alike, and I go to play my part in its resolution. I will not bring shame upon our liege by abandoning my people or my duty. Nero tol Scaeva: How very noble of you. Now, in the name of honor, kinship, and─ah, yes─practicality, might I suggest we get this expedition underway? Or would you rather debate the finer points of duty and leave Omega to the Empire? Gosetsu: The Empire!? Gosetsu: Yugiri? You draw steel against the curs of Garlemald? Gosetsu: Then why did you not say so!? My blade is oathbound to fall upon the ranks of the imperials wheresoever they march! Lead on, shadow walker. And may the enemy tremble at our coming!
Tataru: Forename, wait! Could I speak to you for a moment? Tataru: Do you remember when I had you meet me at the Diamond Forge, and we, uh...ambushed you? Tataru: Well, once we had your measurements, I set to work making you a traveling outfit in my spare time. I've only just this moment finished the stitching, but I wanted you to have it before you left. Here! Tataru: You can try it on right now, if you like! Tataru: Assuming we measured correctly, the fit should be just right. Snug but not too snug, if you know what I mean...?
Sooo...how does it feel? Tataru: You're not just saying that, are you!? Oh, I can't tell you how much this means to me! To have crafted something worthy of the Warrior of Light is... It's─ Well, let's just say it makes all the practice worthwhile. Tataru: I also sewed in a blood pearl charm to...you know...bring you home. May it always protect you.
Fly Free, My Pretty Yda's eyes shine with rekindled determination.
Yda (Lyse): So we have to wake Omega up, right? When do we start? Alphinaud: Yda, you... Are you sure that's...? Yda (Lyse): I'm sure, yes. I won't lie and say I'm completely fine, but I'll feel a lot better if I'm doing something useful. Alisaie: Very well. I will remain here and continue coordinating our efforts with the Alliance. Alphinaud, mayhap you could return to Gridania and assist Y'shtola and Krile? Alphinaud: A fine suggestion. Cid: The rest of us will form the Carteneau expedition party. Nero and I will focus on rousing Omega, while Forename, Yda, and our Doman friends take care of security. Cid: The Excelsior is by the lake just outside town. We'll leave as soon as everyone is ready.
Cid: We haven't far to go─with any luck, we'll be in Carteneau before Gosetsu graces the deck with his dinner. Cid: Once there, however, we had best be on our guard. Given that Eline Roaille was still active when Omega was discovered, we can be sure that the Empire has long been aware of its existence. And if Nero deemed it the obvious solution to the threat posed by this new primal, it is not impossible that Garlemald might do the same. Cid: Have your weapons ready and your wits about you. Something tells me we're flying into a fight.
Nero tol Scaeva: Now where was the...? Ah! Nero tol Scaeva: I've enabled the teleporter. One brief jump, and we shall arrive in Omega's control room. Cid: How convenient. ...You've been here before. Nero tol Scaeva: Of course. 'Twas no easy task threading a path through all the skirmishers... Nero tol Scaeva: But how could I ignore the existence of such a fascinating toy! You may trust that my preliminary examination was suitably thorough. Cid: Trust? Aye. I trust your appetite for technology. Grynewaht: I chase down a suspect airship, and who should I find but the traitor, Cid Garlond! Grynewaht: Searching for something, engineer? Something big? It's close, isn't it!? Grynewaht: Bwahahahaha! It's like all my namedays have come at once! Nero tol Scaeva: Of all the scouts the Empire could have sent...
Take care of that brute, will you! Cid: Godsdammit, I can't let Nero tinker around in there by himself. Sorry to leave you to it─but I daresay you'll manage without me. This clod has no idea who he's dealing with... Gosetsu: I am Gosetsu, samurai of Doma! You will rue your choice of opponent this day!
Grynewaht: I'll stomp these worms into the dust myself!
This is my fight, understand? Stay out of it! Grynewaht: Er...I may have misjudged the enemy.
They should've been staining the soles of my boots by now... Grynewaht: What are you fools gawping at!?
Don't just stand there─your captain is in danger! Gosetsu Everfall: For every yapping cur I strike down, another takes his place! Yda (Lyse): How many soldiers did he bring with him!? Yugiri Mistwalker: ...We will stand against this tide.
Grynewaht: Surrender! We have you outnumbered! Yda (Lyse): Wouldn't be the first time! Nero tol Scaeva: Are you still playing with those soldiers? <sigh> I suppose I can lend you one of my toys─but only if you promise to give it back. Nero tol Scaeva: Behold! The Red Baron! Now end this nonsense! Grynewaht: What the─? No one told me they'd have magitek armor! Er...forward! For the Empire! Gosetsu: The honorless cur thinks to abandon his men? I shall see that he shares their fate! Pray attend to the rest of his minions!
Yda (Lyse): Did you hear th─ Whoa! Watch out for that big one! Gosetsu Everfall: Hah, you have felled a titan!
But that still only counts as one! Yugiri Mistwalker: I will handle these soldiers!
Pray dispose of the giant! Yugiri Mistwalker: Well struck! My thanks, Forename! Imperial Laquearius: The colossi are scrap, and the captain hits us as often as the enemy!
Enough! Time for a tactical withdrawal! Grynewaht: Hey! You can't just run off! Grynewaht: Deserting a battle is punishable by death! Grynewaht: I order you to stand your ground!
Come back here now! ...Please? Grynewaht: Grrr... Damn it all to the seventh hell!
I'll kill you bastards if it's the last thing I do! Grynewaht: ...Y-You haven't seen the last of me!
Mark my words! It'll be you who rues this day!!!
Nero tol Scaeva: Temporal stasis disengaged. All systems operational─Garlond? Cid: All clear on this side! It's waking up... Nero tol Scaeva: Remarkable! Omega's sensors immediately detected the presence of the cocoon even at this distance. They must have been set to scan for sources of energy exceeding certain magnitudes. Cid: I still don't see any means to control the machine directly. It seems to have been designed to act wholly autonomously... Hmm. Cid: Once we release Omega, we can be fairly certain it will attempt to capture the primal at Baelsar's Wall. Assuming its mission is successful, our only option at that point will be to reengage its stasis system and put it back to sleep. Nero tol Scaeva: And should the machine happen to misbehave, we'll simply initiate an emergency shutdown. I confess, we don't yet have a complete grasp of its capabilities, but I'm certain the details will not elude us for long. Yda (Lyse): Well...I understood less than half of that. So─my question to you is: are we doing the right thing?
  • What will you say?
  • Well, what do you think? Yda (Lyse): What do I think...?
  • Is there any other way? Yda (Lyse): I...suppose not.
Yda (Lyse): All right. Step aside, Cid. Is this the thing I need to press? Cid: Uh...yes. That's the one. Yda (Lyse): You gave too much for us to waste this chance, Papalymo. So, this is for you...and me. Nero tol Scaeva: Hahahahahahahaha! Yes! Fly free, my pretty! Show us what you can do! Cid: The launch sequence has begun. Omega is loose.
Cid: Hm? Omega has stopped transmitting. But that shouldn't be, I─I didn't engage the stasis system. Gosetsu: And what does this signify? I have little understanding of these contrivances... Nero tol Scaeva: The launch went exactly to plan, but all signals emanating from Omega have ceased. This may indicate any number of things, but we will need to join the Scions out in the field if we are to ascertain which one. Cid: Right, I've ordered the malfunctioning beast to go to sleep. That should prevent any unfortunate mishaps. I suggest we make our way back to Gridania. Yda (Lyse): Omega destroyed the cocoon... Yda (Lyse): Papalymo's spell is fading. It was bound to his aether, you see...and if the connection is broken...
Cid: I'm not sure why we lost contact with Omega, but I mean to find out. Let's be on our way.
  • Travel to Gridania?
  • Yes
  • No
Cid: One moment everything was functioning perfectly and the next it wasn't. It makes no sense. We need to see what happened for ourselves, and soon.
The Far Edge of Fate Alphinaud has the look of a man with much to say.
Alphinaud: Words can ill express how glad I am to see you all unharmed. When Omega came hurtling towards the cocoon, everything dissolved into chaos... Yda (Lyse): I have to see it... I have to see it with my own eyes! Alphinaud: Yda, wait! We must first─
<sigh> The Elder Seedseer is expecting us... Yugiri: Worry not, Alphinaud─Gosetsu and I will watch over her. You may safely attend your meeting. Alphinaud: My thanks, Yugiri. Alphinaud: The council reconvened a short while ago. Let us make haste for the Lotus Stand. All there are eager to hear your testimony.
Silent Conjurer: The Elder Seedseer awaits you within.
  • Proceed to the Lotus Stand?
  • Yes
  • No
Kan-E-Senna: My friends, full eagerly have we awaited your return. Few indeed could have discharged the duty entrusted to you, and most humbly do we thank you for seeing it done. Cid: You are too kind, Elder Seedseer. As I recall, we as good as demanded the right to try. But tell me: how did the battle unfold? Cid: We succeeded in waking Omega, aye, but we lost contact with the weapon shortly after it launched. From our position in the control room, we were blind to all that followed... Merlwyb: ...What words could do justice to such a scene? None of my choosing, that much is certain. But I can give you the facts: the cocoon hatched even as Omega arrived, and from its midst rose a great dragon. The pair duly set about each other in the skies over Gyr Abania. Aymeric: The primal's might defied belief─it seemed the very heavens would be rent asunder by the force of its blows. And it wielded such magicks as I have never seen...and hope never to see again. Aymeric: The battle raged on with no end in sight, until both combatants were engulfed in a blinding flash of light. When the radiance faded, I saw the pair fall motionless from the sky, coming to rest somewhere on Ala Mhigan soil. I will not speak for the rest, but to my eye it seemed that each had landed a fatal blow upon the other... Kan-E-Senna: While most among us could think only of Bahamut when looking upon the primal's form, the Domans were heard to whisper the name “Shinryu.” It would appear that the being resembles a creature of Far Eastern legend, and we have found it convenient to refer to it as such. Kan-E-Senna: This Shinryu's fate─and indeed, that of Omega─is yet unknown. We have, alas, no eyes on the Gyr Abanian side of the border. Raubahn: Aye. Which is why we have sent our main force, under the command of Marshal Tarupin, to capture the Wall. Raubahn: With the imperials in disarray, we have the perfect opportunity to secure Gridania's border, and assess the aftermath of the impact. I myself will join the marshal and his men when the council is adjourned. Cid: Well, that explains a few things. I'll wager that “flash of light” coincided with our loss of contact... Cid: Lest you wonder, we quickly reengaged Omega's stasis systems, so even if it has fallen into the Empire's lap, it will be of no use to them─save perhaps as a statue. Nero tol Scaeva: Correct. Without me to guide their efforts, it would take them decades to decipher Omega's core functions, if they managed it at all. Kan-E-Senna: Such reassurances do much to calm our fears─yet the relic's fate is but one of several concerns. Aymeric: Indeed. I humbly submit that the time has come for us to make contact with the Resistance representatives in Gyr Abania. Though Ilberd has forced our hand, it would seem only logical to seek an alliance, given the inevitability of imperial retaliation. And by working in concert, it is not impossible that Ala Mhigo might finally be wrested from Garlemald's grasp.
Alphinaud: You must be exhausted. I would ordinarily suggest that we retire directly to the Rising Stones...but I wonder if we might first make a small detour? Alphinaud: Y'shtola and the others have gathered at Amarissaix's Spire, and I imagine that you, too, would be interested to see what has become of the Wall now the cocoon is gone. Alphinaud: It is decided then. Lead on.
Alphinaud: My friends... I cannot well express how glad I am to see you both unharmed. They say that Omega's clash with the primal shook the very firmament... Y'shtola: You need not have worried─the battle took place far above the ground. We were able to observe in relative safety, though I am given to understand that there were casualties on the far side of the Wall. Krile: It was like watching a nightmare unfold before our very eyes. Ilberd's primal manifested in the form of a colossal dragon─a being of pure violence. It burst forth from the cocoon with such terrible force... Alphinaud: That such a horror should spring from the eyes of Nidhogg comes as no surprise. Nor do I wonder at its form. Ilberd all but announced it in the moments prior to his death. Plainly, it was his dying wish to visit a second Calamity upon the Empire. Krile: And I am quite certain the abomination would have obliged, had it not found itself outmatched by Omega. Gods... I am no stranger to the works of Allag, but even I was unprepared for the machine's furiosity. It beggared belief. Alphinaud: And how fares poor Yda in the midst of all of this? Have you spoken with her? Y'shtola: She is up on the platform, lost in thought. We deemed it best not to disturb her, but mayhap she would welcome some company after all. Shall we?
Yda (Lyse): The light's gone. It was all we had left of him... Alphinaud: Yda... Yda (Lyse): I don't blame anyone. I knew what was going to happen. Yda (Lyse): I knew the spell Papalymo meant to cast would drain away his life force─I...knew that it would only buy us a little time... Y'shtola: Yda, there is no need to explain. Yda (Lyse): But there is. I can't hide in Papalymo's little shadow anymore and I shouldn't hide behind my sister's mask. Yda (Lyse): Twenty years ago, on the day the Empire marched into Ala Mhigo, I was still just a child─not even five summers old. Yda (Lyse): My father had been one of the leaders of the revolution. He had fought to overthrow the mad king, Theodoric. Yda (Lyse): And my sister had fought alongside him. She was strong and kind, and always knew what to do. Yda (Lyse): But when the Garleans came, everything changed. My father went to war against them too, and I never saw him again. After that, I remember a lot of running. My sister dragged me for malms and malms until we came to the city of Sharlayan. Yda (Lyse): That was where she met Master Louisoix. He introduced her to the Circle of Knowing, and she eventually became an Archon. Y'shtola: She was your inspiration. Is that not why you took up her mask and her name? ...Or did you simply mean to continue what she had started? Yda (Lyse): ...You've known all along, haven't you? That I wasn't Yda. Y'shtola: Of course. We all recognized you at once. 'Twas Papalymo who persuaded us to maintain the charade. Yda (Lyse): It was silly to think I could fool you. I knew that even then. But I...I sort of...decided not to know. Yda (Lyse): Yda died six years ago, on a mission to smuggle refugees out of Ala Mhigo. They say she was overwhelmed by imperial soldiers when she stayed behind to save a little girl. She was so strong... There must have been a lot of them.
  • What will you say?
  • Why did you never tell me?
  • ...
Lyse: I'm sorry for lying to you. My real name is Lyse. Lyse: When Papalymo brought me Yda's mask, it was meant as a keepsake. But I decided I wanted to be his new partner; to keep alive all the good that she had done. Lyse: I didn't want to become Yda, exactly... At the time, though, I still didn't know who I was myself, and it almost seemed easier to play the role. Lyse: Papalymo agreed to help, of course...but it was never what he wanted for me. He wanted me to walk my own path. And those were his final words to me. Lyse: The Archon's mark he gave me is faded, and my last excuse along with it. Lyse: So, this is it. Whatever I choose to do from now on, I do as Lyse.
...And I choose to continue my family's fight. I want Ala Mhigo to be the country that Yda and my father always wanted it to be!
Yugiri: War is upon us once more. Gosetsu: Do you regret standing against the Empire? Would you have chosen a different road, knowing what you know now? Yugiri: To claim that I never doubted the decision would be a lie. But I made my choice, and I have defended it with blade in hand ever since. Gosetsu: The battle continues, and our steel is needed. Come, shadow walker! We leave for the East─for Doma!
Alphinaud: It was brave of Lyse to remove her mask after so long... Alphinaud: Though she has scarce begun to come to terms with Papalymo's loss, that one act made plain her determination to move forward. Alphinaud: And should she ever falter, we shall be there to support her on this road she has resolved to walk. Alphinaud: Let us return to the Rising Stones. We have quite a story to tell Tataru and my sister...
Alisaie: He may have mentioned, but Alphinaud has apprised me of all that came to pass in Gridania. Your only task now is to rest. This is the calm before the storm. Alisaie: Lyse has chosen her path, and as her friends, we must do what we can to support that choice. We are fated to join the conflict in any case. Once the Alliance has taken the Wall and opened the way to Gyr Abania, we will have little choice but to fight. Alisaie: Which is not to say the cause is unworthy. After all, ignoring the plight of those whom one might conceivably save is not wisdom but indolence, correct? I for one look forward to joining hands with the Ala Mhigans, and striking a blow against the tyranny of the Empire─as, I rather suspect, do you!
Pipin: Quick march! The imperials will soon come to their senses, and we must be ready to face their retribution! Pipin: It is almost time, Father. Raubahn: Aye, almost. Stand firm, Pipin. Pipin: I learned to brace myself against the charge of the Bull of Ala Mhigo. No foe will dislodge me! Raubahn: Very well, Ilberd...
I will take our homeland back... Raubahn: ...for the both of us.
Imperial Officer: My lord Viceroy─our scouts have confirmed the preliminary reports. Baelsar's Wall has fallen to the Eorzean Alliance. Imperial Officer: The hunt for Omega and the unknown eikon continues, though both yet elude us. My lord...their battle caused considerable damage across the region... Should we perchance divert some of our forces from the search to undertake necessary reconstruction work? Imperial Officer: I─ Forgive me, my lord! I did not intend─ Your will be done! Viceroy (Zenos yae Galvus): “Unknown”? My spies tell me the Domans call it “Shinryu,” and that it proved a match for Omega.
Yes...the coming days promise to be most interesting.
Most interesting.
At the far edge of fate, the road begins anew.
The heroes look to eastern skies,
and behold their crimson hue. A dawn of liberation.
A gathering storm of blood.

Stormblood (4.0)

Beyond the Great Wall Alphinaud is a man with a great deal on his mind.
Alphinaud: The question is, how will the Empire respond to the disappearance of Omega and the primal... Alphinaud: Oh, I didn't see you there. Forgive me. Word from Baelsar's Wall is proving long in the coming, and my mind cannot help but stray to grim places. Tataru: Alphinaud! A message from the Alliance! Alphinaud: It's about time! Pray summon the others at once. Tataru: Yes, sir!
Alphinaud: ...General Aldynn reports that his forces have secured the breach in Baelsar's Wall. Y'shtola: And what of the primal and Omega? Alphinaud: There is still no sign of either at this time. He writes that they will begin a more thorough investigation shortly... Alphinaud: And, as expected, he wishes to petition the aid of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Lyse: As expected? Alphinaud: The Alliance's decision to capture a part of Baelsar's Wall is...open to interpretation. Alisaie: The Wall serves to demarcate imperial territory, Ala Mhigo included, from the rest of Eorzea. Alisaie: To an observer, the Alliance's actions could be seen as a prelude to invasion. Alphinaud: Indeed. And the Alliance leaders have no wish to be branded invaders. Lyse: You're saying they won't fight for Ala Mhigo? Even after everything that's happened? Alphinaud: Not without the consent of her people, no. Make no mistake, Lyse─the Alliance is in complete agreement that the Empire must be purged from Eorzea. Alphinaud: However, they will not set foot in Gyr Abania until they have formally secured the consent and cooperation of the Ala Mhigan opposition. Y'shtola: ...They would have us act as intermediaries? Alphinaud: Precisely. The Scions are uniquely qualified to serve in this capacity─that is to say, Lyse is, given her personal connection to the Resistance. Alphinaud: Who better than you to broker an agreement between the Alliance and the people of Ala Mhigo? ...Assuming you are willing, of course? Lyse: Of course I am. You know I'd like nothing more! Alphinaud: As for who should accompany you on said diplomatic mission...I had a mind to volunteer myself. Lyse: Well, that covers the talking part. But you just know there'll be trouble along the way. Are you available?
  • What will you say?
  • As if you have to ask! Lyse: Thanks. It means a lot, knowing you'll be there.
  • ... Lyse: Look, I know I've kept things from you, and I'm sorry, I really am. But that's all over now, I swear. And...it'd mean a lot to me, having you at my side.
Y'shtola: I too shall accompany you. Such endeavors are seldom hampered by a surfeit of healers. Krile: Good point! Allow me to offer my services as well. Alisaie: I have spent quite enough time here of late, so I'll be coming, but we will need someone to keep an eye on things. Alisaie: I trust you have no objections? Urianger: None, my lady. Gladly shall I continue to serve as caretaker of the Waking Sands, and there keep watch for signs of primal and Ascian activity both. Thancred: As capable as my learned friend undoubtedly is, there are some troubles that may prove too much for a single Scion─on account of which, I mean to stay. Alphinaud: It is settled, then. Let us each see to our preparations.
Alphinaud: Ready, my friend? Alphinaud: Well, then. Tataru─I leave the Rising Stones in your capable hands. Tataru: Don't worry, Alphinaud! I'll see that the place is still standing when you come back! Yugiri: Mistress Y'shtola has unfolded all. You are bound for Gyr Abania? Alphinaud: Aye. The Alliance would have us make contact with the Ala Mhigan Resistance as soon as possible. Yugiri: It begins, then─as soon it shall in Doma, if the gods are good. 'Tis but a pity that it must be now. I am sorry that we shall not be present to fight beside you in the battles to come... Alphinaud: You have stood with us countless times, Lady Yugiri. Pray do not apologize. Yugiri: Then let us thank you instead. You and yours stood with us from the first, when we came to this land as refugees in search of sanctuary. Yugiri: Loath am I to think what might have become of my people had you not extended to us the hand of friendship. We will never forget─this I solemnly swear. Alphinaud: Much has changed since first you set foot on these shores. Revenant's Toll stands as a testament to that. I am sure your people will manage in your absence. Yugiri: Indeed. They have built a new home for themselves, and no longer need me to shepherd them. The time has come for Gosetsu and I to return to our master─to our home. Lyse: I know how you feel. It's time I went home too... Gosetsu: Though our battlefields be a thousand malms apart, our purpose is one! Let all men hearken to the clarion call of freedom─of liberation─from Eorzea to the Far East, that they may rise up and cast down the curs of Garlemald! Lyse: Take care, you hear me? When all of this is over, we're going to celebrate─together─just you wait! Yugiri: I should like that very much. Fare you well.
Alphinaud: A thousand malms apart, yet united in purpose... Let us pray both our endeavors meet with success. Shall we, then? Tataru: Wait, wait, not just yet! I knew I'd forgotten something important! Lyse, could you come with me? Lyse: ...Me? What, now? Um...all right, then. If you insist... Lyse: Heh heh heh... What do you think? Tataru: As you can see, I designed it to be light and loose─an outfit tailor-made to the needs of a skilled fighter like Lyse. Alphinaud: Your work never ceases to impress. Much more of this, and I may have to stop introducing you as the Scions' receptionist and start referring to you as our preeminent seamstress... Lyse: It's lovely, Tataru. Thank you. I feel like I could take on a legion... Tataru: I'm glad you like it. And with that, I'll delay you no longer. Safe travels! Alphinaud: Then onward, to Gyr Abania! Our first stop will be at Amarissaix's Spire, in the East Shroud.
Alphinaud: All are present and accounted for. When you are ready, my friend, pray inform the officer that we wish to proceed into Gyr Abania.
Serpent Officer: Ah, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. We were told to expect you. Shall I summon someone to escort you to the Wall?
  • Proceed to Castrum Oriens?
  • Yes
  • No
Lyse: I remember crossing the border. Standing in Gyr Abania once more.
Me and my fellow Scions...the Warrior of Light among us. Lyse: Behind us, Baelsar's Wall, cutting the land in two.
Freedom on one side, tyranny on the other. Lyse: Tyranny...and the promise of a new beginning.
But one that could only be bought with flames and blood. Stormblood
Raubahn: Greetings, Scions. On behalf of the Eorzean Alliance, I welcome you to Castrum Oriens. Alphinaud: Thank you, General. We were relieved to hear that your forces secured the Wall without incident. Have the imperials made any attempt to retake the castrum since then? Raubahn: None. Save for a few skirmishes between our scouts and their patrols, we've had barely any contact with them. But we all know it's only a matter of time before things escalate. Raubahn: As if attacking Baelsar's Wall weren't enough, Ilberd summoned a primal right on their doorstep─and Garlemald is not like to let such shows of defiance go unanswered. Alphinaud: 'Twas a declaration of war, even if it was not Ilberd's to make. And now we are bound by it, for weal or for woe.
The Scions stand ready to serve, General. What would you ask of us? Raubahn: As stated in my message, the Alliance will not proceed without the support and cooperation of the Ala Mhigan people. We would have you serve as our emissaries and make contact with the Resistance. Lyse: Consider it done, General. We won't let you down, I swear. Raubahn: Then I'll leave you to it. Godsspeed! Cid: Hah! Of all the castra in all the world, you walk into mine. Alphinaud: Master Garlond! What brings you here? Cid: A certain missing Allagan weapon and draconic primal. Omega and─Shinryu, I think the shinobi called it? Anyway, we've been studying their trail of destruction, hoping it might lead us somewhere─which it has singularly failed to do. Raubahn: Then 'tis like Omega fell to earth in occupied territory...meaning it may already be in imperial hands. Cid: Even so, it bears repeating that we engaged the stasis systems. Assuming the command was received and executed successfully, the weapon will be of no use to them. Assuming. We should hurry up and find it, regardless. Raubahn: All the more reason to reach out to the Resistance. If we want to press on into Gyr Abania, we'll need their blessing. Lyse: Everyone's counting on us. Let's not waste any more time talking!
Lyse Takes the Lead Lyse is eager to leave Castrum Oriens.
Lyse: As you've probably heard, there are plenty of factions in the Resistance, so I'm taking us to see the one with the most influence. Lyse: Their headquarters are located in a place called Rhalgr's Reach─an old temple, to the east of here, across the Velodyna River. Lyse: I learned a route that should allow us to avoid imperial patrols. Stick with me and we'll be there before you know it!
Lyse: Still with me? Good. From here, we'll head northeast towards the river. The water's not too deep, so we won't have to swim.
Lyse: I don't see any soldiers. Good. Let's cross. Lyse: You're wondering about the tower to the south? Lyse: It's part of Castellum Velodyna. That's what the imperials decided to call the old bridge after they fortified it. Lyse: I call it a great big eyesore. Honestly, you can see that rotten banner from absolutely malms away. <sigh> They never miss a chance to rub our noses in it, do they... Come on, we should keep moving.
Lyse: We're here. On the other side of this pass is Rhalgr's Reach. Alphinaud: So you say, but all I see are rocks. I presume there is some sort of trick to this? Y'shtola: ...Indeed. A glamour. Lyse: Good eye, Y'shtola! Alphinaud: I take it they have a talented mage in their ranks─or mayhap an artificer trained in the modification of glamour prisms...? Lyse: Something like that. The important thing is that it fools the Garleans. Lyse: Oh, before we go in─I don't know if Tataru told you, but my friend Naago, the messenger who came to the Rising Stones, is a member of this faction. Lyse: So they know us, and they shouldn't attack us on sight. That said, they can be a bit jumpy, so let me lead the way, and, uh...don't go reaching for your weapons or anything. Lyse: And with a sprinkle of demasking dust, all is laid bare!
Lyse: I remember the old stories.
How the breaker of worlds came down from on high and cleft the earth with a single blow. Lyse: Rhalgr's Reach. A holy place, and a fitting home for the Resistance.
For the brave and the true, the loyal sons and daughters of Ala Mhigo. Lyse: They were waiting for us there. Men and women whose souls still cried out for what was lost.
For what could be ours again.
Conrad: You'll forgive us our precautions, but we couldn't be sure who had crossed the barrier. We see you now for who you are, though─the Scions of the Seventh Dawn.
The Promise of a New Beginning Conrad knows the purpose of your visit, and would like to give you a proper welcome.
Conrad: Now, I know you would not have come all this way unless you had something important to discuss, and I'm eager to hear what it is you have to say... Conrad: But let's not do this on our doorstep, eh? Come with me.
Conrad: Allow me to welcome you once more to Rhalgr's Reach, our humble headquarters. Conrad: My name is Conrad Kemp, and I have the dubious honor of overseeing operations here. Alphinaud: It is a pleasure to meet you, Master Kemp. I am Alphinaud Leveilleur, of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, as are my comrades. Alphinaud: Before I speak of our purpose here, pray allow me to thank you for sheltering Yda─forgive me─Lyse and Papalymo at great risk to yourselves. Conrad: Now, now, there's no need for that. They risked their necks for us enough times. 'Twas the least we could do. Lyse: I-I wanted to... I mean, about the mask and... Conrad: Ahhh, don't fret over that. You're not the first person to take up arms against the Empire under a false name. We'd do the same if we had any sense.
...My condolences for your loss, child. Lyse: ...Papalymo laid down his life to save us─to give us a chance to make a better future for ourselves. Lyse: There will never be a better time to drive the Garleans from our lands. But we have to take the lead on this─we can't leave it to fanatics like Ilberd. Conrad: More than a few of our people were taken in by his promises. Followed him all the way to the Wall. Good men and women who never came back. Conrad: When M'naago told us what had happened─how the bastard had made sacrifices of them for his twisted ritual─by Rhalgr, it filled me with an unholy fury... But what's done is done. Best we can do now is see that it wasn't all in vain. Alphinaud: That is why we are here today, sir─to see that some good comes of this tragedy. Alphinaud: On behalf of the Eorzean Alliance, we do hereby extend a formal offer of military assistance to the Ala Mhigan Resistance. Conrad: Do you, now? Well, go on then. I'm sure there's more to it than that. Conrad: ...So that's the way of it, eh? The Alliance, hoping to avoid a direct confrontation with the superior forces of the Empire, wishes to engage them by proxy with our vastly inferior ones? Conrad: My comrades and I must confer on your proposal. A moment, if you please... Alphinaud: Of course, Master Kemp. Take all the time you require.
A Haven for the Bold Alphinaud is pondering how best to make use of your leisure.
Alphinaud: So...it would seem we find ourselves with a surfeit of free time─ Conrad: Ah, forgive me. You are free to look around Rhalgr's Reach. In fact, I would encourage you to do so. It'll give you a better grasp of our current circumstances. Alphinaud: Thank you, Master Kemp. I believe we will do just that. Alphinaud: Let us make the most of this opportunity and assess the Resistance's capabilities. Alisaie: Free to poke our noses wheresoever we will, eh? I like the sound of that. Lyse: Well, I already know this place inside out. I can show you around if you like, Forename? Lyse: Great! Let's get started.
Lyse: I'll bet you think the Resistance is mostly made up of Ala Mhigan Highlanders like me, but the truth is that we don't even account for half. Lyse: We've got Hellsguard from all the way over by the Spine in here, and plenty of Seekers of the Sun like Naago. Lyse: There's even some beastmen─well, beastwomen, I suppose─like that one over there. She's an Ananta. They've been with us for a while now. Lyse: Well, one of the smaller factions has. The rest won't have anything to do with us. We're no different from the Garleans to them. Lyse: They keep to themselves, spending all their time crafting. Ananta make the most amazing jewelry, by the way. They use magicks to twist metals and crystal into shapes you wouldn't believe. It's a pity people hardly ever get to see their work. But then most don't even know they exist. Lyse: That's enough about them, anyway. Let's take a closer look at the statue of Rhalgr, shall we?
Lyse: Pretty awe-inspiring, isn't it? The breaker of worlds, who guided our ancestors to these lands all those centuries ago. Lyse: Yda used to tell me the story on stormy nights. She wanted me to understand. To remember... Lyse: “At the end of the Fifth Astral Era, when the waters rose higher and higher, people all across Eorzea beseeched the heavens for a sign. And lo, a burning star appeared in the eastern sky, and led the way to these mountains of Gyr Abania...” Lyse: “They who were saved by His grace pledged to honor and revere Him. To devote themselves to great works without and within...” Lyse: “A storm of blood approaches fast,
Hells open, Heavens weep.
For no one soul doth lie beyond
The measure of His Reach.” Lyse: That last part was inscribed on this stone by a monk of the Fist of Rhalgr. Yda explained it to me: “A day will come bringing strife and sorrow that none may escape. Waste not these precious hours, but in quiet preparation make strong the body and mind.” Lyse: I don't know if that “storm of blood” is finally upon us. But if it is, I have to believe that everything we've been through, everything that has led us to this point, will see us through in the end. Lyse: ...Agh! Sorry. That was all a bit melodramatic, wasn't it? Let's keep moving, shall we? Off to the infirmary!
Lyse: This is the infirmary, as you can probably tell. Here's where the Resistance healers patch up the wounded and tend to the sick. Lyse: No matter how carefully we planned our operations, casualties were inevitable. It's a sad thing to think about, but...it's also important to remember the cost, as Conrad would say. Lyse: We should go. I'll show you the aetheryte plaza next.
Lyse: When you've seen one aetheryte, you've seen them all, right? Not quite. This one's an older design, dating back decades, to when the Fist of Rhalgr was still here. Lyse: It may look a little different, but it works just as well as any other. I'll show you where the sutlers are next─but don't forget to attune to the aetheryte before we go!
Lyse: Arms, armor, potions─you name it, these folks've got it. The Resistance would be in a bad way without brave merchants to keep it provisioned. Lyse: If you're short on anything, or you need something repaired, these are the people to speak to. Lyse: Oh, Alphinaud and Alisaie are here. Why don't we see how they're getting on?
A Bargain Struck Alisaie is nodding approvingly at the sutlers.
Alisaie: Come to take the measure of our friendly neighborhood merchants? Alisaie: They're a bold lot, that much is plain. If the imperials found out they were peddling their wares to the Resistance, they would be lucky to escape with their lives. Alphinaud: 'Tis a gamble, aye, and I admire their courage. But their motives could hardly be said to be altruistic... M'naago: Ah, here you are. I've been looking all over for you. M'naago: We've finished discussing your proposal, and we're ready to receive you all back at the tent. M'naago: I've sent someone to fetch Y'shtola and Krile, so if you'd like to follow me...
Conrad: Thank you all for waiting. We have reached a consensus. Conrad: I, Conrad Kemp, do hereby accept the Eorzean Alliance's proposal. You must understand, however, that our cooperation comes with certain caveats. Alphinaud: Those caveats being...? Conrad: I take no joy in this, just so you know. Were it within my power, I'd offer you more assistance. Conrad: But the Resistance is far more fragmented than you realize. The men and women in my care belong to but one of many factions. Conrad: Simply put, I can only speak for the people of Rhalgr's Reach. Conrad: Now, I have every intention of appealing to the others, and I expect many will agree─but it will take time, and I cannot guarantee universal support. Alphinaud: Understood. I shall see that the Alliance is under no misapprehensions as to your position. Conrad: Much obliged...but that's not the whole of it. As you can imagine, the loss of those who cast their lot with the Griffin left us short on numbers. Conrad: Some of our most trusted veterans died at the Wall, and we've had to fill their posts with the young and inexperienced. Frankly, everything's in a right bloody mess. Lyse: Oh, we'd be more than happy to help you get back on your feet. If we're going to work together, we'll be doing ourselves a favor! Conrad: Well, there's no shortage of work to be done, that's for sure. We're in dire need of new blood too. Krile: Y'shtola and I could lend a hand in the infirmary. From what I saw, they could do with a few more healers. Alphinaud: Very well. I, for my part, shall return to the Rising Stones. I am certain there are others among the Scions who would welcome the opportunity to fight for Ala Mhigan liberation. Lyse: Um... Is there anything else we can do to help? Conrad: I had something else in mind for you lot. M'naago and Meffrid will tell you more. Lyse: Understood. We won't let you down.
Alisaie: Right, then. M'naago and Meffrid are to be our keepers. Alisaie: Knowing naught of what they require, one task is as good as the other. Make your choice, Forename.
A Friend of a Friend in Need Before she tells you of her mission, M'naago has a few things she would like to say.
Alisaie: After you, Forename. Lyse: If you don't mind, I was thinking of staying here and assisting Meffrid with the training of the new recruits... M'naago: Before we begin, I'd like to thank you and the Scions again for patching me up after I bled all over your floor. I owe you my life, and I won't forget that. M'naago: Furthermore, it was rude of me to run off without saying a word. It's all well and good me claiming my duties here couldn't wait, but a parting thank-you was the very least you deserved. My apologies. M'naago: And...thank you. Now, to business. M'naago: Commander Kemp's entrusted me with a formal reply to be hand-delivered to the Alliance leadership. It covers everything we discussed, as well as detailing the disposition of our forces. M'naago: What I need is an escort─one or two men at most, so we can make it to the Wall swiftly and without attracting undue attention. Alisaie: Very well. I shall join you in this. Alisaie: General Aldynn commands the forces at Castrum Oriens. It should be simple enough to see it into his hands. M'naago: Great! That's just what I wanted to hear! When you're ready to depart, meet me at the pass leading out of the Reach.
M'naago: Got everything you need? Good. Then let us be off.
M'naago: Quiet! ...Hear that? That was a ceruleum engine backfiring. Imperials. Alisaie: Ye gods, you have preternatural senses. I didn't hear a thing. M'naago: When you grow up hunting in these lands, you learn to discern the sounds that could mean life and death, be they of a predator or a patrol. From what I'm hearing...we have a seven-man patrol augmented with a single magitek armor. Wide search pattern. Divided into two─no, three teams. I don't think they know we're here... M'naago: It's risky, but we should split up and try to take them all by surprise at the same time. We don't want them calling reinforcements. Alisaie: Three teams, three of us. Nothing for it, then. Where are they? M'naago: Head north. You should see them long before they see you. I'll deal with the ones to the south. The armor should be just to the west─Forename's best equipped to deal with that. We attack in five─that should be enough time to get into position. Rendezvous on the west bank after. Any questions? No? Then good luck!
M'naago: It looks like everything went to plan. Not that I'm surprised─the three soldiers I faced didn't put up much of a fight. M'naago: Most of the imperials we get out here are conscripts from other provinces with little training and even less conviction. It's grim work, killing men and women like that, but don't doubt that they'd do the same to you if the roles were reversed. M'naago: And don't you dare pity a man in armor. Conscript or no, a soldier piloting one of those can kill a dozen good men in the blink of an eye. Not that I need to tell you that, after what happened at the Wall...
Signed, Sealed, to Be Delivered M'naago would like nothing more than to continue on to Castrum Oriens.
M'naago: Right. I believe we've rested long enough. We should resume our journey before someone notices their missing patrol.
M'naago: ...We're clear. Only Alliance patrols ahead. M'naago: You said the forces at Castrum Oriens were under the command of Flame General Raubahn Aldynn, did you not? M'naago: By Rhalgr! The Bull of Ala Mhigo himself! I never dreamed I'd have a chance to meet the legend...
Raubahn: It is good to see you again, my friends. I hope you are here to tell me you have made contact with the Resistance? Alisaie: We are, General. Alisaie: Allow me to introduce M'naago, of Rhalgr's Reach. M'naago: At your service, sir! And may I say what an absolute honor it is to stand before the Bull of Ala Mhigo! Raubahn: These are not the bloodsands, girl. You and I are but soldiers on a battlefield fighting for the same cause. M'naago: A-As you say, General! M'naago: Ahem. On behalf of Commander Kemp of the Ala Mhigan Resistance, I present to you our formal response. Raubahn: ...Good. I am glad we have reached an accord. Though I was not aware you had suffered such losses. M'naago: Aye... Some of our finest took part in the Griffin's doomed assault, and we've been struggling to find new recruits ever since. M'naago: The massacre has cast a pall over the whole Resistance, and many who might once have been open to joining us have since thought better of it. Alisaie: After all of the Griffin's false promises, one can hardly blame them. They have no desire to give their lives for a lost cause. Raubahn: We will not lie to them. This is war, and lives will be lost. Yet what we offer is not the fever dream of a madman, but true hope. Pipin: The people need proof of this, Father. Let us show it to them. Pipin: I say we stand shoulder to shoulder with our new allies and engage the Garleans in open warfare. The Resistance must demonstrate that they can hold their own against imperial regulars, and with our assistance, I am confident they can do just that. Pipin: If we can achieve even a token victory, I believe it will serve to rekindle the hope of the Ala Mhigan people, and inspire them to rise up once more. M'naago: Aye, aye... Once word spread that we'd won a battle against the Garleans, I wager we'd have new recruits flocking to us from malms around. The question is, when and where do we strike? Pipin: I'm glad you asked. I have a plan... Pipin: Our scouts recently informed me of an interesting development at Castellum Velodyna. Namely, the arrival of a shipment rumored to have come from the research and development facilities near the capital, containing prototype magitek armor. Pipin: It is our assessment that this armor is to be field-tested here, most likely against Alliance forces. Mayhap before the day is out. M'naago: Damn it all, more magitek weapons? That's the last thing we need! Pipin: Your concern is not unwarranted, but we needn't despair just yet. The shipment is thought to have contained a single heavy unit and one or two support units. With a well-laid ambush, we are confident we can destroy them all, hindering their development and delaying future deployment. Raubahn: And should we carry this out as a joint endeavor with the Resistance, they will have their rallying cry. M'naago: It would mean dropping all pretense about the Alliance not wanting to go to war with the Empire...but you'd have a lot more folk willing to stand up and fight if they knew they weren't alone. And you were going to have to do it eventually anyway. Pipin: Exactly. And so what I propose is simple: we harry their patrols to bait them into bringing their prototype weapons to East End, where our Resistance allies will take them from behind. Raubahn: Simple indeed, and well within our capabilities. I see no reason to delay, especially if a field test is imminent. What say you? M'naago: Assuming the vice marshal's intelligence is accurate, I agree with his assessment and fully support his plan. I shall notify my comrades at once. Pipin: Understood. I shall have one of my men bring you the details of the plan anon. Alisaie: And we for our part will be fighting with the Alliance, yes? I somehow doubt you were intending to sit this one out.
Best Served with Cold Steel Raubahn knows exactly what he would like you to do.
Raubahn: We've been careful to avoid needless shows of force this side of the Wall. But that's all about to change─and when it does, you may be sure they'll send their new toys out to entertain us. Raubahn: I would ask you to participate in this operation...but from that look I see it is a foregone conclusion. My thanks. Raubahn: Per Pipin's plan, we need to turn East End into an imperial graveyard. You're a dab hand at this, and I'd be a fool not to use you. Raubahn: Head to this spot on your map─right here, aye. A patrol should be along shortly. Deal with them, then rendezvous with the rest of us at this location. Go well, Forename.
Raubahn: All went to plan, then? Good. Raubahn: Our scouts report that a unit escorting the prototype weapons has left Castellum Velodyna. The Resistance is already in position, so we have but to wait for our guests to arrive.
Grynewaht: Things looked grim for us after Carteneau, didn't they? Oh, how they doubted us... Yet here we are, right as rain, with fancy new toys to put through their paces... Grynewaht: Bwahahahaha! It's like all my namedays have come at once! Grynewaht: Well, well, well! If it isn't Garlond's little troublemaker! Heh heh heh! I can't wait to see the look on Zenos's face when I bring him your head! Grynewaht: That is, if my secret weapons here don't grind it into mush! ATTAAACK!
Raubahn: Adders, Flames, deal with the escort! Leave the armor to Forename! Grynewaht: Bugger me! Is that General Aldynn!? Bwahahaha! A chance to get my revenge on Forename, and test our new weapons, and kill an Alliance commander! Ohhh, it doesn't get much better than this! Alisaie: One would almost think he harbored a grudge against you, Forename. Whatever did you do to him? Grynewaht: Hurry up and KILL THE BASTARDS! We've got 'em outnumbered! Grynewaht: What are you idiots doing? Give them everything we've got! Alisaie: There's no end to them... I'm here if you need healing, Forename! Raubahn: Looks like there's only the one prototype. Whatever else we do this day, I want it destroyed! Raubahn: Keep it up, lads! That thing won't take much more! Grynewaht: Enough! We have secret weapons of great power, don't we? Let's bloody well use 'em! Alisaie: On your guard, Forename! He's up to something! Grynewaht: Damn it all! Haven't we got anything else!? More armor or weapons or something!? Raubahn: More of them!? I'm going to have to have a word with our scouts... Grynewaht: This can't be happening! Not again!
Grynewaht: He who fights and runs─ What the─? Who in the hells are you lot!? M'naago: For Ala Mhigo! Let none escape!
Raubahn: We have them now! Forward! Forward! Grynewaht: You think you've won, eh? Heh heh heh... THEN WE GO TOGETHER! Magitek Vanguard I Prototype: Self-destruct sequence initiated... Sixty... Fifty-nine... Fifty-eight... Raubahn: Seven hells! There's no time to get to safety! We must disable it before it blows! Magitek Vanguard I Prototype: Thirty... Twenty-nine... Twenty-eight... Grynewaht: No... No, no, NO! My secret weapon!
Grynewaht: Gaaah! Damn it all! Miracles of magitek design, my arse! I've passed harder stools than these piles of scrap! Grynewaht: You'll pay for this! Mark my words, the next time we meet will be the last! Raubahn: Aye! Run and tell your viceroy! The day belongs to Ala Mhigo!
Raubahn: Well done, all of you. I'd call this operation a resounding success. Conrad: Can't say I'm surprised. The “Bull of Ala Mhigo” had an impressive military record before he went west, as I recall. Raubahn: Credit where it's due, Master Kemp. 'Twas Marshal Tarupin who made this plan, and all of you, Resistance and Alliance alike, who carried it out to perfection. Conrad: Aye, that they did. Not a single casualty, for which I'm grateful beyond words. I've no doubt our comrades back at the Reach will feel the same. Raubahn: As will ours. Conrad: It's been a pleasure, General. Until the next battle.
M'naago─I leave the Scions in your care. Raubahn: We shall return to the castrum, then. Forename, Mistress Leveilleur─once more you have my thanks. As Master Kemp said, until the next battle.
M'naago: I'd heard the stories, but to actually see you in action... I almost found myself pitying the imperials. Seriously, though─it was inspirational. M'naago: Ah, but you must be tired of hearing that, eh? I'll keep it simple, then─thanks for the help out there!
Let Fill Your Hearts with Pride M'naago is ready to return to Rhalgr's Reach.
M'naago: Well, there's no reason to remain here any longer. Let's get back to the Reach.
M'naago: You didn't have to take part in the operation, but you did. You went above and beyond what was asked of you, without hesitation, and for that we owe you a debt. M'naago: Our victory may not count for much in practical terms, but its symbolic value can't be overstated. M'naago: Alliance and Resistance fighters came together to face an imperial unit equipped with Garlemald's newest weapons─and smashed them. The people will remember this day. Conrad: Aye, that they will, for it marks the beginning of something far greater than any single victory: the beginning of a campaign by a united Eorzea to drive the Garleans from our lands. Conrad: Promises and platitudes mean naught without action. But the Alliance took the field and risked their lives for our cause. Conrad: Hah, to think that the last time Gridanian troops trod this soil was more than a century ago, during the Autumn War─and that was to defend against our invasion. Conrad: Ours is a long and bloody history, to be sure, and it gives me heart to see that despite our acrimonious past, we can still come together for the sake of the future. M'naago: Well said, Commander! Which is why I intend to go from village to village and spread word of our victory and our new alliance. M'naago: The people will flock to our banners. Just you wait and see! M'naago: Forename, Alisaie, I cannot thank you enough for your assistance!
A Familiar Face Forgotten Meffrid cannot help but wonder if you remember who he is.
Meffrid: At the risk of repeating myself, it's still hard for me to believe that we'd meet again here, of all places... Though I reckon you probably don't remember me after all this time, eh?
  • What will you say?
  • Of course I remember you! Meffrid: I'm impressed! Given everything you went on to accomplish, you'd be forgiven for forgetting all about your time in Quarrymill. Suffice it to say, we didn't forget about you, either─nor the lives you saved.
  • Ah, well, you see... Meffrid: No, no, 'twas a lifetime ago. There is no need to apologize. But know that down in Quarrymill, we didn't forget about you─nor the lives you saved.
Meffrid: As for me...I went to Little Ala Mhigo while Gallien was recovering. Gundobald was my former commander and an old friend, and I had a lot on my mind... Meffrid: In the end, I decided to disband our unit. I told the men to live their lives as they saw fit. Some chose to remain in Little Ala Mhigo, and others went to Ul'dah for work. Meffrid: But, as you can see, I chose to come back to Gyr Abania and join Conrad and the others. Meffrid: I've kept busy since then, ferrying people and provisions across the border and back. It's not been easy, but it's been fulfilling. Meffrid: Today, however, we'll be heading east into the Peaks. Conrad thinks we might have luck finding new recruits in the village of Ala Gannha. Lyse: Ala Gannha!? If you're going there, you're taking me with you! Meffrid: Ah, that's right─you're from Ala Gannha, aren't you, Lyse? By all means, we'd welcome the company. Meffrid: There'll be more to it than just asking around, but we can talk about it on the way. Make your preparations and meet me by the tunnel to the Peaks.
Meffrid: This tunnel will take us all the way to the Peaks. Meffrid: We're on a mission for Conrad to Ala Gannha. Clear the barricade, if you would. Gilow: Aye, sir. Shouldn't take more than a moment. Meffrid: There're more villages there than out here─but also more imperials keeping a close eye on things. We'll need to tread carefully...
Lyse: I remember the peaks of Gyr Abania. Silent watchmen that would stand long after we were gone. Lyse: We came seeking allies to join us in the fight against the Empire. People who had had enough. Lyse: People who had suffered every possible indignity.
Who had been treated like animals, day after day after day...
Meffrid: We've a glamour in place here too, as you may have noticed. So far as the imperials are concerned, this is naught more than a testament to the savage impulses of a lesser race... Meffrid: Remember, though: once we leave these ruins, we'll have no glamours to conceal us. The village is to the east; keep watch for patrols as we move.
Meffrid: Nary an imperial in sight. That's a mercy. Meffrid: Ala Gannha's due east, past that bridge. Follow me, it's not much further.
Meffrid: You can rest easy─we made it. This is Ala Gannha. Lyse: It feels strange coming home like this. I always imagined it would be... Oh, sorry. That has nothing to do with why we're here. We need recruits. Meffrid: Aye, we do, but as I said back at the Reach, it's a little more complicated than just asking for volunteers these days. Meffrid: As you know, we're shorthanded because many of our people were taken in by the Griffin's promises and went to the Wall, never to return. It wasn't just them, though─folks from all over, including some of my former comrades, answered his call to arms. Meffrid: As for why we came to this particular village... It's rumored that Ala Gannha lost a few youths as well. Meffrid: If there's truth to that, then there could be others sympathetic to the cause. Then again, after the Griffin's betrayal, they may be suspicious of outsiders claiming allegiance to the Resistance─and rightfully so. Lyse: So with all that in mind, how are we supposed to convince them to join? I mean, I knew it wouldn't be as simple as giving a speech in the village square─ Meffrid: Not if you didn't want the place to be burned to the ground, no. You might as well piss in the viceroy's eye. We'll need to be a good deal more circumspect than that. You never know when an imperial spy is listening. Meffrid: We must speak with the elder first. I know for a fact he can be trusted. We'll listen to what he has to say and decide what to do after. Lyse: Sounds like a plan! Let's hope there are still some brave men and women here willing to fight.
The Prodigal Daughter Meffrid would like to introduce you to the village elder.
Meffrid: Raganfrid, the village elder, is over by the shore. No time like the present─let's have a word.
Raganfrid: ...Don't know you, traveler. You a merchant? You'll not find much custom here. Meffrid: Greetings and well met, elder, and sincerest apologies that I did not send word ahead of our arrival. Too long have I been away from Ala Gannha, and I would know of your recent troubles. Raganfrid: Ah, you are comrades of Meffrid. I see, I see... Raganfrid: Speak on, though I suspect I know your purpose. Meffrid: The Griffin came with many men, and left with many more. Such is the rumor. Is it true? Raganfrid: He lit a fire in their hearts and then dangled a dream before their tired eyes. And now you come to steal away what few remain. Meffrid: The Griffin was a traitor and a madman, and we had no part in his schemes. We have made an agreement with the Alliance─this time it will be different! Raganfrid: This time? This time!? Cold comfort to the dead and the ones they left behind! How much more must we give before you've had your fill? Meffrid: But...but surely you hate the Empire as much as we do!? Raganfrid: They took our lands, our traditions, even our god. And they demand a fifth of what little we've got left. Aye, I hate the bastards. With every fiber of my being. Raganfrid: But hate's not enough, Meffrid. I can't...we can't keep doing this. I'll not tell anyone you came, but you need to go. Now. Leave us be, and never return. Lyse: You've got no right to speak to us like that─ Raganfrid: I've got a quarry that was producing barely enough to keep us fed, and that was before half our young men and women went off to die for your bloody cause! Raganfrid: So yes, I've got every right to tell you to leave my village! Lyse: ...No. You don't. Because it's my village too. My home! Raganfrid: What in the hells are you on about─ Raganfrid: Wait... I know those eyes. You're one of Curtis's girls! Lyse: Lyse. Lyse Hext. And I'm here...I'm here to take back my homeland. Raganfrid: By Rhalgr, the last time I saw you, you were... I didn't even know if you were still alive... And I never thought you would come─ Lyse: I almost didn't. And my sister never will. Lots of others won't either...and that's why we've got to carry on the fight. Raganfrid: You even sound like him... As you say, I've got no right to tell you to leave. Ala Gannha is as much your home as it is mine. Raganfrid: But I say to you again: we can give no more. Lyse: Yes, I heard you the first time. Lyse: Let's go.
Meffrid: That could've been handled better, but what's done is done. At least we've been granted permission to stay. Meffrid: I was hoping Raganfrid might help us to recruit some of his people, but that clearly isn't going to happen. If we're to convince any of them to join, we'll first need to regain their trust. Meffrid: It's risky, and it's hardly subtle, but I say we approach the villagers directly─see what problems they've got, and if we can do anything to help. Lyse: Makes sense to me. Let's split up and ask around.
Hard Country Griseldis is here, but her mind is elsewhere...
Griseldis: You'd best keep your distance, if you know what's good for you. Say your piece and move on. Griseldis: Looking for folks down on their luck? Congratulations, you've found one. As you can see, my leg ain't what it used to be. Some days I can hardly walk for the pain. Griseldis: Mornings are the worst, especially after cold nights. Hard labor's right out─too much pain and trouble for others. Griseldis: There's a tea what helps with it, though...I'd need to grind a chapuli horn and a hornbill talon for the blend... Griseldis: Eh? You'll go and get some for me, just like that? You needn't trouble yourself so...
Griseldis: You've been gone a while. What brings you back to Ala Gannha?
Chapuli Horn Makes a fine medicinal tea when ground into a fine powder and mixed with other ingredients.
Hornbill Talon Makes a fine medicinal tea when ground into a fine powder and mixed with other ingredients.
Griseldis: Oh, I never meant to... I mean, in times like these, you never think people will actually... Griseldis: This country's hard on people, but it's not just that. The imperials, they...they've made it known I'm not to be helped. A dead man's good for one lesson, you know, whereas a live one... Griseldis: You're with the Resistance, right? I suppose there's no reason not to tell you then. Griseldis: My father, gods rest his soul, was deathly sick at the time, and so I'd gone out into the forest, spear in hand, to gather herbs. And then I had the good fortune to run into an imperial patrol. Griseldis: My weapon marked me as a rebel, or so they said. Not that it'd've made a difference if I'd fought back. I knew what the lot of them were about the moment that centurion laid eyes on me... Griseldis: Didn't matter in the end, of course. Some people just like to hurt others. And by the time I limped back to the hut, it was too late for my father. Griseldis: Too late for me too, aye, and many others I imagine. Help them too if you like─they'll be grateful and say thank you. But beyond that, I wouldn't hope for much.
Death by a Thousand Rocks Angry Coeurl regards you with suspicion.
Angry Coeurl: A new face in Ala Gannha? Huh... What would you ask of me, then? Angry Coeurl: A stranger and a generous soul besides? Bollocks. There's naught more suspicious than a good samaritan. Angry Coeurl: ...On the other hand, if you were an imperial agent, I expect you'd go about your business with more discretion. Bugger me, you really are here to help, aren't you? Angry Coeurl: Very well. I'll take you up on your offer, stranger...
My little brother's working the rocks by Grymm & Enid. He's got something for me. Can you go and get it? Angry Coeurl: Right, then. Frightened Coeurl is his name. Ask him for the leftovers─he ought to understand.
Frightened Coeurl: Hm? Here for the leftovers, are you? Not like my brother to send someone in his stead, but so be it. Frightened Coeurl: It's all in the sacks over yonder. They're bleedin' heavy, mind, so be careful when you pick 'em up.
Angry Coeurl: Ah, the new face. You have my leftovers?
Unconscionably Heavy Sacks You load ten and six tonze, what do you get,♪
Another day older and deeper in debt...♪
Angry Coeurl: Huh, well I'll be...you actually went and brought the whole lot. Much obliged, much obliged... Angry Coeurl: It's saltpeter for making firesand, in case you're curious what it's all for. The rocks by the lakes've got good deposits. Angry Coeurl: 'Tain't hard for my brother to pass for any other plodding quarryman, all the while sweeping bits and pieces off to the side, to bundle up and sell to the sutlers what trade with the Resistance. Angry Coeurl: It's a living, and a way of fighting back besides. Our way of spitting in the Garleans' eye for putting our father in an imperial uniform and shipping him off to some faraway province fifteen years ago. Angry Coeurl: Dunno if he's dead or alive, even. Though, if he were alive, he'd not be long for this world if we were caught fighting for the Resistance. So this is the best we can do. Angry Coeurl: ...That's the long and the short of it. We do what we can, though we know it's not enough. Angry Coeurl: I think you'll find that most folks here ain't much different. Everybody's got a reason, but in the end, the result is the same. Angry Coeurl: I suppose I just...I just wanted you to know, is all. That I─that we know why you're here, and that even if we can't join you, we...we wish we could...
A Life More Ordinary Meffrid is hard at work trying to win over the villagers of Ala Gannha.
Meffrid: Ah, there you are, Forename. I've been trying to help the villagers deal with this food shortage of theirs. Meffrid: Recently, the imperials have been swooping into villages unannounced and seizing supplies in order to prevent the people from stockpiling, in case they might be in league with the Resistance. Meffrid: It's not much, but I've taught them a few tricks to better hide what little they've got left. How's Lyse getting on, by the way? You'd think people would be more inclined to trust a local girl─assuming they remember her, that is...
Lyse: N-No, I didn't mean to... Cynical Youth (Wiscar): ...And where were you these past twenty years!? Where were you when we were being ground under the Black Wolf's boot!? On the other side of his bastard wall, living the high life, I'll wager! Lyse: That's not fair! Cynical Youth (Wiscar): Ho, and who's this, another one of your freedom-loving friends, deigning to help us poor unfortunate souls? Cynical Youth (Wiscar): Trying to whip us into a frenzy so we'll go and storm a castrum with our pickaxes and shovels!? Leave, all of you, before you bring a cohort down on us all! Cynical Youth (Wiscar): And you─don't you dare speak like you're one of us. You can't even begin to understand what we've been through. You weren't here, Lyse! You weren't here! Cynical Youth (Wiscar): This is my home, and I love it with all my heart. And if you truly have any love for it too, you'll keep us out of your doomed rebellion. Lyse: ...He has a point. No matter what I say or do, it doesn't change the fact I left them behind. Lyse: But this isn't about me, or anyone else. It's about Ala Mhigo. Let's go and find Meffrid.
Meffrid: Looks like the elder wasn't the only one unwilling to hear us out. Can't blame them, given what happened at the Wall. Lyse: I thought I might be able to appeal to them as a fellow...I don't know. But, if anything, it just made them angrier. I haven't lived through it like they have. Meffrid: I can't claim to know the struggle like they do either, Lyse. I ran too, aye, but if I hadn't, I'd've never met Forename or the rest of you, and we might not be here today, in a position to make a difference. Meffrid: So I don't regret my choices, nor will I apologize for them. There's more than one way to fight. Flustered Woman: Help! Someone, anyone─we need help! Meffrid: I don't like the sound of that one bit. Come on.
Flustered Woman: Wercrata, he...<pant> <pant>...the tributum and...and the bloody ratmen, they... <pant> <pant> Damn it all! Meffrid: You there─take a deep breath, and then tell us what happened. Flustered Woman: It was all business as usual... The tributum's due soon, and we were taking it to the imperials when the Qiqirn attacked! They took my brother, and our money! Lyse: Took him where? Flustered Woman: Ruins to the south of here. Was just an old temple before they came and... Listen, Wercrata's the only family I've got left! If I lose him, I─ Cynical Youth (Wiscar): The Ziggurat? If the ratmen took him there, he's as good as dead... Lyse: We've got to get after them! If there's even a chance her brother is still alive, we have to try!
Meffrid: You're right, Lyse. We've got to help them, if not for the missing man then for the tributum. The Garleans won't suffer excuses if they're late...
The Color of Angry Qiqirn Meffrid understands that you must act quickly to save Wercrata.
Meffrid: So Wercrata's being held somewhere at the Ziggurat to the south, which has been taken over by a host of Qiqirn bandits. That about covers it, then. Meffrid: Be prepared for a fight. They may not be the most challenging foes, but there's sure to be a lot of them.
??? (Wercrata): Please, let me go! I'm begging you! I don't want to die! Meffrid: Hear that? I think it came from the top of the Ziggurat! Qiqirn Bandit: Who dares come to loot our man-flesh! Ours to eat! Ours to eat! Meffrid: We knew it'd come to this. Kill them quick, before they alert the others!
Wercrata: By Rhalgr, what did I ever do to deserve this? I've gone to bed hungry for months. I'm skin and bones! I'd hardly make a snack, much less a meal... Lyse: Oh, you found him! Wercrata: W-Wait...are you here to rescue me? Lyse: Your sister sent us. It's going to be all right. Wercrata: My sister? Oh, Rhalgr be praised, she's safe! And you...you lot fought your way in here just for me? To think there are still good, brave folk in this world... Meffrid: We should go before the Qiqirn return in force. Do you still have the tributum? Wercrata: Oh gods, the tributum! The imperials will be wondering where I am! I have to go! Lyse: What, right now? In your condition? Wercrata: You don't understand─we were given a warning last month for being short! If I don't make it in time, there's no telling what will happen to me and my sister!
Lyse: I'm glad we saved him, but seeing him run off like that... I've got a bad feeling about this.
The Black Wolf's Pups Lyse has never been one to ignore her conscience.
Lyse: Listen, Forename, Meffrid... I think we need to go after Wercrata. Meffrid: Wait─you had better not be thinking of stopping him! You heard what he said─if they don't pay one way, they'll pay another! Lyse: I know that, I do, and I don't want to interfere! I just...I just want to see that he makes it there safely. Meffrid: ...If that's the sum of it, then fine. Let's head down and see if we can't pick up his trail.
In the dirt, you spy a chocobo feather... Lyse: Any luck? Meffrid: A chocobo feather, is it? Aye, by my reckoning, it came from Wercrata's bird, in which case... Meffrid: There's a collapsed bridge just around the bend. Hug the rocks and stick to the shadows. We'll find him soon enough.
Meffrid: Any minute now, I expect he'll come thundering 'round the bend and─ Hear that? Get to cover, quickly now!
Lyse: Are they imperials? Meffrid: Worse. Skulls. Listen, Lyse─whatever happens, stay hidden and do not intervene. Understood? Lyse: What? Skull Swordsman: You there─halt! You know you shouldn't be here... Explain yourself. Wercrata: Forgive me, sir! I-I came to deliver the tributum! Skull Swordsman: ...Oh aye? A likely story! Only a fool would dare to come so late.
Or mayhap...a Resistance spy. Wercrata: No! No, you've got it all wrong! I was waylaid by bandits! It's not my fault! Skull Swordsman: I said halt! Skull Swordman: ...Is this a joke? You don't seriously expect us to believe this is a fifth?
How stupid do you think we are? Wercrata: It is, I swear! On me mother's life... Skull Swordsman: Spare us. You came late, you lied about bandits, and then you tried to cheat the Empire of its due. Meffrid: Think you can kill them all─including the ones watching from the tower? Even if you did, others would come for him─and his family. You'd be condemning them all to a life of hard labor─assuming they didn't just execute them, that is. Lyse: But it isn't fair! Skull Swordsman: It's your bloody fault we're stuck out here patrolling this godsforsaken wasteland! It's your fault I have to listen to people go on and on about how “Ala Mhigans can't be trusted”! Skull Swordsman: I've worked and toiled harder than any man! I'm a citizen, godsdammit! And what are you!? A stupid, stubborn little dog who'd sooner bite the hand that feeds him and pine for the good old days! Fordola: That's enough! Lord Zenos is expecting our report. Meffrid: I'll bet the poor bastard can't believe his luck. He gets to go home.
We should do the same.
Meffrid: I'd heard their commander was keen-eyed but gods, that was a near thing... Meffrid: It tears me up inside to see our own kinsmen doing the bidding of the viceroy. But they made their choice, and if it comes to it, I'll cut down every last one of them myself.
Homeward Bound Meffrid has no wish to linger unnecessarily.
Meffrid: Wercrata's alive, and the tributum's been paid. That's all that matters for now. Meffrid: I for one would rather not wait around to see if the Skulls decide to return. We'd best get back to Ala Gannha and tell Raganfrid his man got the job done.
Raganfrid: We owe you a debt of gratitude for what you did. Wercrata told me everything─how you fought with the Qiqirn and saved his life. Lyse: For all the good it did. We saw what happened when he met with the Skulls. How they beat him half to death. We could've stopped them. Raganfrid: Aye, I reckon you could. Meffrid's a warrior, as is your comrade. And you're strong, like your father. That much is plain. Raganfrid: But I thank Rhalgr you did not, because it would not have ended with them. Wercrata and his sister would've been branded insurgents, if not the whole lot of us. Raganfrid: Bones heal, scars fade, but the dead remain dead. We're alive, and that's more than can be said for only the gods know how many others. Lyse: That's enough for you, is it? To put up with whatever they do to you, so long as you get to see another day? Raganfrid: That's right. You grit your teeth and you learn to live with the pain. Raganfrid: I'll admit I was quick to judge you, Lyse, and for that I apologize. I know you and yours mean well, I do. But I'm telling you, gods in the heavens as my witness, that we've got nothing left to give. We can't help you. Lyse: ...I understand. Thank you for your honesty. Raganfrid: She may say it, but she doesn't mean it. Nor would I expect her to─her father was stubborn as an ox too. If she's set on walking the same path, I but pray she won't follow it to the same end...
Meffrid: Well. She took it better than I anticipated. Which isn't saying much, I suppose. Meffrid: We should go and see if she's all right.
Lyse: ...Sorry about running off like that. Lyse: Ala Mhigans terrorizing their own...? I just can't accept it, you know? No matter what he thinks, they shouldn't have to put up with it, day after day after day... Lyse: I'm not completely naive, you know. I didn't expect them to “storm a castrum with their pickaxes and shovels,” or whatever it was. But nor did I expect Wercrata to just lie there in the dirt while they kicked him. Lyse: I can't claim to know their pain. I barely remember this place or...or even my father's face. Lyse: But I remember Yda's. I remember how scared she was when we ran...and that look in her eyes when she talked about home. Lyse: Her home...but not mine, is it? Cynical Youth (Wiscar): There you are, Lyse. I've been looking all over for you... Lyse: Well...you've found me. Got something else to say? Cynical Youth (Wiscar): Aye, that I do... I, um... I said some things to you before that I shouldn't've. 'Twasn't my place to do so, and I'm sorry. Cynical Youth (Wiscar): All that rubbish I spouted about how I loved my village...but when one of ours was in need, I was cowering here with all the others. I didn't even think to go after Wercrata...but you did. Cynical Youth (Wiscar): Made me feel like...like the bloody hypocrite I am! Cynical Youth (Wiscar): If I truly cared for my people, I'd fight for them. So I will...if you'll have me. Lyse: ...You're asking to join the Resistance? Cynical Youth (Wiscar): When you put it like that, I, uh...I suppose I am. But not just me─there are others I know who've been thinking about it for a while now. There's not many of us, and we're not hardened warriors like you lot, but─ Meffrid: If your heart bleeds for Ala Mhigo, then that's good enough for me. You and yours are more than welcome at Rhalgr's Reach. Cynical Youth (Wiscar): Thank you, sir! You won't regret this! I'll go and speak with the others and send word when we're ready! Meffrid: ...Still think this isn't your home? Lyse: N-No, I...I was just...thinking out loud... Meffrid: And with that, my friends, our mission is concluded. Let us return to the Reach.
Meffrid: First of all, allow me to commend you both on a job well done. Meffrid: Though nothing went according to plan, we nevertheless managed to attract some new recruits. And it was your passion and conviction that moved them to join. Thank you. Lyse: No, thank you─for giving me an opportunity to find out what our people have been through these past twenty years. It's been...humbling. Lyse: And troubling, too. I'd heard about the Skulls, but that was the first time I'd seen them in the flesh. Lyse: I know you say they're the same as any other imperial soldiers─and maybe that's how I'll have to think of them myself if our paths ever cross on the battlefield, but─ Meffrid: When, not if. That day will come, Lyse. You can't afford to hesitate when it does. Meffrid: Young, old, conscript, citizen, Garlean, Ala Mhigan─none of that matters. They've all got their reasons. But they're no better than yours, especially when they're bearing down on you, blade in hand. Meffrid: ...Saying that, I don't want to kill them any more than you do. If I could convince them to lay down their arms, I would. Sadly, I've never been much of a talker myself, but who knows, maybe you could be one, Lyse. Your father certainly was. Meffrid: Right, then. I'd best begin preparing for these new recruits. Forename, Lyse, it's been a pleasure.
Where Men Go as One Conrad wishes to thank you for all you have done in such a short time.
Conrad: Owing to the efforts of you all, we have accomplished a great deal in a short time. The Resistance thanks you for your service, Scions. Alphinaud: I see operations here have been proceeding apace in my absence. Alisaie: Welcome back, Brother dearest. I take it your efforts to gather new recruits were successful. Alphinaud: Indeed. There were several amongst the Scions' ranks that were quite eager to take part in our joint endeavor with the Resistance, whom I am come to present. Arenvald: Commander Kemp, if I may! My name...my name is Arenvald Lentinus. A...a half-breed, as you can doubtless tell. Arenvald: I'm here to fight for a free Ala Mhigo. For an Ala Mhigo where women like my mother are never made to suffer. I pray you grant me this honor. Conrad: ...You are a trueborn son of Gyr Abania, same as me. This is not my honor to grant, but yours to freely take. Welcome, brother. Conrad: With our swelling ranks, and the aid of the Eorzean Alliance and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, I believe we will soon be in a position to seize the initiative. Conrad: Once our new recruits have received sufficient training, I will propose to General Aldynn that we draw up plans for an assault on Castellum Velodyna. M'naago: Then, in the meantime, we will make what preparations we can!
Meanwhile, in the Royal Palace of Ala Mhigo... Ensemble: Beyond majestic mountains, across the emerald dale, Ensemble: On march the ivory standard, united we prevail Ensemble: From distant shores of Othard, to lakes of Aldenard, Ensemble: The light of mighty Garlemald, fore'er our guiding star
Imperial Tribunus Militum: Alliance forces have occupied Castrum Oriens and taken up positions along the length of the Wall. Our patrols have engaged their reconnaissance parties on sight, but there have been no significant exchanges... Imperial Tribunus Militum: ...Save one. A unit tasked with field-testing prototype magitek weapons was attacked. The weapons were destroyed, with the unit sustaining near-total casualties. Zenos yae Galvus: ...Near-total? Go on. Imperial Pilus Prior: My lord, there was but a single survivor from the unit in question, which falls under my command. Imperial Pilus Prior: According to his report, they were ambushed by a contingent of Eorzean Alliance regulars, abetted by Resistance insurgents. Zenos yae Galvus: Hm. A simple ambush, and only one survivor. A fine day's work. Zenos yae Galvus: The stubbornness to survive is not without worth... He may live. However, the XIIth is no place for the weak. Imperial Pilus Prior: He shall be relegated at once, my lord. As you say, the XIIth is no place for cowards who count their lives more precious than the cause. Zenos yae Galvus: Indeed, indeed. We have no need of cowards... Imperial Pilus Prior: M-My lord, I... Zenos yae Galvus: Cowards who defer critical missions to their subordinates─who hide within their castra, never meeting their prey in battle, never staring into the whites of their eyes. Zenos yae Galvus: Why, when confronted with a heretofore unknown eikon, did we surrender the Wall to the Alliance? Zenos yae Galvus: Because my honored father, in his infinite wisdom, has not seen fit to grant us leave to march on their lands. Zenos yae Galvus: Accordingly, we have extended an invitation to our neighbors.
Gyr Abania is where we shall host them─the field upon which we shall enjoy the sport of kings. Zenos yae Galvus: Patience is paramount. Cornered animals may have spirit, but they are ultimately predictable, and very poor sport. But if one dangles the promise of freedom before them, while nipping at their heels to stoke their passion, then things become interesting.
It is a delicate dance...and one which asks much of my hounds. Zenos yae Galvus: And so I put the question to you, my fellow huntsmen: how shall we deal with these savages? Fordola: My lord, I have a proposal! Imperial Tribunus Militum: Silence, Ala Mhigan! You do forget yourself! Imperial Tribunus Militum: Only by the grace of Lord van Baelsar were you afforded a place here─and that in name alone! We have no need of your “proposals,” savage. Fordola: Grrr... Zenos yae Galvus: This “savage” yearns to hunt her own... The floor is yours, Commander. Fordola: Thank you, my lord.
M'naago: Right, then. I've got duties to attend to. Alphinaud: Mayhap we could assist you with said duties? We are here to help, after all. Alphinaud: The three of you have been busy, so I will understand if you require time to rest. If not, however, it would seem sensible to assist our allies with their preparations. M'naago: We'd be grateful for any and all help you can offer. If you ask around, I guarantee you won't want for work.
Future Rust, Future Dust Beves is certain he has seen you somewhere before.
Beves: I-I-I beg your pardon? The woman who bested Gaius van Baelsar wishes to offer me her assistance!? Beves: I say, this is highly irregular...though I have heard it said you had a penchant for aiding the common man. In which case... Beves: Before the occupation I was a humble historian. While my duties leave me scarce time for aught else, I think it important that these momentous events be recorded for the benefit of future generations. Beves: Primary sources are indispensable, and I had a mind to question a number of my fellow freedom fighters─ask them their motivations for taking up this cause and so forth. Beves: You may take down their statements in this log. And...Forename...thank you for your service. Now and ever after.
Hrotmar: Why'd I join the Resistance? Well, if you must know...it was to avenge a friend the imperials butchered before my very eyes, back in Ala Mhigo. Hrotmar: We owned a stall in the markets, and a passing soldier snatched up a piece of fruit. He spoke out before I could stop him, only to get a fulm of steel in the gut for his troubles. I found my way here, and that was that.
Ahelissa: I was just a cook before all this. Simple fare, really. Had a chance to lend a hand and help feed some refugees one day... Ahelissa: I took a liking to the fighters. They...believed, you know? And there's always a need for cooks─or at least people who can work with whatever the foraging parties turn up...
Orella: Why? Why indeed... To save lives, perhaps. Or to make amends for the ones I couldn't. Orella: My father and my brothers were worked to death while building a castrum. What did it matter to the Garleans, eh? More where that lot came from. After that, I couldn't keep on doing nothing.
Hughoc: Hm? Aren't you the eikon-slayer? Damned if I know why you'd bother asking someone like me why I joined the Resistance, but it's simple: if I wasn't fighting for Ala Mhigo, I'd be fighting for the Empire. Hughoc: You're either with 'em or not, and if you're with 'em, you may as well make the most of it. Food, training, citizenship if you live long enough. You'll die stealing someone else's land, like as not, but that's the choice. But me? I'd rather die here.
Beves: Well met, Forename. Have you spoken with the freedom fighters as I asked?
Well-worn Log Page after page of the log is filled with a flowing script. Doubtless Beves has had much practice honing his handwriting.
Beves: Hmm... As fascinating as they are varied... You have a knack for convincing others to bare their hearts to you. I could not have done better myself. Beves: Many years from now, when these tempestuous times pass into memory, their accounts will serve as a window into the struggle. We must never forget, my friend. Never.
A Dash of Green Ahelissa considers the cookpot with a frown.
Ahelissa: You want to help, do you? Hmm... Seeing as how I'm in no position to leave the stewpot unattended, could you go and ask Tebbe for a variety of herbs? Six sprigs or so of whatever he's got on hand should suffice. Ahelissa: It's not as haphazard as it may seem. Depending on the recipe, it doesn't really matter what sort you add, so long as you add something. I'll be here when you get back.
Tebbe: Herbs, is it? Six sprigs of whatever's on hand? 'Fraid I can't spare that much. You'll take two, and be glad of it. Tebbe: The remainder you'll have to gather yourself. Shouldn't be too much of a bother, though─you'd be surprised what you can find growing underfoot, even in the Reach.
Ahelissa: Ah, there you are. Got those herbs I asked for?
Reach Greens Precisely what type of herb this is remains unclear, but the important thing is that it is green and fragrant.
Ahelissa: Thanks, that'll do nicely. And, uh...sorry to impose upon you, miss. Thought you were another new recruit. Didn't realize until after that you were, uh... Ahelissa: But to answer the question that's probably on your mind, yes. It's always like this. Never enough food or supplies to go around. Ahelissa: All the more reason to be grateful when our countrymen can spare some for the cause. Though that comes at a cost, too. Too many villages, too many children more deserving than us... Ahelissa: But a man can't fight on an empty stomach, can he? So we partake, as we must. And we never lose sight of the dream.
Ye Wayward Brothers The Ananta battlemaid is not one to be trifled with.
Ananta Battlemaid: You look like a ssstrider in sssearch of comrades in need. If ssso, I have a tasssk for you. Ananta Battlemaid: I am a trainer, and I was told to expect new recruitsss thisss eve, yet nary a one has come. Perhapsss they were given the wrong time or location. I do not know. Ananta Battlemaid: They number five in all, these would-be warriors. Sssend them unto me, should you chance to find them.
Fiery Recruit: Huh? Training? Gah! I was so busy practicing to impress the others that I completely forgot! Thank you!
Brooding Recruit: Ah. A thousand pardons. So preoccupied was I by the question of whether Ala Mhigo should be a monarchy or republic that I neglected to attend my training. How silly, I know─until we drive the imperials from our lands, the question is moot.
Earnest Recruit: The teacher calls for me? I see. We were discussing strategies for disabling magitek armor, you see, and... Ah, yes, of course, there is no time. If you would excuse me.
Devout Recruit: I know, I know. I'm late. But I had to say a prayer for my sister first. After what the imperials did to her, death was a mercy...
Faint-hearted Recruit: Oh bugger, you were sent by the snake, weren't you!? I heard one in four recruits doesn't live through their training. That can't be true, right? Oh bugger, oh bugger...
Ananta Battlemaid: All recruitsss are presssent and accounted for. My thanksss to you, ssstrider. Ananta Battlemaid: Not all appreciate the rigor with which I train my recruitsss. Sssome favor a gentler approach. As if the imperials will be ssso kind. Ananta Battlemaid: 'Tis a thanklesss job, to teach, sssome sssay. But I sssay their sssurvival is thanksss enough. Fare you well.
Token of Faith The swarthy Resistance fighter is at wit's end.
Swarthy Resistance Fighter: Damn it all! Where could it have got to!? Swarthy Resistance Fighter: Oh! Um, pardon me, fellow lover of freedom and justice. You haven't seen a ward of the Destroyer anywhere, have you? Maybe on the ground, as if a certain bloody fool had dropped it? Swarthy Resistance Fighter: Aye, I'd been him. I had it this morning, that much I know for certain, and I've not left the Reach since, so it's got to be around here somewhere. Swarthy Resistance Fighter: Hmm... If you've got a moment to spare, would you be willing to help me search? I spent some time near the Temple of the Fist earlier, so it might be there. As for me, I'll look around near the officer's pavilion. Swarthy Resistance Fighter: They're hardly rare, I know, and I could just as easily buy another, but even so... Please, help me find it...
Swarthy Resistance Fighter: I swear, I've searched high and low, but it just won't turn up...
Ward of the Destroyer A paper ward inscribed with a prayer to the patron deity of Ala Mhigo, Rhalgr.
Swarthy Resistance Fighter: Seven hells, that's the one! That's my lucky ward! You're a godssend, sister! Swarthy Resistance Fighter: Before I was born, my mother made a pilgrimage to the Temple of the Fist, where she, like many others, received the blessings of the monks. Swarthy Resistance Fighter: And then Theodoric came and burned it all to the ground, the mad bastard. And after him came the Garleans, who cared even less for our beliefs. Swarthy Resistance Fighter: But I still keep to the old ways, as do many others. And when my son is born, I'll teach him the stories and the scripture, as my mother taught me...
Crossing the Velodyna Alphinaud has been making himself useful to the Resistance...
Alphinaud: And with that, another task is complete...
Ah, Forename. I hear you have been keeping busy. M'naago: Aye, that she has, and we thank her for it. Conrad: It pleases me to inform you that our new recruits have completed their initial training and stand ready to contribute. Conrad: As discussed, M'naago, I would have you present my proposal for an assault on Castellum Velodyna to General Aldynn personally. M'naago: Of course, sir! M'naago: Are you and yours planning to return to Castrum Oriens before the operation? If so, why don't we travel together? Alphinaud: That seems a fine suggestion, but I must consult my comrades ere we depart. M'naago: Very well. I will wait for you at the pass. But not too long! Alphinaud: I expect Krile and Y'shtola will wish to remain here to support the chirurgeons, but nevertheless, we should go and ask them.
Y'shtola: Hm? Is aught amiss? Y'shtola: ...I see. That would explain the sudden flurry of activity outside. Alphinaud: This joint operation marks a turning point in our conflict with the Garleans. For the first time, the Resistance and the Alliance shall go on the offensive and attempt to capture an imperial outpost in occupied territory. Alphinaud: Personally, I believe it is imperative that we offer them our full support. As was the case with Ishgard, however, this is not a choice to be made lightly, nor less on others' behalves. This is war, and every Scion must decide what part he or she would play. Lyse: I'll fight. For Ala Mhigo, for my father, for Yda. I'm in it to the end. Alisaie: The choice was made for us ere we were born, Brother, when the Empire marched on Eorzea. Alisaie: They will stop at nothing to subjugate or slaughter us all. Van Baelsar and van Darnus were but the first to try. Alphinaud: ...Though your fervor is surprising, I cannot dispute your logic. Alphinaud: At the risk of repeating myself, I am of course of the same mind. The present situation is untenable, and further complicated by the existence of Ilberd's primal. I believe we have no recourse but to directly and openly intervene. Y'shtola: ...I thought this a foregone conclusion given our actions thus far, but if you require renewed affirmation, then yes, I am still wholly committed to this cause. For it is ultimately the selfsame cause I have served since first I pledged to serve Master Louisoix and the Circle of Knowing: the salvation of Eorzea, by any means necessary. Y'shtola: That said, I shall refrain from taking the field on this occasion. There are many here who require further treatment, and doubtless more to come after. Krile: I came here for Minfilia, and that hasn't changed. However, I'd like to stay with Y'shtola for now and tend to the wounded. Alphinaud: As for you, Forename...you are, to quote our dear friend Lord Edmont, the woman who slew Gaius van Baelsar and some half-dozen primals besides. Your presence may well prove the difference between victory and defeat. Alphinaud: Many look to you as a hero, and heap great expectations upon your shoulders. But you, like every Scion, must decide for yourself.
  • What will you say?
  • I'll fight. The Empire poses too great a threat. Alphinaud: Indeed. As you have doubtless seen during your time in the outlying villages, their so-called “meritocracy” is but a pretext to torture and enslave their “lesser” subjects. Such is the fate that awaits us all should their expansion continue unchecked.
  • We can but carry on. For those we have lost. For those we can yet save. Alphinaud: Well said. Well said indeed...
  • As long as there's a battle to be fought, I'll be there! Alphinaud: Hah! Ever the adventurer! You live for these moments, do you not?
  • To be frank, Alphy, this isn't my fight. But I will do what I must. Alphinaud: ...I see. While it pains me to hear you speak thus, I am grateful for your candor. There was a time when you would have kept such thoughts to yourself.
Alisaie: Take care, Y'shtola, Krile, and do not hesitate to contact us should you require assistance. Lyse─I would ask that you remain here, by Conrad's side. Alisaie: We should go, or M'naago will leave without us. Alphinaud: Might I persuade you to join us, Forename? Should you wish to give your decision further consideration, Castrum Oriens would seem an apt place to do it. You need not answer right away. I am sure I can convince M'naago to wait a little longer.
Alphinaud: So you will be accompanying us? Full glad am I to hear it. M'naago: All set? Excellent. Then let us be off!
Raubahn: Welcome back, comrades. What news? M'naago: Greetings, General. I am come at Commander Kemp's behest to brief you on the latest developments at the Reach. M'naago: Our recruitment efforts have exceeded expectations. In addition to welcoming many motivated young Ala Mhigans, our ranks have been bolstered by the arrival of a number of experienced veterans, thanks in large part to the efforts of the Scions. M'naago: As a consequence, we are now able to field half a dozen new units, with more being trained as we speak. Raubahn: Good. I gather Conrad is eager to strike while the iron's hot? M'naago: Just so, General. He proposes that we begin preparations for a joint operation to capture Castellum Velodyna. Pipin: Capture Velodyna? That will not be easy. It will, however, be necessary if we are ever to push east towards the capital... Raubahn: There is no profit in delay. It is only a matter of time before the Garleans learn of our plans and summon reinforcements. Raubahn: The Alliance hereby accepts Commander Kemp's proposal. Tell him to take no chances─bring every able-bodied Ala Mhigan who can wield a weapon. Raubahn: Pipin─I want Velodyna watched. Assess its defenses. Every fortress has a weakness, and I would know this one's. Alisaie: If there is no objection, General, might the Scions join Marshal Tarupin? Raubahn: By all means.
If that is all─let us be about it!
Alisaie: Conrad and the General are of one mind, it seems... I only wish I could say the same. While this aggressive strategy may well profit us in the end, what losses will we suffer in the meantime...? Alisaie: Anyway, we should speak with the vice marshal about this reconnaissance mission and see how he would like to proceed.
In Crimson It Began Pipin is looking forward to the assault on Castellum Velodyna.
Pipin: Thank you for volunteering to join me. This should be a fairly straightforward reconnaissance mission, so long as we do not have the ill fortune to run afoul of an imperial patrol. Pipin: Come─our destination is beyond East End, just north of Velodyna.
Pipin: This ought to be close enough. Now we settle in for a long watch. Pipin: That said...it would be prudent to keep your weapons at the ready, in the event a passing patrol stumbles upon us, or worse...
Pipin: This ought to be close enough. Now we settle in for a long watch. Pipin: That said...it would be prudent to keep your weapons at the ready, in the event a passing patrol stumbles upon us, or worse... Pipin: Excellent... The disposition of the imperial forces is exactly as expected.
I will notify Father. Pipin: Cannon fire! Where did it come from? Alisaie: Smoke! There! Is that─ Oh gods, it's Rhalgr's Reach! Alphinaud: It's no use─I think someone's jamming our communications. Alisaie: You don't think... Could this be part of a coordinated attack? Pipin: Too early to draw conclusions.
We must abort the assault and return to the Reach at once.
Fordola: Forward! FORWARD! Give them no quarter! Meffrid: You! Meffrid: Traitor! Kinslayer! Fordola: You're no kin of mine! Lyse: Meffrid! Lyse: Hells take you! Fordola: Hurgh... Zenos yae Galvus: Well, well... Zenos yae Galvus: Stand aside, Pilus. This one has promise. Fordola: Have a care, my lord. She's not like the others. Zenos yae Galvus: Hm. Do not disappoint me, girl. Or I will kill you. Conrad: Seven hells... It's him! It's Zenos! Lyse: The viceroy? Oh...you are a dead man! Zenos yae Galvus: So spirited...and yet so empty. Y'shtola: Lyse, run! Zenos yae Galvus: Ah, a magical barrier. Alas... Zenos yae Galvus: It will not save you. Y'shtola: How... Lyse: Y'shtola! Conrad: Hold the line, by Rhalgr! Hold the line!
Alphinaud: Krile! Krile: Alphinaud! Alphinaud: We saw the smoke and thought we heard explosions. Are we under attack? Krile: The imperials were all over us before we realized what was happening.
No one knew where to run or what to do─it was chaos. Krile: Lyse and Master Kemp rallied the guards and bought us enough time to get some of the wounded to safety, but I haven't seen either of them since... Pipin: Confound it! If we lose the Reach, this will all have been for naught! Alphinaud: Arenvald─can you escort these people to the Wall? Arenvald: Aye, sir. Alphinaud: Our place is at the Reach. We must offer such aid and succor as we are able. Saving lives is now our paramount concern. Pipin: If we can hold back the imperials until Father sends reinforcements, we may yet turn the tide... Krile: I'll join you. I've done all I can for these people, and you'll be crying out for a healer in there. Alphinaud: I fear you're right. Come, there is no time to lose!
Straggler: Gods help us, they're killing everyone! Alisaie: We have to stop them while there's still someone left to save! Straggler: The imperials came from nowhere...started cutting people down left and right... Alphinaud: Reinforcements are on the way. Spread the word.
We should keep moving... Alphinaud: Confound it! Nothing for it but to fight. Krile: Twelve forfend... It's a bloodbath...
Remember that we're here to save lives! Defend the hostages! Alisaie: Those monsters─these people had surrendered! Pipin of the Steel Heart: It's not too late for the others. We must hurry! Alphinaud: What the─ Are those beastmen fighting for the imperials?
I've never seen them before... Resistance Fighter: They...they took Lyse and the others deeper inside... You've...you've got... Krile: There they are! We're not too late! Fordola rem Lupis: Well, well. A rescue party, is it? We'll see about that. Fordola rem Lupis: Gah! Who in the seven hells are you!?
Lyse: What took you so long? Krile: Alphinaud, I need your help! Fordola: My lord, the prisoners! Zenos yae Galvus: See to your men, Pilus. Fordola: Uh─ As you command, my lord. Zenos yae Galvus: Your friends were a disappointment. But you...
You will entertain me, will you not?
Alisaie: If we kill him, here and now, we can end this! Zenos yae Galvus: I have no need for this rabble. Pipin of the Steel Heart: Seven hells... Not even Father could do that... Zenos yae Galvus: Hm. You yet stand. Mayhap you have potential. Zenos yae Galvus: Better...but lacking nevertheless... Zenos yae Galvus: It would seem I misjudged you. This ends now.
Zenos yae Galvus: Pathetic. Raubahn: Seven hells... Flame Officer: Shall we give chase, General? Raubahn: Nay. There has been enough death this day. See to the wounded. Flame Officer: Aye, sir! Raubahn: You all right, lass?
  • What will you say?
  • I think my pride might have taken a knock. Raubahn: 'Tis no ordinary foe could best the likes of you.
  • Well enough. Next time, he will pay. Raubahn: Aye. I do not doubt it.
  • ... Raubahn: To best the likes of you... Zenos is not what I took him to be.
Lyse: Don't you die on me, Y'shtola! Hold on! Krile: Don't worry! It's going to be all right! Krile: Alphinaud! Master Kemp is all yours! Alphinaud: Understood! Krile: Don't just stand there gawping! Hold her down while I work! Krile: The worst is passed, but without the proper facilities I can do no more. Alphinaud: Master Kemp too would be better served in the infirmary.
Let us take them there without delay. Krile: Give us a hand, would you, Lyse? Lyse: O-Of course! Krile: I know you must be exhausted, but there will be others who need our help. Leave these two to us and look to the other wounded.
Raubahn: You did well, Forename. You saved lives. No matter what happens, remember that. Raubahn: Now then─let's do what we can for the wounded. Every minute counts!
The Fires Fade The haunted look in Raubahn's eyes speaks volumes...
Raubahn: See to the wounded, Forename. If they live, help them. If not, move on.
Meffrid lies motionless, having breathed his last. Clenched in his fist is a small charm, which you take for safekeeping. Thewy Youth: He was already cold when I got to him... There was naught I could do.
That charm must've been important. You'd best take it to Conrad.
Conrad: M'naago? Meffrid? Where are you...?
Meffrid's Charm A small wooden charm Meffrid clenched in his fist as he breathed his last.
Conrad: This...this is... Conrad: ...He's dead, isn't he. Conrad: Meffrid was a worrier. Always thinking about others before himself. He once had an imperial patrol chase him nigh on twenty malms so that his wounded would have time to escape... Conrad: His comrades loved him for it, of course...though that only made him worry more. Did you know that he sent his men in Quarrymill away because he thought they were fighting for him, and not the cause? Aye, well, he did. The only life he was willing to risk was his own, you see. Conrad: But that's exactly the kind of man who should be leader! The kind of man who deserves to survive. Not a...not an old fool who's all used up. Alphinaud: ...There's no logic to it, Master Kemp. There never is. Alphinaud: Who stands, who falls... In the heat of battle, we can but do our best─as he did. Meffrid will be sorely missed, aye...but because of his sacrifice, many now live who otherwise would not─and they need us, now more than ever. Conrad: Aye...aye, that they do. Forgive me. I had...high hopes for him, is all...
Bereft of Hearth and Home Rhalgr's Reach is no longer safe, as Pipin well knows.
Pipin: Our defeat was no near thing. It was total─a humiliation. We were powerless to withstand our enemy's assault. Pipin: But we cannot afford to dwell on our failure. As Alphinaud said, it is those who survived whom we must think of now. Pipin: Rhalgr's Reach is no longer safe. The imperials may have withdrawn, but they could return at any time to finish what they began. We dare not remain here. Pipin: Those who are not fit to make the journey to Castrum Oriens will need to be taken by chocobo carriage. Agreed? Pipin: Good. I shall oversee preparations for the carriages. In the meantime, I would have you scour the infirmary for any supplies that might prove useful during the journey.
Orella: Forgive me, but it is imperative that I continue preparing medicines for the wounded. If you desire treatment, I must ask that you seek it elsewhere. Orella: Oh, I see... In that case, you are free to search the Barber and take that which you require. I would not have our people dying en route. Orella: I would assist you, but this process demands my undivided attention.
Flame Courier: Miss. Marshal Tarupin said you might have something for me?
Medical Supplies An assortment of potions and potables that may prove invaluable in keeping the wounded alive on the journey back to Castrum Oriens.
Flame Courier: Twelve be praised. This should put the drivers' hearts at ease. Tell the vice marshal we await his orders.
Krile: Y'shtola and the others are safely strapped in. Don't worry─I'll be by her side the entire time. Alphinaud: Thank you, Krile. Lyse: I'll walk alongside. They'll need protection in case the Garleans try anything. Lyse: Hang on. You're injured too, aren't you? Shouldn't you be in one of the carriages? Conrad: I'm not so frail that I can't make the trip on my own. Besides, there's still work to be done here. I'll see you at the Wall when it's finished. Pipin: As you wish. Then let us set forth at once. We shall move as quickly as our comrades' health allows. Pipin: To Castrum Oriens!
Divide and Conquer Conrad is a man struggling to cope with a bitter reality.
Conrad: You saved a good many of my men, and I cannot thank you enough for that. Conrad: ...But the fact remains: our forces were decimated. In this state, we'll not be mounting an assault on Castellum Velodyna or anywhere else. Conrad: We need to be honest with ourselves about our prospects. But first, we need to put our affairs here in order. Afterwards, I'll join you all at Castrum Oriens. Alphinaud: Understood. We will go and speak with General Aldynn.
Raubahn: Pipin has already departed with the wounded, has he? Good. We have completed our search of the Reach and the surrounding area. Raubahn: As far as we can tell, Zenos and his men returned straightways to Specula Imperatoris after quitting this place. 'Twould seem he's lost interest in us. Alphinaud: Which brings us to the most troubling question of all─not how he found us, but why he chose to spare our lives having done so. Raubahn: In war, you kill or capture your enemy. You don't leave him to fight another day. Only a fool would turn his back and walk away...but Zenos is no fool. Raubahn: Whatever his motive, this is neither the time nor the place to think on it. I will leave a token force to watch over the Reach. The rest will fall back to Castrum Oriens. We can discuss our path forward there.
Lyse: Krile is with Y'shtola. She still hasn't woken up, but...Krile says she's through the worst. Alphinaud: Given the severity of her wound, we could have hoped for no more. Let us pray she makes a full recovery. Lyse: We lost a lot of good people, didn't we... Lyse: I saw it happen. When that Skulls commander cut down Meffrid. A single blow, and that was it. Lyse: Everything he fought for, all his hopes and dreams for the future. Gone in an instant. And do you want to know the worst part? It wasn't a Garlean who did it─it was an Ala Mhigan. Lyse: Gods help me, if I ever─
No. Not now. Not while the General's waiting. Alisaie: Oh, Lyse...
Conrad: Were it not for the swift actions of the Scions and the Alliance, many more would have died. You risked your lives to save ours, and for that we thank you. Alphinaud: There is no need for thanks. We are allies, are we not? Raubahn: Aye, just so. Let us not dwell on this tragedy, but look to the future. Conrad: The future...? I'm sorry, General, but there is no future for us. Conrad: We've lost too many... Gods, I can still see Meffrid with that woman standing over him... <sigh> They've ripped the heart out of us, General. They've broken us. Our fight is over. Alphinaud: Master Kemp, please... Conrad: I'll always hate them with every fiber of my being. For what they took from us, then and now. Our homeland...our freedom...our bloody children... Lyse: You mean the Skulls... The youths who fight for Zenos. Conrad: Crania Lupi. The Black Wolf's legacy, and our shame. A unit made up of children born to Ala Mhigan dignitaries who came of age during the occupation. Conrad: Sons and daughters of Gyr Abania raised to be proud citizens of the Empire, with all the rights and responsibilities that entails. Conrad: It'd be easy to curse them and call them traitors, but they're our children.
Our flesh and blood! If the only way to forge the future we want is to cut down our own, then... M'naago: Then what was it all for!? Lyse: Naago... M'naago: What will you say to the families of the fallen─to the mothers and the widows and the orphans? Will you tell them it was all for nothing!? Raubahn: Listen to the girl. We dare not suffer our comrades' sacrifices to have been
in vain. Now is the time to steel our resolve and press on, painful though
it may be. Conrad: And when Zenos comes back with his army? What then? This isn't the first time, you know. You'll be hard-pressed to find men brave or stupid enough to face him again. Lyse: I still can't believe how strong he was. He humiliated us back there,
the Warrior of Light included. Gods help us if he's next in line to
the Garlean throne. Alphinaud: Loath though I am to say it, we should not be surprised. Before succeeding van Baelsar in Ala Mhigo, Zenos led the imperial army to Doma, where he crushed the rebellion utterly. Alphinaud: As a matter of fact, Doma remains in his charge to this day. Suffice it to say, Varis's heir is a peerless warrior and an accomplished general. The question is, how are we to contend with such a foe?
  • What will you say?
  • We fight and we fight, and we keep on fighting until we win. Alphinaud: Come now, even you have your limits—but then... so too must he... One legatus ruling two provinces a world apart... Yes—divide and conquer. We kindle the flames of revolution in Doma once more, thereby forcing Zenos to fight a war on two fronts.
  • We take the fight to Doma. Alphinaud: Interesting... You are suggesting we kindle the flames of revolution in Doma once more, and force Zenos to fight a war on two fronts?
  • I have a feeling you're about to tell us. Alphinaud: Well...to put it simply, we have one legatus overseeing two provinces a world apart. I say we divide and conquer─we kindle the flames of revolution in Doma once more, thereby forcing Zenos to fight a war on two fronts.
Conrad: For that, there would need to be someone left to fight on this front by the time you got back. Look, I'll not deny the plan has promise─and I feel for our brothers and sisters in Doma, truly I do─but I fear we lack the strength to
see it through. Raubahn: Have faith in your people, Master Kemp. Them and the Scions. Hold fast, rebuild, and when all is in place, we shall defeat Zenos together. Lyse: If you're going to Doma, I'm coming too. I want to help our friends there...and make sure nothing like this ever happens again. Raubahn: Give us the time we need, and we will give you something far greater. Conrad: Very well. For all you have done for us, we will fight on. But be swift, comrades. Ala Mhigo has suffered enough.
Alphinaud: It goes without saying, but the Scions alone have not the strength to topple a provincial government, here or anywhere else. Alphinaud: And I am quite certain the same can be said of the Doman Liberation Front. Nevertheless, we can but go and assess the situation for ourselves, and see what can be done. Alphinaud: Lest you doubt what good we few can accomplish, I would remind you that my grandfather and his twelve disciples once journeyed to these lands to save Eorzea and her people from certain doom. Brave souls with an impossible task. And Eorzea lives on. Alphinaud: Our present mission may not be as monumental in scope, but it is no less important to the multitudes whom we would free from imperial oppression─whom we will free.
Lies, Damn Lies, and Pirates Alisaie is contemplating the logistics of a journey to the Far East.
Alisaie: “Where men go as one, there is life. And where there is life, there is cause to hope”. Our grandfather believed that, and so do I... Alisaie: But before we can forge ties with our friends in the Far East, we must first find a way to reach them. Othard is not exactly over the river and through the woods. Alphinaud: I am one step ahead of you, dear sister─or rather, Tataru is. But before we discuss that, there is another issue I wish to address. Alphinaud: Much as I would like it if we could all make this journey together, someone will need to remain to serve as liaison to the Alliance and the Resistance during this critical period. Moreover, as Y'shtola cannot be left unattended... Krile: ...Then I should obviously remain? Very well. Issue addressed. Krile: You know, Alphinaud, it would have been quicker just to ask─and markedly less patronizing. Alphinaud: Y-Yes, I suppose, uh... Ahem. Would you be willing to look after Y'shtola and provide support to Arenvald and the others? Krile: Yes, Alphinaud. I would.
You see? That wasn't so hard, was it? Enjoy your trip, and don't you dare return with a gift! Alphinaud: Oh, I would not dream of it...
Right, then. Sister, Forename, Lyse─gather your things. We are for Limsa Lominsa.
Alphinaud: Tataru should be here any moment with our ship's captain. Lyse: So we're going by sea after all. Is Merlwyb lending us our pick of the Crimson Fleet? Alphinaud: Not...exactly. You are right, in as much as we will be traveling by sea. Regrettably, it is simply not feasible for an airship to travel such a distance without impossibly large fuel reserves, to say nothing of the inevitability of running afoul of the Empire's aerial defenses. Alphinaud: ...But then it is equally infeasible to sail an Eorzean Alliance vessel halfway around the world without the Empire taking notice. Alphinaud: Which leaves us with only one other option... Ah, speak of the devil. Tataru: Sorry to keep you waiting! May I present to you Captain Carvallain of the Kraken's Arms! Alisaie: The Kraken's Arms!? Don't tell me you made a deal with pirates! Carvallain: Greetings and salutations, Scions. I take it from your comrade's tone that you no longer wish to proceed with our proposed arrangement? Alphinaud: Not at all, Captain. Pray forgive my sister her outburst─she has ever been one to speak her mind. I, on the other hand, am the very soul of discretion, as many well-respected personages would attest, from the offices of the Admiral, to the High Houses of Ishgard. Alphinaud: Ah, but where was I? Oh, yes! The Scions of the Seventh Dawn do indeed still wish to employ your services. However, it is important that you are aware of certain extenuating circumstances... Carvallain: ...And intent on securing passage to the Far East, you came to us, knowing us to be the proud purveyors of said region's finest spices. Alisaie: ...Which you steal from gods-fearing merchants out on the high seas. Carvallain: Whatever privateering the Kraken's Arms may or may not engage in is strictly within the limits of the law, as set forth by our indefatigable keeper of the peace. More to the point, we are pragmatists. I see considerable risk in aiding your cause, and negligible profit. Tataru: Well, I for one think the captain has a point. The five seas can be extremely treacherous, and many a poor, unfortunate soul has to come to grief out there on the waves. Tataru: Why, when we were in Ishgard, I heard the tragical tale of how the heir to House Durendaire vanished at sea! Tataru: Even now, nearly twenty years later, the poor count remains convinced that his son still lives, and would pay a sultan's ransom for news of his whereabouts... Carvallain: Hahaha... Ahahahahaha! Carvallain: Truly a tragedy for the ages, and a testament to the misfortunes that may befall us should we act without...due consideration. But so long as you are prepared to abide the capricious whims of fate, I am willing to oblige you this once. Carvallain: That said, in light of the recent rebellion, I trust you understand that I cannot deliver you to Doma itself. I can take you only as far as Kugane, in Hingashi. Carvallain: We will require time to procure sufficient provisions and make ready for departure. I humbly suggest you do the same.
Alphinaud: Suddenly, all those hours Tataru passed cavorting and capering at the Forgotten Knight seem rather better spent, do they not? Alphinaud: (That said, I had intended to press the point more obliquely... And there was something disconcerting about the pleasure Tataru took in making Captain Carvallain squirm...)
Tales from the Far East Alphinaud is thinking of ways you might pass the time...
Alphinaud: I say we should heed the captain's advice and attend to our own preparations while they ready the vessel for departure. Alphinaud: Tataru and I will procure the necessary supplies. Alisaie...I should be grateful if you would use the time to brief Urianger on recent developments. You may also wish to review the relevant safety procedures in the event of an emergency at sea. Alisaie: How...how very prudent of you. Very well, I shall go and speak with him. What of Forename and Lyse? Alphinaud: I would like the two of you to return to Revenant's Toll and speak with our Doman allies. I fear we know too little of their homeland, and any information they can provide would be most welcome. Alphinaud: When we have completed our respective tasks, we will reconvene here at the ferry docks. Agreed? Lyse: Sounds like a plan! Let's go, Forename!
Lyse: Well, here we are. We'll need to talk to lots of people, so I think we should split up. Lyse: I'll ask around at the House of Splendors. You take the Rising Stones. I'll meet you here after. Got it?
Homei: You are truly planning to travel to Doma? I...I do not know what to say...
Forgive me. I shall aid you to the best of my ability. Homei: Ours is a beautiful land, nestled on the eastern coast of Othard. Along the banks of the One River, our nation thrived, proud and free, until the Garleans came, twenty-five years ago... Homei: The river was our lifeblood, free to travel and to fish...but travel was soon restricted, and now the river belongs to none...
Higiri: Greetings, Forename. What brings you to the Toll this day? Higiri: What? You are for Doma? Heavens... You Scions have shown us naught but kindness, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine you would fight for our homeland... Higiri: For twenty-five years we suffered under their tyranny. And then we spied an opportunity─the Emperor, dead! Garlemald in chaos! Higiri: It seemed the time was ripe. Beneath our lord's banners we gathered, and fought to reclaim our nation. But when Zenos arrived with the XIIth Legion, it was over in an instant...
Hozan: Hm? What is it, my friend? You look as though you have something to ask. Hozan: That you go to join Yugiri and Gosetsu in the fight fills me with such joy! Ah, forgive my exuberance. You require information, yes? Hozan: We of the Nagae clan have served Doma faithfully for generations. My ancestors held positions within Doma Castle, even. Now it is home to the imperial viceroy's witch, and her host of men and magitek. Hozan: To think that what was once the shining symbol of our heritage─and the seat of dear Lord Kaien─has become a den for Garlean dogs...
Lyse: Ah, there you are! Learn anything interesting? The older Domans I spoke with tried to teach me all about Far Eastern customs and the importance of formality and politeness... Lyse: I'd like to think Eorzeans can be just as stiff and stuffy as anyone─especially Ishgardians─but anyway... Did you know they eat with sticks? It wasn't all that hard, actually─or at least, that's what I thought until they told me I was holding them wrong. And then when I spoke with the younger Domans, they just rolled their eyes and told me it was all a load of stupid old─ Hm? Lyse: Wow... What you learned sounds a lot more useful. Unless someone invites us for dinner, of course. I hope they do.
Not Without Incident Lyse thinks it is time you returned to Limsa Lominsa.
Lyse: Right. No point waiting around here, is there? Lyse: We should head back to Limsa Lominsa. Alphinaud said to meet at the ferry docks, I think?
Alphinaud: You are returned, Forename. I trust you learned much from our Doman friends in Revenant's Toll. Alphinaud: I am eager to hear all─though that can wait until we have left port. We will have time enough to talk on our journey to Kugane. Alphinaud: Our spice-trading friends have completed their preparations. Assuming you have completed yours, you may inform the deckhand that we are ready to depart.
Kraken's Arms Deckhand: All set, lass? I'll see you to the ship if so.
  • Board the Misery?
  • Yes
  • No
Urianger: Twelve be praised! Full sure was I that I had come too late. Alisaie: Urianger? Tell me you haven't come all this way just to see us off. Urianger: Nay, my lady. Ere you quit these shores for eastern climes, I wished to share some words of seeming import. Urianger: “Look ye where the sun doth rise, see crimson embers, dark'ning skies...
Look ye where the sun doth fall, see azure lost amidst the squall.” Alisaie: Well that sounds suitably foreboding. Another one of your prophecies, I presume? Urianger: Of Far Eastern origin, aye. It is mine earnest hope that this ancient wisdom may serve to guide you on your journey, for what dangers lie in wait for you upon those distant shores are yet beyond my knowing. Alisaie: <sigh> A parting gift befitting your roundabout ways. Thank you. Urianger: I have more than words for you, my lady. Alisaie: It's beautiful... Is it for me? Urianger: Though undeniably powerful, your aetherial blade taxeth you greatly in the wielding. Not so this rapier, which shall serve you just as well 'gainst all but the most formidable foe. Alisaie: Impressive... It feels as though it's attuned to my aether. I shall treasure it. Carvallain: Honored guests! Say your farewells, for the moment of our parting draws nigh! A fair wind blows, and I mean to follow it! Alisaie: It would seem our ship is set to sail. Pray give my regards to Thancred and the others. And...take care.
Carvallain: A fine day, is it not? Fair winds and following seas.
The Misery is enjoying herself. Carvallain: Nevertheless, it would not do for you to spend the entirety of our voyage above deck. Let me show you to your quarters.
Tataru: Aaah! Is it supposed to do that!? Carvallain: Not under normal circumstances... Kraken's Arms Deckhand: Captain! You're needed on deck. Somethin' queer's afoot. The winds died down, the waters went still, and all of a sudden we were dragged off course... Carvallain: “Dragged”? By what? Kraken's Arms Deckhand: Can't rightly say, sir, but some of the lads are mutterin' about seein' things in the water. Things as shouldn't be there... Carvallain: Oh, for the love of─ If you will excuse me a moment. Carvallain: ...Actually, might I persuade you to join me? Loath though I am to admit it,
I have a bad feeling about this.
Carvallain: Hmm... Odd. Most odd. Alphinaud: Well? Do you have any idea what's going on? Carvallain: ...No. As the man said, despite the absence of wind and current, the Misery is somehow being pulled off course. Alisaie: Well, why not fire up the ceruleum engines you have hidden below? Carvallain: An excellent suggestion based on knowledge you should not have. Alas, our engines appear to be malfunctioning for reasons that escape my engineers at present... Kraken's Arms Deckhand: I'm telling you, Captain, it's them...things the lads saw... Alphinaud: “Things”? I don't suppose I could convince you to attempt something more descriptive? An adjective, for example. Carvallain: Sea Wolf superstitions and faerie tales, naught more... But if you must know, the “things” which he is so reticent to name are the souls of deceased women said to lure sailors to their deaths. Alphinaud: P-P-Preposterous! Alisaie: Yeees, indeed... If it is neither the sea nor the weather which is responsible, then it is probably a predatory entity of some sort─perhaps a siren or some such. Alisaie: For all we know, it could be a fellow “spice trader” employing magicks to seize and plunder passing vessels. Alisaie: Regardless, we have but one recourse: to let the current take us where it will, and deal with whatever we find there. Carvallain: What a thoroughly pragmatic suggestion. Oh, I am beginning to like you, girl. Carvallain: Once we arrive at our destination, my crew shall remain with the ship to defend it while we venture forth to deal with the cause of our troubles. Alisaie: Then it is settled! I know not what awaits us, but it will rue the day it reeled us in!

The Sirensong Sea

With the aid of Captain Carvallain and his Misery, you and your companions have embarked on a lengthy voyage to the Far East. Alas, no voyage across the five seas is entirely uneventful. The ship has been dragged off course by a mysterious force, and the men have begun to whisper of strange “things” in the water. Needless to say, you and your fellow adventurers will be having none of that. Once the ship reaches its unknown destination, you will go ashore and deal with whatever fiends you find.
Kraken's Arms Deckhand: They're on the deck! To arms, to arms! Carvallain: I'll not suffer troublemakers aboard my ship. Lyse: Nothing's going to stop us from getting to the Far East!
Kraken's Arms Deckhand: Watch out, there's more of them!
Kraken's Arms Deckhand: Island, dead ahead! All hands, brace for impact! Kraken's Arms Deckhand: Seems we've arrived... Go on and greet our hosts─the rest of us will patch up the ship!
Lyse: Lyse: Not the most welcoming place...
Alphinaud: I shudder to imagine what awaits here... Lyse: If we can punch them, we can deal with them!
Carvallain: Well, well, a ghost... Alisaie: Let's not waste any time!
Alisaie: Is it over? Carvallain: All fright and no fight.
Alisaie: Is it over? Carvallain: Far from it. Whatever brought us here wouldn't fall so easily.
Alphinaud: A gh-ghost ship!? Carvallain: Quite literally.
Alisaie: That's quite a spectacle!
Carvallain: It appears to have been adrift for a while. Lyse: Is that the crew?
Carvallain: Yet another ghost. Alphinaud: S-So long as my spells work...
Alphinaud: Th-That doesn't scare me! Carvallain: And so it shouldn't. Ghosts are but men trapped in purgatory.
Alphinaud: We...we did it! Carvallain: May the dead know peace.
Lyse: A dungeon! Carvallain: It appears this was a prison isle.
Alphinaud: I-I'm not afraid! M-Merely excited!
Carvallain: I daresay we will soon meet our host. Alphinaud: I-I tremble for the anticipation!
Alphinaud: Is that the ghost of a siren!? Carvallain: And the source of the legend, 'twould seem.
Carvallain: So this is the source of the legend.
Lorelei: Heh heh heh... I've been waiting for you... Lorelei: Ramble... Ramble... Ramble with me all through the night... Lorelei: Down... Down... Down into the depths and to your death... Lorelei: So spirited... But if you will not serve, then you will suffer...
Alphinaud: That appears to be the last of them. Carvallain: Word from the Misery. Repairs are complete, and we may resume our journey without further delay. Alphinaud: I swear, if I never hear another ghost story, it will be too soon...
Lyse: I remember the sea. The smell of the salt and the crash of the waves as we drew closer to Kugane... Lyse: The only port open to outsiders in Hingashi, across the Ruby Sea from Othard. From Doma. Lyse: All the colors of the rainbow, all the peoples of the world, all in one place.
I wish you could have seen it...
Carvallain: Congratulations. You now stand in Kugane, the western port of Hingashi. Regrettably, the only port in this nation open to foreign trade. Carvallain: Oh, and I do apologize for the unforeseen difficulties which befell us during our journey. Needless to say, your assistance in overcoming them was much appreciated.
The Man from Ul'dah Despite traveling halfway around the world, Alphinaud is in no mood to take in the sights.
Alphinaud: Glad though I am to have arrived, I would remind you all that we are far from home, with limited resources at our disposal... Alisaie: Duly noted, Brother. I shall take care not to enjoy myself. In any event, Doma is our final destination, and our first order of business should be to secure passage there. Alphinaud: Captain Carvallain, I realize you pledged only to take us as far as Kugane, and I have no desire to change the terms of our agreement. I should, however, be interested to know how you would go about reaching Othard, were you in our position. Carvallain: At the risk of stating the obvious...you are in a port. Surely there is a kind and generous soul here who will aid you for the right price? You cannot be the first travelers seeking passage to Doma. Alphinaud: ...The captain makes a good point. 'Tis like that Yugiri and Gosetsu were forced to come here for the selfsame reasons we were. They must have found a way to Othard─assuming they are not still in the city. Alphinaud: Hmm... Ere we seek passage, mayhap we should first seek our friends. Tataru: Leave it to me, Alphinaud! Making friendly inquiries is my specialty. Lest you forget, I got plenty of practice in Ishgard! Tataru: Captain Carvallain, could you direct us to the nearest tavern? Carvallain: Desperate for a drink, are we? You may find one in that large building just beyond the pier. Carvallain: Whether your journeys have come to an end or are about to begin, the Shiokaze Hostelry is an ideal place to rest, relax, and reflect. Or so they say. Carvallain: And with that, my dear Scions, I bid you farewell. As soon as we have replenished our supplies, we must away. Ours was ever a fast-moving business. Alisaie: The “spice trade,” you mean? Carvallain: But of course. Surely you did not think I traveled halfway around the world and delivered you to your destination solely out of the kindness of my heart? Alphinaud: Perish the thought. Thank you, Captain, and may the Navigator watch over and keep you. Alphinaud: Right, then. To the hostelry? Tataru: After you!
Alphinaud: By the Twelve... I thought Ishgard remarkable, but this...
We are certainly not in Eorzea anymore. Tataru: Hee hee hee! A tavern is a tavern, Alphinaud, here or anywhere else!
Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time to do what I do best! ??? (Hancock): Oh! A thousand pardons, my lady. ??? (Hancock): The Scions of the Seventh Dawn, I presume? I hope your voyage was not too trying. Alisaie: ...And you are? Hancock: Ah, yes, of course! Forgive me. Hancock, of the East Aldenard Trading Company, at your service. On behalf of Chairman Lolorito, I bid you welcome to Kugane, and invite you to take refreshments at our local offices. Alphinaud: Lolorito? I was aware his interests extended beyond the borders of Eorzea, but not so far as Kugane. Alphinaud: Regardless, I am disinclined to accept the hospitality of grinning merchants─especially those who serve a master with whom we have such a difficult relationship. Hancock: My, such naked suspicion! Hancock: I do hope that business with the Crystal Braves did not rob you of all faith in your fellow man. Or do you really think the chairman is plotting to drag you into another one of his grand schemes? Alphinaud: I beg your pardon!?
If you are trying to win my trust, you are failing quite spectacularly. Hancock: Oh dear, have I offended you? Hancock: Once again, I must apologize. Too much time in the Far East, you see. One is compelled to talk in circles around everything here, and one finds oneself longing for the invigoratingly candid speech of the Ul'dahn markets...though I see now that this was neither the time nor the place to indulge said longing. Hancock: ...Might I suggest that we continue this conversation at the company offices? Too many eyes and ears here, you understand. 'Twould be decidedly reckless to say any more. Alphinaud: If I may favor you with the invigorating candor you apparently crave─it would be decidedly reckless to follow a man I neither know nor trust. Give me one good reason why we should accept Lord Lolorito's invitation. Hancock: Now, there's the young diplomat I was told to expect! Very well, then,
I shall explain. You understand that you are come to a most reclusive and secretive nation, yes? One whose borders are closed to foreign trade save at this single port? Hancock: Then it should come as no surprise that a great many parties have vested interests here. Merchants like myself are a given, of course, but for every one of us, you may be certain there is also an agent of a foreign government. Hancock: Many notable nations and empires have embassies here, you know─including, of course, the Garlean Empire, with whom you have such a...difficult relationship. Alisaie: To paraphrase, Kugane is teeming with imperial spies, one or several of whom could now be listening to our every word. Hancock: Something to that effect, yes. Beneath this veneer of bustling trade, a war for supremacy is being waged between world powers. One might say we were standing on the front lines...just not in public. Alisaie: I still have my doubts, but he may have a point.
I say we accept his invitation─for now.
Hancock: And you must be Forename Surname! Slayer of Gods... Rider of Dragons... Savior of Ishgard... Stealer of Pants─if some of the more puzzling rumors are to be believed. Hancock: I knew it! May I say what an honor and a pleasure it is to make your acquaintance, my lady. I just know you and I are going to get along famously! Hancock: Now then, without further ado, allow me to escort you to the company offices. Hancock: This being your first visit to our fair city, I shall make an effort to point out various landmarks along the way. If you would be so good as to follow me!
Hancock: Everyone! If I could have your attention, please. You are now standing in Tenkonto. Hancock: Loosely translated, the name means “spire of drifting souls,” which─as some of you may have deduced─makes reference to the aetheryte which stands over yonder. Alphinaud: Hmm... The design is markedly different from those of Sharlayan, yet I trust its function is identical? Hancock: A diplomat and a scholar! Will wonders never cease. Hancock: Far Eastern aetheryte technologies have a long and storied tradition, I assure you. This particular example was constructed by the Onishishu, a collective of skilled craftsmen, who guard their ancestral techniques with the utmost secrecy. Hancock: In short, you will find it no less reliable than its western counterparts. Attune, if you like.
Where the Streets Are Paved with Koban Hancock would like very much to continue talking.
Hancock: Beautiful though it may be, we cannot spend all day staring at the aetheryte. Hancock: Come, come, let us move along. The markets are next!
Hancock: We have arrived at the largest shopping district in Kugane: Kogane Dori! Hancock: “Kugane,” as you are doubtless unaware, is an ancient Hingan word for gold. So, in this prosperous port where golden fortunes are made, lesser fortunes, or “kogane,” are earned by the local merchants. It's all quite logical once you learn the language. Tataru: Heh heh heh... Now you're beginning to speak my language... Hancock: Oho! A kindred spirit! What a pleasure it is to meet a young lady who appreciates the value of hard-won coin! ??? (Keiten): Hancock of the East Aldenard Trading Company. You are with clients today? Hancock: Why, if it isn't Master Keiten! Pray allow me to introduce to you my esteemed guests, but recently come from distant Eorzea. Hancock: This kind and generous soul supervises all transactions here in Kogane Dori. Keiten: Your sincerity is ever appreciated. As he says, I am Keiten of the Hakuuchi clan, and it is my honor to serve as overseer of these markets. Keiten: As we receive many foreign visitors in Kugane, we accept all manner of currencies. Rest assured, your Eorzean gil are welcome here. I invite you to peruse our wares at your leisure. Hancock: Arms, armor, foodstuffs, potables─here you will find all of them and more.
Hancock: If we may pause here for a moment... Hancock: This road leads to the Ijin-gai: the district in which “ijin”─or foreigners─are permitted to reside. Alphinaud: Would this also be where the foreign embassies are found─including that of a certain empire? Hancock: Precisely. So you see, it would not be at all unusual to cross paths with one of our Garlean cousins here. With this in mind, I would encourage you to choose your words carefully. We would not want any physical altercations, after all, such spats being strictly forbidden! Hancock: The Sekiseigumi punish breaches of the peace quite severely. I have seen foreigners permanently exiled for a single violation─though, to be fair, this is not common. More often than not, they are executed on the spot. Lyse: What, cut down then and there!? You're joking, right? Hancock: Would that I were, but alas, these samurai are a humorless lot. Hancock: Why, I recall one instance when a foreign merchant in his cups dared lay hands upon a Hingan aristocrat in front of a Sekiseigumi. The samurai cut him in half with a single stroke. Lyse: Ugh, I don't even want to think about that... Hancock: So, as you see, it would behoove you to behave. Failing that, we may be forced to “part ways” with one another─or you with yourselves, in the manner of the late Teledji Adeledji! Hancock: ...Oh, how I amuse myself. But we must carry on! I have yet to show you the Garlean Consulate!
Hancock: This, as you may have surmised, is the consulate of you-know-who. Mark the guards at the gate─are their uniforms not different from those you have seen in the West? Hancock: Were you to travel far and wide, you would find that many such variations exist, often inspired by local designs. All of which goes to show that even a massive empire seeking to rule all of creation is not without its artisans!
By the Grace of Lord Lolorito Hancock seems to be quite pleased with himself
Hancock: There is oh so much more I could speak of─the soothing waters of the onsen, the ephemeral delights of the pleasure district─but you are doubtless still weary from your long sea voyage. Hancock: Let us retire to the company offices.
Hancock: At long last, we arrive at our destination. May I present to you our humble offices. Hancock: We have much to discuss, so I will refrain from further prattle. Come, come, right this way!
Hancock: Our thaumaturges took great pains to ward these walls against all manner of surveillance. Where business dealings are concerned, we do not compromise on confidentiality. Hancock: You may avail yourselves of these offices for the duration of your visit.
Come and go as you like, and know that you may speak freely here. Alphinaud: Your offer is most generous, but I will not enter into any agreement which would leave us beholden to you or your master. Hancock: A legitimate concern. Allow me to clarify, then: the chairman bids you consider this as an expression of his heartfelt contrition for the bloody banquet and the unpleasantness which followed. Hancock: Never having been one to put stock in words alone, the chairman deems the provision of material aid to be a more appropriate demonstration of his sincerity. Hancock: By sheer coincidence, your purpose here also happens to coincide with our own interests. That is, assuming you are come to aid the Doman Liberation Front? Alphinaud: How could─ ...Hm. I will not bother to offer a denial. Aye, you have the right of it. To be specific, we are come in search of our Far Eastern allies, Yugiri and Gosetsu, whom we hope to assist in their fight. Hancock: The Auri shinobi and the Roegadyn samurai? Then you will be pleased to know that they have both come to Kugane. Lyse: Are you sure? Hancock: Quite. They came here aboard a company vessel, you see. However, they encountered difficulties securing passage across the Ruby Sea. Lyse: The Ruby Sea? Sorry, I've never been any good at geography. Hancock: Forgive me. This calls for a map. Hancock: We are here, in Kugane. The sole open port of Hingashi, situated on her western coast. Hancock: Doma, meanwhile, is here, on the eastern coast of Othard, in Yanxia. Hancock: Therefore, if your friends are to reach Doma, they must first cross the Ruby Sea. Hancock: Alas, this is easier said than done as the Ruby Sea does not fall within the dominion of either Hingashi or Doma, being controlled since antiquity by a third party: namely, the Confederacy. Hancock: Said maritime collective is known for the consummate skill of its sailors...and for demanding that any vessel entering its waters pay a toll referred to as the “Ruby Tithe.” In exchange, the Confederacy's vast fleet “guarantees the safety” of those who travel within its territory. Hancock: Now, as I am sure you are aware, Garlemald conquered Doma some twenty-five years past, at which time the Empire saw no value in controlling the Ruby Sea. And thus did they turn a blind eye to the activities of the Confederacy. Hancock: The recently appointed acting imperial viceroy of Doma had other ideas, however. She has formally condemned the Confederacy and declared that any who recognize their authority shall be branded enemies of the Empire. Hancock: Bowing to this pressure, Hingashi severed ties with these toll-takers and forbade the payment of the Ruby Tithe, prompting the Confederacy to make
it known that any merchants choosing to sail the Ruby Sea would do so
at their peril... Alisaie: No wonder they struggled to secure passage to Doma. What captain would risk such a journey given the circumstances? Hancock: I am told your friends were not so easily deterred from their course, but I know not whether their persistence bore fruit. Alphinaud: I say we follow in Yugiri and Gosetsu's footsteps and attempt to secure passage to Doma for ourselves. We will need to cross the sea in any case, and we may learn something of their whereabouts in the process. Alphinaud: And should we find that they are still in Kugane, we can make the journey together. Hancock: In that case, I have some information which may be of use to you. No quid pro quo, I assure you─the chairman was most insistent that I aid you to the best of my ability...
Alphinaud: Though I am reluctant to take any action whatsoever that could be construed as placing ourselves in Lord Lolorito's debt...we must avail ourselves of what means are available. Alphinaud: Our Ala Mhigan allies placed their faith in us, and I do not intend to disappoint them...
A Good Samurai Is Hard to Find Alphinaud is a man with a plan.
Alphinaud: It would seem inefficient for us all to venture out together in search of information on Yugiri and Gosetsu's whereabouts. Agreed? Alisaie: Agreed. We need to cast our net wider─split up and pursue all available avenues of inquiry. But if we're to coordinate our efforts effectively, we'll need to establish a working base of operations here. Alphinaud: Indeed. Tataru would seem best suited to the task of organizing our supplies and procuring new ones. Alphinaud: While she attends to that, we four can begin our search by questioning the individuals Hancock identified. Alisaie and I will take those in the southern districts of the city, and the two of you can take those in the north. Alphinaud: In, uh...anticipation of just such an eventuality, I took the liberty of preparing some few sketches of Yugiri and Gosetsu during our voyage. Lyse: Wow... Y'shtola warned me that you were a bit of an artist, but these are great! They'll definitely come in handy. Lyse: Looks like it's you and me, Forename. Let's step outside and talk about where to start!
Lyse: Wow, Alphinaud's sketches are so... I don't know how to put it, but they're very... Lyse: Well, see for yourself!
Yugiri and Gosetsu Sketch A surprisingly accurate depiction of Yugiri and Gosetsu, once again suggesting that Alphinaud may have mistaken his life's calling.
Lyse: It looks more like them than they do! Honestly, he could make a living doing this... Lyse: Ah, sorry, sorry! No time for distractions! Why don't we start by visiting...Karaku at the...on-something? Onsun? Onsan? Onsen! That was it!
Karaku: Come one, come all! Burns, cuts, embarrassing rashes─there is naught that the mystical waters of the Bokaisen Hot Springs cannot heal! Karaku: Ho, what is that in your hand?
Yugiri and Gosetsu Sketch A surprisingly accurate depiction of Yugiri and Gosetsu, once again suggesting that Alphinaud may have mistaken his life's calling.
Karaku: Hmm...you seek this Au Ra and this Roegadyn, do you? Karaku: A thousand apologies, but I cannot help you. It is against our policy to divulge information regarding patrons past or present. Lyse: Please! We came all the way from Eorzea to find our friends! Karaku: We have our reputation to consider, miss. Men and women from all walks of life come here in search of rejuvenation─body and soul. Karaku: They seek privacy and discretion, and we have ever honored their wishes. Only the Sekiseigumi may demand otherwise. I am sorry, but there is naught I can do. Lyse: I suppose we'll just have to ask someone else, then. What about that woman who runs the hostelry? Kotokaze, was it?
Kotokaze: Welcome, traveler. Can I interest you in some rice wine? Exceptional quality, delivered but the other day...
Yugiri and Gosetsu Sketch A surprisingly accurate depiction of Yugiri and Gosetsu, once again suggesting that Alphinaud may have mistaken his life's calling.
Kotokaze: Welcome, traveler. Can I interest you in some rice wine? Exceptional quality, delivered but the other day... Kotokaze: ...Ah. An Auri shinobi and a Roegadyn samurai. If I may, I would answer your question with some few of mine own. Kotokaze: If I speak of that which you know, ijin, be not offended. You are familiar with the situation in the lands across the Ruby Sea? The doomed rebellion, after two and a half decades of quiet? Kotokaze: I see. And you are familiar with the ways of Hingashi? How we elect to stand apart and support no cause but our own? Indifferent and callous, some may call us, but pragmatism is essential if a humble island nation such as ours is to survive. Kotokaze: But we are not fools. Complete isolation is impractical. And so Kugane is open to ijin, and we are equally hospitable to all. Or, if I must speak more plainly: Yes, I can help you. But if I do, I must also oblige the ones who ask after you. Kotokaze: Are you willing to accept this fair and equitable treatment? Lyse: If anyone comes looking for us, tell them whatever you like. Kotokaze: As you wish. The two individuals of whom you speak did indeed come here. They sought passage across the Ruby Sea. Kotokaze: Few ships are willing to make the trip at the moment. Nevertheless, I made several introductions on their behalf. That was the extent of our interaction. Kotokaze: I will provide you with the names of the captains, if you like. Lyse: You've been a great help, Mistress Kotokaze. I'll be sure to come back for that wine sometime. Kotokaze: We would welcome your custom, miss. Lyse: We should question these captains as soon as we can. You take the first three, I'll take the rest, and we'll meet here when we've finished. All right? Good luck!
Yugiri and Gosetsu Sketch A surprisingly accurate depiction of Yugiri and Gosetsu, once again suggesting that Alphinaud may have mistaken his life's calling.
Hannish Spice Trader: You ask me if I have seen this Auri woman and this Roegadyn samurai? Hmm... The woman is unknown to me, but the man is not. Hannish Spice Trader: He was for Doma, but I could not help him. We travel solely between here and Radz-at-Han. It would be an unreasonable detour.
Yugiri and Gosetsu Sketch A surprisingly accurate depiction of Yugiri and Gosetsu, once again suggesting that Alphinaud may have mistaken his life's calling.
Curt Captain: ...Yes, a Roegadyn gentleman did approach me. He wanted to charter a ship to take him across the Ruby Sea, the mad devil. Curt Captain: I sent him away, like all the others before him. The woman? Nay, I know her not.
Yugiri and Gosetsu Sketch A surprisingly accurate depiction of Yugiri and Gosetsu, once again suggesting that Alphinaud may have mistaken his life's calling.
Meticulous Merchant: Passengers? No. We no longer offer that service. Too much trouble. Now, we only transport goods. I told this to the samurai and sent him on his way. Meticulous Merchant: The woman? Pah. If it is women you seek, the pleasure houses have plenty.
Lyse: How did it─ Oh. Never mind. Judging from the look on your face, you didn't have much better luck than I did...
It's Probably a Trap Lyse is about ready to give up.
Lyse: Well, I suppose we might as well head back to─ Wait! I've just remembered! Lyse: There was someone on my list I forgot to visit: Gyodo. Lyse: He's a “Namazu” fisherman─whatever that means─and a regular here. Maybe we'll find him if we look around?
Gyodo: ...What, what? Why do you stare? You have business with me? Lyse: By the Twelve, a talking fish! Gyodo: Yes, yes, a talking fish. How very observant of you, ijin. <sigh> You find me in good spirits, so your rudeness I will ignore this once─but only if you address me again in the proper manner. Lyse: Sorry, I've never met a─ Let's start again. You're Gyodo, right? My name is Lyse, and this is Forename. We're looking for some friends of ours... Gyodo: I see, I see... Both these ones I know well. I helped them secure passage across the Ruby Sea. Lyse: Really? That's wonderful! Could you do the same for us? Gyodo: Yes, yes, this would not be a problem. For you, I could charter a ship this very day. Gyodo: But the journey is fraught with much peril! The fare will not be cheap. Are you sure you can afford to pay? Lyse: I didn't think to bring any money...but surely Tataru will let us take whatever we need from the Scions' coffers, right? Lyse: We wouldn't be the only passengers, though... Could we take a moment to talk it over with our friends? Gyodo: Yes, yes, but hurry! Your ship must depart under cover of darkness. We shall meet again at sunset on the Tasogare Bridge. Do not forget your fare! Bring many gil, yes!? Lyse: It's about time our luck changed! Alphinaud and the others will be thrilled!
East Aldenard Trading Company Aide: Greetings, honored madam. Will you be entering the Ruby Bazaar offices?
  • Enter the Ruby Bazaar offices?
  • Yes
  • No
Alphinaud: We spoke with a number of merchants and captains at the southern piers. Alphinaud: Several recognized Gosetsu and confirmed that he had been searching for a vessel to deliver him to Othard. None, however, made any mention of Lady Yugiri... Lyse: Yes, it was the same story for us─and then you'll never believe what happened...! Alphinaud: ...So this Gyodo claims to have aided both Gosetsu and Yugiri? How fortuitous. Hancock: Not the word I would have chosen, Master Alphinaud. Tataru: Stupid's what I'd call it! How can you agree to his price without making any attempt to haggle? Or even confirming what it was in the first place!? Hancock: Yes...that too was a misstep on their part, but it is not what troubles me most. Gyodo and his brethren are not renowned for their generosity of spirit. Rather, they are disdained as scheming moneylenders, ever eager to turn a profit from others' misfortune. Alisaie: Everyone else we questioned stated that Gosetsu was alone. Only Gyodo claims to have met both him and Yugiri... Alisaie: I suppose it's just possible that Gosetsu made inquiries by himself, and only called upon Yugiri once he had found a willing captain...? Hancock: ...But it is equally possible─if not more likely─that you are being deceived. Do not forget that there are parties present in Kugane with agendas which may run contrary to your own. Hancock: The viceroy was once a spy herself, as I recall. I should be surprised if she did not have countless agents here in her employ─all eager to prove themselves to their new master. And what better way to do so than by delivering her the heads of foreign insurgents? Lyse: Fine. You may be right about him. But if Gyodo's working for the Empire, who's to say he didn't try the same trick on Yugiri and Gosetsu? I mean, if he did, he might know where they are. And if he succeeded, they might be in trouble! Lyse: Anyway, if he holds up his end of the bargain, we'll have nothing to worry about, will we? But if he tries to betray us, I vote we take him prisoner and punch him till he tells us the truth. Alisaie: So, if it's a trap, we'll spring it and deal with the consequences. Hmm...I like the way you think. Alphinaud: <sigh> Very well... We should prepare for the worst. Tataru will remain here, and I shall follow the three of you at a discreet distance. Hancock: Once more, I must caution you to avoid physical altercations at all costs─even should imperial agents attempt to engage you. The Sekiseigumi will not hesitate to clap you in irons...or cut you down. Hancock: If anything untoward should happen, you are to return here at once. Is that clear?
Alisaie: To review: Lyse, Forename, and I will meet with Gyodo as planned. Alisaie: Alphinaud will keep watch from a distance, ready to provide support in the likely event that Gyodo attempts to betray us to the imperials or whomever else. Alisaie: Should that happen, you and Lyse will subdue him, and together we will make our escape. Alisaie: As our actions will surely draw the attention of the Sekiseigumi, we will evade them with Alphinaud's assistance and return here with our prisoner. Does that meet with everyone's approval? Alisaie: Of course, these precautions will be for naught if Gyodo does not play us for fools...but we shall see. To the bridge!
Alisaie: Our would-be ally is nowhere to be seen... Make ready, Forename. Something smells...fishy...
Alisaie: He's late... Gyodo: Endless and most sincere apologies to you and yours, yes, yes.
This way, this way. Quickly now!
Alisaie: Enough. Where are you taking us? Where is the ship? Gyodo: The ship, the ship... So very sorry to inform you, yes, yes.
Long before was it pledged to another. Gyodo: To me, to me! These ones are for Doma! Lyse: <sigh> I knew it couldn't be this simple... Gyodo: Nothing personal, yes, yes? Just business. Lyse: Then business is about to take a turn for the worse... Lyse: Come on, let's find a way out of here!
Alphinaud: Disappointing, but not surprising. In retrospect, we probably should have─ Alisaie: Quiet, Brother! Fight now, talk after! Lyse: I'll hold on to Gyodo! You deal with the imperials!
Alisaie: As expected, the Sekiseigumi have caught our scent. Since fighting them is out of the question, we'll have to wind our way back to the Ruby Bazaar, evading their patrols as we go. Alisaie: If they find you, use these smoke bombs to make your escape!
Alphinaud: Split up and head for the Ruby Bazaar! And remember: under no circumstances must you engage the Sekiseigumi! Sekiseigumi Blade: You there! Lay down your arms and surrender at once! Lyse: Dammit, they've found us!
Use a smoke bomb so we can escape! Lyse: Nice work! Now, let's find a way out of here... Lyse: <huff> <puff> That was close.
Now, which way to the Ruby Bazaar...? Lyse: The streets are crawling with Sekiseigumi...
Keep those smoke bombs ready. Lyse: Oh bugger─they've got a whole squadron out front!
What do we do now, Forename? Curious Kojin (Soroban): Come with me. I will guide you to your friends. Lyse: First a talking fish, and now a tortoise? <sigh>
What have we got to lose? Alphinaud: Thank the Twelve you made it!
I feared our Kojin friend might not find you in time. Curious Kojin (Soroban): Everything is going to be all right. Trust me...
Curious Kojin (Soroban): Stay hidden and quiet. Understood? Sekiseigumi Blade: Clear the road! Clear the road! Sekiseigumi Blade: You there, Kojin! We seek four foreigners─one a brutish woman carrying an unconscious Namazu. Have you seen them? Curious Kojin (Soroban): Four foreigners, you say? Ah, yes! Very rude they were, making no apology as they barged past. They went that way, I think. Sekiseigumi Blade: Many thanks, good sir! Sekiseigumi Blade: With me! They cannot have gone far! Curious Kojin (Soroban): All is well. The Sekiseigumi will not return this way for some time,
I should think. Curious Kojin (Soroban): You are of the East Aldenard Trading Company, yes? Come with me.
I know a safer way.
Hancock: You are returned─and with guests, I see. Lyse: Our meeting went about as well as expected. We've brought the Namazu who thought to betray us. When he wakes up, we'll see what he knows about Yugiri and Gosetsu. Hancock: Well done you. When I saw the Sekiseigumi out in force, I did begin to worry, but I see my fears were misplaced. Lyse: Actually, if it weren't for Soroban, we might not've gotten away... Soroban: 'Twas my pleasure. Alphinaud: Yet I must ask, Soroban: why would you deceive the Sekiseigumi to help us─foreigners of whom you know naught? Soroban: Why, out of the kindness of my heart...is what I would like to say, but my motives are not so pure. Soroban: I chanced to witness your meeting with Hancock at the tavern,
and saw an opportunity. Hancock: An opportunity? Soroban: Like many, I came to Kugane as a trader to make my fortune.
Kojin of the Red may serve the Empire as mercenaries, but Kojin of the Blue walk a different path. Soroban: Regretfully, most here would rather not meet our gaze, much less do business. Soroban: So I seek the custom of those less predisposed to dismiss us outright.
Namely, the East Aldenard Trading Company. Alphinaud: Quid pro quo, is it? Well, there is no denying that we owe you a debt. What say you, Hancock? Will you consider doing business with our entrepreneurial friend here? Hancock: Rest assured, Master Soroban, that in matters of trade the company does not discriminate. We would be honored to hear your proposal. Soroban: I promise you will not regret this, good sir! Soroban: Ah, yes─you sought passage across the Ruby Sea, did you not?
I have a ship you can use. Alphinaud: You do? Well, then! Far be it from us to refuse! You have our deepest thanks. Soroban: And you mine!
Lyse: I'm still annoyed he tried to deceive us, but at least we were prepared for it. Lyse: Even so, next time we should probably try to avoid running around Kugane in the middle of the night with half the city guard snapping at our heels...
Making the Catfish Sing Lyse would like to ask Gyodo a few questions...
Lyse: Right, then. Gyodo should be coming round soon. Lyse: I think it's time we had a little chat, don't you?
Lyse: Rise and shine, little fishy. I know you can hear me, so stop pretending to be asleep or I'll give you another ride on my boot. Gyodo: ...No! No, no, no more boots! All my secrets are yours for the asking! Lyse: Tell us what you know about Yugiri and Gosetsu. Every last detail. Lyse: And if I find out later that you lied to me─ Gyodo: No, no, no more lies! The clear, unvarnished truth! You have my word! Gyodo: Only the samurai did I meet. Yes, yes, only him! He asked after a ship, so I provided an introduction to...to the Garleans... Alisaie: You mean you led him into a trap, as you did us. Because you are an imperial spy. Gyodo: No, no, I am no spy! It was just business! Fewer ships pass through Kugane these days, and we have struggled to make ends meet... Gyodo: So when the Garleans offered a bounty for any Domans found in Kugane─ Alisaie: Oh, my mistake! You're not a spy, but a common cutthroat! Not that I'm surprised─you need half a brain to be a spy. So what happened to the samurai? Gyodo: Such a cruel, vicious tongue you have...
He would not go quietly, no, no. Blades were drawn, men were cut down, and the Sekiseigumi came. They took the samurai away. Hancock: Hold on a moment! You mean to tell me the ijin they arrested the other day was Gosetsu? Hancock: Oh, had I but known! If he is in the custody of the Sekiseigumi, I need only see to it that the requisite funds find their way into the right official's hands, and your friend will walk free. Alphinaud: As it is in Ul'dah, so it is in Kugane...but given the circumstances, it seems we have no choice but to resort to morally questionable means. Hancock: We'll make a pragmatist of you yet, Master Alphinaud!
Hancock: You are free to wait here while I speak with the relevant official, but if you would rather wait for Gosetsu outside the barracks, we can go together. Alisaie: I wouldn't put it past the imperials to try something again, so mayhap it would be best if Lyse, Forename, and I joined you. Lyse: All right, but what about Gyodo? Alphinaud: I will keep an eye on him for the time being. We can release him after you return with Gosetsu. He will doubtless have some choice words to say to the little fellow. Soroban─mayhap it would be prudent to prepare your ship for our immediate departure. Soroban: As you wish! Hancock: Everything is in order? Then let us be off. The Sekiseigumi Barracks are to the north.
Hancock: I must ask that you wait here. You may be assured that this will not take long.
Lyse: ...Is it really going to be as simple as he says, do you think?
Lyse: ...He said it wouldn't take long, right? Because this feels a bit long to me. Alisaie: Calm down, Lyse. Everything is going to be all right. Much as I hate to admit it, I share Hancock's dim view of government officials and their supposed incorruptibility. Alisaie: From what I've gleaned of the Far East, they're probably exchanging lengthy pleasantries. There seems to be a correct way to do everything here, bribery being no exception. I say we leave them to it. Right, Forename?
Lyse: Right, right. Everything's fine. Probably. I mean, it couldn't be as bad as the last time we stood around waiting for something to happen...
Gosetsu: Have at you! AAAHHH! Lyse: Was that...? Lyse: That was Gosetsu! I'm sure of it! He's in trouble! Alisaie: Lyse, wai─ <sigh> ...I suppose we should follow her, then. Sekiseigumi Blade: Victory to the samurai! Gosetsu: Hah hah hah hah hah! How many is that, now? Ten in a row? Lyse: Gosetsu! Gosetsu: Oho! This is a surprise! What in blue blazes are you three doing here? Lyse: I could ask you the same thing! We've been looking all over for you─and then I suddenly heard you screaming! Gosetsu: Hmm... It would seem there has been a misunderstanding.
Allow me to explain... Alisaie: ...So, in summary: you started a brawl with some off-duty imperial soldiers and were subsequently arrested by the Sekiseigumi, whom you somehow befriended and convinced to set you free if you could defeat a given number of them in single combat? Gosetsu: Ten bouts for my freedom, aye!
'Tis but a pity you came too late to witness the last one. Gosetsu: And with that, I am free to go, yes? Sekiseigumi Blade: Our word, once given, may not be broken─but we pray you make every effort to avoid future altercations. Sekiseigumi Blade: Circumstances notwithstanding, my lord, we are honored and grateful to have witnessed firsthand the skill of a Doman samurai. Hancock: Ah. And we had just concluded negotiations.
I gather my assistance was not required?
Once More, to the Ruby Sea For a man who has just defeated ten samurai in a row, Gosetsu is looking rather sheepish...
Gosetsu: I must apologize. That you endured such trials and tribulations in search of me─ Alisaie: There's no need for that. You had no way of knowing we would come looking for you. Alisaie: You were after a ship to take you to Doma, yes? It just so happens we have found a willing captain. Gosetsu: Truly? What fortune! Alisaie: We will tell you all about it back at the company offices. Alphinaud and Tataru are waiting for us there.
East Aldenard Trading Company Aide: Greetings, honored madam. Will you be entering the Ruby Bazaar offices?
  • Enter the Ruby Bazaar offices?
  • Yes
  • No
Alphinaud: Gosetsu! Thank the Twelve you are unharmed! Gosetsu: As you can see, Master Alphinaud, I am the very picture of health! Gosetsu: You! Vile fiend! Malevolent trickster! How kind the kami are to grant me vengeance so soon. But first, I demand you return the coin you so villainously embezzled from me! Gyodo: Y-You have every right to be angry, good sir! Gladly would I return to you your coin...had I not been forced to repay certain gambling debts beforehand... Alphinaud: Setting that matter aside for the moment─where is Lady Yugiri? Was she not traveling with you? Gosetsu: For a time, aye, but we parted ways some while ago, the better to improve our chances of finding Lord Hien. Lyse: Lord Hien? Gosetsu: Forgive me, I have yet to explain. Lord Hien is the heir to Doma's throne, and our master. Gosetsu: His was a passionate voice for the cause of Doman liberation, and when we learned of the Emperor's death, it only grew louder... Alphinaud: So you seized upon the opportunity and rose up to reclaim your freedom...only for your hopes to be dashed when Zenos led his army unto your lands. Gosetsu: The crown prince was a merciless foe. Against him and the might of the XIIth, we had no chance. Gosetsu: Once Lord Hien understood this, he bade Yugiri take to the sea with as many of our people as possible. He, however, would stand and fight, that they might have more time to escape... Gosetsu: I remained by his side as well, and together we carried on our doomed war. And then, one day, in a fierce battle, we were separated. I knew not what became of him─only that he was beyond the Empire's reach, and that to find him, I would need Yugiri's aid. Gosetsu: The situation grows more perilous by the day, for the new viceroy, Yotsuyu, is a black-hearted villainess who delights in the torment of our people. There is naught she would not do to further her pursuit of Lord Hien. Alphinaud: Thank you. I believe that makes matters a good deal clearer. Alphinaud: It should please you to learn that we are come to aid the Doman Liberation Front in resuming their efforts to overthrow their imperial oppressors. Gosetsu: Then allow me to join you! My inquiries here bore no fruit, hence my desire to return to Othard. Gosetsu: Once there, I can lead you to our headquarters in Yanxia, where we shall all be reunited with Yugiri! Alisaie: Mayhap not all. Alphinaud's talents would seem better applied here in Kugane, working closely with Tataru and Hancock to feed us intelligence. There is a Garlean embassy just down the road, after all─ Alphinaud: While I appreciate the vote of confidence, I should be glad to accompany you all─ Alisaie: As a soldier in the field, so to speak? Come now, Brother, a competent commander assigns his soldiers the tasks best suited to them─as you of all people should know. And you are so very good at espionage and intrigue. Alphinaud: “...For we all must serve, each in our own way.” Very well. It would seem my place is here. Tataru: Soroban is waiting at the pier. Have fun, you lot!
Soroban: I have been waiting for you, my friends. All preparations have been completed, and my ship awaits its passengers. Soroban: Shall we depart without further delay?
  • What will you say?
  • After you, my shelled friend!
  • Uhhh...hold that thought!
Soroban: If you insist! With me, everyone! The Ruby Sea awaits!
Lyse: I remember the water. How it turned crimson in the morning sun. Lyse: A shimmering sea of rubies, stretching from horizon to horizon.
You could almost believe it went on forever... Lyse: But beyond that red expanse lay a land in turmoil.
On the shores of Othard, our Doman brothers struggled in vain...
Soroban: How wide and beautiful she is, the Ruby Sea! Filled with promise and adventure and treasures─many wonderful treasures!
Open Water One does not simply cross the Ruby Sea, as Soroban well knows.
Soroban: Now, in order to reach the shores of Othard, you will need to cross the resplendent waters you see before you. However, this is easier said than done. Soroban: To set forth without making the necessary preparations is to invite the Confederacy to claim your vessel─and your life should you resist. Soroban: But this fate can be avoided by paying the Ruby Tithe, thereby earning you the blessing of the pirate lords. Soroban: So─let us go and greet them. Our destination is the isle to the west. Lyse: That doesn't look very far to me. Forename, why don't we jump in and swim for it? I've had my fill of boats. Soroban: Hmm, an excellent idea! I think you shall find the water to your liking. Soroban: I will use my ship to deliver those less inclined to the isle.
Lyse: Right, this should be easy! And a good way to loosen up before the next fight, whenever it comes. Lyse: Twenty gil says I beat you there!
Soroban: Ah, there you are. I trust you enjoyed yourselves. Soroban: Follow me, my friends. The one with whom we must speak is a man named Tansui.
Tansui: ...I fear you have the advantage of me. Tansui: Most honorable and esteemed Forename Surname. I am Tansui, a humble mate who serves at the pleasure of the Confederacy's captain. Tansui: As you are in the company of the shellback, I presume we have business to discuss...
Boys with Boats Tansui's face betrays nothing as he looks you up and down.
Tansui: You wish to pay the Ruby Tithe, yes? With your...gil, perhaps? It is just as well. Foreign currencies are in demand these days. Soroban: I would pay for their passage to Othard. Soroban: Does this sum meet with your satisfaction? Tansui: ...The sea has been quite tempestuous of late. I cannot say with confidence that you would reach your destination safely─unless you tripled it. Soroban: D-Do you take me for a fool? I know the price, as do all! Tansui: Alas, we live in interesting times. As you came from Kugane, I should think I need not tell you that. Tansui: The shadow of war looms. The wise and the cautious shirk our waters and our custom, and the foolhardy sharpen their knives in anticipation. Lyse: Meaning...? Proud Confederate: Sir! Sir! You've got to come quickly. The bastards're at it again! Proud Confederate: I tried to convince them to stop, but they weren't having it. Tansui: <sigh> Very well. I will be there shortly. Tansui: ...Hm. A proposition. Your comrades strike me as a worthwhile investment. I would not hear men name me a cat before koban, so I shall consider their tithe paid─not for what they have done, but for what I expect they will do. Alisaie: I'm not sure what to make of that man, but at least the matter of our tithe is settled. For now. Lyse: What was that he and the other pirate were talking about? Maybe we ought to go and have a look.
Tansui: Gentlemen! I am told you were most unreceptive to my associate's requests. Tansui: I realize you do not look kindly on the Confederacy and her ways. But if you refuse to pay the Ruby Tithe, your safety in these waters cannot be assured. Imperial Pilus Prior: Spare me your concern, pirate.
Your feeble attempts at extortion will not work on us. Imperial Pilus Prior: You remain at large because we allow it─because you are such insignificant little pests that we see no need to swat you. Imperial Pilus Prior: But if you wish to risk the ire of the viceroy, by all means, fire upon an imperial vessel. Give us a reason to bring the full might of the Garlean Empire to bear against your pathetic fleet. Proud Confederate: Bastards! Tansui: Gentlemen. Surely the fact that you have such limitless resources at your disposal gives you all the more reason to spare some few coins for the
less fortunate? Imperial Pilus Prior: All talk, just as I thought. Come─let us away. I have no time for this rubbish. Lyse: We're all the same to them, aren't we? Savages to be ruled or slaughtered. Tansui: They've always balked at paying the Ruby Tithe.
But they were never so eager to pick a fight... Tansui: The problem, you see, is that many of my comrades in the Confederacy are of Doman descent─and the acting viceroy...well, she's none too fond of Domans, to say the least. Tansui: If we take any action to hinder the safe passage of an imperial vessel, she'll accuse us of attempting to foment rebellion and brand us enemies of the Empire─which we can ill afford to be. Like the man said, we're all talk. Alisaie: And where do the Kojin stand in all this? Tansui: With the winning side, of course. They are mercenaries to a fault, eager to offer their services without coercion. Tansui: The shellback could tell you more...though something tells me he would rather not. Lyse: I don't understand. If the Garleans are causing the Confederacy this much trouble─and if so many of you are Doman to begin with─why aren't you willing to fight back? Tansui: Hahaha! Spoken like a true friend of the Doman Liberation Front. Tansui: If you're planning to rouse us with noble words and grand promises─don't bother. We all know what the imperial army can do. Compared to them, we're boys with boats. Tansui: Besides, what ties a man may once have held to his home are forsaken upon joining the Confederacy. We look out for none but our own. Tansui: Be that as it may, our livelihood is under threat, and the captain will need to decide soon whether we are to go down in a blaze of glory or bow and scrape for crumbs from the Emperor's table. Tansui: ...All while our friend the viceroy continues her purge of Doma's “radical elements.” I believe she's holding court in one of the fishing villages even
as we speak. Gosetsu: That she-devil! Her perfidy knows no bounds! Gosetsu: She must be stopped. Come, let us find Soroban and put to sea at once! Tansui: Tell the others that these ones have paid. We all have places to be.
Gosetsu: What are we waiting for? Come, come! Soroban cannot have gone far! Gosetsu: ...Though now that I think on it, it is passing strange that he left without warning. Mayhap he did not wish to be seen by his Kojin brethren? Gosetsu: I doubt he thought to leave us behind, but nevertheless, it may be prudent to return to his ship. Or at least to the Confederate encampment.
Soroban: Oh, my friends! A thousand pardons! ...As you may have guessed, I was reluctant to be seen in your company by my Red brothers. Ours is a...complex relationship. Soroban: I pray you do not misinterpret their actions as a reflection of our allegiances as a whole. Soroban: You...you understand? Kami be praised! Too often are shell-less quick to judge all Kojin for the deeds of one. Soroban: Right, then. Now that our business with Tansui is concluded, we can traverse the Ruby Sea without fear!
To Bend with the Wind Soroban is in high spirits.
Soroban: I shall return to the ship and prepare for our departure. If you have any remaining business to conduct with the pirates here, I pray you do so now. Soroban: Ah, that reminds me. Forename, would you be so kind as to inform the Confederates of our plans? The more they know of our movements, the less like we are to be mistaken for another vessel by their comrades.
Proud Confederate: Oh, you're one of the ijin from the beach. Leaving us already? Proud Confederate: No need to pay the tithe, like Tansui said. On the other hand, if you were to peruse our wares and find anything to your liking, we should be glad to sell it to you for a fair price.
Soroban: You have spoken with the Confederates up above, then? Excellent! If you are ready to depart, we may do so at any time.
  • What will you say?
  • All aboard!
  • One moment... Soroban: Of course. Take as much time as you require.
Soroban: Then let us be off! I shall deliver you to the fishing village of Isari. Alisaie: Wait─Tansui said that the viceroy was “holding court” in one of the fishing villages, did he not? Alisaie: Should Isari chance to be the village in question, we could instantly find ourselves surrounded by imperial soldiers. I think it safer to come ashore some distance away. Soroban: Very well! I know just the place.
Soroban: Here we are! I am reasonably certain none bore witness to our approach. Soroban: And with this, I believe I have fulfilled the terms of our agreement? Gosetsu: Aye, that you have. You have my deepest thanks, Soroban. Truly, we are blessed to have befriended such a clever and industrious merchant! Soroban: Oh, you are much too kind, good sir! Soroban: I know not where your path may lead, but I wish you the very best, and hope that we shall meet again. Lyse: So we've finally arrived in Othard. All we need to do now is, uh...liberate Doma. Alisaie: Ah, yes...that.
Look...daunting though it is, we do have one thing in our favor: the element of surprise. Unlike in Gyr Abania, the imperials don't know we're here. Alisaie: Admittedly, that may be our only advantage, considering how few of us there are... Lyse: Well, I expect the Doman Liberation Front will even up the odds a bit. But before all that, we need to see if this is the fishing village Tansui was talking about. Gosetsu: It may well be. I smell ceruleum on the breeze...
Alisaie: Even accounting for the rebellion, such indiscriminate shows of force seem pointlessly excessive... Gosetsu: If only you knew how commonplace such scenes have become.
Hmm... Are we too late? Lyse: Over there─someone's coming! Gosetsu: ...It is she! Sworn enemy of Doma─of my master! The traitor who sold her homeland to the Garleans─Yotsuyu! Lyse: The viceroy herself. And look─behind her! Isn't that...? Yotsuyu: Filth and squalor everywhere I look. How very Doman.
What I wouldn't do for a drink... Yotsuyu: Come now, you've no reason to look so afraid! You have lived through a quarter of a century of Garlean rule, remember? Yotsuyu: 'Tis better to bend with the wind than stand tall and be broken.
Therein lies...hope. Therein lies freedom. Yotsuyu: I come before you today seeking affirmation. A heartfelt declaration. You are free to answer me as you see fit─yet even the least among you should know the correct response. Should. Yotsuyu: A resident of your village─one of your neighbors, mayhap your friend─was detained by the Kojin this morning. They say he was attempting to flee to Kugane, but we both know that simply isn't true, don't we? Have you anything to say? Yotsuyu: ...A bit slow, this one. Is there anyone more sensible among you? Have any of you anything to say? To swear? Isari Youth: M-My lady, I...I swear to serve the Empire! To do...whatever is asked of me...and never disobey... Yotsuyu: Well said that man. Of course...it wouldn't do to simply take you at your word. Yotsuyu: Kill him. Surely you can do that much? He must be guilty of something or other, or he wouldn't have attempted to flee the Empire. Isari Youth: I...I have a family... Kami forgive me... Kami forgive me... Yotsuyu: Very, very good! I've always had a soft spot for men like you. Yotsuyu: Next, I want you to shoot those two over there. Too old to work, you understand─a burden on the Empire, and we can't have that. Isari Youth: But...they're my parents. You can't expect me to...
  • What will you say?
  • ...We will show them no mercy. Alisaie: Stop and think for a moment! If you go charging in now, every one of those villagers is as good as dead!
  • We can't. Not now. Alisaie: She's right. They would simply take the villagers hostage.
Alisaie: We must consider the wider picture. If we act recklessly, we risk alerting the Garleans to our presence here, making it that much harder for us to work with the local rebels─to say nothing of the reprisals ordinary civilians would be made to suffer. Gosetsu: Open your eyes, girl─they are already suffering! Let me go─I am putting an end to this madness! Gosetsu: I will approach the village alone and identify myself. As a former leader of the rebellion and a known fugitive, they will wish to detain me until they are certain they have learned all I know. Use this time to make your plans! Lyse: You saw what those monsters did to the villagers! Who knows what they'll do to you─assuming they don't kill you where you stand! Gosetsu: We live and die at the pleasure of the kami. My fate is in their hands, and no other's. If it be of any comfort, I am no stranger to chains. Lyse: You can't expect us to stand idly by as a comrade goes marching off to his death! And this is nothing like Kugane! Alisaie: ...Nor is it like the Reach, Lyse─or the Wall. Let him go. Alisaie: Hold out for as long as you can, but remember: noble sacrifices are to remain an absolute last resort. I wish I could say it won't come to that, but only the gods know how we're going to get you and the others out in one piece.
A miracle, perchance... Gosetsu: A great tower stands to the north and east. Look to its occupants for aid and succor. Together, you may yet find your miracle. Gosetsu: Now, leave this place. I must go.
Yotsuyu: Tsk tsk... Another idiot like all the rest. I'm beginning to think it may be something fundamental, something intrinsic, something quintessentially Doman to ignore the simple truth: you can't do a damn thing if you're dead. Gosetsu: Enough, Yotsuyu! Yotsuyu: Well now...this is a surprise. Gosetsu: Hear me, Yotsuyu: cease this farce, here and now, and I shall surrender myself to you. Refuse, and all shall answer to my blade. Yotsuyu: ...Bring him to the tavern.
Alisaie: I hate it as much as you. Maybe even more. Every fiber of my being was crying out to intervene, but... Alisaie: But what's done is done. Gosetsu's gamble has gifted us the time we need to find a solution. Alisaie: He bade us seek aid at the distant tower, yes? For want of a better idea, I say we do just that─while taking care to avoid the imperials.
Alisaie: We seem to have evaded their patrols so far... Lyse: What is that tower, anyway? I've never seen anything like it. Alisaie: According to my map, we are on Onokoro, and the tower is known as Heaven-on-High. A mysterious structure built long ago by persons unknown... Alisaie: Oh gods, listen to me. I'm starting to sound like Alphinaud. Next thing you know, I'll be saying things like, “As you are doubtless already aware...” Alisaie: Hm? Over there! Do you see it? Lyse: Hmm... Doesn't look like it's been dead long. Lyse: Whoever did this, they're a good shot. I can't see a single stray arrow. Lyse: Well, someone's hungry! Wait...that wasn't either of you two, was it. Alisaie: Calm down! We had nothing to do wi─
Wait, what am I doing? They can't possibly understand us. Lyse: Probably not, no... Alisaie: Time to run, Lyse! We save our strength for any that give chase! You too, Forename!
Lyse: Just imagine if they'd taken us by surprise. What a fine ending that would have been to our story... Lyse: Anyway, I think it's safe to assume that the people at the tower know how to defend themselves. You'd have to, sharing an island with these things. Now all we need to do is convince them to help us!
Lyse: Ohh...there's a settlement here! And they've even got their own aetheryte. Lyse: Wait a minute... I've seen that standard before. It was when we met with Tansui. Which means this place belongs to... Oh.
Confederate Consternation Alisaie seems bemused to find herself standing outside a Confederate settlement.
Alisaie: It would seem we have found a Confederate settlement─mayhap even their headquarters, judging by the size of the place. Alisaie: So Gosetsu bade us seek out the Confederacy for aid and succor. The selfsame Confederacy that refuses to openly oppose the Empire. Alisaie: ...Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained, I suppose... At the very least, they're unlikely to ask us for the tithe.
Tansui: What wind brings you hither, of all places? Were you not bound for Othard's shores? Tansui: ...I see. I trust you have not forgotten our previous conversation on the subject? No? Then what do you want, a second opinion? Very well. Tansui: Come with me. I will take you to the captain─Rasho. Alisaie: ...Just like that? An audience with their leader? How very accommodating. We must needs choose our words carefully. Lyse: You leave it to me! I've always been good with people. And this will also give me a chance to use the eastern greeting they showed me in Revenant's Toll!
Lyse: Greetings! Y-You must be Rasho, leader of the Confederacy and...so on... I realize this is all a bit sudden, but...the thing is...we have a little favor to ask... Lyse: ...Oh gods, I've probably broken half a dozen rules of Far Eastern etiquette already... Well, I'm sorry about that, but you have to understand that we're in a hurry, so...I'm going to stop talking now. Rasho: ...Men who revere manners and tradition can be found the world over. But not here. Rasho: Your candor is appreciated. Speak your heart. Rasho: ...Gosetsu. A former leader of the rebellion. Aye, I know of him. Rasho: Why he bade you petition us for aid and succor, however, I know not. Tansui: At the risk of repeating myself, to join the Confederacy is to renounce all other ties. We are beholden to none─allied with none. Tansui: When Doma was invaded by the Empire twenty-five years ago, we did not rush to her defense. Knowing this, do you honestly expect us to help you drive the imperial forces out of Isari? Tansui: The Garleans have long maintained a presence in this region, and we would be fools to break the peace, fragile as it is. Besides, you are capable warriors, yes? With guile and preparation, you can surely resolve this matter yourselves. Alisaie: It is imperative that our presence here remain secret for as long as possible. For us to openly engage the imperials at this time would endanger everything we have come here to achieve! Rasho: You have told us why you cannot fight. Not why we should fight in your stead. Rasho: If you would speak to me of lives saved, I would speak to you of slaughter. How many will die when all pretense is lost and the Garleans declare war on the Confederacy? Rasho: ...Hate is a luxury we cannot afford.
You are free to come and go as you please, but you will receive no further aid. Alisaie: Thank you for your hospitality. If you would excuse us.
Lyse: Hey, Forename... I know that didn't go well, but I'm not prepared to give up on them yet. Lyse: Gosetsu told us to come here for a reason. He must have believed we could convince them to help us... We just have to work out how. Alisaie: My thoughts exactly. I'm glad to hear we're of the same mind. Alisaie: 'Tis little wonder they refused─we have done naught to persuade them. The real work begins now. Alisaie: We need to learn more about the Confederacy─what their needs and weaknesses are. Once we know that, we will know how to earn their trust.
The arms and armor have been piled up haphazardly. They display no signs of recent use or maintenance...
A number of crates and barrels have been stored here. On closer inspection, however, most are empty...
Nawashiro: Hm? Taken an interest in the ship? Heh, good eye! She's not much to look at now, but once upon a time, she was a beauty! Nawashiro: The Confederacy favors flotillas of smaller ships to capture and board errant vessels. The larger ones, like this sekibune, only take part in major engagements. Nawashiro: ...Not that we've had any of those recently, what with those imperial bastards throwing their weight around. If it wasn't for them... Well, no use moaning about what you can't change, eh?
Alisaie: Had a good look around? Then we just need to wait for Lyse.
Lyse: Sorry to keep you waiting, but I wanted to talk to as many people as I could... Lyse: It's just as Tansui said. They have no intention of standing up to Yotsuyu. Lyse: I don't know if you two got a different impression...
  • What will you say?
  • Under the right circumstances, they might help us.
  • I think the situation is coming to a head.
Alisaie: I agree. It's obvious that they are struggling to survive, and that they blame the imperials for their recent troubles. Alisaie: Even if we do nothing, it is inevitable that they will come into conflict with the Empire sooner or later─and deep down, they all know it. Alisaie: The only thing holding them back at the moment is the belief that they lack the strength to survive the coming war. Lyse: So we need to prove to them that we're not all talk─that we can be valuable allies in the fight! Alisaie: And what better way to demonstrate our worth than by...seeking out people with mundane problems and offering them our expert assistance? Lyse: Wouldn't be the first time we've had to earn someone's trust by helping them out with this and that. And you know it won't be the last. Lyse: I'll look around the western end of Onokoro. You two take the east. Good luck!
The Solace of the Sea Afumi has no patience for seasick pirates.
Afumi: Kami take me! What kind of pirate cannot suffer the sway of the ocean!? Afumi: Hm? A new recruit from far-flung shores? Listen well─I have a task for you. Afumi: Go first to Aokumo below and receive of him medicine for men of the earth. Afumi: Then to Quickscape Pier and the hapless Doman bemoaning his wretched fate. Quickly!
Aokumo: Come at the behest of Afumi for medicine? My very best is yours for the taking. Aokumo: How pitiful the lot of this Doman unable to stomach the sea. A true Confederate could raid a dozen ships while in his cups. Mayhap this one should return whence he came.
Seasick Doman Recruit: Uuugh... Why does it shift and shudder still...
Landlubber's Best Mate A sack full of victuals to help the would-be pirate keep his insides on the inside.
Seasick Doman Recruit: Medicines!? Give them here! They may look down on me for resorting to such measures, but I would do aught to render the world stable and motionless once more. Seasick Doman Recruit: You are kind, as is Afumi. You may tell her that I will return to my duties as soon as I am able.
Afumi: ...The Doman was raised in the mountains of his homeland. The first time he saw the sea was after he fled his homeland and came to us. Afumi: He tosses and turns in his sleep, and when he takes to the water, it is not long before he can no longer stand. Afumi: But he will grow accustomed to this life. He is hardly the first, after all. The captain too was once of Doma, though he cast all aside twenty and five years ago, when the imperials took his lands and the lives of his parents and brothers. Afumi: Perhaps you too will renounce your ties and join us someday? Aye, I mistook you for a recruit before, but I know your tale now. Tansui unfolded all. Afumi: Think on my offer, Westerner. You may find small joys in the land, but the sea holds salvation.
The Arrows of Misfortune Kajika is nodding sagely in your direction.
Kajika: You strike me as a strong and capable individual. I've a job for you, Westerner, if you are courageous as well. Kajika: On the beach far to the west lies the carcass of a gyuki, feathered with arrows. I would have you go and retrieve those which may still be of use. Kajika: While you are about it, I should be glad if you were to butcher its tail for meat. Very good meat in gyuki tails, you know. Kajika: But I did say you would need be a courageous sort, and I meant it. The beast was young. Do not be surprised if an angry mother mourns its child.
Kajika: You have been away for some time─perhaps in search of a young gyuki corpse?
Unbroken Arrow The shaft, fletching, and head of this arrow appear to be relatively undamaged. It reeks of dead gyuki, though.
Gyuki Tail Meat This meat looks as good as it smells, which is to say not at all.
Kajika: I see I did not misjudge you! Thank you for your help. Would that I could have tended to my own kill, but such is life... Kajika: A pity the meat is not as delicious as it is nutritious. Under normal circumstances, we would not bother hunting gyuki as game, but as you may have heard, these are not normal circumstances. Kajika: Arrows too must be reused when possible. A prudent measure become necessary, alas. With every passing day our future grows more uncertain... Kajika: But this day we shall have full bellies, and in that must we take solace. And wayward travelers need not risk the ire of vengeful gyuki by wandering near my neglected kill. Kajika: A strange sigh passes your lips. Have I said something odd? No matter─ Thank you again for your aid!
The Last Voyage Aranami is not a man accustomed to being kept waiting.
Aranami: You there─aye, you. Have you seen a bumbling clod of an Au Ra? A new recruit I ordered to patrol the northern edge of Onokoro. He is late in returning. Aranami: A strange boy he was, quiet and brooding. Reluctant to speak unless spoken to first. Better that than a fool who never holds his tongue, perhaps. Aranami: Much as I would enjoy dragging him back by the ear, I cannot. Duty compels me to remain. You, on the other hand, have no such obligations...
You cast about for the Confederate recruit, but see no one matching his description.
You cast about for the Confederate recruit, and at last spy a young Auri man lurking behind the rocks to the west...
Confederate Recruit: Who...who are you? You do not look like a woman of the Confederacy. Confederate Recruit: ...Forgive me. 'Twas but yesterday we bid farewell to one of our own, and I worried that she might have lost her way. Confederate Recruit: We laid her to rest in a boat and pushed her out till the current claimed it. For the sea is our home, now and ever after. Confederate Recruit: But those sent thither with burdened hearts may drift back to shore, it is said... Confederate Recruit: Out of concern for her comrades, she strove to earn far more than her keep. She hunted rare and deadly game in treacherous waters, and lost her life for it. Confederate Recruit: But my vigil is ended─her vessel has not returned to Onokoro! She has made peace with this life and placed her faith in us to live on...
Aranami: So, what of my recruit? Did you find him napping on the beach or some such? Aranami: What? All this time he was standing watch for the funerary vessel? Huh... Aranami: So rarely does he give voice to his thoughts. I had no idea our comrade's death had affected him so. Too quick was I to judge him. Aranami: It is good that you went in my stead, else I might have misspoken and made a fool of myself. Please accept this as a token of my gratitude.
Alisaie's Stones Hirase is impressed by your industrious nature.
Hirase: You've been busy, haven't you? And now you're here to ask if I need help with anything? Heh, now that you mention it... Hirase: Lately we've had trouble with ravenous sharks that've been leaping out of the water and making off with our fish. Damndest thing, I know, but you wouldn't doubt it if you saw it. Hirase: We've got to cull the thieving bastards regularly─so happens I sent three of my mates out there before you came along. Still, the more the merrier. If you can kill two or so, that ought to be enough. Hirase: Take a few of those rotting fish as bait. I'll not be needing them. Oh, and maybe see if you can't find the other group. They've been away longer than I like.
Rotting Fish The putrid smell of this fish should draw any nearby sharks out of hiding.
Industrious Pirate: Oh, kami be praised! I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't come along. Industrious Pirate: My partners and I got separated when we fled. You haven't seen them, have you? Industrious Pirate: Damn... Before the Kojin started chasing us, their leader asked us if we were Doman... Industrious Pirate: They're Yotsuyu's catchers, I know it! First Isari, and now this! I've got to tell Rasho and the others!
Alisaie: Ah, there you are, Forename. I heard you went shark hunting? Alisaie: We too did our fair share of beast culling─though I think Lyse made a stronger impression when she bested a drunken pirate in a sparring match. Fastest knockout to date, I am told. Alisaie: I should like to think we have proven ourselves to be rather─
Hm. Why do I get the feeling you have something important to tell me? Alisaie: Kojin mercenaries rounding up Doman Confederates? Surely Yotsuyu has crossed the line now... Alisaie: We must go and speak with Rasho immediately. Even he cannot deny that this changes everything. Alisaie: At least, I should like to think that he cannot...
Tansui: Our most compassionate acquaintances return. For your deeds, we owe you many thanks. Tansui: ...But something tells me our thanks are not sufficient. The strange thing is, I was certain you understood our position. And yet here you are with that same look in your eyes─and those same words upon your lips, I'll wager. Alisaie: I speak only the truth. The Confederacy will not be spared Yotsuyu's wrath. You have always known this─that one day you would have no choice but to stand up to the Empire. I say to you that day is today, and come once more to ask that you join us in the fight. Tansui: How convenient that recent events should lend such credence to your claims. Tell me, do death and destruction always follow in your wake? Rasho: They had no part in it, Tansui. You know this. We all know this. Rasho: They came and took our Doman brothers. They will torture them for her sport─murder them for her satisfaction. Rasho: So we attack, and get butchered for our trouble...or do naught, and let them have their pound of flesh. Rasho: If this be our choice, I say we suffer the ignominy. We endure. We survive. There is no better path. Rasho: Until the day our enemy is grown weaker, and we stronger, there can be no retribution. We will wait for a sign. Such is the judgment of the Confederacy. Lyse: So that's it, then. You're just going to abandon them. To her. Lyse: They'd die for you, you know─for the Confederacy. They would die for you, but you wouldn't even think to risk your lives for theirs! Alisaie: I have one last idea, if you will allow. I'm afraid it's not very good as ideas go─it's exceedingly reckless, in fact, and you may well come to despise me for ever having suggested it. Assuming we survive, that is. Alisaie: The question being: do you trust me?
  • What will you say?
  • Do you even need to ask?
  • Ask me again later.
Lyse: We can't stand by and let innocent people suffer─here or anywhere else.
I'll do whatever it takes. Alisaie: Then let us roll the dice. Alisaie: If it's a sign you want, we shall give you one. One rousing enough to make you drive every Garlean out of Isari without a second thought. Alisaie: You are wary of invoking the ire of the imperial forces stationed in Doma, correct? Alisaie: Know then that once we have rescued our comrade and freed Isari, we mean to liberate the nation as a whole. Alisaie: You will doubtless require assurances that we are capable of achieving this─and that is only fair. Accordingly, we shall demonstrate our seriousness by depriving the Garleans of a key ally: the Kojin. Tansui: What, the three of you? Just like that? Alisaie: Actually, my esteemed colleague here will attend to it on her own. But the how of it is not your concern─only the outcome. Alisaie: If we succeed, you help us liberate Isari. If we fail, you lose nothing. A simple enough wager─if you have the stones for it. Tansui: The little miss does make it hard to refuse, does she not? Rasho: Words are air. We will weigh you by your deeds.
Under the Sea Though Rasho is a man of few words, he has some left to say.
Rasho: So. Alone you will deal with the Kojin. Rasho: If you are set upon this course, I shall give to you a word of advice. Rasho: Two factions have the Kojin. The mercenaries who serve the Empire belong to the Red. Rasho: Those who belong to the Blue are the traders. They have made no pact with the imperials, and so may be willing to aid your cause. Rasho: Seek the Blue on the Isle of Bekko. There you will find a cave. The rest is up to you. Alisaie: Thank you, Captain. We shall endeavor not to keep you waiting overlong for your sign. Alisaie: Right, then. Let us head for─ Wait, where is Lyse? We cannot leave without her.
Lyse: Hm? Forename? What is it? Lyse: Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to wander off. I...I just wanted to have a think. Alisaie: You're worried we won't be able to live up to our promises? Lyse: No, it's not that at all! If anything, I'm frustrated that I didn't think of it first... Lyse: Yda and my father had a way with words. They knew how to inspire people─how to bring them together. I always hoped I might have something of that in me too, but I'm starting to think I don't. Lyse: What am I even doing here...? Alisaie: ...Lyse, you─ Lyse: Gods, listen to me! I don't know where that came from. Forget I said anything! Lyse: We have places to go, imperials to fight, and friends to save! And we're not going to get any of it done by standing around here moaning, right? Lyse: ...Right? Alisaie: ...Before we first traveled to Gyr Abania, I was in Limsa Lominsa, visiting...visiting a friend. A young child who had been through a great deal. Alisaie: ...That's neither here nor there, I suppose. Anyway, on the way back, I passed a patisserie which sold some of the most exquisite-looking tarts I had ever seen. I've always preferred cookies, to be honest, but nevertheless I decided to stop and try one... Alisaie: ...I'll treat you to one, when all this is over. Forename too─and I won't take no for an answer. Lyse: What about Y'shtola? We'd never hear the end of it! Alisaie: All right, all right─Y'shtola too, once she's better. Deal? Good. Then let's hurry, shall we? We have a million things to do before then!
Alisaie: I think this is the Isle of Bekko─though, to be honest, it looks the same to me as however many other islands around here... Alisaie: Rasho said there was a cave that would lead us to their village. We should search further inland.
Alisaie: Is that light I see up ahead? Alisaie: We, uh...appear to be standing inside a giant bubble.
By the Twelve...I think we're on the seabed! Soroban: Well, well! I thought I heard familiar voices. Lyse: Soroban? What are you doing here? Soroban: Hmm? What a curious question. I live here. Lyse: Then this is the home of the Blue Kojin? Soroban: Just so. I bid you welcome to Tamamizu!
Alisaie: How fortunate that we should find a familiar face in this place... Alisaie: We should tell Soroban about our situation. If anyone here can help us, it's him!
Of Kojin and Kami Soroban is curious to learn why you are here.
Soroban: So tell me, my friends─what strange tides bear you to our home? Soroban: That is indeed a most dire predicament...but perhaps an opportunity for us to craft yet another profitable arrangement! Soroban: Very well. I shall introduce you to our leader, Bunchin. It will be up to you, however, to present your case.
Bunchin: Welcome, guests. Gratitude to you for aiding Soroban in his negotiations. Alisaie: We thank you for your hospitality, honored elder. Pray forgive me my brevity, but I wish to discuss an urgent matter... Bunchin: So...you seek to compel our Red brothers to forgo hostilities for a time. Lyse: That's right. We know your two clans have your...differences, but what with you being...brothers and all, we thought you might be able to share some...secret knowledge...or something? Bunchin: From far above, you have journeyed here in search of our wisdom.
You shall have it. Bunchin: All creation is a tapestry, through which the divine is interwoven.
Kami are legion, and they can be found in the great and the small. Bunchin: Though they come and go as they please, they favor certain vessels.
The ancient. The precious. The exquisite. Bunchin: We Kojin covet these vessels, these treasures. We go forth and bring them home, to keep them safe and bask in their divinity. They bring prosperity and joy to us and our children. Bunchin: Yet how were we to seek these treasures above if we made enemies of the Garlean Empire, powerful and far-reaching as they are? Bunchin: Wiser to join with them. So resolved the Red Kojin. Soroban: Cautiously and carefully, for the Garleans are blind to the divine. Nor will they suffer their subjects to see. Soroban: So the Red masquerade as mercenaries who seek money and power and never speak of their faith in the presence of their masters. Soroban: To honor the divine, they deny it. A twisted and misguided path. Bunchin: Aye, aye. Kami will not abide such foolishness, this they shall learn to their sorrow. Bunchin: While our Red brothers live by the sword, we Blue Kojin uphold the old ways, engaging in trade and valuing peace. Bunchin: Alas, men distinguish not between our clans, and judgment for the doings of the Red falls unjustly upon the Blue. Thus do men grow more and more reluctant to deal with us, denying us our treasures. This cannot continue! Alisaie: On that point we are in agreement. You are willing to aid our cause, then? Bunchin: There is a way that the Red may be driven to retreat into their shells. Bunchin: But to share with you this knowledge is to reveal secrets of the divine. Assurances must first be had. Trust forged. A bargain struck. Soroban: Well said, Elder! In great crises is great profit to be had! Bunchin: Delight not overmuch in such things, Soroban.
Now, tell our guests what must be done. Soroban: As you wish! Lyse: Well, I've no idea what we've gotten ourselves into, but so far, so good, right?
Soroban: Listen well, my friends. We require your assistance with the search for a priceless treasure: the Yasakani-no-Magatama. Soroban: This jewel, this most sacred of Kojin relics, was in the possession of Hingashi─until they decided to present it to the Garleans in a gesture of conciliation. Soroban: The Red would not abide this, and so they plotted to seize the vessel bearing it to their imperial masters. Alas, though they succeeded, in the ensuing chaos the Magatama was lost to the sea. Soroban: We wish to recover the sacred jewel before our brothers. However, were we to come into conflict with them, it would be...problematic. Therefore, we turn to you. Lyse: So you want us to search the ocean floor for this treasure of yours? I'm not sure how we're supposed to do that without, you know... Soroban: Drowning? Fear not. There is a ritual I can perform to imbue your bodies with a powerful blessing. But first, you must prepare offerings for the sea. Soroban: I require twisted ruby coral, several fist-sized sea snail shells, and a freshly harvested unkiu carapace. Alisaie: That's quite the shopping list. I will see to the shells, and Lyse can look for the coral. Forename, would you go and find an unkiu and relieve it of its carapace?
Soroban: Well? Have you the unkiu carapace?
Unkie Carapace Perhaps one day we will live in a world in which poor unkiu need not be slaughtered for Kojin rituals, but today is not that day.
Soroban: How splendid they are! The kami shall be most pleased, I am sure. Lyse: I got it! I got the ruby coral you wanted! Alisaie: And I the sea snail shells. They're about the size of my fist, though I realize now you may have meant yours... Soroban: These shall more than suffice for our purpose. Next, we must make ready to present them to the sea and perform the ritual. Soroban: Once it has been completed, you will be able to move freely through the depths and find the Yasakani-no-Magatama! Alisaie: ...Out of curiosity, how large is this sacred jewel of yours? Unless it's far too large to be carried by the three of us, how are we supposed to even find it? The Ruby Sea is not exactly small. Soroban: Hah hah hah! Surely you realize we have been searching this whole time? The area we wish you to explore is but a small fraction of the Ruby Sea. Soroban: Already have we scoured most of the seabed near and within our territory, to no avail. All that remains is a region to the west. Soroban: The shell-less of Sui-no-Sato can provide you with better guidance than we. You would do well to visit them first. Lyse: Shell-less? You mean the Kojin aren't the only ones living under the sea? Soroban: Of course not! The Raen have been here as long as I can remember. Shiosai, the...overseer, I believe, can tell you more when you arrive. Soroban: But we are getting ahead of ourselves. We have yet to carry out the ritual!
In Soroban We Trust Soroban is about to show you a shining, shimmering, splendid new world.
Soroban: Are you ready, my friends, to explore a world unlike any you have ever known? Soroban: Then let us go to western part of the village, where the water twists and turns, and there complete our preparations for the ritual.
Alisaie: He dove into the water a moment ago and said to wait here until he returned...
Soroban: It is done. Your offerings have been given to the sea. Soroban: The ritual can begin at last. Come and stand before me, my friends. Soroban: Yes, yes. Listen to my words, and let all else wash away. Listen to my words, and feel them flow into your heart...at first a trickle, then a flood... Soroban: O kami of the fathomless waters,
Of the fallen, the ascended, the flowing, and the becalmed,
Caretakers of the shallows and of the depths... Soroban: Receive of us our meager offerings,
Cleanse these ones of earth and stone, and grant them your blessing,
That they might drink deep of the divine... Soroban: The ritual is complete, my friends.
You may now breathe in the depths as you would upon land. Alisaie: Strange. I don't feel any different. Are you sure it worked? Soroban: ...Reasonably. The blessing does have its limits, of course. While it will allow you to dwell in the depths, it will not help you traverse them. Lyse: I can swim well enough. How about you, Alisaie? Alisaie: Oh, like a fish. In contrast to my doggy-paddling brother. Alisaie: Somehow, the boy just isn't very buoyant. Soroban: Hmm...skilled or no, your bodies are ill-suited to the sea.
Your cause demands alacrity, and you shall have it. Soroban: But first, let us take to the water.
Alisaie: Incredible... I could swear I was breathing air! Soroban: Now, I shall summon for you noble steeds of great strength. Lyse: Wow, look at them! I bet they could take us all the way to the deepest depths of the sea! Alisaie: And so they may─after we've won over the Confederacy, rescued Gosetsu, and liberated your respective homelands. Soroban: Should you become parted from your steeds, return to me, and I shall call them again. Take care, my friends, and may the kami speed you on your way. Lyse: We'll find that treasure in no time! Come on!
Lyse: This must be Sui-no-Sato, the Raen village Soroban told us about. Lyse: Right, then! Let's see if they can't help us find the Kojin's missing jewel!
Forever and Ever Apart Lyse would not delay in beginning the search for the Yasakani–no–Magatama.
Lyse: If this is Sui-no-Sato, then Shiosai, the overseer, should be around here somewhere... Alisaie: I daresay one of the locals will be able to point us in his direction. Alisaie: Though...now that I look around, I get the distinct impression we are not welcome here...
Lyse: So...this is our man? Shiosai: ...Leave this place and never return. We have no need of wide-eyed wanderers. Lyse: Sorry, I didn't mean to stare. My name is Lyse, and these are my friends, Forename and Alisaie. Lyse: We're looking for the overseer of Sui-no-Sato, Shiosai. That's you, isn't it? Shiosai: ...The Kojin of the Blue sent you hither, did they? Shiosai: I am no overseer, nor ever would I claim to be one. I am high priest of Shisui of the Violet Tides. Shiosai. Lyse: So you are the man we're looking for! Great! We need your help. We're looking for this jewel called the Yasakani-no─ Shiosai: Stop. I will hear no more. Shiosai: We will suffer no outside troubles in our sanctuary. Especially those of would-be treasure hunters. Isobe: <chirp> <chirp> Shiosai: Quiet, Isobe, or there will be no dango for dinner. Shiosai: Ahem. I can do naught to aid you. I say to you again, leave this place and never return. Alisaie: ...At the very least, sir, you might condescend to tell us of your village, and of why you are so loath to show us even the most basic courtesy. Shiosai: ...Sui-no-Sato is our sanctuary. Under the benevolent leadership of the Ruby Princess, sovereign of Shisui, we Raen enjoy humble yet fulfilling lives. But it was not always so. Shiosai: Long ago, our forebears were driven from their ancestral lands. Beneath the waters, they sought refuge from the ravages of war, and here they flourished. All that we are─our culture, our traditions─was born of the sea. As was I. Shiosai: Though we have engaged others in diplomacy, it has ever been with the utmost caution. Isolation and independence are essential to preserving our way of life. Shiosai: So it was when Doma fell twenty-five years past. The Ruby Princess, in her wisdom, decreed that we would take no part. As it was, so ever shall it be. Alisaie: Forever and ever apart...
Forgive me. I understand now how highly you value your way of life, and how you will suffer none to endanger it. Alisaie: You may be assured that we have no desire to do so. And I would hope that we have given you no cause to assume otherwise. Shiosai: ...You have not. But this changes nothing. Shiosai: Regardless of your intentions, it is not my place to break with tradition. Shiosai: I must consider the wishes of all who call Sui-no-Sato home. For me to defy their will and permit outsiders to remain would be a gross betrayal of my responsibilities. Please do not ask this of me. Alisaie: ...Thank you for your time, sir.
Alisaie: And so it continues. Another village, another deaf ear. Alisaie: Clearly, Gyr Abania is not the only place with walls. Alisaie: I'm starting to wonder if this was all a huge mistake. Gosetsu couldn't have known we would take this long. I only hope he's still alive...
Meanwhile, in the tavern of Isari... Yotsuyu: I tire of this filthy tavern and its still filthier clientele. Gosetsu: 'Tis scant reward for your treachery, aye. A painted woman of your rich experience deserves a better class of customer. Yotsuyu: Name-calling? Is that what we've been reduced to? Gosetsu: Orphan of the Naeuri, widow of Sashihai─what joy it must have brought you to be revenged upon us all. Yotsuyu: Not enough. Not nearly enough. Yotsuyu: My appetite for your agony is as an abyss─bottomless. Insatiable. Yotsuyu: Before you die, you will cry and beg and prostrate yourself upon the earth. You will crawl on your belly through the muck and the piss, and debase yourself for my amusement. All of you. Yotsuyu: But you think you are made of sterner stuff. Hm. Rather than have him beat you, mayhap I should have my oaf go and fetch your master's head...? Yotsuyu: Poor, poor Lord Kaien─kami rest his soul! Noble leader of a fallen nation...
A fine puppet he made for the viceroy─for a time. Yotsuyu: Twenty-five years he was content to serve his masters as a dog. And then everyone had to rise up and get themselves killed. Yotsuyu: Tell me, how did it feel to fail him that day?
To live with the disgrace of his death. Yotsuyu: Not that you were a stranger to living with disgrace, of course. In the, what was it, twenty-five years since you were humiliated and tossed into an imperial gaol, you had plenty of time to get used to it. Yotsuyu: Oh yes, I heard the stories. About the samurai who would do anything to return to his master's side─even if it meant pledging his blade to his sworn enemy. They say he walked with death─that he slew a thousand men in the Empire's name. Truly a tale for the poets. Gosetsu: I do not deny my sins. But I will not be reproached by the likes of you. Yotsuyu: Oh, I mean not to reproach you, but to praise you! You're a survivor, samurai. Just...like...me. Yotsuyu: So let us not dwell on the past, you and I, and instead give thought to the future. To wit, I would ask you again to help me resolve this vexing matter of Doma's missing heir. Yotsuyu: Living or dead, it makes no difference really─but the Garleans are most insistent that we put this problem behind us, and I know you helped him flee. So, tell me: what became of Lord Hien? Gosetsu: To my dismay, the details escape me at present.
Mayhap your dog could jog my memory? Yotsuyu: Get on with it! And mark me, brute: there is no limit to how far you can fall. Grynewaht: Of all the bloody... <mumble> <mumble> When I get back to Eorzea, I'm going to find that little shite and I'm gonna make her pay...
In Darkness the Magatama Dreams Alisaie's sigh tells you all you need to know about her state of mind.
Alisaie: We seem to have reached an impasse. And to make matters worse, every solution I can think of will only take more time... Alisaie: I don't suppose you have any ideas, do you, Forename?
  • What will you say?
  • We could try...talking Shiosai round? Alisaie: Right...
  • We could ask the villagers if they know anything. Alisaie: Right...
  • Soroban sent us here. Mayhap we should ask him. Alisaie: Right...
  • We find some Red Kojin, and encourage them to talk. Alisaie: Heh! The thought of administering a little encouragement does have its appeal...but I would need to be convinced that the Red Kojin knew anything before resorting to violence.
??? (Ihanami): You are the ones who came from above, yes? If we could have a moment of your time? Ihanami: Mine apologies. I did not mean to startle you. My name is Ihanami, and this is my wife Yunagi. Ihanami: We were wondering... Have you any news from Doma? If so, we should like very much to hear it. Alisaie: May I ask why? Ihanami: ...If you must. Our daughter fought in the rebellion. We have heard naught from her since. Ihanami: 'Twould be too much to hope that you know of her, but...her name is Yugiri. Yunagi: Kami be praised! She lives! She lives... Lyse: We're looking for her too, actually, but I'm sure she's all right. Alisaie: We had no idea she hailed from Sui-no-Sato. How did she come to serve Doma as a shinobi? Ihanami: It all began when she was a little girl. She and another child crept out of the village, having grown curious about the outside world. To Doma they went, where they met a young boy─a proud son of Yanxia. Ihanami: His tales of imperial oppression left a lasting impression on her. When she returned, she spoke passionately of the Domans' plight and urged us to take the boy in. But my wife and I would not hear of it. Ihanami: We thought the matter closed, but she never forgot his words. She became convinced that the Garleans would one day come for us. And it was in search of the strength to defend us that she left, years later, to learn the ways of the shinobi... Ihanami: When the then Ruby Princess learned of this, she forbade Yugiri's return, lest she bring misfortune to us all. Yunagi: We protested the judgment, but there was naught we could do. And so our daughter, who wanted only to keep her people safe... Yunagi: Surely there is something we can do for these people? They who gave her aid and succor when no other would? Ihanami: ...I am but a humble stonemason. But if it is the Yasakani-no-Magatama you seek, I may yet be of some assistance to you. Ihanami: The jewel is known to possess an unusual property. To the naked eye it is as jade, but when bathed in a particular light, it shimmers with a divine resplendence. Ihanami: I have mined similar materials before. To find them, one must use these lamps. Ihanami: They cast an invisible light, under which the stones sparkle. In the deepest depths, they are invaluable. Ihanami: There is a sunken ship to the east. Though the currents may have spirited away her cargo, you should begin your search there. Alisaie: Thank you so much. We will do just that! Yunagi: I hope you find that which you seek. I only wish there were something more we could do to assist you... Know that you will be in my prayers. Yunagi: And...when next you see our daughter, pray tell her not a day goes by that her parents and her brothers do not think of her. Lyse: We will. I promise!
Alisaie: If this wreck is the selfsame vessel of which Soroban spoke, then if the gods are good, the Magatama is nearby... Alisaie: Ready your lamp and keep your eyes open, Forename. We're going to need to take this slowly. Move too fast and we risk overlooking something.
Enchanted Lamp This lamp casts an invisible light under which certain unusual stones sparkle.
You raise your lamp high, but notice naught out of the ordinary...
Enchanted Lamp This lamp casts an invisible light under which certain unusual stones sparkle.
Though you cannot say for certain, you think you glimpse a flickering light in the distance...
Enchanted Lamp This lamp casts an invisible light under which certain unusual stones sparkle.
For an instant, you spy a flash of light. You are getting closer...
Enchanted Lamp This lamp casts an invisible light under which certain unusual stones sparkle.
The flash is unmistakable in the dark, but you are still unable to pinpoint its exact location. Just a little closer...
Enchanted Lamp This lamp casts an invisible light under which certain unusual stones sparkle.
There! Peeping out from beneath a fine layer of sand, you spy something shimmering!
Alisaie: I swear, looking for a needle in a haystack would be quicker. Gosetsu will have died of old age by the time we finish. You haven't found anything, have you, Forename?
Yasakani-no-Magatama At least, you think it's the Yasakani-no-Magatama. Not that you know for certain what it would look like.
Alisaie: This...this is it! The Yasakani-no-Magatama, exactly as Soroban described! Alisaie: Heh, it would seem that our fortunes have finally changed for the better!
The Whims of the Divine As ever, Alisaie is eager to keep moving.
Alisaie: Much as I would like to return and thank Yugiri's parents for their assistance, time is of the essence. I say we make for Tamamizu at once. Alisaie: Hold on to it for now, Forename. Once we arrive, present it to the elder, and then we can finally learn how to deal with the Red Kojin.
Bunchin: You are returned, and with the Yasakani-no-Magatama, I trust?
Yasakani-no-Magatama Sacred treasure of the Kojin, this jewel is highly coveted by beastmen and kami alike.
Bunchin: Yes, there is no mistake. Well done, well done. Lyse: So...about the Red Kojin. You said there was a way to make them retreat into their shells? Are you ready to tell us now? Bunchin: I did indeed, and yes...I am. Bunchin: For you see, divinity resides not only in material vessels, but in individuals. In laying claim to this most sacred of treasures, you have demonstrated an affinity with the divine. Bunchin: To treat with men and women such as you is to invite fortune into our homes. Gladly will we aid your cause. Bunchin: All is ready, Soroban? Then give them what they require. Alisaie: This is...a ceremonial knife of some sort? Bunchin: Before this blade, that which is sealed shall open. The treasure vault of the Kojin, on the Isle of Zekki. Bunchin: It is there that our most prized relics, be they of the Red or the Blue, are kept safe. Fiercely do the Red guard it, for its contents are more precious than their lives. Bunchin: Were the vault to be attacked, their response would by necessity be immediate. Kojin would be summoned from malms around to defend their treasures. Alisaie: ...And were we to sow enough chaos, the Reds in service to the imperials would have no choice but to answer the call as well. Lyse: Giving the Confederacy the sign they've been waiting for! Without the Kojin, the imperials don't have nearly enough troops in Isari to hold off the pirates. Bunchin: However...you must understand that the vault is holy ground: home to a thousand thousand kami. To intrude upon it without paying the proper respects is a sacrilege we cannot condone. Lyse: So...if we were to pay the proper respects, it would be all right? Great! How do we do that, again? Bunchin: The Yasakani-no-Magatama is one of three most coveted treasures of the Kojin. The other two lie within the vault. Bunchin: Were you to deliver the jewel unto the others, and thereby make them whole, the kami may forgive your trespass and instead delight in your...mischief-making. Alisaie: So...if I understand you correctly, you want us to take the sacred jewel coveted by your Red brothers and deliver it to their treasure vault? Soroban: More or less. The Yasakani-no-Magatama belongs on the Isle of Zekki. So long as it finds its way there, we are satisfied. Soroban: The Magatama has chosen you to bear it to its brothers. Had it not, you would never have found it. And we would not be having this conversation. Soroban: I shall inform the Confederacy of your plans, and bid them make ready to act when the time is right. Bunchin: The Isle of Zekki lies to the west of Sui-no-Sato. Look for a cave beneath the waters. Bunchin: May fortune favor you in this and all other endeavors.
Alisaie: Right, then. I am not normally in the habit of sneaking into heavily guarded treasure vaults, but if this is the only way to convince the Confederacy to act, then so be it. Alisaie: We should be prepared for a fight. The bigger the better. The kind where you'll wish you had seven of your most battle-hardened friends at your side...
Breaking and Delivering Much like her brother, Alisaie also loves it when a plan comes together.
Alisaie: I don't know about you two, but I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Lyse: Me too. Let's do this! Alisaie: Right. Right. Naught left to say, then...
  • What will you say?
  • To the Isle of Zekki! Alisaie: R-Right! Let's go and find that cave!
  • You nervous? Alisaie: Me? Nervous? Come now. I mean, it's not as though I haven't risked my life in ridiculous ways before. Alisaie: Well, maybe I am a little bit... Hm. Strangest thing, that. Completely out of character, even. Anyway, let's go!
Alisaie: Assuming this is the right cave, it should lead us straight into the heart of the Isle of Zekki... Lyse: Have you got a plan for once we get to the isle? Alisaie: Hmm... How about two of us get the guards' attention while the third heads straight for the vault? Alisaie: Afterwards, the other two join them there, and together we make a stand. With our numbers, it's not feasible to do anything more complicated, I think. Lyse: Fine by me. I like simple plans. I'll be one of the decoys, then. Alisaie: You read my mind. I also had a mind to ask Forename to be one, given her peerless martial prowess. Alisaie: Then it's settled. You two will make your way through the stronghold, creating as much chaos as possible. You know, have some fun. Alisaie: Meanwhile, I will attempt to locate the vault and gain entry with the ceremonial knife. When I am inside, I will contact you via linkpearl. Lyse: Right! Come on, Forename! We've got work to do!
Lyse: You're a sight for sore eyes! I hope Alisaie's all right too... Alisaie: Forename, Lyse, can you hear me? I've found the vault! Alisaie: Head northwest. There's a passage leading deeper within. Hurry!
Alisaie: There you are! The entrance is straight ahead. Alisaie: Good timing, I might add. It sounds like the whole garrison is headed straight for us... Red Marine Commander: Thieves! Thieves! Come to steal our most precious treasures!
You will pay for this sacrilege! Lyse: That's the spirit! Now don't be shy─I'm more than ready for another round! Red Marine Commander: Seize them! Lyse: What in the world? ??? (Susano): Who...? Who hath made us whole? Red Marine Commander: Hark! A great kami stirs... Yes, yes, a great kami of the sacred treasures! Red Marine Commander: O great kami, we beseech your intercession! We who have guarded your blade and glass for generations─your faithful Kojin!
  • What will you say?
  • It was I who made you whole.
  • If I made you whole, it was not my intent. I but carried the trinket.
??? (Susano): Thou didst freely deliver our jewel unto thine enemy's own treasure vault? ??? (Susano): Hah hah hah! How auspicious! We do commend thee, daughter of man. ??? (Susano): Such audacity is deserving of celebration, exultation─a contest of wills to mark the occasion! Let lines be drawn! Let sides be chosen! And for their loyalty, we shall stand with the caretakers of our greater part. Alisaie: Oh, perfect. A contest of wills. Just what we need. ??? (Susano): Hahahaha hah hah hah! Hearken to us, shelled ones! Upon this day, your wish shall be granted! ??? (Susano): Curse neither your fate nor its executor, children of man, for we are of the divine─of both heaven and earth. The ringing silence. The raging calm. ??? (Susano): All riseth and falleth at the whim of capricious fortune. Assume your marks upon the stage, and embrace the coming chaos! Susano: We are Susano, and in revelry do we rejoice! Lyse: That...that's a primal standing in front of us, right? Alisaie: And a horde of angry Kojin at our backs.
<sigh> This contest is getting worse by the moment. Alisaie: Lyse! Help me clear a path! Alisaie: Leave them to us and save your strength. You'll be needing it soon enough. Lyse: Make way, make way! Susano: Spoil not your appetite for the feast, children of man. The dish will be served, whether you will it or no! Hah hah hah hah haaah!
Alisaie: <pant> <pant> That...that was not part of the plan! A Kojin primal was most definitely not part of the plan! Alisaie: ...Though I am sure there is a perfectly logical explanation involving the aether stored in the treasures and the religious fervor with which the Kojin guard them. Or something. <sigh> A pity Alphinaud isn't here to provide it. Alisaie: And just when I thought our fortunes had changed. I swear, if Soroban and his people knew this might happen... Alisaie: ...No, somehow I doubt that. Even the Red seemed surprised by what happened. Alisaie: All rises and falls at the whim of capricious fortune, does it? Then the same goes for him. We have to defeat that primal!
The Lord of the Revel Alisaie may not have the best plan, but she has the only one.
Alisaie: As before, our numbers limit our options. I wish I could claim to have a brilliant plan, but I don't─all I have is a desperate one. Alisaie: Lyse, you and I will do our best to draw the Kojin away from the primal. We'll lead them on a wild-dodo chase all over this isle. Alisaie: The rest of the plan, I'm afraid you can guess. I'm sorry, Forename, I truly am, but neither of us can even approach Susano, much less hope to defeat him. Which means you're on your own. Lyse: Well, who knows? She does have an awful lot of adventurer friends. Maybe some of them decided to take a fishing trip to the Far East, and are surprisingly close by...? Alisaie: Yes, and I speak fluent Hingan. Come on, there's no point putting this off!

The Pool of Tribute

Your efforts to wreak havoc on the Isle of Zekki and draw the Red Kojin away from their imperial masters have exceeded all expectations. Unfortunately, for reasons beyond your knowing, two of the sacred treasures stored in the isle's vault “reacted” to the presence of the Yasakani-no-Magatama, summoning forth from the aether the great kami Susano—a primal by another name. How fortunate that you had the wisdom and foresight to invite several of your fellow adventurers on this journey to the Far East, and how kind they were to agree to help you torment the Red Kojin, for no single warrior, no matter how blessed or powerful, could ever hope to slay a primal on her own, despite what some wandering minstrels would have you believe.
Susano: Let the revels begin! Susano: The seas part for we alone! Susano: How our hearts sing in the chaos! Susano: Wild and pure and forever free! Susano: REJOICE! Susano: Resilient souls! I salute you! Susano: Earth and stone at our beck and call!
Meanwhile, off the coast of Othard... Tansui: Nary a peep from the shellbacks, sir. It's enough to make one wonder... Soroban: The Red have sounded the alarum. The Isle of Zekki under attack;
fierce fighting in the stronghold. Soroban: The vault breached by outsiders, and strange tales from deep within.
All this, the Red cannot ignore. Soroban: Even now, they abandon their posts and flock to the isle.
The Garleans are powerless to stop them. Tansui: I'll be damned. They did it. Tansui: Well, Captain...wagers notwithstanding, I daresay we will not have a better opportunity to drive the imperials from Isari and rescue our men. Tansui: On the other hand, naught was put in writing... But if your mind is made up, then that is that. Tansui: ...I should add that if you were to change your mind, none would gainsay your decision, nor think you beholden to your past. Tansui: Nor would anyone begrudge you a spot of revenge into the bargain.
Like the little miss said, we knew this day would come. Rasho: Isari may be a rotting husk, but at least the tavern keeper never watered down his drinks. Tansui: Well said for a temperate man. Rasho: Hear me, comrades! We made a bargain with the Eorzeans, and I mean to uphold our end of it. I mean to remind the Garleans that this is our sea─that all here belongs to the Confederacy! Rasho: All that is theirs is ours for the taking─and take it we shall.
We will strip them of everything they hold dear!
Grynewaht: This one is iron. My hands will break before he speaks. Yotsuyu: Ugh, kami give me strength. Are you good at anything? Yotsuyu: I had hoped this might prove more productive than blind inquiries, but I see you are determined to waste my time. Very well. Yotsuyu: Line them up. Kill one for every question he refuses to answer. Gosetsu: Hurt them, and you will get naught from me! Yotsuyu: You have given me precisely that thus far, so what have I to lose? Mark me, samurai─I will find Lord Hien, be it with your help or with your heads. ???: Confederate scum! You will pay for─ Aaargh! Hopeful Confederate: The Confederacy! They've come to save us! Yotsuyu: And this after I took such pains to cow them. Even pirates have their pride, I suppose. Enough to march to their deaths, no less. Oh, the stupidity of it all... Yotsuyu: It truly is a sickness... I shall just have to lance the boil. Drain them of every last trace of honor and compassion... Every last drop... Grynewaht: My lady, I... I'm going outside! Gosetsu: The kami are not finished with you yet...
Lyse: There's no end to them! They just keep coming! Alisaie: Then we must be doing something right. We have to hold out for as long as we can. She's counting on us! Red Marine: S-Susano is slain! Slain by the shell-less one! Lyse: Is it true? Did you defeat him? Lyse: Well, in that case─how do you fancy helping us keep the Kojin occupied until the Confederacy make their move? Lyse: Speak of the devils─that's coming from Isari! Alisaie: I think we've done all we can here. Let's withdraw and make for the village. Lyse: Right! Although...they don't seem keen to let us go... Alisaie: Hear me, Kojin of the Red!
We have no quarrel with you─only your imperial masters! Alisaie: No more blood need be shed this day! I pray you let us go in peace! Red Marine Commander: You dare speak to us of peace!? Your flesh will feed the fishes, thief! Attaaack! Lyse: Now's our chance! Don't worry about her─she can handle herself! Alisaie: I can't let you take all the glory, can I?
Lyse: I think we're safe. I didn't see any Kojin following us... Lyse: Wait here. I'm going back for Alisaie.
  • What will you say?
  • I'm coming with you. Lyse: No. Absolutely not. Lyse: She stayed behind so that you could escape. Even I know that.
  • She stayed behind so we could escape... Lyse: So that you could escape, not me. And that was a mistake─I should've been the one to stay behind, not her. Lyse: So I've got to go back. If we lose her...I'll never forgive myself.
Lyse: ...I was the one who dragged you all into this. It was my fight, not yours. I knew that from the start, but I also knew I couldn't do it alone. Lyse: But I've asked too much and let too much happen to you all. I have to make this right─and I have to do it on my own. Lyse: So let me go, please. I'm asking you as a friend. I have to help her! Alisaie: You can start by finding me a towel and some bandages. Brrr... Lyse: Alisaie! Alisaie: What? Why are you looking at me like that? I said I was going to distract them, not make a heroic and ultimately futile last stand. Who does that, anyway? Alisaie: For the love of─ This is stupid! You're embarrassing yourself! And me! Lyse: Shut up and let me have this. Lyse: Right. That wasn't so bad, was it? Now then, we need to hurry back to Isari!
Lyse: I don't see any soldiers... Do you think the Confederacy drove them off?
Tide Goes in, Imperials Go Out Lyse is not sure what to make of Isari.
Lyse: Something definitely happened here. I see several people who look like they might be injured. Let's give them a hand and find out what we missed. Alisaie: Hm? Do I need help? Oh, I'll be fine. It's nothing that won't heal. You should go after Lyse.
Flustered Fisher: Uwaaaaaah!
Oh, you're not an imperial. Is...is it over? Flustered Fisher: Kami be praised! I was certain she would have us all killed and burn Isari to the ground─or kill us after making us watch, or barricade us in our homes before putting them to the torch...
Stupefied Senior: Thank you, my child. When the fighting started, I tried to run and hide, but fell and could not regain my feet... Stupefied Senior: I thought for sure that we would all be slaughtered, but the pirates drove them off! I never thought I would see the day when the Confederacy came to our aid!
Industrious Pirate: I remember you! You're the one who saved me from the Doman catchers! Industrious Pirate: Thanks to you, we managed to rescue the fishermen and my kidnapped comrades─one of whom joined the Confederacy with me long ago. It would've broken my heart to have had to bury him... Industrious Pirate: Oh, and if you're looking for the captain, you'll find him in the tavern.
Alisaie: Back already? What have you learned? Alisaie: At the tavern, you say? In that case, we should find Lyse and speak with him together.
Tansui: My Eorzean friends! Saw the smoke, did you? A pity you did not come sooner─though I gather you were busy elsewhere. Lyse: Gosetsu! You're alive! You're all alive... Gosetsu: And full of vim and vigor, hah hah hah!
Did I not tell you I was no stranger to chains? Alisaie: The fighting cannot have lasted long. Where are all the imperials? Rasho: Fled. They stood their ground for a time─until it became clear that their Kojin reinforcements would not be coming. Rasho: We took some few casualties, but my deeper regret is having let Yotsuyu slip through my fingers. That bodyguard of hers may be a half-wit, but he's a mean bastard on the battlefield. Tansui: In any event, I imagine all involved are satisfied with this outcome. So far as the Empire is concerned, the Confederacy attacked Isari in retaliation for the viceroy's actions─and without the aid of insurrectionists, I might add. Tansui: Suffice it to say, we are prepared to be the subject of their undivided attention for the foreseeable future.
  • What will you say?
  • Doma shall be free. This we swear. Rasho: Hm! An impossible claim, yet one spoken with such conviction that I cannot choose but believe it.
  • Don't do anything reckless. Rasho: Nor you. Our fates are intertwined now. If you fall, so do we.
  • So you say... Rasho: I understand. You have your doubts. We are pirates, after all, with hardly the strength of a nation. Rasho: But when we saw what you few had accomplished, our hearts could not choose but to stir in our breasts.
Alisaie: Your assistance would be most welcome. Nevertheless, we shall do our utmost to spare you undue danger─we are already in your debt. Tansui: Nay, little miss, all debts are paid. For by your deeds, many still live who elsewise would not. Let both parties count their blessings, and may fortune continue to favor us all. Rasho: You still seek to bring freedom to our people, then? You will go to Yanxia? Gosetsu: I have faith that our allies yet live.
Once we have found them, we will plan our next step. Rasho: Yanxia was the crucible of the rebellion. What happened here pales in comparison to what Yotsuyu did there. Rasho: Remember this: fear changes men. Have care in whom you place your trust. Tansui: And with that, we must take our wounded home. Oh! Your shellback friend sends his regards, and looks forward to your next meeting. Try not to die before then, eh?
A Silence in Three Parts Though he is less than the picture of perfect health, Gosetsu is ready to resume his journey to Yanxia.
Gosetsu: You did well, Forename. Were it not for the tremendous strength and bravery of you and yours, many innocent souls would have suffered terrible fates. Gosetsu: Though I knew the Confederacy would be loath to meet the imperials in battle, I also knew that if any could win them over, it would be you. Gosetsu: Truly, yours is a heroic spirit that inspires men to rise above their circumstances─to strive for something greater! It will be an honor to travel with you again. Gosetsu: Now then, let us not squander the Confederacy's gift. Yanxia and my countrymen await! Gosetsu: There is a tunnel to the southwest. We need but follow it to reach our destination. With me!
Meanwhile, on the shores of Othard... Red Marine Commander: We cannot rest here for long. This place is not safe... Red Marine Commander: ...Mayhap nowhere is, if thieves can breach our vaults. Nevertheless, it is our duty to protect these treasures, and we shall not fail for want of effort. Yotsuyu: So this is why you abandoned your posts─and without a word of explanation at that. Rather thoughtless of you, was it not? Red Marine Commander: Lady Yotsuyu! Pray forgive us our absence, but our home was under attack─our vaults plundered by outsiders! Yotsuyu: Did you even pause to consider the possibility that it might be a diversion? What is the point of contracting your services if you are not here when they are required? Yotsuyu: It is my solemn charge to bring these vermin to heel─to torment them, body and soul, until all they hold dear is as bitter ashes in their mouths. And then you go and ruin everything! Yotsuyu: ...Well, there's naught to be gained in belaboring the point.
All that remains is to administer your punishment. Red Marine Commander: Wait! My lady! Yotsuyu: No...no, it's no good. There's just no joy in it. No release. Yotsuyu: There...there needs to be some investment. They were negligent imbeciles deserving of punishment, but it was hardly personal. Ten thousand such Kojin could not satisfy me half so well as a single Doman. Yotsuyu: And what do we have here? One of the vaunted treasures of the Red?
The craftsmanship is certainly impressive...
Mayhap we can use it to make amends. Grynewaht: How long before Lord Zenos reinstates me, d'you reckon? I've got unfinished business back in Eorzea... Yotsuyu: Is serving me really so unbearable?
At least pretend to enjoy it, you witless lump! Yotsuyu: If you are so desperate to earn a way back to Eorzea, then be quiet and do as you're told. And bring that sword while you're at it!
Lyse: I remember the silence. How the talking stopped when we first set foot on the plains of Yanxia. Lyse: Before us stood another wall, and through a great magitek field we glimpsed Doma Castle.
I'll never forget the sight...or the anger I felt that day. Lyse: Life. Liberty. Hope. So much lost, so much taken.
As we walked through that war-torn land, no one said a word...
Gosetsu: Hmm... Yes, this is far enough. Gosetsu: Ere we proceed further, I should speak of Yanxia and what became of her. Of what lies beyond that great wall at the heart of Doma. Alisaie: And we should be glad to hear it, but is it wise for us to have this conversation here, on the road, out in the open? Gosetsu: Once, your caution would be warranted...but no longer. Gosetsu: Zenos did not linger after he crushed the rebellion. He appointed Yotsuyu to act in his stead and quit these lands for “fresh sport.” Gosetsu: The acting viceroy was no less merciless than her master. Without warning, her men would march into villages and search for “radical elements,” killing and torturing any who dared resist. And then, as quickly as they had come, they left. Gosetsu: Satisfied that the memory of the purges would keep the people in line, she relaxed her grip on Yanxia. What need for the leash when the dog is broken... Gosetsu: The village of Namai lies to the west. Though I doubt the imperials are present, let us proceed with caution.
Gosetsu: There she is─the humble village of Namai! How delicious her rice; how sweet her persimmons! Gosetsu: Too long has it been since I saw her with my own eyes. And, for a mercy, the imperials appear to be absent...
Life after Doma Gosetsu is demonstrating uncharacteristic restraint.
Gosetsu: Let no man claim that I am reckless. Prudence has ever been my watchword! Forename─venture closer, if you would, and confirm that there are no soldiers lurking about.
Gosetsu: Good people of Namai, hearken to me! We come in peace and desire only information─to learn of recent events! Namai Farmwife: Isn't that the general? Namai Farmhand: Lord Gosetsu!? Kami preserve, you're right! He lives! Gosetsu: I say, brothers and sisters, is aught amiss? Why do you regard me as one would a wild beast? Why is there fear in your eyes? Why do you tremble so? Gosetsu: Ahhh, but of course! You fear me a vengeful spirit of the dead! Rest assured, naught could be further from the truth. For am I not corporeal? Are my feet not firmly set upon the ground? Hah hah! Namai Farmwife: What should we do? If they catch him here, you know what will happen... Namai Farmhand: Of all the times for him to turn up─ Has the old fool lost his mind? Flustered Youth (Isse): You! But... Why have you come here? What do you want from us? Gosetsu: I know not who you are to speak thus to your elders, boy, but mine only desire is to be received with the hospitality owed a humble traveler─not the fear and trepidation one might afford a wrathful shade! Flustered Youth (Isse): What? What are you going on about? Actually, never mind.
Just come with me─now!
Namai Youth (Isse): I don't know who you people think you are, but do you have any idea what would happen to us if you were found in our village!? Gosetsu: Again you address us with unwarranted spite! I have let your impropriety pass until now, but no longer! Gosetsu: Who are you, boy, to speak to me thus? Know you not who I am? Isse: I am Isse of Namai─a farmer, like my father before me, and his father before him. I wouldn't expect a man like you to know who I am─but I know you. We all do! Isse: Lord Kaien's retainer and leader of the rebellion─Gosetsu! Notorious fugitive, wanted dead or alive by the Empire! Gosetsu: Hah hah hah hah hah! Is that what this is all about? Gosetsu: I am hardly the first man to earn the ire of the Empire. Nor will I be the last. Gosetsu: Was not Namai home to brave and true warriors, who fought beneath our banners for king and country? Isse: They fought, and they died. Every last one. And then the imperials came looking for more. Because of them. Isse: They were this close to killing us all─to burning our village to the ground. We've only just begun to enjoy some semblance of peace... Isse: Never again─never again, do you understand!? We've had enough of you and yours! Whatever it is you're plotting, leave us out of it! Gosetsu: ...Hmm. Impassioned as his pleas may be, surely he must know that I cannot leave things as they are. Gosetsu: But for now, I shall respect his wishes. We must continue on towards our final destination─the House of the Fierce. Proud headquarters of the Doman Liberation Front. Gosetsu: There is a secret entrance to the north of Namai, by way of a small spring. Come─I will show you!
Gosetsu: This way, this way! We must dive into the water! Gosetsu: Have no fear, Forename! It is but a short distance. You need not hold your breath for long!
Gosetsu: <pant> <pant> Hah hah hah! How invigorating! Gosetsu: Congratulations, my friends! You are come to the House of the Fierce!
A Glimpse of Madness It is not often that the Liberation Front guard welcomes heroes from distant lands, but he is doing his best to compose himself.
Liberation Front Guard: You are Forename Surname, are you not? We were told of your coming. Liberation Front Guard: Heroes of Eorzea, we of the Doman Liberation Front are honored to receive you. If you would be so good as to follow me...
Lyse: This is the House of the Fierce? But there are so few of them... Gosetsu: Many kindred spirits remain in hiding following the rebellion. Many others gave their lives for their nation. We are the stubborn remainder. Gosetsu: Even accounting for our comrades in the field, we are at a fraction of our former strength, 'tis true. Yet we few are patriots─brothers-in-arms, prepared to fight with every fiber of our being to set our people free. Yugiri: Ever are we hopeful that others will join our cause. But never did I dream that you would journey so far. Lyse: Yugiri! Gods, it's good to see you! You look great, by the way!
Have you been here long? Yugiri: I returned but recently, having concluded my mission.
Oh, it is good to see you again, my friends. Gosetsu: Did I hear aright? Your mission is concluded?
Then you have found the young master? Yugiri: Ere we speak of that, I would know by what fortuitous circumstance our friends came to be here. Yugiri: The Empire's crimes are all too familiar. Lyse─my heart goes out to your people. Lyse: We wanted to stay and fight, believe me, but we knew it wouldn't work.
We needed more time to rebuild─and more allies to stand with us against
the Empire. Lyse: So we decided to come here and help you free Doma. To show you─to show everyone─that you're not alone, and that the Garleans can be beaten, if we work together. I'd like to think we proved that in the Ruby Sea... Yugiri: That you did, Lyse, and far more besides. Needless to say, your assistance would be most welcome. Gosetsu: Hear, hear! Now then, Yugiri─you must tell me of your search for our master! Yugiri: Lest you wonder, he speaks of Lord Hien, son of Lord Kaien, who perished during the rebellion. Yugiri: When it became clear that all hope of victory had gone, Lord Hien bade us deliver as many of our people as we could to safety beyond our borders. But as his father's heir, he was determined to fight on, and so he did─until he suffered a grievous wound in battle and vanished without a trace... Yugiri: Until now. For I have found Lord Hien─seen and spoken with him.
On the Azim Steppe. Gosetsu: O boundless and merciful kami, the young master lives!
Tell me, was he well? Did his wound yet ail him? Where is he now?
Have you brought him back to us!? Yugiri: You may take comfort in the knowledge that he is hale and whole. However, when I invited him to return with me to Doma, he had this to say... Yugiri: “If Doma yet thirsts for the blood of patriots and tyrants, I shall offer unto her my blade. But if she has had her fill of bitter draughts, I shall offer unto her conquerors my head.” Yugiri: Thrice did I declare to him that no true son or daughter of Doma would ever accept such a sacrifice. But for all my passion, he would not be swayed. Yugiri: “Learn the truth of her heart and return to me,” he said. And so I left him. Gosetsu: The words of one made to wear the mantle of leadership too soon... Gosetsu: Yet there is wisdom in them all the same. If the people no longer yearn to be free, 'twould be folly to rekindle the fires of war. Yugiri: To suffer our master to surrender his life and forsake all hope of freedom is by far the greater folly. I will not go to face my fallen comrades having done naught to stop it. Gosetsu: Nor I, shadow walker, nor I. But we need not rouse our comrades to battle
this day. Let us instead welcome our honored guests and allow them a
moment of respite.
Alisaie: As you can see, they went to great lengths to disable the aetheryte. Apparently, in the twilight days of the rebellion, they feared that Zenos would be willing to risk sending unattuned conscripts. Alisaie: That said, it is hardly irreversible. They have the necessary materials. It would be a challenge to repair it alone, but mayhap with my brother's help...
Lyse: You should hear this, Forename. He was just telling me about Zenos and the rebellion. Liberation Front Infantry: What you have to understand is that it was not a simple matter of numbers. The bulk of the XIIth never even took the field. It was Zenos's stratagems that won the war. They were unlike anything we had ever seen. Liberation Front Infantry: His formations were unorthodox─bewildering. We honestly thought we had him on the back foot. One moment we were pressing home our advantage, the next we were surrounded and at his mercy. Liberation Front Infantry: And then he stood before us, his cornered prey. Alone and unarmed. He beckoned us to come forward and fight for our lives. Liberation Front Infantry: One by one, my comrades charged. Fearless and unflinching, he would dance amidst their blades for a time, and then draw close, as if to embrace... Liberation Front Infantry: One...after...another. He made us watch. Do you understand? He made us watch. Lyse: What kind of monster enjoys killing people? Liberation Front Infantry: ...I do not think there was any joy in it. Nor justice, nor morality, nor meaning. To him, the weight of one life is no different from that of a thousand. Liberation Front Infantry: A challenge had been issued and was accepted. But on finding us no challenge at all, his objective changed. Liberation Front Infantry: There were tales of imperial soldiers being flayed for slaughtering families. For breaking brave men's spirits. Only later did I come to understand why. He did not desire obedience. He desired hate...and men consumed by it. Liberation Front Infantry: A new battle. A new enemy. A new challenge.
The hunt, I am told he called it. A hunt without end. Liberation Front Infantry: And when all our best lay dead and broken, he left.
He left, muttering that we had “bored” him. Liberation Front Infantry: But our weapons, at least, held his interest. For he took a fallen samurai's sword, having grown...fond of it. Liberation Front Infantry: Since that day, he has ever wielded Far Eastern blades. He is said to be fascinated by ones with storied histories, and so soldiers who seek to curry his favor often present those of defeated enemies as gifts. Lyse: It's like it's all a game to him. People are suffering─dying─and he's collecting swords? Liberation Front Infantry: ...We all feel the same. But my lady, you must understand... Liberation Front Infantry: On the battlefield, reasons do not matter. The victor is not the just, but the strong, and the strong become the heroes of the tale. We were not strong enough. Liberation Front Infantry: It is not sufficient to be right. To be just. Without strength, our path has but one end...
Gosetsu: Mayhap a brief respite is in order. Were I twenty years younger, these wounds would not warrant a second glance. Alas, no samurai has the strength to defeat that villain Old Age. Gosetsu: But what say you to the House of the Fierce? Compared to your Rising Stones, I concede it may seem somewhat lacking... Gosetsu: But it has been a haven these past ten years to all who would set Doma free. Gosetsu: Regrettably, our efforts in that time have come to little and less... Gosetsu: <sigh> When the Emperor died, we were so sure the hour of our liberation was at hand. But Zenos soon put paid to that, with the aid of Yotsuyu and the secrets she sold.
Yugiri: Forename. I do hope you have taken this opportunity to rest and recover. Yugiri: It is well that you spoke with one of the survivors of that massacre. To defeat one's foe, one must first understand his true nature. Yugiri: As the Ala Mhigan Resistance has struggled, so too has the Doman Liberation Front. More so, perhaps, given the precarious position in which we find ourselves in the wake of our doomed rebellion. Yugiri: We are few, and our enemies legion. We are weak, and they strong. Yet with your help, I believe that there is little we cannot achieve... I only hope the depth of our predicament has not shaken your commitment to our cause.
  • What will you say?
  • Never. Victory will be ours! Yugiri: Aye, that it will. With the hero of Eorzea on our side, we cannot lose!
  • No, no. I relish the challenge. Yugiri: You...relish the thought of facing that monster again? But of course—the hero of Eorzea fears no foe!
  • Not so long as I can expect a suitably generous reward. Yugiri: ...Of course. It may take time, but rest assured you will receive due compensation.
The Stubborn Remainder Yugiri would like to have a word with you.
Yugiri: Now then, I should be glad to discuss our next course of action─ Yugiri: Though now that I think on it, I myself have been away from Doma for some time, and even after my return, the search for Lord Hien commanded my full attention... Yugiri: Mayhap it would be to both our benefit if we were to see the reality of Doma for ourselves. For did my lord not bid me learn the truth of her heart? Yugiri: Let us do this together, Forename. Let us go among the people and with our own eyes bear witness to their hardship. Yugiri: As a foreigner in these lands, your reputation does not precede you. Moreover, unlike Gosetsu, I can accompany you without attracting unwanted attention. Lyse: I'd like to join you, if that's all right. Yugiri: By all means. We should be glad of your company, and your perspective. Yugiri: Namai is not far. I say we begin there.
Honami: Weren't you the one who came with the general? No? Hmm. I see... My mistake. Honami: It warms my heart to see traveling merchants in Namai again. Though the imperials never sealed our borders, folks like you have taken to avoiding Yanxia ever since the rebellion. Honami: Unfortunately, that has only made it harder for us to survive. You may have noticed, but we lack for a great many things. It was not much better before, true, but it has only gotten worse...
Chigusa: You? A merchant? Forgive me my skepticism, but you strike me less a woman of commerce and more a common sellsword.
  • What will you do?
  • Give your best impression of Hancock. Chigusa: That does little to assuage my doubts, and if anything makes me clutch my coinpurse tighter...
  • Give your best smile. Chigusa: I stand corrected! Such a warm and cordial nature you possess. I pray you forgive me my earlier rudeness.
Chigusa: It has been some time since the viceroy came to our village to purge it of insurgents. Those who resisted suffered terribly, and those who did not fared little better. Chigusa: We who remain know better than to risk her ire. If the imperials demand laborers, we comply. If they demand conscripts to send as soldiers to other provinces, we obey. Chigusa: Ours is a difficult life, with little in the way of luxuries. I know not what you sell, merchant, but I doubt that I─nor anyone else here─can afford it.
Masatsuchi: A traveling merchant? With meat, perchance? Bah, better not to know when I have so little coin. Masatsuchi: ...I feel your eyes upon me. You know not the Lupin? Surely you have not been long in Yanxia, else you would. Masatsuchi: For generations we served the lords of Doma, compassionate and wise as they were...but the memories of such times fade with every passing day. As others will tell you.
Miyama: Foreign peddlers? In Namai? Whatever it is you sell, I have no money to buy. Perhaps you should go elsewhere. Miyama: Saying that, I know of no village in Yanxia that has fared any better. Once, I would have directed you to the samurai lords of Monzen─had they not all died in battle or in the purges. Miyama: There is the Doman Enclave, of course, but that lies beyond the Dairyu Moon Gates. Needless to say, the imperials are disinclined to let any but their own pass.
Yugiri: Forename. What have you learned? Yugiri: Lyse and I encountered much of the same. They have been pushed beyond the brink. Yugiri: I expected frustration and disillusionment, but not so much that they would come to question the wisdom of opposing imperial rule in the first place... Yugiri: Unless we can convince them otherwise, I fear I cannot convince Lord Hien to return, and without him...
The Ones We Leave Behind Yugiri is uncertain how best to proceed.
Yugiri: Let us not yet lose hope. Though the situation in Namai is bleak, mayhap it is not so elsewhere. Yugiri: I wish to speak with others outside the village. Lyse and I will look for farmers in the paddies to the east. Forename, I ask that you look to the south. Yugiri: Surely they cannot all have given in to despair...
Azami: Thank you, thank you, thank you! If you hadn't come along, I don't know what I would've done! Azami: What am I doing out here? Oh...looking for flowers. I need some for my parents' graves. Azami: The ones my brother and I usually bring are yellow, because it was my mother's favorite color. You haven't seen any, have you?
Azami: Only yellow ones will do. Mother wouldn't have wanted anything else...
Yellow Wildflowers An assortment of yellow wildflowers, perfect for any nymber of joyful or somber occasions. Handpicked by you.
Azami: Ah! You found some! Thank you so much, miss. That's twice you've saved me now! Azami: Um, if you have some time to spare, maybe you could come with me? I'm sure Mother and Father would want to meet the woman who showed me such kindness. Azami: We buried them on a cliff to the west of the village. There's a path through the terraces. I'll show you!
Azami: We're here! Just give me a moment to put down the flowers, and I'll introduce you... Azami: They loved to meet travelers and hear tales of faraway places. Maybe you could tell them one about your homeland? ??? (Isse): Azami! Azami! Are you there? Azami! Isse: What in the─ You should not be here! Get away from my sister! Azami: Don't be so rude! She saved me from monsters, Brother─she even helped me pick flowers for Mother and Father! Isse: Go back to the village. Now. Azami: Y-You're scaring me─ Isse: I said go! Stay inside and lock the door until I return! Isse: ...Don't think me ungrateful. My sister is the only family I have. If you saved her, then...thank you. But it changes nothing. I asked you to leave, and now I'm asking you again. Isse: I'm not going to report you to the imperials, or anything stupid like that. But it's too dangerous for you to stay here. So please, I'm begging you─just leave us alone!
  • What will you say?
  • Is that really what you want? Isse: How many times do I have to tell you!? If they find you here, we're the ones they'll punish! And it'll be a thousand times worse than before!
  • She said your parents were buried here... Isse: ...So she told, did she? Yes. That's right.
Isse: ...My mother and father believed in the rebellion. They left to fight for Lord Kaien. They came home on a cart driven by imperial soldiers. Isse: The soldiers demanded that the families of the insurgents present themselves, or else they'd burn the whole village to the ground. Isse: So we did. What choice did we have? Isse: They beat us in the village square─with their hands, with sticks, with anything. They kicked us while we lay on the ground, begging for mercy. They made us denounce my mother and father─call them fools, call them traitors. Say they deserved to die. Isse: I heard them laugh, but I dared not look up. One leaned close and whispered in my ear what he'd do to my sister if they had to come back. Isse: They're gone, but they're never far. All it takes is the wrong word in the wrong ear, and they'll return. And then I'll have to dig another grave. If I'm lucky. Isse: Whatever you came here to do, leave us out of it. If you want to fight the imperials, go and fight them on your own. Isse: You can't help us. No one can. And this is all we've got. So please─don't take it from us.
Yugiri: You are come at a good time, Forename. We but recently completed our inquiries. What of yours? Yugiri: I...I was not aware of these events... The boy, Isse, he told you all of this? Yugiri: Such disgraceful, despicable crimes... If I knew the men responsible, I would not hesitate to hunt them down and─ Yugiri: Forgive me, that outburst was unbecoming. The more I learn of the imperials' actions in my absence, the more difficult I find it to marshal my emotions... Yugiri: Could Lord Hien have foreseen this? That our people's spirits would be broken so? Though at first I scoffed at his pronouncement, it feels all too possible now that he might resolve to surrender himself...
A New Ruby Tithe Yugiri is troubled by what she has seen.
Yugiri: ...Despite everything we have seen and learned, I refuse to renounce this cause. Yugiri: We should return to the House of the Fierce and consult with our comrades. Perhaps together, we might─ Yugiri: Did you hear that? Quickly, we must find a place to hide!
Imperial Pilus Prior: Why are you milling about like a pack of slack-jawed mongrels!?
Form a line! Now! Imperial Pilus Prior: ...Finally. I come before you today to deliver an announcement of the highest import, so listen well. Imperial Pilus Prior: While on a charitable mission to Isari village, the acting viceroy and her personal guard came under attack from Confederate forces. This brazen, unconscionable act cannot─and will not─go unanswered. Imperial Pilus Prior: As loyal subjects of the Empire who enjoy her safety and prosperity, you have a duty to defend her as well. Imperial Pilus Prior: ...There is no cause for alarm. We have no intention of sending ill-trained fodder to the front line. Imperial Pilus Prior: Those who are selected will be expected to perform rudimentary tasks. Cleaning and maintenance and so forth. You will serve only as long as you are needed. Afterwards, you will be free to return to your homes. Imperial Pilus Prior: You. You first. Yugiri: Hmph. The Empire has no pressing need of cleaners. This is but a thinly veiled attempt to intimidate those who supported the Confederacy's actions, and isolate any whose loyalty they already suspect. Imperial Pilus Prior: And lastly...you. That should suffice for now. Isse: Don't worry, I will be back before you know it. Listen to the elders while I am away, and do not play outside the village. Everything is going to be fine. I love you, all right? Remember that I love you... Imperial Pilus Prior: We thank you for your cooperation. Rest assured that this will all be over very soon─once the Confederacy has been made to pay our own “Ruby Tithe.” Lyse: There's no telling what might happen to those people! We have to help them! Yugiri: And we shall. But before all else, we must needs ascertain their destination.
I doubt this is the first village the Garleans have visited...nor is it like to
be the last. Yugiri: I will track these men. Will you help me? Yugiri: Pray return to our headquarters and tell the others what you saw here.
Should we have need of reinforcements, I would know that they are ready. Lyse: But I should be going with you! I came here to fight! Yugiri: Soon enough, Lyse. Soon enough. For now, we must proceed with caution. Lyse: I know that, I do... It's just─when I saw them rounding those people up... Look, if anything happens─anything at all─you'd better call for us! I mean it, Yugiri. Anything at all.
Yugiri: Regardless of what the officer claimed, I fear they have crueler designs for these people. Yugiri: With me, Forename. We must hurry!
Yugiri: Given the circumstances, we must make every effort to refrain from needless violence. Yugiri: Here. It is a shinobi's tool, for when a more discreet approach is required. Use it with these darts. They are coated with an alchemical reagent that induces a deep sleep. Yugiri: There are soldiers patrolling ahead. Were circumstances different we could engage them directly, but for the villagers' sake we dare not risk it. Yugiri: We will use our blowguns to incapacitate them. Regardless of your familiarity with such weapons, you are a veteran warrior, and I am sure it will come naturally to you. Nevertheless, practice is in order...
Yugiri: There─the soldier on the hill below. Take aim and fire─if the dart finds its mark, he should fall within moments.
Yugiri: Well done, my friend! Now, give me your map─there is a vantage point from which you may observe and fire upon the other soldiers. Yugiri: Worry not─I shall be with you every step of the way, keeping watch for other patrols. We shall speak again on the other side of the river.
The last imperial soldier crumples to the ground, asleep. You put away your blowgun and prepare to rejoin Yugiri.
Yugiri: Well done, my friend! Now, give me your map─there is a vantage point from which you may observe and fire upon the other soldiers. Yugiri: Worry not─I shall be with you every step of the way, keeping watch for other patrols. We shall speak again on the other side of the river. Yugiri: Excellent work, Forename. They appear to be none the wiser... Yugiri: The villagers are being held in the castrum to the south─Fluminis. Yugiri: Once, it was the base of operations for the Garlean occupation...until ten or so years ago, when they relocated to Doma Castle. Now, the castrum serves as little more than a storage facility... Yugiri: I spy two sentries near the gate. As you have proven yourself to have impeccable aim, I would ask you to incapacitate them. This very hill should afford you a clear shot.
The two sentries slumber side by side. No others appear to be forthcoming...
Yugiri: Fine work, Forename. You have a gift for the ways of the shinobi... Yugiri: The way is clear─let us move closer and see what has become of the villagers.
Imperial Decurion: Sir! The Aan from the other villages are assembled for inspection. Imperial Pilus Prior: Very good. I will address them personally. Imperial Pilus Prior: Attention! Shortly you all will be transported to the facility on the distant shore. Imperial Pilus Prior: Your duties, as you have been previously informed, will be rudimentary in nature. More specifically, you will be tasked with the repair and maintenance of various arms and armaments, as well as magitek devices. Namai Farmhand: Magitek!? But we're farmers! We don't know the first thing about magitek! Namai Farmhand: It'd take us months, if not years, to learn how to do that kind of work! Imperial Pilus Prior: The materiel in question was damaged when your kith and kin rose up in rebellion! Therefore, you bear responsibility for its repair! Imperial Pilus Prior: If you cannot perform your duties, you will learn how. And if you cannot learn how, then your villages may find themselves at the mercy of the Confederacy and other radical elements. Is that what you want? Imperial Pilus Prior: Deal with this rabble. I am needed at the castle. Yugiri: This is no temporary measure. Those men and women will die in servitude. Yugiri: Once they are taken to the other facility, it will be too late. If we are to intervene, we must do so now. Agreed? Yugiri: Then let us be about it.
The Will to Live Yugiri is in her element.
Yugiri: Despite the urgency of the situation, we must still proceed with the utmost caution to ensure the safety of the villagers. Yugiri: To wit, we must infiltrate the castrum without raising the alarum. Yugiri: I will deal with any soldiers near the entrance. Stand watch for others approaching from the north until you hear my signal.
For a mercy, you spy no imperial patrols bound for the castrum. A hawk's cry pierces the silence─Yugiri is waiting.
Yugiri: Speak softly, lest the others hear us. What of the outside? Yugiri: ...That is good. We may proceed as planned. Yugiri: These ones shall not soon wake. However, the others are too close to the villagers. Incapacitating them as I did these ones is far too risky. Yugiri: Fortunately, a solution presents itself. I would have you disguise yourself as an imperial soldier and convince them that a changing of the guard is in order. Yugiri: You have your pick of uniforms. They shall not protest.
This uniform is far too large for you to wear comfortably.
Attempting to wear this uniform might force you to confront certain uncomfortable realities better left unexplored...
This uniform appears to be more or less your size... With all due care and consideration, you relieve the sleeping soldier of their uniform. Yugiri: You have chosen one to your liking, then? Excellent. Yugiri: I shall hide these ones where none will find them. Yugiri: Our sleeping beauties have been laid to rest in their bunks. Oh, and while I was in the barracks, I happened upon these spare uniforms, in case the items in your possession are not to your liking.
Yugiri: This kabuto and tekko should match the uwagi, hakama, and choka in your possession... Yugiri: And with that, you have a full set. I am sure that once you change, it will seem as though it was bespoke. Yugiri: You will need to give the soldiers guarding the villagers a proper imperial salute to complete the deception and convince them to come here, where I will be waiting to deal with them.
Imperial Decurion: Is it time already? Not that I'm complaining, mind, but I thought the others would be gone longer...
Imperial Soldier: Changing of the guard, is it? About bloody time. Just looking at these Aan is making me depressed. Reminds me of when I was in their shoes, pissing myself in fear...
Yugiri: These ones shall sleep soundly along with the others... Yugiri: And, with that, there are no more soldiers to trouble us. You can dispose of that accursed uniform too. Yugiri: It is time to guide the villagers to freedom!
Yugiri: Listen to me, all of you! We have dealt with the imperials for now, but you must flee this place, quickly! Formidable Farmer: D-Dealt with them? Oh...oh no...you didn't kill them, did you? Namai Farmwife: Are you mad!? There's no escaping the Empire!
Running will only make it worse! Yugiri: To stay is to die. You know this to be true. Yugiri: Even if you lack the will to fight, surely you have the will to live! Or has that, too, been beaten out of you? Is this what has become of Doma!? Isse: You are Lord Hien's retainer?
Trained to fight without fear and obey without question? Isse: Well, we're not! We're lost and afraid! We hate this─all of this─but we can't do a damn thing to change it! And trying will only make it worse. Isse: It's a pathetic existence...but it's all we've got. And when people like you come here pretending it can be different, it─ It doesn't help, all right!? Wounded Elder: Peace, boy. Peace. She came to help, and for that we should be grateful. Yugiri: Elder, your face... Wounded Elder: We all have scars. Some too many to bear. Wounded Elder: Too many battles, too much lost. Our friends, our family, even our liege.
We who survived are forced to bend the knee─to sell our souls and
surrender our dignity. Wounded Elder: How are we to lift our heads when this shame weighs so heavily upon us? Your courage, your resolve... They are as salt in our wounds. Yugiri: If they only knew what you would do for them, my lord... Yugiri: You have made your plight clear, and I shall impose my will no more.
But know this, brothers and sisters of Doma. Yugiri: For all you have suffered─for all the horror and the ignominy─you are still here. You are still alive. Yugiri: My lord─ My lord prays you value your life as highly as he does. As for me...I swear by all the kami in creation that I will free you from this torment.
No matter the cost. Formidable Farmer: ...If the imperials come for me, I will tell them we were tricked by an Auri woman. Yugiri: Tell them whatever you must to keep your loved ones safe. Isse: Why would you...? After everything...
Daughter of the Deep Yugiri is at a loss for words.
Yugiri: ... Yugiri: Apologies, Forename. I was...lost in thought. Yugiri: Mayhap they have the right of it. Mayhap we are fools for urging them to rise once more. Yet I believe─I have to believe─that in their heart of hearts, they...they still... Yugiri: ...Now is not the time. We must finish what we started. Yugiri: I have in my possession a powerful medicine that befuddles the mind and memories. We must administer it to the soldiers ere they wake. Yugiri: The medicine will leave the soldiers confused and unable to clearly recall recent events. They will suspect that they fell asleep at their posts and be reluctant to discuss it with others. Yugiri: It is naught more than a temporary measure, but we dare not kill them for the sake of the villagers. Tend to the last two I put to sleep─I shall see to the others.
Yugiri's Medicine The contents of this pouch are a mystery, but you may be assured of their efficacy in befuddling the mind and memories of hapless impreial soldiers.
Imperial Decurion: <snore> ...Mother, is that you...?
Yugiri's Medicine The contents of this pouch are a mystery, but you may be assured of their efficacy in befuddling the mind and memories of hapless impreial soldiers.
Imperial Soldier: I...I want to go home... <snore>
Yugiri: Forgive me for making you search. Yugiri: It calms me, the sound.
It helps me to remember the sway of the ocean when I close my eyes... Yugiri: Despite the many great and noble things I said, in truth I am not of Doma.
I was born beneath the waves of the Ruby Sea... Yugiri: To think that you were there─that you even spoke with my mother and father... Yugiri: They are in good health, then. The knowledge is...of great comfort to me. Yugiri: That I might have the strength to protect my home from the Empire, I left to learn the secrets of the shinobi. Day and night we trained, ever striving to exceed our mental and physical limits. Yugiri: After a time, my skills were recognized, and I was dispatched to assist the Doman Liberation Front. It was then that I met Lord Kaien and his son, and their loyal samurai, Gosetsu. Yugiri: Good men, all. Brave and true, so clear their eyes, so pure their purpose. Any shinobi would have been proud to serve them and Doma. Yugiri: ...But, in the end, I will always be of the sea. Yugiri: Every day, I pray for my home, and for the people I left behind.
That they might be spared the wages of war, and live in peace, untouched by this madness. Yugiri: I confessed this to Lord Hien once. Do you know what he said to me? Yugiri: He said: “Good. We are better for the conviction of our allies, and draw inspiration from their example. What is weak alone may together grow stronger.” Yugiri: Never did I lose faith in them. Even when all was lost, and I led our people to Eorzea, I clung to the belief that our dream would one day be realized. Yugiri: But when I gazed into those eyes bereft of hope─when those broken men balked at liberty, the dream was shattered.
  • What will you say?
  • Together we are strong, and we must carry on. Yugiri: That you remain resolute, even in the face of everything we have seen... It heartens me more than you know. Thank you for standing by this naive fool.
  • It will not always be so. Yugiri: So I pray... And thus do I labor to see a new day dawn, regardless of my misgivings. When all is said and done, we can but carry on—together.
  • ... Yugiri: Forgive me! We shinobi are taught to discharge our duties without hesitation or doubt. Come what may, I shall not falter.
Yugiri: An imperial airship... Yugiri: It is bound for Doma Castle. Quickly, we must rejoin the others!
Yugiri: Come, come! We must tell the others of this airship, or hear what they know of it!
Lyse: There you are! What happened? Are the villagers all right? Yugiri: W-We freed them, along with many others. Yugiri: Gosetsu─we spied an airship bound for the castle. Know you aught of it? Gosetsu: Aye, that we do... The crown prince is come to Doma. Alisaie: We suspect this is the result of recent events in Gyr Abania. Our defeat notwithstanding, there appears to be some concern in Garlemald that subversive elements may be rallying in other provinces. Alisaie: Though Yotsuyu governs Doma, Zenos remains the province's anointed viceroy─and it would seem he has come to assess the current situation
in person. Yugiri: If Zenos is here, we must seize this opportunity and kill him. Alisaie: Would that it were so simple, Lady Yugiri. You may recall that we encountered Zenos at Rhalgr's Reach. We have seen firsthand what he can do. His power defies explanation. Alisaie: He faced the Alliance, the Resistance and the Scions, and he defeated us all. Alisaie: We survived and learned from the experience, it is true─but if we are to defeat him, it will not be through simple opportunism. We will require a flawless plan. Yugiri: We know his strengths. A prodigious swordsman trained from childhood by the finest imperial tutors, reputed to be without equal on the battlefield. Which is why we must not meet him there. Yugiri: Nay, we keep to the shadows─the domain of the shinobi. And thence we strike. You need only give me the chance. Gosetsu: Were this but a matter of personal revenge, I would not presume to bar your path, for I myself crave that same vengeance. Gosetsu: But to draw steel against the Emperor's son is a grave decision, and one that will shape our nation's future. Do not forget Lord Hien's words! Yugiri: What, that we should sheathe our swords if the people lack the will to fight!? I will not squander this opportunity! If we do naught, our master's life is forfeit! Gosetsu: Even should you succeed, Zenos's death will not win Doma her freedom─more likely her doom. Gosetsu: Can we defend our people against the Empire's retribution? We few against a legion? Do not be a fool, child! Yugiri: ...Mayhap I am a fool with foolish dreams of a future that will never be.
But I cannot─I will not forsake them! Lyse: Yugiri, wait! Alisaie: ...What now?
Path of No Return All warriors must choose their own path, as Gosetsu well knows.
Gosetsu: I will not pursue her. It is for her to think on our master's words and recognize the futility of her course. Gosetsu: Those, at least, are my thoughts upon the matter. Yours may be different. Should you wish to give chase, I will not bar your path. Gosetsu: ...We each have but one life, and it is not to be spent recklessly in pursuit of our goals. I pray she realizes this soon...
Yugiri: ...Did Gosetsu send you to stop me? Yugiri: Then you came of your own free will? I should be surprised if you agreed with my chosen course. No one else did. Yugiri: But it is not as fanciful as they would have you believe. Scant moments ago, I received the crown prince's itinerary from one of our spies in the castle. Yugiri: 'Twould seem that Zenos has no desire to remain in Doma any longer than necessary. He wishes to inspect the Moon Gates this very eve. Yugiri: His impatience is to our advantage. He arrived without warning and gave Yotsuyu no time to prepare. The whole castle is in state of upheaval. Yugiri: To avoid any delay, he has declined a full escort, and will be traveling with no more than a handful of soldiers. The kami could not have blessed us with more auspicious circumstances. I will kill him, Forename. I will.
  • What will you say?
  • You mean we will kill him. Yugiri: ...Or die trying. You understand the risks. Yugiri: Forgive me. Of course you do. Mayhap better than I. Yugiri: ...But are you sure?
  • Not alone. Yugiri: I know the odds. I know what he is capable of, and that in an open confrontation, I will likely die. Yugiri: But if I do not─if I succeed, then countless lives will be saved. Doma, Ala Mhigo─everything will change! One life for that world is a price I would pay a thousand times over! Yugiri: ...What? What is it? Why are you looking at me like that? Yugiri: ...Do you mean to join me?
Yugiri: Thank you. Thank you. I...I cannot well express what this means to me. Yugiri: We have much to discuss, but we can do so on the way. Yugiri: Yuzuka Manor is some distance from here. We must hurry! Isse: ...Stay calm. No one knows you were here. No one knows you saw anything. Isse: No one knows you overheard two rebels plotting...to kill the crown prince... Isse: Gah! Stupid, stupid, stupid! You know how this ends! And they only have themselves to blame! You have to tell them. You have to...
Yugiri: This is far enough. Let us discuss our plan of attack...
The Time between the Seconds Yugiri has made her choice, and so have you.
Yugiri: Zenos's itinerary is as follows... Yugiri: He will depart Doma Castle by ship and approach the Moon Gates. The magitek field will be deactivated briefly, allowing his vessel to pass. It will then continue on to these very docks, where he and his entourage will disembark. Yugiri: As you can see, this area is not ideal for an ambush. Wide open, multiple avenues of escape. The manor is better suited to our needs. Yugiri: Let us split up and search for suitable hiding places.
Surrounded by walls and deserted, this location appears to be ideal for concealment... Yugiri: Ah, there you are. Yugiri: Hmm... From the roof, we would have a clear view of the docks... Yugiri: It is settled. We shall lie in wait here until Zenos arrives. Yugiri: As discussed, if all goes to plan, he shall fall with my first blow. If not, then the two of us will have to engage him in open combat. Yugiri: His escort is of no consequence, which means that we will have a two-to-one advantage. Nevertheless, he is not to be underestimated...
Yugiri: All that remains is to wait. I trust that you are ready?
Yugiri: He comes. Imperial Pilus Prior: The village is not far, my lord.
If it please you, we shall escort you there directly. Zenos yae Galvus: Hmph. Less a province than a graveyard. The rotting husk of a broken nation, devoid of proper sport. But as His Radiance wishes... Imperial Pilus Prior: Y-Yes, of course, my lord! A-And may I say how terribly sorry we are that you had to come so far! Zenos yae Galvus: We labored long to sow the seeds of hatred, of fear─to train them as beasts. Now we shall see the harvest. Zenos yae Galvus: Let there be savage beasts baying for blood, and not hollow-eyed prey cowering in the dark, or there will be no joy in this hunt. Imperial Pilus Prior: AMBUUUSH! Yotsuyu: Shinobi!? And me without my brute... Zenos yae Galvus: How weak you are. Is this the sum of your hate? Yugiri: This is only the beginning! For Lord Kaien! For Doma! Zenos yae Galvus: Mayhap I shall test this new blade of yours. Let us hope it is to my liking,
lest your misfortunes compound. Zenos yae Galvus: Then again, I am loath to expend such effort on the unworthy.
Come─earn the honor.
Yugiri Mistwalker: Zenos yae Galvus! You will die by my hand! Zenos yae Galvus: First you must kill my men. You can do that, can you not? Yotsuyu: What are you doing, you fools!? There are only two of them! Zenos yae Galvus: Hm. How much longer must you make me wait? Zenos yae Galvus: Very well. I suppose you have earned this... Yugiri Mistwalker: This is not a game, you twisted, arrogant bastard! Yugiri Mistwalker: Graaagh! Zenos yae Galvus: Well done, beast. You have earned the right to look on the Ame-no-Habakiri. Yotsuyu: What...what is this...? Kami forfend... Yugiri Mistwalker: No! I can still fight, I can still...still... Zenos yae Galvus: You're better than most, I'll grant you that. But not good enough. This ends now.
Zenos yae Galvus: Ahhh...I remember you. Ala Mhigo. The champion of the savages. Urianger: “Look ye where the sun doth rise, see crimson embers, dark'ning skies... Urianger: “Look ye where the sun doth fall, see azure lost amidst the squall.” Zenos yae Galvus: Oh...how right I was to spare your life. Zenos yae Galvus: Hear me, hero. Endure. Survive. Live. Zenos yae Galvus: For the rush of blood, for the time between the seconds─live.
For the sole pleasure left to me in this empty, ephemeral world─live! Yugiri: Hraaagh! Zenos yae Galvus: You are not worthy. Isse: Get away from them, you imperial dog! Yugiri: No, don't... You must...you must flee! Isse: We're not going anywhere! Do you hear me!? We're not running away! Isse: What you're doing is stupid and reckless and I never wanted any part of it,
but here we are! Isse: I've spent my whole life hating myself─for every time they made me beg,
for every time I held my tongue to protect the people I love. Isse: And then you came along and reminded me of all the things I never said and never did, and it was even worse! I would have given anything to forget, to walk away, but I knew that I'd never be able to live with the guilt. Isse: So we came─all of us! For you, for ourselves─for Doma! Zenos yae Galvus: Death is death, regardless of the reason. Zenos yae Galvus: Yet you seem determined to die, intruding upon this sacred ground, turning weapons you can scarcely wield upon me. Your lives will not even begin to redress the balance. Alisaie: How wrong you are! Alisaie: Go, now! Gosetsu─see to Yugiri! Gosetsu: Aye! Yotsuyu: <cough> <cough> I can't see a damn thing... Someone stop them! Yotsuyu: My lord!?
Alisaie: I don't think we were followed...
Gods... I have no idea what was going through that man's head, but I am heartily glad he decided to leave. Alisaie: Oh, and don't thank us. Thank Alphinaud. He's at the House of the Fierce, patiently awaiting your gratitude. Alisaie: You should've seen the way he turned pale when he heard about Yugiri's plan─and how you of all people had decided to help her. He was in such a panic, barking orders, calling for a squadron to be assembled─ Gosetsu: As were you. Alisaie: I was rather composed, as I recall. Though that is neither here nor there...
All the Little Angels Isse is beside himself with emotion.
Isse: Can you believe it? We faced the crown prince himself and lived to tell the tale! Isse: You've no idea what this means for us. Everyone's talking about getting more weapons and armor and...and... Isse: And we're not going to stop until we've taken back our homeland! Isse: Ah, right. Getting a bit ahead of ourselves, aren't we? We've got wounded to tend to first. We should get back to the village!
Isse: How are you feeling? After fighting that demon, I can only imagine... Isse: ...I suppose I ought to apologize to you. For...you know... Isse: Anyway, uh... Thank you. For not giving up on us. The shinobi too.
Namai Maiden: How are you feeling, my lady? Yugiri: Much the better for my comrades' ministrations, and your most generous hospitality. You need not worry. Namai Maiden: Good... If there is anything else we can do for the two of you─anything at all─just ask. Gosetsu: Stare any harder and you're like to burn a hole in them.
Go and say your piece for goodness' sake! Isse: I've got nothing more to say to them!
I'm going to find out how the others are getting on. Yugiri: Gosetsu, Mistress Alisaie─I owe you an apology.
I acted with reckless disregard for my own safety, and endangered I know not how many others in so doing. Yugiri: Scorning your wise counsel, I knowingly defied our master's wishes, and left you no choice but to follow suit. Gosetsu: Nonsense. I followed our master's wishes to the letter. Consider once more his words, and the intent therein. Gosetsu: In offering his head, he but sought to shield his people from harm─loyal retainers included. You must value your life more highly, shadow walker. Alisaie: On the other hand, your recklessness did serve as an inspiration to many. Mayhap you should not be so hard on yourself... Alisaie: In any event, if you must apologize profusely, it seems only right that you expend as much effort thanking the one person who supported your plan from the first. Yugiri: That it does. There are no words which will suffice...but thank you. Lyse: Aaaaaand there they are! Alphinaud: Twelve be praised! When I learned of your rather questionable plot to assassinate Zenos, I feared we would need to recruit a new primal slayer. Lyse: I'm sorry we couldn't be there.
Alisaie made me swear to stay behind no matter what. Lyse: I think she was worried I'd hurl myself at Zenos the moment I set eyes on him. Alisaie: ...What? Alisaie: You'll forgive me for changing the subject, but now would seem a good time to discuss where we go from here. Though the Empire has yet to retaliate, the fact remains that we have revealed our presence, and signaled our intentions in so doing. It is only a matter of time before the imperials move against us. Alisaie: Given that we lack the strength to oppose them, 'tis plain some manner of brilliant stratagem is required. Therefore, I yield the floor to the preeminent tactician of our time, with whom I was privileged to share a womb. Alphinaud: If you insist... While in Kugane we debated a number of approaches and were eventually forced to concede that we cannot look to the Alliance for aid. Alphinaud: Even were it possible to ferry sufficient forces and materiel from Eorzea in a timely manner, such a massive undertaking would not long escape the attention of the Empire. 'Twould be a miracle if our ships reached the shore. Alphinaud: Fortunately, according to Tataru and Hancock's intelligence, the Empire has withdrawn most of its forces from Doma in the past year, leaving her relatively unguarded. Alphinaud: That being the case, a popular uprising spearheaded by the full might of the Doman Liberation Front may feasibly be sufficient to threaten the seat of provincial government, namely Doma Castle. 'Twould be rather easier said than done, of course, but I have seen worse plans prevail. Gosetsu: Then we must needs meet with Lord Hien and convince him to return, for there is no surer way to inspire our people to rise up as one. Gosetsu: He desired proof of his subjects' conviction, and they have provided it─through no less a deed than openly opposing Zenos himself! Lyse: It will work. It has to work. And next time, we will defeat him...
Yugiri: I will be traveling to the Azim Steppe, Forename. Yugiri: I found Lord Hien once before, and I am confident I can do so again. Moreover, it was to me whom he put the question of Doma's resolve. I feel it my duty to deliver to him our people's reply.
Gosetsu: Our countrymen's deeds speak for themselves. Lord Hien cannot deny the truth of their hearts. Gosetsu: Too long has it been since I looked on his face. It would be of great comfort to see him again─and no small comfort if you were to join us in the search, I should add!
Lyse: I wonder what kind of man Hien is. From what I heard, he's about the same age as me. And then there's Fordola, who isn't a whole lot younger than us both... Lyse: Like her, he was born and raised in an imperial province. This is all he's ever known. But unlike her, he chose to do something about it... Lyse: I want to meet him. I want to know why. Maybe, if I understand that, it'll help me to understand a lot of other things...
Alisaie: The beloved king returning to urge his countrymen to rise up in rebellion. Not a story you'd ever hear in Sharlayan or Ul'dah, is it? Alphinaud: Not in those words, perhaps, but no land's people is so cynical to be wholly immune to inspiration. Singular individuals have the power to move hearts and minds no matter where they go. Alisaie: Mmmhm. Doubtless you speak from personal experience. Alisaie: As much as this Lord Hien intrigues us, Forename, there are vital tasks to be attended to here─preparations for the inevitable assault on Doma Castle, for one. Alisaie: There is also the matter of coordinating our efforts with the Confederacy and our comrades in Kugane, dealing with this troublesome aetheryte─I could go on, but you understand.
Alphinaud: ...Aye, so it goes. We all have our responsibilities. Yugiri: We shall depart for the Azim Steppe at once. Gosetsu: You will be joining us, Forename? Alisaie: For our part, we shall do what we can to aid the Doman Liberation Front in your absence. Alisaie: We will refrain from conducting any large-scale operations in your absence, and instead devote our energies to bolstering our ranks and training our new recruits. When you return, we will be ready for war. Lyse: If anything happens, if you need us to come back sooner, you'd better contact us. “Noble sacrifices” are a last resort, remember? Yugiri: Follow me, my friends. We have many malms to travel before we reach Reunion. Isse: Wait! Don't leave yet! Isse: Here, take these for the road. It's simple fare, but it's the least we can do for you, after what you did for us. Isse: ...It may be stupid and naive of me to say this, but I will. Isse: When you come back, we'll finish what we started. We'll beat the imperials and we'll win our freedom! So...don't keep us waiting too long!
Meanwhile, in the keep of Doma Castle... Zenos yae Galvus: ...I would expect no less of Bahamut's conqueror. Zenos yae Galvus: Prepare the airship. His Radiance will not object; we have fulfilled our obligations here. I would see this prize for myself... Zenos yae Galvus: Do you understand why I appointed you to act in my stead? You, whose only accomplishment was to whisper the right words in the right ear? Zenos yae Galvus: Because of your petty hatreds.
They render you the perfect instrument to bleed your kinsmen of hope─
to make an example of Doma, such as was ordered. Zenos yae Galvus: Listen well. Zenos yae Galvus: If you yield Doma to the rebels, you will not be given another chance to beg forgiveness. Zenos yae Galvus: Do your duty. Now. Or die with the rest of them. Grynewaht: A-Are you all right, my lady? That was uncalled for... Yotsuyu: They say your Eorzean is helping the rebels. Yotsuyu: I want her dead. I want her friends dead. I want the heads of everyone she knows and loves mounted on the castle walls! Grynewaht: You mean...you mean I can finally go after her? Grynewaht: Bwahahahaha! I've been waiting for this chance! I promise you, my lady─
she won't escape this time! Not this time, oh no!
Meanwhile, in the fringes of Gyr Abania... ??? (Estinien): Aye, this is the place. ??? (Estinien): ...When his shade was banished, you swore to leave this life behind.
And yet here you are... Estinien: Yet if this be the work of the Eyes, what choice do you have but to end it? <sigh> Or so the boy would say. Damn you, Alphinaud.
Here There Be Xaela Yugiri is ready to guide you to the Azim Steppe.
Yugiri: If all are ready, let us depart for Reunion in the Azim Steppe. Yugiri: Our route will be somewhat circuitous. We will need to return to the Ruby Sea and head north along the coast, past Isari...
Yugiri: From here we will turn north until we arrive at a cave, through which we must pass in order to reach the Azim Steppe. Yugiri: Lyse and Gosetsu have already gone on ahead. We should carry on as well.
Lyse: I remember the emptiness. Vast and endless.
The Azim Steppe, home to countless roaming tribes. Lyse: A sacred land watched over by elder gods. Here we would find Doma's salvation. Lyse: With the wind at our backs we walked on. In search of hope. In search of him.
Yugiri: I give you the Azim Steppe, Forename. Though I should say that this is but one small portion of it. Yugiri: Despite the close proximity, Domans rarely venture this far north. Most find these lands and their people strange and foreign... Yugiri: Fortunately, those who frequent Reunion are more welcoming than most. Come─it is not much further.
Yugiri: Welcome to Reunion, my friends. Here is where we will begin our search for Lord Hien.
The Search for Lord Hien Yugiri has a simple plan for finding Lord Hien.
Yugiri: When last I spoke with Lord Hien, he said he spent much time in these markets. I had hoped we might find him here today, but alas... Lyse: Hey, Yugiri, I've been meaning to ask─there are an awful lot of Xaela here, aren't there? Yugiri: Oh, I assumed you knew. The Azim Steppe has been home to the nomadic tribes of the Xaela since antiquity. Yugiri: More than fifty roam these lands, and though they do not constitute a nation, there is a hierarchy of sorts, determined through ritual combat. Lyse: Funny... If they're so busy fighting each other, you'd think the Empire would be able to march in and take the Steppe with ease. I wonder why they haven't... Gosetsu: Why indeed, Lyse? Why indeed... Gosetsu: Perhaps they see little value in it, especially given the fierce reputation of the Xaela warriors who would fight tooth and nail to oppose them. Yugiri: These lands were not made for men. The soil is thin, and the weather unforgiving. Yugiri: The Xaela found ways to survive, it is true. But they are made of sterner stuff than most imperials─conscript or citizen. Lyse: Thanks for taking the time to explain. It sounds like I've got a lot to learn. Later, I mean. We're meant to be looking for Hien! Yugiri: People from many tribes gather in Reunion to trade goods and information. I should be surprised if we cannot learn something of value here. Yugiri: Let us make our inquiries separately. Forename, why don't you speak with some of the merchants here?
Chambui: Buuz! Fresh buuz! Your choice of lamb or dzo! Guaranteed to satisfy! How many will you have, miss? Chambui: Eh? A Doman? Unless another Dazkar is keeping him in her yurt, he is not here. More fool her if she took a Doman for a husband. Chambui: But enough about Domans─let us speak of buuz instead! You cannot come to the Azim Steppe and not sample this most traditional of delicacies!
Yesui: What fortune you have to come hither at this time! Freshly slaughtered, every cut available on request. Organs too─hearts, livers, brains. Or a brace of blood sausages, if you desire only a snack! Yesui: A Doman? Poor meat they make, Domans─ I jest, I jest. Hmm...I did see a young Mol in the company of one some few days ago...
Baidur: Roasted fish with pumpkin! An exotic foreign delicacy, cooked to perfection, beloved without the Steppe! Come, come! Baidur: You seek Domans? Then you are come to the wrong place, my friend. Delicious as my foodstuffs are, they find little favor with those from the south. Baidur: Now, if it were Goro you were looking for, on the other hand, then I might be able to help you. They flock to my stall!
Goro Horsemaster: I have brought you a new brush, my beloved. So smooth and silky your mane shall be─the envy of every other man... Goro Horsemaster: Hm? Say again? You are seeking who? Goro Horsemaster: Ah, the Doman. I know of whom you speak. He comes and goes with a Mol girl. Goro Horsemaster: Though I could not describe her. I only know that she is Mol because I heard them talking as they passed.
Narengawa: I am Ura, if you must know. Come down from the mountains in the north. If there is nothing else...
Ucugen: You take me for a Mol!? I am Oronir! Compare me not with ones so weak and lowly!
Cirina: ...Yes? I am Mol. My name is Cirina. May I help you?
Cirina: Oh... Oh, I see. You are looking for Hien. In that case─ Masgud: How urgent this business must be to leave our conversation unfinished! Masgud: The kinsai. Will you buy it? There is but one bundle left. If not, then─ Cirina: I will, I will! Though I had not thought to pay so high a price... Masgud: It is a bargain for which you should be grateful. If you lack the coin, then the fault is your own, and you will leave with nothing. Cirina: Please, I must have the kinsai! The gods themselves requested it! We are bound to their will! Masgud: ...Pay me the difference in whisperroot. I will sell it to the next apothecary to pass through Reunion, and we will each feel fairly treated. Masgud: But do not tarry. Should another come before you, coin in hand, I will not refuse him. Cirina: I understand. Thank you for this kindness! Cirina: I am sorry, but we must speak of Hien later. I cannot leave Reunion without that kinsai...
A Season for War Cirina does not usually depend on the kindness of strangers, but will gladly make an exception today.
Cirina: You...you want to help me, is that it? Cirina: I do not know what to say... Thank you, Forename, thank you! Cirina: The lumbering ones we must fell wander the plains to the west of Reunion. If we each harvest two, then we should have enough whisperroot. Cirina: Return here when you have finished. Good luck!
Cirina: Welcome back, Forename. Have you brought the whisperroot?
Whisperroot A common, if valued, ingredient in Xaela medicines.
Cirina: Blessed is he who shows kindness to strangers, for with fortune does he ever ride. Cirina: Will this quantity suffice? Masgud: It shall. The kinsai is yours. Masgud: The gods favor you more than you know, child. Udgan rarely have need of such herbs, and so my stock is limited. Had you come a day earlier or later, I would have none for you. Cirina: Perhaps the gods guided me here, as they guided Grandmother. As they guided this woman from the West... Lyse: Hey! How goes the search? Any luck? Gosetsu: Ho, what fortune to meet a friend of the young master! Yugiri: Well met, Cirina. If you have an inkling as to the current whereabouts of Lord Hien, we should be most grateful for your assistance. Cirina: Oh, please... It is I who should be grateful. ??? (Koko): Hold! What is this!? I came first─you second! Impetuous Warrior (Baatu): Know you to whom you speak? All people of the Steppe should. Or have you fought so much that you have forgotten the face of your superiors? Derring-do Dandy (Koko): Superiors!? I spit on your superiority, little prince. Twisted and mad as sand devils, your kind are! Lyse: Those two don't seem to like each other very much... Cirina: Those boys are of the Oronir and Dotharl. The two strongest tribes. Cirina: The Children of Azim are destined to rule. So they declare to all who will listen. Their word is law─for now. Cirina: Grand, flamboyant fighters...but deadly. Very deadly. He prances as a horse, as do his brothers after their many recent victories. Cirina: The undying ones too are strong. Fearless and vicious, they often reigned in the past. Now, they are sorely tested. Cirina: Ah, the master of the markets. He is Qestir. Cirina: To fight in Reunion is forbidden, and to break the peace is to be banished forever. This he says without words, for words are lies to the Qestir.
They do not speak. Lyse: That's...interesting. And all these different tribes share the same lands, do they? No wonder it's tense... Derring-do Dandy (Koko): Hmph! I shall look for you on the field at the Naadam. Mark my words! Impetuous Warrior (Baatu): Hah hah hah! As shall I! Mayhap I shall take eleven more Dotharl heads to make a dozen with yours. I look forward to the day. Yugiri: Their dispute will be settled at the “Naadam”? Cirina: A great battle held on the final day of the Tsagaan Sar. Cirina: During this time, all bonds of hierarchy are broken. All Xaela are equal and free to prepare for the fight. Cirina: The tribe which triumphs in the Naadam rules until the next Tsagaan Sar. Cirina: Which, in these lands, is now. Yugiri: Ah, so that is what they call the custom. I presume your tribe will also be taking part? Cirina: Not all seek the Dawn Throne. Some are satisfied with their lot.
Others, like the Qestir, have reason to remain neutral. Cirina: The Mol are lambs among wolves. Long were we content to remain apart and live quietly, but... Cirina: Never mind that! You seek Hien, yes? I know where he may be.
An Impossible Dream Cirina knows where you might find Lord Hien.
Cirina: Long ago, my grandmother, having received a vision from the gods, bade me go forth into the southern mountains. It was there that I found Hien, near death from many wounds. Cirina: I brought him to our village, and there we nursed him back to health. Afterwards, he chose to remain, that he might repay us for our kindness. Cirina: Domans set much store by honor and shame, so at first I did not question it... Cirina: Excuse me. If I could see your map for a moment... Here─he has grown fond of this place. It affords him a view of the markets and the Steppe. Cirina: I would accompany you, but I must return to our village to prepare my grandmother's meal. Thank you again for your assistance! Yugiri: Our long-awaited reunion is at hand! Come, my friends─let us go and greet our lord and master!
Gosetsu: The kami are merciful! My lord Hien, I see you are alive and well! Hien: Ah... You are come sooner than expected. Hien: So. My blade or my head. Which would you have of me? Yugiri: The people of Yanxia remain loyal to Doma. I have seen the fire in their eyes─they are ready to rise up and fight. Yugiri: The time is ripe, my lord.
Return with us, blade in hand, and lead Doma to freedom. Hien: Naught less than liberty will suffice, then? A pity. It will prove far more difficult to deliver than my head. Hien: But if my people wish to pursue an impossible dream, then who am I to deny them? Hien: Yugiri! Gosetsu! And...uh...? Yugiri: The Scions of the Seventh Dawn, my lord─good and true friends who opened their hearts and homes to us when we fled to Eorzea. Yugiri: Far across the sea they have journeyed to stand with us in the fight for Doman liberation─to oppose the Empire, as they have in the West, where they are lauded as heroes for their many deeds─ Hien: Say no more, Yugiri. Say no more. Hien: I observed how you helped Cirina, to whom I am deeply indebted. For that, and for the aid you provided my people, you have my deepest gratitude. Hien: There is no doubting your strength, nor your character.
It would be my honor to fight by your side. Hien: So. What of Doma? Arise, my friends, and tell me of our home. Hien: I have made my decision. Yugiri, I bid you return to Yanxia and take charge of our forces in preparation for my homecoming. As for our esteemed guests, I would ask that you remain here with me. I sense you will be a great help in the coming days. Yugiri: Your will is my command, my lord, but...how much longer do you intend to stay? Hien: Oh, only until I have won the contest. I mean to return at the head of a Xaela army. Yugiri: You mean to participate in the Naadam? Hien: Have you a better idea? Consider how soundly we were defeated before. The imperials may have since grown weaker, but we are weaker still. Hien: 'Twould be folly to challenge them without first supplementing our forces.
So yes, I intend to win the Naadam and enlist the aid of every able-bodied
Xaela I can! Hien: Furthermore, by championing the Mol in the contest, I can at last repay their kindness. Lest you forget, they saved me from certain death─and a man who suffers such debts to go unpaid is without honor and unfit to lead. Gosetsu: Hah hah hah! Just so, just so. Gosetsu: Our lord has spoken, Yugiri. But take heart─I shall keep him safe...and should it come to it, bring him back by force. Yugiri: This is no laughing matter, Gosetsu. But if these are my orders... Very well. Yugiri: Once more I place my faith in you. Pray look after them both. Lyse: Looks like it's up to us, then... Though it does seem a bit risky. Isn't Hien meant to be the next king of Doma or something? Hien: So they say...though, in truth, I am but a pale reflection of my late father. All the more reason to entreat your assistance. Hien: For ours is an impossible dream─to set in motion a revolution that will rattle the very firmament, and shake off the yoke of the most powerful empire in the world!
Hien: Forename Surname, was it? Once again, allow me to thank you for your many deeds in service to Doma. Hien: For twenty-five years did my father rule in name only. My rule─if one would deign to call it that─has been naught in comparison. Hien: That changes now. We have a purpose and a plan, and after we take to the battlefield together, we will have victory as well. Hien: But you are a practical woman. I can tell. Disinclined to trust in words when actions speak truer. I can relate...
Stars in the Dark Hien is, if nothing else, an optimist at heart.
Hien: So─you too have heard of the Naadam. Hien: “The great battle for supremacy of the Steppe.” I learned of it during my stay with the Mol. Hien: To my knowledge no foreigners have ever participated, much less triumphed in a Naadam. But, lack of precedent notwithstanding, I should think we would have good standing to bid them march with us to Doma─should we win. Gosetsu: Will they even permit us to fight, my lord? We belong to no tribe of the Steppe. Hien: We are not without options, given what Cirina has told me. Hien: You see, in accordance with the gods' wishes, her people shall participate in the coming Naadam... Hien: ...And when they take the field, I mean for us to fight alongside them as fellow warriors of the Mol. Hien: But we need not discuss this at length here. Come, let us head north to Mol Iloh, where Cirina and her people have made camp for this season.
Hien: My friends, I give you Mol Iloh! Hien: The khatun of the tribe, Temulun, resides in the largest yurt. We should go and make our introductions.
Temulun: At last, the traveler comes... Hien: Temulun Khatun, Cirina, I am returned. Cirina: Ah, you found each other! Temulun: Ours is the soil, Hien. The Doman's and the Eorzeans', too. Lyse: You know us? Temulun: The gods know you, child...as do the stars in the heavens, which shone bright at your coming. Cirina: The Mol hearken to the whispers of the elder gods, which guide us in our daily lives. We know them through the udgan─like my grandmother. Hien: Khatun, I am come to beg a boon of you and yours. That I might liberate my homeland, I seek to rally the strength of the Steppe. Hien: To that end, I wish to fight in the Naadam─as a warrior of the Mol.
Will you grant me this honor? Cirina: To stand with the Mol is fruitless! Hien, do not do this! The gods may have willed that our tribe join in the Naadam, but... Cirina: There is no path to victory! We are weak and our numbers few. Even with your help, it would be impossible. Hien: I thank you for your concern, Cirina. But it is precisely because of the seeming hopelessness of your cause that we must needs cast our lot with you. Hien: Were we to join hands with a more favored tribe, our victory would inevitably be attributed to them. And no one would follow me to Doma. Temulun: 'Twas the gods' will that we fight. Mayhap this too is their design. Temulun: Hear me, then.
As khatun of the Mol, I invite you all to join with us in the Naadam. Temulun: Will you look after them? Cirina: Come with me, friends. There is much I would show you. Temulun: You, wait. I would have words. Temulun: A singular radiance. Shimmering.
Like a jewel of the Dusk Mother, blinding in its brilliance. Temulun: Stars flicker and flock to you. Before such gathered light, even the secrets of the gods may be laid bare. Temulun: Some are fated to rise in grace and glory. Others to falter and fade, though not from memory. Both will be your strength and salvation come the end. Temulun: Cherish the stars and the light they bring you in the dark.
For you are a traveler, are you not?
Cirina: ...Thank you all for coming, and for offering to fight with us in the Naadam. Though I still fear our chances grim, I am grateful for your assistance. Cirina: To be recognized as warriors of the Mol, there is a trial you must overcome. Cirina: But before we speak of such things, there is another, more pressing matter!
A Warrior's Welcome Cirina would impress upon you the gravity of the path you walk.
Cirina: ...Thank you all for coming, and for offering to fight with us in the Naadam. Though I still fear our chances grim, I am grateful for your assistance. Cirina: To be recognized as warriors of the Mol, there is a trial you must overcome. Cirina: But before we speak of such things, there is another, more pressing matter! Cirina: My friends. I must warn you. The path upon which you embark is fraught with peril. Cirina: You will journey unto the far reaches of the Steppe to confront a terrible foe, as did the warrior Bardam in days of yore. Three days he battled with the demon ere he returned to his people. So it is written, so must it be. Cirina: Many who follow in his footsteps perish, lacking in strength of body and mind. Therefore... Cirina: We must treat you to a great feast! Cirina: Have...have I said something strange? The hungry fox starves staring at the bull's testicles, therefore warriors should be well fed on the eve of battle! Hien: She does have a point. You have been keeping busy in my absence. A brief repast may be in order, lest we collapse of fatigue and malnourishment in the midst of our trial. Cirina: Yes, just so! However, it will take time to prepare. Lyse: Is there anything we can do to help? It might also give us a chance to learn more about your people and their ways. Cirina: Well, if you insist, I am sure that the others would be glad of your assistance. Cirina: Hmm... Would you go and speak with Dorbei, Lyse? Cirina: As for you three─you can help me with another task. Cirina: For today's feast the gods decreed that we lure gulo gulo to slaughter with entrails. Perhaps you could be the ones to do this? Gosetsu: That your people look to the gods for guidance I understand, but in your daily meals! I say, your grandmother must be quite busy. Cirina: Some days more than others. But every night we come together around the cookfire. Hien: Even babes must earn their keep on the Steppe. Give over the entrails, Cirina. We will bring you a bounty of meat!
Hien: A word of advice. Our quarry is wont to avoid the Xaela and their settlements, but is fond of flowing waters... Hien: Hmm. A thought occurs to me. How about we make a game of it, Forename? Hien: I have six bags of entrails with which we may lure our gulo gulo. Three for you, and three for me. Hien: Whoever returns with the greater portion shall be declared the winner. What say you? Hien: Then it is settled! Gosetsu will stand as witness. Let the game begin!
The watchtowers of Mol Iloh are still visible in the distance. It seems unlikely that gulo gulo would venture this close...
  • Use the entrails to erect a lure here?
  • Yes
  • No
Sack of Entrails Few gulo gulo can resist the lure of delicious, tasty entrails.
Hoofprints and wagon tracks are unmistakable in the earth. Perhaps there are gulo gulo lurking nearby...
  • Use the entrails to erect a lure here?
  • Yes
  • No
Sack of Entrails Few gulo gulo can resist the lure of delicious, tasty entrails.
This area appears to be isolated and far from any Xaela settlement. There may be many gulo gulo lurking nearby...
  • Use the entrails to erect a lure here?
  • Yes
  • No
Sack of Entrails Few gulo gulo can resist the lure of delicious, tasty entrails.
The river winds its way south, the waters churning with the gentle current. There may be many gulo gulo lurking nearby...
  • Use the entrails to erect a lure here?
  • Yes
  • No
Sack of Entrails Few gulo gulo can resist the lure of delicious, tasty entrails.
Gosetsu: Oh, have you used all your bait? In that case, let us see the fruits of your labor! Hien: Ho! It would seem that, at the very least, you are the faster hunter. Hien: But speed is not everything. For my part, I slew six gulo gulo! Gosetsu: Aye, that you have, my lord. As for Forename... Gosetsu: The meat of eight gulo gulo did she bring! A fine day's work, and undeniably the greater portion. Hien: Bah! A loss, is it? And how confident I was in my chances. Hien: Nevertheless, it is a testament to your skills as a hunter and a warrior. How fortunate I am to count one so talented among my allies! Hien: And with that, our game is concluded. Let us return to Mol Iloh forthwith─and let us have Forename present our meat to Cirina. Hien: Mayhap you are unfamiliar with traditional Xaela cuisine? Let not its appearance deceive you─it is quite hearty and nourishing. Hien: Were it not so, I doubt they could have nursed me back to health. Heh heh, you should have seen the state I was in...
Cirina: You are returned, Forename. How was your hunt?
Sack of Gulo Gulo Meat Few things should impress Cirina more than a sack of blood-soaked meat taken from freshly slaughtered gulo gulo.
Cirina: My word, this is impressive! Or were you so hungry that you felt the need to kill so many? Cirina: Well! I shall endeavor not to disappoint you all with my cooking!
The Heart of Nations If you wish for employment, Cirina has a suggestion.
Cirina: It will be a little while before the meal is ready. If you and Lyse wish to fill the time, perhaps you could assist Dorbei? Cirina: He has many responsibilities, and would welcome your help. Nor would you regret making his acquaintance, for he is liked and respected by all. Cirina: You may find him by the other yurt, taking stock of our supplies.
Dorbei: Ah. One of the newcomers. Welcome. I spoke with Lyse. Dorbei: I bade her help the children gather fuel for the cookfires. I trust it will be a good experience for all. Dorbei: For you too, perhaps. Seek them in the south, across the bridge.
Lyse: Oh, Forename! Are you here to help too? Lyse: Great! So...I suppose Dorbei told you that the children and I are gathering “fuel” for the fires, did he? Lyse: It'll need to be dried before they can burn it, of course. You, um...you do understand what we're here for, right? Only, some people can be a bit squeamish about this sort of stuff. Lyse: Then again, you've never minded getting your hands dirty, have you? Anyway, we're trying to get four piles each. Good luck! And keep an eye on the children while you're at it, eh?
Lyse: Well? Have you found your share yet?
Dung It is what it is.
Lyse: Good work. I hope you took the time to talk to the children while you were at it. Boisterous Mol Boy: Lyse! Lyse! Look how much dung we have! Lyse: Wow, I'm impressed! I thought we'd gathered a lot, but it looks like we'll have to admit defeat! Willowy Mol Girl: Dorbei will be happy we found enough... Bright-eyed Mol Girl: Not just Dorbei! Now we can continue making cheese! Not that I was worried─it was easier when we were living near that forest, but dung works just as well as wood. Lyse: I heard the Mol move from place to place─that the gods tell you where to go. That must be hard on you all... Boisterous Mol Boy: Hard? I do not understand. Why is it hard? Boisterous Mol Boy: It is better for the animals to move─to have more food to eat and land to roam. To stay in one place is harder, no? Reserved Mol Boy: ...From the heavens comes the rain which nourishes the soil. From the soil comes the grass which nourishes the beast. From the beast comes the flesh which nourishes the Xaela. Ours is the soil of one and all. Bright-eyed Mol Girl: But you Westerners are like the Domans─you live in the same place. In villages. And all the villages in one place are part of a “nation,” yes? Bright-eyed Mol Girl: Hien talks about nations sometimes. When he was injured, he spoke of Doma in his sleep, but I did not understand his words. Willowy Mol Girl: Whenever I ask him about Doma, he just smiles and looks to the south... Willowy Mol Girl: It reminds me of my mother when she waits for my father to return from a long journey... But Hien will not wait any longer, will he? Because you came for him. To take him back...because his nation is more important... Lyse: Um...I'm not sure how to answer this... Lyse: A nation...is a place, I suppose. A place...and the people in it...and maybe the things, too... Lyse: But more than that, it's the history, the traditions, the words. The stories we tell ourselves and our children. Everything that came before and everything that comes after. Lyse: The place we were born is part of who we are. We carry it with us, no matter where we go. Whoever...whatever we become, that part remains─that link to our fathers and their fathers before them... Lyse: It's...it's not important to everyone, I suppose, and that's fine. But it's important to Hien. And to me. Reserved Mol Boy: ...Some call the Mol fools for listening to the elder gods, but it is our way. Our pride. Our...nation? Lyse: Something like that. It's something precious that you and others share─and that no one can ever take from you. Lyse: But we can talk more about it later! It's time to go home. Dorbei is waiting! Lyse: I'll stay with the children. Why not go and let Cirina know how we got on?
Cirina: Welcome back, Forename. Did you speak with Dorbei? Cirina: Well, well! Then you will forgive me if I ask you to wash your hands. I shall pour you a cup of milk tea in the meantime. Cirina: The meal is almost ready, so we should summon Hien and Gosetsu...
Cirina: She needed the rest. To come so far and carry so much... Cirina: Hien and his friend, too. Strange that they should vanish so soon.
Hien: Hah! Haaagh! Gosetsu: Not troubled by your old wounds, I see. Hien: Hm. Nor you by yours. Hien: I know I should have fled with the others after Father died, instead of blindly fighting on. Hien: It was reckless and foolish, and there was naught to be gained from it. Everything to lose, rather... Gosetsu: We know no path save the one we walk. I myself am in no hurry to meet those who have gone before─not while I have still to make amends. Hien: Well said. Gosetsu: You are none the worse for your time in the wilderness. On the contrary,
I would say you have improved. Hien: Come now, your victories still far exceed mine. Or have you forgotten all the times you trounced me as a boy? Gosetsu: I...feared I would not see you again. Hien: A life so fortuitously saved should be spent wisely. Without regret would I have traded it for our people's amnesty, had it been their will. Hien: Instead they have called for the sword, and so that is what I must be.
Until this blade is broken, I can but carve a path forward. Hien: ...Were you truly so concerned for my well-being?
You never showed it when we used to spar. Gosetsu: How you cried when you lost. And when your mother tried to comfort you. And when you inevitably came at me once more, swinging your wooden sword wildly... Gosetsu: Mina's little Master Shun. What a fine young man you've become! Hien: A man should not be addressed by his childhood name.
I've told you about that before! Hien: Ah, the mask slips! And I was so close to cultivating a winning persona. Gosetsu: There will be opportunity enough for putting on airs after you have returned in triumph to Doma. Now is the time to show our true character.
  • What will you say?
  • No secrets between comrades, eh? Hien: Quite right! Which makes me think you should join us next time. I daresay you have a secret or two of your own to share!
  • “Shun”, was it? Hien: ...Yes, yes, 'tis a name my parents gave me as a child—but I should like to think I have long since outgrown it! Hien: But as you seem determined to bring it back into use, I believe a match is in order. If I win, you will be honor-bound to divulge one of your darkest secrets.
  • So long as we win when it counts. Hien: Oh, you need not doubt my conviction. I have but one goal, to which I am wholly devoted. Join us next time, and you shall see for yourself!
Hien: Well, my friends! I for one am full of vim and vigor! I trust you feel the same? Hien: Then what better time than now to undertake our trial, and become full-fledged warriors of the Mol!
A Trial Before the Trial Hien is ready to become a warrior of the Steppe.
Hien: Now then, Cirina, if you would tell us of the trial we must undertake that we might participate in the Naadam. Cirina: Ah, yes! As I mentioned before, to be recognized as warriors of the Steppe, one must follow in the footsteps of the legendary warrior Bardam. Cirina: He embarked on a great pilgrimage, eschewing cart and horse, and walked for many malms until he came to a holy place, thereafter named Bardam's Mettle. There, at the altar, as he did, you must pray. Cirina: The altar lies deep within the breeding grounds of the yol. To complete your trial, you must tame one. Only then will your trial be complete. Hien: Fair enough. And where is the entrance to Bardam's Mettle? Cirina: You must journey far, far to the west─beyond Chakha Zoh, where lie the bones of a great and wise woman. Cirina: Beyond the ruins of Ceol Aen, hidden within the mountains is a narrow pass. Follow it, and you will come to Bardam's Mettle. Lyse: Sounds to me like it'll be a trial just getting to the trial... Cirina: More than you may know. On the eve of the Naadam, many strive to improve their fortunes─some by abducting and enslaving the warriors of other tribes. Cirina: Be ever mindful of your surroundings, lest you be taken as well. Hien: Hah! What grim expressions you wear while nodding so powerfully! Warriors such as you are not like to fall en route to a mere rite of passage. Hien: We shall proceed with all due caution, yes, but let us not worry overmuch. Hien: We will overcome this trial, and the next, and the next, until we stand triumphant. That is all there is to it, no? Hien: With me, my friends! To the west! To Bardam's Mettle! Cirina: W-Wait, Hien! Oh dear. I knew I would forget. Cirina: Here─take these whistles. Once tamed, your yol will hearken to their call. Lyse: Thanks. We'll try them out once we've finished the trial. Lyse: Let's catch up to Hien and Gosetsu!
Lyse: We still have a long way to go, but I think I can see that monument Cirina talked about. Lyse: I don't see Hien or Gosetsu, though. We should hurry!
Lyse: Hey...I don't know about you, but I can't shake the feeling someone's watching us. Lyse: Cirina did warn us about tribes that kidnap warriors and make them fight for them. Something tells me we're about to meet them...
Hien: Ah, there you are. As you can see, they left us little choice. Hien: I gather you were forced to dispatch a few yourself? So it goes. A few less warriors to face in the Naadam, eh? Hien: Ceol Aen is not much further. That said, I should be surprised if our would-be masters do not try to subdue us one final time...
Hien: Right. This must be the pass that leads to Bardam's Mettle. Hien: They say no foreigners have overcome this trial, but, well, there is a first time for everything, no?
In the Footsteps of Bardam the Brave Hien is ready to undertake the challenge of Bardam's Mettle.
Hien: Nothing left but to begin, then. Hien: To complete the trial, we must pass through Bardam's Mettle and each tame a yol. How precisely we are to do this, I am not sure, but since countless warriors before us have succeeded, I imagine we'll muddle through somehow... Hien: But enough talk! We have a Naadam to win!

Bardam's Mettle

If you are to participate in the Naadam, and fight alongside the Mol, you must first be recognized as a warrior of the Steppe. To earn this honor, you will be required to complete a rite of passage involving walking in the footsteps of the legendary hero Bardam and taming a yol. Each must do this by themselves, of course, and so you shall...though if by pure coincidence some of your fellow adventurers happened to have made the long journey to the Far East, and simply insisted on accompanying you...surely no one would be any the wiser?
Hien: This day, we shall be warriors born anew! Gosetsu: Hear, hear!
The Dusk Visage: Thus spoke Nhaama: “Hunters in whose veins flows moonlight, show me your mettle!” The Dusk Visage: Pass, blood of my blood, for you are of the Dusk and of the Steppe.
Hien: Nice of them to afford us the chance to limber up.
The Dawn Visage: Thus spoke Azim: “Warriors in whose veins flows sunlight, show me your mettle!” The Dawn Visage: Pass, blood of my blood, for you are of the Dawn and of the Steppe.
Gosetsu: It appears these beasts are our next test. Hien: No mistaking who the leader is. Hien: That creature was utterly fearless. Gosetsu: Aye, a warrior in its own right.
Gosetsu: That such a place should exist in the Steppe!
Gosetsu: The stone is alive! What sorcery is this!? Hien: Whatever it is, it's ingenious!
Gosetsu: What an enormous foe! Bardam: Yea, you who would walk after Bardam! He who was strong as the earth, swift as a horse, brave as the thunder! Bardam: You who would become Warriors of the Steppe!
With death will you dance! Bardam: The first trial is upon you... Bardam: Be not deceived by demons... Hien: Nothing to it! Bardam: The second trial is upon you... Bardam: Be not tempted to rest, but fly across the Steppe as the wind... Hien: It certainly kept us on our toes! Bardam: The third trial is upon you... Be not afraid of falling stars... Bardam: Yea, you worthy successors of Bardam! Yours is the Steppe and everything in it! Gosetsu: Whew, such a scramble that was...
Gosetsu: After that dip, I'm glad for the warmth of the torches.
Gosetsu: This bird motif... Hien: I daresay we are come to the yol's nest!
Gosetsu: 'Twould seem we've reached the path's end.
Lyse: Well fought back there, Forename. Things got hairy at times, but I knew we'd manage! Lyse: Oh, right. I've still got those whistles Cirina gave me. Lyse: Here's yours. I suppose we ought to give them a try like she said. Lyse: Up there, look! Lyse: I think that means we've won them over. That one there is yours, right? The other one is mine. Awww... Lyse: So that's that, then! We're officially warriors of the Steppe!
The Children of Azim Lyse is eager to return triumphant to Mol Iloh.
Lyse: Well, we've done what we came to do. Let's head back to Mol Iloh.
Hien: That massive monstrosity was quite the surprise, was it not? Who knew that the Steppe held such secrets! Hien: And with that, there is naught left to prevent us from taking part in the Naadam. Impetuous Warrior: You! Yea, you who have walked Bardam's Mettle. Newborn warriors of the Steppe. Our khan demands an audience. You will come. Lyse: I remember those clothes. He's Oronir, isn't he? What should we do? Hien: Ordinarily, I would politely decline. But this may be an opportunity to assess their strength, and we do have some time before the Naadam begins... Hien: If it all goes to plan, they will be fighting for us soon enough. What say you? Shall we go and greet our comrades-to-be?
  • What will you say?
  • Why not?
  • If you insist...
Lyse: Whatever happens, we shouldn't keep Cirina and the others waiting.
Let's be ready to make a swift exit, all right? Hien: We accept your khan's generous invitation. Lead the way.
Lyse: Two banners... So it's not just Oronir we're dealing with... Impetuous Warrior: Most radiant brother Magnai. We have brought the ones you seek. Magnai: You conquered Bardam's Mettle. Hien: As warriors of the Mol, aye. You are the khan here, yes? Why have you summoned us? Mayhap to propose a joint endeavor? Magnai: Nay, Doman. We shall not speak as equals. Born of the Sun are Oronir, and born of the earth are you. Magnai: When I learned of trespassers, I bade my warriors take their measure.
To flay them if they failed. Magnai: But if by the grace of Azim they should survive their trials and emerge anointed, then bring them hither to pay tribute. Magnai: Tribute, should it prove satisfactory, shall earn you the favor of the Sun. His beloved shall bask in his radiance, and their supplications be duly considered. Lyse: So you want us to bow down and serve you. What if we don't feel like it? Magnai: The defiant will suffer in shadow. It would be an affront to the resplendent Azim himself to refuse this generous offer when by rights you should be condemned. But, in lieu of tribute... Magnai: Swear fealty to the Sun. Pledge to him your body and soul. Promise to serve him unto death, and you may know his glory. Magnai: A generous offer granted to but few...though perchance this is too merciful. Magnai: Hm. It seems our brothers of the Buduga want you. Magnai: The men only. Magnai: Like the Borlaaq and women─though you know them not either, I am sure. No matter. All you need know is that you will serve, one way or another. Hien: That much does indeed seem plain. However, as we are but newborn warriors who know little of your customs, we struggle to conceive of ways in which we might be of service to the most gracious and illustrious Sun. Magnai: You make mock of us, Doman. Do not do so again. Magnai: You will be given a task. It will be difficult. You will carry it out. When you have accepted this, you may ask me what it is.
Magnai: ...Were I Buduga, I might take offense. Magnai: But I know better than to dismiss a woman outright. You demonstrate boldness...or recklessness. Time will tell. Magnai: The Naadam approaches, and the Oronir will reign supreme once more. Such is the will of Father Azim. Magnai: Yet only fools think to triumph by the grace of the gods alone─and we are not fools. Magnai: Your task will be to aid us in our preparations. Baatu will tell you the rest.
The Labors of Magnai Baatu shall tell you how you might serve the Oronir.
Baatu: Warriors of the Steppe! By the grace of our most radiant brother, you will not die this day, but instead be granted an opportunity to contribute to our cause. Baatu: Rejoice, for this is a great honor indeed. Serve well, and you will be rewarded. Lyse: Question! You keep calling Magnai your “most radiant brother.” You're not related or something, are you? Baatu: ...All Oronir are descendants of Father Azim. But if you mean to ask if our mothers are one and the same, then no. The most radiant is the elder brother to we younger─the strongest and most deserving of respect. Baatu: No more interruptions! Your duties are as follows. Baatu: You, the red woman. You will milk our beasts. To grow strong, one must be well fed, and we have great need of kumis and cheese. Lyse: ...Is that it? I mean, I'm not happy about all this, but I suppose I can go along for now. Baatu: You, the one who lumbers as a mountain... Hm. An old warrior, I see. We have arms and armor in need of repair. Go and speak with our menders. Gosetsu: I have no talent for delicate work, but if that is your wish, then so be it. Baatu: You, the insolent fool. As for you─ Daidukul: This one carries the fire. The Buduga would take his measure. Daidukul: Seek my comrade outside tending to the stores. He will give you your task. You will know him by his cloth─unlike they of the yellow, we are of the green. Hien: I, for one, would welcome the opportunity to learn more of the Buduga and their ways. It would be an honor! Baatu: ...We shall speak of your task outside. With me.
Baatu: Your name, foreigner? Baatu: ...Forename, then. You are to dive into Azim Khaat, below the Dawn Throne, and gather swordgrass from the lakebed. Baatu: It is an invaluable ingredient in many medicines. Eight bundles will you bring. Baatu: You will need to dive deep to obtain that which you seek...but that shall pose no trouble for a true warrior, no? Baatu: Some say that the dominion of the Dawn Father and the Dusk Mother does not extend beneath the water. But ours does. Indeed, the Oronir fear naught above nor below. Baatu: Speak with the guard to descend. We shall speak again when you have finished.
Oroniri Spearson: Yes, yes, I know who you are. You wish to go below?
  • Leave the Dawn Throne?
  • Yes
  • No
Baatu: She returns, and with swordgrass in hand?
Swordgrass So named for its long, narrow shape, this plant thrives in the depths of Azim Khaat.
Baatu: ...That you would immerse yourself in the depths is a testament to your bravery. Well done. Baatu: Lest you wonder, we will use it to prepare potions to induce paralysis. In the Naadam, we must use every means at our disposal to delay our foes. Baatu: He who inscribes his deeds upon the sacred ground shall be declared the victor. However, none may know this place until the Gharl have scattered the soil. Baatu: It matters not. We shall be swift as stallions and fierce as baras. The Steppe will be ours once more! Baatu: Your tribute is accepted. We will return to the most radiant, and you may beg a boon.
Magnai: ...Am I to understand you have completed your tasks? Hien: I know not what yours was, but mine was surprisingly simple. Hien: They bade me carry various goods and sundries from storehouse to storehouse. Alas, it was difficult to learn much with all the Buduga swarming around me... Magnai: You dove deep into the waters to harvest swordgrass? I see. That is well. Hien: Most radiant brother Magnai, we have given you tribute, as demanded. Were we to beg leave to depart with our comrades, would you consent? Magnai: We never intended to press you into our service, and tribute offered in good faith cannot be denied. To grant you naught in return would be an affront to Father Azim. Magnai: However, the boon must be proportional to the supplications. What you ask far exceeds what you have earned. Hien: ...Then if we must remain here, would you at least permit us to learn more of your people and your ways? Hien: Temulun Khatun taught me but a fraction, you see... Hien: How this world born of the gods was to be their battlefield, their creations to fight in their stead. Hien: How Azim, Father of the Dawn, he who birthed the sun, and Nhaama, Mother of the Dusk, she who birthed the moon, made the Au Ra... Hien: Yet though these children warred for a time, eventually they laid down their arms and came to love one another. And so the gods bequeathed this world to their children, and ascended to the heavens whence they came. Hien: Those born of the Dawn Father were called the Raen, and those born of the Dusk Mother were called the Xaela. So it was and ever after. Hien: But I say to you, Brother Magnai─how can this be? How can Oronir be the children of Azim, if they are Xaela born of Nhaama? Magnai: ...You amuse me, Doman. How you wield your ignorance as a weapon. Magnai: Very well. I bid you speak with our elders and learn the truth of this world.
For Love of the Moon Hien would know more of your captors and their ways.
Hien: ...I know what you're thinking. And yes, I could probably have convinced him to let us go had I handled that differently. But then we would have learned naught for our troubles. Hien: If there is one thing I know, it is that men of faith yearn to share it with others. And in learning more of their beliefs, we may learn more of other things─things which may prove useful in the Naadam. Hien: When I was carrying out my tasks, I met an elder─a storyteller─named Udutai. Mayhap he can be our teacher.
Udutai: Hm? I can spare no time for you. Other troubles demand my attention. Hien: What troubles? What ill fortune has befallen you? Udutai: Not me, but my lambs. Some few wandered far and have yet to return. Udutai: Mayhap they will return to their mothers in time. Mayhap they will not. Mayhap you can help? Hien: If we must, then we must. Let us be about it, Forename.
Hien: Greetings. I trust all of our little explorers are safely accounted for? Udutai: That they are. My thanks to you, Doman. Now─you had questions for me? Hien: Aye. I would know more of the Oronir─of their creation, and of Father Azim. Udutai: As you wish. Come, let us sit. Udutai: Before we begin, tell me: what do you know of the Au Ra, and how they came to be?
  • What will you say?
  • In the days before men, Azim and Nhaama waged a bitter war...
  • The Raen were born of the Dawn Father and the Xaela of the Dusk Mother...
Udutai: Yes, yes. A common tale, and one believed by many tribes. Udutai: But what it does not mention is this: Azim and Nhaama were lovers. Udutai: Oh, they fought in the beginning, as did their creations. That much is true. But when they saw how the Xaela and the Raen rose above their hatreds and joined hands in harmony, their hearts stirred, and the love their children shared became theirs as well. Udutai: Alas, he was of the sun and she of the moon. Apart they must remain, lest day and night cease to be, and with them all creation. Udutai: With sadness in their hearts they returned to the heavens─he to the day, she to the night, destined to walk before and after, never to meet. Udutai: As time passed, Azim's yearning for his beloved grew deeper still. Was there truly naught that could be done, he wondered. At last, he knew. Udutai: "If the Father cannot be with the Mother, then he shall go amongst her children. Now and ever after.“ Udutai: So it was that Azim took a fragment of his being and with it fashioned an avatar. Clad in scale of midnight, he descended, and sought out the Xaela. Udutai: Yea, he was the first Oronir. We are of his flesh and his blood. We are the children of Azim, and it is our duty to watch over and keep the Xaela safe. Hien: ...I confess, I did not expect the tale of your people's beginnings to be quite so romantic. Hien: Yet I must ask: if it is your duty to defend the Xaela, how can you go to war with them in the Naadam? Is that not a contradiction? Udutai: If a father disciplines his son, does that mean there is no love in his heart? Xaela are not wont to kneel. They must be made to─only then will they heed reason. Hien: I see... Such is the way of the Steppe. Hien: Thank you, elder, for sharing with us your wisdom. Udutai: Eager to depart? Ere you go, you would do well to hear the end of my tale. Udutai: When Nhaama looked down and saw the avatar of Azim, she knew him at once, and shed tears of love and longing. Udutai: When they struck the earth, they rose anew, as a counterpart to the Oronir. Their fates entwined. Udutai: So you see, for every son of Azim is a daughter of Nhaama for whom he must search. Even now.
Hien: Mayhap I am being overly optimistic, but I sense that these Oronir may prove loyal allies to Doma under the right circumstances. Hien: Their arrogance is rooted in the belief that they must act as caretakers of all Xaela. Therefore, if we can prove to them that we come as kindred spirits, seeking to defeat a common foe... Hien: But mayhap this is a discussion for after we win the Naadam. Come, let us return to Magnai
Magnai: Hmm...you shine with the light of newfound wisdom. Could it be that you have at last accepted the supremacy of the Sun? Magnai: No matter. You have each completed your tasks, and proven yourselves deserving of mercy. Magnai: However, if it is freedom you desire, then there is one more thing you must do...
Sworn Enemies of the Sun Magnai has a new task in mind for you and yours.
Magnai: ...A pity you will not pledge yourselves to the Sun. You might have proved useful in the coming Naadam. Magnai: Nevertheless, I will permit you to return and fight for the Mol. Their cause is futile, with or without your assistance. However, you must first complete a final task, as was my decree. Magnai: You will reconnoiter the encampment of the Dotharl. Magnai: For this task, two will go, and two will remain. Magnai: Should the two who embark upon this expedition choose to flee, or be captured or killed by the Dotharl, then the others will be taken as slaves and serve the Sun unto death. Lyse: We'd better not fail then, eh? The question is, who should we send? Magnai: That is not for you to decide. Magnai: All of you have conquered Bardam's Mettle and proven yourselves warriors of the Steppe. You should all be equally capable of carrying out this task, and therefore, you should have no objections. Daidukul: Brother Magnai. A word. Daidukul: The Buduga require that a hostage be male, for if these ones fail, we cannot accept a woman as a slave. Daidukul: Therefore, we choose the firewalker. The one they call Hien. Magnai: ...So be it. I shall choose second. Magnai: I doubt either of you are the moon I seek, but stranger tales have been told─and men are of no use to me... Lyse: I don't know what this “moon” stuff is that he's going on about, but I don't like the sound of it. At all. Magnai: ...No, of course not. The woman I seek is of the dusk─a gentle, ethereal maiden. A dancer in the morning mist. Magnai: You are warriors of the Steppe─fierce and brutal, conquerors of magicked stone and steel. Ethereal you are not.
  • What will you say?
  • I'm your rolanberry. Magnai: ...A Western expression, I presume. Betokening...I care not what.
  • You try ethereally chasing after lambs, when your boots are full of lake water. Magnai: Ah...how well your tasks befitted you both.
Magnai: But since I must choose, I choose you. You did well milking the sheep─they took a liking to you, I am told. Hien: Gosetsu and Forename, then. I had hoped to see these undying ones for myself, but it seems it was not meant to be. Magnai: Dotharl Khaa lies far to the south, where the grass turns to sand. Magnai: Return with valuable knowledge, and all will be free to rejoin the Mol. Now go. Gosetsu: Have no fear, my friend. We shall see them freed soon enough. Let us quit this place and speak of our plans outside.
Gosetsu: 'Tis plain they hope we will never return. I shall enjoy disappointing them. Gosetsu: According to my map, there is a colossal wreck to the south which should provide a vantage point from which to survey Dotharl Khaa from afar. Let us go and do just that.
Gosetsu: Over there, look! Those men are in danger! Gosetsu: Gah! Too late for the one, perhaps, but there is yet time to save the other. Gosetsu: Come! We cannot abandon him to his fate!
Wounded Hunter: I...I owe you my life. Gosetsu: Nay, friend, think nothing of it. I but wish we had come sooner... Gosetsu: I knew at once he was dead. It will come as scant comfort, I fear, but I slew the beasts responsible. Wounded Hunter: Nay... That is no way for a Dotharl to die. ??? (Sadu): What is this? Who are these outsiders? Wounded Hunter: Sadu Khatun! Forgive me. We were returning from our hunt when we were caught unawares by manzasiri. Wounded Hunter: These ones saved me, but Geser is... Sadu: Who are you? Why have you come? Not to cross the sands, that much is certain. Sadu: I have heard tales of travelers in league with another tribe. Are you they? Who do you serve? Answer me. Gosetsu: If I may begin to answer your questions before you ask more...we are friends of the Mol, and we are come to see the strength of the Dotharl for ourselves. Sadu: The Mol? The little lambs who wander to and fro at the behest of their gods? Sadu: Bwahahaha! What fools you are to share the soil of such weaklings! Next you will tell me you wish to fight in the Naadam! Sadu: Ah...so you do. Hah! That is unexpected...yet not unwelcome. Sadu: I am Sadu. Khatun of the Dotharl.
For your deeds, I grant you leave to walk among us. Come. Look on our glory and despair. Sadu: We fear no tribe─least of all the Mol. Though, if you were of the Oronir, I would burn the flesh from your bones here and now. Sadu: You can stand, yes? See to the corpse. Wounded Hunter: Y-Yes, Khatun!
Gosetsu: So that is the leader of the Dotharl. Clearly not a woman to be crossed. Gosetsu: But how callously she spoke of her dead! “See to the corpse”? Surely this warrior deserves better than that...
The Undying Ones Gosetsu is brimming with indignation.
Gosetsu: Forgive me, Forename, but I cannot in good conscience ignore the callous disregard that woman showed for her kinsman! Gosetsu: We must seek her out at once! With me!
Sadu: How he died matters not.
Geser was a great warrior. He will return to us in time. Shar: Not soon enough, Khatun. The Naadam is nearly upon us! Mayhap we should counsel restraint until after... Gosetsu: I do not understand. If Geser is dead, how should he “return”? Sadu: Silence. You come to spy on us knowing naught of our ways? Gosetsu: We know you are fearless. And that you are called the “undying ones”... Sadu: That is true. None are braver than the Dotharl, for we do not fear death. Sadu: With death a warrior must dance boldly. Fearlessly. For thus does his soul burn bright. Sadu: Then, in death, his soul shines white─exalted. The flesh rots, but the soul endures. And ere the seasons have turned, so he shall return. Sadu: When he is glimpsed in the eyes of a newborn, he is blessed with the same name, that he may grow into a great warrior once more. Gosetsu: You mean to tell me these newborn babes and fallen warriors are one and the same? Madness! Sadu: I gave you leave to observe. Not to insult our beliefs. Sadu: Have care what you say. Otherwise, do as you will.
Gosetsu: Such contempt as was in their eyes I have never known... But for the soul to live on as they say is not something I can so easily accept. Gosetsu: Do they truly believe this? All of them? That in death there can be rebirth? ...Retribution? Gosetsu: ...In any event, we came here in search of information. We cannot leave without speaking with her people.
Koko: I know you! Reunion! The travelers with the Mol girl! Koko: I marked you after I left the Oronir. Ones from Doma, others I could not place. Koko: My name is Koko. Welcome to Dotharl Khaa. Koko: Hm? Koko sounds to your ear the name of a woman? Well, of course. That would be because it is. Koko: I died a woman and was reborn a man. It is of no moment─the soul is the soul, and the flesh the flesh. Koko: Perhaps you scoff? Many would. Many look only to the name and the flesh, and let these things dictate their perceptions. Koko: Consider Sadu Khatun. Three times before she died a man, yet she returns as a woman the fourth. Yet she is no less fierce, and any outsider foolish enough to think so will learn the truth to their peril.
Qoyar: The cycle of death and rebirth? It is simply that. Take me─I died in battle with the Hotgo. Fiercely did I fight, and so I returned. Qoyar: Alas, we know naught of our past lives. I must learn what it means to be Qoyar again and again. It is difficult to remember everything, but important.
Mergen: Impressive, is it not? 'Twas slain by my boy. Mergen: We were childhood friends, he and I, before he fell and returned. A master of the bow. It is good to see that he retains his skill.
Gosetsu: Ah, Forename. You have completed your inquiries? Gosetsu: Aye, it is as she said. They believe with every fiber of their being that their bravest warriors will be reborn. Gosetsu: As for me, I observed some of their warriors at practice. They are as formidable as the Oronir, perhaps more, and their weapons are their equal as well. Gosetsu: Yet while they do not lack in skill and resources, 'tis plain to see that their numbers are inferior...
A Final Peace Gosetsu has been given much to consider...
Gosetsu: This has been an educational experience, to say the least... Gosetsu: Yet everything we have learned is common knowledge to the people of the Steppe. 'Twill not be enough to earn our comrades their freedom. Gosetsu: Naught less than the Dotharl's plans for the Naadam will suffice, I fear. Gosetsu: Well, I have never been one for skulking about. I will go to Sadu and see what secrets I can prise from her lips!
Sadu: The spies return. And they have learned naught. Gosetsu: Mayhap so, but no longer! Though you hide it well, I know you have devised some manner of cunning stratagem for the Naadam! Out with it, I say! Sadu: We are what you see, Doman. We are Dotharl. Sadu: Others rely on tricks and traps. Subterfuge. Lies. We have need of naught but our own strength. We meet the enemy in battle and kill him. Sadu: That is why I cared not what you did from the first. There is naught for you to learn. Tell your masters to meet us on the field, and make ready to ride with their ancestors. Gosetsu: ...Your confidence is plain, as is your strength. Gosetsu: Yet you are not the most prosperous of tribes. The Mol you mock are few, but so too are you. Why? Sadu: ...Though a glorious death is to be celebrated, it is yet death. Sadu: While we kill many, many are killed in turn. In the wake of our battles, the soil drinks deep of the blood of the fallen, their bodies piled high. Sadu: Not all are born again. Only the bravest. Yet one cannot return unless there is a vessel to inherit the soul, and if warriors die ere they birth children, then that is that. Sadu: Even the brave warrior who finds a vessel will for many years remain a shadow of his former self. It falls to his elders to endure until he is ready to accept his responsibilities. Sadu: Ever will we meet our enemies in battle without fear. Such is our way, even when our numbers dwindle. If we die, so be it─but know that we fight to live, not to die. Sadu: Dotharl train and make ready for the day─but they do not rush to meet it. Not until we have done our duty. Wounded Hunter: Sadu Khatun. Geser's body has been given to the sands. Sadu: Then our part is done. Rest, warrior. The Naadam draws near, and you will need your strength. Sadu: If you intend to fight in the Naadam, you should return to the Mol and make ready. But know that when next we meet, you and yours will die. ...Or you could fight for us and live. Think on it, travelers. Gosetsu: ...We shall. But if you would permit me a final question ere we part...where is this place that Geser has been lain to rest? Gosetsu: Though I knew him not, I was there at his end. I wish to say a few words. Sadu: Rites for the flesh? I have heard of this. Madness, I say, for his body is of the earth now. He will not hear you. Sadu: But you may speak to the sands, if that is your will. They lie to the west. Make haste, for the gedan may already have caught his scent. Gosetsu: My apologies, Forename. This will take but a moment.
Gosetsu: Left for the vultures... It seems an insult to the man. Gosetsu: But the soul lives on, they say...these bodies no more than empty husks returning to the earth. Seen through those eyes, I suppose the sight
is almost comforting. Gosetsu: Pardon me. Gosetsu: When first I heard the tales, I could not help but scoff. “Another queer tribe,” I thought, “with still queerer customs.” Yet having borne witness to their rites, I cannot deny there is a certain logic to it all. Gosetsu: A samurai will die for his lord without hesitation or regret.
But this is not because he delights in such sacrifice. Gosetsu: It is because he has faith that his death will serve a higher purpose. There is an awakening in that instant, when the heart sings and the blood burns, and his soul...his soul finds peace. Gosetsu: There is comfort in that... Gosetsu: Nay, we dare not permit ourselves that luxury, my friend, tempting though it may be. Not while our loved ones yet remain in chains!
Gosetsu: Well, then. We must all be on our way─even Geser. Gosetsu: Let us return to the Dawn Throne, and pray that our tale is enough to satisfy our “most radiant” taskmaster.
Meanwhile, deep within the Dawn Throne... Lyse: Well, if there is a way out, I can't see it. Shame we didn't learn much before they locked us up... Hien: 'Tis little wonder the Oronir won the last Naadam.
These people leave naught to chance. Lyse: Hien...I've had something on my mind for a while, and now... Lyse: In Ala Mhigo, where I was born, I found it strange that for all the people who supported the Resistance, there were just as many who didn't. Lyse: But then we came to this part of the world, and met with the Confederacy and lots of ordinary Domans, and almost every single one of them seemed content to just put up with things, no matter how bad they got. Lyse: They─they all had their reasons, of course, and it's not like I don't understand them, but...the thought of it made me so angry. After everything they'd been through, everything the Empire had done to them, how could they not rise up? How could they not fight back? Hien: ...People are pragmatic creatures at heart. Hien: They hold on to hope only until they taste true hardship. Then comes fear and regret. Safer not to dream, they conclude at last. Hien: For even should a day go by without some new disappointment, the next will only bring more of the same. And so they choose the more sensible option... Hien: They learn to abide the indignities and injustices, the pain and the shame─to accept them as normal. Such is the lot of most men. One cannot expect to spur them to action at a moment's notice. Hien: But if one who has known their pain can convince them to strive for something greater, and rekindle the fire in their hearts...then they will remember what they have lost. And they will rise. Lyse: I had someone like that once. I didn't know who I was or who I wanted to be, and...he risked his life to show me the way. Hien: Then honor him by doing the same for others─with all your might and main! Hien: You know, when my homeland fell twenty-five years past, I was still in my mother's womb. Never have I known a free Doma! Hien: But my father did, as did many of my fallen comrades.
As do many of my people now. Hien: It may be no more than a dream to me, but if I do not chase it, then who will? Lyse: ...The way you carry it all. You're just the same. Hien: Hm? ...As you? Lyse: Oh, no, not me! Definitely not me. I meant the Warrior of Light. Out there, somewhere, doing what needs to be done... Lyse: I won't have you put me to shame any longer... I'm going to seize the future I want with my own two hands!
As the Gods Will Gosetsu has seen enough of Dotharl Khaa.
Gosetsu: You are ready to depart, I trust? Good. Then let us away.
Magnai: All that you have seen and heard. Your knowledge. I would have it. Magnai: ...No secret stratagems, you say. That is well. I expected as much. Magnai: The Dotharl are not schemers. They live only for war─for the contest of strength and will. They are fierce, aye, and to face one is to court death. Gosetsu: “Meet us on the field, and make ready to ride with your ancestors.” Such were the words of their khatun, Sadu. Baatu: Speak not that devil's name in the presence of the most radiant! Gosetsu: You bade us tell you of the Dotharl, yet you will not hear the name of their leader? Baatu: After the last Naadam, she gave great offense. Baatu: The most radiant brother called to him the women of the Steppe, that he might look into their eyes and see if Nhaama looked back. Baatu: But that gedan, that feral udgan! She spat curses and called forth flames! She scorched the soil and refused to present herself! Baatu: Three days and nights had we fought to claim the Dawn Throne, and still she shows Brother Magnai such disrespect! Such defiance! By rights should she pay with her life! Magnai: Speak not another word, Baatu, or you will pay with yours. Magnai: Her words are air, as the Domans say. However, they are proof of your service to the Sun. Magnai: Go and fetch the others from their cells.
Gosetsu: My lord, Lyse, you are unharmed? Hien: Thanks to you and Forename. We are free to return to Mol Iloh, I take it? Magnai: By your deeds have you proven yourselves to be warriors brave and true. Magnai: You may return to the Mol and make ready for the Naadam...on one condition. Magnai: To fight in the Naadam is to be bound by it. Swear, here and now, to abide by the law of the Steppe. To accept the supreme authority of the khagan, whomsoever it may be. All: We swear!
Hien: Well done, my friends. I knew you would not fail. Hien: I should be glad to hear of your experiences with the Dotharl, but as time is of the essence, let us converse en route. Hien: Come, come─Cirina and the others are waiting!
Cirina: Thank the gods you are all right! When you failed to return, I feared the worst. Cirina: But here you are, hale and whole! And you survived Bardam's Mettle! Cirina: Blessed are we to have you as allies. With your strength, we may have a chance...
Naadam The Naadam is nigh, and Cirina would have you make your final preparations.
Cirina: My friends. We are come to the final day of the Tsagaan Sar. To the Naadam. Cirina: The battle will commence with the rising of the sun. The Gharl will scatter the soil, and the Steppe will be unbound. Cirina: A great ovoo will erupt from the earth and call for a new khagan. All will converge upon the light, and the warrior who claims it will win the day. Cirina: Precious little time remains. Pray use it to prepare for the battle. Temulun: Many of the young ones have never taken part in a Naadam. They are nervous. Perhaps you might favor them with some few words? It would do much to ease their fears...
Bujeg: At the behest of the khatun you speak with us, yes? You are kind to do so, and I am grateful. Bujeg: Do not underestimate the power of words. A warrior conquers one with his hands, but a thousand with his head. Even you cannot fight forever.
Cotan: When we were young, my friends and I could scarcely wait to challenge Bardam's Mettle. We longed to become warriors... Cotan: The day came and went, but we rarely fought men. Mostly beasts. And now we must stand against the Oronir and the Dotharl. You have seen them─taken the measure of them. Do you believe we can win?
  • What will you say?
  • You can and will. Have faith! Cotan: Yes...yes! 'Twas the gods' will that we fight. Surely it is their will that we win! Of course!
  • It will not be easy... Cotan: No, it will not...but it is well that you acknowledge it. A warrior must be brave, but not foolhardy. I will not forget.
Dorbei: Ah, it is you. The one who helped the children with their chores. For that I must thank you. Dorbei: Though mayhap I will repay the favor in battle. Yes, I too will fight in the Naadam, though you may not see me. While you and yours contest the ovoo, my comrades and I will devote our efforts to preventing other tribes from interfering. Dorbei: We are few, and we are weak, but we shall do what we can to aid you. Go well, traveler, and if it be the gods' will, let us speak again when the day is done.
Diligent Mol Warrior: How strange this feeling... The thrill before battle... A battle in which I may die.
  • What will you say?
  • People die all the time. Many of them in their sleep. Diligent Mol Warrior: ...W-Wise words, I am sure. I suppose I should rightly thank you for your honesty...but I have so little time left...
  • We will fight, we will win, and we will return to Mol Iloh together.
Diligent Mol Warrior: Yes...yes of course we will! I must have faith! I must have courage! Diligent Mol Warrior: I have not always understood the motives of the gods, but I have accepted their guidance ever since I was a child. If they would have us fight, I must believe they have their reasons. Diligent Mol Warrior: So I shall fight with all my might! And if it is the gods' will, then we shall win!
Temulun: Already, I sense a change in the people. Their hearts soothed, their resolve strengthened. This we owe to you. Temulun: We are of the soil. The wind and the water. We are not conquerors. Temulun: But we are yet the children of Nhaama─we are yet Xaela. We were made for battle─to kill and be killed. We delight not in such things, but let no man doubt that they are in our nature. Temulun: Flesh, blood, bone─that which was given, we offer unto the gods as tribute. This day we embrace death. Ours and our enemies'. Temulun: So too must you embrace this truth, for this is who we are. Who you are become, as warriors of the Steppe. Temulun: May the gods guide you to victory. Cirina: All that remains is to wait for daybreak!
Cirina: You are ready for battle, Forename?
Magnai: I see you, soil bearers... Sadu: The soil has been scattered, and the Steppe reborn! Sanctified and unbound, she calls for a new khagan! Sadu: Go forth and claim her, Dotharl, and bring death to all who bar your way! Cirina: It begins, Grandmother. Hien: I must say, it's been a while... Is everyone ready? Gosetsu: Hah hah hah! A samurai is always ready. You shall remember this soon enough once I have taken to the field. Lyse: So we take on all comers, and then it's off to Doma! I can't wait! Cirina: Thank you, my friends.
Upon the soil of one and all shall our deeds be inscribed... Cirina: Grant us favor, O Mother of the Dusk, and to victory guide the Mol!
Cirina of the Laughing Reeds: The ovoo lies to the south! I will lead the way! Budugan Hunter: Warriors of the Mol! You will go no further! Hien: That didn't take long. Weapons! Gosetsu Everfall: I will deal with this rabble, my lord! Make for the ovoo! Hien: My thanks, Gosetsu! Forward, brothers and sisters! Lyse: Gosetsu had the right idea!
I'll keep them busy─the rest of you, keep moving! Cirina of the Laughing Reeds: Thank you, Lyse! With me, Hien, Forename! Cirina of the Laughing Reeds: There it is! The ovoo! We are not too late! Hien: The fighting is most fierce! No matter─charge! Hien: They falter! Now, Forename─claim the ovoo! Magnai the Older: What folly is this? Who dares to challenge the Sun?
Magnai: You came, as I knew you would. For you too are a warrior of the Steppe. Magnai: I salute you, traveler, and should be honored to face you alone...but the Dotharl thirst for blood and will suffer no duels. Magnai: Bear witness, Father Azim! The soil shall drink deep of blood this day!
Hien: The most radiant brother has arrived! A pity... Magnai the Older: Rise, brothers of the Sun! Cirina of the Laughing Reeds: An opening! Defend me, my friends! Magnai the Older: Know your place! Magnai the Older: The battle has only begun, child!
You will not deprive me of my pleasure! Sadu Heavensflame: Hearken to the chaos, brothers! Magnai the Older: Lo, the mad udgan comes! Hien: Still alive, Forename? Good! If we want to claim the ovoo, we'll need to deal with those two first! Sadu Heavensflame: In death do our souls sing! Lyse: I don't like the looks of those giant stone thingies! Sadu Heavensflame: Hmph. How dare you... Gosetsu Everfall: Well done, well done! Victory is within our reach! Hien: The ovoo, Forename! Claim it! Claim it now! Cirina of the Laughing Reeds: Defend the ovoo! Let none pass!
Sadu: The Steppe has spoken!? Then the khagan is... Cirina: We have won... The Mol have won! The Dawn Throne is ours! Hien: We did it... And you, my friend...you...you were magnificent.
Magnificent...and, uh...not a little terrifying. Sadu: What a strange tale this is become. To think I suffered them to live... Magnai: On your guard, udgan. The wind warns of men in iron. Grynewaht: Hah-hah! I thought I'd find you here, Eorzean! Dearest of all my enemies! Grynewaht: Today's the day I finally get to kill you! And then they'll give me a shiny medal, and my choice of posting! Bloody perfect, it is! Grynewaht: Well, go on, then! Kill her! Kill 'em all! Hien: Dearest of all his enemies, eh? Congratulations. Hien: Hearken to me, honored warriors of the Steppe! Our enemies intrude upon this sacred ground! Have you yet the strength to oppose them!? Sadu: You forget to whom you speak, Doman. We are the undying ones.
We are Dotharl. Magnai: If this be the will of the Mol and their khagan, so be it. The Sun shall abide by the law of the Steppe.
  • What will you say?
  • Warriors of the Steppe—with me!
  • Crush the imperials! Drive them before you!
Cirina of the Laughing Reeds: Drive the ironmen from our lands! The khagan wills it! Hien: Such fortuitous timing you have to face a Steppe united! Lyse: Now this is more like it! All the imperials I can punch! Hien: That's the spirit! Let's not let her put us to shame! Gosetsu Everfall: Never did the thought cross my mind, my lord! Cirina of the Laughing Reeds: Hold fast, warriors of the Steppe! We can defeat them! Sadu Heavensflame: Let naught be left in our wake! Grynewaht: I don't like the looks of those giant stone thingies!
Get rid of them─now! Magnai the Older: Oh, if I must... The Sun claims these ironmen! Hien: Aid the khatun! She must finish her spell! Grynewaht: Bugger, bugger, bugger! Grynewaht: But I had you, I had you!
Grynewaht: Impossible! She was there for the taking! What do I have to do!? Grynewaht: I need more men...more weapons...more power! Grynewaht: Graaaaaah! Lyse: As if we'd lose to the likes of him! And we're only gonna get stronger. Stronger and stronger until we're strong enough to take back everything
they stole! Hien: I have kept my promise, Cirina. They are yours to command. Cirina: Oh! Yes, of course! Cirina: Brothers and sisters of the Steppe! The Naadam is ended, and we Mol now claim the Dawn Throne. Cirina: No demands shall we make of you save these: heed our comrades' words, and honor the law of the Steppe! Hien: Before I fought for the Mol, I fought for my homeland─for Doma... Sadu: To Doma would you have us go, to fight your war and win your freedom? Sadu: Very well. The battlefield matters not, nor else the enemy.
In battle do our souls burn bright. Sadu: And better the Mol's law than that of the Sun. Arrogant and foolhardy were their pronouncements. Already you and yours show better sense. Magnai: The Sun shall answer your call, Doman.
Wild as the wind the udgan and her brood may be, but they will deliver you naught. We will deliver you your kingdom. Cirina: Weak and few as we are, the Mol will fight for Doma too. If you will have us. Gosetsu: Well then! I believe naught remains but to return to Doma at the head of a Xaela army, my lord! I cannot wait to see the look on Yugiri's face... Hien: Nor I. We shall depart as soon as our forces are assembled and rejoin our comrades. And then, my friends, we shall bring freedom to the people of Doma!
Hien: Your imperial friend has truly impeccable timing. Had he come even a few moments earlier, he might actually have stood a chance. Hien: In any event, that is two battles won in a single day. Which, by my reckoning, gives us twice the cause to celebrate! Hien: But first, I pray you grant me a moment to express my gratitude. Thanks to you, we are one step closer to freeing my homeland from the tyranny of the Empire. I am in your debt. Hien: Of course...if all goes to plan, this is like to be but the first of many such debts. Yet I promise to endure my insolvency with a smile, out of gratitude to the kami for seeing fit to send you hither.
Glory to the Khagan Hien has what can be best described as a “shite-eating grin.”
Hien: Ah, but it would be rude of me to monopolize your attention. Doubtless there are others who would speak with you. Hien: Let us go and greet Temulun Khatun.
Temulun: Welcome, warriors of the Steppe. It is an honor to receive you once more. Temulun: We observed the battle from a distance, and marked the moment of your triumph. In that instant, I wept tears of joy. Temulun: Not only did you bring us victory in the Naadam, but you ensured that every one of my kinsmen returned with their lives. Cirina: Some were more gravely wounded than others, but none were lost to us. We could not have asked for anything more. Cirina: If it is not too much of an imposition, would you be willing to go and speak with them? A simple gesture for those with whom you shared the battlefield.
Diligent Mol Warrior: Some part of me still struggles to believe it, but we won! We defeated the Oronir and the Dotharl and won! Diligent Mol Warrior: When they appeared before us I was filled with such fear as I had never known. But then I saw you charge with Cirina and the others, and before I knew it, I was running and shouting... Diligent Mol Warrior: I will carry the memory of that moment with me always. As well as the moment when you became one with the ovoo and were declared khagan! Diligent Mol Warrior: The victorypose you struck was a sight to behold! I say, would you be willing to show us again?
Zealous Mol Warrior: Aye, that's the stuff of legends! That's the khagan in all her splendor! Diligent Mol Warrior: Praise be to the khagan, and to the gods for guiding her to us! Weary Mol Warrior: Glory to the khagan and her comrades! Forever and forever! A hundred years! The khagan!
Cirina: Ah, Forename! I am told you gave the young warriors a fine show! Cirina: Grandmother and I have been discussing how we might best express our gratitude to you. Mere words did not seem sufficient. Cirina: This is a morin khuur─a traditional instrument of our people. Cirina: The feats of our greatest heroes, like Bardam and Chakha, are preserved in song. Yours too will live on for years to come. Cirina: Perhaps one day you might learn how to play it! But, even if not, you may look on the morin khuur and remember this time, this place.
In Crimson They Walked Lord Hien's eyes are filled with determination.
Hien: At the risk of sounding impatient, we have certain pressing obligations. It is time that we saw to them. Temulun: ...You are right. To whom much is given, much is expected. Gosetsu: Nay, do not think yourselves so indebted to us. Was it not you who gave us your blessing to participate in the Naadam─and you who saved my lord Hien from certain death? Gosetsu: Doma is in your debt, and will ever be a friend to the Mol. Cirina: And we to you, Gosetsu! Cirina: A thought occurs to me. If you wish to return to Yanxia with all haste, the passage to the south of the Dusk Throne would offer the most direct route. Cirina: The Dotharl sealed it with their magicks during the Doman rebellion, when more men in iron came from afar. Hien: If ever there were a time to open the pass, it is now. We should journey to Dotharl Khaa. Hien: But before that, might we visit the Dawn Throne? I wish to speak with our most radiant brother. Lyse: Are you sure that's a good idea? I know he agreed to fight for Doma, but I doubt he'll be very happy to see us so soon after we beat him. Cirina: Nhaama made us for war, Lyse. Ever since we came into this world, we have fought. Cirina: In the Naadam, blood was shed, and lives were lost. Brown earth was stained crimson, and Xaela wept. Cirina: But crimson is the dusk and the dawn. Death and rebirth. An ending to mark a new beginning. Cirina: “We who are born are destined to die.
As the seasons turn, we are born again.”
Thus spoke the first. Cirina: So you see, we harbor no hatreds. The Naadam is the Naadam, and what comes after is what comes after! Lyse: If you say so... The Dawn Throne first, then? Cirina: Yes. And I shall accompany you!
Magnai: The Sun is disinclined to entertain you at length. Speak your purpose in coming. Lyse: <sigh> Humble as ever... Magnai: Should I be humble in the presence of inferiors? I am a child of Azim, and you are not. Your triumph in the Naadam does not raise you to such heights. Magnai: Baatu will not be joining us. He was wounded in the Naadam. Magnai: ...His hurts are grave, and he requires rest. But he will walk again in time. Magnai: Though it is no business of yours. Such pity does not become a khagan. We are not allies, traveler─far from it. The Naadam will come again, and with it our rule. Magnai: I say again, why have you come? To bid us surrender the Dawn Throne to the Mol? Cirina: N-Nay. The Mol are beholden to the will of the gods, and they would not have us reside here. The Oronir and the Buduga may remain. Hien: We are for Yanxia, and wished to speak of your part in the coming war. Magnai: Ah, the Domans and the ironmen. I remember our pact. Sound the call and the Oronir will answer. Hien: Full glad am I to hear it. We have preparations to attend to, but will send for you soon. Cirina: The gods are kind! I am sure the Oronir will prove a great boon in the days to come. Magnai: Of the dusk...a maiden gentle and ethereal. A dancer in the morning mist. And a warrior besides... Magnai: Look into my eyes, child! See you Azim? Are you my Nhaama!? Cirina: I...I know not of what you speak, Brother Magnai, but I am certain you are mistaken. Quite. Lyse: We should get going. Right now.
Sadu: Hmph. The khagan and her warriors. Gosetsu: Greetings, my lady. We come to you on our journey south, bound for Yanxia where our comrades await us. How fare you and yours in the wake of the Naadam? Sadu: Many were wounded. Some few to the death. Sadu: ...Resplendent were their souls in the chaos. It was a good battle─a good day to die. Soon we will greet them again. Sadu: ...And mayhap one who went before them also. Geser's seed has quickened in his lover. When the child is born, we shall see who waits behind its eyes. Sadu: Already we must look to the next Naadam. We must grow strong of body and mind, and your war will help us do so. Say the word and we will fly to the field. Hien: Of that I have no doubt. For you are Dotharl. Cirina: There is one more thing we would ask of you... The magicks you used to seal the passage to the south. Will you unmake them? Sadu: If that be your wish. Gosetsu: When next we come together, it will be on a great battlefield against a common foe. I trust you will fight with the same fervor you demonstrated during the Naadam. Sadu: Hah! And you, ancient one, will be the demon I know you to be. Aught less would be a disappointment.
Cirina: Sadu Khatun has done her part. This passage will deliver you to Doma. Cirina: It is here we must part ways, until the day you call us to battle. Lyse: It won't be long, I know, but...take care of yourself, Cirina. And tell your grandmother and the others again how much we appreciate everything they did for us. Cirina: I will. Oh, I nearly forgot! I have another gift for you. Lyse: Oh, it's...a red, um...? Wait, is this a banner of the Mol tribe? Cirina: It is not the most practical of gifts, but we nevertheless wished to present it to you. Cirina: I do not fully understand what has befallen Doma, or your homeland, Lyse. But I do understand that you and yours have suffered terribly. Cirina: The Mol place their faith in the gods, and in turn they shepherd us. They watch over and keep us. We pray they show you the same favor. Cirina: As it was in the Naadam, blood will be shed, your lands engulfed in a storm of fire and steel. Yet as it did here, it shall mark a new beginning there. Cirina: May you ever walk in crimson. For in crimson there is life. There is liberation. Hien: Thank you for your prayers, Cirina. We shall remember them. Cirina: Until we meet again!
The Hour of Reckoning The time has come for Lord Hien to return to Doma.
Hien: Right, then. To the House of the Fierce. With me, my friends!
Gosetsu: I have not used this road before, but... Ah. I recognize this place. Gosetsu: The House of the Fierce should lie somewhere to the south. I will go on ahead and inform the sentries of our master's return.
Hien: Here we are! I wonder if they all are gathered inside, waiting...perhaps expecting a speech or some such... Hien: Well! No matter! I shall have to do what I shall have to do!
Hien: Brothers and sisters, pray forgive me my absence. It has been far too long. Yugiri: Lord Hien! Yugiri: Gosetsu told us of your trials and tribulations on the Steppe. Would that I had been present to witness your victory, my lord. Hien: Our victory, Yugiri, owed as much to each of my stalwart comrades as it did to me. Now, rise─I will not suffer this excess of formality any longer. Hien: Alphinaud and Alisaie Leveilleur, I presume? I am told we owe you much.
It is a pleasure to meet you both. Alphinaud: The pleasure is ours, Lord Hien. Though we were born and raised a world apart, our values are one and the same: freedom, justice, liberty. Each of which Doma shall soon enjoy once more. Alisaie: Hopefully. I understand you have brought an army? Hien: Indeed. The Xaela tribes of the Azim Steppe have pledged their military might to the cause. Alisaie: Good. We, meanwhile, have secured the support of the Confederacy, and a not insignificant number of your countrymen. Alisaie: The Blue Kojin, too, have expressed a willingness to join the fight─provided you agree to certain trade agreements following the liberation of Doma. Yugiri: The shinobi will render what aid they can. However, Sui-no-Sato refused to answer our call. Hien: No matter. What forces we have amassed far exceed my original expectations. You have my thanks. Alphinaud: You should know that Zenos departed Doma not long after you left to find Lord Hien. We know not the reason why, but it would seem he was eager to return to Gyr Abania. Lyse: What? Have you heard anything from the Resistance? There hasn't been another attack, has there? Alphinaud: Tataru assures me they are quite well. You need not worry. If anything, this turn of events would seem to be to our advantage. Alisaie: But there the good news ends. Yotsuyu retains her position as acting viceroy, and we have reports that the garrison at Doma Castle is preparing for a massive operation... Alisaie: We suspect that the Empire's attempt to eliminate you on the Steppe may have been a prelude to a larger effort to purge the remaining pockets of resistance within Doma. Gosetsu: The hour of reckoning is upon us.
  • What will you say?
  • ...Then victory will soon be ours! Hien: Hah hah hah! The khagan has spoken! And I for one am not inclined to argue.
  • ...But are we ready? Hien: It will not be easy, that much I cannot deny. Had we more time to prepare, mayhap it would be different. Hien: Do not forget, however, that we have been blessed with comrades brave and true, whom the Empire will have no appetite to face. If you doubt me, you need only look in the mirror.
Hien: In this place, in this moment, I call upon you all! Twenty-five years of oppression, of tyranny, of shame─it ends with us! We will prevail!
Alphinaud: Once more, welcome back. It is good to see you again, Forename. Alphinaud: Ah, yes. There is another recent development we neglected to share with you. Alphinaud: Alisaie and I have been hard at work attempting to restore the aetheryte here to its former glory...and I am pleased to inform you that we succeeded! Alphinaud: Suffice it to say, it should prove a boon for travel─well, for those replete with anima like you, at least...
The Room Where It Happened Alphinaud has devised a cunning strategy to reclaim Doma Castle.
Alphinaud: I imagine you are eager to hear the particulars of our plan. Allow me a moment to gather everyone's attention...
Alphinaud: If all are in agreement, I will outline my plan to retake Doma Castle. Alphinaud: First, Lyse and the Doman irregulars will conduct a series of raids against imperial targets throughout the surrounding area, with the aim of drawing the garrison's attention. Alphinaud: Shortly thereafter, our Xaela allies will launch a surprise attack on the castle's airborne defenses. Alphinaud: In this way, we will prevent the enemy's airships from rendering support, and cut off one means of escape. Alphinaud: Alisaie and I, together with the shinobi, will exploit the ensuing chaos to infiltrate the Moon Gates and disable the magitek field generators. Alphinaud: Once the barrier is down, we will be free to cross the One River and reach Doma Castle. It is at this point that we must turn to our Confederate and
Kojin allies. Alphinaud: They will commence to bombard the castle with cannon fire, while sailing west towards the Doman Enclave. Lyse: Wait, the enclave? Why would you want them to sail away from the castle? Alphinaud: Because the enclave is home to countless civilians. Alphinaud: Once pressed, the imperials may well think to take them hostage, and I would fain forestall any such attempt. Alphinaud: After we have secured the enclave, we may lay siege to Doma Castle directly. The main strength of the Doman Liberation Front, under Lord Hien's command, shall be committed to this endeavor, as will you and your redoubtable allies. Alphinaud: The rest is simple. We scour the castle for the viceroy, we find her, and we subdue her. Without their leader, what remains of the imperials' morale will crumble, and they will surrender or attempt to flee. And Doma will be free. Alphinaud: Your thoughts, Lord Hien? If any points were unclear or gave you cause for concern, I should be glad to go over them with you. Hien: Nay, 'tis a fine plan. You have a talent for this, that much is plain. Hien: We shall carry out Alphinaud's plan to the letter. Time is of the essence, as you know, so let us each see to our respective preparations. Carry on!
Hien: There is no shortage of tasks which must needs be completed before we can launch our attack. If you have a moment, perhaps you could lend a hand? Hien: That said, I have only just returned. 'Twould be better for you to speak with Alphinaud to find out how you might be of service.
Alphinaud: Trying to keep busy? Full glad am I to hear it. There is one task which comes to mind. Alphinaud: As I explained during my briefing, Alisaie and I will need to infiltrate the Moon Gates to disable the magitek field generators. Alphinaud: Though I pride myself on my knowledge of various subjects, I must confess I lack confidence in my knowledge of this particular one. Which is why I turned to an expert. Alphinaud: I have been conversing with Cid via Tataru, attempting to ascertain the design of the generators based on our limited intelligence. Most recently he sent a parcel with some documents which he believes may be of use. Alphinaud: I would like for you to go to Kugane and bring them back here. Alphinaud: In the meantime, I will continue to work with our shinobi allies to plot a path into the gates. Safe travels, Forename, and thank you again.
East Aldenard Trading Company Aide: Greetings, honored madam. Will you be entering the Ruby Bazaar offices?
  • Enter the Ruby Bazaar offices?
  • Yes
  • No
Tataru: Forename!? What are you doing here? I thought you were off fighting nomads on the Azim Steppe! Tataru: ...Oh, you beat them! Good show! A shame I didn't get to see it. Tataru: Alphinaud has been keeping me apprised of the situation in Doma. I may not be any good in a physical fight, but in an, err...paperwork...fight, I'm the true khagan! Yeah!
How Tataru Got Her Groove Back Tataru has grown rather accustomed to her life in Kugane.
Tataru: You're here for the parcel Cid sent, right? Wait a moment, and it will be right out! Tataru: It arrived not long ago. A porter delivered it to our offices, along with various other knickknacks from Eorzea. Tataru: Cid regrets that he couldn't come here in person. Apparently his hunt for the dragon and Omega demands his full attention, you see... Tataru: Still, he was reasonably confident that the documents he provided would be enough for Alphinaud to do the work himself. So as soon as that parcel gets here, we can open it up and see what's inside! Hancock: Pardon my interruption, but the parcel in question─was it the one you placed on the shelf in the back for safekeeping? Tataru: I believe so, yes. Why do you ask? Hancock: Well, you see, on closer inspection, said parcel appears to have been addressed to the Sekiseigumi Barracks. Hancock: Though it does indeed bulge with a quantity of paper reminiscent of a rather large instruction manual, the lingering scent of lilac leads me to conclude it is in fact a sizable collection of love letters... Tataru: What!? Impossible! That porter was carrying a parcel addressed to us! I saw the writing with my own eyes! Hancock: Oh, I do not doubt that in the least. However, as he was tasked with a number of deliveries, I can only presume that he handed you another parcel by mistake. Tataru: This is a disaster! We have to find that porter right this instant! Hancock: My, she can move quickly when she has a mind to do so. So quickly she neglected to take these love letters with her. They too must be redirected to their rightful recipient. Hancock: They should also aid you in tracking down the right porter. They keep records of their deliveries and so forth, after all. Hancock: The man in question was of middling height and build. Not unlike myself. Black hair, short─terribly helpful in Kugane, I know. A cheery sort. Wearing bright colors, as I recall? Hancock: I will send a few of my men out to search, but in the meantime, why don't you take the parcel and see if you can't track him down yourself? I will wait here, on the off chance he realizes his mistake and returns.
Overworked Porter: A good evening to you, miss, but I have no time to chat! I have to head to the Bokairo! ...Or was it the Hostelry? Bah, no time, no time!
Lilac-scented Love Letter “Letter” is perhaps a charitable description, as the weight of this parcel rather suggests a lengthy treatise on why a certain Sekiseigumi ought to accept the undying affections of a certain admirer.
Overworked Porter: Hm? Aye, I recognize that parcel. I delivered it to the Ruby Bazaar not long ago. What of it? Overworked Porter: Eh? A mistake? For the Sekiseigumi, you say? Overworked Porter: Bah, you're right! How stupid of me. Fortunately, I have yet to visit the barracks. This is for you, yes? I will take the other in exchange.
East Aldenard Trading Company Aide: Greetings, honored madam. Will you be entering the Ruby Bazaar offices?
  • Enter the Ruby Bazaar offices?
  • Yes
  • No
Tataru: I'm sorry, I couldn't find him. I guess we just have to hope he realizes his mistake and returns soon...
Cid's Parcel Though this parcel weighs no less than the other, it lacks the scent of lilac and is therefore much less likely to contain someone's misdirected woo.
Tataru: That's it! That's the parcel! You found him! Tataru: Though, knowing our luck, Cid put the wrong papers in here... Tataru: Nope, this is it! These are the documents detailing the operation of the magitek field generators Alphinaud requested! Hancock: I can only imagine what would have happened had we sent Forename back to Doma with a parcel full of love letters. The look on Alphinaud's face when he reads the first page... On second thought, I'm a little disappointed we didn't. Tataru: Everyone's working so hard to fight for Doma's freedom, and here I am, making the same silly mistakes... Tataru: It won't happen again, Forename! And I'll keep working hard to bring you and the others useful information! Tataru: If we hear anything new, we'll contact you straightaway! Hancock: Oh, and you may be pleased to hear that we have brokered an arrangement between the company and the Confederacy. They require armaments, we provide. Discreetly, and at a reasonable price. Tataru: I'm sure Lord Lolorito was pleased to hear it. Hancock: Ahaha! Indeed he was, indeed he was. Tataru: Well, it seems our time together is at an end! Give Alphinaud and Alisaie my regards, will you?
Alphinaud: Oh! It seems like just yesterday you were here. Our plans proceed apace. Do you have the documents?
Magitek Field Generator Manual Never one to take undue risks, it would seem Cid thought it best to send Alphinaud a massive manual detailing the operation of a magitek field generator, to ensure that the boy was prepared for every eventuality. Or possibly to see if he would read the entire thing or simply give up and whack the generator with a wrench (which works nine times out of ten anyway).
Alphinaud: Excellent! This looks to be exactly what we need. Alphinaud: Assuming our shinobi escort can see us safely inside the Moon Gates, I should have no trouble deactivating the barrier. Good, good─that is one less thing to worry about...
Seeds of Despair If you seek further employment, Alphinaud can point you in the right direction.
Alphinaud: Should you wish for further employment, mayhap you could speak with Alisaie? Alphinaud: I believe she was planning to search the surrounding area for imperial patrols. If you go now, you may be able to catch her before she departs.
Alisaie: Alphinaud told you about my plans? And you wish to come with me? Well, far be it from me to refuse you. Alisaie: If truth be told, I'm not entirely sure what I expect to find. In the wake of your failed assassination attempt, the imperials demonstrated uncharacteristic restraint. There were no public executions, and not a single village was put to the torch. Alisaie: But, as I mentioned earlier, our latest intelligence does suggest a purge is imminent. For all we know, they could be out in the field even as we speak, surveilling their targets and making plans. Alisaie: If so, we need to put a stop to it. Let us begin our search in the north.
Alisaie: All quiet...for now. Follow me to the next location.
Alisaie: No imperial patrols near our headquarters, then. Good. The last thing we need is a repeat of Rhalgr's Reach. Alisaie: Even so, 'twould be prudent to search a little longer.
Alisaie: Not exactly the enemy I was worried about. ...Damn it all. I can't just leave the carcass lying in the middle of the road.
  • What will you say?
  • You've gotten stronger. Alisaie: ...Next to you, I feel like a child playing at swords and sorcery. Thought mayhap it suits me better than books. Alisaie: I owe much to a Miqo'te I met on my travels. He was a master of these techniques, and kindly agreed to teach me the fundamentals. Alisaie: But I could never warm to common rapiers. I vastly preferred using a blade of my own creation, despite the toll it took on me. Urianger's gift was a godssend, to be honest.
  • Get on with it, then. Alisaie: ...I didn't mean to imply that you should help me. This isn't the first wild beast we've had to slay to keep the people safe in your absence. Alisaie: But we'll need all the help we can get when the real fighting starts...
Alisaie: Anyway, we're falling behind. We should split up, and try to recoup some lost time. Alisaie: We've heard rumors of imperial soldiers skulking about disguised as villagers. One was supposedly spotted near the Ribbons, to the south of here. Go and see if there's anything out of the ordinary.
Haunted Elder: Oh... Hello there, young lady. My associates and I are in search of fertile soil for farming, and this land caught our eye. Haunted Elder: ...You doubt my words? You suspect we have some other purpose in coming here? How vexing it is to be questioned in this manner. Haunted Elder: Very well. She desires the truth, and she shall have it. Deal with her!
Alisaie: I saw them attack you, while this one fled. Since you seemed to have everything in hand, I decided to capture him. An imperial, I presume? Haunted Elder: I knew it would come to this... But at the hands of a Westerner? A Doman would at least know the rites... Haunted Elder: You think you understand, but you do not. She will burn it all before she surrenders. She will never kneel again. Nor should she... Alisaie: Forename!
Keen-eyed Soldier (Haunted Elder): ...Rest assured, the Naeuri will receive due compensation. Young Asahi has great potential─that much is plain. Keen-eyed Soldier (Haunted Elder): If he applies himself, he may one day be granted the opportunity to go to Garlemald and learn from some of the leading authorities in the field of magitek. Few citizens are afforded such treatment, however─much less people of the provinces. You will need to do more─ Doting Mother: Oh, oh, of course! Have no doubt that we shall! My husband and I want only the best imperial education for our boy! Starveling Girl (Yotsuyu): I've finished planting the rice, Mother... Doting Mother: Not while the officer is here, Yotsuyu! Inside! Now! Yotsuyu: Yes, Mother. Keen-eyed Soldier (Haunted Elder): You did not mention that you had a daughter. Doting Mother: My sister's, not mine─kami rest her soul. <sigh> She is utterly hopeless, but one cannot choose one's family. Keen-eyed Soldier (Haunted Elder): Indeed... She is of age to receive an education as well, is she not? Yet we have no records. I trust I need not remind you of your legal obligations─ Doting Mother: No, no! Of course not! But she is weak and sickly. Some days, she has not the strength to leave her bed! Though...a thought occurs to me. Mayhap we can come to an understanding...
Alisaie: That was a near thing. Alisaie: What happened? We were talking, and then all of a sudden you were somewhere else. Did one of those soldiers hit you on the head or something? Alisaie: Well, if you say so... We should go and tell the others what happened here.
Alisaie: Thank you. You didn't have to come with me, but you did, and for that I am grateful. Alisaie: I told the others of our encounter with the disguised soldiers. Though we disposed of the bodies, it is only a matter of time before their comrades note their absence. Alisaie: As if we needed any more reason to act quickly...
Are you sure you're all right, by the way? You've been awfully quiet since we returned...
The Limits of Our Endurance If you still want for work, Alisaie has a suggestion.
Alisaie: I'd tell you to rest and leave the rest to the others, but seeing as that isn't in your nature... Alisaie: Lyse returned but a moment ago, looking a bit worried. It would seem that trouble is afoot in Namai. Alisaie: You may as well go and ask her about it. As for me, I will not impose upon you any further.
Lyse: We've barely got enough armor as it is, huh... Lyse: Oh, you're here to help? That's a relief. I've been trying to help the villagers in Namai get ready for the operation, but we've run into a few problems... Lyse: You remember how we're supposed to stir up trouble as a diversion, right? Well, the thing is, we don't have enough armor to go around. Lyse: I thought the Doman Liberation Front would be able to furnish us with some, but it seems that's not the case. I was about to go and tell Isse─why don't you come too?
Isse: Oh, you're here too. I heard about those soldiers you and Alisaie encountered. I'm glad you're all right... Ahem. Right, then... Chigusa: Isse─we have gathered up all the rope we could find in the village. Miyama: And every tool with an edge, but it is still not enough. Even a hoe would suffice, but there are no more to spare. Isse: Thank you, Chigusa. Ryosen could use a hand, if there is nothing else. Isse: As for more tools...I may have some in my home. Go and search it─take whatever meets your needs. Azami: I made enough rice balls for everyone─including some special ones for Lady Yugiri. Can I go and give them to her? Isse: Y-You silly little girl, of course you can! Hurry! You never know when she'll have to leave on a secret mission! Isse: Sorry about that. Everyone's been trying to contribute since Lord Hien returned. There's so much to worry about. Lyse: You're doing well, Isse...though I have to ask: have you had any luck finding more armor? Isse: Unfortunately, no. Unlike weapons, there are no substitutes for proper protection... Isse: It's not as though we need full suits of imperial plate, but we're not soldiers. If we attack without any equipment, we'll be slaughtered. Lyse: The Doman Liberation Front doesn't have any armor to spare. I suppose we could ask Hancock, but there's no telling how long it would take for him to send us supplies... Lyse: Do you have an armorer in the village, or anyone with some skill to fashion armor? Isse: There is one man. A craftsman who fled the enclave. He is experienced, and may be able to help. Isse: I don't know if I can persuade him to, though. But maybe you two could come with me? Isse: His name is Tsuranuki, and he lives in Kusakari, in the south. Come with me.
Tsuranuki: Bwahahaha! Who are these starry-eyed youths who stand before me? Tsuranuki: Ones who sing of rebellion? Of liberation? Hah hah hah! Surely they would not think to trouble me with such foolish dreams! Tsuranuki: Oh, go and say what you will. But do not take offense if I die from laughter! Bwahahaha!
Broken Steel, Broken Men Tsuranuki has seen your kind before.
Tsuranuki: Eh? Say again? You would have me fashion armor for villagers who wish to fight imperial regulars? Tsuranuki: Bwahahaha! Mad fools charging boldly to meet their deaths! Bring me steel and I shall give them shells to shield their soft bellies. Tsuranuki: Yes, yes, plates of steel, all that you can carry. The better to shield them from blade and bullet! Isse: If only it were so simple, Master Tsuranuki. Steel plates are not so easily procured─ Tsuranuki: Blind, deaf, and dumb you are, boy! We are awash in broken steel. Magitek, great cylinders come crashing to the earth from on high! Tsuranuki: Shatter them to bits with my explosives. They will not fail you, for I made them to kill imperials, heh heh! Bring me my steel, and you will have your armor. Lyse: ...Well, it's not like we know any other armorers who can help. At least we get to blow things up!
Makeshift Bombs Tsuranuki is not the sanest of men, but you can be reasonably confident that his bombs will not explode in your hand.
Makeshift Bombs Tsuranuki is not the sanest of men, but you can be reasonably confident that his bombs will not explode in your hand.
Tsuranuki: Eh? Eh!? You have the many plates of steel I demanded? Show me!
Armor Plating Scavenged from broken magitek wrecks, this metal could be repurposed as armor for villagers.
Tsuranuki: Bwahahaha! Then you are committed to your cause! Dressing villagers as soldiers and marching off to war... Tsuranuki: Stupid, stupid fools! Doma is dead, and so are her people! Tsuranuki: Lord Kaien, Lord Hien─all dead! Their blood is on our hands! Tsuranuki: 'Twas Lord Kaien who saved us. Who spared us the worst when the Garleans came. Tsuranuki: Every shred of pride and honor he cast aside, without a second thought! All to win their trust. All to serve as their puppet. Restored to his throne years later, a paper tiger. Tsuranuki: Such shame he must have felt, but no matter! He would suffer it for his people. A life as slaves is better than none at all, he believed. But not us. Tsuranuki: After my lady died, we began to whisper in his ears dreams of freedom and liberation. We pushed him to take action, if only a little... Tsuranuki: Ten years of preparation, of machinations. So careful we would be, and yet...and yet! Tsuranuki: Doma burned for our foolishness, not for that of Lord Kaien. Monzen, the enclave─they were razed for our sins! We murdered them all, don't you see? We murdered you all! Isse: ...You're wrong, Master. We are still here. We are still alive. Isse: Lord Kaien too lives on. In our hearts, and in his son, for Lord Hien has returned. Tsuranuki: Lord Hien? Alive!? It cannot be. You lie. You lie! Lyse: It's the truth! Hien came back to Doma to help her fight for freedom! Tsuranuki: Could...could it be? My lord Hien yet lives? Oh...oh... Tsuranuki: Bands of steel to bind the chest and belly, yes, yes! I must heat the forge and begin work at once! Tsuranuki: Ten? One hundred? How many do you need? All that and more you shall have!
The Doma Within Lyse is more determined than ever to play her part.
Lyse: Even after twenty-five years of oppression, they still have it in them to stand up and fight. We just have to show them the way forward... Lyse: Isse and I will stay and help Tsuranuki finish the armor, so you've no need to wait around. Lyse: Why not go back to the House of the Fierce? I'm sure there's plenty of work left to be done. Ask about and see what you can find!
Kaidate: Everything is in order, miss! Under Lord Gosetsu's sage tutelage, we grow stronger by the day!
Motojiro: Hm? Help? Oh, no, no, no─I will not impose upon you without cause! Rest assured that everything is in its place, and every place is in...everything is fine!
Haname: I require no assistance, comrade. Lord Hien's instructions to me were quite clear─I need only transcribe them for the benefit of our Xaela allies. Haname: Speaking of Lord Hien, if you are eager to be of service, mayhap you could seek him out? Keep an eye on him, perchance, should he decide to venture outside?
Hien: Hmm, let me guess: someone asked you to act as my protector? Hah! To hear them mutter, one would think I intended to stride up to the castle gates on my own! Hien: The truth, of course, is rather less dramatic. I had hoped to look on the castle one last time before the battle. Would you care to join me? You would be setting a lot of fretful minds at rest... Hien: Very good! Then let us depart for Monzen at once.
Hien: Monzen was home to many great and powerful families. Men of honor─samurai. Once... Hien: Great swaths were razed, and people put to the sword. What little remains stands as a testament to what was...and what will never be again. Hien: ...Come. I would take a closer look.
Hien: No sentries, at least of the living sort. Those shambling suits of armor have the run of the place. To think this was once a bustling street, so full of life...a river of people, with a current all its own... Hien: ...But even then, the imperials walked among us. Sometimes openly, sometimes discreetly, but we were always aware of their presence. And we...we were complicit. Hien: He did what he had to do to preserve the peace. To keep our people safe. But at what cost... Hien: F-Forgive me, this is neither the time nor the place for such dark musings! Though they did serve to remind me of the barracks which once stood to the west of here...where there may yet be weapons our comrades could use. Hien: If you head down that street, past those makeshift barricades, you will come to the ruins. I will search elsewhere. Meet me at the water's edge when you have finished.
Hien: Alas, I found naught of value. Did you?
Sheathed Katana Found in the ruins of Monzen, this finely crafted blade shows little signs of use.
Hien: Still sheathed in its scabbard...though even shielded from the elements, it will need to be cleaned and oiled─ Hien: ...I recognize the crest. It belonged to the son of a samurai I trained with when I was young. Hien: He never even had the chance to draw it... Hien: There she is. Doma Castle. My home. Hien: They let us keep her for a time, before gradually moving their forces across from Fluminis. Now her every court and corridor belongs to Yotsuyu. Hien: Though Father spent much of his time there, I did not. I may only have visited him there on half a dozen occasions, if that. I cannot remember. Hien: But I remember the view from the keep. Doma seemed much smaller from there. Like you could hold it in your hands. Hien: Well, Monzen at least. Doma is so much more than that. There, beyond the Moon Gates, unto the shores of the Ruby Sea, and here, in the places that no man can see or touch or take from you... Hien: We carry her with us, wheresoever we go. Hien: Not the land or the soil...but the story. Hien: And what is life if not a story? The story of our journey from dawn to dusk, day after day after day. The story of our mothers and our fathers, our families and our friends, our peoples and our nations. Hien: I think a part of me understood that, when I looked out from the keep.
Hien, son of Kaien. Another caretaker of the story of Doma. Hien: It's a fine castle, truly, with an even finer view. But in the end... Hien: In...in the end... Hien: Kami strike me down, how could I be so blind! We must return to the House of the Fierce at once! Hien: I have had what can only be described as a revelation. Ours is an excellent plan, but not so excellent that it cannot be improved─and I know how.
On the Eve of Destiny Hien understands what he must do for Doma.
Hien: On second thought, Forename, I ask that you return to the House of the Fierce without me, and tell Alphinaud to call the others together for a meeting. Hien: It is imperative that the Kojin emissary be in attendance as well. I shall join you anon.
Alphinaud: Lord Hien wishes to discuss the details of our plan? Very well, if he insists. I shall summon the others at once. Alphinaud: As for the Kojin, I believe one of their emissaries was already en route. Nevertheless, I shall contact them to make certain.
Alisaie: May I present the Blue Kojin's emissary. Soroban: Greetings and well met, old friends! The elder sends his regards. Lyse: Soroban! It's good to have you with us! Hien: If, uh, you might humor me... Hien: Thank you for coming, Soroban. Doubtless you have already been informed of our plans and the role we would have your people play. However, I seek your counsel as a Kojin of the Blue. Hien: Be it by spell or siegecraft, could your forces destroy the underwater foundations of Doma Castle's outer wall? Soroban: Hmm... Explosives, coupled with a few incantations... Yes, that might produce sufficient force. Such a thing could indeed be done. Hien: Then I wish to revise the plan. Hien: Instead of assisting the Confederacy in securing the enclave, I would have the Kojin advance upstream, beneath the water, and breach a segment of the outer wall. Hien: I mean to flood Doma Castle. Gosetsu: My lord, the castle is a sacred symbol─the very heart of our nation!
To destroy it is unthinkable, unconscionable─you cannot do this! Hien: I can and I will if it improves our chances. By flooding the castle we remove the better part of their forces from the field and force Yotsuyu to retreat to the highest levels of the keep. Tell me that is not a worthwhile trade. Gosetsu: But, my lord...that castle was entrusted to you by your father, and his father before him. I say to you again: it is the heart of our nation. Hien: Stone walls do not a nation make, my friend. Her people do.
And as long as we yet live, we can rebuild. Hien: So let us only think of this battle. Of victory here and now. For without that, we have no future. Alphinaud: I see that you are resolved, Lord Hien, and I would not presume to gainsay your decision. Soroban: I will inform the elder of your revised stratagem, and instruct our sappers to make ready. Hien: Our preparations are all but complete. Once we receive word from our Kojin allies, we shall set our plans in motion. We shall fight, and we shall prevail.
Yugiri: No plan is perfect, and there is ever room for improvement. I expect my comrades will be refining their approach until the moment they begin. Yugiri: In case you are unaware, the other jonin will lead the assault on the Moon Gates, not I. My place is at Lord Hien's side.
Lyse: If there's nothing else, I'll head back to Namai. Tsuranuki's working hard, and Isse's doing what he can to help, but maybe there's more that I can do too. Lyse: He was like a different person when he began hammering those plates. Younger, brighter, full of life and hope...
Gosetsu: The plan is set, and all that can be done has been done. Rest and relaxation are now paramount, for tomorrow we may die. Gosetsu: Have you too not done enough? Will you not pause a moment to gather yourself on the eve of our grand design? Go not unto battle with weary eyes or lingering regrets, my friend.
Alphinaud: Considering the key role you will play, I think it only prudent that you refrain from further labors and rest until tomorrow. Agreed?
  • What will you say?
  • Far be it from me to refuse... Alphinaud: We shall speak again in the morning. Take care, my friend...
  • No rest for the righteous! Alphinaud: True enough, true enough. When you have seen to your sundry tasks and are ready to retire, I pray you let me know.
Lyse: You're awake. I was just, um... Well, they threw me out, actually.
Told me I needed to get some sleep, ready for the big day. Lyse: Not long now, eh? I'm nervous, of course, but I also feel like...like I didn't know where I was going, but maybe, finally... Lyse: Something's gonna change, you know? Really, really change. And when the dust has settled, we'll see what we've won...and what we've lost... Lyse: I'm going to give it my all tomorrow. Everything I've seen and felt...I won't let it be for nothing. Lyse: Right. Off to bed! Don't want to overdo it─and neither should you. Lyse: Oh, but before you sleep, you should look in on Alphinaud and Alisaie.
Quietly, of course.
Hien: Ho, another restless soul. Come, come─raise a glass to freedom. Gosetsu: Mmm, good, good. I should be interested to know her thoughts on the matter! Hien: That's enough, Gosetsu. You'll not convince anyone with your drunken ramblings. Hien: We've talked about this. All of us. We are flooding the castle tomorrow, and that's the end of it. Gosetsu: I know, I know! I accepted your decision, and I do not intend to go back on my word. Nevertheless, as the battle draws near, I cannot help but recall our many travails, and it fair compels me to speak... Gosetsu: In all my time serving as a leader of men, there are two failures which haunt me to this day. Gosetsu: The first, our defeat at the hands of the Empire twenty-five years past, and the subsequent imprisonment of your father. Gosetsu: Long did I consider offering up my life in atonement, until Lord Kaien, allowed at last to receive visitors, called for me of all people... Gosetsu: “For my unborn child,” he said, “for my dearest Shun─live!” Gosetsu: My second failure, of course, was the betrayal of that selfsame command, when in the rebellion I failed to protect not only Lord Kaien, but Lord Hien too... Gosetsu: That I yet live, having known such disgrace, is an affront to the kami themselves... Gosetsu: Yet you...all of you...saw fit to grant this shameful creature, this failure, another chance...to serve a greater purpose... Gosetsu: Thank you...for pitying an old fool... Hien: Now, now, it is far too soon for that. Save your tears for the morrow. You may be sure we will have ample cause to shed them, be they for joy or despair. Hien: Bah! Even that sounds morose. We who yet walk the path should not think too much on the destination. When the hour arrives, we shall welcome what comes with open arms. Hien: He is right about one thing, though─we have you and yours to thank for this chance. Hien: All debts will be repaid. On that you have my word. But first, we must live past tomorrow, no? Hien: If you've no intention of sleeping, Yugiri, you may as well join us. Yugiri: Forgive me, my lord. I did not mean to, uh... If that is your will...
The Die Is Cast All hangs in the balance, as Hien well knows.
Hien: There she is. I trust you are none the worse for wear after last night. Hien: We received confirmation from the Kojin not long ago. Their sappers stand at the ready and await our signal. Hien: Let us not keep them and the others waiting. Gather your things─we depart at once. Hien: Alphinaud─instruct Lyse and the others to move into position and launch their attack. Hien: Our scouts report no change in the imperials' disposition, but I would leave nothing to chance. We must act quickly, lest we lose the element of surprise. Alphinaud: Understood. I will relay your orders to her and rejoin my unit. Alphinaud: Gosetsu and Yugiri await the two of you at Monzen. Good luck, my friends. I will see you both again soon.
Lyse: Understood. Wish us luck. Lyse: Right, you all know what you have to do. Are you ready? Isse: Oh, yes. Ready to show them what a good job they made of breaking us! Lyse: Then what are you waiting for? Move out!
Imperial Sentry: Why must we waste our time guarding this blasted... Imperial Sentry: Sound the alarum! Fluminis is under attack! Armed insurgents have breached the perimeter! We need reinforcements!
Lyse: This is Lyse. Imperial forces converging on our position. Looks like we've got their attention. We'll be sure to keep them busy for as long as we can!
Magnai: Ahh...war. To wield power, to make men kneel before you.
There is no better feeling. Magnai: A pity I must share this pleasure with a feral dog of a Dotharl! Sadu: Preening, Oronir! You fear that she will put the Sun in shade! Sadu: Those are for you. Go. Claim your prey. Sadu: Bwahahaha! Come to me! Come to your death! With each that falls, my soul soars higher! Magnai: Swiftly, brothers! Fall not behind!
Make an offering of their steel to Father Azim!
Hien: They seem to be enjoying themselves... Gosetsu: My lord! The barrier! Yugiri: That it should fall so soon!
Truly, our allies seem determined to surpass each other!
Alphinaud: The magitek field is down. I repeat, the magitek field is down!
Confederate vessels, you are clear to advance upon the enclave!
Yugiri: The wall is breached! The Kojin, too, will not be outdone! Hien: Our allies have set the stage. Now we must take the castle. Hien: With me!
Ill-at-ease Imperial: My lady, the riverside wall has been breached! The lower levels are already flooded, and the water is still rising! Yotsuyu: So I gathered. He would tear the whole thing down...all for the promise of freedom. A noble sacrifice...or the last desperate flailings of a fool. Yotsuyu: Speaking of which, how fares my brute? Ill-at-ease Imperial: Th-The procedure was carried out as instructed by Lord Aulus.
By all indications...it was a success. Yotsuyu: Is that so? Then he may yet be of some use. Yotsuyu: Devotees of vengeance should rightly pursue their cause unto the bitter end, don't you think? Their hearts aflame with passion until the last few embers fizzle and fade, leaving naught but ash... Yotsuyu: The viceroy's orders were clear. If Doma falls, none shall be spared his wrath. Tell the men to fight as if their lives depend on it. Because they do. Ill-at-ease Imperial: A-As you command, my lady! Yotsuyu: Again they come to make you kneel. To make you grovel and suffer. Yotsuyu: But you have endured their worst and survived. You know their tricks.
They will not find a flower simply waiting to be plucked...
Hien: Aye, there can be no doubt. The viceroy is trapped. And so comes our part. Hien: Our Kojin allies will deliver us to our destination. To the western dock! And do not forget to bring your fellow adventurers, Forename!
Blue Skiff Captain: Greetings and well met, my friends. Climb aboard, climb aboard! There is room enough for you all! Hien: Forename. That we might improve our odds of success, we will divide into two parties upon arrival─one composed of myself, the other you, Gosetsu, and Yugiri. Hien: Given our inferior numbers, we must needs finish the battle quickly. And so, while you and yours draw the enemy's attention, I shall steal over to the keep. Hien: Lest you worry, though I've been to the castle only a handful of times, my father saw fit to drill its layout into me. I could find my way blindfolded. Hien: Even should one meet with misfortune, the other will reach Yotsuyu. Agreed? Hien: Then let us be about it. For Doma!

Doma Castle

To win a war, one must be willing to do whatever is required, even if it means sacrificing the very thing one set out to reclaim. And thus did Lord Hien declare that Doma Castle should be flooded, to eliminate the greater portion of the imperial garrison and trap Yotsuyu within the keep. Your allies have set the stage, and now you must play your part─as well as the wandering adventurers whom you have recruited to fight for Doma's liberation. The fate of a nation shall be decided this day─marshal your forces and venture unto the flooded fortress!
Gosetsu: I am Gosetsu, samurai of Doma─ Yugiri: Now is not the time to be announcing yourself!
Yugiri: Metal toys will not stop us! Gosetsu: My blade will make short work of this!
Yugiri: This appears to be the guardian of the gate! Gosetsu: Let us end its watch! Yugiri: On to the inner ward! Gosetsu: We're coming for you, Yotsuyu!
Yugiri: Is that your idea of an ambush? Gosetsu: Have at you!
Yugiri: Quickly, between barrages! Gosetsu: Ugh, I'm too old for this...
Gosetsu: An unusual machina... Yugiri: Unusual or no, it will fall all the same! Yugiri: Come, let us head inside! Gosetsu: I pray Lord Hien is safe...
Gosetsu: What? Are they shinobi!? Yugiri: Naught but pretenders! Our techniques are beyond their ilk!
Gosetsu: That such a barbaric weapon should defile our beautiful castle... Yugiri: It will not do so for much longer!
Grynewaht: EOOORZEAN... EOOORZEAAAN... COME OUT AND PLAY... Grynewaht: DEAREST OF AAALL MY ENEMIES... I HAVE NEW TOYS TO SHOW YOU!
Yugiri: This aura... 'Tis as if he were a beast. Gosetsu: And one with nothing to lose. Hypertuned Grynewaht: BOOOOOOM! Hypertuned Grynewaht: WE GO TOGETHER! Hypertuned Grynewaht: DIE DIE DIE!
Hien: Have you aught to say for yourself?
For what you have done to our people─your people? Yotsuyu: My people, he says.
The precious lordling beloved by all come to confront the wicked witch. Yotsuyu: My parents thought me no better. They worked me from dawn to dusk, like an ox or an ass or some other beast of burden. Until, that is, my brother spied a chance to transform the family fortunes. Yotsuyu: And so I was married to a vicious old drunk who beat me as he pleased, and when I pleaded for help, I was told to grin and bear it. For the family. For him. For everyone's sake. They pretended not to notice, but they knew.
They knew. Yotsuyu: What did it matter? I was nothing to them─less than nothing! I wasn't of their flesh, I wasn't a fellow Doman, I wasn't even a person. I might just as well have been dead! Yotsuyu: And then my husband passed away one day. And so I was sold off yet again,
to pay his debts. But this time, this time, I found a way to live for myself.
To survive. As a spy for the Empire. Yotsuyu: Oh, those were the days, when the scales first fell from my eyes. No longer would I be a slave to my parents or my husband or the pleasure house.
I would be free...and receive due compensation... Yotsuyu: That would be enough, I thought...until I saw a Doman in the road, beaten and broken, and my heart...my heart skipped a beat... Yotsuyu: Lying at my feet, groaning in agony, sobbing in despair. Powerless, helpless, hopeless! A vision forever seared into my soul... Yotsuyu: There was nothing I would not do to feel that joy again! To bend this cruel, twisted world to my whims!
...Now, having borne witness to my life's work, have you aught to say to me? Yotsuyu: Heh heh... 'Twas kind of you to lend me your ear, my lord. But now it is time for us to conclude our little tête-à-tête with a final game of chance... Yotsuyu: Who shall stand, and who shall fall? Let the die be cast. Yugiri: This was her plan from the first─to bring the keep down on our heads! Hien: I will remember your words. Hien: We must flee! Order our forces to withdraw! Gosetsu: Go, my lord...while you still can. I cannot hold this forever. Yugiri: No! We will not leave you behind! Gosetsu: Do your duty. Deliver Lord Hien and the others to safety. Now, forthwith!
I shall manage on my own. Yugiri: Gosetsu! Yotsuyu: No...no one leaves... Not you or anyone else... Gosetsu: ...'Tis naught this old frame cannot bear! Gosetsu: Go now, all of you! The day is won! And the morrow beckons!
  • What will you say?
  • ...Thank you. Gosetsu: Nay, thank you. For granting me new purpose...and a measure of peace.
  • This isn't over! Gosetsu: Do not despair, my friend. Never before have I felt so alive.
    My eyes unclouded, my purpose clear. This is right.
Hien: Gosetsu... Hien: You never failed us. Not once. You served my father faithfully, and I am a better man for your guidance. Hien: And the Doma we build together shall be better for it too! Hien: Be proud, my friend. Be proud. Gosetsu: I am, Shun. More than you know. Cirina: Hien! Hien!? Gosetsu: You cast the die. Gambling was never my vice.
Cirina: How merciful the gods that I should find you in time... Cirina: Gosetsu!? W-We must turn back now, before it is too late! Hien: Eyes forward, Cirina. That was his wish. Cirina: ...I will deliver you to safety. The others are waiting.
Alphinaud: ...
I see.
The World Turned Upside Down Alphinaud is at a loss for words.
Alphinaud: ...Thank you.
The occupation is ended, then. And the people must be informed of our victory. Alphinaud: But I will not simply give up Gosetsu for lost. Before aught else, we must needs search the ruins. Soroban: Allow me, my friends. The castle is still collapsing into the river, and could easily drag you to your deaths. I can navigate the waters easily, without fear of drowning. Alisaie: Be reasonable, Brother. You know he is right.
Yugiri: Forename. A word, if I may. Yugiri: My lord withdraws into himself, unable to turn his thoughts from the keep. He needs us now, more than ever... Soroban: My friends, I am returned. I swam as far into the ruins as I could... Lyse: And...? Did you find him? Soroban: ...Nay, lady. Naught remained of the keep for me to search. Soroban: Undermined from below and shaken from above, the manner of its collapse was most unusual. If the floor beneath him gave way before the rest...it is not impossible that he could have been sent tumbling into the river. Soroban: But the water is thick with silt and debris. Despite my best efforts, I could not find him. I am sorry. Hien: ...There is naught for which you should apologize. Thank you, Soroban, for taking it upon yourself to search. Hien: The castle is in ruins, and the people are eager to learn the fate of their nation. We leave at once. Alphinaud: Are you sure, my lord? Hien: The day is won, and the morrow beckons... Hien: It falls to us to greet it. Lyse: ...I'm going down to the docks to see if I can't get one of the Confederate ships to take us to the enclave. Alisaie: Mayhap we should tell the others at the House of the Fierce to gather there? Cirina: Magnai and Sadu know naught of what happened in the castle. I will go and tell them. Hien: They fought valiantly and with honor, Cirina. I pray you tell them that as well. Hien: You too, my friend, were instrumental in this triumph. I must insist that you be present when we bring these tidings to my people.
Tansui: ...You all look like shite. Tansui: The captain thought you might need a ride to the enclave. Ready to come aboard?
  • What will you say?
  • Let's go.
  • Give us a moment. Tansui: As you wish. They've waited twenty-five years. A few more minutes won't make a difference.
Tansui: On you go, then. Sit wherever you like. Tansui: I don't know what happened in there, but it's over. You won. That's cause enough for celebration─and those people you're about to see need something to celebrate...
Rasho: We brought everyone here. You are the last to arrive. Hien: I see. Thank you. We owe the Confederacy a great debt... Rasho: I have waited twenty-five years for this moment. You owe us naught.
Formidable Farmer: Look! It's Lord Hien! Namai Maiden: Lord Hien! Namai Farmhand: It's him. Wounded Elder: He lives! He lives! Yugiri: Some few words of encouragement would not go amiss, my lord. Hien: Um... Right! Uh, yes. O-Of course...
  • What will you say?
  • Off you trot, then. Hien: Ummm... Er, um...right, um, right! Off─off I go!
  • You're their lord, remember. Stand tall! Hien: Forgive me. This is rather more daunting than I had anticipated.
    But you are right, I must be strong. Wish me luck.
  • Well, if you won't say something, I will. Hien: Hah hah! Hearing you say that, I find my courage somehow renewed.
    Much obliged.
Hien: We are a sorry lot, are we not. Tired, dirty, stinking of blood and sweat and ash. A people pushed to the point of breaking. Hien: And yet we won. Hien: The perseverance to endure decades of oppression. The will to carry on the legacy of those we have lost. These were the bonds that held us together and gave us the strength to reclaim our home. Hien: After twenty-five hard years, the shadow of the Empire no longer darkens these lands, and we may at last look forward to the dawning of a new day. But, my friends, it will be a day of work. Hien: So I ask you: have you yet the strength to stand? Hien: To rise up with me once more, here and now, and begin to rebuild our homeland? ???: Lord Hien! ???: Do-ma! Do-ma! Alisaie: This will not end with Doma. We will see to that. Right, Lyse? Lyse: Right! Alphinaud: Indeed, this is but the beginning. The tide is turning, and it shall soon bear us back across the seas, and onward unto the next battlefield.
Enclave Skiff Captain: Honored hero! You seek passage across the One River?
  • Travel to the Glittering Basin?
  • Yes
  • No
Alphinaud: Are you quite certain you would not prefer to stay awhile longer? There are sure to be festivities─at which you would be the guest of honor, like as not. Alphinaud: Very well. There are other ways in which we might celebrate─by rejoining the fight for freedom in Gyr Abania, for one. Alphinaud: Short though our time here has been, we have all come to regard this land and her people as our own, I think. But we have done that which we came here to do. Alphinaud: Word of Doma's liberation will soon spread throughout the Empire, and we must seize this opportunity to rekindle the fires of liberation in the West. Alisaie: We dare not allow the imperials a moment's respite, lest they march on Doma again. For the sake of all concerned, we should leave immediately. Cirina: Did I hear you right? You are leaving? Lyse: I'm afraid so. We've got our own battle to fight. What about you? Will you be heading back to the Steppe? Cirina: Yes. The war here is ended, and there is no cause to remain. The Oronir and Dotharl have already withdrawn. Cirina: I will follow them anon, but I wished to bid you farewell first. Soroban: The Blue, too, must return to their homes, but we will be back. Doma has need of merchants and builders, and we are eager to offer our services! Tansui: And just like that, our grand fellowship is broken? Without ceremony or pomp, you steal off into the dark? Tansui: No matter. We have plenty to be getting on with. Places to be, people to rob, and so on. And the captain never was one for mingling. Rasho: I am a pirate. Give me a song at the tavern, and I will be happy. Hobnobbing with Lord Hien? Nay. Tansui: <sigh> No taste for the finer things... Tansui: In any event, we need not part ways here. If you are for Kugane, we would be happy to take you. Her waters have always been...fruitful. Cirina: I wish you well on your journey, my friends. May you ever walk in crimson. Lyse: Thank you, Cirina. For everything. Soroban: May the kami speed you on your way! Until we meet again!
Rasho: Naught remains undone? You are ready to depart?
  • What will you say?
  • We're ready.
  • Not yet. Rasho: Oh? I thought matters in your homeland pressing. Mayhap I was mistaken.
Rasho: To Kugane, then...
Rasho: Have everything? Good. We will need to weigh anchor before the Sekiseigumi arrive. Rasho: ...From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for what you did. Give my regards to the Ul'dahn.
A Swift and Secret Departure Alphinaud would like to return to the Ruby Bazaar posthaste.
Alphinaud: I informed Tataru of our coming. She and Hancock should be waiting for us in the Ruby Bazaar. Alisaie: Then it is here we part ways. Best of luck to you and yours in your...piratical endeavors, I suppose.
East Aldenard Trading Company Aide: Greetings, honored madam. Will you be entering the Ruby Bazaar offices?
  • Enter the Ruby Bazaar offices?
  • Yes
  • No
Tataru: Welcome back, everyone, and congratulations on a job well done! Alphinaud: It is a pleasure as ever to see your smiling face, Tataru. Less so yours, Hancock, though Rasho and I are sincerely grateful for your assistance. Hancock: The pleasure was all mine, Master Alphinaud. I assure you. Tataru: Anyway, you will be glad to hear that I have already chartered passage for you back to Limsa Lominsa. Tataru: The ship is to leave port this very day, but the captain has agreed to wait until the four of you have boarded. Alphinaud: The four of us? You mean to stay here in Kugane? Tataru: Yes. I gave it some thought, and I realized that even with Doma free, there's still a need for a woman in the middle. Maybe even more than before, considering all the friends and alliances you made. Hancock: As I told her many times before, I would be more than willing to assist you─ Tataru: And as I told you many times before, I am not about to let you worm your way into our affairs and exploit our connections for your personal gain! Hancock: <sigh> Must you always presume the worst? Tataru: So there you have it. I will remain here for now. You needn't worry─I'm a regular at the hostelry and a half-dozen other local institutions. Everyone loves me! Tataru: So go, go! Don't let me keep you. Buy your supplies and souvenirs while you still can! Tataru: When you've finished, make haste to the docks. Pier number two, to be precise. I'll be waiting for you there!
Tataru: First to arrive, as always. Hopefully the others will not be far behind...
Tataru: Ah, there you are! All packed and ready to go? Alphinaud: To the best of my knowledge, yes. Apologies for the wait. The task of tying up loose ends invariably takes longer than one allows. Happily, however, all now seems to be in order. Tataru: Then there's nothing left to do but to board the ship! Do try and enjoy the journey, won't you? It may be your last chance to rest for a while! Alisaie: That would depend on the good captain's choice of route. Alphinaud: As ever, Tataru, I pray you take all due precautions while making your inquiries. Better to avoid the local authorities altogether than risk a repeat of our Ishgardian episode. Alisaie: And what sordid episode is this, pray tell? Alphinaud: N-naught to speak of, I assure you! ??? (Hien): You there! Hold that ship! Lyse: What are you two doing here? Shouldn't you be in Doma? Hien: Shouldn't you? You left with nary a word! I half-wondered if I had done something to offend. Yugiri: Upon learning that you had departed for Kugane, we immediately resolved to give chase. Our comrades can manage affairs in our absence, and it seemed the least we could do. Lyse: You mean you came all this way just to say good-bye? Hien: That too, aye, but there was something else I felt I had to say. Hien: You helped us win our freedom, and for that I cannot thank you enough. Hien: Accordingly, after we have established an interim government and so forth, I think it only meet that we repay the favor by dispatching our own forces to Eorzea. If you would have us. Alphinaud: We harbored no expectations of such generous aid...and as there is no telling when the Empire might strike back at you, would it not be wiser to concentrate your resources on the defense of Doma? Hien: I had a mind to pursue a more aggressive defense. To wit, we will send forth shinobi to provinces far and wide to spread word of our victory, that we might inspire others to take up arms as we did. Hien: Even the Empire has its limits. If the Garleans cannot be certain where and when the next rebellion will take place, how can they commit another force to Doma? Hien: And besides...so long as this debt remains unpaid, how am I to face myself? And Gosetsu? Alphinaud: As you wish. I will relay your offer to the Eorzean Alliance. Hien: All of Doma is counting on you to finish what we have started. Hien: You have it in you, Lyse, to seize the future you want. Never forget. Lyse: I won't, Hien─not your words or anything else. Everything that led us here, that will drive us forward─I'll carry it with me, always. And that's a promise. Hien: Hah hah! I will hold you to that! Hien: Go with them to Eorzea. Tell their people of our triumph, and of our pledge to stand with them. Yugiri: By your leave, I shall pave the way for our new alliance. Tataru: Hurry up, you lot! The ship's about to weigh anchor! Hien: It seems our time is at an end. Go well, my friends...and may we meet again beneath a western sky.
Meanwhile, in the Royal Palace of Ala Mhigo... Imperial Pilus Prior: I always knew that woman was unfit for command... Imperial Tribunus Militum: Aye. When you think of all the resources we poured into that hole.
And for what? Zenos yae Galvus: The beast yet lives. Mayhap it is time I sharpen my claws. Zenos yae Galvus: I wonder, will you walk into my parlor once more...? Fordola: Fordola rem Lupis, come at the command of the lord viceroy to present the prisoner taken by the Crania Lupi! Krile: Zenos yae Galvus, I presume? Krile: It's true what they say. You do have the eyes of a monster.
A ravenous, insatiable fiend. Zenos yae Galvus: You. Give the Butcher your weapon. Imperial Pilus Prior: My...? Yes, my lord! Fordola: My lord, this is─ Zenos yae Galvus: A reward given in recognition of your service. I trust you will prove more capable than its former owner. Fordola: I...I swear I'll not disappoint you, my lord! Zenos yae Galvus: Good. Now, silence that mewling little piglet. I would not hear another sound pass her lips...until I strip the fat from her.
Lyse: Back in Eorzea at last. Ready to pick up where we left off and finish the fight. Lyse: We're not who we were when we left. We're stronger and wiser. Lyse: So let's do it! Let's get back to Ala Mhigo and defeat Zenos once and for all!
While You Were Away Home is where the heart is, and Alphinaud's is in Eorzea.
Alphinaud: Here we are, home at last. I must say, the journey passed more quickly than I had expected. Alisaie: That would be due to the absence of otherworldly interference, I expect. Alphinaud: I-I should be glad if we did not speak of that unpleasantness again! Alphinaud: Ahem. But in spite of all that and more, we return better for the experience─and, more importantly, triumphant. Yugiri: Indeed. And with Doma freed of imperial oppression, it is only right that we turn our thoughts to the plight of Ala Mhigo. Lyse: Well, I'm all for that, obviously, but I think you should go and see the refugees at Revenant's Toll before doing anything else. They'll be thrilled to hear what we've accomplished, and it'd sound best coming from you. Yugiri: ...Thank you. I shall do as you suggest. Merlwyb: I see I am not too late. Alphinaud: Admiral! What are you doing here? Merlwyb: The East Aldenard Trading Company informed me of your impending arrival. I have tidings I thought best to share with you in person. Lyse: From Gyr Abania? Merlwyb: Aye. The Alliance still holds the Wall, despite several imperial counterattacks. But we have been unable to press further into occupied territory. Merlwyb: Commander Kemp and his men, meanwhile, have made great strides toward rebuilding their depleted ranks. They have even taken it upon themselves to attempt some few operations...with mixed results, I am sorry to say. 'Twas a complication arising from one such venture which moved me to seek you out. Merlwyb: During a mission to transport wounded Resistance fighters to the Rising Stones, Krile Baldesion was taken prisoner. Alphinaud: Krile!? Do they know where she is being held? Merlwyb: They do not. But your comrades were informed at once, and I am told Thancred is in Gyr Abania looking for her as we speak. Alphinaud: How could this have happened...? We must seek out Thancred without delay! Alphinaud: ...Nay. Krile taught me better than that. It would be unwise to act without first acquiring a full understanding of the situation... Alphinaud: Thank you for informing us. Tired though we may be, we must make haste to Castrum Oriens. Pray excuse us, Admiral, Lady Yugiri.
Thancred: There you are! You have heard the news? Alisaie: In broad strokes from Admiral Bloefhiswyn. What happened? Thancred: Krile and a squadron of Resistance fighters were escorting Y'shtola and several other wounded to the Rising Stones for further treatment when they were ambushed by imperial forces. Thancred: Arenvald and his men fought valiantly, but in the chaos─ Arenvald: I will make no excuses! We failed to protect her. Alisaie: Do not be so hard on yourself. You protected Y'shtola and the others, did you not? Tell us about the attack. Arenvald: It was the Skulls. They knew a path across the Wall we hadn't found. We thought we were safe once we reached the Black Shroud. We weren't expecting an ambush... Arenvald: During the fighting, I caught a glimpse of their leader's memories. It was all planned. Alphinaud: The advantage of having a Walker in the field. Arenvald: I'm not as strong in the Echo as Forename is, of course. Half the time, it's enough to knock me on my arse, like I've taken a dose of concentrated aether... Lyse: So you walked in Fordola's memories. What did you see? Arenvald: A woman promised the world─education, training, citizenship─all that and more if she but sold her soul. A traitor to her people, a pretender to her masters... Arenvald: ...It was Zenos himself that gave the order. Told her to return with Krile Baldesion─alive. Thancred: Our agents have been carefully monitoring imperial communications since the attack, but have yet to intercept any transmissions making reference to Krile or her current whereabouts. Alphinaud: If their orders were to bring Krile back alive, we can save her if we move quickly enough. Thancred: As you say, time is of the essence, which is why I intend to slip past enemy lines and see what information I can uncover on my own. Thancred: In the meantime, it is up to you and our allies to command the imperials' undivided attention. Lots of shouting and explosions and so forth. Keep them distracted, and I will find her. Alphinaud: ...Very well. I wish I could do more to aid you, but I understand. Thancred: Commander Kemp is on his way to the castrum as we speak for a meeting with General Aldynn. If you hurry, you could find him on the road, and discuss the situation beforehand. Lyse: I think Forename and I are going to go and see Conrad like he suggested. You all wait here.
Conrad: Well, well! Isn't this a pleasant surprise! It fills my heart with joy to see you two hale and healthy. M'naago: Welcome home, Lyse, Forename. I'm sure you've heard about Krile by now... Lyse: That's why we're here. I'm still not sure what to think about it...but we'll save her. We'll definitely save her somehow. Conrad: Aye, I've no doubt that you will. You look stronger for your time in the Far East, lass, and that's good news for Krile. Lyse: I'd like to think so...
But enough about me─how is everything with you and the Resistance? Conrad: Better than when you last saw us, and no mistake. Arenvald's been a godssend. Him and M'naago and all the other youngbloods have achieved so much in such a short time. Conrad: We've been blessed to receive the support of the Flames' Ala Mhigan Brigade, who've been instrumental in freeing our countrymen from labor camps throughout Gyr Abania, as well as some political prisoners from the city proper, believe it or not. Conrad: Together with the refugees returning from Ul'dah and elsewhere, we've had no shortage of able-bodied men and women eager to join the cause. Lyse: I knew you wouldn't stop fighting, even after what happened at the Reach. Conrad: Force of habit, I suppose. Though we've come a long way, we still have far to go. But we'll fight for every ilm, and sooner or later, we'll get to Ala Mhigo. Conrad: But listen to me prattling on when we should be making haste to Castrum Oriens. There's no point you telling me everything now when you'll only have to say it all again for the Flame General's benefit. Lyse: You're right. I'll go on ahead and tell the others that you're not far off.
Pipin: You have spoken with Thancred, then? Good. Take heart─if anyone can track her down, it's him. Pipin: I believe I hear Commander Kemp's party approaching. If you are ready to address Father and the others, let us be about it.
Rhalgr's Beacon You, Raubahn, and your allies have much to discuss.
Raubahn: There you are─and there is Commander Kemp, I see. I know you are eager to speak of our next move, but we would first hear more of your last. Tell us of your deeds in Doma.
Pipin: Pray join me in welcoming our Scion allies, but recently returned from their mission to the Far East. We have been most eager to hear a firsthand account of your time there, eventful as we understand it was. Alisaie: Very well, allow me... Raubahn: ...Such victories are rarely won without sacrifice. But the prize is worth the price. Doma free, after all these years. Conrad: Bloody hells... Flooding their own castle for a better chance at victory...
We could learn a thing or two from that lad. Pipin: Our agents report a flurry of communications between Garlemald and Ala Mhigo in recent days. 'Tis plain they are in the midst of deliberating their response to the Doman uprising. Raubahn: Good. Every imperial unit in occupied territory will be on the lookout for civil unrest. The fear of leaving critical locations undefended will make commanders think twice about committing their forces─giving us a chance to seize the initiative. Conrad: We have a chance, aye─mayhap the last one we're ever gonna get.
While we've done our best to rebuild the Resistance, the imperials have only increased their efforts to root out sympathizers. Conrad: If we keep on playing for smaller prizes, it's only a matter of time before they crush us again. And that we won't come back from. Pipin: A swift advance seems best for all concerned. Not least poor Mistress Krile. Raubahn: Then let us waste no more time.
The campaign for Ala Mhigan liberation begins now! Raubahn: Our first objective will be to capture Castellum Velodyna. Take the bridge,
and the whole of the Fringes will be ours. From there, we can push east
towards the Peaks. Raubahn: I name this operation Rhalgr's Beacon. For as Rhalgr once sent His star to guide our ancestors to these lands, so too shall it see us home! Raubahn: The success of this operation is paramount. So long as the Empire holds Castellum Velodyna, the main host cannot advance. Raubahn: Zenos knows this, which is why he has ordered Fordola and her men to see to the bridge's defense. Lyse: So we'll get to fight the Skulls again... Raubahn: The Butcher is not to be underestimated. She is decisive, ruthless, and feared by foes and friends alike. But we have a plan to defeat her. Raubahn: First, we send an Alliance force down the main road, signaling our intention to mount an all-out assault. The garrison will muster their forces and prepare for a protracted battle... Raubahn: However, they will soon find that we are ill prepared for their counterattack. Our men will begin to break ranks and flee. Conrad: I see... Show them your backs and give them a target too tempting not to pursue. Raubahn: Aye, Fordola is too aggressive not to press the advantage. She will order her men to give chase. Raubahn: We lure them as far as East End, where the commanders will rally their forces and attempt to hold their ground. If all goes to plan, we should be able to keep the greater part of their garrison occupied. Conrad: ...Leaving us to tackle the bridge's remaining defenders. Very clever, I'm sure. But what are we to do if the imperials smell a rat and return before we've taken the place? Raubahn: I don't need you to take Velodyna, Commander Kemp. All I need is for you to fly your flag from its tower. Alphinaud: You mean to trick them into believing that the bridge has fallen! Raubahn: Aye. We convince them Velodyna is lost, hit them hard with our reinforcements, and watch them go running for the hills. Raubahn: Then, when the dust has settled, we regroup at the castellum. What say you? Conrad: It's a bold plan...but a good one. We'll do it. Alphinaud: In that case, we shall support both the Resistance and the Alliance forces. Alphinaud: Forename, Lyse, Arenvald─I ask that you accompany Commander Kemp. Alisaie and I will remain with the Flame General. Conrad: We will return to Rhalgr's Reach and make our preparations. As soon as they are complete, we will join you in the field. Godsspeed!
Conrad: In case you haven't noticed, the flag flying above Velodyna is bloody massive. It'd take a dozen men to change it, and far too long besides. But there's no need for all that─right, M'naago? M'naago: Not so long as I have my griffin and a satchel of glamour prisms, no! Conrad: Arenvald, you're in charge of the runners between us and the Alliance. No linkpearls.
Lyse, I want you to look in on the squadrons─make sure they've got everything they need. Everybody clear? All: Aye, sir! Conrad: All forces are to depart for Castellum Corvi when ready. That will be all.
Forename, stay with me a moment, if you would. Conrad: There's a few men I'd like you to look in on personally. Each of them has lost people, and I can tell that it weighs on their hearts... Conrad: There have been a lot of new faces since last you were here, so it's best if I just tell you where to look. One's an officer you'll find in the Barber, another's an older fellow who likes to pass the time on the shore of Starfall. The last is a fiery young lad from Little Ala Mhigo, who I'm told trains by himself by the river to the Fringes. You'll know them when you see them. Come and find me when you've finished.
Swarthy Resistance Fighter: I say, if it isn't the lass who helped me find the Ward I misplaced! Swarthy Resistance Fighter: Ah, but there I go again treating you as an equal! It wasn't till after you'd gone that one of my comrades pulled me aside and told me it was only the bleedin' hero of Eorzea who'd taken time out of her busy day to help me! Swarthy Resistance Fighter: Well, what is done is done. But know that I will fight with every onze of my strength in this coming battle, and the next and the next! Mayhap that will serve to repay the favor. Fare you well!
Ala Mhigan Brigade Officer: Wait, I know you! Sergeant Surname of the Twin Adder! It is an honor to meet you! Ala Mhigan Brigade Officer: I was living hand-to-mouth in Ul'dah, but decided to enlist in the Flames after I heard tales of your derring-do. And now, as fate would have it, I've been sent here to join in the fight for my homeland's liberation. Ala Mhigan Brigade Officer: Ah, but this is no time to talk. I've got to prepare for the operation! Take care, Sergeant! We'll give those imperial whoresons what for!
Hot-blooded Youth: ...Forename, am I right? I doubt you remember me, but I'll never forget you─saved my life in Little Ala Mhigo, you did. Hot-blooded Youth: Wilred and the rest of us had got it into our heads that if we had enough crystals, we could summon Rhalgr like the Amalj'aa summoned their god. Thankfully, you put a stop to it. Hot-blooded Youth: Ever hear about what happened to Wilred? Joined the Braves when they came calling, only to turn up dead one day. Never found out how or why, but I reckon it doesn't matter. Dead's dead, after all. Hot-blooded Youth: But at least he died doing what he thought was right. And maybe that's the best folks like us can hope for, eh? Not that I'm in any hurry, mind!
Conrad: You've had a word with the men I mentioned, then? Conrad: As I'm sure you noticed, they've another thing in common aside from tragedy: you've touched each of their lives in one way or another. But that's not the reason I wanted you to speak with them. Conrad: A man who's lived in Gyr Abania his entire life, who bore witness to the realities of the occupation for twenty unbroken years... Conrad: A man who fled Ala Mhigo in search of a new life, who swore to serve another nation, only for fate to conspire to send him back here... Conrad: A youth born on foreign soil, who never knew his parents' homeland, yet nevertheless felt kinship with our cause... Conrad: Three men, three stories, three reasons. Yet all belong to the Resistance. In growing larger, we've grown more diverse, and while there is good in that, there's also the potential for strife and discord. Conrad: It'd take a special sort to lead such men to Ala Mhigo, don't you think?
  • What will you say?
  • Good thing they've got you. Conrad: For now, aye, but not forever. And, to be frank, I don't always know what to say to the ones who left, not to mention they youths. Conrad: Nay, the Resistance needs a leader with a wider view. Someone who's not lived their whole life in Gyr Abania; who's known death and hardship but not been ground down by them. Conrad: Aye. As you may have guessed, I've been thinking of asking Lyse. But it'll be her decision in the end.
  • Someone like Lyse, you mean? Conrad: I see we're of one mind. She'll have to make the decision for herself, of course. Conrad: You've traveled with her. Been by her side when she's had to make hard choices. You've seen her at her worst and her best. If you think she's got it in her, then she does. Conrad: Look after her, Forename. She's our future, and my hope.
  • ...Leader of the Resistance, eh? Don't I have enough titles already? Conrad: Hah, now wouldn't that be a sight! The Slayer of Gods and Savior of Ishgard leading the Resistance into battle. You're not short of relevant combat experience, I'll give you that! Conrad: Being serious, though...I've been thinking about asking Lyse to be my successor. She's young and worldy, strong and kind. A bit daft at times, but not so much that it worries me—especially given what I've seen of her since she returned. Conrad: Look after her, Forename. She's our future, and my hope.
Conrad: I trust I needn't say that this conversation is just between you and me? Conrad: Good girl. Right, then─we'd best head to Castellum Corvi. Or what remains of it, rather.
Conrad: We'll lead the way while the other units launch their own separate attacks. Remember that we need to hold out until M'naago sees to the flag. Conrad: Got your gear in order? Any moment now...
Conrad: It's begun, then. M'naago: Good. It's the waiting that drives me mad. Standing around, knowing what's to come. I'll never get used to it. Lyse: Calm down, Naago. You're making her nervous. Lyse: We've come this far, haven't we? We just need to make it the rest of the way! M'naago: Right! Conrad: Looks like the bastards went for the bait. The bridge is ours for the taking! Conrad: Now remember, M'naago: I want you to make for the tower as soon as you see an opening and get that flag flying. We'll see to the fighting. M'naago: I won't let you down, sir! Conrad: Come, then! Rhalgr's star shall burn bright this day!
Conrad Farsight: Quickly now! We've got to reach Velodyna before General Aldynn and his men are overwhelmed! Lyse: Scouts, dead ahead! If they see us, they'll warn the others! Arenvald: Not if we kill them first! Arenvald: That's the last of 'em! Let's keep moving! Conrad Farsight: No sign of sentries. General Aldynn must have his hands full. Arenvald: Then let's seize the bridge and be done with it! Arenvald: They left a token force behind. Nothing we can't handle! 12th Legion Predator: Fire at will! Kill every last one of the savages! Lyse: Cannons! They could use those to fire on Naago!
Fordola: Think you're clever with all your little tricks? Think again!
None of you are leaving here alive!
Fordola rem Lupis: You may have survived the Reach, hero, but this time you won't be so lucky. Fordola rem Lupis: This bridge belongs to the Empire! I am not about to give it up! Fordola rem Lupis: Hero or not, you'll die just like all the rest! Fordola rem Lupis: This is MY BRIDGE! You are NOT taking this from me! Lyse: Naago made it! We've only got to hold on a little longer...
Fordola: Gods damn you! Lyse: No more running. No more hiding. Let's finish this! Lyse: Look! The flag! Conrad: The bridge is ours! Ala Mhigo, Ala Mhigo, Ala Mhigo! Fordola: Stand your ground! It's not over yet! Lyse: Damn it! Conrad: Let them go, Lyse! We've done what we came here to do.
That's enough for now.
Imperial Pilus Prior: Velodyna is fallen!? Impossible! Raubahn: We have them on the run! Forward! No mercy! Imperial Pilus Prior: Regroup, regroup... We have to regroup! All units─ Fall back!
Skull Swordsman: Commander! The 4th Cohort has been routed! We'll be at the mercy of the enemy's reinforcements if we don't fall back now! Fordola: Idiot! We have the stronger force by far! Don't be taken in by their tricks!
Or would you rather tell Zenos you lost to this rabble!? Skull Swordsman: No, but if the snakes betray us in the confusion, we'll have no way out!
I'm begging you, Commander─give the order, or we'll all die here! Fordola: ...As common traitors who drank of muddied waters. For all the good it did us. Fordola: Skulls, with me! The day is theirs, and so is this bastard bridge.
Someone bring the snake!
Lyse: ...I suppose. It's our first victory, isn't it? And that has to be worth something.
Lyse: It's a shame Fordola got away, but we did what we came here to do. Lyse: I have to remind myself it's just the first step...but it's a big one. We're going to take it back...all of it─one ilm at a time if we have to!
The Fortunes of War Your work is far from finished, as Conrad knows.
Conrad: There's still a chance that some imperials are holed up inside the castellum. We'll need to search it top to bottom to be sure it's safe. Conrad: In the meantime, I want you to rendezvous with the main host. Keep your weapons at the ready─there's a chance you might come face-to-face with soldiers on the run en route. Conrad: On second thought, it might be prudent for you to do a preemptive sweep of the region for soldiers that have gone to ground. We shouldn't afford them any time to regroup and launch a counterattack. Conrad: When you've judged your work to be done, report to General Aldynn in Bittermill.
Raubahn: Well met. All's well at the bridge? Raubahn: Good, good. The fighting has died down here too, as you can see. Raubahn: Pipin left but a moment ago with a contingent of troops to occupy Velodyna. If and when the imperials return, they'll find us dug in behind their own walls. Alphinaud: I could not have hoped for a better outcome, General. Splendidly done. Raubahn: Let's not get ahead of ourselves. It'll take more than one castellum to turn the tide. Raubahn: My men and I will deal with the remaining enemy forces. Scions, I bid you return to Commander Kemp and his men. Alphinaud: Delight not overmuch in victory─not when there are battles left to fight... Alphinaud: Our work here is finished. Our Resistance allies are waiting.
Conrad: Back so soon? I suppose the General and his men had matters well in hand. Conrad: The vice marshal and his men showed up not long after you left. If the gods are good, there'll be no one left to fight...
Rising Fortunes, Rising Spirits Conrad would like just as much as you to resume your march east towards the Peaks.
Conrad: I know you're not one for waiting, but if you'll bear with us─ Resistance Guard: Commander Kemp! Marshal Tarupin reports that their sweep of the castellum's interior has been completed! Conrad: So it's finally over, eh? Pray extend to him my deepest thanks. Alisaie: It's official, then. Castellum Velodyna is well and truly ours. Mayhap this calls for─ Wait, where is M'naago? Conrad: She took her bird and flew off towards the Peering Stones─the village of the M tribe, where she was born. Conrad: I doubt that the imperials who fled Velodyna had a mind to give them trouble on their way back east, but she was nevertheless worried, so I gave her leave to go and see that her people were safe. Alphinaud: Though I pray you are right, 'twould be best if M'naago were not alone if she should encounter the enemy. Lyse: Agreed! Let's all go to the Peering Stones and make sure that everything is all right. Conrad: If that is your wish, then I've no objection. Just let the guard know when you wish to cross.
Resistance Guard: Greetings, Scion. Do you wish to pass?
  • Cross the bridge?
  • Yes
  • No
Lyse: The path to the village is through a tunnel just east of here. Follow me!
M'naago: Ah, you've come. Welcome, friends, to my village. My home. Alphinaud: How fare your people? M'naago: Good, all things considered. Better than the Ananta, at any rate...
They've sent an emissary. I'll take you to her.
Lyse: We're here to help. Will you tell us what happened? Vira Battlemaid: Aye. It began with a quarrel between the imperials and the Qalyana. M'naago: The Qalyana are another Ananta tribe─the strongest and the most influential. M'naago: Unlike the Vira, they want no part of our troubles. They swore fealty to the Empire and were content to remain within their borders. Vira Battlemaid: Jussst ssso. The Qalyana forsssook their pride and the fight, and yielded to Garlemald long ago. Vira Battlemaid: But then a new commander was sssent to hold the black bridge.
She demanded the Qalyana sssurrender a hossstage, thisss Butcher. Lyse: Fordola. It doesn't make sense, though... The Vira are the ones working with the Resistance. Why would she threaten the Qalyana? Vira Battlemaid: Because she is ignorant, like all imperials. She knows not the difference between Qalyana and Vira, nor does she care to learn. Alphinaud: I see. All Fordola knew for sure was that the Resistance would come from
the west. She reasoned, therefore, that if the Ananta on the east bank turned their coats, she would be trapped. I take it the Qalyana had no choice but
to oblige her. Vira Battlemaid: No, they did not. The imperials left with the Qalyana broodmother's own daughter, Anamika. Vira Battlemaid: Long days and nightsss she looked out on the black bridge, weeping for her child. Until you came. Vira Battlemaid: The broodmother knew at once which way the winds would blow. She and her warriors met with the fleeing imperials in the road and demanded that her daughter be returned. Lyse: Bad idea... Fordola's not the kind to take threats lying down. Vira Battlemaid: You know her well. The Butcher turned her blade to Anamika and bade the Qalyana move aside. Vira Battlemaid: But the broodmother would not yield. Alisaie: I know where this is going... Vira Battlemaid: The Qalyana sssurrounded the imperials, one of whom, whether out of fear or ssstupidity, cut the child down. There was naught that could be done. Alisaie: What madness... Vira Battlemaid: The true madnesss was yet to come. For in her dessspair, the Qalyana broodmother cried out for her daughter to be ressstored to life.
She bessseeched Sri Lakshmi's intercession. Alphinaud: She summoned a primal, then and there? Vira Battlemaid: That she did, if only for an inssstant. Bereft of courage and honor,
the broodmother sssought sssolace in her faith. Vira Battlemaid: The imperials fled in terror at the sssight of the goddesss, abandoning these lands to the Ananta... Vira Battlemaid: Now the Qalyana bid usss make pilgrimage, to pay proper ressspectsss.
Yet though we Vira revere Sri Lakshmi as the holiessst of the holy, we will not prossstrate ourssselves before Her. Alisaie: And so you turned to us. Vira Battlemaid: Aye. All who have fought with the Resissstance have heard tell of the warrior. The eikon-ssslayer. Alphinaud: I believe we have heard enough. Inconvenient though the timing may be, if a primal has indeed been summoned, we can scarce afford to ignore it.
We must needs discuss how best to resolve this situation.
The Lure of the Dream Alphinaud has heard this story too many times before...
Alphinaud: Ahem. At the risk of sounding hopelessly naive...there may yet be a way to avoid a violent confrontation. Alphinaud: In the past, I fear I have been rather too willing to accept that we have no other recourse than to risk our lives─or rather your life─to address these threats. Alphinaud: Yet the primals we have faced thus far have demonstrated a variety of temperaments and objectives. Ravana may delight in battle, but Ramuh would sooner keep to the forests with his children. Alphinaud: Ere we decide to challenge Sri Lakshmi, it would seem wise to learn more of her nature from those who summoned her unto this world. Vira Battlemaid: If that is your will, then ssso be it. To the north will you find our village. Sssarisha shall unfold all. Alisaie: We shall leave at once. M'naago, can you inform our comrades at the bridge of what happened? M'naago: Of course. Be safe, my friends.
Sarisha: ...We do not often receive guestsss. What is the purpossse of your visit? Alphinaud: Greetings and well met. We are the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, and we come seeking Sarisha of the Vira. You are she, are you not? Alphinaud: You have petitioned us for aid and succor, and we intend to provide them, but we would first learn more of Sri Lakshmi, that we might better understand the nature of the threat she poses to you. Sarisha: A sssimple requessst, and one which I shall gladly oblige. Sarisha: In the beginning was Sri Lakshmi. We were created in Her image─daughters blesssed with Her beauty. Her breath became ours; Her ssserenity our sssolace. There is naught She would not give. Alphinaud: Hm. 'Twas the Qalyana broodmother's desire to bring about her daughter's resurrection which first called forth Sri Lakshmi from the aether. That being the case, I rather doubt the goddess will be spoiling for a fight. Alisaie: That would depend. The primal's motives will have been colored by the summoner's state of mind─namely, that of a grieving mother who had just borne witness to her daughter's murder. Though she apparently craved a miracle, she may also have harbored thoughts of vengeance.
Moreover, the Qalyana's conception of Sri Lakshmi may differ from that of the Vira. Sarisha: Thisss is true. The Vira and the Qalyana do indeed regard the Lady of Blisss in different ways. Sarisha: To the Vira, Sri Lakshmi embodies freedom. She would not sssuffer Her daughters to be bound to another's will. And ssso we ssstand with the Resissstance againssst the Empire, and give our lives for the cause. Sarisha: To the Qalyana, however, She embodies transsscendental beauty, which they ssstrive to create through their craft. To shape cryssstal is lesss art and more ritual─a sssacred duty wherein each tribute is imbued with a fragment of the sssoul. Sarisha: The imperials do not interfere with thisss holy work, and ssso the Qalyana were content to turn inward and ignore our plight. Alisaie: ...Until reality asserted itself, and they summoned a primal. A fever dream to soothe their aching hearts. Lyse: But surely they can see that it won't do any good! The imperials will still rule these lands. Nothing will change! Alisaie: The Ananta will. The Qalyana bade the Vira make pilgrimage to “pay proper respects,” remember? Those who do not wish to partake of their primal's bliss will be made to do so. Lyse: Not while we're around they won't! Sarisha: Though our beliefsss are not the sssame, we are ssstill kin to the Qalyana. Will you help them to sssee reason?
  • What will you say?
  • You can count on us. Sarisha: Then we shall, for without you we may be powerlesss to ssstop them.
  • Know that I'll kill your god if I have to. Maybe even if I don't. Sarisha: ...Do what you will, warrior. That sssimulacrum is not Sri Lakshmi.
Alisaie: If we do not act quickly, more lives will be lost, more families torn apart...more children made to suffer. Lyse: Then it's settled─we're going to find that primal and put an end to this! Sarisha: My sssister Vajra will guide you to Djanan Qhat...and I shall pray for your successs.
Vajra: Well met, Ssscions. I am Vajra. She who shines bright and unbroken. Vajra: I ssstand ready. We leave upon your command.
The Lady of Bliss Vajra is ready to guide you to Djanan Qhat.
Vajra: You are ready? Hm. You look ready. Vajra: Djanan Qhat. There you find the Qalyana's cryssstals, and Sri Lakshmi. Follow me.
Vajra: Djanan Qhat. The path leads to an entrance above. Vajra: Within is an aetheryte. You must use it to enter. Alphinaud: Understood. With me, everyone!
Shanti: Why, Missstresss... Why does my Anamika ssslumber ssstill? Lakshmi: Look thee on her face, sssupplicant. Thy prayer hath been anssswered. Lakshmi: Flesh sssundered hath been made whole. Blood ssspilt runneth through her veins. Breath ssstolen filleth her breassst. Shanti: But she hears not her mother's words, nor sssees her mother's face!
She...she is sssilent...and empty... Lakshmi: Only the vesssel may be remade. Not so the flame which flickered within.
Her soul hath been scattered to the four winds. Alisaie: Now do you see her promises for what they are!? Alphinaud: Alisaie! Have you gone mad!? Alisaie: Mayhap I have! But I refuse to stand by and watch yet another tragedy unfold! Shanti: Who intrudes upon thisss sssacred ground!? Imperials thirsssting for blood!? Alisaie: No! We come not to shed blood but to save you from the false god who would lead you astray! Alisaie: I understand how you feel, I do. You loved her with all your heart, but when the moment came, you still couldn't save her. The anguish, the anger...
I know it only too well. Alisaie: But I also know where this path leads! To embrace a primal is to condemn yourself to an endless cycle of despair. You will never know peace! Lakshmi: A worm-eaten heart may find peace and ssserenity in ssservice. In beauty and grace. Thisss hath ever been my promissse. Naught elssse. Alisaie: You tempt them with visions of things that can never be, and leave them bereft and wanting! Alisaie: No illusion, however sweet, can change the fact that your daughter is gone. Remember her as she was! Do not suffer this piteous shade to tarnish her memory! Lyse: For every prayer that primal “answers,” it'll demand payment in kind. Do you have any idea how many more Ananta will die to feed its hunger for crystals!? Lakshmi: They would have thee sssuffer man's ssspite and live in fear. Far better to dwell in my beauteousss dream than endure ssso ugly a reality. Lyse: She's wrong! We hate the Empire as much as you! If you'd just listen─ Lakshmi: Poor, misssguided children. I would ssspare you the tormentsss of thisss cruel and misshapen world. Come, basssk in my radiance. Let it fill your heartsss and free you from your burdens. Lakshmi: Abide in misery then, fools. The Ananta are more deserving of my blesssing... Lakshmi: Leave these lands and my dreamers be. I will not warn you a second time.
Alisaie: I know, I know, it was stupid and foolish but...but I had to try, Forename. I had to. Alisaie: I had to try...and I failed. So you have to fight. There is no other way.
  • What will you say?
  • I'll wake them from the dream. Alisaie: Thank you, Forename. I know you will.
  • Never stop trying. Alisaie: It means a lot to hear you say that. It does. But it doesn't make it any easier to have to ask you to face that...that thing.
  • Primals cannot be sufered to live. You know this. Alisaie: Maybe so, but every time we must turn to you and others like you to do what we cannot. I just wish there was another way...
Alisaie: We can but do that which is within our power. Lyse, Alphinaud, and I will go and seize their crystal stores. This will not happen again. Alisaie: And you... When it is finished...we will be waiting for you.

Emanation

Upon witnessing her daughter's death at the hands of Fordola and her Skulls, the Qalyana broodmother cried out to the heavens in despair...and a primal answered. Sri Lakshmi, patron deity of the Ananta, came forth from the aether, and the imperials were put to flight. Alas, the tale did not end there, for now the Qalyana demand that the Vira come and pay tribute to the goddess. And so it falls to you and your comrades to journey unto the Qalyana stronghold of Djanan Qhat, and put an end to Sri Lakshmi's dream.
Lakshmi: Decriers! Defilers! Lakshmi: Open your heartsss to me! Lakshmi: Who are you to wake them from the dream... Lakshmi: A sssliver of grace I bequeath to you... Lakshmi: Ressst your weary sssouls in my bosom. Lakshmi: Partake of my life and my love... Lakshmi: I shall free you from your hate! Lakshmi: There is no place for you within our dream... Lakshmi: Sssurrender to blisss... Lakshmi: My grace, my beauty, my everything...is yours...
Lyse: You did it again. You saved them. I just wish I could've been more help... Lyse: So...it looks like the Ananta did have a mountain of crystals after all.
Like every other tribe. Gods, we're all such slaves to our weaknesses... Shanti: You! You ssslew our Missstresss! She was our hope, our sssalvation!
Is there no end to your cruelty!? Lyse: Listen to me, please! I know that you're only trying to protect yourselves because you feel frightened and alone... Lyse: But that's how we all feel, don't you see? If we could just turn to each other for help instead of the gods, I'm sure we could find a way to live in peace! Lyse: Your crystals are important to you, aren't they? Reflections of your souls, right? Well, you shouldn't have to sacrifice something so precious to a primal... Shanti: Who are you to quessstion our choice? You who fight without fear? We wish only to live in peace, and if thisss be the price we must pay, then ssso be it! Lyse: I know there's nothing I can say to convince you. But I hope that one day you look back and see we only ever wanted the same thing. Shanti: Begone, damn you! Ssspare me your hollow words and leave me to mourn. Lyse: I'll go...but it doesn't mean I'm giving up. Lyse: Gyr Abania is our home too, and one way or another, we're going to have to learn to live together. Lyse: Come on. Alphinaud and Alisaie are waiting.
Meanwhile, in the Royal Palace of Ala Mhigo... Imperial Tribunus Militum: Ah, the savage returns. And with her tail firmly between her legs.
Beaten by beastmen, I hear. Imperial Pilus Prior: 'Twas a shameful display, by all accounts. She may have curried the viceroy's favor with her bold promises, but in the end, she's just another plodding bungler like the rest of her kind. Imperial Tribunus Militum: Strange, you would think him a better judge of character. Then again, I hear she's not averse to a more physical mode of persuasion. Imperial Pilus Prior: Hah, I thought she rose through the ranks rather quickly. But no longer. If only she had been content with her lot, she might have lived to see the morrow. Fordola: Fordola rem Lupis, commander of the Crania Lupi, reporting as ordered. Zenos yae Galvus: ...Why do you tremble so? Zenos yae Galvus: Could it be that the Empire's Butcher is afraid? That she who walks with death is terrified of her own? Fordola: I am terrified of dying having achieved naught. Gladly would I give my life to win a great victory on the battlefield, had I but the strength. Zenos yae Galvus: Alas, you do not. Indeed, you are weak. And born of this weakness is a blind fervor. A raging inferno which threatens to consume not only you, but everyone around you. Fordola: Yes, my lord. Zenos yae Galvus: You were defeated by the Resistance on several occasions.
You misjudged the Ananta and spurred them into summoning an eikon.
Have you anything to say? Fordola: I do not, my lord. My failures are my own.
I am prepared to accept your judgment. Zenos yae Galvus: And that is very admirable. However, I've had enough of this dumb show. Give voice to that hunger I see in your eyes, or I will pluck them from your head. Fordola: I...I want... Fordola: I want to make them pay! All of them! Everyone who ever mocked or looked down on me─I want the power to make them pay! Zenos yae Galvus: ...Hm. Very well. Zenos yae Galvus: Then I shall give you a chance. A chance to transcend your mortal limits. Assuming, that is, you are prepared to wager your life for such power. Fordola: Transcend, my lord...? Fordola: I came here prepared to die. Tell me what I must do.
Lyse: I wish we could have left on better terms, but that was never going to happen. It could be a problem if they get their hands on any more crystals, though... Lyse: Never mind. We'll deal with that when the time comes.
The Silence of the Gods Thanks to you, Vajra and her people need no longer live in fear.
Vajra: You have done us a great ssservice this day. Long shall my sssisters sssing the praises of the eikon-ssslayer. Vajra: Let usss bear word to them of Sri Lakshmi's passsing. Come, friends─to Vira Nilya!
Sarisha: Ahh... The winds whissspered of your successs...and your eyes confirm their tessstimony. The Lady of Blisss no longer holds our Qalyana sssisters in Her thrall. For thisss we thank you. Alisaie: Forename did the deed. We were but witnesses to her heroism. Alisaie: However, I fear this is only the beginning, for there is no cure for that which drives the desperate to beseech the gods for salvation. Should they wish to use their crystals to summon Sri Lakshmi again, naught can be done to stop them. Sarisha: We ignore our sssisters' plight at our peril. Thisss we know. We shall endeavor to show them another path ssso that the day you ssspeak of never comes. Lyse: We're all in this together─Ala Mhigans and Ananta. We understand that. Hopefully, in time, they will too. Sarisha: You and yours will ever be friends of the Vira. On that you have my word. Lyse: We should be getting back to the Peering Stones. Thank you again, Sarisha. For everything.
M'naago: Welcome back! Conrad and Marshal Tarupin came to render aid─but I hear that won't be necessary... Lyse: It won't. Sri Lakshmi's gone. Ah, but I should probably start at the beginning... M'naago: Incredible. I don't know what to say... If you hadn't been there to stop her, who knows where it would've ended. Conrad: You've saved a lot of lives, Forename. Take pride in that. Pipin: It must be said that this is something of an unprecedented situation. Previous summonings were, to my knowledge, planned well in advance by a tribe as a whole. Alphinaud: Indeed. There are several aspects of this incident which bear further investigation. In any event, the Qalyana's supply of crystals must remain limited for the foreseeable future, and ambient aether levels closely observed. Pipin: Understood. The Alliance will consult with the Resistance and the Vira on how best to enforce said restrictions. Alphinaud: Thank you, Vice Marshal.
To other matters, then. What news of the imperials? Pipin: None─which itself is troubling. It seems as though the Skulls and the remainder of the garrison have fully withdrawn into the Peaks. We've seen neither hide nor hair of them since Velodyna. Pipin: Regardless of their reasons, our path is clear. Father has decided that it is time to advance east. Lyse: Finally! Pipin: ...He was also most emphatic that you be spared further duties for the present. You are to rest. It would not do for the Warrior of Light to collapse from exhaustion during the march. Pipin: We may not be as strong or as quick as her, but we are soldiers nonetheless. We can deal with the imperials. Conrad: Aye. You've earned this respite, so enjoy it. And the same goes for you, M'naago. You've been away from your family too long─don't deny it. M'naago: ...As you say, sir. Thank you. We'll make the most of our time here.
M'naago: Heh heh, looks like it's up to me and mine to give you lot a proper welcome. M'naago: My mother prepared a special meal for this occasion, and I have it on good authority that hers is the finest cooking this side of the Velodyna!
M'rahz Nunh: Honored guests, I pray you partake of our humble offerings as we give thanks for your many valiant deeds. Alphinaud: Thank you, sir, for this warm welcome. We are honored to break bread with you and your family. M'hahtoa: Come, come, eat your fill of our food, and drink deep of our spirits. There is more than enough for all. Lyse: Well, when you put it that way─don't mind if I do!
Lyse: She wasn't kidding when she said her mother could cook. Lyse: You know, seeing her with her family...I can't help thinking of my own. Lyse: How my father would come home from a hunt with dinner on his shoulder, and Yda would prepare it with herbs and spices... Our mother died when I was little, so she did most of the cooking... Lyse: We didn't have much, but we had each other. And that was enough for me. Lyse: But they wouldn't let us have even that. Theodoric, Gaius... Of course Father and Yda had to fight. I would have too, if I'd been older. But they didn't have to die... Lyse: It never ends, does it? They call us beasts...and they treat us like them. They push and they push and they...until someone pushes back. Until someone takes up arms or...or summons a god. A false god. Lyse: If the Twelve are watching us, what are they thinking? Lyse: What are they thinking when they see the strong hurt the weak? When people fight and die, and nothing gets better, and it just goes on and on and on...
  • What will you say?
  • There is no justice. Just us. Lyse: ...I know. That's why we're here, isn't it?
  • You'd have to ask Them. Lyse: ...I don't think the gods listen to people like me.
  • ... Lyse: ...I don't think the gods listen to people like me.
Lyse: Thanks for listening. I know I was just rambling...but I feel better somehow. Lyse: Who knows what the answers are─or if there even are any. Either way, life goes on, and we've got to...go with it. Sorry, that sounded better in my head. I must be getting tired. Time to turn in, I think. Lyse: Tomorrow's another day, eh? Let's see what it brings. Sleep well, Forename.
Alphinaud: There is something to be said for a home-cooked meal, is there not? Alphinaud: We must cherish these moments, fleeting as they are. The fight will always be there, waiting for us to return...
The First of Many Alphinaud hopes that you are ready to rejoin the main host.
Alphinaud: I trust you are well rested and refreshed, yes? Then let us return to the front. Alphinaud: The greater part of the Alliance forces should have advanced into the Peaks by now, but I expect we will pass many of our comrades on the road east. Alphinaud: There is a checkpoint along the way, as I recall, but we will need only to identify ourselves to the soldiers in order to pass.
Alliance Recruit: Scions! A pleasure to have you with us again. Alliance Recruit: You'll be happy to hear we've taken Ala Ghiri, and have already begun fortifying it as our new base of operations in the Peaks. Give a shout to the lads as you pass, eh?
Lyse: I remember how they laughed. Alliance and Resistance soldiers,
eager for battle, trading jokes as we marches east towards the Peaks... Lyse: Beyond this last line of defenses lay the Lochs and the city. Breaching it would be no small feat. Lyse: But we beat the imperials back, just like that, and we liberated a village. The first of many...
M'naago: As you can see, this part of the Peaks is much higher than the northern reaches, hence why the imperials built Specula Imperatoris where they did. M'naago: See those three towers to the east? That's her. Sits right on the edge of a cliff, so attacking from the north is a fool's errand. From the south, on the other hand, she's no different from any other imperial installation. M'naago: You see now why Velodyna was so important, eh? Right, then. Come along─they're waiting for us in Ala Ghiri.
M'naago: Here we are. The new base of operations for the Alliance and the Resistance! Raubahn: Ah, there you are! Alphinaud: Greetings, General. I see you have been quite busy in our absence. Raubahn: Less than you may imagine. The imperials fled at our coming, and we took the village without a fight. Raubahn: Your timing is impeccable. We were about to discuss our strategy to seize Specula Imperatoris. Alphinaud: Though we are fresh from the road, we should be glad to attend. Raubahn: Good. Take a moment to gather yourselves, and join us when you are ready.
Strong and Unified M'naago would rather not keep General Aldynn and the others waiting.
M'naago: Well, you heard the Flame General. Looks like we've got a meeting to attend!
Raubahn: That everyone? Then let us begin. Raubahn: Ala Ghiri is ours, and for a mercy we took it without losing a single man. But we dare not grow complacent─Specula Imperatoris will not be so easily won. Alphinaud: If I may, General─should we not pause to consider the imperials' motivations? For Zenos to surrender a fortified settlement of strategic importance without so much as firing a shot is...inexplicable. Raubahn: We searched the village and found no traps or other signs of sabotage. Suspicious though it may be, I will not refuse this gift from our enemy. Raubahn: The path to Ala Mhigo is through the east─through Specula Imperatoris, and Castrum Abania. It bears repeating, however, that the latter is home to a massive cannon with unparalleled range and destructive power. Pipin: Which means that we will need to strike Specula Imperatoris quickly, both to limit their ability to locate our forces in the field, and to utilize the installation as a shield against attack, as they would doubtless not risk damaging the towers. Alphinaud: I see... Then we have no choice but to accept what we have been given. Conrad: Aye, that's the way of it. I've no doubt that Zenos has got something planned, but we'll just have to deal with it when the time comes. Raubahn: To the assault, then. The main host will commence a direct assault on Specula Imperatoris. During this time, I would hold the Scions in reserve at Ala Ghiri to deal with any imperial forces that may be dispatched in response. Alphinaud: Understood. Lyse: Wait a minute! We should be fighting with you and the Resistance! Lyse: I understand you don't want to rely too much on Forename after what she's been through, but at least let the rest of us do our part!
  • What will you say?
  • If she wants to fight, I say let her fight! Lyse: Thanks. I knew you would understand.
  • ...Don't do anything too reckless, all right? Lyse: I won't. I promise I'll do what Conrad says.
Alphinaud: ...Mayhap it would be best if I accompanied you. Alisaie can stay with Forename. Alisaie: Oh, go if you must. The two of us can take care of ourselves. Raubahn: You have your orders. Dismissed!
Meanwhile, deep within an imperial research facility... Fordola: My...my head... Zenos yae Galvus: Let us see... Zenos yae Galvus: So...she lives. Impressive...or merely lucky.
Though that too may prove a useful trait. Fordola: My lord...what have you done to me...? Aulus mal Asina: Though we Garleans are intellectually and physiologically superior in almost all respects, we lack the hereditary traits required for the reliable manipulation of aether─hence our unique inability to wield magicks. Aulus mal Asina: This deficiency, for want of a better word, saw us subjected to decades of oppression by the lesser races, and we were eventually driven to seek shelter in the cold northern reaches of Ilsabard. Aulus mal Asina: Fortunately, said region was replete with vast deposits of ceruleum, which proved instrumental in the development of magitek: a revolutionary technology conceived to compensate for our disadvantage. Aulus mal Asina: It was with magitek that we grew strong─that our nation became an empire. Yet ultimately, this was an extrinsic solution to an intrinsic problem. What I wanted was not a crude device to be used in lieu of magic. Aulus mal Asina: Through modification of the Garlean genome, I argued that it might be possible to enhance a subject's ability to manipulate aether, effectively empowering them to wield magicks. Alas, my theories were met with consternation in the imperial court.
Only Lord Zenos, with commendable foresight and wisdom, deigned to support my research. Fordola: ...You gave me this treatment? But I'm not Garlean. Zenos yae Galvus: Ala Mhigan, through and through. Zenos yae Galvus: What you have been granted is far greater than mere magic. Before that lesser light, it is as a second sun. Aulus mal Asina: I am informed that Ala Ghiri was recently occupied by the Resistance, and that an attack on Specula Imperatoris is considered imminent. This could provide an ideal opportunity to test her performance in the field. Zenos yae Galvus: Your...Skulls, was it? They have joined the garrison at the watchtower? Fordola: ...Yes, my lord. By your leave, I would rendezvous with them and lead a counterattack against the insurgents. Zenos yae Galvus: No. Even were you to leave now, you would not arrive in time.
There is another duty I would entrust to you... Thancred: ...Found you.
Alisaie: So full of fire and eager, weren't they? Well, I wouldn't worry too much. They're strong and they have each other. Alisaie: At least he spared me the trouble of having to speak up. I wasn't about to let Lyse go alone...
Hells Open Alisaie is ready to depart Ala Ghiri when you are.
Alisaie: We have a fair bit of ground to cover, so we should split up. If you come across any imperial soldiers, you know what to do. Alisaie: Oh, and so you know─I sent word to Arenvald's squadron. They are already searching other nearby areas, so we have allies in the event we encounter anything beyond our means.
Alisaie: Ah, give me a moment, Forename. Alisaie: Say that again, if you would.
...Hmm. No, maintain your distance for now. Alisaie: ...Understood. Keep me apprised of any developments. Alisaie: That was Arenvald. The pair that was spying on us in the Fringes has followed us here... Alisaie: What about you, Forename? Any trouble? Alisaie: ...And there I was thinking we might be due for some peace and quiet. Glad to hear you dealt with them. Alisaie: I hope the assault on Specula Imperatoris is going well...
Raubahn: Ho! You've improved, lad! Pipin: Come now, Father. You lured the fool onto my blade, and do not try to deny it! Raubahn: Our work here is all but done. What of Conrad and his men? Pipin: They are for the main tower. The Skulls have offered fierce resistance thus far, but Conrad seems to believe he can convince them to lay down their arms... Raubahn: Then we will tend to the stragglers down below. With me!
Fordola: Report. Imperial Centurion: Enemy forces have overrun the lower facilities, and appear to be mounting an assault on the main tower. We have already received a request for reinforcements. Imperial Centurion: A unit of legionaries has been mustered and is ready to depart.
They await your orders, Commander. Fordola: Stand down. Imperial Centurion: Commander? Fordola: Tell them to stand down. Imperial Centurion: Commander, if I may! Our people─your people are still in there!
They will be slaughtered! Fordola: You think I don't know that!? I want nothing more than to help them─to lead the bloody charge─but I have my orders! Fordola: Lord Zenos said no reinforcements. He would have us use the main cannon to destroy the installation. Imperial Centurion: What...kill our own soldiers!? You must be mistaken! Fordola: Mayhap you'd like to ask Lord Zenos yourself? Fordola: I thought not. Initiate the firing sequence. Fordola: Wars are won on the backs of the dead. Theirs and ours. There is no truth but this. We must remain firm and resolute, and always, always do our duty.
Now, give the order! Imperial Centurion: Initiate firing sequence! Imperial Elite: Aye, aye, initiating firing sequence!
Release safety locks...deploy main cannon! Fordola: Ansfrid, Hrudolf, Emelin...
For us. For our people. For our future. Imperial Centurion: I need you to confirm the target, Commander. Fordola: Specula Imperatoris, main tower. Fire when ready.
Raubahn: What in the seven hells!? Pipin: Long-range artillery? Raubahn: Those treacherous bastards... Their people were still fighting!
Full retreat, now! Relay the orders! Pipin: Understood! Pipin: All forces, retreat! I repeat: all forces, retreat!
Alisaie: By the Twelve, did you see that!? The main tower just collapsed! Alisaie: You heard it too, didn't you? It must have been the cannon at Castrum Abania. But that was an imperial installation, and their troops were still─ Alisaie: Dammit, no one's responding! I don't know if the shell is being jammed or... Alisaie: We have to go right now! They need our help!
Heavens Weep The fear in Alisaie's eyes is unlike anything you have ever seen before.
Alisaie: This way! There's no time to lose!
Alisaie: It's worse than it looks─ H-He probably wasn't even─ Pull yourself together.
The gate. This is our way inside. Alisaie: We need to find my brother. Right...now.
The locks on the massive gate appear to have been disabled. You need only prise them open to pass through...
  • Proceed into Specula Imperatoris?
  • Yes
  • No
Raubahn: I'm glad you're here, Forename. In case it isn't obvious, the imperials fired on us. On Specula Imperatoris. Raubahn: I didn't think they had it in them. To kill their own men just to kill us! Gods damn them all! Alisaie: Where is my brother? Tell me where he is! I want to see him! Pipin: He was in the tower when it was struck. But that need not mean anything. Our forces are still evacuating, and many remain unaccounted for. Raubahn: Alisaie? Alisaie, listen: there are soldiers wounded and dying all around us─soldiers with families, just like you and me. They need our help. Do you understand? Alisaie: ...He's right.
I'll take the north, you take the east.
Wounded Serpent Soldier: Thank you. I think...I think I can manage on my own...
Wounded Flame Soldier: For a moment there, I thought I was bound for Thal's great hall. Ye gods, what were the imperials thinking...
Wounded Storm Soldier: Just...give me a moment to let the world stop spinning, would you? ...There. Ala Ghiri's not far. I'll make it. I'll make it...
Wounded Temple Knight (Patrounade): Ugh... Everything hurts. I think I was struck by debris from the tower... Wounded Temple Knight (Patrounade): Wait, I know you! Forename Surname! Ward of House Fortemps! Wounded Temple Knight (Patrounade): We fought together on the Steps of Faith. You saved my life back then...and now... Wounded Temple Knight (Patrounade): I can walk. Thank you. A thousand times, thank you... Lyse: Conrad! Conrad, can you hear me!?
Naago, put him down over there!
Lyse: Conrad! Conrad! Speak to me! Alphinaud: It...it was all so sudden. Conrad had just convinced the last few Skulls to surrender, when...when we heard the bang, and...and everything started to shake... Alphinaud: We carried the survivors to safety, but Conrad is... We have done what we can for him. All that remains is to pray. Conrad: Ugh... Lyse: Conrad!? Conrad: Is...is that you, Lyse? Can't...can't see a damn thing... Conrad: Well, that's that, then. Time's up. Lyse: What are you talking about!? You'll be on your feet before you know it! Conrad: It's all right, Lyse. I've lived long enough. But listen... I want...I want you to lead the Resistance in my stead. Lyse: Don't say another word! You'll recover─we'll recover! We'll bring freedom to Ala Mhigo together! We're not going to stop here! Conrad: No...no, you won't. Everything we've built, everyone we've brought together...I know you'll show them the way... Conrad: You've got it in you, Lyse. Not because you're Curtis's daughter, or Yda's sister, but because...because you're you. Because you're you... Lyse: Conrad... Conrad: Lead them to victory. To freedom. Lyse: I will, Conrad. I will. I promise.
Meanwhile, in the chaos of Castrum Abania... Imperial Tribunus Militum: Next round! Double the charge! Estinien: Come, Nidhogg. We are needed. Imperial Elite: That's the ceruleum pipeline! Imperial Tribunus Militum: Impossible! How can one man─ Shoot the bastard! Shoot him! Estinien: Heh. My lance has slain far greater beasts. Estinien: ...You're welcome, boy. Imperial Tribunus Militum: Notify all units─I want that intruder found!
And get the engineers to fix my bloody cannon! Imperial Tribunus Militum: The savages are coming!
Alphinaud: We could have killed them. We could have walked away... Alphinaud: But instead we tried to convince them to lay down their arms. We tried to seek a peaceful resolution. Alphinaud: We showed them mercy, and this was their response. Fire and blood! This was their answer! Alphinaud: Such crimes cannot go unpunished. They must not! Gods as my witness, there will be a reckoning!
The Road Home Slowly but surely, Alphinaud is regaining his composure.
Alphinaud: ...Forgive me. Now is not the time for vows of vengeance. We must remain calm and rational and in control. Alphinaud: The imperials have demonstrated a willingness to fire on their own. So long as we remain here, we are in danger. Alphinaud: We three will see to Commander Kemp's body. Find my sister and return to Ala Ghiri.
Alisaie: There, that should suffice for now. Go on and join the others. Alisaie: ...Tell me you've found Alphinaud. Tell me he is all right. Alisaie: Oh, thank the Twelve! I don't know what I would have done... Though, saying that, what will the Resistance do without Commander Kemp? Alisaie: Sorry─not here, not now. We should return to Ala Ghiri. Keep an eye out for any wounded who need our help on the way.
Wounded Imperial: <pant> <pant> ...It wasn't long ago I was trying to kill you and yours. I half expected you were about to slit my throat. Wounded Imperial: To hells with this. I should be back home in Ilsabard, instead of taking fire from my so-called comrades.
Wounded Resistance Fighter: ...Thanks, friend. Bloody tourniquet came loose and I was having trouble getting it back on. I should be fine the rest of the way.
Wounded Resistance Fighter: Oh, oh, bless you, kind─ Wait, is that you, Forename? Wounded Resistance Fighter: I didn't recognize you at first. Been feeling a bit dizzy. Must've lost a lot of blood. I...I can keep going. I can keep going...
Alphinaud: Forename. We have given over Commander Kemp's remains for safekeeping. Later─I have no idea when─rites must needs be performed... Alphinaud: For now, however, we must carry on. We must press forward. We must not give in to despair...
For the Living and the Dead The question of how to move forward in Conrad's absence looms large in Alphinaud's mind.
Alphinaud: All Alliance and Resistance units have now withdrawn from Specula Imperatoris. It is time we spoke with General Aldynn.
Raubahn: ...These deaths weigh heavy on my soul. Commander Kemp's most of all. Raubahn: He was a wise leader. He was a patriot. But above all else, he was a good man who will be sorely missed. One of many lost this day. I ask for a moment's silence to pray for the souls of the departed. Raubahn: We have suffered a grievous defeat. But we can not and will not renounce this cause. The die has been cast. Raubahn: Hold tight to this grief, this anger, and let it drive you forward. Let it be your strength and your shield when next you face the enemy. Alphinaud: It will carry us far, General. Of that I have no doubt. Alphinaud: Ere we take another step towards Ala Mhigo, however, we must first address the question of how to deal with Castrum Abania's cannon. If the imperials are willing to employ the weapon without thought for their own soldiers' safety, we may struggle to approach them. Alisaie: A frontal assault is out of the question. We'd lose countless men before we even reached the walls. Pipin: Would we? Recall that the imperials could have obliterated our forces had they kept firing, but neglected to do so. Pipin: They had no strategic reason to cease fire, which begs the question: why did they? Alphinaud: ...You suspect they were unable to fire the cannon again. Mayhap due to a malfunction? Pipin: Or one of their officers found his conscience after the first barrage. Or a heretofore unknown Resistance faction chose that moment to disable it. Pipin: There are many possibilities, but the fact remains that they stopped when logic dictated they continue. Lyse: Then I'll just have to go and see for myself if the cannon is still operational. M'naago: Are you mad? Conrad put you in charge of the Resistance! We can't risk losing another commander so soon! Lyse: I know how you feel, Naago, I do. But I need you to understand... Lyse: It wasn't long after Papalymo and I arrived at Rhalgr's Reach that Conrad first asked me to join the Resistance. And then he kept on asking. Lyse: Every time I said no, I told myself it was because of the Scions. But even then, I knew deep down that it was an excuse. That I was still afraid of following my heart, because I couldn't be sure if it was for me or for Yda. Lyse: But then I met someone, on the other side of the world, who had struggled with the same worries. And as we traveled and fought together I saw him grow and become the leader his people needed him to be. Lyse: And now it's my turn to do the same. Lyse: There's not a lot of us left, and of the ones that are, many are still wounded. We have to make do with what we've got, and I'm the best qualified. It's as simple as that. But don't worry, Naago. I'll come back. I promise. Raubahn: While I acknowledge Commander Hext's right to carry out this mission, I see no reason why she should do so alone. Forename, would you go with her?
  • What will you say?
  • Would've done it even if you hasn't asked, sir.
  • I suppose someone's got to keep her out of harm's way...
Raubahn: Then it is settled. We will await your return.
Lyse: ...Sorry to drag you into this, Forename. Lyse: It may not be the decision Conrad would've made...but I'm not Conrad. I never will be. I don't know what kind of leader he was hoping for, but right now, all I can do is be myself...
Above the Churning Waters Lyse's mind is made up.
Lyse: If you don't mind, I'd rather not wait around and have people try to talk me out of it. Let's get moving. I know a good vantage point overlooking the castrum. Lyse: Nyunkrepf's Hope─the ship stranded on the rocks to the east of here. It shouldn't take us long to get there. Oh, but there might be some ancient golems guarding it. Or that might just be an old wives' tale. Either way, it's worth the risk. M'naago: Lyse...Commander...I pray you proceed with all due caution. Do not hesitate to call upon us if needed. Lyse: To reach the ship, we'll have to scale the cliff face. I'll get some climbing gear and meet you there, all right?
Lyse: Sorry to keep you waiting! I see you've met the golems. Looks like the old stories were true, eh? In a way, I'm glad... Lyse: Right, then. Time to climb!
Lyse: <pant> <pant> Whew! That took a bit more out of me than I expected... Lyse: And here she is. Nyunkrepf's Hope. The ark that one man made to save countless others from the flood during the Sixth Umbral Era. Lyse: It's comforting to think that there have always been people who cared this much about their fellow man─who accomplished such great feats that people couldn't help thinking they must be made up. But the proof's right here, isn't it? Lyse: I don't just mean the ship, you know. I mean you. Long before anyone started calling you a hero, you were there for those in need. You did things for people when you didn't have to─sometimes even when they didn't want you to. Lyse: It can't have been easy, staying true to yourself. But we're all better for it. Me included. Lyse: I'll never be a leader like Conrad. Or Hien. Or my father... Lyse: But I can be a friend to you all, and I can fight by your side. Lyse: I can be me...and that'll just have to be enough, eh? Lyse: Strange to think back on it. If we'd been standing in different places, or if the shell had struck the tower differently, it would've been me instead of Conrad. Or maybe both of us. Lyse: What kind of monster murders their own... Lyse: Uh... Is that smoke from Castrum Abania? Wait─it's coming from the cannon! Lyse: I can't tell what happened from here, but I can tell that it won't be giving us any trouble in the immediate future. Lyse: This is our chance, Forename─to avenge Conrad and all the others who died in the tower, friend and foe. Lyse: To take Castrum Abania and bring the bastards who gave the order to fire to justice! Lyse: It won't be easy after the losses we took, but I know everyone's champing at the bit to strike back. With the right plan, I'm certain we can do it! Lyse: We have to tell the others! Come on!
Lyse: Easier down than up, eh? Though not necessarily safer... Lyse: Anyway, no time to rest! We need to convince the others to strike now, before the imperials have time to fix their cannon.
The Path Forward Lyse is not willing to let this opportunity pass you by.
Lyse: There's no time to lose, Forename! General Aldynn needs to know what we saw!
Raubahn: You are returned. I only hope you bring good news. Lyse: We scaled the cliffs of Nyunkrepf's Hope and spied smoke rising from Castrum Abania's main cannon. Lyse: I think Marshal Tarupin's right─they didn't fire again because they couldn't. The cannon seems to have been disabled somehow. Alphinaud: Then we must attack Castrum Abania at once! Raubahn: Hm. It could still be a trick. But if it isn't, we may not get a better opportunity. Alphinaud: Bluntly, General, if it is a trick, it is an utterly baffling stratagem. Had the imperials wished to wipe us out, they could simply have kept firing. Pipin: Be that as it may, we need not risk everything to seize it. I say we dispatch a small contingent to infiltrate the castrum and secure control of the weapon. Pipin: If the enemy is preoccupied with repairs, we may be able to take them unawares. If, on the other hand, it is indeed a trick, our token force will prove an elusive target─and we will at least know the cannon is operational. Alphinaud: Either way, it seems well worth the risk. But how are we to infiltrate the castrum? Pipin: ...In anticipation of a day such as this, men and women under my command have labored long to cultivate a network of informants throughout Gyr Abania─including Radiata. Pipin: Radiata is home to many who hold menial positions at Castrum Abania and other nearby installations. With the aid of our allies there, I believe we can secure a route into the fortress. Lyse: The Resistance will handle this. You may have recruited these informants, but they'll be just as happy working with fellow Ala Mhigans. And at the end of the day, it's our land─our responsibility. Let us do right by Conrad. Alphinaud: I should be glad to accompany her, General─as would Alisaie and Forename, I am sure. Raubahn: Well then. If you are all in agreement, I see no reason to refuse you. Raubahn: We will make ready to march on Castrum Abania. Go, and may Rhalgr watch over and keep you.
Alphinaud: My apologies for speaking on your behalf. It would seem my sister's forthright manner is rubbing off on me... I confess, my decision to volunteer was not wholly motived by concern for Lyse, nor less Ala Mhigo. Alphinaud: ...Castrum Abania is the largest imperial facility in the Peaks, you see, and so the likelihood that Krile is being held captive there is quite high... Alphinaud: Dealing with that cannon remains our main objective, of course, but if there is even a chance that Krile might be rescued in the process, I would never forgive myself if I did not take it.
With Tired Hands We Toil Alphinaud is ready to lead the way to Radiata.
Alphinaud: So, to review: we are to travel to Radiata, where we will meet with a contact recruited by Marshal Tarupin's agents. Alphinaud: I took the liberty of reviewing intelligence reports while Forename and Lyse were away, so the settlement is not wholly unfamiliar to me... Alphinaud: As the vice marshal indicated, the vast majority of the populace is employed as menial labor in either Specula Imperatoris or Castrum Abania. Perhaps as a result of this, the Resistance has long struggled to make inroads there. M'naago: Aye, you have the right of it. They got a better deal than most Ala Mhigans─feeding off what scraps the imperials gave 'em. Damned if I know how Marshal Tarupin's agents got one of them to turn his coat. Alphinaud: I understand your disdain, I do. But I also understand their desire to look after their families by any means necessary... Alphinaud: Our contact is a Roegadyn woman. She will ask us a question. After we answer with “courage,” she will know us as friends. Lyse: “Courage.” Right.
Put together a squadron, Naago. We'll need them soon. Alphinaud: With me, my friends─and be ready for anything.
Alphinaud: See? What did I tell you? Let us continue on to Specula Imperatoris!
Alphinaud: Of course there were still soldiers lurking about... Fortunately, they were no match for Lyse. Come─Radiata is not much further. Alphinaud: Of course, in light of our recent encounter, it would be prudent to proceed with caution and remain vigilant for imperial forces...
Lyse: Looks like it's safe to enter. I don't see any imperials... Lyse: Hmm... I don't see smoke above Castrum Abania anymore. Do you think they fixed the cannon already...?
Where Courage Endures The Roegadyn woman you seek is somewhere in Radiata, and Lyse is eager to find her.
Lyse: Alphinaud said we were looking for a Roegadyn woman, right? And that we should answer her question with “courage”? Lyse: I suppose we'll just have to strike up a conversation with every one of them until we find our contact. Let me know if you find her, and I'll do the same.
Young Hellsguard (Stark Woad): ...Ain't seen you around before. Takes a certain kind of woman to walk into a place like this uninvited.
  • What will you say?
  • I will go whither the wild rose blooms. Young Hellsguard (Stark Woad): See any roses 'round here? 'Cause I don't. Piss off.
  • One with courage, I suppose.
  • Times are tough, but so am I. Young Hellsguard (Stark Woad): Oh aye? I'll bet you are. Best of luck to you, soldier.
Young Hellsguard (Stark Woad): ...Courage, you say? Well, that's in short supply these days. Better to keep your head down and go along to survive. Young Hellsguard (Stark Woad): Call me a coward too, if you like, 'cause I'll not speak on it more─at least not here. Young Hellsguard (Stark Woad): Outside Radiata, behind those barricades over yonder, on the other hand...
Lyse: Hey. Was that who I think it was? Lyse: Well, that's a relief─or a trap. Either way, I'll find Alphinaud and Alisaie. We'll meet you there.
Young Hellsguard (Stark Woad): Not followed, were you? Good.
Young Hellsguard (Stark Woad): That all of you, is it? Let's get to it, then. Name yourselves. Alphinaud: We are the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Friends of Marshal Tarupin. Stark Woad: Name's Stark. Stark Woad. The rest you know, or we wouldn't be here. Stark Woad: This is about Specula Imperatoris and the cannon, isn't it? Alphinaud: Just so. Can you tell us what happened? Stark Woad: Aye. I overheard soldiers talking while working in the mess. The ceruleum pipeline fueling the cannon was destroyed by an unidentified male insurgent, they said. Alphinaud: One man single-handedly disabled the cannon? That beggars belief! Stark Woad: Nevertheless, that's what they said. It took a while, but they've finally put the fires out, and the engineers have been working day and night to repair it. Stark Woad: Wish I could tell you more, but the incident had everyone jumping at shadows and afraid to say much more. To make matters worse, the Ala Mhigan help have been sent home indefinitely. Lyse: So the cannon could already be fully operational... Lyse: We need to sneak inside Castrum Abania to ensure the cannon is no longer a threat to our troops. Can you help us? Stark Woad: Aye, that much I can do. I've pieced together a map of the interior over the years, and I know for a fact that there are multiple points of entry. Alphinaud: Impressive...
If we split into several groups, that may improve our odds of reaching the fire control center. Alphinaud: We may be few in number, but I have faith that we can see this through!
The Price of Freedom As usual, Alphinaud has a brilliant plan.
Alphinaud: We have that for which we came. All that remains is to make our preparations. Alphinaud: Lyse and her unit will make for our primary objective, the fire control center. Alphinaud: At the same time, we will enter the castrum by way of the ventilation ducts, whereupon we will proceed into weapons research and create a diversion. Alphinaud: If all goes to plan, our parties will subsequently converge, and together we will secure the cannon before finally notifying the Alliance that they are clear to attack. Lyse: Sounds simple enough. I'll go and brief Naago on the details. Stark Woad: The rest of you come with me. We'll need to deal with the magitek patrols before you can infiltrate the castrum.
Stark Woad: Almost there, friends. Your point of entry is just around the bend up ahead. The last patrol should be here any moment. Stark Woad: Once you've dealt with them, we'll be clear to advance...assuming they keep to their usual schedule. Might be prudent to stand watch for a moment after, just in case.
Stark Woad: By Rhalgr, I knew you lot were good, but I never expected you to defeat them so swiftly... Alphinaud: Forename is the finest warrior I know, and I should like to think we have learned something from our time in her company... Now─where is the entrance to the ducts? Stark Woad: Right behind you. I've mapped the branches, so you should have no trouble reaching the hangars or any number of other places. Alphinaud: Understood. Thank you again for your invaluable assistance. Alphinaud: As discussed, Forename, we shall infiltrate the castrum and cause as much chaos as possible. Alphinaud: This will draw the imperials away from Lyse and her men, thereby allowing them to safely reach the fire control center. Stark Woad: If there's nothing else, I'll return to the Resistance forces and show them to their entrance. May Rhalgr guide you to victory! Alphinaud: This is your last chance to make your preparations, Forename. When you and yours are ready, we shall begin.

Castrum Abania

The Alliance and the Resistance cannot suffer a repeat of the slaughter at Specula Imperatoris. As such, they will not march upon Castrum Abania until they can be certain the fortress's main cannon will not be brought to bear against them. With the aid of an Alliance contact in Radiata, you and your comrades have devised a plan to infiltrate the castrum and seize control of the cannon. Several parties, including yours, will attempt to create a diversion inside the castrum, thereby allowing Lyse and her unit of Resistance fighters to proceed relatively unhindered to the fire control center. Weapons research is to be your destination, and one can only imagine what manner of foes await you there...
Alisaie: All right, let's raise hells! Alphinaud: Aye! The more enemies we can draw, the better!
Alphinaud: They're weapon transport containers. Alisaie: Best destroy them here and now!
Alphinaud: This appears to be a testing facility. Alisaie: Well then, let's put this thing through its paces! Magna Roader: Systems nominal... Powering magitek engines... Magna Roader: Deactivating limiters... Injecting ceruleum fuel additives... Magna Roader: Emergency restart! Systems unstable... Evacuate... Alisaie: I'm afraid that's a fail. Alphinaud: A notable mention for its acceleration, however.
Alisaie: Something in those pods... Alphinaud: It couldn't be...people?
Alphinaud: That they should so enhance men... Alisaie: We must shut the pods down!
Alisaie: A third eye... That man is Garlean! Alphinaud: And he's undergone extensive enhancements. Subject Number XXIV: Hostile presence detected. Subject Number XXIV, engaging arcane combat mode. Subject Number XXIV: Commencing lightning aether loading. Subject Number XXIV: XXIV Protocol initiated. Commencing lightning attack. Subject Number XXIV: Inhibitors disengaged. Lightning aether output level maximum. Subject Number XXIV: Warning: lightning aether overload. Combat system throttled; defensive functions impaired. Subject Number XXIV: System restored. Recommencing fire aether loading. Subject Number XXIV: XXIV Protocol initiated. Commencing fire attack. Subject Number XXIV: Inhibitors disengaged. Fire aether output level maximum. Subject Number XXIV: Warning: fire aether overload. Combat system throttled; defensive functions impaired. Subject Number XXIV: System restored. Recommencing ice aether loading. Subject Number XXIV: XXIV Protocol initiated. Commencing ice attack. Subject Number XXIV: Inhibitors disengaged. Ice aether output level maximum. Subject Number XXIV: Warning: ice aether overload. Combat system throttled; defensive functions impaired. Subject Number XXIV: Aether loading test complete... Urgent redesign required... Alisaie: A Garlean who can use magic... Alphinaud: It seems they seek to augment their people's weakness.
Alphinaud: Another facility up ahead. Alisaie: By the way it's set apart, I'd wager it's important.
Alphinaud: They certainly do not want us here. Alisaie: And that only makes it more inviting!
Alisaie: What is that thing? A machina or a beast? Alphinaud: Whatever it is, it's dangerous! Have care! Magitek Technician: What fortune to receive such a promising test subject... Magitek Technician: This way, little one, this way. Time for your medicine... Magitek Technician: Hm. Well. We have data enough. We will learn from this.
Alphinaud: Understood. We're on our way. Alphinaud: Lyse's unit should be advancing upon the fire control center in the command tower. Let us join them.
Alphinaud: Lyse! Thank the Twelve you're all right. Lyse: And you! There's the control center. Let's hit them hard and fast. Ready? Fordola: They're here! Lyse: It was you, wasn't it... Wasn't it!? Fordola: Aye, I gave the order to fire. Lyse: It was over! The Skulls had surrendered! No one else had to die!
And you killed them! Your own people! Your own comrades! Fordola: You're right. I killed them. Ansfrid, Hrudolf, Emelin, all the rest─trained and fought with every last one of them. Good soldiers to a man. Fordola: I gave the order that led to their deaths...and I knew exactly what I was doing. Lyse: But why!? Why would you do that!? Fordola: They died so that all Ala Mhigans could live free. That was all we ever wanted. Fordola: We made a promise that we would do whatever it took so that one day...one day the imperials would learn to accept us. Fordola: But everything comes at a price. And if you haven't got the means to pay, then you pay with blood. Fordola: Service guarantees citizenship, but citizenship guarantees naught. It's not enough to do your part, oh no. You have to run faster, fight harder, kill more and more and more─and only then will you be equal. Fordola: That's just how it is out here in the provinces. You buy your freedom with blood─there is no other way! Lyse: Shut up! Shut your mouth! You don't get to talk about freedom!
You killed your own! They trusted you and you killed them! Lyse: Murderer! Butcher! Traitor! Alisaie: Lyse! Lyse: Gotcha! Fordola: I know what you can do. I've already seen it. Alphinaud: Alisaie! Fordola: Even so, the odds are against me... Lyse: Coward! Get back here! Fordola: Hero! Lord Zenos invites you to join him for the royal hunt, to be hosted at the palace. You may bring your horde, if you like. All are welcome. Alphinaud: She'll be all right, but we'll need to carry her. Will you help me? Alphinaud: Thank you. Lyse, I leave matters here in your hands. Lyse: Uh, right...
Lyse: Well, we did it. Castrum Abania belongs to us now... Lyse: Naago and her people took Alisaie to Radiata to receive treatment. Alphinaud tells me she'll make a full recovery... Lyse: I know I should be happy. We won, and with minimal casualties. But somehow...it feels empty. Lyse: We should report to General Aldynn. Krile wasn't here, but who knows, maybe one of Raubahn's men found something which could lead us to her. Can't hurt to ask, anyway.
Raubahn's Invitation Raubahn wishes to thank you for your service.
Raubahn: Forename, Commander Hext. Fine work you did today. Raubahn: After Specula Imperatoris, we needed a resounding victory like this. Thanks to you, Rhalgr's star yet burns bright. Lyse: I'm glad, I really am. But you should know that Alisaie was injured in the fighting... Raubahn: ...Regrettable, but I am pleased to hear that she will make a full recovery. Fordola's parting words, on the other hand, ring less favorably in my ears. Raubahn: But if Zenos wishes to invite us to his so-called “royal hunt,” then this bull would fain accept! Raubahn: ...What troubles you, Lyse? Lyse: O-Oh, it's nothing really, just that...we're almost to the end, but we've still got to save Krile and do so much more... Raubahn: We'll find her soon enough. Pipin has his best men scouring the castrum's archives as we speak. Lyse: ... Raubahn: ...Listen, Lyse. It will take time for us to fully occupy the castrum and prepare to advance into the Lochs. While we wait, there is something I would like to show you. Both of you. Raubahn: After all, this may be the last chance we have to catch our breath before the final push. Lyse: I don't see why not... Raubahn: Then come with me to Radiata. From there we'll need to follow another road south.
Raubahn: Even after all these years, it's still the same... Ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself. You deserve a proper welcome.
Liberty or Death Raubahn would share with you a story.
Raubahn: Forename, Lyse─I brought you both here for a reason... Raubahn: I wanted to show you this house. My house. Lyse: You mean...this is where you grew up? Raubahn: Aye. Not much to look at, is it? Raubahn: Same could be said of the village. It was damn near impossible to live off
the land, barren as it was─which is why so many of us traded our plowshares for swords. Raubahn: Swords and uniforms, mind. We became military men. Tensions were rising between Ala Mhigo and the Empire, and there was always a need for more soldiers to watch the border. 'Twas only a matter of time before the first skirmishes broke out. Raubahn: It is a frightening thing to face magitek armor for the first time. But after a lot of trial and error, I found ways to bring them down. After a few victories, people even said I had a knack for it. Raubahn: And then one day they hit us. Hard. I was wounded and sent home to recover. Back here...
Curtis: Will you remain silent for fear of the mad king's vengeance? Of his eyes and ears in the shadows and his knives in the dark? You who call this “living” dishonor our nation─it is but a slow death! Curtis: Liberty or death. Liberty or death! If this be your creed, then raise up your hands! Raise up your voices! Together we will tear Theodoric from the throne! Together we will reclaim our freedom! Curtis: Sent you home to mend, did they? Raubahn: Aye, sir. Garleans got the better of us. The...the chirurgeons say I'm healing well, so it won't be long now. Curtis: Liberty or death, is it? Tell me, soldier: what do you think those words mean? Raubahn: We...we must needs be willing to die for liberty? Curtis: Spoken like a true patriot. But liberty should not be the end in of itself. Curtis: Liberty is the chance to build something better. A stronger, more prosperous home for our people. It's not quick or easy work, and it is never truly finished─but if you neglect it, then sooner or later, you look up to find you've traded one tyrant for another. Raubahn: Well, sir, I...I've never asked for much. Never wanted to live like a king─just wish it were a little bit easier is all. For me and everyone else. And I'm...I'm willing to die for that, if that's what it takes! Curtis: Dying is easy, soldier. Living is harder. Curtis: Rest. Mend. Regain your strength. You'll need it in the days to come...and mayhap one day we will need it too.
Raubahn: Conrad chose you as his successor, Lyse, and I will not gainsay his decision.
I have but one question to ask. Raubahn: Liberty or death. Those were Curtis's words, and his creed. Will you swear by your father's creed before your comrades and the gods? Lyse: Liberty or death... That's all you can hope for in war. Father understood that...and you want to know if I do too. Lyse: I swear to you, here and now:
I will fight until the end, be it liberty or be it death. Lyse: But the freedom we win must be for every Ala Mhigan─even ones like Fordola, though they may hate us, and the Ananta, though they may fear us. Lyse: We'll fight and we'll talk and we'll find a way to make it work for all of us. Compared to all that, retaking our home will seem like the easy part. Raubahn: Hmm. A good oath. Then there is naught else to say.
You are indeed your father's daughter...
Raubahn: Even a blind man could see that Lyse wasn't herself. Not that I don't understand. Raubahn: To be thrust into a position of authority under such circumstances─to be made responsible for the lives of so many... It isn't easy. And when you see your friend get cut down before your eyes, it only gets harder. I'll wager she thought Alisaie was dead for a moment back there. Raubahn: 'Tis one thing to risk your life for a cause. But to risk that of another is a burden no soldier is ever truly ready to shoulder. Raubahn: The fear, the guilt─it weighs on her. And that's good. It will make her a better commander. Raubahn: But first she needs to learn to carry it. To not let it break her. To remember that some causes are worth fighting for. Raubahn: “Liberty or death.” Her father's words gave me strength once. Mayhap they'll do the same for her now. Raubahn: Right, then. I think I've said enough. The two of you can head back. I mean to stay a bit longer...
Lyse: ...I understand. He's been away for a long time, and he probably wants to be alone for a while. Lyse: Let's head back to Radiata.
Lyse: Wait... Am I the only one who feels like I'm being watched? Lyse: I don't know if it's imperials or bandits, but I know there's more than one of them. Lyse: Let's split up. You head northwest, and I'll head northeast. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so...
Suspicious Youth: Seven hells, she's seen us! Sod it─dead's as good as alive to the imperials!
Lyse: They attacked you too, didn't they? I...I had no choice... Lyse: They're Ala Mhigan─not even conscripts, by the look of them. Barely adults. In fact, some of their faces look familiar... Lyse: Wait, I remember. They're from Radiata! They must have seen us when we were looking for Stark! Lyse: They probably thought the imperials would reward them if they captured or killed─ Lyse: Oh gods... Alisaie and Alphinaud could be in danger too! We have to get back to Radiata and find Naago!
M'naago: What's all this about? You two look ready for a fight. Lyse: We were ambushed by villagers outside of Radiata, and thought they might try to attack you too. Are you all right? M'naago: Aye, we're fine. The twins are at Stark's. Alisaie was asleep, last I checked. M'naago: I'm sorry, did you say you were ambushed by villagers? Not soldiers? Did they not see what we just did to Castrum Abania? Godsdamned fools! Stark Woad: Lyse, Forename. We overheard you talking... Stark Woad: The ones that attacked you. They were young? Less than twenty summers? Stark Woad: Aye, I thought so. It's always the young ones─the ones who have only ever known the occupation. They're the ones you've got to look out for. Stark Woad: See, the only decent work to be found in Radiata is for the imperials, and everyone knows it. Children grow up knowing it. They have it pounded into their skulls that the best they can hope for is to serve an imperial officer. M'naago: Bloody fools! After everything they've seen us accomplish! They ought to be begging to fight for the Resistance, not against us! Stark Woad: They've been living in the shadow of a castrum their whole lives. A few victories won't change that. Aye, you get some who can't wait to spit in a soldier's eye, but they get beaten for their trouble, or worse... M'naago: Even so... Stark Woad: ...And the ones that don't fight back but refuse to beg, well, they just starve. Beat the dog that bites his master's hand, and ignore the dog that refuses to do his bidding, see? Stark Woad: In the end, the ones that learn to abide are the ones that survive. Stark Woad: Now, you may say that's all about to change, and I believe you. Many here do. Stark Woad: But a young man or woman who grew up only knowing what he knows has got every reason to doubt. Remember that. Do what you have to, if it comes to it, but remember that. Alphinaud: The sooner we liberate Ala Mhigo and bring an end to the occupation, the better. Only then can we show these youths that things do not have to be this way. Lyse: ...Only then will they know what it means to live free. Lyse: We're going to build a new home for ourselves. Together. A better home than they've ever known.
The Lady in Red Lyse has a proposal.
Lyse: I've been thinking. If Alisaie needs more time to heal, maybe we should move her to Rhalgr's Reach. Lyse: She can receive much better care there, after all. Our infirmary is probably the best place for her, short of sending her to Gridania. Alphinaud: Indeed. And given what Mistress Woad has told us, I would rather she did not remain here. Lyse: Then it's settled. Naago, go and see about getting us a carriage and an escort. Alphinaud, you should get your sister ready for the journey. Lyse: Forename, would you mind going on ahead and telling Orella that we're on our way? I want a bed waiting for Alisaie when she arrives. Thanks.
Orella: Hm? Do you require assistance? Orella: Very well, we will make ready to receive the patient at once. Give me a hand, would you?
Orella: There. All crisp and freshly laundered. Alphinaud: We're here. Is everything in order? Alphinaud: Right. We're bringing her in. Alisaie: Honestly, Alphinaud, you needn't have gone to all this trouble... Alphinaud: What can I say? It seemed a good way to discourage you from limping off to battle when my back was turned. Listen to Orella, please. You need your rest. Alisaie: I know, I know...
Any news of Krile? She'll be cross if you make her wait too long. As will I. Alphinaud: Hah. A chilling prospect indeed... I'll find her, Sister. And I'll fight twice as hard─for the both of us. Lyse: They're good together...when they're not at each other's throats. I miss that feeling... Lyse: Forename─I have a favor to ask. Would you mind waiting outside for me? I won't be a moment.
Lyse: Sorry to have kept you waiting... Lyse: Well, what do you think? I know it's a bit old-fashioned...but in a traditional sort of way. Yda wore it whenever she could... Lyse: Not that I'm pretending to be her or anything! Not again. It's just...if this is the last battle we fight to free Ala Mhigo, then she ought to be a part of it.
  • What will you say?
  • It suits you. Lyse: It's nice of you to say so. Aaand a bit embarrassing. But mostly nice.
  • It's not quite your style... Lyse: Oh, I know, right? All these stupid frills everywhere...
  • ... Lyse: Well don't just stand there gawping! If you don't like it, just say so!
Lyse: Anyway, the real reason I asked you here was to sneak in a warm-up before the final battle. Lyse: There's this place I know where monks used to spar as part of their training. Care to join me?
Lyse: <pant> <pant> Maybe we got a little carried away... But you have to admit that was fun. Lyse: Thank you, Forename. You're the best kind of friend─the kind that's not afraid to knock some sense into you.
Upon the Great Loch's Shore Lyse is feeling relaxed and refreshed.
Lyse: Now that Alisaie's settled in, it's time we rejoined the fight. Lyse: Though, actually...maybe you and Alphinaud should go on ahead without me. I need to talk strategy with the officers, and that might take a while...
Alphinaud: Ah, there you are. What was it that Lyse wanted of you? Alphinaud: Ahahaha! A sparring match on the Destroyer's very palm? I would have liked to have seen that. Alphinaud: But she is right─we have lingered here long enough. I am ready to depart when you are. Alisaie: Take care, you two. Don't do anything I wouldn't. Alphinaud: And you had better not rise from that bed until you are given express permission to do so. Urianger will be paying you a visit soon, and he is already worried enough as it is. Alphinaud: We have a long road ahead of us. Lead the way, Forename.
Pipin: You are returned! How fares your sister, Alphinaud? Alphinaud: Her rapier wit remains undulled─for better or for worse. Have there been any developments in our absence? Pipin: I am proud to say that Castrum Abania is now wholly under our control. At present, we are taking stock of the enemy's supplies and redistributing them amongst our men. Pipin: Also, while sifting through the officers' documents, we learned that a unit of Skulls under Fordola's command passed through the castrum en route to the capital...with a single prisoner in their custody. Alphinaud: Krile! It has to be her! Pipin: In all likelihood, yes. You will be glad to hear that the tunnel leading to the Lochs has been secured by our soldiers and is now safe for travel. Pipin: And one final piece of good news: reinforcements from all four Alliance nations have arrived and joined the main host, which has established a new base of operations within the Lochs. Pipin: Commander Hext should be arriving soon, yes? When she does, we will call a meeting to discuss the final stage of Rhalgr's Beacon. Lyse: Sorry for keeping you all waiting! Alphinaud: An Ala Mhigan folk dress? How very fitting. And well-fitting, I might add. Lyse: I wanted to do something for Yda. And myself. Alphinaud: This is it. The last push. We're coming, Krile...
Lyse: I remember my father's words.
How they rang in my ears as we left Castrum Abania behind and looked out over the lochs before us. Lyse: Comrades brave and true. They had come from all across Eorzea to stand with us.
To stand against oppression and tyranny. Lyse: Twenty years the Empire has ruled us, but no longer.
Liberty or death. Liberty or death.
Raubahn: Ere we begin, I would say to you, as a proud son of Ala Mhigo, that I am grateful to each and every one of you for your part in this endeavor. Raubahn: Now, to the heart of the matter. The enemy appears content to remain within the city walls and await the inevitable siege. Open conflict has been sporadic thus far. Raubahn: Whether Zenos is biding his time until reinforcements arrive or attempting to bait us into a trap, none can say. We know better than to trust his word. Pipin: Regardless, we can ill afford to present Garlemald with a chance to ready her legions. It would be in our best interests to press for a swift resolution. Lyse: A long siege wouldn't be good for the people in the city either.
If food becomes scarce, you know who'll starve first. Raubahn: Just so. Therefore, I propose we commit our forces to an all-out assault.
What say you? Raubahn: 'Twould seem we are of one mind. Then let us proceed to the how of it. Raubahn: The Immortal Flames will form the vanguard, supported by the archers and the conjurers of the Order of the Twin Adder, under the Elder Seedseer's command. Raubahn: Once the main host has cleared a path to the walls, we will bring forward the artillery of the Maelstrom and the Temple Knights. Raubahn: I would have your cannons pound the gates, and punch a hole right through the middle of their defenses! Lyse: What about the Resistance? Raubahn: Your part will be to occupy the residential district and keep civilians out of harm's way. The people are more like to trust their own. Lyse: Of course. You can count on us! Raubahn: Remember that there is a second entrance to the city proper there. If all goes to plan, we will have secured two points of entry. Raubahn: Once both objectives are complete, we press on into the city, surround the palace, and hunt down Zenos. Raubahn: As for the Scions, you will be held in reserve as an irregular unit until we have more intelligence on your captured comrade. Krile's rescue will be your primary concern, but I daresay we'll find a use for you once her freedom has been secured. Alphinaud: Thank you, General. I pray we find her quickly. Raubahn: Rhalgr's Beacon nears its end.
Soon, my friends, Ala Mhigo will be ours once more!
Alphinaud: The stage is set, and the players are assembled. Eorzea has come at last to drive the invaders from her lands. Alphinaud: What would Grandfather say if he were with us here today...?
The Key to Victory Alphinaud remains concerned for his dear friend.
Alphinaud: The stage is set, and the players are assembled. Eorzea has come at last to drive the invaders from her lands. Alphinaud: What would Grandfather say if he were with us here today...? Alphinaud: For all our other accomplishments, Krile remains in the hands of our enemy, and I find myself wondering if we─if I could have done more. Though we know now that she was taken to the city, we have found nothing which might tell us where she is being held. Thancred: You know, you could just ask me. Alphinaud: Thancred! What have you learned? Thancred: I shall spare you the particulars of my infiltration and simply state that I have seen her with my own eyes. She is being held within the residential district south of the city proper. Thancred: I tracked her to the ruins of an old temple of the Fist of Rhalgr, within which the imperials have constructed a research facility... Alphinaud: A research facility? What manner of research? Thancred: Why...methods to imbue Garleans with the power to manipulate aether. In pursuit of which goal, their scientists have, I am sorry to report, performed many questionable experiments─on living subjects. Alphinaud: What!? Lyse: Calm down, Alphinaud. We've already been tasked with securing the Ala Mhigan Quarter. This just gives us a reason to do it faster. Thancred: I entered and exited the facility by stowing aboard imperial transports, but that method is not suitable for a larger force. Thancred: And it goes without saying that a direct assault on the rather substantial main gates would be ill-advised. M'naago: I think I might know someone who can help. M'naago: One of my men. He had an idea about how to get into the city─ Actually, it might be best if I let him explain it himself.
Cynical Youth (Wiscar): It's been a while. I'll not take offense if you don't remember. Might even be glad of it. Lyse: ...Ala Gannha, am I right? Wiscar: Aye. Wiscar's the name. I was raised in the Peaks, but my mum grew up in the city. Wiscar: Er...anyroad, I reckon we can get inside the Ala Mhigan Quarter by way of Loch Seld. Lyse: What? How? Wiscar: It was a story my mum told us which made me think of it. She was always going on about what life was like when she was a girl, see...how they used to have to boil the water from the well before they could drink it, since it was full of salt─ Lyse: They were drawing saltwater from the lochs! Which means that there must be an underwater tunnel or something. Wiscar: Aye, that's it. But it won't be as simple as going for a swim. Wiscar: The well was closed, see. Apparently, Theodoric decided one day he wanted to control the water supply and forbade water trading. So even if you come up through it, you'll find yourself on the wrong side of a locked gate. Wiscar: At the time, my grandfather, being an enterprising sort, befriended a guard and lifted the key from his belt. He made a copy and carried on selling water until the imperials invaded, and he ended up working at the Saltery... Thancred: In short, we need your grandfather's key. Assuming he still has it. Wiscar: I'm certain he does. And I can take you to him. But it'll be dangerous. Lyse: Don't you worry about that. We're used to dangerous. Lyse: Naago and Arenvald will assemble a squadron while the rest of us go and get that key.
Lyse: Let's not waste any more time, then, shall we? Wiscar: My mum said Grandad kept the key with him at all times as a lucky charm. If he hasn't got it, then, well... Lyse: Then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Ready, Forename? We may have to deal with a few imperial patrols, or worse...
Wiscar: The Saltery's not far. Follow me! Wiscar: We're here, but...this isn't right. Where is everyone? Alphinaud: Word of the Alliance's advance has surely reached their ears. Mayhap they sought refuge elsewhere? We should search the buildings for clues. The pot is filled to the brim with salt from the lochs... The barrel appears to have recently been filled with fish packed in salt. Someone was hard at work less than a week ago... The lumber appears to have lain undisturbed for some time... The crumbling masonry appears to have lain undisturbed for some time... The magitek device suddenly springs to life, flashing brightly and emitting a shrill sound. It's a trap! Thancred: All right, which one of you triggered the obvious trap!? Alphinaud: On your guard! Magitek drones approaching! Thancred: Mayhap...half a dozen? Forename─keep Wiscar alive, would you? Wiscar: Seven hells! I could do with some help here! Thancred: Now then, where were we? Ah, yes, looking for clues as to the whereabouts of our erstwhile water merchant and his key... In the wake of the ambush, you find a diary belonging to a laborer. The last entry makes mention of a plan to take shelter in the Sali Monastery... Wiscar: The Sali Monastery! That's to the south. I'll lead the way! Lyse: Not after that ambush you won't! It's too dangerous! Forename, we'll follow you. Keep your eyes peeled for more magitek! Wiscar: The monastery is just past that gate. Keep going! Thancred: Hm. Something tall, dark and imperial appears to be blocking the entrance. Wiscar: Godsdammit! I don't think there's a way round... Lyse: Then we'll just have to go through him! Alphinaud: Look! I think those two devices are shield generators! Thancred: I will keep the machine occupied. Forename, be a darling and destroy the generators before it rips my head off. Alphinaud: 'Tis done! See how it falters! Belabor the brute! Lyse: He won't be getting up after that! Now, let's find our man!
Wiscar: This is it. This is the monastery. They have to be around here somewhere... Wiscar: Watt! Watt! It's me, Wiscar! Your grandson! Watt: ...Wiscar? By Rhalgr, is that really you? Watt: ...Oh, it's good to see you alive and well, lad! But who are these other ones? Wiscar: The Resistance, Grandad. My, er...my comrades-in-arms. Watt: She told you all about me thumbing my nose at the mad king, did she? Heh. Daft sods never caught me neither... Watt: It wasn't much, but it was my way of rebelling against his rule. Glad to see you've got higher aspirations. Here─make our family proud. Wiscar: I will, I swear! Rhalgr as my witness!
Lyse: I was worried when he wasn't at the Saltery. But we found him in the end. Lyse: Now that we've got the key, it's time to find that underwater tunnel!
The Resonant Lyse is in the mood for a swim.
Lyse: We'll need to dive into the lochs and look for a tunnel leading beneath the residential district. That should be no problem for Forename and me, thanks to the Kojin's blessing, but for the rest of you... Thancred: I will have you know that I can hold my breath for ten minutes! Alphinaud: ...Hm. I think it best that I support M'naago and Arenvald's unit. Lyse: Oh, right. You can't swim. Alphinaud: I am aware of that, thank you! But it is neither here nor there, given that I lack both the Kojin's blessing and Thancred's preternatural lung capacity! Lyse: Right, right. Of course. I didn't mean anything by it. Nothing at all. Lyse: So─Forename, Thancred, and me. Let's head to the water's edge. Lyse: Alphinaud and Wiscar can rejoin the others and wait outside the gates for us to let them in.
Lyse: This looks like as good a place as any... Urianger: Ere you dive into the briny deep─ Lyse: Urianger! What are you doing here? Urianger: Master Alphinaud informed me of your plan, and thus did I hasten to your side. Urianger: When Mistress Alisaie unfolded to me the tale of her defeat, I was much intrigued by the apparent ease with which Fordola, a theretofore unexceptional warrior, defied my lady's every attempt to do her harm. Urianger: After some few days of deliberation, I subsequently contrived what I believe to be a solution to the problem of her preternatural prescience. 'Twas in hopes of furnishing you with the fruits of my labors that I came. Lyse: Wait, isn't that Moenbryda's─ Urianger: Her aetheric siphon formed the basis for my design. Urianger: Should my hypothesis prove correct, you need but activate it in her presence. To say more would endanger the plan, for ignorance is your shield. Urianger: It was...Moenbryda's time. It is not yours, my friends.
May you ever walk in the light of the Crystal...and return. Lyse: We will─for you and for her. Lyse: Right! I'm going in. Follow me!
Lyse: The tunnel leads east. Thancred's already gone ahead.
Let's not keep him waiting!
Lyse: Whew! That was fun! Thancred: Yes, yes. Tremendous fun. Who needs a beastman's blessing anyway? Lyse: I still can't believe you managed to hold your breath the entire time. It felt like we were down there for hours! Lyse: Anyway, it's time we let our friends in. Lyse: Once we head up these stairs, we'll need to make our way to the main gates, which are...somewhere to the west of here? Thancred: Forgive me for stating the obvious, but it bears repeating that until we open the gates, we three are on our own. 'Twould be in our best interest to avoid guards and easily startled smallfolk. Lyse: Obviously. But once our guests have arrived, we'll be free to head towards the research facility where Krile's being held as loudly as we like. Lyse: Since you've been here before, will you lead the way? Thancred: Of course. But I will move quickly, so see that you do not fall behind. Lyse: Nothing left to say, then. Let's get to it!
Lyse: All set, Forename?
Thancred: Follow my lead. Stay close and quiet. Thancred: Wait! Patrol. Let them pass... Thancred: All clear. With me! Thancred: Sentry! Get to cover! I will deal with him... Thancred: And none were the wiser... Let us press on. Thancred: Here we are... Ah, one more sentry. Give me a moment. Thancred: Forename, look for a lever or a winch!
We will guard the rear! Thancred: Hells open, heavens weep...
Alphinaud, can you hear me? The gates are open!
Alphinaud: Our friends are ready and eager to engage the imperials! Thancred: Then let us leave them to it and head for the facility! Resistance Fighter: Remember the Reach! Remember the towers! Attack! 12th Legion Hoplomachus: Insurgents!? Here!? Sound the alarum! Lyse: We don't have time for this! Put them down! Alphinaud: Hold on, Krile... We're coming... Thancred: The Resonatorium is just ahead! Alphinaud: They know we're coming. Make ready, my friends!
Fordola: I reckoned you lot would come, but I didn't think you'd have the nerve to break the bloody doors down! Makes no difference to me, though─time to die!
Fordola rem Lupis: I can read your every move! Alphinaud: Use the siphon, Forename! Use it now! Fordola rem Lupis: Gah! Seven hells, my head... The pain! Thancred: It's working! Strike now, while she's weak! Fordola rem Lupis: Out of my way! Lyse: Dammit, she won't stay down! Use the siphon again! Fordola rem Lupis: Graaagh! You'll...you'll pay for that... Alphinaud: Keep at it! We almost have her! 12th Legion Hoplomachus: Enemy sighted, engaged with the commander! With me! Alphinaud: Thancred! Help me hold off those soldiers! Thancred: Understood! We leave the pilus in your capable hands! Fordola rem Lupis: Heh heh heh... So it's to be the two of you after all... Lyse: Let's finish this! Fordola rem Lupis: If only you knew the power! Lyse: Still got that siphon, Forename!? Then use it! Fordola rem Lupis: Not here, not now... Not to you...
Fordola: No... Not after everything... I cannot lose... I will not! Lyse: Oh, but you will. Without your tricks, you're nothing! Lyse: Conrad, Meffrid, your own comrades!
I should kill you here and now for what you did! Lyse: But there's no place for that kind of justice here. Not in my Ala Mhigo. Fordola: Oh, how very bloody noble of you! Pffft. You'll pardon me my sins, will you? After you and your “freedom fighters” come and tear down everything we've worked so hard to build!? We were fighting for our people's freedom! Lyse: You're slaves to a tyrant! There's no freedom in that! Alphinaud: Now, my friend! Alphinaud: Krile! Krile: Alphinaud...? Krile: ...I knew you'd come. Thancred: Touching as this moment is, it will have to wait. We should rejoin the main force at once. Thancred: Lyse! Lyse: I'm taking her back with us. Alive. She's going to answer for what she's done. Fordola: Heh heh heh...listen to you, talking like you've already won. Zenos is going to tear you apart. He commands a power echoing that of the eikons. Lyse: What are you talking about? Fordola: The hunt, you stupid cow─I'm talking about the hunt! He said you'd come. And here you are, his willing prey. Fordola: You and your friends are dead─just like mine. And all our misery, all our sacrifice...it was all for naught! Lyse: ...No. You're gonna live long enough to see us win our freedom.
I promise you that. Fordola: May I live a thousand years... Thancred: Interrogations can wait. Let us be off!
Alphinaud: What a relief to have finally found her! Though our greatest challenge yet lies ahead of us, on the eve of this final battle, I find myself overcome with joy... Alphinaud: We could not have saved her without everyone's help. Thancred, Lyse, Urianger─and of course, you. Alphinaud: But yes, there is still much and more to be done. I should be very interested to learn the meaning of Fordola's ominous words, for one...
The Legacy of Our Fathers Alphinaud is a man with one less worry on his mind.
Alphinaud: Lyse has gone to deliver Fordola into the custody of the Alliance, leaving M'naago and her men to hold the residential district and stand ready. Alphinaud: Once the Alliance has breached the main gates and commenced their assault, the Resistance forces will push through the entrance here and join the fray. Thancred: In that case, I will remain here. My search for Krile took me into the city proper, and my familiarity with their defenses may prove useful to the Resistance. Alphinaud: Understood. I shall instruct Arenvald and his unit to render support as well. Alphinaud: They were tasked with securing the aetheryte, as I recall. With me, Forename.
Arenvald: Gods, Krile... It's so good to see you. I feared the worst... Krile: It wasn't your fault. You saved me─all of you. Thank you. Alphinaud: We will be departing shortly for Porta Praetoria to rejoin the main host. Alphinaud: Arenvald, I would have your unit remain here with Thancred, that you might support the Resistance troops in the coming battle. Arenvald: Understood! We won't let you down. Alphinaud: ...I trust you will refrain from doing anything I would not. We are both far too young to die. Arenvald: Right, right─no noble sacrifices! Got it! Alphinaud: Forename, Krile─let us be off, then.
Raubahn: Ah, the heroes of the hour! Not content with securing the residential district, you gifted me an imperial commander. What are you after, a medal? Alphinaud: The work is its own reward, General. I must say, however, that Fordola's claims were not a little disturbing. What manner of power could Zenos have acquired that might equal an eikon? Raubahn: Might she speak of our missing Omega? Alphinaud: Very possibly. The Empire's fondness for comparable Allagan technologies is exceedingly well documented. Have we made any progress with our own investigation? Raubahn: None. The search goes on in earnest, but Cid has thus far found nothing of note. Mayhap the Garleans beat us to it. If they were working desperately
to repair the machine, that might explain their decision to remain within
their walls... Alphinaud: Ah, Lyse. I trust you surrendered Fordola into custody without incident.
We were just discussing the pilus's claims. Lyse: About Zenos and his newfound powers? She hasn't said a word on the subject since we rescued Krile─even when the interrogator asked nicely. Krile: Mayhap I can offer some insight into her claims─or at least into the facility and the experiments they conducted during my time there. Though my memories of the period are somewhat muddled, there are a few things I remember with painful clarity. Alphinaud: Thancred told us only that Fordola had undergone some...manner of treatment... Krile: Yes... It is a place wholly dedicated to the creation of enhanced beings whom they refer to as “the Resonant.” As I understand it, the process aims to
imbue a test subject with the qualities of an individual with demonstrated
magical aptitude.
This entails... This entails the m-mechanical extraction and transfusion of some manner of...primordial essence. Lyse: So that's how Fordola improved so fast. I knew there had to be something.
She wasn't half as strong or quick to predict my attacks when we first met. Lyse: If it weren't for Urianger's siphon thingy, I really don't think we'd have
beaten her... Urianger: My humble scheme asked far more in the execution than it required in the conception, I do assure thee. Lyse: Oh, you have got to stop doing that. Urianger: In calling upon Lady Alisaie after her defeat, I was most intrigued to learn of the apparent effortlessness with which Fordola countered her attacks. 'Twas as if she knew the blade's destination ere its journey began. Urianger: A most impressive feat under any circumstances, but an almost miraculous
one when considered in the context of Fordola's unfamiliarity with my
lady's arts. How then could she so perfectly predict an unknown opponent's
every move? Urianger: After much deliberation, I surmised that Fordola may be possessed of a preternatural ability to divine meaning from the fluctuations of an individual's aether, and to instinctively react. To employ a metaphor, one might say that she was attuned to the whispers of my lady Alisaie's soul. Alphinaud: Wait! Have you not just described a manifestation of the Echo? Urianger: I had no conclusive proof. The available anecdotal evidence suggested only that Fordola was uncommonly sensitive to aetheric fluctuations, and 'twas this which led me to develop my stratagem. Urianger: I would fashion a device with the capacity to generate a massive disruption
in the surrounding aether. If, as I suspected, Fordola's senses were
indeed questing for the most minor of oscillations, the shock of exposure
to a more amplitudinous aetheric waveform would be akin to a debilitating
bout of aether sickness. Alphinaud: How...ingenious. I note that the success of your plan hinged on your device's wielder remaining ignorant of its purpose, lest Fordola divine your intent. Urianger: Indeed so, Master Alphinaud.
All things considered, 'twas a most fortuitous outcome. Krile: That's putting it mildly. In any event, if Urianger is correct, that would mean these Resonant have been granted the power of the Echo via artificial means. A sobering thought to say the least─and one which makes me wonder what else Zenos has in store. Raubahn: Whatever the viceroy's newfound powers, I know of none better equipped to face him. And face him you must. For there is now but one path forward, and it leads straight to Ala Mhigo. Lyse: And it's not as if we came unprepared. We've got all our friends and allies fighting for the same thing. Honestly, right now, I feel like we could take on anyone and win. And I mean anyone!
  • What will you say?
  • Victory is as good as ours! Lyse: Exactly! Ohhh, I wouldn't want to be in Zenos's boots!
    Not with the likes of us coming to get him!
  • Nevertheless, let us proceed with all due caution. Lyse: Well, no one's saying we shouldn't be cautious!
    ...Though maybe I was getting a bit carried away.
  • ... Lyse: Enough talking! All right, all right! I get the message!
    Action is what's needed now!
Lyse: Right─I'd best get back to the residential district. Thancred and the Resistance forces are waiting. Alphinaud: It is time we joined the main host. Alphinaud: Krile, in light of your recent ordeal...might I suggest that you remain with the rear guard for now? Krile: Oh, if you insist...just this once.
Alphinaud: If I may, General─is there aught Forename and I can do to assist with final preparations? Raubahn: I'm glad you asked. Pipin informed me moments ago that all forces are in position and that we are ready to commence the assault. Raubahn: Naught remains but to notify the Alliance commanders. If you've no objections, I should be glad to have you do the honors, Forename. Raubahn: You were instrumental to the success of Operation Archon. You helped bring an end to the Dragonsong War. You are a hero to the people and a symbol of hope. Raubahn: Some might judge it an empty gesture, or worse a waste of your talents, but I know it would mean much to everyone here.
Kan-E-Senna: All is ready? Very well. Though many will fall in the coming battle, how many more shall know liberty for their sacrifice. Kan-E-Senna: There is a time for peace, and a time for war. Even the Matron understands this. We who have received of Hers and the elementals' blessings go now to stand for Eorzea and her children.
Merlwyb: It's time, then. Though this is not my theater of choice, we will play our part. Our cannons care not either way. Merlwyb: That battery has sunk enough ships to fill a fleet. 'Tis not like to be bested by a gate.
Aymeric: Hah! That you should be the one to bring me word. By the Fury, it is good to see you, my friend. Aymeric: You, who stood with us in our direst hour, will ever be an inspiration to my countrymen─and to me. Though Ishgard's debt can never be repaid, it is my hope that our deeds this day shall go some small way to redressing the balance.
Raubahn: It is done, then? Thank you, Forename...for humoring an old bull. Storm Officer: Maelstrom, Adder, and Ishgardian forces are in position, General! Serpent Officer: Resistance forces in the Ala Mhigan Quarter are ready and await our signal. Raubahn: Naught left to do but the deed itself.
The Measure of His Reach Raubahn has a personal favor to ask of you.
Raubahn: Right, then. I must go to my men. I shall be leading the first charge through the breach. Alphinaud: Then we shall head to the front. Raubahn: Pipin has command of our artillery outside the gate. He'll not be hard to find. Raubahn: Ah, but before you go, I have a final favor to ask. Raubahn: Give this to my son. He will understand.
Pipin: Forename, Alphinaud. Hm? What is that you've got there?
Raubahn's Package One can only imagine what this bulky package contains.
Pipin: By the Twelve, this is...this is Tizona! Alphinaud: The Bull of Ala Mhigo's legendary sword, forged from two cursed blades... Pipin: This sword is a symbol of everything my father fought to achieve. A weapon claimed on the bloodsands, and with it fortune and glory. Its flames consume the unworthy, but by fire was he reborn. Pipin: That he should bequeath it to me now...to carry on his legacy...
Well, I shall endeavor to deserve it. But I'll be damned if this is his final battle! Pipin: Once we begin, there will be no respite until it's over. Are you ready, my friends? Pipin: Very well. Brace yourselves. This should be quite a specta─ Flame Private: Vice Marshal! Vice Marshal! Imperial unit approaching from the north! Pipin: Aiming to destroy our artillery, are they? How many? Flame Private: Total numbers unconfirmed. At least one squadron. But sir─they're wolfmen! Pipin: Ferae Domitae. Bloody hells, that's all we need. Call up the Bloodsworn. Tell them to make ready─ Alphinaud: Marshal Tarupin, wait! Alphinaud: These “wolfmen” of whom you speak hail from Doma. They were coerced into fighting for the Empire─spirited away to a foreign land and told that if they disobeyed, the lives of their kin would be forfeit. Alphinaud: But their homeland has been liberated. They have no reason to continue serving their imperial masters! Alphinaud: Ere you engage them in battle, I beseech you: grant us a moment to go and attempt to convince them to lay down their arms! Pipin: I am loath to gift our enemy more time to prepare...but if there is a chance that this conflict might be avoided, I suppose we must take it. Go then─but be quick. Alphinaud: We will, Vice Marshal. Alphinaud: With me, Forename!
Alphinaud: We will wait here for the Lupin to arrive. Steel yourself, my friend. Though I hope to resolve this without resorting to violence, it would seem wise to prepare for the worst...
Alphinaud: They come, Forename! Ferae Domitae Centurion (Hakuro): You! Clear the road! Alphinaud: Honorable warriors of Doma! My name is Alphinaud Leveilleur, and I come before you with news of great import─ Ferae Domitae Centurion (Hakuro): Silence, boy! You stand upon a battlefield. Begone, or be cut down! Alphinaud: Doma is free! Lord Hien has returned and driven Yotsuyu and the imperials from your lands! We were there─we helped him! There is no need for you to fight for Zenos! Ferae Domitae Centurion (Hakuro): Lord Hien is dead, and you are a liar! What could a boy such as you do against magitek? Throw stones and spit curses!? Ferae Domitae Centurion (Hakuro): Invoke my lord's name again at your peril. We will suffer no falsehoods! Alphinaud: I speak only the truth! Put up your weapons, I beg of you! Let us speak as friends and not shed blood in vain! Ferae Domitae Centurion (Hakuro): If your claims were true, we would gladly sheathe our blades and embrace as brothers. Ferae Domitae Centurion (Hakuro): But since they must surely be false, we would be traitors to accept! Our lives and those of our loved ones, forfeit! Ferae Domitae Centurion (Hakuro): Words are air! You will prove the truth of your tale on the battlefield, or die in dishonor!
Ferae Domitae Spear-wolf: If you die this day, then we shall know you for liars! Alphinaud: Truly...? Must we fight to prove that we need not fight!?
Ferae Domitae Centurion: You are no strangers to battle, that much is plain... Hakuro: I am the White. I am Hakuro! And I will be your opponent! Have at you!
Hakuro Whitefang: Until I am satisfied, we shall fight on! Give me your all! Alphinaud: On your guard! His strength far exceeds that of his brethren! Hakuro Whitefang: Hah! You have faced a samurai of Doma before!
But I may yet surprise you... Hakuro Whitefang: Is that all you can muster, Eorzeans!? Hold naught back! Alphinaud: Such ferocity...! If he does not relent, we shall be forced to kill him! Alphinaud: ...So be it. Moonstone Carbuncle! Come! Alphinaud: Stand within the Carbuncle's wards!
They will grant you strength! Hakuro Whitefang: Enough. You are every bit the warriors you claim to be.
Hakuro: You fought with honor and restraint. You could have killed my men, and perhaps even me...but you did not. For this, I thank you. Hakuro: Warriors brave and true. I pray you tell us of the battle for Doma's liberation. Alphinaud: We should be glad to do so... Hakuro: ...Lord Hien, returned! Such joy this news brings us. Hakuro: But for Lord Gosetsu to perish in the keep's collapse...to be taken from us by such treachery... There is no justice...
  • What will you say?
  • Eyes forward, Hakuro. He wished for no better death. Hakuro: You knew him well. Aye, he would not suffer us to mourn with so much undone. And so we will not. Duty comes before all.
  • ... Hakuro: But I knew the man, and he would not suffer us to mourn on the eve of this great bttle. Duty comes before all.
Hakuro: All Lupin shall know of Doma's liberation, and of your part in it. Hakuro: When you breach the gates, we shall turn on the imperials as one. With fang and claw shall we rip open the throats of our masters. This the White swears. Alphinaud: Thank you. When our war is ended, I am certain that your lord will help us to return you all to Doma. Hakuro: Such a curious thing, destiny, to see us meet with friends of Lord Hien in this distant corner of the world. But we shall not keep you─your day is not yet done. Alphinaud: Come, let us not keep our comrades waiting. We have a nation to liberate!
Pipin: Ah, you are returned. Were your negotiations with the wolfmen successful? Alphinaud: The one they call the White was receptive to our words once we told him of Doma's liberation. Alphinaud: They withdrew behind the walls to inform their brethren. If the gods are good, no blood shall be shed between our peoples this day. Pipin: Hear, hear. Now...I think it's time we did something about those gates. Pipin: Thaumaturges, forward! Pipin: Give me hellfire! Give me Ifrit's bloody inferno! Pipin: Now give me a Coerthan winter! Enough ice and snow to bury a behemoth! Pipin: All cannons, fire at will! Let no man say we neglected to knock! Pipin: Damn that armor! We nearly had it! Alphinaud: Is that─? Hien: Bear witness, my Eorzean brothers and sisters!
Doma is come to pay her debts! Alphinaud: Lord Hien! Hien: We will deal with the flying machines!
Forward, my friends! For freedom and justice! Pipin: You heard the man! All cannons, resume firing! Alphinaud: We're through! The way is clear!
Pipin: Impeccable timing, those Domans! Come, comrades! The enemy's gate is down! Forward!
Stormblood At long last, the end is in sight.
Pipin: The battle for Ala Mhigo is at hand! All forces have been ordered to advance into the city proper! Pipin: Forename, Alphinaud. May I ask you to be part of the first charge? Alphinaud: 'Twould be our honor! Raubahn: I will join them, as but another soldier. Raubahn: The command of the Flames, I leave in your capable hands, Pipin. Lyse: I don't suppose we could come along too? Alphinaud: Lyse! Arenvald! Lyse: Naago and the others told me to go with you, Forename. To bring Zenos to account, for everyone. Arenvald: I'm Ala Mhigan too, in case anyone's forgotten. My place is in the thick of it, and it doesn't get thicker than where you'll be. Alphinaud: Let us sally forth, then! Together, we make for the Royal Palace, there to find and strike down Zenos!

Ala Mhigo

Liberty or death! Now begins the battle for the future of a nation. Together with the brave men and women of the Eorzean Alliance and the Resistance, you and your fellow adventurers must enter the city and make for the castle where Zenos yae Galvus resides, and put an end to his reign of terror.
Lyse: To the Royal Palace!
Alphinaud: Commander Rhiki has cleared the way for us! Lyse: Much obliged for the help!
Arenvald: The front gate's well defended as you'd expect. Arenvald: The way to the palace is clear!
Lyse: Look! The others have made it in as well!
Arenvald: Watch out! Artillery! Lyse: Move it, move it!
Lyse: What in the world is that floating chair? Aulus mal Asina: Recording subject's performance... Aulus mal Asina: I shall have to share these findings... Aulus mal Asina: Initiate soul extraction! Aulus mal Asina: Hah! Success! Aulus mal Asina: The soul rebels!? Aulus mal Asina: My word, this data... Aulus mal Asina: Impossible...incredible! Lyse: Wh-What just happened...?
Lyse: As if a little barrier like this can stop us!
Alphinaud: The throne room is just ahead. And inside...
Lyse: Zenos! This time we settle this! Zenos yae Galvus: Like a moth to the flame...
But why else would you come, if not for this? Zenos yae Galvus: Let this moment last forever... Zenos yae Galvus: Show me your all... Zenos yae Galvus: Have you the strength? Zenos yae Galvus: The power...to transcend... Arenvald: Whew... Still standing... Lyse: I'm not losing to you again! Alphinaud: Leave the healing to me! Zenos yae Galvus: How glorious the violence within you...
Zenos yae Galvus: Heh heh heh heh... Zenos yae Galvus: Ahahahahahaha! Yes, yes! Such ferocity, such tenacity! Zenos yae Galvus: I am loath to recall how disappointed I was when first we fought...but finally, finally, after bathing in the blood and offal of your enemies, finally you prove yourself worthy prey for the hunt! Zenos yae Galvus: It fills you even now, doesn't it? The hunger. To bite down on my jugular, to feel the warmth fill your mouth and run over even as you drink deep. Good, good! This is the beast I have longed to face! Zenos yae Galvus: As you sharpened your claws, I too sought newfound strength! But this is no place for a final contest. Come! The heavens shall bear witness to our dance! Alphinaud: Confound it! Alphinaud: Go after Zenos, my friend! We shall deal with this!
Zenos yae Galvus: Welcome to the Royal Menagerie. Zenos yae Galvus: The King of Ruin built this place for his foreign queen. He kept it filled with familiar creatures from her homeland. They bored me all. Zenos yae Galvus: This fine specimen, on the other hand, is simply...divine. Zenos yae Galvus: Your fates are entwined, are they not, eikon-slayer? This dragon, this...embodiment of unbridled despair, born of a desperate man's burning hatred for the Empire... Zenos yae Galvus: How raw the raging tempest that churns within its breast. No myth made manifest this, but...a being of pure violence. Zenos yae Galvus: Hah hah, mayhap you are the true architect of our design. You who fought the very soul of vengeance to the edge and watched him fall; you who let slip the Allagan hound to drive this eikon into my arms! Zenos yae Galvus: Oh... My. Have I said too much? Forgive me, this...sensation is wholly unfamiliar to me. Zenos yae Galvus: A question, then─and I should like very much for you to speak from the heart. If I were to stand aside, what would you do to this eikon?
  • What will you say?
  • Kill it. Zenos: Ah. As simple as that. But of course. You are the eikon-slayer. Such certainty is to be expected.
  • Bind it. Zenos: But have I not already bound it with Omega's restraints? And does not the Seventh Umbral Calamity stand as a testament to the fallibility of such devices? Oh, how quickly we forget.
  • ... Zenos yae Galvus: Hm. You will not indulge me even with a simple reply, then? No. You think only of the fight to come. How alike we are.
Zenos yae Galvus: A pity. There is another alternative. Or there would be...had you only mastered your abilities. Zenos yae Galvus: I speak of the Echo, of course. Does it merely render you immune to eikonic influence? Or is it rather that your influence is far greater than theirs? Granted, these implications are of no moment to a savage, who thinks only of killing the beast before him... Zenos yae Galvus: But when I read van Baelsar's reports, I immediately saw the boundless potential of the Echo. I saw how it could be instrumental in binding an eikon to one's will. Hence my research and the Resonant─and oh so much more! Zenos yae Galvus: All eikons must be exterminated, without exception. Such was the imperial mandate issued by my great-grandfather after he saw firsthand the destruction wrought by one such being. They are a blight upon this star, he felt, and so he began his great and just crusade. Zenos yae Galvus: Pah! 'Twas not justice which spurred his campaign, but fear! Fear of the eikons, fear of their power. Cowardice made them march forth to battle. Pathetic! Zenos yae Galvus: Man should fight for the joy of it. To live, to eat, to breed─lesser beasts snap and howl at one another for this. Only man has the wisdom and the clarity to embrace violence for its own sake. Zenos yae Galvus: For we who are born into this merciless, meaningless world, have but one candle of life to burn. Zenos yae Galvus: I know you understand this. You and I are one and the same.
Together, we could while away the quiet hours, as friend and confidant...if you will accept me.
  • What will you say?
  • I accept you. Zenos: Heh heh...are we to embrace and let bygones be bygones? Do our deeds weigh so little that you would cast all aside? Come. 'Twas plain from the first how this would end.
  • I deny you. Zenos yae Galvus: Heh heh...and yet, in doing so, you prove me right. We are warriors. 'Twas plain from the first how this would end.
Zenos yae Galvus: You live for these moments─when all hangs in the balance...when the difference between life and death is but a single stroke. Zenos yae Galvus: I live for them too! This is who we are, my friend! This is all we are!
Ala Mhigo and Doma and Garlemald be damned! Zenos yae Galvus: We tower above the gods! You by your gift, I by my might! Zenos yae Galvus: And before the Resonant the gods shall be made to kneel! Zenos yae Galvus: An ending to mark a new beginning!

The Royal Menagerie

Shinryu, Ilberd's draconic god of vengeance, has been claimed by none other than Zenos yae Galvus, who has used his power as a Resonant to merge with the primal and bind it to his will. Transformed into a towering being of pure violence, his very existence poses a threat not only to Ala Mhigo, but to the entire world. All now falls to you and your comrades, for if you do not stop Zenos yae Galvus, no one will...
Zenos yae Galvus: The powers of the gods are mine to command! Zenos yae Galvus: The heavens are too small a field for our dance.
Let us transcend this mortal coil! Zenos yae Galvus: This day we shall write a new legend, my friend!
This battle shall echo in eternity!
Lyse: Are you all right!? Lyse: Zenos! Zenos yae Galvus: Hah...hah...hah... The hunter has indeed become the hunted. Zenos yae Galvus: And yet...there is only joy. Transcendent joy that I have never known.
How invigorating, how...pure, this feeling. Lyse: Is that what this was all about? All the meaningless death and destruction?
So you could feel something!? Zenos yae Galvus: Meaningless? Men die that others may live.
Those who survive are stronger for it. Zenos yae Galvus: Not that you could ever understand. To have stood upon this great stage of fools...to have played my part to perfection... Zenos yae Galvus: Oh, this...this moment...let it be enshrined in eternity. My heart...beating out of time... So clear, so vivid, so real... So real. Alphinaud: Coward! Lyse: Stop! Zenos yae Galvus: Farewell, my first friend. My enemy. Raubahn: Where is he? Alphinaud: He's dead. By his own hand. Raubahn: Then justice has been done. Lyse: No...there's no justice in that...in that rabid animal's end. Alphinaud: Liberty or death. That so many should be forced to take up this creed to defeat such madness... Raubahn: We won. Forget him. The living have need of us now. Hien: Stand tall, Lyse! Now is the time to raise a cheer for all who fought for freedom! A cheer loud enough to carry to the highest heavens! Lyse: ...You're right. Lyse: Thank you. Without you... Well...you know. Lyse: So let's do it together. For Ala Mhigo!
Ensemble: O come ye wayward brother,
Bereft of hearth and home, Ensemble: Beyond yon burning star there lies
A haven for the bold. Ensemble: Raise up your hands and voices,
Let fill your hearts with pride, Ensemble: Above the churning waters we
Stand strong and unified. Lyse: In crimson it began, and in crimson it ended.
And then...and then we were free. Lyse: But what is freedom, really? Lyse: We may be free to live, to love, to grow old. To have dreams and desires, and to strive for them. Lyse: But in the end, we're defined by the legacy our forefathers bequeath to us. Lyse: Even Zenos was once a baby in the cradle, innocent and pure.
He was made into a creature that lived only for death, not born one. Lyse: Twenty years of imperial rule have left Ala Mhigo torn and bleeding. Lyse: It won't be easy to heal a generation's worth of wounds, to bridge the gap.
But I won't give up, Papalymo. I won't. Lyse: Because I remember the price of freedom. Lyse: I remember the smoke and the ashes and the blood. I remember the screams...and the silence. Lyse: And I'll do whatever it takes to honor their sacrifice. To build a home for us all. I promise you. Lyse: This is the end. Lyse: The end of the imperial province of Ala Mhigo, and the rebirth of Ala Mhigo the free nation. Long may she endure.
Estinien: Well, well, well, what a fine mess we've made. Estinien: All but spent feeding that primal, eh? Well, you won't be making any mischief with that amount of aether. Estinien: Still...better safe than sorry. Estinien: There. There ends your hateful legacy.
Varis zos Galvus: ...It's over. ??? (Elidibus): My condolences for your loss. A father should not outlive his son. Varis zos Galvus: ...What nonsense. Elidibus: You do not mourn his loss? ...You surprise me, Your Radiance. He was your son and heir...and an irreplaceable test subject. Varis zos Galvus: I know what he was. Monsters are not made for thrones. Varis zos Galvus: Nor are stars made to sustain false gods who sup on their very essence. Eikons summoned by desperate savages who hearken to the whispers of shadowless charlatans. Elidibus: Should you raise a hand against my black-robed brethren, I will not stop you. Our desires are one and the same. Preservation. Restoration. Varis zos Galvus: Compression. Resurrection. All is in service to your “one true god.” And when the sundered shards are made whole, will there be a place for us mere mortals? Elidibus: Doubt my claims and question my motives if you will, Your Radiance. You will come to trust me in time. Until then, mayhap you will find this...reassuring. Varis zos Galvus: How...how dare you...
Lyse: We did it. We liberated Ala Mhigo. I don't know what to say... I don't even know how to feel about it all... Lyse: Relief, I suppose. Pride...and hope, too. We did it, Father. Yda. Papalymo. Conrad, Meffrid... Minfilia... We really did it... Lyse: Hey, don't feel like you have to stand here listening to me mumble. Everyone else will want to talk to you. Lyse: You beat him, after all. You're the real hero of this story. So run along and take your plaudits!
Alphinaud: After all we have been through, I really should know better than to worry, but─as ever─the relief I felt upon finding you hale and whole in the Royal Menagerie well-nigh reduced me to tears... Alphinaud: “The Warrior of Light,” victorious again... Hm. I should be surprised if some small part of you had not come to resent the title and the responsibilities which accompany it. You must forgive us if we call you “hero” when you accomplish heroic feats... Alphinaud: But as the Warrior of Light goes, so goes the world. You should take pride in the good you have done, and in the good you have inspired others to do. Thancred: You are a natural-born leader of men, Forename. All these people weren't just following their commanders─they were following you. Alphinaud: And you led them to victory. To freedom! ...Alas, not everyone could see the journey through to its end. But history shall remember them, and the glorious future they made possible.
M'naago: Can you believe it? We won! We beat the bastards!
Ala Mhigo! Ala Mhigo! M'naago: Heh heh... Sorry, got a bit carried away there, didn't I? It's hard not to, you know? M'naago: We owe it to the friends we buried to shout and scream and cheer with all our hearts. I want them to know it wasn't for nothing─that it's finally over, and they can rest in peace. M'naago: You...you hear that lads? <sniffle> We'll be all right! We'll...we'll be... <sniffle> Oh bugger, not again... M'naago: I'm so...I'm so bleedin' happy, I could cry! <sniffle>
Raubahn: The hero of the hour! I suppose we'll have to add “liberator” to your titles. Raubahn: With their commander fallen, the remainder of the XIIth chose to surrender to our forces. After twenty long years, it's official: the occupation is ended. Raubahn: But now the hard work starts. Though the people have had their fill of kings, there is no clear consensus on what sort of government they would prefer instead. Pipin: Indeed, Father. Momentous as this achievement may be, the road which lies before us is no less uncertain than the one we have walked. Raubahn: Aye, aye. Yet if we can overcome two decades of oppression, I've no doubt we can find a way forward. Thank you, Forename, for helping to make this dream a reality.
Yugiri: For you to best Zenos, even after he had harnessed the power of a primal, is a testament to your ever-growing strength. Hien: Not bitter to have had your vengeance stolen from you by another? Yugiri: There is some small regret, perhaps, but that is outweighed by the satisfaction I find in his death. I commend you, Forename. Hien: As should we all. Zenos was a monster and a tyrant─the man who killed my father and countless other of my countrymen. The world is a better place without him in it. Hien: I should also praise Master Alphinaud for his foresight and restraint. Had he not intervened, I might never have had the pleasure of being reunited with Hakuro and his Lupin brothers! Hakuro: 'Twas a timely intervention, aye. Full glad am I not to have been burdened with the guilt of killing my lord Hien's most trusted allies. Yugiri: Hah! Indeed, my friend. Indeed.
Lyse: Finished your rounds? Great. In that case, I'd like you to come with me. Back to Rhalgr's Reach. Lyse: Not for a rematch or anything, sadly. I want to call all the Scions together. I'll explain later.
Lyse: I...I don't even know where to begin... Lyse: We've been through a lot together, haven't we? I can't thank you enough. Lyse: There's something I need to say to you all. That is, if you have a moment...?
Lyse: Good, you're all here. Good, good... Lyse: “Thank you” doesn't really suffice, does it? I'm grateful...truly grateful, from the bottom of my heart. Lyse: But I know you didn't fight so hard just to hear me or anyone else say that. You fought because you wanted to help─because you believed it was right. Because you're Scions. Lyse: Now, I'm obviously a Scion, but as Conrad left me in charge of things here,
I also have responsibilities to Ala Mhigo... Lyse: When I put it like that, though...I realized I couldn't even pretend to be impartial anymore. So it seemed best to make it official. Lyse: As long as I serve Ala Mhigo, I can't be a Scion. It might be selfish and shortsighted...but that's my decision. Y'shtola: Am I to understand that you summoned us all─some of us still nursing wounds─to hear this? Lyse: Oh! I-I...I didn─ Um... Y'shtola: Hahaha! Forgive me, Lyse! 'Twas but a jest. Y'shtola: But this I say with the utmost sincerity: Scion or no, we are comrades.
Now and ever after. Y'shtola: Is that not so? Y'shtola: There you have it. Come what may, you may count on us in your hour of need. We shall never refuse you. Lyse: Y'shtola... Oh gods, I swore I wouldn't cry...
??? (Gosetsu): Come back here, you slippery little devil! <grumble>
To think fishing could be so difficult! ??? (Gosetsu): What greater proof of a man's lingering mortality than an empty belly.
A fate worse than death. ??? (Gosetsu): Fie on it. To have arrived at the appointed place and time, only to survive by mere force of habit. Truly, the kami are not finished with us yet. Gosetsu: O capricious fortune! How you test me with this wretched soul...
Cid: ...Hm. This is indeed the work of either Shinryu or Omega. Cid: ...And since there is undeniably something down there radiating a massive amount of energy...which cannot very well be the late viceroy's lapdragon... Yes, I think we have our suspect. Cid: Well. This is a mess of our own making, so it falls to us to clean it up. It won't be easy...but is it ever? Jessie: And now comes the part where you say you've got no choice but to divert company resources and employees to this pet project of yours. Lost profits and belligerent clients be damned. Cid: I...er... Financial considerations notwithstanding, you have to admit there is an unquantifiable benefit in giving our people the opportunity to study such advanced technology─ Jessie: Oh? Is that before or after you blow it up or seal it away? Fine, fine─but the moment I judge this little venture an unsustainable risk to the Ironworks, I'm ending it, savvy? Jessie: And to keep you honest, using my authority as deputy president, I've gone ahead and brought in a consultant─a master engineer and mechanical genius! Cid: ...You didn't. ??? (Nero tol Scaeva): Come now, you mustn't build their expectations too high! It will be less dramatic when I surpass them. Cid: Oh. Oh no. Absolutely not. This is not happening. Nero tol Scaeva: Nero tol Scaeva, eager to begin his first day as a loyal member of the Ironworks team! Looking forward to working with you, Garlond!
So fell the hunter, but what of the hound?
So rose the children, but what of the father?

Stormblood: The Legend Returns (4.1)

Arenvald's Adventure Lyse seems troubled.
Lyse: Come to see how we're getting on? Lyse: We've made good progress since we took back Ala Mhigo, but there's one big issue we still have to address... Lyse: Leadership. The Domans had Lord Hien ready and willing to take the throne, but we've got no one like that here. Lyse: Theodoric was our last ruler─and he wasn't called the mad king for nothing. M'naago: Suffice it to say, our people have had their fill of kings─which means we need to find a new way forward. Lyse: If only it were that easy. Everyone and his uncle has an opinion. Lyse: For the time being, we're just going to have to keep leaning on General Aldynn and the Alliance for support, and see if we can't find a solution together. Something tells me we're going to be hosting a lot of meetings in the near future... Lyse: But if that's what it takes, I'm ready to talk till my jaw aches! Lyse: The Reach is yours, Naago. Don't do anything I wouldn't. M'naago: Aye, aye, Commander! Arenvald: Ah, there you are! I've been searching all over for you. Arenvald: Don't worry, it's nothing bad. That said, this might not be the best place to talk. Will you join me?
Arenvald: I'll get to the point: might you be interested in a spot of adventure? Arenvald: After all, we were “adventurers” before we were Scions, were we not? Arenvald: After routing the imperials and liberating Ala Mhigo, I reckon we've earned a bit of respite, don't you? And what better way to spend it than by returning to our roots? Arenvald: So what say you: shall we call on Alphinaud and go adventuring?
  • What will you say?
  • Twist my arm, why don't you!
  • It's what we do, I suppose...
Arenvald: Right then, let's go and find Master Leveilleur. Arenvald: Actually, leave that to me. I want you fresh for our little adventure. Wait for us by the aetheryte, and we'll be along shortly. See you there!
Alphinaud: Greetings, Forename. 'Twould seem we are to accompany Arenvald on some manner of escapade. Have you any idea what we've gotten ourselves into? Arenvald: Allow me to explain. It'll be something of a history lesson, but I'll try to be brief. No snoring, if you please. Arenvald: Now, the events I would speak of occurred before the occupation─back when Ala Mhigo was still a monarchy, and Theodoric sat the throne. Alphinaud: A uniquely brutal despot, by all accounts. Arenvald: That he was. The King of Ruin suffered no rivals, real or imagined, and his dispute with the monks of the Fist ended with Rhalgr's Reach being burned to the ground. Arenvald: In the latter years of his rule, he was seized by the unshakable belief that unseen forces were conspiring to steal his crown. And so he ordered that every soul with a claim to the throne be executed─including his own family. Arenvald: The wealth of the poor sods he put to death became the property of the king, and it's said that these royal treasures were hoarded somewhere in the palace. Thus was born the legend of the “mad king's trove.” Alphinaud: Ah. I believe I see the direction our adventure is to take. I assume you have a mind to unearth this hidden bounty? Arenvald: You assume correctly! Alphinaud: And would I also be correct in assuming that this legend is widely known? Others must surely have gone in search of your prize, tempting as it seems. Arenvald: Well, of course we won't be the first to make the attempt. Following Ala Mhigo's liberation, more than a few eager soldiers turned the palace upside down in hopes of claiming an easy fortune. Arenvald: But even after scouring every room from dawn till dusk, they uncovered not a single coin. Their gold-lust drained away as quickly as it had come, and the legend of the mad king's trove remains simply that─a legend. Alphinaud: But I see you have no intention of letting the story end there. Arenvald: What self-respecting adventurer would!? Imagine: the three of us, delving into a decades-old mystery! Tell me the thought doesn't set your heart to racing!
The Darkness Below You can almost see the wheels turning in Alphinaud's head.
Alphinaud: The news of Doma and Ala Mhigo's liberation has kindled the flames of revolution in every corner of the Empire. I hear the imperial province of Dalmasca has already risen up in rebellion... Alphinaud: ...Which means the Garleans must surely have their hands full. What better time than now to indulge in such a diversion? Tell us, Arenvald─have we any clues as to where we might begin our search? Arenvald: Well, judging by how the other treasure hunters fared, nosing about the palace isn't like to get us anywhere, so...we'll probably need to, uh...ask around. Alphinaud: Would that be another way of saying “no”? Arenvald: Well... Heh heh heh! Yes. Alphinaud: I see. In that case, I shall pay a visit to the Allied archivists and request access to the records seized from the imperials. Alphinaud: The Garleans are meticulous about such things. If they uncovered the trove during their occupation, the event is certain to have been recorded. Alphinaud: In the meantime, the two of you can track down those who worked as palace servants and officials in Theodoric's day. Alphinaud: Given that they would have been at least twenty at the time, you will be looking for people who have seen forty summers or more. Anything they can tell you about the king and his bloody deeds may prove useful, so be sure to listen well. Alphinaud: Arenvald, pray try your luck in the Fringes and the Peaks whilst Forename makes the rounds in the Ala Mhigan Quarter. Arenvald: Hah! And there I was thinking I was the party leader. Not that I mind, of course! Let's be about it, eh? We can meet afterwards at Gylbarde's Gate!
Middle-aged Highlander: ...In the palace? No, not me, lass. Middle-aged Highlander: Surely you've heard stories of the mad king? He used to hold public executions up on the Divine Audience. Anyone─and I mean anyone─suspected of conspiring against the crown was flung from the top of those steps. Middle-aged Highlander: Suffice it to say that I stayed as far away from the palace as possible.
Mature Maid: You want to hear an old maid's stories, do you? Aye, well most of what I know of the mad king is common knowledge. Mature Maid: We'd only see His Royal Majesty when he deigned to attend the executions he'd ordered. And after a while, even watching his “enemies” die wasn't enough to coax him out of hiding. Mature Maid: They say he started seeing assassins in every shadow, and wouldn't set foot outside the palace walls. I was offered work there as a royal servant once, but the mere thought of it left me in a cold sweat...
Retired Roegadyn: ...Aye, I served at the pleasure of King Theodoric, and lived to tell the tale. One of the palace guards, I was. Retired Roegadyn: Truth be told, it was a dark chapter in my life, and one I'd sooner forget. Hardly a night went by when we didn't hear bloodcurdling screams echoing from the inner chambers─which, of course, we were under orders to ignore. Retired Roegadyn: So we'd stand still as statues, trying not to imagine what horrors were unfolding within...
<sigh> If you're hells-bent on finding out what happened in the palace, head down the street here and ask old Ernold─he was the king's head scribe.
Ernold: Yes, I am Ernold. ...What do you want with me? Ernold: Hmmm, you would have me dredge up some decidedly unsavory memories. Yet if Ala Mhigo is to move forward, we must needs acknowledge the misdeeds of the past. Ernold: Very well, I shall tell you what I remember. I take it you know of Theodoric's paranoia and the public executions of his kinsmen? Ernold: Those were terrible enough. But in his last days, the king's fevered mind settled upon an even grislier method of “disposal” which only a chosen few were unfortunate enough to witness. Ernold: His Majesty ordered the court thaumaturge to unleash a vile curse upon the remaining members of the royal family─a magic which transformed them into fiends of hideous aspect. The resulting...monstrosities were then cast into the darkness below the palace. Ernold: Even now, my sleep is troubled by nightmares. If others of Theodoric's blood were prone to share his madness, then mayhap it is a kindness that the monarchy ended with him.
Arenvald: Since we're all here, why don't we share what we've learned? Alphinaud: Allow me to begin, then. As promised, I scoured the imperial records for any mention of fantastic treasures...and found precisely none. Alphinaud: It is just possible, I suppose, that a corrupt official deliberately hid the fact of the trove's discovery, hoping to enrich himself─but I find it rather unlikely that so valuable a find would stay secret for long. I conclude that our prize either does not exist, or that the imperials somehow overlooked it. Alphinaud: But what of you, Forename? Were your investigations any more fruitful? Alphinaud: ...Turned into monsters? And what could he mean by this “darkness beneath the palace,” I wonder... Arenvald: I met an old man in Ala Ghiri who spoke of the palace's subterranean prison, but he said naught of cursed abominations! Alphinaud: The imperial archives were also silent on the subject of fiends inside the palace grounds. Arenvald: Could this scribe fellow have been spinning her a yarn, do you think? Did you believe him, Forename?
  • Did you believe Ernold's tale?
  • His fear seemed genuine. Arenvald: If he was afraid, that does lend credence to the tale—though I'm not sure how that helps us in our search.
  • He may have been lying... Arenvald: Then we're back where we started...
Alphinaud: Do not be so hasty─Ernold's anecdote may very well have told us where the trove is hidden. But ere I share my theory, there is a matter I would clarify. Alphinaud: Arenvald, you spoke of light-hearted adventure, but I sense a deeper motive for this expedition. Why are you so intent on finding this treasure? Arenvald: ...It wasn't all pretense, I swear it. But...you're right. Arenvald: My father was in the imperial army, a man of Garlean blood. I trust you know what I mean when I say that my Ala Mhigan mother did not welcome my arrival? Arenvald: As I grew, she would check my brow over and over, convinced that a spot on my skin was an emerging third eye─like the kind you see in pureblood Garleans. My mother did not care for this taunting reminder of my heritage, and took up a knife...
War paint serves to cover the scar. Arenvald: In the end, she turned me out into the street, and I was left to haunt the alleyways of Ala Mhigo, a feral child who got what he needed through begging, cunning, or worse. Arenvald: The best I can say about the years that followed is that I survived. But I hated the animal I'd become. Eventually, I left the city behind me, and joined a group of refugees bound for the other side of the Wall. It was then that I turned to adventuring, and that road led me into the company of the Scions. Arenvald: I tell you this so that you understand: I know all too well what poverty and hunger can do to a person. Arenvald: I drew steel on ordinary folk for a measly crust of bread. With Theodoric's gold, I could spare my countrymen the shame of living like that. Alphinaud: Thank you, Arenvald, and I apologize─that cannot have been pleasant to recall. But I felt it best to be clear in our intentions. Alphinaud: Well, Forename? Are you content to surrender the treasure to Arenvald's noble cause, and claim the thrill of adventure as your reward? Alphinaud: Then I should be glad to tell you my theory on the resting place of the mad king's trove...if you are minded to hear it?
The Mad King's Trove Alphinaud seems eager to share his theory.
Alphinaud: ...Actually, mayhap it would be better if we first adjourned to a more suitable location. Arenvald: ...In case a rival treasure hunter overhears our plans, you mean? Good thinking! Alphinaud: That...was not exactly the reason, but 'tis certainly a valid concern. Let us reconvene on the southern edge of Loch Seld.
Alphinaud: Forgive me. 'Twas not my intention to draw out proceedings. I simply wished to have the loch in sight while I explained things. Alphinaud: Prior to the great flood of the Sixth Umbral Calamity, the salt lakes you see before you were yet dry ravines. And this, believe it or not, was the site of the ancient city of Skalla, which rose and fell during the Fifth Astral Era. Alphinaud: From what we know of the period, the city was already deserted by the time the waters began to rise, having been all but destroyed by war. Yet its ruins remain to this day at the bottom of Loch Seld. Alphinaud: It is my belief that the “darkness beneath the palace” mentioned by Theodoric's former scribe was not a reference to the prison, but to a place still further below: the ruins of Skalla. Alphinaud: I further surmise that the mad king's unfortunate kinsmen were cast down there not simply out of a desire to punish them, but to discourage exploration. Theodoric wanted to keep the ruins secure... Arenvald: Wait...you're saying...they were meant to guard the mad king's trove! Alphinaud: Precisely. And since we know the court thaumaturge was involved, we can safely assume that any entrance into the old city will have been magically concealed. Arenvald: ...Which would explain how a legion of imperial soldiers and the gods know how many Ala Mhigans never found a trace of the trove. Alphinaud: We, however, have certain advantages which they did not enjoy. Forename─would you be so good as to swim down to the bottom of the loch and search for an underwater route into the ruins? While you do that, Arenvald and I will seek out an ensorcelled portal within the palace.
You discover a passage that appears to lead under the palace foundations. Press on, and find out where it goes.
You come to a worn stone door, standing temptingly ajar. It would appear you have found an entrance into the subterranean ruins.
Alphinaud's Voice: Forename─it's Alphinaud. We have searched the prison beneath the palace, and found a door concealed by enchantments. Have you aught to report? Alphinaud's Voice: ...And you believe it leads into the ruins? Excellent. Then I propose we proceed from our respective entry points and look to meet somewhere in the middle. Arenvald's Voice: Oh, come on, you two─we might as well make it a race! Victory goes to the first adventurer to find the treasure! Godsspeed!
Alphinaud's Voice: Forename─it's Alphinaud. We have searched the prison beneath the palace, and found a teleportation portal concealed by enchantments. The markings indicate it leads to an underground cavern. Alphinaud's Voice: What news on your end? Alphinaud's Voice: ...And you believe it leads into the ruins? Then I daresay we will be able to meet within. Go on and head through the door. Arenvald's Voice: By the way, I took the liberty of calling on a friend for help. I guarantee she's both dependable and discreet. We'll see you soon!

The Drowned City of Skalla

Long ago, in the dawn of the Fifth Astral Era, the modest nation of Skalla was founded in the land of Gyr Abania. Over the span of several centuries, its people constructed a grand city of stone at the bottom of a steep-walled ravine, but even this natural defense could not protect Skalla from destruction during a terrible age of war. When the great flood of the Sixth Umbral Calamity later swept across the realm, the hollow ruins of the city were lost to sight, its remnants submerged beneath a raging sea. Haunting the depths of what is now Loch Seld, Skalla's silent walls lure adventurers into the salt-laden waters with the promise of mysteries unsolved and treasures unclaimed.
Alphinaud: Good to see you found a way in too, Forename. Arenvald: Right, then! Let's go and get our treasure!
Arenvald: Up for some spearfishing, J'moldva? J'moldva: Always.
Arenvald: What is that? Some kind of horse? Alphinaud: It's the Kelpie! I've heard legends of it! Alphinaud: I'm drenched from head to toe... Arenvald: No more than you'd expect on an adventure, eh?
Alphinaud: I daresay this was a place of worship. Arenvald: And I have a feeling it's crawling with “worshipers”...
Alphinaud: Quite well guarded, that door. Arenvald: Does that mean we've already reached the treasure!?
Arenvald: If that's the treasure, then consider me disappointed. Alphinaud: Fortunately for you, it's another guardian. Be on your guard! The Old One: ×△sACriFicE△×◎WHIR◎×▼sUBserViEntS▼×
BooM, bOOm, BOom, boOm... The Old One: ×△AcTivatE△×◎CLUNK◎×▼TRaNsfoRMatiOn▼×
HeX, hEx, HEx, hEX... Arenvald: What in the seven hells!? J'moldva: Wh-What's happened to my body? Alphinaud: Ye gods, what magick is this!? The Old One: ×△sACriFicE△×◎WHIR◎×▼sUBserViEntS▼×
BooM, bOOm, BOom, boOm... The Old One: ×△AcTivatE△×◎CLUNK◎×▼TRaNsfoRMatiOn▼×
HeX, hEx, HEx, hEX... Arenvald: Grrr, just you wait! J'moldva: A truly vexing spell... Alphinaud: Ugh, not again! Arenvald: Hmph, troublesome piece of clay... Alphinaud: Indeed. Its magicks were not to be underestimated.
J'moldva: Prison cells... Alphinaud: Relics of the mad king's reign.
Arenvald: That was a person? Seven hells... Alphinaud: So the dark rumors of this place were true...
Alphinaud: It seems that fellow won't let us have the treasure without a fight. Arenvald: Wouldn't be much of an adventure if it didn't end on a climax, eh? Hrodric Poisontongue: Graaaaaah!
Kill! Kill you all! Hrodric Poisontongue: <snarl> Death!
Death comes for you!
J'moldva: Arenvald has gotten stronger, hasn't he?
Arenvald: Piles upon piles of treasure... I can scarcely imagine how much there is.
Alphinaud: To think that monster used to be a man...
Alphinaud: Are you all right? Arenvald: Aye...aye... Everything's still attached. Alphinaud: Ah... It seems both our paths led here. Very good. Alphinaud: We spent altogether too much time fleeing fiends horrid and numerous. How fared you? Alphinaud: Much the same, then. 'Twould appear this place is yet inhabited by King Theodoric's kin─or what is left of them. The work of terrible magicks, I fear...
Alphinaud: 'Twould appear this place is yet inhabited by King Theodoric's kin─or what is left of them. The work of terrible magicks, I fear... Arenvald: Terrible, aye, but their misfortune is our...fortune? Alphinaud: Quite... By the Twelve, there is even more than I imagined... Arenvald: Oh, I can't wait to see the look on Lyse's face! Thanks for believing in me, you two!
Alphinaud: Arenvald and I forged ahead at the fastest pace we could manage, but I was not surprised to find you waiting for us. I suppose it serves us right for challenging the Warrior of Light. Next time, we should agree on some manner of handicap... Arenvald: Ah, we may have lost, Alphinaud─but think of what we found! Alphinaud: Quite. I am still reeling at the sight of that mountain of riches... Arenvald: What, like how you reeled at the sight of that floating specter, you mean? You should have heard him scream, Forename!
Alphinaud: Arenvald and I tried to do our fair share, but I fear you ended up bearing the bulk of the burden as usual. You truly led the way with your adventuring prowess, my friend. Arenvald: Aye, without your help, I reckon we'd still be fumbling about in the dark. I'm glad I called on you! Alphinaud: I must say, I am still reeling at the sight of that mountain of riches... Arenvald: What, like how you reeled at the sight of that floating specter, you mean? I wish you could've seen the look on your own face, Alphinaud! Alphinaud: M-Must we dwell on such momentary lapses!? We found the mad king's trove, and that is all that matters!
The Butcher's Blood Arenvald is still grinning at Alphinaud's discomfort.
Arenvald: All jesting aside, we must tell people the good news. And I think Lyse should be the first. Alphinaud: Seconded. There is to be a meeting of representatives from across Ala Mhigo, so she is sure to be in the city. Shall we seek her out? Alphinaud: Seconded. She is bound to be delighted. J'moldva: If I am no longer needed, then I shall take my leave. Arenvald: Of course, don't let us keep you. Thanks again, and say hello to V'mah for me. Alphinaud: Now then, there is to be a meeting of representatives from across Ala Mhigo, so Lyse is sure to be in the city. Shall we seek her out?
Lyse: Oh? You three look pleased with yourselves. What've you been up to? Arenvald: I'm glad you asked, Lyse. And I'm pretty sure you're going to like the answer... Lyse: You're joking... The mad king's trove!? I thought it was a myth! Arenvald: So did plenty of people. But they didn't have Forename and Alphinaud in their party. The credit for finding it should really go to them. As for what to do with it all...I vote that it go towards alleviating the suffering of Ala Mhigo's poor. Lyse: Gods... If there's as much as you say... Alphinaud: Arenvald did not exaggerate, I assure you. We could not hope to carry even a fraction of it out on our own. I have taken the liberty of sketching out a rough map of the ruins─if you will assemble a squad of your most trusted freedom fighters, they should be able to follow the route to where the treasure lies. Lyse: Understood. I'll make sure every coin is accounted for, and that goes for the spending of it as well! Arenvald: Thank you. Arenvald: Oh, there is one other thing: when the time comes to draw up a plan for distributing the spoils, I would ask that you consult Alphinaud. Arenvald: I don't have a head for details. I'm not...educated. I see that simply handing out sacks of gil won't solve everything, but I couldn't rightly tell you what to do instead. Lyse: Oh, I know the feeling! I'd welcome any advice you could give us, Alphinaud. Alphinaud: Of course. I shall be at your disposal. Resistance Fighter: Commander! We've got a problem! Lyse: Deep breaths. Tell me what's happened. Resistance Fighter: A mob's gathered outside headquarters, and they've started making demands. You'd best come and see for yourself!
M'naago: Step back, all of you! Tattooed Troublemaker: Like hells we will! We know who you've got in there! Wrathful Resident: We're not leaving till you hand her over! Raging Resident: Bring her out! Bring her out! Lyse: What's going on!? M'naago: Someone let slip about Fordola... Tattooed Troublemaker: It's true then! The bitch really is in there! I knew it! I bloody knew it! Tattooed Troublemaker: We demand vengeance! Bring her out! Today we butcher the Butcher! Lyse: Butcher the...? Come on, you don't mean that. We'd be no better than the imperials! If you'd all just calm down─ Wrathful Resident: Calm down!? That monster and her thrice-damned Skulls dragged my man from our home and beat him to death in the street! Raging Resident: Aye! And my dad! That bitch has spilt enough blood to fill a loch! Tattooed Troublemaker: We all know her crimes! She's a traitor and a murderer! How many of your Resistance friends have died at her hands, eh? And here you are protecting her! Raubahn: So that's what all the fuss is about... Raubahn: Hearken to me, brothers and sisters of Ala Mhigo! Tattooed Troublemaker: Hey, who's this? Wrathful Resident: That's...that's the bull of Ala Mhigo. Raubahn: My friends─you are not alone in your anger, your grief, your despair, for it is mine as well! Raubahn: That gnawing pain in your breast...it is enough to bring an old bull to his knees. Raubahn: But I ask you, brothers and sisters, to think not only of the family and friends who were cut down before your very eyes, but to think also of the ones who were abducted─the ones who may yet live! Raubahn: Where were they taken? What became of them? These questions demand answers! Raubahn: I share your thirst for justice. For vengeance. Raubahn: But we will gain only fleeting satisfaction if we give in to our base appetites─we will never know the truth! Raubahn: Now is the time that we, the people of Ala Mhigo, must decide what manner of nation we will build for ourselves, and for generations yet unborn. Raubahn: When they look to our example, will they see a people who held fast to their principles, or one who cast them aside when tried? Raubahn: I say to you, it is our responsibility to give these prisoners a fair trial, that they might answer to all of Ala Mhigo! The Garleans called us savages, and I'll be damned if we prove them right! Tattooed Troublemaker: I know you're right, I do, but...I can't...
Lyse: My thanks, Raubahn. Listening to their anger, I could feel myself being swept away... Raubahn: 'Tis a difficult tide to stem. 'Twas that same rage which brought us to our feet, and carried us to victory. But now the war is over, all the unspent fury is being channeled into vengeance. M'naago: Aye, and it's not just here─we've reports of mobs forming all over. M'naago: They've been targeting folk known to have cooperated with the Garleans. It starts with insults most often, then someone picks up a stone... M'naago: Some industrious souls even thought to seek out the graves of Zenos and his officers. It was...grim. Lyse: I want to build a country where everyone, regardless of race or origin, can live side by side in peace. But maybe the time isn't right. Maybe people just aren't ready... Lyse: But that doesn't mean I'm not going to try. The representatives will be here soon, and I'll be damned if I'm going to give up before I've even begun. Arenvald: Who are these representatives exactly? Lyse: Oh, village elders, refugee leaders and the like. It wouldn't be right for us to dictate the nation's future on our own, so we've planned a summit of sorts. Lyse: We've even invited the Ananta and the Qiqirn to participate. Raubahn: Ala Mhigo stands at a crossroads, and this meeting will decide which path it takes. The matter of Fordola's sentence cannot be suffered to disrupt proceedings. M'naago: Then let's execute her and be done with it. She herself asked to be put to death. Lyse: Naago! I already explained why we wouldn't do that! Lyse: Sending her to the gallows might satisfy people right now, but where would it end? Should we round up everyone who collaborated? And everyone who didn't resist? There would be no one left! And we'd be no better than Theodoric and Zenos! Arenvald: Begging your pardon, but...might I be allowed to speak with Fordola? Only, I caught a glimpse of her past. A moment of it, anyway─during the fight. Arenvald: She's done terrible things, aye...unforgivable things... But...in some ways, she's a victim of the circumstances in which she was born. And that's something I can understand... Lyse: All right. Speak with the prison guard when you're ready, and I'll come and join you. I want to talk to her too. Raubahn: I'll return to my other duties, then─we've barely begun to investigate the facility where they gave Fordola her powers. Be fairly warned, friends: she will test you. Don't let your emotions color your judgment when she does.
Prison Guard: You've the commander's permission to enter, then?
  • Enter the prison?
  • Yes
  • No
Fordola: Well, well, well... So many visitors. Come to have a good laugh, have you? Fordola: Or do you mean to put me out of my misery? To finish what you started? It's about bloody time. Lyse: That's not why we're here, no. Lyse: Do you remember what I said? How I promised you you'd live long enough to see us win our freedom? Well, I meant it. And not to mock you, either. Fordola: You're wasting your time. Fordola: All of this is pointless. There's no reason to keep me alive, and you know it! Fordola: I killed your men─I killed my men! And you know what my only regret is? That I didn't kill you when I had the chance! Arenvald: That's a lie, and you know it! You think we can't tell what you're trying to do? That we're blind? Arenvald: You're a fool, but you're not stupid. You're ruthless. Relentless. You'd give up anything and everything to get what you want. Arenvald: You didn't come this far, climbing over the bodies of your own brothers and sisters, just to piss it all away! Arenvald: I see you, Fordola! I see you for what you are!
Fordola's Mother: Come along, Fordola! We mustn't be late! The imperial viceroy will be attending today's banquet! Fordola: All right... Fordola: Father, what's Lord Gaius like? Is he nice? Are you friends? Fordola's Father: There you go again with all your questions... Fordola's Father: Lord Gaius is a great and honorable man who looks after all of Ala Mhigo. He's very busy, and if we don't hurry, we'll miss our chance to see him. Ala Mhigan Malcontent: Filthy tinhead-lovers... Fordola: Father, what did that man call us? Ala Mhigan Malcontent: The little tinhead-lover doesn't know what she is, eh? A traitor, sweetheart. A backstabbing bitch who'd gladly betray her kith and kin to gnaw on what few scraps the imperials deign to toss her. Like your bastard father and whore mother! Fordola: That's not true! My parents are good people! They've never done anything like that! Ala Mhigan Malcontent: Oh but they were quick to help themselves and their bitch spawn, weren't they? You're just as guilty as them! Fordola's Father: Fordola! Ala Mhigan Malcontent: Traitors! Fordola's Mother: Please! You have to do something! My husband and daughter are in danger! Imperial Pilus Prior: Soldiers of the imperial army are under no obligation to intervene in the disputes of Aan. Fordola's Mother: We're citizens! We have rights! Fordola: Father, I'm scared! Fordola's Father: It's all right, it's all right. They don't understand. But they'll see in time. They'll see that this is the only way to survive. ???: Traitors! ???: Traitors! Imperial Pilus Prior: Let the savages have their fun. They'll be more compliant once they've tired themselves out.
Fordola's Mother: Fordola, please! You already have citizenship! Why would you want to become a soldier!? Fordola's Mother: Oh gods, what have you done to your face!? Fordola: Forgotten it already, have you? I'm honoring Father's memory. Fordola's Mother: By telling the world that you're no better than a common savage!? Fordola: Am I, though, Mother? Are any of us? Fordola: Can't you see? Citizenship means nothing to them. If you're not a pureblood Garlean, you're no different from any other savage. Fordola: So I'll play the part. I'll join the legion and I'll make them respect me. And when the mob see that, they'll think twice before throwing their stones. Fordola: Ansfrid, Hrudolf, Emelin. It's time! Fordola: It'll be hard. Humiliating. They'll try to break us─send us crawling back to our “own kind.” But we won't, no matter what. We'll bleed for them─die for them if we have to. We'll do whatever it takes to be free!
Arenvald: So, you mean to play the part one last time, eh? The unrepentant traitor, whose death will serve to unite the people? Fordola: Shut up! Arenvald: You had every chance to kill yourself. Fashion a noose from your clothes, wait for the guards to leave you alone long enough to slip it over your neck─ Fordola: I said shut up! Arenvald: But then it would all have been for nothing, wouldn't it? Whatever it takes. That's what you said. Fordola: ...Been in my head, have you? Had a little peek at my past? Fordola: And what, a few stolen memories tell you everything you need to know, do they? Fordola: Don't you dare patronize me! You don't know a godsdamned thing about the life I've led! Fordola: The bastards that killed him, the bastards that let it happen─my father deserved better! I swore I'd do whatever it took to make them pay! Fordola: You...y-you... All that power...all that pain... It's too much... Too much for anyone! Fordola: The things they've done to you. The lies, the betrayal, the endless fighting...yet there you stand, unbroken. How...? Why...?
  • What will you say?
  • You know why. You saw.
  • For those I have lost. For those I can yet save.
  • Because I choose to.
Fordola: Damn you... Damn you all... Lyse: You still have time, Fordola. Think about how you want to spend it. Lyse: Let's go.
Echoes of an Echo Lyse is lost in thought.
Lyse: I don't know that we solved anything exactly, but we've given Fordola something to think about at least. Arenvald: Aye... And I've found something new to think about too. Arenvald: I don't know about you, Forename, but the visions only come to me every now and then. From the way Fordola kept wincing, though, I get the feeling she's having them almost all the time. That's a lot of bad memories to deal with... Alphinaud: Hmmm... I wonder... Could there be some fundamental difference between one who is born with the Echo and one who has been artificially imbued with it? Lyse: Well, the Immortal Flames have been scouring that research facility ever since the liberation. There's a chance they might have some answers for us. Lyse: General Aldynn's there overseeing the investigation. Let's go and pay him a visit, shall we?
Resonatorium Guard: General Aldynn is inside, aye. Will you be joining him?
  • Enter the Resonatorium?
  • Yes
  • No
Raubahn: What news? You spoke with Fordola, I take it? Lyse: Yes. As expected, she didn't say very much, but it wasn't a total waste of time. Arenvald noticed something odd about her. He thinks she might be having visions almost constantly, which is not how the Echo normally works. Have you found anything here which might explain why it's so different for her? Raubahn: Hmph. We've been hard-pressed just to organize the research materials, let alone study them. To be frank, I'd welcome the Scions' expert assistance, if you have time to lend a hand.
Flame Investigator: So many bodies... Every one of them a victim of these “experiments.” Flame Investigator: Few show any signs of external injury. From what we've been able to determine, they perished from forcible aether extraction. Such a miserable way to die...
The device in which Krile was held seems even more ominous now you know its purpose. The surrounding pods are marked “Supply Subject” while this one bears the label “Master Subject.” Ironworks Engineer: The Ironworks received a request from the Alliance to analyze these devices, and I've been recording everything of interest. Did you notice the labeling? Ironworks Engineer: All the pods are designed to drain the aether of the occupant...save that one right there. Ironworks Engineer: Unlike the others, the interior's been fitted with an array of sensors to measure aetheric wave forms. To what purpose, however, I couldn't tell you.
Raubahn: I know little and less of science, so any light you can shed on this facility's operations would be much appreciated. Forename, shall we start with you? Alphinaud: Taken in combination with the testimonies of Krile and Thancred, I do begin to see exactly what the imperials were attempting here. Alphinaud: The enhancement procedure entailed infusing a single candidate with aether siphoned from a multitude of “supply subjects.” Alphinaud: As for the “master subject”─in this case, Krile─the patterns of her aetheric activity would provide the model upon which they would artificially engineer the candidate's aura. Lyse: ...In other words, they were trying to recreate Krile's Echo? Alphinaud: I believe so─which would explain our prisoner's present state. Krile is possessed of an unrivaled ability to hear the whispers of the soul, and it seems probable that the procedure engendered the same acute sensitivity in Fordola. Lyse: The soldiers who guard Fordola...many of them lost friends and family to the Skulls. Lyse: And there's a sentry at her door, night and day. If she can't help sensing their thoughts and seeing their past─ Arenvald: But you don't just see their past─you live it. All the emotions; all the pain. Imagine what it'd do to you. You'd never be the same again. Alphinaud: Indeed. As you may recall, Ysayle was completely transformed by a single glimpse of Hraesvelgr's past. Alphinaud: Fordola has been forced to experience the agony of those whose lives she destroyed. The guilt must be unbearable. Lyse: That explains her request to be executed... Raubahn: Sounds to me like a kind of justice. Regardless, she can suffer on for now. We have more pressing matters to consider. Raubahn: If the results of these experiments have been relayed back to Garlemald, there will be naught to stop the Empire from repeating the trick. They could give the Echo to anyone─to an entire legion. Raubahn: We must be ready. We must learn all we can of these godsforsaken procedures─and Fordola remains our best source of information. She'll not be getting her wish. Not yet. Lyse: Right... Raubahn: Keep faith, lass. If you're to convince others to follow you, you must believe what you're telling them. People will respond to passion─but not if it's feigned. Lyse: I understand. Thank you, General. Lyse: We should leave the Flames to it. Let's go.
Lyse: <sigh> I go looking for answers about the Echo, and end up getting schooled by Raubahn. Yet more evidence that I don't know what I'm doing. It's no wonder people listen to him and not me. Alphinaud: General Aldynn is a veteran of countless campaigns, Lyse. You cannot compare yourself to a commander of his experience. Lyse: I know. But I also know that I couldn't have convinced that mob to give up and go home. It makes me realize how much we rely on his authority...and how much I still have to learn. Arenvald: I wonder what he'll do when everything here is settled... I mean, it's his homeland. After going to the trouble of winning it back, might he not want to stay? Alphinaud: 'Tis a quandary which countless refugees now face: to continue the life they built in Ul'dah, or start again in the land of their birth... Pipin: Forename! A moment! Pipin: I am newly returned from Ul'dah, with a message from the sultana. Pipin: Her Grace desires an audience with you. She understands that you have responsibilities here, but asks that you visit the palace at your earliest convenience. Pipin: Well, I must away and attend to other business. Until next time, my friends! Alphinaud: An audience with the sultana! Depending on the nature of her consultation, this might be the perfect opportunity to inquire about the General's future plans. Lyse: Yes, we'd all like to know about those, Alphinaud─but not everyone's as comfortable interrogating royalty as you. Take no notice of him, Forename.
A Sultana's Strings Alphinaud's thoughts appear to have turned from adventure to administration.
Alphinaud: Well, the question of how to put the mad king's treasures to good use shows no sign of answering itself. Shall we be about it, Arenvald? Arenvald: I am at your beck and call! Lyse: ...And I should be getting back to my own tasks. I'll organize a squad to head down into the ruins, and then start preparing for the big meeting...
Oh, send Nanamo my regards, Forename! Alphinaud: And ours too, if you please. We shall see you on your return.
Bartholomew: You are expected, my lady. Please proceed.
Nanamo Ul Namo: I thank you for answering my summons in these most interesting times. You have been busy. Nanamo Ul Namo: The liberation of Ala Mhigo will have far-reaching consequences, and there is a matter upon which I would seek your counsel. Nanamo Ul Namo: I speak of Raubahn, and his future. Nanamo Ul Namo: All know the tale of his rise from penniless refugee to member of the Syndicate, and General of the Immortal Flames... Yet though he has come to call Ul'dah home, it will never be his homeland. He is a son of Ala Mhigo. Nanamo Ul Namo: And now that she is free, I thought it only a matter of time before he sought my leave to return to her. Indeed, I had resigned myself to his loss. Nanamo Ul Namo: Suffice it to say, I was...greatly surprised to hear him speak so lightly of handing over the reins in Ala Mhigo, and retaking his place at my side. Nanamo Ul Namo: I will welcome him with open arms, of course─he is my most trusted advisor...and my dearest friend. Nanamo Ul Namo: But I have known the man a long time, and beneath that steely gaze, I spied a flicker of doubt. Nanamo Ul Namo: Whether Raubahn chooses to remain in Ul'dah or return to Ala Mhigo, I only wish that he do so with a heart unburdened by guilt or regret. Nanamo Ul Namo: Yet how can he freely make such a choice knowing how much I depend on him? Nanamo Ul Namo: It is past time that I learned to discharge my duties as a sultana alone. I must go forth and see my realm with my own eyes, and hear the wind with my own ears. Nanamo Ul Namo: Might I have your company for a brief adventure? Nanamo Ul Namo: Wonderful. Nanamo Ul Namo: Allow me a moment to change into something a touch less conspicuous, and I will join you outside.
Nanamo Ul Namo: What do you think of “Lilira, the merchant's daughter”? This is the disguise I don when I wish to leave the palace and observe my subjects unnoticed. Nanamo Ul Namo: Ordinarily, Papashan would accompany me, but for this particular outing I need an advisor─not a minder. Nanamo Ul Namo: And that is why I requested your company. Over the course of your many adventures, you have met people from all walks of life, in every corner of Eorzea, and I would make use of your worldly experience. Nanamo Ul Namo: Now, let us be on our way. Our first destination is Stonesthrow, just beyond the Gate of Nald.
Nanamo Ul Namo: Look upon this procession of tattered tents...
These refugees camp in squalor, at the mercy of the elements and Thanalan's predators both. Nanamo Ul Namo: The city's mighty walls offer safety, but the streets overflow with people as it is. And unless blessed by the hand of Nald Himself, no refugee could ever hope to afford a dwelling in Ul'dah. Nanamo Ul Namo: Twenty years have passed since the fall of Ala Mhigo and five since the Calamity, yet the plight of the poor has grown more desperate, not less. As sultana, the blame falls upon me.
  • What will you say?
  • You have done your best, Your Grace. Nanamo Ul Namo: ...Then my best has not been good enough.
  • Your hands have been tied, Your Grace... Nanamo Ul Namo: Yes, my authority is limited. And that is an obstacle I must work to overcome...
Nanamo Ul Namo: Shall we press on? I would follow the road to the Unholy Heir.
Nanamo Ul Namo: It was here, in this wholly unremarkable place, that my mother and father met their doom. Nanamo Ul Namo: I was but a child at the time. My parents were returning from an inspection of our interests in eastern Thanalan when an untimely rockslide crushed their carriage. To this day, it is not certain if the incident was simple misfortune or an expertly planned assassination. Nanamo Ul Namo: Raubahn once offered to reopen the investigation and bring me the truth he assumed I must surely crave. But I refused. Nanamo Ul Namo: Even if my parents' deaths were orchestrated by the Monetarists, we could only have brought their hirelings to justice. Nanamo Ul Namo: The true villains─those who plotted to put me on the throne as a biddable puppet─were ever beyond our reach. Nanamo Ul Namo: Thus did I plan to strip the merchants of their power and place our nation in the hands of its citizens...quite unaware of the consequences my actions would have for you and yours... I shudder to think how many goodly souls paid the price of my naivety... Nanamo Ul Namo: But I am no longer a child reciting words with witless obedience, and I will not be used as a pawn in the Monetarists' damnable games! Nanamo Ul Namo: <sigh> Forgive me my outburst. You are one of the few people to whom I feel I can speak my mind. Nanamo Ul Namo: Come. Let us return to Ul'dah and visit the Coliseum.
Nanamo Ul Namo: From the moment I became sultana, I found myself thrust into an endless parade of document signing and ceremonies. Nanamo Ul Namo: For years, I simply signed where I was told to sign, and sat where I was told to sit, blissfully oblivious to what any of it meant. Yet one good thing did come from that ignominious chapter in my life. For it was during an “official” visit to the Coliseum that I first met Raubahn. Nanamo Ul Namo: The match I had been invited to attend was not at all what I expected. They had pitted the Bull of Ala Mhigo against some dozen or so rival gladiators... Nanamo Ul Namo: Blinkered though I was, I would not stand for so obvious an injustice, and demanded to see a fair fight, one man against another. And my royal wish was duly granted. Nanamo Ul Namo: It was not until later that I learned of the gambling ring which had arranged for Raubahn to die on the sands that day. Nanamo Ul Namo: Regardless, my intervention meant that Raubahn had but a single opponent to dispatch─which he duly did. And when he knelt before me to receive the winner's purse, he swore that he would one day offer me his blade in service. Nanamo Ul Namo: Surrounded as I was by liars and manipulators, I confess I dismissed it as a pleasant piece of theater. Nanamo Ul Namo: But as you know, Raubahn is a man of his word. Though it took him another five years of fighting on the bloodsands, he amassed a fortune so great as to buy not only his freedom but a seat on the Syndicate. And then I had my blade.
Crowd: Raubahn! Raubahn! Raubahn! Marcechamp: Your Grace, you mustn't! The danger is too great! Marcechamp: Please, Your Grace, come back! I beg of you! Nanamo Ul Namo: It seems you're the one who needs looking after, Marcechamp! Nanamo Ul Namo: Raubahn! Raubahn: Your Grace! Raubahn: I have kept the promise made. Nanamo Ul Namo: So you have. And, in turn, so too shall I keep mine. Nanamo Ul Namo: With your winnings, you have become one of the six most wealthy souls in all Ul'dah. And so, as tradition dictates, Raubahn Aldynn... Nanamo Ul Namo: ...You have earned yourself a seat on the Syndicate! May your new station garner you still greater glories! Raubahn: I am honored, Your Grace, and vow to serve with every fiber of my being, from this day till my last. Raubahn: Long live the sultana! And long live Ul'dah!
Nanamo Ul Namo: Words cannot well express what that man means to me. Nanamo Ul Namo: There are others who care deeply for my well-being, of course─Papashan's love for me is as that of a grandsire for his grandchild. Nanamo Ul Namo: But upon matters of governance, I cannot turn to bodyguards and maidservants for counsel. Nanamo Ul Namo: Raubahn, with the authority of his Syndicate position, was the first sword I could wield. His was the only edge which could cut the strings that bound me...
A Sultana's Duty Nanamo seems lost in thoughts of the past.
Nanamo Ul Namo: We must make haste. My absence will not go unnoticed by the Sultansworn for long, and there are other places I would visit. Nanamo Ul Namo: To the Arrzaneth Ossuary!
Nanamo Ul Namo: When the Calamity threatened, Raubahn led the Alliance forces into battle on the plains of Carteneau. And I remained here. Nanamo Ul Namo: I prayed with all my heart that Archon Louisoix would have the power to rouse the Twelve. Nanamo Ul Namo: Since that day, I have made a custom of visiting this shrine during each of my little excursions. Here, I seek the blessing of Thal, reflect upon my choices, and ask myself if I am fulfilling my duties as sultana. Nanamo Ul Namo: You are rightly celebrated as a champion because you have led the line in a hundred battles for the good of Eorzea. In much the same way, I believe the measure of a monarch lies in how she leads her people in times of adversity. Nanamo Ul Namo: If I am to be a sultana worthy of the name, I cannot turn a blind eye to the troubles facing Ul'dah. Nanamo Ul Namo: I have chosen my path, Forename. With Ala Mhigo now freed from imperial chains, I finally see a way to aid the refugees. Nanamo Ul Namo: Already, many displaced Ala Mhigans seek to begin the long trek home. Nanamo Ul Namo: To facilitate that process, I have made a small contribution─an artisans' school in Rhalgr's Reach for any who wish to learn new trades. Realistically, however, it will take years for such training to yield tangible benefits. Nanamo Ul Namo: But we do not have years. These people will need shelter and employment if they are to survive, and this time the Ul'dahn treasury shall provide! Nanamo Ul Namo: Precisely where and how to allocate the necessary funds is, of course, another question...
  • What will you say?
  • Might you ask a member of the Syndicate for advice? Nanamo Ul Namo: A wise suggestion. Mayhap a visit to the Gold Saucer is in order. Its proprietor is a member of the Syndicate, and he is one of the few who pay refugees a fair wage.
  • Why not seek the advice of one who employs refugees? Nanamo Ul Namo: A wise suggestion. Mayhap a visit to the Gold Saucer is in order. Its proprietor is a member of the Syndicate, and he is one of the few who pay refugees a fair wage.
  • ... Nanamo Ul Namo: ...Nothing? Hmm... If even one of your worldly experience is at a loss, it would seem I have no choice but to seek out someone more well versed in monetary matters...
Nanamo Ul Namo: I wonder, are you acquainted with Godbert Manderville? Nanamo Ul Namo: Ah, well he is a most generous man...if something of an eccentric. Let us make our way to the landing, and I will see that word is sent to the Gold Saucer. Godbert should be only too glad to receive us.
Nanamo Ul Namo: I have ridden aboard a public airship before, but this shall be my first visit to the Gold Saucer. I must confess to some excitement!
Nanamo Ul Namo: I had heard descriptions of its splendor, yet I never dreamed it would be so bright and inviting... Nanamo Ul Namo: N-No! I couldn't possibly─! We did not come here to fritter away the royal coin! Nanamo Ul Namo: Godbert will be expecting us. Come, let us head directly to the lounge and ignore these...these...gaudy temptations!
Nanamo Ul Namo: I believe this is where we are to meet Lord Manderville. Shall we sit while we await his coming?
Godbert: My apologies, Your Grace, I have kept you waiting! Nanamo Ul Namo: No apologies are necessary, Godbert. My request was sudden, and you were kind to make yourself available at such short notice. Godbert: When the sultana herself comes calling, there is no more important engagement! Nanamo Ul Namo: As to the purpose of my visit, I would have your thoughts on how the crown might best aid the refugees residing in Thanalan. Nanamo Ul Namo: You are aware, I am sure, that many of Ala Mhigo's displaced sons and daughters long to return to their newly liberated homeland. And you are also aware of how they will suffer without shelter and work to sustain them. Nanamo Ul Namo: I would use our nation's wealth to spare them that suffering. What advice have you for me on the matter of how it might best be distributed? Godbert: ...The unusual circumstances of our meeting, and Your Grace's choice of companion, would suggest to me a desire for an honest and unvarnished opinion. I shall give you one. Godbert: My advice to you is: “Stop.” Taxing Ul'dah's wealth to save Ala Mhigan refugees is a terrible, terrible idea. Nanamo Ul Namo: You oppose my proposition? Godbert: Most emphatically. I agree with Your Grace that the refugees must have housing and employment, but what profit is there for Ul'dah in this arrangement? Nanamo Ul Namo: Profit? After all you have done for Gyr Abania's displaced, I thought you the very last person to seek to benefit from their misfortune! Godbert: Forgive me, Your Grace, but you appear to be laboring under a misapprehension. Godbert: It is a fine endeavor to support one's fellow man. I fear, however, that your stance is one born of pity─your intent is to “save” the refugees, is it not? Godbert: For all our potential, we are indolent creatures by nature. If unconditional charity is all we know, then we begin to rely upon it─to expect it. Godbert: And then we must consider Ul'dah's own poor and downtrodden. Should they hear of you spending the nation's coin─not to improve their lot, but to nurture the distant citizens of Ala Mhigo─it is unlikely they will applaud your generosity. Godbert: Surely it is not Your Grace's intention to foster new resentments, but to spread goodwill? Nanamo Ul Namo: Indeed.
...Then any support I pledge to the refugees must promote self-sufficiency, whilst also serving the interests of the people of Ul'dah. Godbert: Exactly so! Such an arrangement will create a far more equitable relationship with the returning Ala Mhigans, even as it generates the revenue required to win the approval of your subjects. Nanamo Ul Namo: You have given me much to ponder, Lord Manderville. I thank you for your candor.
A Sultana's Resolve Nanamo appears to be reassessing her plans.
Nanamo Ul Namo: Profit... The thought never even crossed my mind. Nanamo Ul Namo: But standing about lamenting my naivety will not do anyone any good. I shall consider my lesson learned, and press on. Nanamo Ul Namo: Forename─are you perchance acquainted with any successful merchants? If my attempt at philanthropy is obliged to reap a profit, it would seem wise to consult someone with a knack for business. Nanamo Ul Namo: Hm... Ordinarily, I would not trust any agent of the East Aldenard Trading Company─but if you hold this Hancock fellow in high esteem, I am content to be led by you. You may repay my faith by journeying to distant Kugane and speaking with him on my behalf. Nanamo Ul Namo: Eager though I am to visit those shores, I have not the leisure for a lengthy sea voyage. Now, assuming you will travel as adventurers are wont to do, I shall await your report by the aetheryte in Ul'dah. A fair journey to you, Forename─and a swift one, if you please.
East Aldenard Trading Company Aide: Greetings, honored madam. Will you be entering the Ruby Bazaar offices?
  • Enter the Ruby Bazaar offices?
  • Yes
  • No
Hancock: Forename! To what do I owe the pleasure? Or are you here on business? Hancock: ...I beg your pardon? Her Grace the sultana would have my opinion on how best to invest the wealth of Ul'dah? Hancock: My dear Forename... I have you to thank for this...recognition, I am sure. And I am flattered that you came to me. Truly flattered. Hancock: But why settle for a lowly apprentice, when you could have the master! Upon matters of profit, there is no living soul better-qualified to advise Her Grace than Chairman Lolorito─a man whose morning “exertions” are said to fill his garderobe with gold! Hancock: I should be happy to arrange a meeting for you...say, at the Scions' former headquarters in Thanalan? The Waking Sands would seem a suitably neutral venue for negotiations, don't you think? Fare you well, Forename, and may your dealings prove fruitful!
Nanamo Ul Namo: Welcome back, Forename. Did your merchant friend have any useful advice to share? Nanamo Ul Namo: ...With Lolorito!? And you agreed to this!? Nanamo Ul Namo: I am well aware of his standing in the field of business. But I had hoped to keep the Monetarists at arm's length, and him in particular... Nanamo Ul Namo: ...Nay. I cannot live in fear of the man. I must learn how to treat with him if I am to rule Ul'dah effectively. Nanamo Ul Namo: Very well! I will meet with Lolorito. Let us go on ahead to the Waking Sands, and prepare for his coming.
Nanamo Ul Namo: So this is where the Scions first congregated... I have heard many tales, but never had occasion to visit. Nanamo Ul Namo: To work, then. The hour of the meeting draws near, and I would gather my thoughts. Pray see to it that we have the appointed room to ourselves.
Lolorito: A personal summons from the Scions─this must be important business indeed. Though if it concerns anything so underhand as an assassination, I fear I can be of little help. Lolorito: Hm hm hm hm. Lolorito: You have made your point. Lolorito: 'Tis indeed unsettling to find oneself seated across from an impassive mask. Lolorito: There. Would this better please Your Grace? Or should I address you as “Lady Lilira,” hmm? Nanamo Ul Namo: Nay, the deception has served its purpose. I am glad to see you found amusement in my little jest, Lord Lolorito, but shall we proceed to the business at hand? Lolorito: By all means. I must say, I am most eager to hear your proposal. Nanamo Ul Namo: Simply put, I would aid the refugees camped in Thanalan in their efforts to return to Ala Mhigo. Nanamo Ul Namo: The reparations you paid in the wake of your earlier misdemeanors will be used to fund the endeavor─together with the fortune seized from the late Teledji Adeledji's estate. Nanamo Ul Namo: But this plan is not intended to benefit the displaced alone. I would make of this an investment which shall enrich Ul'dah and Ala Mhigo both. Nanamo Ul Namo: And who better to consult on matters of profit than the wealthiest man in all of Thanalan? I beseech you, then, Lord Lolorito...share with us your mercantile wisdom. Lolorito: Ah heh heh... 'Twould seem Your Grace has matured beyond acts of earnest yet misplaced charity. Pray tell me more... Lolorito: To summarize: in return for facilitating the repatriation of refugees, and assisting in the establishment of new industry in Ala Mhigo, you ask that a proportion of all subsequent profits be promised to Ul'dah. Lolorito: I am impressed, Your Grace. 'Tis an elegant solution─albeit one lacking certain crucial details, specifically which industry and where. Nanamo Ul Namo: How swiftly you identify the weakness in my plan, just as I knew you would. Nanamo Ul Namo: Your travels have taken you across the length and breadth of Gyr Abania, and you know the land far better than I. Nanamo Ul Namo: Which of the settlements you visited would best provide a home for our refugees? Which has the greatest potential to flourish, given the appropriate investment?
  • What will you say?
  • Ala Gannha. Lolorito: Yes, a quarry town certainly does carry the potential for profit─at least, it would do, were it situated anywhere near a lucrative market. It would cost more to transport the materials than they are worth. In my humble opinion.
  • Ala Ghiri. Lolorito: Yes, if a stable trade route can be established between Ul'dah and Ala Mhigo, then Ala Ghiri would once more become an important waypoint. But while such growth would greatly benefit its current residents, I am afraid it could sustain little beyond that...
  • The Saltery.
  • Clearly you want me to say “the Saltery.”
Lolorito: Ah, yes─that desolate little village on the shore of Loch Seld. Lolorito: I know the Saltery and its products well. The imperial invasion brought an end to their more widespread distribution, much to the dismay of many a wealthy gourmand. Myself included. Lolorito: Salt has ever been a transformative ingredient. And in this instance, I daresay it could transform a modicum of effort into a mountain of gil. Nanamo Ul Namo: The local citizens will need to be consulted, of course, but I trust the East Aldenard Trading Company can be relied upon to provide its assistance in negotiating a mutually beneficial arrangement. Lolorito: Naturally, Your Grace. I shall dispatch representatives well versed in the extraction of this “white gold,” and wring every last onze of profit from its production. Lolorito: The loch's bounty will contribute to Ala Mhigo's enrichment, whilst easing the burden on the Bull's aching shoulders─just as Your Grace desired. Nanamo Ul Namo: A deal is struck, then!
Nanamo Ul Namo: <sigh> I fear it will be many years before I feel comfortable taking part in such negotiations. Nanamo Ul Namo: But I shall not complain. We have piqued Lolorito's interest and secured his invaluable expertise.
Thank you, Forename. I could not have done it without you.
Securing the Saltery Nanamo is ready to move ahead with her plans.
Nanamo Ul Namo: Our course is decided. I shall return to the palace and have my ministers begin work on implementing the particulars of the plan. Nanamo Ul Namo: If I could prevail upon you one more time, Forename, I would ask that you convey the details of our negotiations to Commander Hext on your return to Ala Mhigo. Nanamo Ul Namo: My thanks again. Together, we have laid the groundwork for an endeavor which promises to benefit the peoples of Ala Mhigo and Ul'dah both.
Lyse: Forename! You're back! What did Nanamo─ Oh! Sorry... Are you allowed to talk about your audience with the sultana? Lyse: So...Raubahn says he's going to return to Ul'dah...but she isn't sure he wants to. Lyse: Hmph. Tell us something we don't know... But I'm pleased to hear she's committed to helping our refugees come home. Alphinaud: And this plan to revitalize the Saltery does make a lot of sense. Quite how you convinced her to seek Lolorito's help is another question. After all that has happened, he is the very last person I would expect her to turn to for advice. Alphinaud: But on a more practical note─Lyse, assuming the interim government elects to accept Ul'dah's proposal, I have one caveat I should like you to include in the bargain. Alphinaud: Ala Mhigo must be permitted to cover a portion of the investment. We have a fortune at our disposal, after all, and allowing Ul'dah to provide the entirety of the capital will afford Lolorito too much control. Lyse: Honestly, Alphinaud─it's like Kugane never happened. What exactly does a ruthless profiteer have to do to earn your trust? Lyse: But yes, you do make a good point. First things first, though, we need to discuss this proposal with the Saltery's residents. Lyse: Wiscar─how do you fancy explaining the sultana's plan to your grandfather? I'd like to hear what Watt thinks of the idea before agreeing to anything. Wiscar: Right away, Commander. Would you mind coming along, Forename? I might need you to fill in the details. Alphinaud: Then I shall come as well. Should Watt wish to discuss figures, my knowledge of the nation's finances may prove useful.
Watt: Well bugger me... We've never had the coin or the hands to put the place back to how it was─but it sounds like that's about to change! Watt: ...There's just one small wrinkle in your plan: it doesn't account for all the nasties queuing up to eat anyone who goes near the shore. Watt: The king used to send soldiers to cull the buggers, but the imperials weren't about to help the likes of us. Wiscar: Don't worry, Grandad─we'll take care of all that. Commander Hext has been talking about starting up regular patrols, and I'm sure she'd assign me to the loch if I asked. Watt: I'd appreciate that, Wiscar, my lad, truly I would. So, does this mean you've gotten better with that blade of yours? Wiscar: I've been training, aye...but mostly to kill imperials. Wiscar: You've some experience hunting monsters, don't you, Forename? Think you could cast an eye over a few of the local beasties and teach me how to deal with 'em? Wiscar: Let's not waste any time, then! I'll see you by the loch! Alphinaud: Whilst you are busy attending to the local fauna, I shall have Master Watt explain to me exactly what is required to restore the Saltery to its former glory. Good hunting!
Wiscar: Right then, Forename. I've got a spyglass here you can use to take a closer look at these pests. Once you've got their measure, you can tell me what to do, and we'll see how well I get on! The yabby's entire body is protected by a hard carapace, but the underside of the head looks soft and vulnerable. Wiscar: Ah, looks like you've found a yabby. They say hitting their shell's like smacking a rock. Any suggestions?
  • What the best way to defeat a yabby?
  • Aim for the soft underside of the head! Wiscar: Vulnerable under the head, are they? R-Right then! Wish me luck!
  • Just hit it as hard as you can! Wiscar: I... All right, then. I was hoping there'd be more of a trick to it, but brute force it is!
Wiscar: Thanks, Forename. I did just as you told me and the wavekin went down like a sack of popotoes! Let's find something else!
Wiscar: I think I can handle the yabbies now, so we should try something different. What else is out there...? The phoebad's hands are large and powerful, but destroying its crystallized core should render the salt golem inanimate. You sense power pulsating from behind its brow. Wiscar: Ugh...a phoebad. How do I defeat one of those?
  • How should Wiscar defeat the phoebad?
  • Destroy the core within its brow! Wiscar: Inside its head, is it? I'll try to stab it right between the eyes, then!
  • Just hit it really, really hard! As hard as you can! Wiscar: As hard...as I can. Well, simple strategies are often the best! Here goes!
Wiscar: <pant> <pant>
It's not easy...fighting with the liberator of Ala Mhigo watching your every...move. But I got the job done. Wiscar: Thanks for the advice, Forename! I feel a lot better prepared for my patrols now. Wiscar: Anyroad, we should head back to the Saltery before Grandad starts to worry I've been snipped into pieces and fed to a yabby's hatchlings.
Watt: I see you've returned in one piece. Dealt with those beasties then, did you? Wiscar: Aye, fought them myself...after a bit of instruction from Forename here, like. Once I've shared what I've learned with the others, we should have no trouble keeping the shoreline clear. Watt: Good lad. A fine young man you've become, Wiscar. A fine young man, indeed. Watt: Too often of late, I hear tales of folk over in the city, drunk on victory and hungry for revenge, their heads stuck firmly in the past. Watt: But we need to set our sights on the future─on things which'll improve our lot. Things like getting the Saltery ready to welcome our long-lost countrymen.
A Blissful Arrival Alphinaud seems satisfied that he and Watt are of one mind.
Alphinaud: It seems Wiscar has the Saltery's security well in hand. I, meanwhile, have discussed the next steps with Master Watt, and completed my inspection of the site. Alphinaud: With a little work, the vacant buildings here could be made into very presentable dwellings. Flame Scout: Message from General Aldynn! Flame Scout: Apologies for the interruption, miss, but the General would speak with you at your earliest convenience! Alphinaud: Do not feel obliged to wait around on my account. I will remain here to hammer out the finer details with Watt, and act as an intermediary with our business partners in Ul'dah. You should go. Flame Scout: General Aldynn asked that you wait for him by the main gate in the Ala Mhigan Quarter. My apologies again, miss! Fare you well!
Raubahn: Apologies for the wait. Raubahn: People are screaming for the Butcher's blood again. No sooner have we broken up one mob than another forms. Thankfully, all have been amenable to reason...thus far. Raubahn: But it is no concern of yours. Raubahn: We must speak of the men Arenvald and his comrades apprehended in the Peaks. Pipin: By their uniforms, the captives were first judged to be imperial troops...but after further investigation, their true identities came to light. Pipin: I daresay you remember Yuyuhase and Laurentius─the fugitives who conspired with Captain Ilberd in the Crystal Braves' betrayal. Pipin: Aye, well...it would seem they followed him all the way to the Wall. It was they who orchestrated the slaughter of the Resistance fighters prior to the Griffin's infernal ritual. Raubahn: Were it in your hands, how would you punish these men?
  • What will you say?
  • Their lives would be forfeit. Raubahn: Hear, hear. There is no more fitting sentence for the perpetrators of such a massacre. And that is but one of their crimes.
  • Execution is not the answer. Raubahn: You would spare these animals? Yours is a more merciful brand of justice than mine.
Raubahn: In any event, I thank you for your honesty. When the time comes for the Alliance to pass judgment, I'll see that your opinion is heard. Raubahn: Well, that concludes our business here, but there is more I would say. Walk with me.
Raubahn: I bear a share of the blame for Ilberd's atrocities. Had I openly supported the cause of Ala Mhigan liberation, he might not have felt driven to do what he did... Raubahn: Things could have been different, and I'm sorry they aren't. Raubahn: But even after all that has happened, my homeland is free. With the Scions and the Alliance at their side, my countrymen have reclaimed what many thought lost forever. Raubahn: Under her new leadership, I have every confidence that Ala Mhigo will emerge from the shadow of the Empire and rise once more to greatness. Raubahn: Which means my work here is done. Soon, I will return to Ul'dah, and take my place at the sultana's side. Pipin: Father... Raubahn: I'll not deny there's a part of me that wants to stay... Raubahn: The same part that contemplated renouncing my rank and joining you as a wandering sellsword. Raubahn: But I pledged my blade to Nanamo. And I will not betray that oath. Pipin: Is this truly what you want, Father? Raubahn: It is. Ever has my sword been hers to command, and ever shall it remain. Raubahn: Thank you for lending an ear. When all the rest are clamoring for me to stay, I trust you'll send me on my way.
Raubahn: That took longer than I intended, but at least you know where I stand. Raubahn: Now that's settled...
Arenvald─what news? Arenvald: We may have a problem, sir. Arenvald: A group of Ananta has arrived at the main gates. And I don't mean the Vira. These are Qalyana─the ones that summoned the primal. Arenvald: They're insisting they be allowed to attend the council. Lyse is trying to reason with them, but she may need help... Pipin: Hmm... An invitation was extended to all of the native beast tribes...but we assumed the Qalyana would refuse it out of hand. Raubahn: We had best go and see for ourselves. Pipin, take command of our forces and be ready for battle. Raubahn: Forename─you've dealt with these Qalyana before. I'd have you at my side.
Lyse: Forename! Raubahn! Gods, it's good to see you... Shanti: Ah! The ssslayer has come. Shanti: We have not forgotten how you sssinned againssst the Lady of Blisss...but we did not come here to shed blood. Shanti: You claim to ssseek harmony with all who call Gyr Abania home. If thisss is truly your wish, you will welcome usss as envoys of the Ananta! Lyse: It is our wish, and you are welcome. But we cannot condone the summoning of primals. Lyse: If you want to enter the palace, I must ask that you first surrender any crystal jewelry. You have my word that it will all be returned to you when the meeting is over. Shanti: ...We will do as you asssk─but you will not have our weapons. We are not ssso foolish as to place ourssselves entirely at the mercy of our tormentors... Resistance Captain: I reckon that's the closest we're going to get to a compromise. And we will have people standing guard... Raubahn: Aye, let them keep their swords. Shanti: Then we have an agreement. Lead the way to your meeting chamber.
Raubahn: Why do I have the feeling we've welcomed a viper into our midst...?
Return of the Bull Raubahn seems unconvinced by the Qalyana's sincerity.
Raubahn: This Qalyana elder's intentions seem at odds with all we know of her tribe. What think you, Forename?
  • What will you say?
  • The enthralled cannot be trusted. Raubahn: Aye, it is said that once a creature has fallen under the sway of a primal, there is no salvation. And I strongly doubt the Qalyana have suddenly broken free of Lakshmi's will.
  • Mayhap even the enthralled can learn to compromise? Raubahn: You believe an understanding can be reached? ...'Tis not entirely unheard of, I suppose: those who followed Saint Shiva eventually sought reconciliation with Ishgard.
Raubahn: Whatever the truth, I would take no chances. The guard must be strengthened─ideally with people who know a thing or two about primals. Can we rely on the Scions? Arenvald: I'll round up our comrades, and send them to the Ala Mhigan Quarter. You can go on ahead if you like, Forename. Raubahn: My thanks. I will see you in the palace.
Arenvald: Forename! I've brought reinforcements. Alphinaud: Arenvald told me of the arrival of our unexpected guests, and I agreed that it would be prudent to call upon Y'shtola and Thancred as well. Y'shtola: One can never be too careful when dealing with the enthralled. Thancred: I am not familiar with the Qalyana tribe myself, but Alisaie's report suggested that they shunned contact with other races. Despised it, in fact. Even compared to other Ananta. Alphinaud: Indeed. This apparent reversal in attitude is most curious. No one expected a response to our invitation, much less an envoy, and I imagine Lyse was forced to make some rather hasty arrangements in order to accommodate them. Arenvald: Speaking of which, how should we deploy ourselves? Y'shtola: If the meeting is to be held in the throne room, 'twould seem wise to have eyes both inside and outside the palace. Thancred: Y'shtola and I can stand guard without. That leaves the three of you to keep watch over proceedings in the throne room itself. Alphinaud: Understood. We should join General Aldynn inside, then. Arenvald: Forename, do you know of the rear entrance to the palace? It's on the eastern edge of the city, at the top of the stairs. The guard there should have been instructed to let us pass.
Resistance Guard: You're with the Scions, miss? General Aldynn left orders that you were to be escorted inside. If you'll follow me...
  • Enter the Royal Palace?
  • Yes
  • No
Lyse: Thank you all for coming. Lyse: I am Lyse Hext, and I speak for the Resistance. Lyse: Among you are village elders, refugee leaders; envoys from the Ananta and the Qiqirn. Lyse: You've come from every corner of Gyr Abania to help decide the future of Ala Mhigo. But before that, I want to ask you a question. Lyse: What was the first thing you noticed when you came in? Lyse: For me, it was that empty throne. Lyse: It has no one to sit on it now. No viceroy. No king. Lyse: Would any of you like to take their place? Lyse: Or should someone else sit there? Lyse: Then let's sit here, in a circle. As equals. And, I hope, as friends.
Alphinaud: Expertly done. Lyse has removed monarchy as a choice early in the game, and positioned them to consider a joint government. Alphinaud: All things considered, I would say events have got off to a fine start... Raganfrid: ...and that is Ala Gannha's stance on the matter. Lyse: Thank you, Raganfrid. Another vote in favor. Next, let's hear from Shanti of the Qalyana. Tell us, how do your people feel about the idea of a republic...? Shanti: The Ananta wish only that those who dwell within Gyr Abania devote themssselves to our faith... Shanti: You shall all worship Sri Lakshmi! Shanti: Lady of Bliss! Grace usss once more with your beauteousss visage! Lyse: This can't be happening... No crystals were allowed through the door! Alphinaud: We can worry about the how of it later! We need to evacuate these people right now, or the primal will make thralls of them all! Arenvald: It's up to us! Raubahn: Godsdammit! The guards were already turned! Raubahn: Fools! Lyse: No you don't! Raubahn: The Qalyana would see us all enthralled. Lyse: Then they're going to be sorely disappointed. We have the Warrior of Light and Arenvald to shield us. Raubahn: Aye, but they can't well defend your guests and attack the primal, can they? We're stuck on the back foot. Lyse: Uh... All right. I think I have an idea. Keep these people safe, General! I'll be back as soon as I can! Raubahn: Bah! Whatever she's about, she'd best make it quick! Raubahn: Come, then! Who will be next to die on my steel!?
Arenvald: How do we fight her without leaving our allies wide open? We can't stay on the back foot forever... Arenvald: ...No, dammit, if I think like that we've already lost. I have the Warrior of Light at my side! W-We can do this! Arenvald: Isn't that right, Forename!?
Lakshmi: Leaders of Gyr Abania...
Accept my love. Worship my light! Arenvald: She means to enthrall everyone...
We have to stop her! Alphinaud: They've done a fine job of blocking our retreat... Raubahn: We must break through!
Forget the primal and focus on the foe before you! Lakshmi: Why...? I offer you peace and ssserenity...
Sssurrender yourselves to me... Arenvald: And give up the freedom we've worked so hard to win?
Not likely! Lakshmi: Do not your mortal bodies tire?
Far better to dwell in dream. Arenvald: We'll keep our eyes open, thanks very much! Lakshmi: I shall free you from your hate. Arenvald: There are too many...
We can't stop them all!
Arenvald: Damn it all... It's only a matter of time before we miss one... Arenvald: Her!? Fordola: What of it? Do you want to kill this thing or not?
Lakshmi: Why? Why do you deny my blessing!?
You who defy me shall ressst in death! Fordola Lupis: They brought you into this world over a mistake I made...
And I'll be damned if I let you taunt me with it! Raubahn: I'll cut us a path. Stand ready! Lakshmi: You cannot flee my radiance.
You will all be my dreamers. Arenvald: We'll lock her down as best we can.
The rest of you need to run! Alphinaud: Quickly now, while the primal is─
...Lyse!? Lyse: I can't. I can't run away from this.
They need us! Raubahn: ...Then we stand and fight together.
Alphinaud, the envoys are in your care! Alphinaud: Surely you do not mean to... Very well.
I shall see our guests to safety. Fordola Lupis: All of you, to me! Fordola Lupis: Why are you two staying!?
She still has more than enough strength to addle you both! Lyse: You need more than three to best a primal!
And if we let you fall here, then who'll be left to stop her? Lakshmi: Pitiful, misssguided children.
Lay down your weapons, lay down your heads... Arenvald: Wha─ I can't move!
She's going after Lyse and Raubahn! Raubahn: My thanks, Forename!
I'll make sure my steel is worth the effort! Lakshmi: Again and again you refuse my gift... Lakshmi: Do not your sssouls weigh heavy? Fordola Lupis: She's building up to something big!
Come close to me, all of you! Arenvald: Nice work, Fordola!
...Are you all right, though? Fordola Lupis: <huff> This... <gasp> ...This is nothing! Lyse: Ugh, it's one thing after another...
We have to fight as one! Lakshmi: Why do you cling to your misery? Lyse: She's starting to weaken!
Don't give up! Lakshmi: Behold...my divine brilliance! Fordola Lupis: What in the─? Her power's out of control!
I'll shield us, but you'll have to finish her off! Fordola Lupis: ...Quickly! I can't hold her off forever! Fordola Lupis: ...Kill her! <gasp> You need to kill her now! Lyse: Hold on, Fordola...
We end this now! For Ala Mhigo!
Arenvald: We...we did it! We beat her!
Fordola: ...What is this? Lyse: ...I'm only going to say this once. Lyse: The Ananta just summoned their primal in the throne room. My friends are fighting her, but they need help. Lyse: They need someone with the Echo, and by the gods, I wish I had it. But I don't. Lyse: I told you before that you still had time, but things have changed. I need your answer now. Lyse: You can end it like Zenos...or you can fight for Ala Mhigo. Your choice.
Raganfrid: Seven hells... It's her...the Butcher! Fordola: It's done. Take me back to my cell. Raganfrid: You are not forgiven. Raganfrid: Not you. You I will never forgive. Raganfrid: But I will thank you. Raganfrid: For standing against a primal and saving us from servitude─you have my thanks.
Lyse: Well fought, Forename. Arenvald. That was a near thing. Raubahn: Aye, our stand against the Qalyana would have been brief indeed had you not volunteered for guard duty. Raubahn: We'd be enthralled as surely as our sentries were. They must have planned this far in advance... Lyse: Security was my responsibility, and I know how dangerous primals can be. I should have─ Gah! It's my fault. My stupid mistake. Raubahn: Nay, lass, we were all caught unawares. We will take this as a lesson, and watch our own more carefully in future. Raubahn: You can be sure that the lackeys who smuggled the crystals into the throne room weren't the only thralls in our ranks. The soldier who first spoke up in favor of the Qalyana keeping their weapons springs to mind... Y'shtola: A primal's servant is betrayed by his aura. If you mean to conduct an investigation, I can identify any others acting under Sri Lakshmi's influence. Lyse: Thanks, Y'shtola. We'd appreciate the help. Arenvald: Speaking of help, I almost fell over when Fordola turned up. What was she even doing there? Lyse: I asked her to come... Arenvald: Well, that explains it, then. Lyse: It's sad, but Raganfrid was right: her victims will never forgive her for what she's done. Lyse: But I don't think Fordola picked up that sword looking for forgiveness. She just...she wanted to fight for her country. Lyse: If you say the world in which Fordola grew up is partly to blame for what she became, then as an Ala Mhigan, I feel responsible for improving that world. Lyse: We can't ignore what's happening right now─we have to show people a better way than vengeance, or we risk giving birth to a new generation of Skulls... Lyse: I know it's idealistic, but I want to help people to let go of their old grievances and make peace with each other. And I'll hold a thousand meetings and talk till I'm blue in the face if that's what it takes. Alphinaud: 'Tis a long and arduous path you have chosen, but one well worth walking. Rest assured that I will do what I can to help you reach your destination. Lyse: Thank you, Alphinaud. The first step will be to get our representatives back in the throne room. They're a little shaken, but not one of them seemed ready to run. We're all determined to finish what we started. Raubahn: I will see that you're not interrupted. Forename─you and the Scions are to stand down. Get some rest. You've earned it.
Raubahn: A fine spot to contemplate the heavens... Raubahn: The meeting is over. The envoys have chosen to instate a government modeled on Ishgard's House of Commons─a ruling body of representatives elected by the people. Raubahn: 'Tis a fair decision, and one which signals the end of my part in all this. But I would gaze upon Gyr Abania's stars one last time before I leave... Raubahn: Forget something? Raubahn: Your Grace!? I─ There was no word... Nanamo Ul Namo: Raubahn Aldynn. You are hereby dismissed as General of the Immortal Flames, and relieved of your seat on the Syndicate. Raubahn: But, Your Grace... Nanamo Ul Namo: Raubahn, I am no longer a child. Nanamo Ul Namo: Stay here, in your homeland. Work with your brethren. Rebuild Ala Mhigo! Raubahn: You desire to stand alone─I understand. But remember what happened... Nanamo Ul Namo: I remember full well the consequences of my naivety! And thus did I consult at length with a most trusted advisor ere I embarked upon this course! Raubahn: A most trusted advisor!? And what of me? Am I no longer deserving of your confidence? Nanamo Ul Namo: What trust can there be between us when you withhold the truth from me!? Nanamo Ul Namo: Did you think me oblivious to the anguish in your eyes when you spoke of returning to Ul'dah!? Nanamo Ul Namo: For years and years, we have trusted one another, yet now you refuse to confess your heart's desire!? Raubahn: I swore an oath to you that day on the sands. I pledged my sword─ Nanamo Ul Namo: And it has served me well. But in Pipin you have forged a new sword, as sharp and deadly as the blade you bequeathed him. Nanamo Ul Namo: I will show you a sultana who can wield every weapon at her disposal─including Lolorito and his Monetarist cronies! Nanamo Ul Namo: So follow your heart...please. You are home. You are free. Raubahn: Nanamo, I... Nanamo Ul Namo: Smile for me, Raubahn. I would have this parting be a joyous one. Raubahn: Thank you, Your Grace. It has been an honor to serve you and Ul'dah. Nanamo Ul Namo: Tomorrow you will serve Ala Mhigo, and fight for the good of all Eorzea. Am I understood? Raubahn: Yes, Your Grace...
Lyse: Thanks for shielding us from Lakshmi, you two. If you hadn't been there, the rest of us would be worshipping her by now. Arenvald: You're kind to include me, Lyse, but we both know who did most of the work. I could scarce keep track of the battle, let alone land a telling blow. Arenvald: No shame in admitting it. The Warrior of Light has put far better men than me in the shade. Alphinaud: Ahem. Did I mention that I encountered the sultana in the palace? It would seem Her Grace has come to Gyr Abania to oversee the final stages of her relocation project. Alphinaud: She was in search of General Aldynn, and I directed her to the rooftop garden. I do hope he was still there... Nanamo Ul Namo: Are you in the habit of gossiping about the affairs of royalty, Master Leveilleur? Alphinaud: Certainly not, Your Grace! I was merely informing my companions─ Nanamo Ul Namo: Be at ease, Alphinaud. 'Twas only a jest. Nanamo Ul Namo: But I must yield the floor to Raubahn. He has an important announcement to make. Raubahn: As of yesternight, I have been relieved of my post in the Immortal Flames and the Syndicate both... Pipin: ...I shall be assuming my father's duties. And may I say that Tizona has never felt heavier upon my back. Raubahn: 'Twould seem I am in need of employment. Mayhap one of my old acquaintances can introduce me to a mercenary company or some such... Pipin: You may be getting on in years, Father, but you'd struggle to find a band of sellswords who wouldn't snap your hand off─your...remaining hand. Nanamo Ul Namo: Yes, the Bull of Ala Mhigo need not be put out to pasture just yet... Raubahn: Your Grace has developed a wicked edge to her humor. And you, Pipin, would do well not to laugh when the future may hold the same for you! Lyse: So...does this mean you're staying? Raubahn: Aye. That seems to be the way of it. I would be glad to aid you in rebuilding our nation. If you'll have me. Lyse: "If,“ he says! Welcome home, Raubahn. Alphinaud: Well, that was unexpected...though you seem distinctly unsurprised. Alphinaud: Either you are more astute than I give you credit for...or I am losing my touch. Alphinaud: In any event, one thing is certain: Ala Mhigo will rejoice at the homecoming of her dearest son.
Lyse: I think it's about time I headed back to Rhalgr's Reach. What's next for all of you? Alphinaud: Alisaie will be eager to hear of recent events, so I shall join you, if you've no objections. Lyse: I'd welcome the company! Forename, why don't you come along to the Reach as well once you've said your farewells to Nanamo and the others.
Lyse: Well, here we are again! Alisaie: Alphinaud has regaled me with a thrilling tale of hidden treasure troves, mid-meeting betrayals, unlikely alliances, and joyous homecomings. It would seem I missed...everything. M'naago: I was patrolling the palace grounds with Thancred and Y'shtola when we heard the report of a primal in the throne room. I honestly doubted my own ears. M'naago: As others have said, we were lucky to have our Echo-blessed champions nearby this time, but we'll need to keep a closer eye on the Qalyana... Lyse: You can say that again. This whole episode has reminded me just how far apart our kinds still are. It looks like centuries of fear and mistrust really can't be washed away in a day. But someone has to make an effort at reconciliation if these conflicts are ever going to end. Lyse: Naturally, a lot of people are crying out for vengeance, but I've been doing my best to calm things down. Violent reprisals will only lead to more summonings. Alphinaud: Indeed. Violence will ever beget violence─as the Empire has learned to its cost in recent times. Lyse: In any case, summoning Lakshmi was the broodmother's doing, and whoever replaces her might not be so keen on the idea. We'll just have to watch and wait. Lyse: Which isn't to say we won't be putting the safety of our allies in the Vira and M tribes first. I plan to have Resistance scouts keep track of the Qalyana's movements at all times. M'naago: My parents will be relieved to hear that. What are your plans for the rest of the Resistance army, out of interest? Are we to prepare for imperial counterattacks? Lyse: That would be a question for the Resistance's newest recruit─a military commander with far more experience than me! M'naago: What? The Bull of Ala Mhigo!? Lyse: We call it an army, but the Resistance is really a collection of smaller, independent groups. And when Conrad passed his command on to me, that authority only extended to the freedom fighters based in Rhalgr's Reach. Lyse: He just happened to be serving as the Resistance spokesman at the time, and needed someone to take over the role while everything was in disarray. But that time has passed. Lyse: When I speak with the other leaders about reforming the army under the new government, I'll be nominating Raubahn as the overall commander of our forces. He has more experience than the rest of us put together, and we stand to learn a lot from him. Alphinaud: Indeed. He is in all respects the ideal choice. Assuming he accepts the post, Ala Mhigo will have added a formidable weapon to its arsenal. Alphinaud: And given the progress of Nanamo's resettlement initiative, I see great cause for hope. The seeds which we so carefully sowed have begun to quicken, my friends. Lyse: I like that. We tend to our promises, and watch as Ala Mhigo blooms.
Gosetsu: I do give thanks to the kami that my makeshift raft withstood the fury of the seas... Gosetsu: But there their generosity ended. Without coins in our pockets for new attire, we are doomed to look like so much jetsam. O, woe betide the poor man in a city of rich merchants... Yotsuyu: These dango are delicious! Will you have one? Gosetsu: Hm!? More sweetbreads!? I surrendered my blade to secure what few coins we have! Gosetsu: Bah! 'Tis like talking to a child... Gosetsu: Why fate saddled me with this burden I shall never know...but I am alive, and I must return to my master's side! Gosetsu: Come, Tsuyu. We shall find a ship to carry us across the Ruby Sea!
Meanwhile, in the imperial palace... Imperial Pilus Prior: Have you read the reports? First Doma, then Ala Mhigo─and Lord Zenos put to the sword! Imperial Tribunus Militum: Do not believe everything you read. I hear the viceroy was merely wounded, and that he has already returned to the capital. Naturally, the savages beat their chests, and boast loudly of taking his head, regardless. Imperial Pilus Prior: Nay... Lord Zenos lives? Imperial Tribunus Militum: Deplorable. That our own officers should be fooled by Eorzean misinformation... Imperial Tribunus Militum: Small wonder the provinces have begun rising up in rebellion. We must prepare an official, and above all accurate announcement to quell these pernicious rumors. Imperial Pilus Prior: They would wage war with empty words...
Let them produce the viceroy's remains, then! We shall soon put the lie to their claims.

Stormblood: Rise of a New Sun (4.2)

Tidings from the East Lyse has tidings to share with you.
Lyse: Forename! Great timing! I was just about to send word to the Scions. I've got lots to tell you! Lyse: The council has officially recognized the Resistance as our standing army. And I expect you can guess who's been appointed commander. Suffice it to say, we're in good hand! Lyse: Having the Bull of Ala Mhigo at the helm's done wonders for morale. People were dancing in the streets when the announcement was made. And we have you and the sultana to thank for it. If you two hadn't worked your magic, he'd never have contemplated following his heart. M'naago: The council has also decreed that we're to maintain a presence at Rhalgr's Reach. Lyse will continue to lead our forces in the Fringes─a job she's been doing tirelessly. A bit too tirelessly, some might say. We're constantly having to remind her to rest before she falls over. Lyse: That's an exaggeration─and I always get up again. Anyway, we can hardly afford to lower our guard now. Not after our latest brush with Lakshmi. Speaking of which, we've been keeping a close eye on the Qalyana, and it looks like they've chosen a new leader. Lyse: It's, um...Shanti's daughter. You know, the half-dead one. For whatever reason, the Qalyana thought she was the best candidate. Which makes them leaderless, basically. Lyse: As things stand, there's no prospect of engaging in talks, let alone coming to an understanding. Lyse: But I won't let that stop me. I'll keep on reaching out to them until they finally see sense. Lyse: Just like I've been reaching out to Fordola. She still won't meet my gaze, but she's given up trying to ignore me. It may only be the odd grunt, but at least she's responding. I'll get through to her yet. Alphinaud: Forename, there you are! Lyse: Alphinaud, Alisaie! Is everything all right? Alisaie: We've received word from Tataru. Hancock has apparently acquired information of great interest and urgency. More than that she didn't say─only that we should come to Kugane right away. Alphinaud: I had a mind for the two of us to set forth together, but Alisaie is determined to make it a party of three. Alisaie: As I've told you more than a dozen times, Brother, my wounds are quite healed, and I would benefit from some fresh air. Besides, you may well need an extra pair of hands. Alphinaud: Worry not, Sister, I have quite given up trying to convince you. Alphinaud: Whether we be two or three, we should depart as soon as possible. You will be joining us, I trust? Lyse: Huh. I was about to say I'd come too, but I'll just have to settle for cheering you on from afar. Good luck with...whatever it turns out to be! Alphinaud: Thank you, Lyse. Rest assured, should this business prove to be of even tangential concern to Ala Mhigo, we shall inform you without delay. Alphinaud: Let us be off, then. Hancock and Tataru await us at the Ruby Bazaar offices.
East Aldenard Trading Company Aide: Greetings, honored madam. May I show you in?
  • Enter the Ruby Bazaar offices?
  • Yes
  • No
Hancock: My friends! Thank you for coming at such short notice! Alisaie: We were told the matter was urgent. I take it Yugiri and Soroban are also involved? Soroban: Ah, my presence here is but a happy coincidence. I am come on separate business─which can wait. Yugiri: My apologies. Yugiri: Master Hancock─pray tell our friends exactly what you told me. Hancock: Of course, of course. Hancock: Some few days ago, a large detachment of soldiers was seen arriving at the Garlean embassy. This seemed to me most unusual, as no personages of note are due to visit for a matter of months. Hancock: So I made a few inquiries, whereupon I learned of a most curious rumor. Hancock: Apparently, the soldiers were dispatched to Kugane to investigate recent sightings of a certain individual. Hancock: The late acting imperial viceroy of Doma─Yotsuyu! Alphinaud: I beg your pardon!? Yugiri: I, too, am loath to believe it. I saw the keep come down on top of her. Yugiri: We all did. Hancock: I would not presume to question your eyewitness accounts, nor am I one to take rumors at face value. The fact is, the Garleans have no knowledge of what took place at Doma Castle─they may well be chasing after a woman who merely resembles Yotsuyu. Hancock: But a woman who resembles Yotsuyu in the company of a grizzled Roegadyn samurai? I daresay that thickens the plot. Alisaie: ...Gosetsu? He's alive!? Hancock: While I've no conclusive proof, I thought that such a possibility warranted your attention. Alisaie: Have you informed Lord Hien? Alisaie: Well, I think we'd all like to believe the old bear survived. Yugiri: Indeed. While I dare not give myself wholly to hope, I will not deny that I have prayed for such a miracle ever since that fateful day. Yugiri: But regardless of my personal feelings, if the Empire has seen fit to pursue these rumors so vigorously, we can scarce afford to ignore them. Yugiri: I am bound by duty to ascertain the truth of the matter. Will you join me in this quest?
  • What will you say?
  • Aye. We'll find Gosetsu together. Yugiri: Thank you. If Gosetsu yet lives, he will need our help if he is to avoid capture.
  • I...am not sure what I'd do if I saw Yotsuyu again. Yugiri: I understand. Only too well. But if Gosetsu yet lives, he will need our help if he is to avoid capture.
Alphinaud: Gosetsu is a dear friend, and we cannot abandon him to the mercy of the Empire. Our course is clear. Alphinaud: Hancock, is there aught else you can tell us? Hancock: Alas not─but I have taken the liberty of employing one of the finest informants money can buy. You shall have the latest intelligence on the Garleans' movements and more besides. Hancock: The informant awaits your pleasure in the back streets of Sanjo Hanamachi. From its shining facade to its dark underbelly, few know Kugane as intimately as he. Alisaie: “One of the finest informants money can buy”... Why do I have a bad feeling about this? Soroban: Permit me to assist you in your quest, my friends. The sooner your business is concluded, the sooner we may speak of mine! Soroban: Should your search take you away from Kugane, my boat is at your disposal. I shall see that she is ready to sail. Tataru: I'll give Soroban a hand. If he's providing us a ship, the least we can do is supply the provisions. We'll be at the pier if you need us. Alphinaud: A welcome offer and an excellent plan. Without further ado, then, let us seek out this informant in Sanjo Hanamachi.
Alisaie: This should be the place. Now we wait and see who comes. ??? (Gyodo): I-It has been a while, my friends. Yes, yes, a long while indeed. Alisaie: <sigh> I knew it. Alisaie: Gyodo─any funny business, and you know what will happen, I trust? Gyodo: No, no! No funny business! Only loyal service and the finest-quality information! O-Of course...such quality does not come cheap... Alisaie: ...No. But then Hancock already paid you. Honestly, you must think we were born yesterday. I've half a mind to call Lyse. Gyodo: No, no! No Lyse, I beg you! No boots! I will tell you everything I know─free of charge! Gyodo: The Empire searches for Yotsuyu. High and low, far and wide. Come to enlist my help, they did, promising rich rewards for decisive information. Alphinaud: And have you decisive information? Were the two individuals sighted here indeed Gosetsu and Yotsuyu? Gyodo: Alas, see them with my own eyes, I did not. But the imperials are confident. Yes, yes, very confident indeed. Look at the size of their contingent! Gyodo: But here is something they do not know... A rumor which you will find most interesting, I think. They say an elderly Roegadyn samurai appeared on Kogane Dori with a beauteous maiden, and sold his katana to a pawnbroker. 'Twas no common katana either, but one of surpassing craftsmanship. Alisaie: Well, that is interesting─assuming it's true. Did you corroborate the rumor with the pawnbroker in question? Gyodo: Ah, er...no. Regrettably, I do not have a working relationship with the master of Shofuku Shichiten... Alisaie: Now why would that be, I wonder. If I didn't know better, I'd think he'd lent you money... Gyodo: Ahem! H-He will help you, I am certain! While you speak with him, I will make contact with my Garlean connections and learn what I can of their progress. Yugiri: A glimpse of the blade is all I need to be sure. But is it wise to let the Namazu out of our sight?
  • Can we trust Gyodo?
  • What choice do we have? Gyodo: No other choice but this! And a fine choice it is! Though I am adept at gathering information, it is so much more efficient to share the work!
  • No, he'll betray us. Gyodo: No, no! No more betrayals! No more boots! To divide our forces is simply more efficient!
  • ... Gyodo: D-Do not glare at me so, I beg you. To divide our forces is simply more efficient!
Alisaie: He's right. Given the urgency, we would do well to split up.
And so I will go with our friend here. Nothing improves efficiency like a little supervision. Gyodo: You─ But─ Er...yes. Yes, yes. We will go together. And there will be no boots! Alisaie: Let's be about it, then. Good luck with the katana. Shall we reconvene at the pier later on? Fragrant as the Ruby Bazaar offices are, I prefer the fresh air.
The Sword in the Store Alphinaud is eager to find the pawnbroker.
Alphinaud: Everything in order? Then let us proceed to Kogane Dori and find the master of Shofuku Shichiten.
Perky Pawnbroker: Hmm...we might have had customers like those you describe. So many people come through, it's difficult to remember. Perhaps you could jog my memory by making a purchase? ...No? Well, you can't blame a woman for trying! Heh heh! This doesn't seem to be the pawnbroker you seek.
Pushy Pawnbroker: A Roegadyn samurai and a maiden? Never seen 'em. Now, if you don't have any business with me, make way for someone who does! This doesn't seem to be the pawnbroker you seek.
Pleasant Pawnbroker: Welcome, good madam, welcome. Will you be buying or...? Pleasant Pawnbroker: Ah, so you have heard tell of the Roegadyn samurai's katana. Small wonder─it is a fine example of its kind. One moment... Alphinaud: Dare I hope you have found our pawnbroker? Alphinaud: Excellent work, Forename. And that is the katana? Yugiri: There can be no doubt. It is Gosetsu's blade. Master of Shofuku Shichiten: The craftsmanship is exquisite, is it not? And you will be pleased to know that the pledge has just expired. Master of Shofuku Shichiten: I should be glad to sell it to you...assuming you have the coin. This is no ordinary weapon, you understand, and it is priced accordingly. But if you are serious, I suggest you act quickly, as several noted collectors have already expressed an interest. Yugiri: Hmm... The blade represents conclusive proof of Gosetsu's survival. I suppose this could be considered a necessary cost in securing his safe return...
Yet it is not a decision I can make alone─least of all when our nation has scarce begun to rebuild.
  • What will you say?
  • I'll pay.
  • I could lend you the coin.
Yugiri: Nay, my friend. Grateful though I am for the offer, I cannot ask this of you. It is enough to know that Gosetsu is alive and well. Alphinaud: Yugiri, wait. The Scions will buy the katana. Pray consider it a gift. Yugiri: M-Master Alphinaud, your kindness is touching, truly. Yet, in matters of coin, would Mistress Tataru not expect to be consulted? Alphinaud: Come now. Our friend would never have relinquished his blade were the need not great. And are we not bound by honor to help a friend in need? I say we are─and I am sure Tataru will wholeheartedly agree. Master of Shofuku Shichiten: It's settled, then! You have made a wise choice, my friend─such pieces are few and far between! Now, if you would be so good as to come this way, I shall prepare the necessary papers.
Yugiri: If I may ask, sir, after he visited your establishment, do you perchance know where the old samurai went? He is our friend, and we would return his weapon to him. Master of Shofuku Shichiten: A friend of yours, you say? I see. Well then, I suppose there can be no harm in telling you. No sooner had I provided him with the requested sum than his pretty young companion began clamoring for dango. I duly recommended those served at the Umineko Teahouse, and thither did they set off. Alphinaud: ...Clamoring for dango? Can these truly be the same people? It makes no sense. Yugiri: Some manner of code, perhaps. But it avails us naught to speculate. Let us go to this teahouse and see if we can pick up their trail.
Ume: But of course I remember! How could I forget a pair like that? The most beautiful girl you'll ever see, scoffing down dango as if her life depended on it while the old samurai looked on. Not quite what he expected, I'll wager! Ume: Far be it from me to gossip about my customers, but he was planning to spirit her away across the Ruby Sea─out of the reach of her family, no doubt. When the girl had finally had her fill, they set off in the direction of the Shiokaze Hostelry, presumably to find someone discreet with a boat. Yugiri: So Gosetsu makes for Doma. Yugiri: But this woman who travels with him... The more I hear about her, the more I wonder if she can truly be Yotsuyu.
Hope on the Waves Gosetsu's trail leads to the sea, and that is where Yugiri would go.
Yugiri: While doubts remain over the identity of Gosetsu's traveling companion, for now we can but follow the trail. Yugiri: Come, let us away to the pier, and make ready to sail. With luck, Alisaie will already have joined Master Soroban and Mistress Tataru there.
Soroban: Excellent timing, my friends. Mistress Alisaie arrived mere moments ago. Alisaie: All went well at my end. Gyodo met with an imperial officer and wheedled his way to some new information. Alisaie: It seems the troops who recently arrived in Kugane came directly from Garlemald. The imperials based here have been kept in the dark. Alisaie: And that's not all. A contingent of the aforementioned troops are preparing for deployment to the Ruby Sea. If I didn't know better, I'd say they'd picked up Gosetsu's trail. Alphinaud: Then your information matches ours. We are quite certain that Gosetsu seeks to cross to the mainland. Tataru: I'm sorry─did I hear that right? You used Scion funds to buy Gosetsu's katana...at the asking price? Alphinaud: Aye, well, we were in some haste, and it seemed a worthwhile gesture. Speaking of which, here is the contract of sale. Pray see that the man is paid. Tataru: Thal's...beard. You agreed to this? Give me strength... Tataru: <sigh> Well, it's not like the search can wait. You'd best be on your way. Tataru: But Alphinaud─we need to talk. I want you to come straight to the offices as soon as you get back. Promise me. Alphinaud: Oh? Very well. I shall call upon you as soon as I return. Soroban: First, let us go to the Ruby Price. If Gosetsu has already set sail, the sentries there are sure to have seen him.
Alphinaud: Tataru seemed rather vexed, did she not? Ever the melodramatist. I am sure our finances can stretch to a single sword. Alphinaud: Remind me to explain the value of such gestures when we next see her. Ah, but I digress. We have work to do.
Alphinaud: Right. I suggest we begin by learning what we can from the sentries. Alphinaud: What's going on out there!? Ikaruga: Travelers, are you? You may wish to postpone your plans. The Garleans have launched an attack on the Confederacy. Ikaruga: We have no reason to believe they'll turn their attention here, but for your own safety I suggest you return to Kugane. Yugiri: The Garleans bear no love for the Confederacy, but with Doma lost to them, why would they attack? Unless... Alphinaud: Unless Yotsuyu is on that island. Alisaie: Even if she isn't, our allies are under attack, and they need our help. Alphinaud: We will help them, while you remain with Soroban. Arguing will only delay us. Is that clear? Alisaie: Fine. But you haven't heard the last of this. Alphinaud: Soroban─we may need to make a swift exit. See that the boat is ready to sail at a moment's notice. Soroban: It shall be done! Alisaie: What, and you're going to swim there, are you? Alphinaud: 'Tis the quickest way. And you may rest assured I've been practicing! Alphinaud: Yyyaaarrgghhh!!!!! Yugiri: Come!
Alphinaud: <sputter> Haha! <cough> <cough> I did it! <gasp> Yugiri Mistwalker: No time to rest, Master Alphinaud! Our allies are sorely pressed! Tansui the Foxed: Well, look who it is. I won't say no to the help, but I'm not best pleased that we need it. Tansui the Foxed: You're here for the old man, yes? He's at the top. You'd best hurry.
Imperial Centurion: Lady Yotsuyu, we're here to rescue you! Please come with us! Gosetsu: Stay back, Tsuyu. Yotsuyu: Are you all right!? Imperial Centurion: Is he all right? Yugiri: Gosetsu! Imperial Centurion: Damn it! We took too long. Change of plan─eliminate hostiles! Imperial Centurion: All forces─attack!
Imperial Centurion: Focus on the enemy! We'll see to Lady Yotsuyu when they're dead! Alphinaud: Come, let us even the odds! Imperial Centurion: Reinforcements! I need reinforcements! Yugiri Mistwalker: That they should still have magitek armor in reserve... Steel yourselves! Imperial Centurion: Bah, we have no time for this! Tansui the Foxed: Watch out! He means to blow it up! Imperial Centurion: Damn it! Reinforcements! I need more reinforcements! Yugiri Mistwalker: Two of them... We shall need a strategy.
Forename, draw the armor this way! Alphinaud: Have care! We know not what we face! Alphinaud: Back! All of you! Yugiri Mistwalker: Mist and shade─take form and go forth! Alphinaud: There are too many... Draw them to me─I shall finish this! Yugiri Mistwalker: Forename, my shadows and I shall tend to half. The rest is yours! Alphinaud: All right─brace yourselves!
Stars above...rain destruction upon mine enemies!
Yugiri: Gosetsu! Thank the heavens! Gosetsu: Yugiri, my friends... The kami were kind to guide your steps this way. Tansui: It's over. The imperials are retreating. I suppose we have you to thank for that. Tansui: But they would never have come here were it not for her. I had a bad feeling the moment your samurai friend arrived with that woman in tow. Gosetsu: Do not be afraid, Tsuyu. These people are my friends. Yotsuyu: Friends? Alphinaud: Forgive me, but at the risk of souring the mood, I believe you owe us an explanation. You may start by telling us what happened at Doma Castle. Gosetsu: Of course. I'll not begrudge you that. As you know, we were trapped inside the keep when it collapsed. But even as the roof crumbled above us, so too did the floor below. Gosetsu: We were swept out into the One River, where we would surely have drowned had a stout wooden door not chanced to float by, offering us a raft of sorts. Gosetsu: Exhausted, we drifted out to sea, at the mercy of the tides...which saw fit to dispense us on a desert island. Alphinaud: She was with you the entire time? Gosetsu: Aye. 'Twas her kimono which saved her from Hien's blade, believe it or not. Some Garlean witchcraft in the weave. Gosetsu: But it offered precious little protection against the fall. Though she survived, she awoke bereft of all her memories, and speaking like a child. Yugiri: A trick, surely? Gosetsu: That was my first thought, aye. And I contemplated cutting her down and being done with it. Contemplated it long and hard... Gosetsu: Yet the kami saw fit to deliver us from certain death. 'Twas their will that we survive. Both of us. Together. And together we shall go before our master. He shall be the one to judge. Yugiri: Judge what...? Tansui: She's your prisoner, old man. Do with her as you will. Call her “Tsuyu” or whatever else tickles your fancy. Gosetsu: 'Twas a name given out of necessity whilst on the road. Nothing more. Tansui: As you say. Tansui: But remember this: our people suffered much at that woman's hands. When the time comes, I trust you won't let emotion blind you to what needs to be done. Gosetsu: You have my word. Tansui: Well, I must be going─I've an unholy mess to clean up. You should be on your way too, before the imperials decide to take another tilt. Oh...and we'll overlook the tithe this once. You're welcome.
Alphinaud: As Tansui says, we should move on. It would not do for Yotsuyu to be seen here. Alphinaud: Now, if I know my sister, she will already be waiting with the boat at the nearby pier. Let's go and see if I'm right.
Alisaie: Gosetsu! Thank the gods you're safe! It was all I could do to watch the battle from afar! Soroban: And it was all I could do to restrain her. Alisaie: Can you blame me for worrying? Strong as Forename is, anything could happen in the chaos. Alisaie: ...But enough about me. We need to talk about her. Yotsuyu: Um... Greetings? Alisaie: They tell me you've lost your memory─and that's fine. But I want you to know something: I won't be taking my eyes off you. Not for a moment. Yotsuyu: These people are strange. Are you sure they're your friends? Gosetsu: I am. They may behave...strangely, but I trust them with my life. You have naught to fear. Yotsuyu: All right, if you say so. Yugiri: ... Alphinaud: R-Right! 'Tis past time we set sail! I for one would not keep Lord Hien waiting without due cause. Soroban: Aye, and the longer we tarry, the more we risk inviting trouble. Lest you forget, the Red Kojin bear no love for Yotsuyu either. Soroban: I shall deliver you to familiar shores, near Isari but out of the villagers' sight.
Soroban: Here is where we part ways, my friends. I pray the remainder of your journey passes uneventfully. Soroban: Forename, when you are not otherwise occupied, I would speak with you about my next business venture. Soroban: It promises to be extremely lucrative, and I do not say so lightly. Soroban: After the prodigious sum spent acquiring a certain sword, it would present a fine opportunity to refill the Scions' coffers and restore the smile to Mistress Tataru's face! Alphinaud: Oh, come along─Tataru was overreacting. How much could a single katana possibly cost? Alisaie: Far more than you think, plainly. Alisaie: A blade like Gosetsu's is worth a fortune. Enough to buy a house and furnish it. Which you would know had you bothered to check the price. Alphinaud: What? I-I had no idea... Alphinaud: Th-This business venture of Soroban's─you will give it fair hearing, I trust? He has been good to us, after all! As for me, I...I think I shall look into drawing upon my personal funds...
Elation and Trepidation Yugiri is eager to see Gosetsu safely back to their master.
Yugiri: We must meet with Lord Hien as soon as possible─though mayhap not at the enclave... Yugiri: I will send word requesting that he receive us at the House of the Fierce, where there are fewer prying eyes. Yugiri: If all are in agreement, I shall scout ahead and see that the way is clear. Pray follow as swiftly as you are able, and join me on the outskirts of Namai.
Yugiri: All is well? Yugiri: Good. The others are hiding nearby. Let us proceed─quietly, if you please.
Gosetsu: My lord Hien. I am returned. Hien: Save your tears for the morrow. For we who yet walk the path should not think too much on the destination. Hien: When the hour arrives, we shall welcome what comes with open arms. Hien: And welcome it you did, even as the keep fell down around us. At that moment, in your smile, I spied a shred of hope. One which I have clung to ever since. Hien: Gosetsu. Full glad am I to see you alive and well. Gosetsu: We have played this scene before, have we not? Though this time our roles are reversed. Hien: That they are. Hien: Meaning you know how I feel. Hien: Wholly at a loss for words. Welcome back, old friend! Hien: Now then, though we rejoice at your return, it seems you have brought with you certain...complications. Hien: Rise, my friend. Tell me everything. Hien: The Empire is bold indeed to send a token force to engage the Confederacy. Yugiri: As acting viceroy, Yotsuyu would have been privy to imperial secrets. The Garleans will not soon give up the chase. Hien: Nay. It will end with her capture...or her death. Yotsuyu: Are you a friend too? Gosetsu: She claims to have lost her memory, though I know not if she speaks true. I brought her here that you might decide her fate. Hien: Lost her memory, you say... Hien: Regardless, the people have not forgotten. Her face yet haunts their dreams. She cannot roam free. We will hold her here for a time. Hien: Place her in Jifuya's care, with the express instruction that she is not to be seen. Yugiri: Yes, my lord. Yugiri: Come. Yotsuyu: N-No, I don't want to. Yotsuyu: Don't let her take me away! Gosetsu: It's all right, Tsuyu. I will come with you. Be a good girl and listen to Yugiri. Hien: From a hound at his throat to a puppy at his heel... Hien: If this is an act, it is a remarkable performance.
Hien: Thank you for delivering Gosetsu back to us in one piece. We are lucky indeed to have friends who would journey to the other side of the world to help us─and repeatedly, at that. Hien: We have much and more to think upon, but as regards the Empire, we can but watch and wait. Hien: Now then, seeing as you've come all this way, you must allow me to show you around the enclave. I would not have you thinking we've been idle in your absence. Hien: The rebuilding effort proceeds apace, I'm pleased to say, and we are now ready to welcome home our countrymen who were displaced by the war. Should they so desire it, there is a place here for those who fled to Eorzea. Alphinaud: We should be delighted to accept your invitation, Lord Hien. And I have no doubt that your subjects at Revenant's Toll will be heartened to hear that their lord has not forgotten them. Alisaie: ...Hm? Oh, it's nothing. I just thought that Gosetsu and Yugiri would be back by now. Yugiri: Forgive me, my lord, but Captain Jifuya is nowhere to be found. Hien: Oh? He was here when I arrived. Gosetsu: For now, we have taken Yotsuyu to a private chamber and assigned another to watch over her, my lord. But I find it passing strange that the captain should leave his post with nary a word. Alphinaud: That does seem most unusual. If you mean to look for the man, we would be happy to assist you. Yugiri: We should be glad of the help. While I search without, mayhap you could ask our soldiers here if they know anything. Hien: I will join you. Yugiri: With respect, my lord, you should remain here. Should the Empire move against us, you will be better able to coordinate our response. Hien: Hah! And there I was thinking I was in charge... But you have the right of it. Go on, then. I will mind the House.
Haname: You seek the captain? He passed by a little while ago. Haname: I, uh... I wondered if I should tell someone, as it happens. He did not look well, you see. I asked if aught was the matter and he told me the past had caught up with him. But I doubt it was that. There are older men in our ranks.
Kaidate: Captain Jifuya? He was headed for the northern entrance when I saw him last. I was going to invite him to train with us, but he did not hear me call out to him. Kaidate: If you need him, I daresay the sentry on duty will be able to tell you more. Indeed, I suggested as much to Mistress Alisaie when she came asking earlier. Is something amiss?
Liberation Front Sentry: Aye, the captain went outside some few bells ago─and looking quite unwell, I am sorry to say. This I mentioned to Lord Gosetsu, who straightways struck out after him. I hope they will be all right... Alisaie: Gosetsu too? It seems everyone is bent on joining the search. Alisaie: That's all well and good, but someone has to stay behind. There's no telling what the Empire is plotting. Alisaie: You go on, Forename. Alphinaud and I shall hold the fort.
Jifuya: By the kami! You're Lord Hien's─ L-Leave me! Leave me, I beg of you! Say nothing of this! I was never here! Yugiri: There you are. Jifuya: Lady Yugiri. Lord Gosetsu. Forgive me my abrupt disappearance. Gosetsu: You have your reasons, I am sure. Will you not share them? Jifuya: I was...I was her master. When she was yet a courtesan. Gosetsu: By the kami... Jifuya: She...worked in my establishment. Jifuya: Her father was a regular client of mine. One day, quite without preamble, he offered to sell her to me. “She may be no maiden,” he said, “but she has some use left in her.” Jifuya: He sold her short. When I first beheld her, I was struck by her beauty. And yet, behind her eyes, there was...an emptiness. 'Twas as if she had given up on life. She seemed more a doll than a woman. Jifuya: It was no profession for her, but I knew she would be popular. And so it proved. Men flocked to drown themselves in that cold, bottomless gaze. Jifuya: The rest you know. She became an imperial informant, and for her loyal service won the office of acting viceroy. Gosetsu: ...While you came to serve the Liberation Front. Jifuya: 'Tis said that the atrocities Yotsuyu committed were driven by vengeance. If so, I bear part of the blame for creating the monster she became. Jifuya: Joining the Front was meant to be my atonement. Jifuya: But the truth is... The truth is, I am a coward whose only thought was to escape her wrath. Then as now. Gosetsu: ...I see. Then I shall recommend that you be assigned to a new post. Gosetsu: I trust you have no objections, Yugiri? Yugiri: None. It would not do to leave Yotsuyu in his care. Jifuya: I am in your debt. Yugiri: Who is it that you seek to protect, Gosetsu? Yugiri: Idle musings. Pray pay me no mind.
Yugiri: Forgive me, now is not the time for brooding. Come, let us rejoin the others.
Hien: I thank you for your help in the search. Gosetsu has told me all that transpired. Hien: I would not presume to defend the life Jifuya led before he joined the Front. Nor will I condemn it. Frankly, it is not my place to judge. I will only say this: the Jifuya I know has ever been a man of courage. That he should feel driven to flee bespeaks the depth of his terror. Even now, Yotsuyu casts a shadow over the realm... Hien: But the question of what is to be done with her must wait. The Empire is on the move once more.
Storm on the Horizon The Empire is on the move, and Hien would not be caught on the back foot.
Hien: While you were out searching for Jifuya, we received word from our shinobi allies: an imperial airship has been sighted over Doman soil. Hien: Our visitors' objective remains unclear. It may be another attempt to recover Yotsuyu...or a prelude to invasion. Hien: Either way, the craft reportedly advances at speed, and appears bound for Castrum Fluminis. I mean to go there and ascertain their intent. Hien: If we ride out in force, it will only end one way, so we shall keep our numbers to a minimum. Yugiri, Forename─can I count on you? Yugiri: Yes, my lord. Alphinaud: Alisaie and I would fain play our part as well. We will not stand idly by while a common foe threatens the lands of our friends and allies. Hien: We would be glad of the help. You are acquainted with Hakuro, I believe? Then I bid you seek him out and assist in maintaining order in the enclave. Hien: When the people see an imperial airship, they are liable to panic. I would have you reassure them, and, should it come to it, aid in their evacuation. Alphinaud: Very well. We shall depart at once. Do take care. Gosetsu: What of me, my lord? Hien: The Empire may well be after Yotsuyu. You are to remain here and guard her until my return. Gosetsu: ...As you wish. Pray stay close to Forename and Yugiri. Hien: Well, well... Guard duty and not a breath of protest. Now I have seen it all. Hien: To Castrum Fluminis, then. Let us find out what the Empire's game is.
Hien: The area is secure. Whatever our visitors' purpose, they plainly believe they can achieve it alone. Hien: The craft should come into view at any moment. Let us await them inside the castrum.
Hien: A smoke signal...? Thoughts, Yugiri? Yugiri: In former times, such signals were used to announce the coming of an emissary of peace─in Doma, at least. But could that truly be their intent? Hien: Who can say? Hien: Whatever they want, we cannot simply blast them out of the sky─not when they were so gracious as to honor one of our cherished traditions. I would not have it said that we Domans want for propriety. Yugiri: Then I shall go and reconnoiter. Hien: Nay, that won't be necessary. We will meet them openly. Hien: I would welcome this student of Doman history in person, whomsoever he or she may be... Yugiri: As you wish, my lord. I shall arrange for a signal of our own to be fired in answer.
Asahi: Well! That we should be received by the lord of Doma himself! Hien: I but afford an emissary of peace the courtesy he is due. Hien: Welcome to Doma, my lord...? Asahi: Ah, where are my manners? I am Asahi sas Brutus, ambassador plenipotentiary of Garlemald. Yugiri: He is heir to the Naeuri clan...and Yotsuyu's stepbrother. Asahi: It seems I need not introduce myself─not in the presence of the famed Yugiri Mistwalker. Your skills as a shinobi are known far and wide, my lady. Asahi: It is true─the former acting viceroy is my sister. Yet, bonds of kinship aside, we have precious little in common. As will soon become plain, I come not to sow strife, but to end it. Asahi: I am of the Populares, a collective which represents the interests of the common man. Long have we labored to bring about reform to the Empire's provincial policy. Asahi: Happily for us, our master acknowledges the need for change. Indeed, His Radiance, Emperor Varis zos Galvus personally sanctioned this mission, granting me the authority to speak with his voice. Asahi: To negotiate peace with Doma. Hien: Well then, we have much to discuss. Hien: Will you accompany me to my hall? Asahi: Gladly, my lord!
Hien: We shall escort our guests across the river to the enclave. Hien: Yugiri, pray go on ahead to the Yuzuka Manor docks and see that the ferries are ready.
Yugiri: Lord Hien and I will accompany the imperial delegation on the first ferry. Yugiri: When you are ready, speak with the boatman and join us on the other side.
Hien: There you are, Forename. So, first things first: what do you think of the enclave? I must say, I'm quite proud of what my countrymen have accomplished in the time. Hien: We even have an aetheryte now, courtesy of the Onishishu. Be sure and attune to it, would you? Once it has the Warrior of Light's seal of approval, people might actually start using the thing. Hien: But on to the matter at hand: the ambassador and his retinue are at my hall, taking their ease ahead of the negotiations. I want you there when the talking starts. Hien: It will serve to send a message to the Empire that Eorzea and Doma stand united. I am not normally one for hollow posturing, but in this game of nations, such gestures carry weight. Hien: Oh, and should you feel uneasy about speaking for the Scions, Alphinaud and Alisaie will also be there. You need only eat, drink, and look imposing. Say you'll come.
  • What will you say?
  • I'll be there. Hien: I knew I could count on you.
  • Oh, very well. Hien: It promises to be a dull affair, to be sure, but you have survived far worse.
Hien: When you are ready, come and join me at my humble abode, the Kienkan. The guardsman will see you in.
Kienkan Guardsman: Lord Hien is expecting you. May I show you in?
  • Enter the Kienkan?
  • Yes
  • No
Asahi: On behalf of my delegation, I offer you my humblest thanks. Never did I imagine that I would meet the gallant and noble lord of Doma himself, nor be welcomed into his magnificent hall. Hien: You'll forgive me if we forgo the pleasantries. You say you are come to negotiate peace. Hien: Unless I am mistaken, such negotiations are typically conducted between sovereign nations. I was not aware that the Emperor had recognized Doma's sovereignty. Asahi: His Radiance has yet to do so, that much is true. Know, however, that he has expressed willingness to cede Doma to her ancestral masters and treat with her as a friend. Asahi: Since the days of Emperor Solus, the Empire has aggressively expanded its territory. Asahi: While you may not agree with our founding father's policy of expansion, I believe there is room for discussion on the matter of his lifelong goal─to rid the world of eikons. Asahi: Eikons are a blight upon this star. They cannot be suffered to exist. This you know as well as we. In his wisdom, Emperor Varis wishes to explore the possibility of an alliance to combat this common threat. Asahi: On the condition that Doma renounces summoning and pledges to police the Kojin's practice of it, His Radiance would extend the hand of friendship. Hien: Doma has never shown any appetite for summoning. And it should go without saying that we will address any threat to our people, eikon or otherwise. Hien: With regard to the Kojin, I must stress that they only resorted to summoning under extreme provocation. When the Ruby Sea was at peace, and their sacred relics safe, they looked not to their kami for protection. Hien: Yet even now there are certain parties who would destabilize the region with ill-conceived military forays. Unless they alter their course, we cannot hope to be rid of eikons. Asahi: ...Quite. I can but apologize. Asahi: In seeking to eliminate eikons, the Empire creates them. 'Tis an irony among ironies. One with which the people of Eorzea are well acquainted, I am told. Alphinaud: Indeed, many summonings are the result of persecution, the weak being driven to call upon the divine for deliverance from the strong. So it was in Ala Mhigo─the bitter fruit of Garlean oppression. Asahi: A tragic state of affairs. If we are to put an end to summoning once and for all, it shall not be through might, but harmony. Yet we continue to repeat our mistakes, oblivious to the lessons of history. Asahi: My comrades and I would change all that. We Populares have campaigned long and hard for a shift in imperial policy, and at last the Emperor has seen fit to lend us an ear. Asahi: Alas, there is a faction within Garlemald that would obstruct our every attempt at reform. A collection of pure-blooded Garleans who seek to consolidate their own supremacy: the Optimates. Asahi: Lest you wonder, theirs was the hand that loosed our forces on the Confederacy. 'Twas a regrettable incident, one that flies in the face of everything we believe, and I swear to do all in my power to prevent a reoccurrence. Hien: That would be most welcome. But if I may speak plain─if the Empire itself is not of one mind, how can we be certain that any peace we negotiate will be honored? Asahi: I cannot blame you for doubting us. Indeed, I should find it strange if you did not. And so, in the name of building trust, I would like to make a proposal: a prisoner exchange. Hien: Hm... Asahi: Under Garlean rule, no few Domans were conscripted into the imperial army. We would repatriate them in return for those of ours you captured in the recent conflict. Asahi: Naturally, any exchange would include the acting viceroy. Hien: Yotsuyu? What makes you think we have her? Asahi: Forgive me, my lord. Was it not your wish to speak plain? Let us not play games. I desire only to work to our mutual benefit. Asahi: The Optimates tried─and failed─to take my sister by force. I would succeed by peaceable means, thereby strengthening my party's hand. 'Twould be a lie to say I would not also be glad of my sister's safe return. Hien: A fellow plain-speaker. How refreshing. Very well. Your proposal has merit, but I will need time to consider it. Asahi: Of course, my lord. May we remain in Doma until you have come to a decision? Hien: You shall be our honored guests. Hien: Yugiri, I leave the ambassador and his retinue in your care. See that they are well looked after. Asahi: You have our gratitude, Lord Hien. We shall look forward to your answer.
Hien: Well, that was...unexpected. Alisaie: You can say that again. I still don't know quite what to make of it all. But on the surface, a prisoner exchange does seem a good way to begin. The question is, can they be trusted? Hien: Hm. They had naught to gain by divulging the details of their internal divisions. As it stands, we have no reason to doubt them. Hien: But the ambassador's mention of Yotsuyu left me ill at ease. It made his grand talk of peace seem uncannily like a lengthy preamble. Alphinaud: You think this might all be a ruse to facilitate her retrieval? Hien: Perhaps. Though I cannot fathom why they would go to such lengths. Yotsuyu may have been the acting viceroy, but she is not Garlean, nor even highborn. Her value must presumably lie in what she knows... Hien: ...Which brings us to the little matter of her memory loss. In her present condition, she would not yield any worthwhile intelligence. Nor is she worth much as a bargaining piece. Hien: Alphinaud, you are well acquainted with the Empire's methods. I would have your thoughts on this matter. Alphinaud: My knowledge is at your disposal, Lord Hien. While the ambassador's proposal is appealing in principle, it would be remiss of us not to give it due scrutiny. Hien: Indeed. Though it seems to me I have little choice but to accept regardless. With so many of our brothers and sisters languishing in imperial camps, I cannot well turn my back on a chance to secure their repatriation. Only the kami know when I will be afforded another. Hien: ...But ere we continue, shall we excuse these two? I fear what follows will bore them to tears. Alisaie: I was just about to show myself out as it happens. Come on, Forename─let's leave Alphinaud to dispense his copious knowledge. Alphinaud: Someone is still sore from being made to watch at Sakazuki... Alphinaud: Go on and keep Alisaie company. We are safe enough for now.
Alisaie: <sigh> A chance to relax at last. Alisaie: I know when I'm out of my depth, Forename. Alisaie: Though no weapons are drawn, a negotiation is no less a battle, and the stakes can be every bit as high. One misplaced word and people could die. It takes someone with a cool head, and I'll be the first to admit that's not me. Alisaie: So we're left with the eternal question...
What to do while they prattle on?
His Forgotten Home Alisaie is pondering how best to make use of your reprieve from the tedium of negotiations.
Alisaie: All right, for want of a better suggestion, what say you to a brief tour of the newly liberated Doma? I'd be interested to hear how the people are faring in their own words, and it's not as if we'll be missed here.
...Or will we? Yugiri: Forename. A moment, if you would. Alisaie: Ah, Yugiri. And...Asahi, was it? You have some business with Forename? Asahi: Business? No. Pleasure, my lady. I merely wished to exchange a few words with the famed slayer of gods and champion of Eorzea. It is truly an honor. Alisaie: Such heartfelt admiration. One could almost forget that you're an envoy of the Empire. Asahi: Oh? Is that so strange? We may have stood on opposing sides in the past, but I see no contradiction in lauding the woman who would do battle with our common enemy. Asahi: And lest you forget, this is my homeland. It would be remiss of me not to at least thank her for containing the threat posed by the Kojin's vile eikon. Asahi: Now, if I may continue─as we speak, Lord Hien deliberates over my proposal, and I would take this time to see the land I once called home. Asahi: Though Lady Yugiri is certain to be a jovial escort, the excursion would be all the more enjoyable for your company─and safer besides. Yugiri: ...The ambassador has the right of it. He is not like to come to harm with you at his side. Will you join us?
  • What will you say?
  • It would be my pleasure. Alisaie: In that case, I will join you as well. There is naught else to do until Lord Hien has reased his decision, and I can think of no finer way to learn more about the current state of Doma.
  • I am quite sure he will be safe with you, Yugiri. Alisaie: Come now, Forename. There is naught else for us to do until Lord Hien has reached his decision. And were we not this moment discussing how best to learn more about the current state of Doma?
Asahi: It's settled, then. The four of us shall make a brief excursion through Yanxia. Asahi: Might we start at the town of Monzen? I would see what has become of Doma Castle. Yugiri: Very well. If you will follow me.
Asahi: Nay... Can this truly be Monzen, home to the cream of Doma's samurai? I had heard that Yotsuyu intended to send some few of our automata here, but only by way of warning. It should not have come to this... Asahi: Indeed, her savagery served only to incense the people and spur them to rise up in protest. It was folly to think such methods of governance could ever prove effective. Asahi: <sigh> The sooner we can begin to make amends for this senseless destruction the better. Securing supplies and support for the reconstruction effort should not prove difficult─once our nations are formally at peace, of course. Yugiri: ...Yes, of course. If you would have a better view of what remains of the castle, we must proceed through the ruins.
Asahi: It is a travesty. A travesty. I remember the keep being so beautiful. In the light of the setting sun, one would swear it was aflame... Yugiri: It is indeed a doleful spectacle. Mayhap we will rebuild it one day...when we have finished helping our people to rebuild their lives. Asahi: Spoken like a true Popularis. The needs of the people must of course come first. Asahi: Speaking of whom, would you be opposed to my seeing how they live firsthand? The village of Namai is but a short journey from here, if I'm not mistaken. Yugiri: By river, yes. If you will follow me, I will ready our boat.
Asahi: Ready to cast off?
??? (Isse): Get back! I'm warning you! Asahi: Someone's in trouble!
Asahi: Are you all right? Isse: Aye... Yugiri: What do they want with you? Isse: Yugiri!? And you lot, too!? I─ Isse: I don't know. We were returning from the enclave when they came at us. Alisaie: It seems they won't go quietly. Asahi: And neither will we.
Slickshell Captain: Kill them all! Asahi sas Brutus: I will not let you harm these innocents! Slickshell Captain: I grow tired of these games. Where are our reinforcements!? Alisaie: All this for two children? What do they even want with them!? Asahi sas Brutus: They mean to overwhelm us. See to their reinforcements. Quickly! Slickshell Captain: Now! Aim for the younglings! Asahi sas Brutus: Stand in front of them! We'll bear the brunt of it! Yugiri Mistwalker: If they would call for reinforcements, then so shall we! Asahi sas Brutus: Hold your ground! I will try to draw away their reinforcements.
Asahi: That seems to be the last of them. Asahi: You have nothing to fear, child. You are safe now. Azami: Thank you, sir... Isse: You saved us again. Thank you. If you're ever passing by our village, look us up. You'll always be welcome. Asahi: Thank goodness we arrived when we did. Alisaie: Indeed. But what could have prompted the Red Kojin to stray so far from the Ruby Sea? Asahi: I presume these are the sellswords hired by Yotsuyu? Asahi: If so, the answer is simple: desperation. Bereft of imperial employment, they seek other means to line their coinpurses. Another sad legacy of the Empire's mismanagement. Yugiri: The Empire to which you have sworn allegiance. Asahi: Must you always be so pointed? If we are to bring about lasting change, we must look beyond narrow allegiances. Asahi: You have every right to doubt me, but in time I hope you will come to see that we share a common goal. Asahi: You and yours have fought fiercely to change the Empire from without, but if we are to end the cycle of conflict, the Empire must change from within. Am I wrong?
  • What will you say?
  • Not about that. True reform can only come from within. Asahi: I knew you would understand. You have witnessed such change firsthand, after all, during your time in Ishgard.
  • The Empire will never change. Asahi: Never? I wonder, would you have said the same of Ishgard? ...Believe what you will, but I assure you: the Empire can change.
Asahi: Dear me... I had hoped to convey my views on our nations' shared hopes under more peaceable circumstances. Asahi: Yet this regrettable little interlude did afford me a chance to see the famed hero of Eorzea in action, and few imperial soldiers can say that. At least, few who lived to tell the tale.
A Guilty Conscience Asahi has had his fill of adventure for one day.
Asahi: Well, after that little ordeal, I believe it may be time for us to return to the enclave. Alisaie: Return, my lord? But what of Namai? You seemed so eager to observe the villagers going about their daily lives. Asahi: To be frank, I still am. But I rather doubt the good people of Namai would take kindly to the sight of a man in imperial uniform with blood still dripping from his blade. Even in your company, my presence would only prove a distraction. Asahi: Fret not, however. Thanks to the three of you, I have seen a great deal more than I otherwise would. And with any luck, Lord Hien will have finished considering my proposal by the time we return.
Yugiri: Thank you again for agreeing to join me. If not for your aid, the Kojin may well have overwhelmed us. Yugiri: Pray go on ahead. Lord Hien is expecting you. I will remain without and keep watch over our guest. Alisaie: Well, we had best not keep him waiting.
Kienkan Guardsman: You are expected, my lady. Shall I show you in?
  • Enter the Kienkan?
  • Yes
  • No
Hien: Welcome back, my friend. Yugiri tells me you accompanied her and Asahi on a tour of Yanxia. I had hoped you might take the opportunity to recover from your exertions at Sakazuki... Hien: ...But I gather your time was well spent. Until the ambassador affords Yugiri a chance to make a full report, however, I must rely on you to supply the details. So please─tell us how it all unfolded. Alphinaud: The Red Kojin? Here? Have there been any other such incidents since the liberation? Hien: Not that I am aware of. If they are planning some new venture here in Yanxia, we will need to increase patrols. Hien: In any event, I am indebted to you for fighting them off. But tell me─and don't be modest─was Asahi truly the first to leap to the youngsters' aid? Alisaie: He was. I was quick to doubt him when we first met, but his desire to save them seemed quite genuine. It's possible he truly believes what he's saying. Hien: In the time I've known you, you have always been an excellent judge of character. What do you make of the ambassador?
  • What will you say?
  • He may very well be an honorable man. Hien: Oh, how I would love to believe that. An ally within the Empire could change everything. It could give us a real chance at peace.
  • I still don't think he can be trusted. Hien: Then the question of what his true intention may be remains.
  • ... Hien: He confounds you too, I see. And for that reason alone, we would be fools to underestimate him.
Hien: Regardless of his aim, I am resigned to playing his game. For now, at least. Alisaie: Well, forswearing summoning should be simple enough, considering you never dabbled in it in the first place─which just leaves the somewhat thornier question of how to police the Red Kojin. Hien: It was with that very question in mind that I sought Alphinaud's counsel. Thanks to his knowledge of the eikons and the rituals used to invoke them, I believe we've identified a workable solution. Alphinaud: As you will recall, Susano was summoned forth using the power of relics locked away in the Kojin's treasure vault on the Isle of Zekki. Though said relics remain there to this day, it is all but certain that the act of summoning exhausted their stores of aether making subsequent summonings impossible. Alphinaud: Assuming that is the case, preventing the primal's return rests on denying the Red Kojin the means to amass new stores of aether, either via the acquisition of crystals or the relics they are wont to collect. Hien: For this, I plan to enlist the aid of our friends the Blue Kojin. Since Doma's liberation, we have forged closer bonds with Bunchin and his people, and with their support, I am quite confident we can keep the Red from obtaining what they require to call upon this Susano. Alisaie: And what of the prisoners? Hien: They will be exchanged as agreed, and I will give full credit to Asahi for the success of the transaction. If there is aught we can do to help the Populares garner favor, I mean to see it done. Hien: But first, I have some unfinished business to attend to. Would you all come with me? Alisaie: Yes, of course, but...what manner of business? Hien: A past mistake which I would see put right. One which has weighed heavy on my mind...
Hien: I had her brought here in secret while the three of you kept our guest company. Hien: The world has not been kind to you, it is true. But that does not excuse your sins. You should be at the bottom of the river. Hien: Yet here you are, the living, breathing proof of my failure. A failure for which I would now make amends. Yotsuyu: What did I do? I don't remember. Yotsuyu: Was it really so terrible? Tell me, please! What did I do!? Gosetsu: You speak of sins, my lord, but at whose feet do those sins lie? Gosetsu: With the soldiers who committed the crimes, or those who commanded them to do so? Gosetsu: With both, I would say, for all have a conscience, and all must choose. But with no memory of who she is or what she has done, what sin remains to be cleansed? Hien: You ask that I show mercy? Gosetsu: I ask why the heavens saw fit to deny me my rest. Gosetsu: Why Yotsuyu was spared not only death but the bitter memories of her life. Hien: You truly think it the will of the kami... Hien: If so, her life is not mine to take. It is yours to safeguard. Hien: Come the hour of the exchange, if her memories have not returned, she may remain here in Doma to live out her days as Tsuyu. Hien: But if they do, the Garleans shall have their viceroy. Though the people will protest, they will come to accept my decision when they have been reunited with their loved ones. Gosetsu: Thank you, my lord. Hien: Now, then. I believe we have kept our guest waiting long enough.
Hien: Did Gosetsu not seem strange to you? Hien: His sympathy for Yotsuyu apart, I mean. Hien: I know his powers of endurance only too well, but after all he has suffered, even he should not be on his feet. Hien: He puts on a brave face for our sakes, but it would not surprise me if he lacked the strength to raise his blade. Hien: ...Though I suppose if he and Yotsuyu are to enjoy a life of peace and quiet, he will have little use for it. Hien: It falls to us to shape that future. One in which he need never again set foot on the battlefield.
Rise of a New Sun Lord Hien has at last reached a decision.
Hien: With Yotsuyu safely in Gosetsu's care, all that remains is to answer Asahi's proposal. I realize other matters demand your attention, but I would ask that you stay awhile longer to see this business through.
Hien: My apologies. Our deliberations took longer than expected. Asahi: Think nothing of it. The time afforded me the opportunity to go on a rather rousing excursion through Yanxia. Asahi: You have reached a decision, then? Hien: We are willing to cooperate with you in combating the eikon threat, and also in the exchange of prisoners. Assuming you accept our conditions, of course. Hien: As you know, your sister is in our care. Due to certain complications, however, we are hesitant to release her into your custody. Asahi: Complications? Hien: She was inside Doma Castle when it collapsed. Though she survived, she remembers nothing of her past life─not even her name. Hien: To clarify, she is in our care not as a prisoner, but as a vulnerable citizen of Doma. Asahi: Are you saying you refuse to release her? Hien: Not at all. If her memory returns before the appointed hour. Asahi: And if not, what exactly...? You will accommodate her here in Doma? Hien: Well, I sincerely doubt she will be of any great strategic value to the Empire. She spends her days daydreaming of dango. Asahi: Dango...? Asahi: ...How dreadful. Asahi: Very well. In light of our recent...misstep in Sakazuki, it seems only fair that I show you the same understanding you have shown us. Asahi: ...Though I do have one, small request. Regardless of Yotsuyu's value to the Empire, she is yet my sister. Before I leave, might you permit me to speak with her in private? Hien: Of course. Perhaps you could even bring her a plate of dango. She would be most pleased. Hien: Yugiri will see you to her chambers.
Gosetsu: Forgive me, my lord, but...has he not been gone overlong? Perhaps I should─ Hien: Calm yourself, Gosetsu. I understand your concern, but we have to wait. He deserves that much. Asahi: I am sorry to have kept you all waiting. Thank you for your understanding. Asahi: Long did I dream of this reunion, but never did I imagine it would be so joyless. A part of me hoped your stories of her condition were just that. But alas, it is as you say. Gosetsu: Tsuyu... Do you remember anything of this man? Anything at all? Yotsuyu: I... No. Asahi: I am a stranger to her. That much was clear to me from a single look. I leave her in your care. Hien: As you wish. Asahi: Now, if you will excuse me, my superiors are long overdue a report. They will be elated to hear of our agreement, of that I have no doubt. Asahi: As for the exchange itself, once I have obtained the relevant permissions, I will arrange for your people to be relieved of their various duties, and sent here to Yanxia. This will take time, of course... Hien: Of course. You may rest assured your soldiers will be well cared for until your return. We will also begin taking steps to better counter the threat of the Kojin and their eikon. Hien: Before you take your leave─there is one other matter...
I am informed it was you who took the lead in rescuing two young Domans from a band of Kojin sellswords. I have not yet had the time to thank you properly. Asahi: Please, there is no need to thank me. I only did what anyone would do under the circumstances. Fortunately, I was in good company at the time. Asahi: The blight of the Red Kojin is of the Empire's making. Were it not for our transgressions, those children would not have needed saving. Asahi: The people of Doma have suffered enough, my lord. And I promise to do all in my power to spare them further pain, be it at the hands of the Kojin, or indeed the Empire. Hien: I pray the Emperor will see things as you do. There may yet be hope for us all. Asahi: Until we meet again. Hien: Gosetsu. As before, I leave Yotsuyu to you. Hien: I invite the rest of you to join me outside. Let's treat Asahi to a proper farewell.
Hien: The ambassador's airship awaits at Castrum Fluminis. Let us be off.
Hien: I wish you a safe journey. Asahi: This has been a most enjoyable visit. I look forward to our next meeting. Asahi: Maxima, would you take the others and see that all is ready for our departure? Asahi: I simply cannot leave without first giving thanks to the Warrior of Light for accompanying me through Yanxia. Asahi: Mark me, savior of the savages. There will be a reckoning.
Liberation Front Samurai: You've nowhere left to run, traitor! Asahi: Ignorant savages. Killing us will avail you naught. Asahi: For every imperial you cut down, a thousand more will come. Abandon this foolish endeavor and surrender. You may yet serve our righteous cause. Liberation Front Samurai: How dare you speak of righteousness! You who forsook kith and kin to serve conquerors! Liberation Front Samurai: Be glad I grant you this mercy. Liberation Front Samurai: What in the...? Liberation Front Samurai: Reinforcements? ...No─just one. Cut him down! Asahi: Thank you. Thank you, sir! Zenos yae Galvus: This one is...promising. Zenos yae Galvus: Who remains to offer us resistance? Asahi: A...a host of rebels led by Lord Kaien hold the enclave across the river. Zenos yae Galvus: Lord Kaien. Asahi: The king of─th-the former king of Doma, sir. They say he is one of the greatest swordsmen alive. Zenos yae Galvus: Is that what they say. Asahi: Who...was that...? Wounded Imperial: Surely you jest? That was Zenos yae Galvus, legatus of the XIIth─the crown bloody prince! I'd heard he was strong, but that...that was frightening. Asahi: That was...Lord Zenos...?
Asahi: Everything you are─your power, even your face─it vexes me. Asahi: Go on. Lash out like the beast you are. At an emissary. And jeopardize the newfound peace between Doma and the Empire. Asahi: My lord was destined to lead us unto a glorious new age. Your light is nothing to his radiance. Asahi: I will cherish this moment─lock it away within my heart─until the day we meet again.
Hien: You look troubled, my friend. Was it something he said? Alisaie: Of all the memories to witness. Yugiri: I had my doubts about him, but I would never have guessed he was a disciple of Zenos. Yugiri: My lord─ Hien: Calm yourself, Yugiri. I set no store by him or his enlightened brethren. Hien: But if by treating with them there is even the faintest hope we might secure the return of our conscripted brothers and sisters, I must play this game. Hien: After the way I risked their lives in the rebellion, I owe them that much. Yugiri: My lord, you bear no blame for their fate. Hien: If not blame then responsibility. They were prisoners and still I chose to fight, knowing they could be executed in retaliation. Hien: But now we have a chance to bring them home. If it means bargaining with a monster, so be it. Yugiri: My lord... Hien: Besides, I think he likes me. Which is more than some can say. Alisaie: It makes no sense. Why would he bother keeping up the pretense for so long, only to drop it right before the very end? Alphinaud: Perhaps he no longer thought it necessary, having secured Doma's cooperation in the prisoner exchange. Hien: If he truly is a disciple of Zenos, 'tis possible emotions simply got the better of him. Remaining calm around the woman who slew his lord will have taken its toll. Hien: Whatever the explanation, now is not the time for hasty reprisals. Hien: We shall proceed as planned. The Red Kojin must be placed under surveillance and the Garlean prisoners made ready for the exchange...
But you need not concern yourself with the details. Hien: Leave the affairs of Doma to us. When the hour of the exchange draws near, we will call for you. Alphinaud: I should certainly hope so. Whatever the Empire's true intent, we would be on hand to play our part, either to defend Doma, or to help usher in a lasting peace. Alphinaud: I had thought we might use this time to return to Eorzea, but given the volatility of the situation, mayhap it would be best if we remained in Kugane. Alisaie: Agreed. Between Yotsuyu's amnesia and Asahi's dubious agenda, I'd say we have ample reason to remain in the neighborhood.
If anything should happen─anything at all─you must send for us at once. Hien: Oh, I will. On that you have my word. Charting a path through this sea of troubles promises to be difficult enough. I am not so proud as to attempt the feat alone. Alphinaud: To Kugane, then. Tataru and the others must know of what transpired here.
East Aldenard Trading Company Aide: Greetings, honored madam. Will you be entering the Ruby Bazaar offices?
  • Enter the Ruby Bazaar offices?
  • Yes
  • No
Hancock: ...My. It seems you're all in quite the predicament. Well, should we receive any urgent missives from Doma, rest assured you will be the first to know of it. Tataru: Yes, of course. We're discussing ideas to replenish our coffers, but I suppose that all can wait if any urgent news should come through the office. Alphinaud: Ah... Ahem. About that... I wish to apologize, Tataru. It was reckless of me to make such a purchase without first consulting you. You may be certain, however, that I mean to reimburse the Scions, even if it means drawing upon my personal funds. Tataru: That's very thoughtful of you, but I'm sure it won't come to that. Tataru: If Soroban's business proposition is as promising as it sounds, Forename should have no difficulty wiping the red from our ledger. Alphinaud: Forgive me, Forename. It would seem I have unwittingly heaped my financial troubles upon you. I swear I will pay you back. Alphinaud: Though I fear I will struggle to cobble together anything of monetary value, knowledge I can gather in abundance. To start, I plan to investigate the divisions forming within the Empire. Mayhap Riol and his associates have heard something on the subject... Alphinaud: Regardless, the more we know about the politics of Garlemald, the better our chances of predicting the imperials' next move, which might yield you an advantage on the day of the prisoner exchange. Alphinaud: Knowing what we do of Asahi's apparent resentment towards you, I cannot say what he hopes to gain from it. Alphinaud: But if there is even the faintest chance that a lasting peace could be forged between Doma and the Empire, what choice have we but to try? Lord Hien had the right of it: Asahi may very well be a monster, but we must play his game. For now.
Asahi: Arranging the prisoner exchange proved easier than I thought. Asahi: Yes, my lord will be most pleased. Everything is going according to plan.
Asahi: Can you truly remember nothing? Nothing at all? Yotsuyu: Were we...friends...? Asahi: Yes. We were good friends, you and I. In fact, I've brought you a gift. Asahi: I pray that one day soon, as you gaze into that mirror, you will remember the woman staring back at you.
Yotsuyu: It's so pretty... Yotsuyu: Who are you...? Who are you...?
Meanwhile, in the imperial capital... Imperial Medicus: How are you feeling, my lord? ??? (Elidibus): Fine. Now leave me.

Stormblood: Under the Moonlight (4.3)

Gosetsu and Tsuyu Alphinaud has important news to share.
Alphinaud: Ah, Forename, impeccable timing. We have just received a letter from Lord Hien. Alphinaud: He writes that the Domans are coordinating their efforts with the Blue Kojin to maintain a constant watch over the Red. Alphinaud: By staying on the lookout for signs of crystal hoarding and the like, they mean to nip any summoning attempts in the bud, thereby satisfying the conditions for peace set down by the ambassador. Alphinaud: For the Garleans' part, the Populares have sent word that a vessel bearing Doman conscripts is soon to arrive in Yanxia. 'Twould seem that the prisoner exchange is to proceed as planned. Alphinaud: Lord Hien requests your presence, and I share his view that you should be on hand at this critical juncture. Alisaie: According to the letter, Yotsuyu's memory has yet to return, so it looks like she'll be living out the rest of her days in Doma─assuming the ambassador means to honor the agreement, of course. Alisaie: Before we get to that, however, I think it would be wise to assess her condition one last time. If the Domans have missed any change in her mental state, however slight, it would be better if Asahi weren't the one to spot it. Alphinaud: Agreed. Let us make straightways for the enclave, then. Lord Hien will be waiting. Alphinaud: I trust you will cope in our absence, Tataru? Tataru: Don't worry about me─I'll be fine! Just be sure to come back safely!
Kienkan Guardsman: Lord Hien is expecting you. May I show you in?
  • Enter the Kienkan?
  • Yes
  • No
Hien: Ah, I see my letter reached you across the Ruby Sea! Thank you for coming so swiftly. Hien: Though I wrote at some length on the subject of the forthcoming exchange, there was one other matter I neglected to mention... Hien: It concerns Gosetsu. As you may have observed, he returned from his ordeal rather the worse for wear, and despite his best efforts to conceal his condition─or perhaps because of them─he recently collapsed. Alphinaud: Good gods! Is he all right!? Hien: Confined to bed and grumbling without cease, but he has shown signs of recovery. He made me promise not to tell you, lest you worry unduly. Which was all very well when you weren't here. Hien: Now that you are, however, I think it high time he received some visitors. Might you spare him a moment? Yotsuyu has scarce left his side, and I imagine you are curious to see what has become of her as well. Alphinaud: We will visit him at once. Forename, Alisaie─shall we?
Yotsuyu: Open wide, now... Gosetsu: Please, Tsuyu. I am not so frail that I cannot feed myself. Gosetsu: Ah, I grow weary of the taste of gruel... Yotsuyu: You don't like it? Can I fetch you something else? Gosetsu: Aye. Wine! Or if that is not “wholesome” enough─I don't know...a sweet persimmon from Namai? I enjoyed them in my youth. Yotsuyu: A persimmon. Gosetsu: Nay, pay me no mind─I am full. Besides, we have guests. Alisaie: I hope we are not interrupting your meal. We had heard you were confined to bed, and thought you might welcome some visitors. Gosetsu: Confined to─ A gross exaggeration! Gosetsu: A trifle drained from my exertions, perhaps. But with a little rest, I shall be fighting fit again in no time! Yotsuyu: Take off your clothes. Alisaie: Gosetsu! Is this how you've been spending your time!? Gosetsu: My lady, I assure you, this is not─ Yotsuyu: Off with them. We need to wash you─you stink!
Yotsuyu: What are all these scars? There are so many of them... Gosetsu: A life of battle will leave its mark upon a man... Gosetsu: Is something wrong, Tsuyu? Yotsuyu: It's nothing. I'm fine. Gosetsu: Bah, leave me be, woman! I will not be fussed over like some newborn babe!
Hien: They make a convincing pair, do they not? On first acquaintance, I would think him a doting grandsire and her a model grandchild. Alphinaud: Indeed. Had someone told me a year ago that I would live to bear witness to such a scene, I would have declared them mad. That aside, I am relieved to see Gosetsu has lost none of his spirit. Alisaie: But what a turn of events... I mean, for her to suddenly be watching over him. You couldn't make it up. Although I suppose Gosetsu is an old man. With the way he charges through life, it can be easy to forget... Hien: Aye, he has resisted decrepitude with the same defiance he showed the enemies of Doma. Hien: But no matter how adamant his will, no man can carry on forever. He has pushed himself beyond the limits of endurance too many times─even if his health returns, the fact remains: he will never again be the warrior he once was. Hien: He has given his all for liege and land, and we will ask no more. Alisaie: And what of his nurse? If Yotsuyu is feigning that─well, she certainly has me fooled. ??? (Yugiri): This is no pretense. Alisaie: Yugiri. Out of all of us, I would think you the hardest to convince. So...what makes you so sure? Yugiri: I have been spying on Yotsuyu from the shadows─waiting for the misstep that would betray her charade for what it was. Yugiri: But her mask has never slipped. Not once. She has remained in character from the first. One evening, I watched her as she sat in her chambers, unguarded and alone... Yugiri: She had taken the dishes from the cupboard, and was pretending to prepare dinner right there on the tatami. A child's game. Yugiri: Even the wariest shinobi would not go to such lengths. I can but conclude that her mind is truly broken. Alisaie: ...Well, that's good enough for me─and everyone else, I would hazard. Hien: Aye, the matter is settled. Yotsuyu will become “Tsuyu,” and begin a new life here in Doma. Hien: Before that can happen, however, we will need to present her to the ambassador one last time, to prove that her memory is truly gone. Hien: But I would not risk parading her in front of our returning conscripts. Her presence at the exchange would only stir up mutinous thoughts. Alisaie: Understandably. She as good as fastened the chains around their necks. Hien: Aye─which is why I mean to conclude this business with Tsuyu first, out of the sight of my countrymen. Will you help me? Alphinaud: We are at your service. There is no higher purpose than the pursuit of peace. Hien: My thanks. The Garleans are on their way, and we must prepare to welcome the ambassador. We will meet you at the docks with Tsuyu.
Alphinaud: Shall we wait here, then? Lord Hien should not be long.
Hien: My friends! Have you seen Tsuyu!? She is nowhere to be found! Alphinaud: What? But the Garleans will be landing in a matter of moments! Alisaie: If she's fled... Could it mean her memories have returned? Hien: I know not. Yugiri is scouring the streets as we speak, but it is possible Tsuyu has left the enclave altogether. Hien: Captain─a word. Did you perchance carry a fair-skinned woman across the river? Enclave Skiff Captain: A fair-skinned woman, my lord? I...I do not rightly know... I think─ Y-Yes! Yes, my lord! Now that you mention it, there was a lady among the passengers whom I do not recall having seen before. Enclave Skiff Captain: Her face was hidden by the brim of her hat, but I remember taking her hand to help her onto the boat. White as new-fallen snow, it was... Was she someone important, my lord? Have I done something wrong? Hien: Wrong? ...No. No, I was merely hoping to catch our guest before she departed. Be at ease, Captain. Hien: 'Twould seem that Tsuyu has crossed the river.
Kami help me... No good can come of this.
Gone Like the Morning Dew Though his face betrays little sign of panic, Hien is plainly desperate to find Yotsuyu before something terrible happens.
Hien: It seems Tsuyu has gone unrecognized thus far, but kami help us if someone catches a clear view of her face. I must find her before that happens. Hien: The responsibility for her disappearance─for all of this─lies with me. But I would ask for your aid nonetheless. Alphinaud: We are at your service, Lord Hien, now as before. Let us make the crossing and begin our search. Alisaie: You go on ahead. Someone should let Yugiri know what we've learned. I'll join you on the other side. Hien: We have no way of knowing where Tsuyu is headed, so we had best divide our forces. I will take Kusakari and its surrounds; Alphinaud, if you would take the road to Castrum Fluminis? Hien: Forename─forgive me, but could I ask you to interrogate the residents of Yuzuka Manor? One of the Namazu may well have seen our quarry. Hien: If everyone is in agreement, let us board the skiff, and hope the kami smile upon our efforts!
Gyosan: Welcome to Yuzuka Manor. Yes, yes. If there is anything you care to know, you need only─ Hm? A pale-skinned woman? Gyosan: I have seen no such traveler, I am sorry to say. Most sorry. Scaly-skinned Namazu, on the other hand, we have in abundance!
Gyoku: ...Unusually pale skin? Yes, yes! I saw this woman on the way back from my fishing trip. Gyoku: She had just crossed the shallows east of here, and was headed in a northeasterly direction...for the most part. Her steps did not seem certain. If you hurry, you might still catch her.
You see no sign of Yotsuyu to the north. Perhaps she is somewhere farther off to the northeast...
Still no sign of Yotsuyu. Perhaps she is yet farther to the northeast...
Yotsuyu is nowhere to be seen, but lying on the ground a short distance to the north, you spy a familiar-looking wide-brimmed hat...
A cursory glance is all that is required to confirm your suspicions: it is the same hat Yotsuyu was wearing when you found her in Sakazuki. Hien: Forename! Before you ask, our search of Kusakari and its surroundings has yielded exactly naught─save this chance reunion with you, I suppose. Yugiri: Mistress Alisaie has gone to assist her brother at the castrum. It was she who informed me of the situation. I joined Lord Hien here shortly thereafter. Hien: How did you fare at Yuzuka Manor? Any sign of our missing guest? Hien: ...Towards Namai? By the kami! If the villagers recognize her, it will not end well. Hien: We must hurry. Yugiri and I will check the paddies; the village square is yours!
Yotsuyu: Greetings. Might I have one of y─ Wait! Please!
...I only wanted a persimmon. Frightened Villager: Kami save us! Her spirit has returned! Panicked Villager: She's back from the dead to seek her revenge! Isse: It can't be! She couldn't have survived! Yotsuyu: What did I... Wh-What did I do? Isse: As if you don't know! Hien: Good people of Namai─be at ease, I pray you! You have naught to fear! Isse: My lord, forgive me but─what is that monster doing here!? They told us she was dead! Hien: I too was surprised to learn of her survival. Hien: More even than you, I would hazard. 'Twas I who cut her down. I who left her to her fate. Hien: But it would seem the kami had other plans. By some miracle, both she and Gosetsu were spared when the keep collapsed─though Yotsuyu's preservation came at the cost of her memory. Isse: You're saying she's forgotten? Forgotten everything she's done!? Panicked Villager: Lies! Lies, my lord! She would say anything to escape punishment! Frightened Villager: What does it matter!? We have not forgotten her crimes! And we demand justice! I beg of you, Lord Hien, draw your blade and rid us of this canker! Yotsuyu: What I saw, then. It's all true. Yotsuyu: I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry... Isse: You're “sorry”!? And what, we're supposed to forgive you? Azami: Here, there's no need to cry. Azami: Can't you see how scared she is? How can you be scared of her? She's not the same. Hien: Until such time as her memories return, this woman shall be known as “Tsuyu,” and treated as a citizen of Doma. Hien: I will, however, see that she is watched at all times. Rest assured that there will be no more unannounced visits to the village. As your lord, I ask that you leave her fate in my hands, and suffer her to live. For now. Azami: Please, Isse... Isse: All right. I'll keep my peace. Isse: As long as you're happy. That's all that matters.
Fruits of Her Labor Hien's face is a picture of relief.
Hien: <sigh> That...would have been better avoided. But at least it did not end in bloodshed. And judging by Tsuyu's reaction, she remains oblivious to the events of her former life. This was no escape attempt. Yugiri: Nay, it seems it was an offhand request of Gosetsu's which brought her to Namai. She came in search of a persimmon. Hien: Hah! And they say fruit is good for the health... I do hope Gosetsu finds the taste to his liking. Hien: Well, we have certainly taken the long way around, but let us continue on to Castrum Fluminis and our meeting with the ambassador. Alphinaud and Alisaie should still be there, conducting their search.
Hien: It seems our imperial guests have already arrived. 'Tis time to meet with the ambassador...
Asahi: What a pleasure it is to see you once more, Lord Hien. Not to mention my dear sister. Hien: A pleasure to see you too, Ambassador. Forgive us our late arrival. Hien: You have our people aboard the airship? Asahi: Exactly as agreed. We would leave you in no doubt as to the purity of our intentions. I daresay it was the selfsame spirit of cooperation which prompted you to bring Yotsuyu here today. Hien: Indeed. Before excluding her from the exchange, I thought it only fair that you see her condition for yourself. Physically, she is in fine health, but her mind is unchanged. Asahi: So I see. Asahi: But all need not necessarily be lost. In anticipation of this tragic turn of events, I took the liberty of inviting some special guests... ??? (Asahi's Father): Ah, Yotsuyu! You look...well. Hien: Of all the people... Asahi: Is something wrong, dear sister? These are our beloved parents. Does not the sight of them bring back sweet childhood memories? Yotsuyu: ...Gosetsu. I have to take this to Gosetsu... Asahi: Hmph. It would seem my little surprise was not sufficient. Asahi: You needn't glare at me so, Lord Hien─I merely did what any loving son would do for his family. Lest you doubt, I am content to leave the acting viceroy in your care. Pray treat her as you would any daughter of Doma. Asahi: Do not grow too fond of this place, dear sister. You will come back to us ere long. Hien: We continue with the exchange as planned, then. Asahi: Very good. The structure across the river should serve our needs. We shall await you there with the conscripts if you would bring your captives...? Hien: Agreed. Until then, Ambassador.
Hien: I knew better than to trust Asahi, but that was a dirty trick. Hien: Still, unpleasant as it was, we have at least put the matter of Tsuyu's future to rest. I have sent her back to the enclave with Yugiri to give Gosetsu his precious persimmon. Hien: Come, let us follow them. Alisaie: You have that look, Alphinaud. What is it? Alphinaud: Oh, nothing of consequence, most like...
We can discuss it upon our return.
Hien: We should pay a visit to Gosetsu, and reassure him about Tsuyu's fate. He will want to know that the Empire has finally relinquished its claim on her.
Hien: Gosetsu, are you awake? Gosetsu: My lord! Come in, come in... Gosetsu: When Tsuyu returned, her eyes were red from weeping. She spoke not a word─simply sat and peeled some fruit she'd brought for me. Gosetsu: She then claimed weariness and retired to her chamber. Tell me, what happened to upset her so? Hien: The ambassador arranged a surprise reunion with her foster parents. A misguided attempt to restore Yotsuyu to her senses. Hien: It was plain their presence caused her great distress, but she seemed otherwise unaffected. Alisaie: Yotsuyu was mistreated as a child, was she not? It was a cruel trick to use her tormentors like that, knowing the pain it could cause. Gosetsu: Hmph. I like this Asahi less and less... Hien: Be that as it may, he has agreed to allow Yotsuyu to remain with us in Doma. Our primary concern now is to hand over the prisoners without incident, and bring our people safely home. Alphinaud: There was one other detail at the meeting which caught my attention. Alphinaud: I assume you all noticed the rather suspect crates within the castrum? The imperials were quick to retrieve them afterwards, but I wonder... Alisaie: Out with it, Brother. You fear they might contain bombs or war machines? Hien: If the ambassador wanted me dead, he has had ample opportunity. No, assassination is not his intent, but we should be on our guard for other acts of treachery. Maidservant: My lord! Forgive me, but the lady Yotsuyu─she's gone! Gosetsu: Gone!? Maidservant: I beg your pardons, my lords. I was certain she had fallen asleep... Hien: No, no, the responsibility is mine. 'Twas I who gave her a room instead of a cell. Hien: She may simply have wandered outside. We will organize search parties. Hien: Might I call upon your assistance?
??? (Asahi's Father): Help... Help... Asahi's Father: Help... Help me...
Yotsuyu: If only I hadn't remembered. Yotsuyu: He should hate me. Yotsuyu: But I will not suffer his kindness. Not after what I did to him. Asahi's Father: Who's there!? Asahi's Mother: <gasp> ...Oh, it's you. What are you doing out here in the dark? Asahi's Father: This is the enclave, is it? When the soldiers dragged us back to Doma, you were the last person I expected to see. Asahi's Mother: You're the bane of our existence, Yotsuyu! A font of misery! Asahi's Mother: You couldn't even do us the simple courtesy of dying, could you! Oh no, you had to live and taint us with the shame of your failure! Asahi's Mother: We had a perfect life in the capital! And now they're making us wallow in this muddy ruin like common swine! I don't deserve this! Asahi's Father: Now, now, dear, that'll do. There seems little point in berating the girl when she scarcely remembers her own name. Our time would be better spent contemplating how we're to survive this unhappy predicament. Asahi's Father: You've kept your looks at least. I suspect you'd fetch a handsome price with the right buyer. Maybe enough to get us to Kugane and start a new business... Yotsuyu: Ah, my beloved parents. No sooner do I wake from gentle slumber than the world returns in all its cruelty. Yes, this is how it always was. How it was meant to be. Yotsuyu: Very well. If I cannot escape my nature, then I shall embrace it. Yotsuyu: To the very depths I have sunk, my soul steeped in spite and rotten to the core. The self-righteous hide behind “justice,” but I need no such mask. Yotsuyu: Father. Mother. Was it not you who made me into this monster? Who taught me the truth of this miserable world? Yotsuyu: For years I knew naught but the taste of pain and humiliation, but the time has come to savor my vengeance against Doma. Against all my enemies. Yotsuyu: And it begins...with you! Asahi's Father: Yotsuyu...? Asahi's Father: What...? Asahi: Well done, dear sister. Did I not say you would come back to us? Yotsuyu: Brother dearest. What a surprise. Yotsuyu: You always were a cold-blooded little worm. I doubt you thought twice about sending our parents to their deaths. Asahi: Your dagger yet drips with their blood and you presume to judge me? To be frank, I didn't think you had the strength to slay them so cleanly. A single thrust each... I'm impressed! Asahi: But surely you can't be satisfied with murdering a pair of doddering elders. You yearn for a deeper vengeance...and the power to see it through.
Asahi's Father: Please... I don't want to die... Hien: Any sign of her? Hien: ...What happened here? Hien: I knew what would happen if she recovered, and still I did nothing. ...You say she left with her brother? Hien: Whatever he wants with her, he was willing to pay for it with his parents' lives... Hien: But this is neither the time nor the place. We must gather the others.
Hien: We have recovered the Naeuris' remains, and will hold the cremation anon. <sigh> Would that they had never again set foot in Doma. Hien: I broke the news to Gosetsu myself. He was...quiet. I think it best that he be allowed some time alone with his thoughts.
Conscripts and Contingencies Lord Hien seems keen to take stock of the situation.
Hien: So, my friends...that which we feared has come to pass. Yotsuyu has regained her memory and returned to the imperial fold. Hien: It is, by any measure, a cruel twist, not least for Gosetsu...but one which does not invalidate our agreement. According to the terms of the contract, we were bound to surrender Yotsuyu into the Garleans' hands should her condition improve prior to the hour of the exchange. By that reckoning, all is...if not as it should be, then...as it must be. This I can accept. Hien: But what I cannot accept are the unconscionable lengths to which Asahi went to achieve this outcome. Hien: Given his recent conduct, and his apparent admiration for Zenos, it is plain he cannot be trusted. And that is to say nothing of the unexplained containers he insists on bringing to our meetings. Whatever the ambassador is planning, I think it unlikely our negotiations will end peacefully. Hien: In the event of hostilities, the safety of the conscripts must be our first concern. As such, I would have an escape route in place before the meeting begins. Alphinaud: A wise precaution. If the main structure of Castrum Fluminis is to be the stage for the exchange, then I believe a thorough inspection is in order... Yugiri: The citadel has stood empty ever since the imperial withdrawal─while we took steps to ensure that it could not be defended by an occupying force, it is entirely possible that the ambassador has arranged things there to his advantage. I will slip inside, and make certain we have an unobstructed exit. Alphinaud: Pray allow me to join you. I have some experience of imperial facilities. And should matters take a turn for the worse, I would hope to be of at least some use... Hien: Very good. That should be enough to guarantee us a way out of the castrum. Beyond that, however... Hien: We will need a ship to ferry the conscripts back to the enclave. Even with every skiff we have, it would take several trips to evacuate everyone. Hien: ...A Confederate sekibune, on the other hand, would require only a single run, and leave us far less vulnerable on the water. Assuming, of course, Rasho can be convinced to part with one. Alisaie: Might I take the lead on this? I've had dealings with Rasho and his pirates before. Alisaie: And I won't be alone, will I, Forename?
  • What will you say?
  • You can count on me. Alisaie: Much appreciated.
    I quite fancy parleying with pirates again. It's just a shame Lyse won't be there to reprise her role.
  • I suppose not... Alisaie: Well, that was enthusiastic. Were you hoping to join Yugiri and Alphinaud on their skulking mission, by any chance...?
Hien: Hm! I am certain you would make a persuasive pair─but I think I will accompany you to these negotiations all the same. Yugiri: My lord, the ruler of Doma should not be seen consorting with common brigands... Hien: Come now, Yugiri─they stood with us against the Empire. If we would ask their aid once more, we must treat with them as equals. My presence shall serve to demonstrate our sincerity. Yugiri: ...Indeed, my lord. Pray forgive my presumption. By your leave, Master Alphinaud and I shall be about our task. Hien: And we should be on our way to Onokoro. Time is short, and Rasho may take some convincing.
Rasho: Now there is a face I did not expect to see. What brings the noble lord of Doma into the company of bilge rats such as we? Tansui: If you've come to offer Doman chains in place of Garlean ones, then I'm afraid you've wasted a trip. Hien: Ahahaha! And what fine subjects you would make! With your fleet at our disposal, our restoration efforts would be hastened tenfold. Hien: But let us speak seriously. I stand before you not to demand your fealty, but to request your aid once more. Rasho: Mayhap you are confused. Doma's liberation was but a means to an end. We aided you only to save ourselves. Rasho: Now we have no such incentive. We have sworn no oath to you, and will not come running like hounds at their master's whistle. Hien: And I would not presume to treat you thus. I come to petition your cooperation as an ally of equal standing. Tansui: Equal standing, you say? Seems a bit lopsided to me. Where's the profit for us in all of this? Alisaie: Profit! Must you always think in such shortsighted terms? Have you ever heard of doing the right thing? Tansui: Have you ever heard of pirates, little miss? You'll find we're simple souls: you pay our tithe, you sail in peace; deny us our due and we take it by force. We'll pull you out of the water if we see you drowning, but we are not in the business of doing something for nothing. Hien: Calm yourself, Mistress Alisaie. We did not come here to moralize. We came here to talk. And there is more to be said. Hien: According to records recovered after the liberation, relatives of your Doman-born brethren were among those conscripted into the imperial army. And as you may be aware, we recently negotiated the return of said conscripts. Many, alas, will arrive to find no families waiting for them, no homes to grant them shelter. Hien: I would ask that you offer them a place in the Confederacy. You would not be rescuing strangers, but welcoming brothers and sisters into your ranks. And has not the Confederacy been in need of new recruits...? Rasho: You seem well-informed of our affairs, Lord Hien. Tansui: The losses we suffered at the Garleans' hands are no secret. But since we drove them out of Doma, the Ruby Sea has come alive with traders and travelers. So many vessels to tax, so few pirates to tax them. Tansui: We could do with some more hands on deck, and doubly so if they're familiar with the inner workings of the Empire. Rasho: Very well. The Confederacy agrees to your request. You will have your ship. Rasho: ...But before that, you must do something for me. The vessel I have in mind was damaged during your battle with the Empire. Though we have mended her, she has yet to be declared seaworthy. Rasho: She is sound enough down below, but when you load her up with conscripts and the waterline rises...those upper planks had best be free of cracks. Rasho: Assuming you want your people to stay dry, you will do me the favor of swimming around the hull to check for weaknesses. That is, if Doman lords are not averse to getting their robes wet? Hien: Not this Doman lord! If we each inspect a third of the ship, it shall be done in a trice. Rasho: That is the spirit. The ship is moored at Quickscape Pier. Our apprentice shipwright will be on deck to hear your report. Look for a lad named Ihanashi. Alisaie: And I thought I had a knack for parleying with pirates... For the record, my previous attempt was an unmitigated success, and yes, I should have quit while I was ahead. Tansui: Well, well. I'd thought the rumors exaggerated, but the young lord lives up to his reputation...
You see no signs of damage here.
Upon closer inspection, you spot a small crack in one of the planks...
Ihanashi: Aye, I'm the shipwright─er, apprentice shipwright. Did you find anything that might need attention? Alisaie: The section I inspected seemed solid enough. Ihanashi: ...On the port side, near the bow, you say? All right, I'll have a look and see what I can do. Hien: My apologies, I seem to have lagged behind. I could float in that gentle sea all day...
Otherwise, I am happy to report no visible cracking or holes in my section of the hull. Ihanashi: You─ Y-You─ You're Lord Hien! The captain sent you to inspect the hull!? Kami have mercy... Forgive us this discourtesy, my lord! Hien: Hah! 'Tis quite all right. In fact, I rather enjoyed it. I take it you are of Doma? Ihanashi: Y-Yes, my lord. The imperials took my father away after the uprising, and I had nowhere else to turn. The Confederacy became my family. Ihanashi: But someone told me they're releasing the conscripts now. Maybe my father will be among them. Not that I can go back─there's no leaving once you've joined... ??? (Rasho): How fares our lady? Is she seaworthy? Ihanashi: Captain! W-We've found a small crack in the port side, but I'll have it fixed before you know it! Rasho: I see you have met the boy. Did he tell you his story? He babbles when he is nervous. Rasho: Should his father be among the conscripts, as he hopes, I mean to give him the choice to leave this life. If he so chooses, I expect you to see they are provided for. Hien: I have heard that those who join the Confederacy forswear all ties with kin and homeland. Is that oath so easily put aside? Rasho: If I allow it.
...I see in him the lad I was twenty-five years ago. You say the words, you mean them, but the yearning for home still lingers. Rasho: My family is long dead, and I know this life is my lot. But he has scarce dipped his toes with us. If there is a life for him in Doma, he should have the chance to live it. Hien: Well said. The Empire's conquest has uprooted many and more. Be it in Yanxia or out on the Ruby Sea, we have a duty to ensure that Ihanashi and others like him are free to dwell where they desire. Rasho: Then the matter is settled. I will make preparations to cast off. Hien: Well, my friends, it seems we have our ship. Let us return to the enclave.
Kienkan Guardsman: Lord Hien is expecting you. May I show you in?
  • Enter the Kienkan?
  • Yes
  • No
Hien: It seems Yugiri and Alphinaud completed their task before us. They have been waiting. Yugiri: We scouted the structure and determined the swiftest path to safety. In the event of hostilities, we will lead the conscripts outside with all possible haste. Hien: From there, the Confederacy has pledged a ship to ferry us across the One River. Now we have but to attend the exchange, and pray to the kami these precautions were unnecessary.
The Primary Agreement Hien is ready to proceed with the prisoner exchange.
Hien: While we were putting our contingency plans in place, I left Hakuro in charge of organizing transport for the imperial prisoners. Hien: He will see they arrive at the appointed hour, leaving us free to rendezvous with our Confederate allies. Come, they await us on the riverbank not far from the castrum.
Confederate Skipper: Your party is assembled, then? Hien: Aye, and ready for what lies ahead, I trust. Lest there be any confusion, though... The tower across the water is to be the scene of the exchange─that, and whatever else Asahi has planned. Hien: But regardless of the ambassador's intentions, we will bring our people home. Yugiri─you are to evacuate the conscripts at the first sign of trouble. Yugiri: Yes, my lord. Alphinaud: We, meanwhile, shall cover their escape, and lend what support we can. Rasho: Your ship awaits you at the castrum's loading docks. She will see you safely home. Hien: Then all stand ready to play their part. Come! Let us be about it!
Asahi: At last, the hour has come. The conclusion to these negotiations will mark a new beginning for Doma and the Empire─a first step on the road to peaceful coexistence! Hien: Indeed. We are ready to proceed with the exchange when you are. Hien: Forgive my curiosity, Ambassador, but is there a purpose to these containers you bring with you? Asahi: Oh, the supply crates? They are filled with materials we hoped might be of use in Doma's restoration. I meant to gift them to you at our last meeting, but we had so much else to discuss... Hien: How very generous. I confess, I had not expected such compassion, welcome though it is. Hien: ...But then I was also surprised by the news that one of our captives had delivered herself into your custody ahead of time─a minor discrepancy I shall overlook in the spirit of the occasion. Yotsuyu: Are you perhaps referring to me, Lord Hien? Hien: Yotsuyu. Yotsuyu: Orphan of the Naeuri, widow of Sashihai... Yotsuyu: ...And acting viceroy of Doma! You and your people are mine to govern; mine to punish! Hien: Well, well. It would seem your shattered mind is mended. As per our agreement with the ambassador, you are free to return with him to the Empire. Hien: Your authority as acting viceroy, however, is no longer recognized here. Yotsuyu: My position is not for you to decide, little lordling. Yotsuyu: All who resist the rule of the Empire must be purged. Such was the order given to me by Lord Zenos himself! Yotsuyu: I will reign here in this putrid, pestilent swamp until the last of you has been broken! Yotsuyu: This land shall know no dawn. I will spew forth darkness and drown all in eternal night. And high above you I shall shine uncaring, cold and distant as the moon! Hien: What has she done!? Alphinaud: Oh, gods... This is a summoning! Asahi: A Doman citizen has called forth an eikon in direct violation of our primary agreement. The negotiations have failed. Abandon the captives, and make preparations to withdraw. Maxima: But, Ambassador... Asahi: Disobey me, Pilus, and you disobey the Emperor. Make preparations to withdraw─now. Maxima: ...As you command. Yugiri: My lord! You must fall back! Hien: You ask me to run!?
  • What will you say?
  • Leave this to me! Hien: Bah... Against such a foe, I would be more hindrance than help. The field is yours!
  • A strategic withdrawal! Hien: Spare my pride, would you? I know this foe is beyond me. The field is yours!
Hien: We will withdraw...but not without our countrymen. I want every soul accounted for. Every soul! Yugiri: My lord! ??? (Tsukuyomi): I knew you would not flee. I see now the strength which flows from that baleful light of yours. Tsukuyomi: But I am become Tsukuyomi, goddess of the moon and divinity of night. What power can compare to such celestial majesty!? Tsukuyomi: I shall plunge all I despise into darkness! And within that black abyss, even your light shall flicker and fail. Tsukuyomi: Come, let us cast the stalks and look upon the fate of Doma. I see a future in which the sun sets on this wretched land once and for all!

Castrum Fluminus

A Kojin relic. A hidden trove of crystals. Through these tools of ritual summoning, the restored Yotsuyu is reborn as Tsukuyomi—divinity of night and lady of the moon. This being of celestial majesty would rule from on high, and drown the lands of Doma in eternal darkness. Will your light shield Hien and his people, or will it flicker and fail before the encroaching abyss?
Tsukuyomi: Oh...it's going to be a long night. Tsukuyomi: Let's share the torment, shall we...? Tsukuyomi: Enough of that.
I wouldn't want the pain to grow familiar. Tsukuyomi: Struggle all you wish─I encourage it!
Your death will be all the sweeter... Tsukuyomi: Why does it fade away...? Tsukuyomi: ...Ah. I understand.
It feeds on my spite. On my suffering... Yotsuyu: Come forth, shades of the dead! Curse my name!
Strike my body! Fill my soul with blackest malice! Tsukuyomi's suffering fuels the fires of her malice! Specter of the Patriarch: Worthless excuse for a daughter.
You're nothing but trouble. Specter of the Matriarch: A font of misery, that's what you are! Yotsuyu: Yes, my dearest parents.
I was the bane of your existence unto the very end! Specter of Asahi: Fight like your life depends on it, dear sister.
You wouldn't want to disappoint me... Yotsuyu: If it isn't the cold-blooded little worm.
Always crawling through my rotten heart. Specter of Zenos: Your pitiful fortunes can bring you no lower... Yotsuyu: You have come to deliver judgment for my failure?
Cut me down, then. Surely it is a simple task! Specter of Gosetsu: Stay behind me, Tsuyu! Yotsuyu: Why...?
You have no place here... Specter of Gosetsu: You must survive, Tsuyu!
The kami spared us, and we cannot repay that boon in death! Yotsuyu: Perhaps... But it is too late for me.
There can be no redemption. Yotsuyu: A nightbloom shall flower here upon the site of my demise... Tsukuyomi: In darkness blooms the spider lily... Tsukuyomi: From mortal husk I rise anew! Tsukuyomi: Suffused with night, I shall prevail! Tsukuyomi: In moonlight's chill, shine petals pale... Tsukuyomi: No. No... Not yet.
Not. Yet. Tsukuyomi: This is far from over!
My bloodied hands have much left to accomplish! Tsukuyomi: Am I sunk to my lowest, then...?
Asahi: You really must learn to finish the job. Asahi: 'Tis true that a gaudy mirror and a handful of crystals make for a feeble summoning, but even the weakest eikon is a god of sorts. A threat that must be put down. Asahi: My, my, such hostility! These beings are the sworn enemies of the Empire─I merely did my duty as an imperial officer. Asahi: Will you surrender to anger, then? Slay an anointed emissary to avenge a fallen foe? Asahi: You cannot, of course. To do so would burn the bridges we have labored so hard to build! Asahi: Ah, but I'm forgetting: they're already ash! This Doman woman has seen to that! The Empire cannot ally itself with any nation that refuses to renounce summoning. I believe I was most clear on that point! Asahi: It should have been mine. Asahi: The power he bestowed upon her... I should have been the one to govern Doma! I would have repaid his faith! Asahi: No one alive loves him more than I! Asahi: Instead, this harlot betrayed his trust! Asahi: Useless...piece of...filth! Asahi: Worthless whore! Yotsuyu: Thank you, dear brother...for this precious gift. Vengeance. Yotsuyu: These people...our people...they ignore the corruption which festers beneath the surface. Cast aside that which is dirty and broken. Speak not of things which would disrupt their dreary little lives. Yotsuyu: Like you, Asahi...always pretending not to see. You were the first...the first I swore to kill. Yotsuyu: Ahhh...such bliss. I had thought my hunger insatiable...but now...now I am satisfied. Yotsuyu: You should feel honored, dear brother. I saved the last of my strength just...for you. Yotsuyu: What's the matter? The witch of Doma will soon be dead.
  • What will you say?
  • Gosetsu will mourn you. Yotsuyu: He will mourn Tsuyu, perhaps...
  • Tsuyu deserved a kinder fate. Yotsuyu: Her happiness was never to be... Not in this world.
Yotsuyu: I wonder... Was the fruit as sweet...as he remembered...? Asahi: Lord Zenos...
Asahi: Lord Zenos! Asahi: I am at your disposal. Zenos (Elidibus): Asahi. You were born of Doma, yes? Asahi: Yes, my lord! I am honored that you would remember me. How may I serve? Zenos (Elidibus): You are hereby appointed ambassador plenipotentiary, and empowered to speak with the voice of the Emperor. Return to your native land of Doma, and announce your intention to sue for peace. Asahi: ...For peace? Zenos (Elidibus): Once negotiations are underway, you are to locate the acting viceroy. Asahi: She lives? That is to say─I will, my lord. Zenos (Elidibus): When you have found her, you will initiate a ritual to call forth an eikon. I will instruct you in the necessary steps. Zenos (Elidibus): Yotsuyu's faith is unreliable. But as a child raised to believe in the kami, she will serve as a vessel for one of the Kojin's gods. She need only wish it to be so. Zenos (Elidibus): The power will seem a gift, but the eikon's essence will consume her. She will be no more than a husk, a slave to whim and desire. Asahi: My lord, ever since the day you saw fit to save my miserable life, I have dreamed of repaying your benevolence. Upon my honor, I swear to devote myself wholly to your service. All that you command will be done, no matter the cost. Asahi: B-But...I fear the subtleties of your plan yet elude me. From the reports I have heard, the champion who aids the Doman resistance would make short work of a single eikon... Zenos (Elidibus): The eikon is merely a message. The pacifist teachings of the Populares spread through this city like a plague, and I would remind the people of the threat we face. Zenos (Elidibus): You will be my chosen agent─the hand which tolls the warning bell. The salvation of this world will not be won through the signing of treaties. Asahi: Your chosen agent!? Asahi: I will not fail you, my lord!
Asahi: My... My master... Lord Zenos... He will come...for you. Hien: You have prevailed, I see! Gosetsu: She is gone. Gosetsu: Wherefore did the kami spare us only to inflict this pain...?
Hien: Death shall not want for company this day. You spared us a worse disaster, but I fear our fledgling peace with the Empire was beyond saving. Maxima: Lord Hien! Hien: Maxima, is it not? I assumed you long fled. Maxima: I entertain thoughts of escape even now. But our negotiations have yet to reach a satisfying conclusion. The ambassador insisted that the summoning spelled an end to our mission here, but it seemed to me there was more to the tale...
  • What will you say?
  • I saw a vision of Asahi's past...
  • Zenos was behind this plot.
Maxima: I have heard tell of this power you wield. And in your vision, you witnessed Lord Zenos giving these orders? Hien: But how can that be? Zenos is dead. He took his own life after the battle in Ala Mhigo. Hien: I saw his body with my own eyes! Maxima: Forgive me, but Lord Zenos is very much alive─he granted our party an audience prior to our departure. That he was gravely wounded is certain, but his recovery appeared to be proceeding apace. Alphinaud: I am afraid I share Lord Hien's confusion. The man's death was confirmed and his remains interred. These are matters of public record. Maxima: ...Hmm. I have no doubt you believe what you say. Maxima: But what then is the explanation? That an impostor has infiltrated the innermost circle of the imperial court? The idea is inconceivable, absurd...but worthy of investigation nonetheless. Our movement can ill afford to have a highly placed pretender undermining our efforts... Hien: Your efforts may yet bear fruit. Tell me, what is to become of our prisoner exchange? Though we have already taken custody of our conscripts, we have yet to release your imperial comrades. Do you still intend to collect them? Maxima: Ah. Yes, as the late ambassador's second-in-command, it falls to me to speak on the Empire's behalf. And I am happy to confirm our intent to proceed according to the original agreement. Hien: Then let us be about it. 'Twould be a pity to abandon such a promising beginning. Maxima: Indeed. You have my thanks, Lord Hien. As soon as our people are secure aboard our airship, we shall depart straightways for Garlemald. Hien: Tread lightly, Pilus. I sense treachery awaits you there. Alphinaud: Might I accompany you to the capital? Alisaie: Alphinaud! Have you gone mad!? Alphinaud: Impostor or no, if Zenos was instructing Asahi on the finer points of ritual summoning, then experience tells us there is an Ascian waiting in the wings. Alphinaud: Without our knowledge and expertise, our new friends will be hard-pressed to contend with a foe for whom death is but a minor inconvenience. They need our help. Maxima: Were you indeed willing to share your knowledge of this enemy, we would not shun your counsel. Hien: You truly mean to do this? In full knowledge of the danger? Alphinaud: I have seen the Warrior of Light risk her life on countless occasions. Next to her, I am scarce more than a distraction on the battlefield. Alphinaud: But in the meeting room or the audience chamber, there I can make a difference. I can strike bargains, forge ties, and change minds. And where better to do these things than in the home of our old enemy?
  • What will you say?
  • This is your moment!
  • I believe in you, Alphinaud!
Hien: 'Tis not for me to stop you─but I would have you consider an alternative arrangement. Rather than braving the Empire as a simple traveler, go forth as an emissary of Doma. Such a position should offer you some measure of protection. Alisaie: Go, then. You've obviously made up your mind. Alisaie: Just try not to do anything reckless, all right? Alphinaud: I shall be on my best behavior. Farewell, my friends.
Hien: I knew Asahi was planning some manner of treachery, but a summoning...? Thank the kami you were here, my friend. None of us would have escaped Yotsuyu's vengeance had you not intervened. Hien: She was a pawn, aye, but she still had a choice, and she chose to submit to the ambassador's plan. 'Tis little wonder Gosetsu departed in silence. Yugiri: I gather he left the same way he came: alone aboard a rowing boat. As for the conscripts, most made it to the sekibune before the battle began in earnest, but the vessel yet waits on the riverbank for those who did not flee in time. Hien: Then I suggest we put this doleful place behind us, and make for the enclave together. 'Twould be a shame to miss the joyous reunion!
Hien: How often have I imagined this moment... Thank you for helping it come to pass.
Gosetsu: Ah, there you are. Alisaie: Gosetsu, your hair! Yugiri: My friend... What have you done...? Gosetsu: An old man who cannot raise his blade has no place in the service of a young lord. Gosetsu: Thus did I decide to devote my remaining days to pilgrimage. I will walk this land, offering prayers of repose for all the souls who left this life in suffering. Hien: ...All of them?
  • What will you say?
  • Safe travels, Gosetsu! Gosetsu: A fulsome farewell makes for an enjoyable journey!
  • Don't leave us, Gosetsu! Gosetsu: This is no forlorn and final farewell! Send me on my way with a smile, my friends!
Hien: Scarcely have we said our good-byes to Alphinaud, and you leave us too. Ah, but 'tis well that my companions find their own way forward. I must endeavor to do the same. Gosetsu: I have faith that you will find the best path for Doma without me, my lord. Pray forgive me this last act of selfishness, and grant me your blessing. Hien: You have earned it. A thousand times over! Hien: Go in peace, my friend. I shall make of Doma a land where children laugh and none need live in fear. Gosetsu: There is no better way to honor those who went before... Gosetsu: And with that I take my leave!
Hien: Ah, Gosetsu... Fair journey to you, my friend. Hien: A bittersweet occasion...but there is yet ample cause to be grateful! Pray join us in the Kienkan. I would thank you properly.
Kienkan Guardsman: Lord Hien is expecting you. May I show you in?
  • Enter the Kienkan?
  • Yes
  • No
Hien: Our brothers and sisters are returned to us, and the dream of Doma's restoration is that much closer to being realized. It is a day that will live long in memory, and one that would never have dawned without the courageous actions of the Scions. On behalf of Doma and her people, we give you our deepest thanks. Hien: Lest you think me complacent, I assure you, I have not forgotten the dark cloud on the horizon. That Zenos lives is a source of grave concern─mayhap the gravest─yet there is little to be done but wait for Alphinaud to send word. Until then, I plan to devote myself to fulfilling the promise I made to Gosetsu, by building a nation in which none need live in fear. Hien: <sigh> I confess, I miss him already. But the thought that he has at last found peace goes some way to softening the blow.
I wonder, did you ever stop to ask yourself why he showed Yotsuyu such kindness? Hien: I believe the answer lies in past tragedy─specifically, the death of his wife and daughter during the invasion. Though he hid it well, they were never far from his thoughts, and in Yotsuyu's childlike mien, I believe he saw not a fallen tyrant, but the little girl who was lost to him. Hien: After the loss of his family, Gosetsu devoted himself wholly to the service of his country. He suffered any hardship, strove beyond the limits of endurance without hesitation or complaint. Hien: Though Tsuyu could never truly replace his daughter, I had hoped that with her at his side, he might live out the remainder of his days in relative contentment... Yugiri: Would that the kami had been so minded. Even now, I labor to discern any meaning in Yotsuyu's fate. To deliver her from certain death, with no memory of her sins, only to leave her at the mercy of her stepbrother? Can that truly have been their will? Hien: That I cannot tell you. The will of the kami is not for us to know. Hien: But what I do know is that for a brief moment, a girl known as “Tsuyu” lived among us... Hien: ...And that she brought with her a whisper of respite for a grieving heart.
Under the Moonlight Alisaie seems ready to bid farewell to Doma.
Alisaie: I think it's time we were going, don't you? We've done all we can here, and we have a lot to report. Alisaie: But before we head back to the Rising Stones, let's call in at Rhalgr's Reach. We should be the ones to tell Lyse about Zenos. After everything we went through together, we owe her that.
Lyse: Forename! Alisaie! You're back!
...Hm? No Alphinaud? Alisaie: It's good to see you, Lyse. As for my headstrong brother, he's off on what will almost certainly turn out to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Garlemald. Alisaie: It's a long story, but...we have evidence that Zenos might still be alive. Lyse: What!? But that's─ If this is a joke─ Gods, this had better be a joke! Lyse: Look─I know what I saw, all right? We all saw it. And here you are saying he's alive and well and living the high life back in Garlemald!? Alisaie: I know how ludicrous this sounds. I'm still having difficulty believing it myself. But while I might doubt the word of an imperial envoy, I'm inclined to trust Forename's. She saw the crown prince through the Echo─in a meeting that could only have taken place in the recent past.
  • What will you say?
  • It was him. It was Zenos.
  • Zenos is alive.
Lyse: No, it must have been─I don't know─some kind of...really convincing impostor. Zenos is dead. He had a great big hole in his neck! We buried him! M'naago: Aye, and someone went to the trouble of desecrating the bastard's grave, remember? ??? (Thancred): Thal's gilded...halls. Whatever are you talking about? Lyse: Thancred! What brings you to the Reach? Thancred: Alphinaud had me lending a hand at the Saltery─keeping an eye on the rebuilding work and so on─just until operations were up and running. And now that they are, I thought I might look in on you before wending my weary way back to headquarters. Thancred: Forgive me if I misheard, but is there some suggestion the late crown prince could have...gotten better? If so, might I suggest a quick look inside his coffin as our first order of business? Lyse: Eurgh. As much as I hated the man, it doesn't feel right defiling his grave. But if it will put this rumor to rest, I suppose we have to. And when there are no curious eyes about, if we can manage it. M'naago: Zenos is buried up at Bloodhowe in the Lochs. His grave was set apart from the others and left unmarked, so as not to upset the locals. Lyse: Then it shouldn't be too hard to find. Naago, you're in charge until I get back!
Lyse: This is it... Gods, he'd better be in there. Someone scrawled all over the stone a while ago, but I had it scrubbed off, and thought no more about it... Thancred: So no one thought to check if the coffin was still occupied? Well then, we are presented with but one course of action. Thancred: And we had best be sure we are not observed in the doing of it. Shall we begin?
Thancred: Oh dear. We seem to be missing a corpse. Alisaie: Well it must be somewhere. I only hope it isn't walking around...
Lyse: If there's no corpse, then...are we to conclude the rumors are true? Thancred: Not necessarily. We might still be dealing with a doppelganger of some kind. An agent could have been sent to dispose of the body in a bid to lend credence to the tale of Zenos's resurrection. Thancred: More and more, however, I find myself siding with Alphinaud's theory of Ascian possession. Speaking from experience, I can tell you they have no qualms about taking a living host, let alone a dead one... Lyse: You're saying an Ascian is walking around in Zenos's body? Thancred: It seems a distinct possibility. Once I have put this grave back the way we found it, I shall pay a visit to the people responsible for interring the crown prince. Thancred: Before leaping to any conclusions, I want to know for sure if a body was ever buried here...and how certain we are that Zenos was properly dead. Lyse: If he wasn't, that was some trick. He as good as cut his own head off. Anyway, Raubahn needs to hear about this. If you find anything out, send word to me at Rhalgr's Reach. Alisaie: <sigh> I don't know why I'm surprised─with matters settling down in Doma, we were due another crisis. Alisaie: Shall we make for the Rising Stones, then? It's past time we shared these developments with the others.
Alisaie: While I was waiting for you to arrive, I spoke with Urianger over linkpearl and gave him a full report. Y'shtola is on her way, and should be here any─ Ah. Y'shtola: Alisaie. Forename. 'Tis good to see you safe and well. What news have you from the East? Y'shtola: ...Disturbing developments indeed. Given all that we know, I too would conclude that an Ascian now inhabits Zenos's body. A doppelganger might fool the crown prince's subordinates, but Forename? Nay, Alphinaud had the right of it. Y'shtola: Would that his wisdom extended to the question of his own safety. Capable though he has become, he ventures alone into the enemy's stronghold─and the shadowy web of the Paragons, like as not. Alisaie: When it comes to making rash decisions, I'm hardly in a position to criticize, but... Alisaie: I'm worried. I just wish there were something I could do for him besides pray.
Meanwhile, in the imperial palace... Varis zos Galvus: We cannot suffer eikons to exist. Was I not clear on this point? Zenos (Elidibus): More than clear. The eikon in question was summarily dispatched by the Warrior of Light. The summoner is dead, and the rite beyond repeating. Zenos (Elidibus): Everything proceeded according to plan─every party behaving exactly as required. Zenos (Elidibus): My methods may seem extreme, but there is no cause for concern. I work only to ensure the salvation of this star.
Roegadyn Soldier: Hm? What are you doing fiddling with that thing? Roegadyn Soldier: I asked you a question, soldier! Roegadyn Soldier: What are you─ Have you lost your mind!? Roegadyn Soldier: Aaah! Katana-wielding Soldier (Zenos): ...I have lost many things, but my mind is yet my own. Katana-wielding Soldier (Zenos): There upon the stage I stood, prepared to take my final bow, only to find that the finale was but an intermission... Katana-wielding Soldier (Zenos): Shall I use this chance to repent for my sins? Embrace goodness and mediocrity? Nay, I think not. While the one I yearn to face yet lives, the hunt must go on.
Emissary of the Dawn With thoughts of Alphinaud's plight weighing heavy on her mind, Alisaie might welcome some company.
Alisaie: It's been an eventful few days, hasn't it. But I suppose all we can do now is wait for word from Alphinaud. Alisaie: Hmph. I don't recall the last time I had nothing pressing to be getting on with... We should probably make the most of it. Shall I put on some tea? Y'shtola: Tea would be lovely. You may regale me with the tale of your adventures in the Far East─and of your encounter with this new primal especially. Alisaie: I'll put the kettle on, then. That table looks free if you'd like to take a seat.
  • Sit at the table?
  • Yes
  • No
Y'shtola: ...Interesting. So this Tsukuyomi was summoned in much the same manner as Susano─via the medium of a sacred relic. Alisaie: That's right. They believe their gods─or kami─reside in physical objects. Y'shtola: Given the danger they represent, it may behoove us to begin a catalog of such relics. But if we are to contain the threat, we will require a better understanding of the summoning method itself. I believe I shall pay a visit to Doma, and learn what I can on the subject. Alisaie: A fine idea. And I know for a fact that our friends in Doma would be grateful for any information which could help to prevent further summoning in the region. Alisaie: I will pen you a letter of introduction─Lord Hien will wish to welcome our resident expert on aetherology. Thancred: Greetings! Could it be that I'm in time for tea? Alisaie: It certainly looks that way. Come on─sit down and tell us how your investigations went. Thancred: After you left, I went about questioning Bloodhowe's gravekeepers. They all told much the same story: once Lyse and her officers had confirmed Zenos dead, his corpse was interred under strict supervision. Thancred: There seems little reason to doubt their testimony on that point, but when I mentioned the defacement of Zenos's grave, accounts grew rather more vague. Thancred: None reported having seen any suspicious persons in the vicinity, and all assumed the act to have been perpetrated by a vengeful Ala Mhigan. Crucially, however, I was able to confirm that when the offending scrawl was removed, as per Lyse's instruction, no one involved thought to check the contents of the coffin. By that stage, 'tis like that the corpse was already missing. Thancred: Assuming Zenos has not, in fact, risen from the dead, we are left with two possibilities: either the body was disposed of to lend credence to the claims of an extremely committed impostor, or an Ascian has taken up residence within it. Y'shtola: If Asahi was as fervent a devotee as you believe, he would not have been fooled by an impersonation, however committed. We must assume that we are dealing with an Ascian, and proceed accordingly. Thancred: Agreed. The question is, how many more such monsters are waiting for Alphinaud in Garlemald? Alisaie: Their presence was his chief reason for going. He understood the risks. I only hope he did not underestimate the extent of the infestation...
Meanwhile, on the Imperial Hypersonic Assault Craft L-XXV... Maxima: Master Alphinaud, we are making good speed towards our destination. Is aught amiss? Alphinaud: Nay, 'tis just...I can see naught from my cabin, and was curious to know the land over which we flew. Maxima: Ah. I am afraid our military craft are built with little thought for such niceties. I am happy to indulge your curiosity, however. We are presently passing over the Burn on the western edge of Othard. Even with the benefit of a porthole, your gaze would have been greeted with naught but malms upon malms of lifeless earth. Alphinaud: I have read something of the Burn. It was described as a desolate wasteland, bled dry of every last drop of aether... Maxima: Aye. It is believed that a succession of eikon summonings was responsible. Maxima: When Emperor Solus first came to Othard and beheld this blight, he is said to have reeled at the scale of the devastation. He declared eikons a threat to our very star's existence, and issued an Empire-wide decree ordering the eradication of all such entities. Maxima: Hngh! Report! Imperial Pilot: We're under attack, sir! Magitek armor─no visible designation. Alphinaud: Magitek!? But who─? Alphinaud: Aaah! Maxima: All cannons, return fire! Damage report! Imperial Pilot: The main reactor's been hit! Helm unresponsive! We're going down, sir! Maxima: Damn it! They knew exactly where to hit us.
All hands─brace for impact!
Maxima: Glad to have you back, Master Alphinaud. We have landed in one piece─more or less. Maxima: But the air filtration system is damaged, and the ship is filling with smoke. We must gather the survivors and get out while we still can. Alphinaud: Aye... Aye.
Maxima the Neoteric: Master Alphinaud, might I ask you to search for survivors?
I will see to our injured helmsmen. Wounded Popularis: My thanks...
I don't think I would have made it... Maxima the Neoteric: Yes, you very likely saved his life.
The question of who would try to take it remains, however... Hostile Commander: Put these last few out of their misery.
The prince wishes none left alive! Maxima the Neoteric: The prince...!? Alphinaud: They've not come to parley, I fear...
Ready your weapons!
Alphinaud: Confound it! Not here. Not like this! Maxima: Wha─? Who in the Emperor's name─? Alphinaud: Enemies of our enemies. Introductions can wait! Maxima: You are calm in a crisis, Master Alphinaud. Let us finish this, then!
Hostile Stranger: By the Emperor, that man is a fiend!
Cross formation! Deploy restraints! Menacing Mercenary (Gaius): Bah!
A child's trick! Menacing Mercenary (Gaius): Gaaarrrggghhh! Menacing Mercenary (Gaius): My thanks, boy!
Alphinaud: My thanks. Your intervention proved most timely. Menacing Mercenary (Gaius): Well, well...
I did not think to meet an Eorzean in this place, let alone a Scion. Alphinaud: You know of me, sir? Menacing Mercenary (Gaius): I have some small...history with your order. Menacing Mercenary (Gaius): But I would speak of the present. Know you your assailants? And the severity of your predicament? Maxima: The soldiers bore the insignia of the Emperor's personal guard... Alphinaud: And I could venture a guess as to their motive. But you yet have us at a disadvantage, sir─will you not tell us who you are? Menacing Mercenary (Gaius): Our names are not yours for the asking. And as for our purpose...let this be your answer. Alphinaud: An Ascian mask! Menacing Mercenary (Gaius): The face of our prey. Menacing Mercenary (Gaius): We must away before more arrive. Come with us or stay, but make your choice now. Maxima: Even should we manage the long trek out of the Burn and secure passage to the capital, we would no doubt be greeted by the Emperor's guard... Alphinaud: Indeed.
We accept your gracious offer, uh... Shadowhunter (Gaius): “Shadowhunter” will suffice for the present. Shadowhunter (Gaius): Come.
Alisaie: Ugh, this is intolerable. But as much as I wish it were otherwise, there is nothing we can do for Alphinaud now but pray for his success. Thancred: Well...that is not entirely true. Thancred: While your brother journeys to Garlemald from the east, I could make my way there from Ala Mhigo and find out what there is to be learned in the Empire's western provinces. Alisaie: Then I'm coming with you! I can't very well sit here sipping tea if there's action to be taken! Thancred: Forgive me, Alisaie, but the provinces are hostile territory, and stealth is all important. It is safer that I go alone. Alisaie: I can sneak well enough when the situation demands it! Don't patronize me!
  • What will you say to Alisaie?
  • We should leave this to Thancred. Alisaie: Not you too. Y'shtola: I understand your frustration, Alisaie, but Forename has the right of it. We must defer to Thancred's expertise in this matter.
  • I'll go with him. Alisaie: And how exactly would that be any better? Thancred: Ahem. I must refuse your company as well, my friend. Formidable though you are, the success of my mission depends on moving unnoticed, and lest you forget, you have grown rather famous. I trust you understand...
Alisaie: <sigh> ...Fine. Just promise you'll be careful.
Alisaie: It seems that praying is to be the extent of my contribution after all.
...But I will stay behind, as I have been bid. Thancred: We all have our talents. Mine just happen to involve a silver tongue and soft soles. I promise to send word the moment I learn aught of consequence. Y'shtola: See that you notify me too. I mean to depart for Doma as soon as I find a suitable East Aldenard vessel to bear me thither, but I shall return if I am needed. Alisaie: Be sure to drop in whenever you're next in the area, Forename. With any luck, I'll have a painfully detailed report from Alphinaud to share.

Stormblood: Prelude in Violet (4.4)

Sisterly Act Alisaie is impatiently fussing with her linkpearl.
Alisaie: Oh, Forename. If you've come here hoping for news, I'm afraid there isn't any. Alisaie: Everything is exactly as it was. Y'shtola is still investigating primals in the Far East, Thancred is still gathering intelligence in the imperial provinces, and Alphinaud is still...out there somewhere. Alisaie: There's been no word since his first scheduled report, nor does he respond to calls. And all the while, I'm just meant to sit around here waiting. It's driving me mad! Alliance Herald: Begging your pardons! I bear a message from the Eorzean Alliance! Alisaie: Thank the gods for that. We have a visitor. Alisaie: Welcome to the Rising Stones. If you have a message, I should be most eager to hear it. Alliance Herald: My lady! The Alliance leadership will soon convene to discuss the matter of Ascian interference, and they humbly request the presence of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Alliance Herald: Having assessed intelligence provided by the Ala Mhigan Resistance concerning the whereabouts of Zenos's remains, they too suspect Ascian involvement, and wish to deliberate a suitable course of action. Alliance Herald: As the foremost authorities on our foe, your order's counsel would be most welcome. Alisaie: Of course, we should be glad to assist in whatever way we can. Alisaie: With almost everyone else afield, I'd say this one falls to us. By which I mean, I'm not going on my own. You'll come with me, I trust?
  • What will you say?
  • Of course I will.
  • I'd rather not. Alisaie: If you would rather not, how do you think I feel? I despise formal occasions, as you well know. But in the absence of Alphinaud and the others, we'll just have to grin and bear it, won't we.
Alisaie: Well, there you have it. We accept the invitation. Alliance Herald: Thank you! The time and date of the meeting will be shared in due course, but I can confirm that the council will take place in Ala Mhigo. By your leave... Alisaie: I somehow doubt we'll have anything useful to offer, but standing mutely at a meeting would still be better than the nothing I've been doing of late. Let's make ready to depart, shall we? ??? (Riol): ...Thancred!? What's going on, man? Riol: ...All right! Just be careful on the road back, ye hear! Alisaie: Did I hear right, Riol? Is Thancred coming back? Riol: Aye, that he is. Says he's acquired some important intelligence. Riol: Bein' in Garlean territory, though, he couldn't risk sharin' the particulars in case the imperials were listenin' in. So he said he'd head back as quick as he could, and to make sure someone was waitin' for him in the Ala Mhigan Quarter. Alisaie: Understood! Forename and I will go! Alisaie: We're bound for Ala Mhigo anyway, and there's sure to be time before the council begins. Come on, let's be off.
Thancred: You two are a sight for sore eyes. Now all I need is water for my parched throat. Fetch me a cup, will you? Traipsing through imperial territory is thirsty work...
Thancred: Gods, I needed that. Alisaie: I won't bother telling you to catch your breath. Whatever brought you galloping back to us, I assume it's urgent. Thancred: Quite. Without further ado, then. Thancred: After the successful uprisings in Doma and Ala Mhigo, rebels in several other provinces were inspired to follow suit. Unfortunately, they did not fare quite so well. Thancred: The Dalmascans paid the heaviest price. For their defiance, the Emperor made a show of razing their capital to the ground, prompting many of their neighbors to abandon thoughts of resistance. Thancred: But not all have given up on liberty. Heartened by the news of Doma's prisoner exchange, some still believe that the Empire may one day be amenable to negotiation. Thancred: We have the shinobi to thank for spreading the good word. They have worked tirelessly to keep the subjugated informed, and a little knowledge can go a long way. Alisaie: There is at least a spark of hope, then. Thancred: A spark in want of kindling, yes. The Alliance has already begun supplying materiel to resistance movements abroad, many of whom would otherwise struggle to continue the fight. Thancred: The support effort is being led by the sultana and the Elder Seedseer, who have both seen enough Ala Mhigan refugees to know the consequences of oppression. And for their troubles, they have quickly earned a reputation as folk heroes in certain corners of the Empire. Thancred: That is all for the provinces. As for the Garlean motherland itself... Thancred: Our friends the Populares have suffered something of a setback, I regret to say. Talk is rife that Doma has summoned a primal, and the Empire's more liberal voices are being drowned out in the fearful clamor for retribution. Alisaie: And who do they think orchestrated this summoning!? Thancred: Oh, any but those truly responsible. Zenos has seen to that. Thancred: Speaking of whom, the crown prince is recovering remarkably well. Well enough, in fact, to enable him to personally tour the provinces, putting the fear of the Emperor into the hearts of any would-be dissidents. Alisaie: He walks in plain sight? And none suspect him? Then it's as we feared... Thancred: Yes. An Ascian wears his skin. Thancred: ...But it was not that which brought me here in such haste. During my time in the provinces, I learned many things, yet at no point did I hear any report of a Doman emissary in the capital. Alisaie: But Alphinaud should have arrived by now. Could they be holding him there in secret? Thancred: The possibility did cross my mind─but I have reason to believe he never reached his destination. Thancred: As you know, Scions assigned to covert operations, such as Riol and myself, are issued special linkpearls for communication in the event of an emergency. Thancred: I mention this because it was originally Alphinaud's task to coordinate the response at headquarters─meaning he has one. And whose voice should I hear when mine recently crackled to life...? Alisaie: You spoke with Alphinaud!? Thancred: Spoke with, no. I but heard his voice─and none too clearly at that. Two words were all I could make out. Thancred: “The Burn.” Alisaie: The wasteland on the edge of Othard? Something must have happened to them there! Alisaie: There's no time to waste! We must make for the Burn at once! Thancred: I had a feeling you might say that. Alisaie: And? I can't very well sit around here drinking tea if Alphinaud is in trouble. You said yourself that this linkpearl was only to be used in emergencies. Alisaie: So I'm going, and that's the end of it. Thancred: Well, far be it from me to change your minds.
Alisaie: Loath though I am to neglect making preparations for the council, we must act swiftly before Alphinaud's trail goes cold. Alisaie: I propose we first pay Hien a visit. He's sure to want to hear about these developments, and he may well be able to advise us on how best to reach the Burn. Thancred: A sound plan. And Y'shtola is in Doma, is she not? I daresay she'd join you in the search if you asked her nicely. Thancred: While you see to all that, I shall go and report my findings to the Alliance. You may leave any preparations for the council to me. Alisaie: Thank you, Thancred. Right, to Doma, then. We have much and more to share with Y'shtola.
Y'shtola: ...Hmm. That is curious indeed. While other matters demand my attention at present, I shall bear what you have told me in mind. Should you notice any change, do not hesitate to seek me out. Doman Miner: Thank you, my lady. You are most kind. Y'shtola: ...Well, well. Two faces from the dim and distant past. Alisaie: Come now, it hasn't been that long. Who was that you were speaking with? Y'shtola: A local miner who supplies crystals for the rebuilding effort. Of late, he claims to have struggled to find a crystal with so much as a trace of elemental energy. Y'shtola: Upon learning that I had some knowledge of aether, he came seeking my counsel. Just now he brought me one of his recent finds. Y'shtola: It was precisely as he described─devoid of elemental energy...and eerily reminiscent of the deaspected crystals that manifested in Eorzea in the days prior to the Calamity. We would be wise to investigate this phenomenon more closely. Alisaie: Indeed... But on a more positive note, the locals seem to have taken a liking to you. Y'shtola: More an interest in than a liking to, I think. The sight of a Miqo'te with a peculiar contraption upon her head has a certain novelty value in these parts. Any actual regard they may have for me, I owe wholly to you and the others who came before. Everyone here has been exceedingly cooperative, and I am pleased to report that I have all but concluded my investigation. Y'shtola: Simply put, by focusing one's will upon an aether-infused object of worship, it is possible to conduct a summoning. Alisaie: ...So, the fact that they are objects of worship is the key? They are themselves suffused with the requisite belief? Y'shtola: Correct. Such sacred relics as the Kojin collect obviate the need for religious fervor in the summoner─Yotsuyu being the most obvious example. She had but to associate the artifact given to her by Asahi with the divine, and it served to amplify her desires and give them form. Y'shtola: A form nourished through the power of crystals, also provided by her brother. And thus was Tsukuyomi brought into being. Y'shtola: Which brings me to the question of preventative measures─to which I have yet to find a satisfactory answer. At present, I know of naught that will avail us, save to keep watch over the movement of relics and crystals. As if we did not have enough to keep watch over already... Y'shtola: ...But I doubt you came all this way to hear that which may be perused in a report. Has something happened to Alphinaud? Y'shtola: ...Hm. I shall join you in the search, of course. Alisaie: Thank you, Y'shtola. I should be glad of your help. Truly. Alisaie: Now, if there's nothing else, I shall go on ahead and request an audience with Lord Hien. Y'shtola: Alisaie puts on a brave face, but she has little talent for concealment. We should join her at the Kienkan.
Kienkan Guardsman: Lord Hien is expecting you. May I show you in?
  • Enter the Kienkan?
  • Yes
  • No
Hien: Greetings, my friend. Alisaie has explained all to me. Hien: Needless to say, you shall have our full cooperation in the search. Even if Alphinaud's trail does lead to the Burn, of all places...
Feel the Burn Hien is mulling over the details of Alphinaud's linkpearl call.
Hien: The region known as the Burn occupies a special place in Garlean history. Every child in the Empire is familiar with the tale. Hien: In the distant past, it was a verdant land teeming with life, but successive summonings saw it bled dry of aether and reduced to a desert. It was upon beholding the devastation that primals had wrought that Emperor Solus was spurred to embark upon his crusade against their kind. Y'shtola: The Burn offers a glimpse of the future we seek to prevent. Know you of any reason why Alphinaud might have gone there? Hien: Aye. Mischance. Though it lies on the route to Garlemald, it is no place to make a stop. My guess is they encountered some manner of trouble there. Hien: In any event, I am of the same mind as Alisaie─we have no choice but to take our search to the Burn. Given the considerable distances involved, 'tis best we went by bird. Hien: Forename and I have our yols. Yugiri, will you ready falcons for the others? Yugiri: I shall gather our swiftest birds. Yugiri: Near the House of the Fierce, there is an overlook. Pray join us there once you have seen to your preparations.
Hien: If everyone is here and possessed of a bird, let us away. Hien: Remember, our destination is a barren wasteland. There is no civilization to speak of for a hundred malms in all directions. Take care you do not lose your way.

The Burn

En route to Garlemald, Alphinaud made a final linkpearl call to Thancred before falling silent. During the one-sided and distorted communication, he is said to have spoken the words “The Burn”—the name of the vast wasteland on the western edge of Othard. Once a verdant region teeming with flora and fauna, repeated summonings saw it bled of aether and reduced to a barren desert. But even in an unforgiving environment such as this, life has endured. In a fierce struggle for what little aether yet remains, the Burn’s beastly denizens have grown uncommonly savage, and you and your comrades must contend with their dangerous ilk as you scour its white sands for Alphinaud’s trail.
Yugiri: Make ready, friends. We are come to the Burn. Hien: Everyone! Land where you can! We must wait out the storm!
Y'shtola: That was quite a sandstorm...
Yugiri: Falling rocks! Alisaie: Watch your heads, everyone!
Hien: I daresay we're in that creature's home. Y'shtola: A scorpion clad in crystal. How curious. Y'shtola: Amazing that life could adapt to such a harsh environment. Yugiri: One cannot underestimate the will to survive.
Alisaie: Is this Allagan...? Y'shtola: Aye. The aether here is unmistakable.
Y'shtola: It seems we've trespassed upon their lair. Hien: Never a dull moment in this cavern!
Y'shtola: Both machina and facility are still operational. Alisaie: Not for much longer, they won't be! Excavatory Node: Reinforcements required. <buzzzzzz> Deploying auxiliary drones. Excavatory Node: Deploying rock biters. <buzzzzzz> Initiating obstacle removal protocol. Alisaie: Those blades could do some serious damage. Y'shtola: As much as I would like to examine this place, we should press on. Hien: Indeed. Perhaps there will be time later.
Hien: 'Tis easy to see why they say this place was “bled dry.” Y'shtola: No matter the odds, life always finds a way...
Yugiri: That a sandworm could have grown to such proportions... Alisaie: I'm glad we don't have to face it alive.
Alisaie: That dragon formed from the mist! Y'shtola: Another of Allag's pitiable slaves, I'd wager.
Alisaie: Please be safe, Alphinaud...
Y'shtola: Dragons at Allagan ruins are seldom a coincidence.
Hien: That there in the distance...
Yugiri: That dragons was as much mist as it was flesh.
Hien: Ah! There you are! Hien: Between contending with bloodthirsty beasts and sand in my...every conceivable place, I had begun to despair of finding you again. Yugiri: Do you recognize the crashed ship over yonder? Yugiri: Mistress Alisaie and I briefly inspected it. It is the vessel that bore Master Alphinaud away. Alisaie: But there was no sign of him. Nor of Maxima and his people.
Hien: Between contending with bloodthirsty beasts and sand in my...every conceivable place, I'm quite ready to leave this wasteland. But first things first... Hien: Do you see the crashed ship over yonder? Hien: Judging by its class, it must be the vessel that bore Master Alphinaud away. Y'shtola: Warmachina. It would seem they were involved in a struggle. Y'shtola: There may be clues. We should split up and search the area.
Alisaie: There's no sign of Alphinaud. Nor of Maxima and his people. Yugiri: Hm. These were no ordinary soldiers. Yugiri: Over here! Yugiri: The insignia on this man's uniform identifies him as one of the Emperor's personal guard. Y'shtola: Handpicked soldiers answering only to the royal family... Hien: That would explain why all the casualties are Garlean. They were fighting their own. Alisaie: You're saying the Emperor was behind all this? That Alphinaud is his prisoner?
  • What will you say?
  • We don't know that yet.
  • Alphinaud is fine, I'm sure of it.
Hien: Aye, we must not jump to conclusions. Besides, Alphinaud is more than capable of looking after himself, is he not? Yugiri: I suggest we return to Doma to consider our options. Whatever happened here, Master Alphinaud is long gone, and any subsequent search may safely be left in the hands of the shinobi. Yugiri: <whistle> Alisaie: Where in the world are you, Brother? If you die on me, I will never let you hear the end of it.
Hien: Well, that was a decidedly uneventful journey. I almost found myself hoping for a sandstorm. Hien: Joking aside, I'd say our birds are due a good brush down and a treat or two, wouldn't you?
Shadows in the Empire Hien has a request for the Scions.
Hien: I had hoped to steal a moment's rest after our little outing, but it would seem duty calls. A foreign emissary arrived in my absence. Y'shtola: Do not let us keep you then. Hien: Actually...I was wondering if you might join me. I cannot think of a guest who could fail to be impressed by the presence of the Scions─at least, none I should be happy to receive. Alisaie: Of course─if you think it will be useful. Hien: Thank you. Let us return to my manor, then.
Kienkan Guardsman: Lord Hien is expecting you. May I show you in?
  • Enter the Kienkan?
  • Yes
  • No
Y'shtola: Lyse! What brings you here? Lyse: Oh, Alliance business. We have a request for Doma─well, Hien. Lyse: But that can wait. They told me you were out searching for Alphinaud. Did you manage to pick up his trail? Lyse: Well, if he wasn't at the crash site, he might still have escaped. We have to keep searching! Hien: And we will. Alphinaud embarked on this journey as an emissary of Doma, and I hold myself responsible for his safe return. I will have our shinobi in the provinces search for him as a matter of urgency. Hien: Chin up, Alisaie. You'll get to admonish your brother for his recklessness yet. Alisaie: Well, someone has to do it. Lyse: I'm sure he's going to be fine. There is one thing I'm not sure about, though. Lyse: You said it was the Emperor's personal guard that attacked Alphinaud's airship. Lyse: But the Populares would never have been able to arrange the prisoner exchange without Varis's blessing. So why would he sabotage his own mission? Yugiri: They may not have been acting on Varis's orders. The guard answer not only to him, but to his family. The crown prince, included. Hien: When Yotsuyu summoned Tsukuyomi, Asahi was quick to proclaim that a Doman citizen had violated the terms of our agreement. That the negotiations had failed. Hien: And it is this version of events that is now being repeated across Garlemald. To hear the tale, one would think the prisoner exchange never took place. Plainly, someone is manipulating matters from the shadows. Most likely Zenos─or whoever it is that wears his face. Y'shtola: Whichever Ascian, you mean. We all know the nature of our adversary. Hien: The servants of chaos are true to their name. Their meddling has cost Doma a chance at peace. Hien: Whoever it was that loosed his personal guard, the Emperor cannot be ignorant of these developments. We must proceed on the assumption that our treaty is indeed in tatters. Hien: But come, Lyse, you have journeyed far. Let me hear your petition. Lyse: Right, so, the big news is that Ala Mhigo has agreed to join the Eorzean Alliance. Lyse: To make it official, and discuss where we all go from here, the leaders of the five nations are planning to hold a meeting, and we were hoping you might come too. Lyse: We've already seen what we can achieve when we work together, and the Alliance hopes to work even more closely in future. They think it's our best hope of keeping the Garleans in check─and I agree. Hien: As do I. By coordinating our efforts in the east and west, we may be able to discourage them from committing their forces to a single front. Hien: I accept your invitation. I must, however, ask for time to attend to some pressing matters here. Hien: In light of recent events, the risk of imperial reprisals is greater than ever, and I would not leave Doma unguarded. Ere I depart, I must shore up her defenses. Lyse: Understood. I'll let the Alliance know. Lyse: We'll wait to hear from you before setting a date. The meeting's to be held at the Royal Palace in Ala Mhigo, incidentally. Do you remember the way? Hien: Well enough. Please assure my hosts that I will not keep them waiting any longer than I have to. Lyse: Consider it done! And thank you for agreeing to come. If we all put our heads together, we're sure to find the best way forward. For everyone.
Hien: My advisors and I will presently convene to discuss the matter of Doma's defenses. You are welcome to stay, of course... Y'shtola: Had you not offered, I would have requested leave to remain. Where the Ascians are concerned, naught may be left to chance. Hien: As ever, we would benefit from your experience. Hien: I thank you for coming, Lyse─even if it was on official business. I had hoped there might be time to show you the land you helped to save, but I will settle for a fleeting visit if needs must. Lyse: There never does seem to be enough time for anything, does there... But I did get to see a little of the enclave. You've made excellent progress, I must say! And soon you'll have the chance to see how we're getting on too. Till the meeting, then! Lyse: ...Um, Forename? I was wondering if I might have a word with you before I go. In private. Hien: Go on, my friend. I will send for Hakuro and the others in the meantime. Lyse: Great. I'll wait for you at the docks.
Lyse: Thanks for coming. Knowing you, you've probably guessed what I wanted to talk about. Lyse: Alisaie. She's acting as if everything's all right, but it's clear she's barely coping. Lyse: The Alisaie I know is overbearing, willful, and reckless─and that's fine. It's how she deals with feeling weak. She has to keep moving, or she's afraid she'll fall apart. Lyse: ...A lot like me. Lyse: But the thing about people like us is that we need someone to keep an eye on us. I had Papalymo, and now I have my friends in the Resistance. And Alisaie has you and the Scions. Lyse: Before you start, I'm not saying you're neglecting her. I'm sure you aren't, and I'm sure you won't─but she's a good friend, and when I see her like this, I can't help worrying. So please, make sure you give her all the support she needs, all right?
  • What will you say?
  • Leave it to me.
  • You've nothing to worry about. Seriously.
Lyse: Thank you, Forename. It goes without saying, but if there's anything I can do, you only need to ask. Lyse: Well, I'd best be off. See you in Ala Mhigo!
Kienkan Guardsman: Lord Hien is expecting you. May I show you in?
  • Enter the Kienkan?
  • Yes
  • No
Hien: Ah, there you are, my friend. Everyone has assembled, so let us begin.
Yugiri: If we are to ready ourselves for invasion, we shall need manpower, provisions, and time. All of which are in notably short supply. Hien: Candid as ever, Yugiri. And correct, I concede. Fortunately, I have an idea. Hien: 'Tis plain no single nation can stand against the might of the Empire. Hien: And it was only with the aid of others that Doma succeeded in winning her freedom. So I mean to take a leaf out of our Eorzean friends' book and form an alliance of our own. Hien: In addition to those with whom we already share an understanding, I would reach out to Hingashi and Sui-no-Sato, and further afield, to the myriad peoples of Nagxia and Dalmasca. Hien: I am under no illusion─not all will answer the call. Yet disparate though we may be, we are united in our desire for freedom. Hien: If our neighbors could be made to see what is at stake─Ascian machinations and all─cooperation need not be so far-fetched a notion. Y'shtola: ...It may even seem practical. Y'shtola: Under the guidance of our former leader, Master Louisoix, we once strove to unite the fractious city-states of Eorzea. I daresay that experience shall be of use in your endeavor. Hien: We should be glad of your wisdom. Alisaie: For the record, I would have been in favor of this plan, even if it hadn't been my grandfather's, but I have to ask: how will we secure the time to carry it out? Alisaie: Not that anyone has forgotten, but the Garleans have airships. Lots and lots of airships. Should they catch wind of our plan, they could send an armada to overwhelm us before our alliance had even begun to take shape. Y'shtola: ...Not if we deny them access to the skies. Y'shtola: During our time in the Burn, the Warrior of Light and I chanced upon some Allagan ruins. Alisaie: Oh? Y'shtola: As such ruins go, they were not particularly unusual, but something about the surrounding land struck me as odd. Faint though it was, its aetherial residue was uncannily similar to that of Azys Lla. Identical, in fact. Y'shtola: For locations so far removed to share a single aetheric signature is all but impossible. I conclude therefore that the Allagans created the floating continent with land taken from the Burn. Yugiri: While that is a most intriguing theory, I fail to see what relevance it has to Doma's defense. Y'shtola: Azys Lla was enclosed in a powerful energy barrier, impenetrable even to an Agrius-class battleship. Y'shtola: It occurred to me that those ruins may have enjoyed similar protection. I have no proof, but the Warrior of Light did report seeing a structure resembling other known Allagan field generators. Alisaie: All right, but even if we could put up such an energy barrier, it surely wouldn't extend beyond the limits of the Burn. So what's to stop the Garleans flying around it? Hien: ...Fuel. The Dalmascan capital, Rabanastre, was a key imperial refueling point in the East. By laying waste to it as a lesson to the rest, the Empire greatly hindered its own operations in the region. Hien: If an imperial fleet were to advance upon Doma, it would now have little choice but to travel as the crow flies─over the Burn. Alisaie: I see! Y'shtola: A word of caution. Even assuming the generator still functions, raising a barrier of such a scale will require a prodigious amount of energy. Y'shtola: And few places are so bereft of suitable crystals as the Burn. Hien: Hm... A source of energy. Hien: Tell me, did the Allagans make a habit of launching things into the sky? Y'shtola: A curious question. Besides Azys Lla, I know of only one other notable instance: the red moon Dalamud, whose fall triggered the Calamity. Hien: Just the two occasions, you say... Then I believe I may have a solution to our energy problem. Alisaie: ...You do? Hien: I may. To find out for sure, we would need to visit the Azim Steppe. Hien: ...Which would, I now see, present the perfect opportunity to discuss an alliance with the Xaela tribes. How very neat! What say you, then? Shall we see whither this road leads?
A Power in Slumber Hien is eager to set out for the Azim Steppe.
Hien: It is settled, then. I will journey to the Azim Steppe with the Scions. Yugiri and Hakuro─I leave our other neighbors to you. Alisaie: My apologies, but I won't be joining you. Alisaie: I am no aetherologist, and what skills I do possess are unlikely to be of any great use to the mission. But more importantly, it seems to me that the ruins in the Burn warrant attention. Alisaie: And so, while you are away securing an energy source, I will engage our friends at Garlond Ironworks to undertake a complete overhaul of the field generators. We'll need them in good working order if our plan is to succeed. I trust there are no objections?
  • What will you say?
  • Have care in the Burn. Alisaie: Have care on the Steppe! From what I hear, the Xaela like fighting with friends almost as much as foes. Good luck!
  • Come on, Alisaie... Could you not get Tataru to do it? Alisaie: Hm! I'm sure she'd love the Burn. Joking aside, I was planning to enlist her help with organizing everything─but we'll still need a Scion on the ground. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll manage without me. Good luck!
Hien: Just the three of us, then. Very well. Shall we make first for Reunion?
Y'shtola: So this is the Azim Steppe... The tales do not do it justice. Hien: If you think the view is impressive here, wait until we reach higher ground. Hien: Actually...seeing as it's your first visit, permit me to show you my favorite spot.
Hien: Ahhh, I will never tire of this vista! The endless fields, the boundless skies... 'Tis a sight to make a man forget his cares. Y'shtola: But not his purpose, I trust. Y'shtola: Might this be a fitting moment to tell us what we are doing here? Hien: Of course. During my time with the Mol, I learned some few myths of this land. One goes thus... Hien: “In the distant past, when all seemed doomed, a wayfaring soul came unto the steppe. Venturing into the northern crag, he received of Nhaama a sliver of her essence─a shard of the shining moon─and with it clove the tainted land from the earth. Hien: “The end thus averted, to these fields did the wayfaring soul return. And venturing once more into the northern crag, he buried the shard, and made unto the heavens an offering of blood.” Y'shtola: A tainted land cloven from the earth, and an offering of blood to the heavens... Azys Lla and Dalamud. Hien: That was my thinking, yes. Y'shtola: And you believe that yonder mountains hide an artifact possessed of sufficient power to raise Azys Lla up to the heavens. ...I suppose that might suffice. Hien: Worth a closer look, would you say? Y'shtola: I would.
Hien: From here, we shall travel to Mol Iloh. There we may ask Cirina about the particulars of the myth, and raise the matter of an alliance with the rulers of the Steppe.
Cirina: Hien, Forename. I am glad of your visit, and the opportunity to welcome a new friend. How may we serve you? Hien: There is a matter I would discuss with the Mol. It concerns not only the peoples of the Steppe, but of every land in the Far East. Cirina: A shard of the shining moon left behind by a wayfaring soul... And you need this to protect our lands? Hien: I do. My friends and I wish to find the shard and ascertain the extent of its power. Will you tell me more of the place where it lies buried? This “northern crag”? Cirina: ...If that is your wish. In the mountains to the north, there is a cavern called the House of the Crooked Coin. Inside this cavern are pillars of stone that legend holds to be the source of Nhaama's power. There, I believe, you will find what you seek. Hien: Ah, yes, I know the place. 'Tis a brisk walk from here. And what are your thoughts on an alliance? Cirina: Should the Empire return, our lands will be engulfed in a storm of conflict whether we will it or no. If we do not stand together, we will fall apart. This I believe with all my heart. However... Y'shtola: ...However? Cirina: Among the tribes of the Steppe, there are those who revere Nhaama above all else. To them, the pillars are sacred, and not to be disturbed. Cirina: Should you proceed as you propose, such tribes are like to spurn an alliance, prompting others to follow their example. That is my concern. Cirina: But it is by no means certain that the pillars will provide the power you seek. Ere you risk the ire of the followers of Nhaama, might you not first visit the House of the Crooked Coin? If all is as you hope, we may then consider how best to earn their blessing. Hien: I thank you for your counsel. We will do as you suggest. I have no desire to give offense to those with whom I would join hands. Cirina: Thank you for your understanding. Though the Mol may reign over the Steppe today, this decision will shape the days to come, and we would not force others into war against their will. Hien: Nor we. A hundredfold stronger are they who choose to fight of their own accord.
The Will of the Moon Y'shtola is ready to put her skills to use.
Y'shtola: It seems the time is come to put my skills to use. Pray lead the way to the House of the Crooked Coin.
Y'shtola: Such an abundance of aether! Hien: Are we in luck? Y'shtola: We are. This is an Allagan artifact, most likely built to regulate the flow of aether. Y'shtola: I strongly suspect the ancients used it to stem the flow from here to the Burn. That would explain how they were able to untether what became Azys Lla from its surroundings. Y'shtola: But were we to throw open the floodgates, the resultant deluge would surely be sufficient to raise our wall. And in restoring the flow, we may also restore life to the wasteland. Y'shtola: Hm...? Hien: What is it? Y'shtola: While the device itself harbors a surfeit of aether, the opposite is true of the surrounding area... Y'shtola: An effect of regulation, perhaps? A similar phenomenon seemed to be occurring in Doma... Y'shtola: Whatever the explanation, the answer will not reveal itself here. We have seen what we needed to see. Let us return to Mol Iloh.
Cirina: You found that which you seek, then? Great indeed is the Dusk Mother's power. If naught less will suffice to protect our lands, the blessing of the other tribes must now be sought. Hien: Of course. But to which tribes should we appeal? Cirina: There are many who worship Nhaama, but none are so fervent in their faith as the Dotharl. Their consent shall be the key. Y'shtola: The Dotharl. Lyse spoke of them. A warlike tribe possessed of unique customs and beliefs. I sense their cooperation will not be easily won. Hien: Nay, but it will be well worth the effort. The Dotharl fear nothing─death least of all─and our alliance would be greatly strengthened by their presence. Let us go to Dotharl Khaa and treat with their khatun, Sadu.
Sadu: You again? Other matters demand our time, khagan. Unless it is battle you seek? Hien: Alas not. Quite the opposite, in fact... Sadu: Talking, always talking... You say the pillars hold great power? Of course they do. They are the source of Nhaama's strength. Sadu: To the Dotharl, no place is more sacred, and we will make ash of any who would defile it. Though I see this is not your wish. Hien: You see the wisdom of our proposition, then? You will join hands with us? Sadu: I said nothing of joining hands. You wish to wield Nhaama's power to defend these lands, and this I will allow. But for leaving the Steppe to fight the men in iron I would have something in return. Y'shtola: ...Namely? Sadu: Namely battle. With you, khagan! Sadu: The Naadam ended ere it began. I would face you again, alone, without distractions. Sadu: Defeat me─prove yourself the stronger─and you shall have the Dotharl as your allies. Surely, these are agreeable terms? Hien: Well, this is a...not wholly unexpected turn of events─though I had assumed I would be the one required to fight. Alas, the khatun has made her choice.
  • What will you say?
  • Shall we dance? Sadu: Ha! It shall be a battle the Steppe shall not soon forget!
  • I'd rather not. Sadu: So you say. But the fire in your eyes tells another tale. You want this as much as I do!
Sadu: Ahhh, already my soul burns brighter! Prepare yourself, khagan, and await me outside the khaa. I will gather my witnesses and join you anon.
Sadu: Yes, this spot shall serve as well as any. I shall enjoy this, khagan! Y'shtola: Is this truly necessary? Have you no peaceable way of making decisions? Sadu: Speak not of peace. You stand before proud warriors of the Dotharl. In the heat of battle do our souls burn brightest! Sadu: We lay low the strong that we may rise higher! Sadu: That is our way─the way of might! There is no other! Y'shtola: ...Well, they do not want for conviction. Hien: Indeed. It's what makes them such dangerous enemies...and such useful allies. Sadu: Enough talk! It is time to fight!
Sadu Heavensflame: Come, khagan! Let us dance! Sadu Heavensflame: You are strong indeed... A worthy champion of the Steppe... Sadu Heavensflame: But you are mistaken if you think I will fall so easily! Sadu Heavensflame: Ahhh, fighting you is pure bliss! Sadu Heavensflame: Such sweet pleasure, I will not suffer to end so soon! Sadu Heavensflame: ...Well? Do not tell me that is all you have? Sadu Heavensflame: My soul demands more, khagan! Give me more! Sadu Heavensflame: <grunt> My arms...grow heavy... My eyes dim... Sadu Heavensflame: But so long as my lifeblood flows...I will fight on! Sadu Heavensflame: Yaaaaaarrrgh! Sadu Heavensflame: Come! Let us begin anew! Sadu Heavensflame: This is the reckoning, khagan! One must fall!
Sadu: Yes! YES! Not since the Naadam has my soul burned so! Sadu: Come! We have only just begun! Magnai: Enough. You were not granted leave to set the Steppe ablaze. Hien: Well, well! The sun has come out to play! Sadu: Begone, moonstruck Oronir! I am busy. Magnai: Fool of a Dotharl. Have you forgotten the face of your master already? The Sun will never set! From his seat on high, he reigns over all, now and forever! Magnai: Yet what should he find here but a battle to determine the fate of the Steppe─a battle waged without his blessing! This will not stand! Magnai: You, Doman. You who come to petition the warriors of this land forget that all Nhaama's children are wards of the Oronir. As first among my brothers, your petition is mine alone to judge. Sadu: These words are as wind from a horse's backside. Plentiful. But your axe sings more sweetly. Let her speak for you. Magnai: Insolent child. You will learn your place. Hien: Forgive me, Brother Magnai, but we have an arrangement with the Dotharl. We will not abide any interruptions. Magnai: So be it. The Sun will pass judgment on all. Daidukul─join me. Sadu: The Sun is in good company. We may dance alone. Magnai: Beg not for mercy, for you will have none. Bear witness to the power and the glory of Azim! Y'shtola: Constantly at each other's throats, like rabid...dogs. Gods, I'm turning into her. Y'shtola: Ahem. I have not the patience for this. But if we must fight, let us at least be brief. Come!
Magnai the Older: Come! Plead your case unto the Sun! Hien: Oh, we shall endeavor to be most convincing! Daidukul the Mirthful: When we have claimed victory, I claim Hien for the Buduga! Y'shtola: <sigh> Do as you will... Hien: Focus on Magnai─leave Daidukul to me. Magnai the Older: You, too, must learn your place. Hien: Let's move this right along! Magnai the Older: You have left yourself open, Doman! Hien: Ugh, this bodes ill... Y'shtola─some healing would be welcome! Daidukul the Mirthful: My fist swells with the passion of the Buduga!
Every last drop, I give to you, Hien! Magnai the Older: So you still stand. But soon you will kneel. Daidukul the Mirthful: Ungh... This isn't over, Hien... Magnai the Older: Know the folly of opposing the will of Azim! Magnai the Older: These axes will not break! You have nowhere to hide! Hien: Very well, then... Y'shtola─to me! Hien: I shall take care of this! Hien: Let us be about it! Magnai the Older: Hmph, predictable! Hien: What!? Magnai the Older: Every step you will take, every move you will make─the Sun sees all! Magnai the Older: Now, fall! Y'shtola: Time to finish this! Y'shtola: Aether! To me! Y'shtola: Have at you! Magnai the Older: Ungh... What strength─what grace is this?
Sadu: Ahhh, never have I felt such bliss in defeat! Sadu: 'Twas a battle to burn soul and flesh to ash. We Dotharl will lend you our strength as promised. Nhaama's power is yours to wield. Sadu: What does the Sun say to that? Magnai: Hmph. The Sun is not driven by base motives such as yours. But aye, they have been judged...and found worthy. Magnai: It is the way of the Oronir to accord recognition and respect to the strong. You have made sufficient proof of your strength. The Sun shall answer your call. Hien: You have our thanks. We are glad to call you allies. Magnai: You. By what are you called? Y'shtola: Y'shtola. Why? Magnai: Are you...? Magnai: Are you my Nhaama? Y'shtola: I beg your pardon? Magnai: In battle, you shone with all the majesty of the full moon's light, your healing touch the embodiment of the Dusk Mother's love. Magnai: Long had I wondered if my Nhaama might not be a woman of the Steppe. Beholding you, I am all but certain! Magnai: Now, look into my eyes. Could it be...? Could you be...? Y'shtola: I am...not interested, little sun. Try again when you have become a man. Magnai: Little...? Sadu: Little sun! Little sun! Sadu: Does it pain you, little sun? Crave you salve to soothe the ache? Fire to sear the wound in your heart? Y'shtola: We have wasted enough time here. Cirina waits for word of our success.
Cirina: ...You had not only to contend with Sadu, but Magnai too!? Such a fierce battle that must have been. Yet here you stand, triumphant. Having passed such a test, they could not well deny you their allegiance. Cirina: The Mol will make no such demands. Weak though we are, we will gladly stand with you. The Steppe is our home, and we will defend it with all our being. Hien: You have my heartfelt thanks! Of all the tribes of the Steppe, there is none I would rather have at my side! Cirina: Gods willing, many more will rally to our cause. I shall send you word when we have answers from all the tribes. Hien: I cannot thank you enough, Cirina. None of this would have been possible without you.
The Call Y'shtola would see the aether flow once more.
Y'shtola: We have the requisite consent. 'Tis time to put Nhaama's power to use. Y'shtola: If the aether flows as planned, all that remains is to have the Ironworks' engineers do their work at the ruins. Come, let us return to the House of the Crooked Coin.
Y'shtola: I shall begin at once. You may wish to step back.
Hien: Did it work? Y'shtola: It did. Aether may flow freely to the Burn once more.
Hien: I do not pretend to understand what you did, Y'shtola, but you did it! Thanks to you─and Forename, of course─we have taken a momentous step towards securing our defenses. Hien: Now, as much as I believe a rest is in order, we should probably make haste back to the enclave. Y'shtola: Agreed. The others may already have returned from their missions, and I would know how things stand. Hien: As would I. Without further ado, then.
Kienkan Guardsman: Lord Hien is expecting you. May I show you in?
  • Enter the Kienkan?
  • Yes
  • No
Alisaie: Judging by your triumphant expressions, I take it all went well on the Azim Steppe. Y'shtola: Indeed. We have secured a suitable source of energy for the barrier. Alisaie: Good. Tataru and I have commissioned Garlond Ironworks to ensure that the field generators function as they should. A team of engineers stand ready to set out for the Burn at a moment's notice. You need only say the word. Hien: I thank you for engaging their services on our behalf. The minutiae of the arrangement, you may leave to me. Hien: Which just leaves the small matter of our alliance. So, Yugiri and Hakuro...how fared you with our neighbors? Yugiri: My lord. All of the factions we approached are in agreement that the Empire poses a threat, and many responded positively to talk of an alliance. Yugiri: From Hingashi and Sui-no-Sato, however, we received outright rejections. The former will not break its treaty with the Empire and the latter will not involve itself in conflict. Hien: Just as we expected, then. Well, there is naught to be done about it. We must focus on the rest. To each of the nations that were amenable to an alliance, I will personally send a missive. Hien: And once I have attended to that, I believe we will have done everything we can to fortify Doma's defenses─for the time being at least. All of which means I may leave for the meeting in Ala Mhigo with a lighter heart. Yugiri, Hakuro─if you would be so kind as to hold the fort in my absence. Hien: My friends, we could not have achieved so much in so little time without your help. For that, I give you my heartfelt thanks. Till the meeting, then. Alisaie: I took the liberty of asking Thancred to attend as well. He should have arrived in the Ala Mhigan Quarter by now. Y'shtola: Then let us not keep him waiting. Shall we?
Thancred: Y'shtola has told me all. And I duly told Urianger and Krile. Thancred: Krile, in particular, was concerned about Alphinaud, but I assured her that everything that can be done is being done. She agreed to continue with her own tasks for the time being on the condition that I contact her the moment there is any development. Thancred: So, that leaves four of us to attend the council. Arenvald is here to assist with security, incidentally, though the poor lad seems altogether too distracted for the task. Another one missing Alphinaud, I expect. Thancred: Ah, but it's almost time. As soon as you are ready, present yourself to the guardsman at the palace entrance. I shan't be far behind.
Resistance Guard: Ah, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, welcome to Ala Mhigo! The Alliance leaders have already arrived. May I show you to the meeting chamber?
  • Enter the Royal Palace?
  • Yes
  • No
Nanamo Ul Namo: Mistress Lyse. Commander Aldynn. It gives me great pleasure to formally welcome the city-state of Ala Mhigo to the Eorzean Alliance. Raubahn: The pleasure is ours, Your Grace. I know I speak for all Ala Mhigans when I say that we are glad of this chance to stand with our comrades of the Alliance. Kan-E-Senna: And we for our part are glad indeed to be able to welcome friends both old and new... Hien: Lord Hien of Doma, at your service. Pray accept my heartfelt thanks for your generous invitation. Aymeric: Nay, 'tis we who must thank you for journeying so far. And 'twould be remiss of me not to acknowledge the part the Scions of the Seventh Dawn have played in bringing all of us together. Aymeric: In times of great unrest, you and yours have been our constant companions, without whom we would not be here. Nanamo Ul Namo: With apologies to Lord Hien and Mistress Alisaie, it occurs to me that we have not gathered in this way since that fateful day in Ul'dah. Raubahn: The day I lost my arm and my freedom... As I lay in my cell, never did I dream that I would one day be given the chance to represent my homeland at this council. Raubahn: I would not even be alive had you not plucked me from the jaws of death─you, Yugiri, and Alphinaud. Would that the lad could be with us... Alisaie: I too owe my presence here to Alphinaud. In so many ways... Until such time as he returns, I mean to carry on his good work as best I can. Nanamo Ul Namo: Come, friends─let us leave the past in the past, and turn our eyes to the future. My lord Hien, pray tell us how things stand in the East.
Kan-E-Senna: Having heard the rumors of dissent in Garlemald, I dared to dream of a peaceable solution... Merlwyb: Hm. The Empire will not so easily change its ways. Merlwyb: If the Garleans have a mind to take back Doma and Ala Mhigo, we'll be hard-pressed to stop them. Even with the might of six nations. Merlwyb: But while we lack the strength to fight the tide, a course may yet present itself if we read the winds aright. Aymeric: The winds suggest but one course to me─one which leads from the sea unto the river and thence to the source of all our woes. Nanamo Ul Namo: The Ascians. Aymeric: Indeed. All here have felt their blighted touch. It was the Bringers of Chaos who nurtured the archbishop's tyrannical ambitions... Aymeric: They who bestowed upon him the secrets of summoning, as they have so many others, before and since. And while they remain, we shall know no peace. Raubahn: Our objective is clear. The question is how to achieve it. That our enemy parades about in Zenos's skin poses problems in itself, but ere we get to them, how are we to infiltrate the Empire and get close enough to strike? Thancred: While I see the wisdom in targeting the Ascians, an assassination attempt on Garlean soil would do little to aid our cause...even were it to succeed. It's time we used our enemy's preferred tactic: subterfuge. Y'shtola: You have an idea? Merlwyb: Speak your mind, Master Thancred. None here know the enemy better than the Scions, and you mayhap best of all. Merlwyb: Whatever it is you propose, we will give it fair hearing. On that you have my word. Thancred: Very well, Admiral. My proposal is thus. Thancred: We dispatch the shinobi to imperial territory. There, they sow the rumor that the crown prince perished in the battle for Ala Mhigo, and that the man parading around is in fact a corpse inhabited by a servant of darkness. Raubahn: Well...it does have the ring of truth about it. And were the Garleans to learn that their future ruler is a puppet, the Empire would be shaken to the core. Lyse: But─at the risk of sounding stupid─would they actually believe such an unlikely story? I didn't. Thancred: Ordinarily not. But prior to his miraculous recovery, rumors of Zenos's death had already begun to circulate around the Empire. Thancred: Ultimately, however, what the masses believe is not our chief concern. Our true objective is to create an opening for rival factions within Garlemald to exploit. Hien: Just as a war of succession erupted in the wake of Emperor Solus's death! Thancred: A war which raged until but recently, plunging the imperial house into disarray as nephew and uncle grappled for the throne. Thancred: It is no coincidence that one of Varis's first acts as Emperor was to name Zenos heir apparent─family feuds being so tiresome when armies are involved. Not all welcomed his choice of successor, however. Thancred: There is no shortage of individuals who aspire to the throne─who would jump at any chance to seize power. The news that Zenos is not only dead, but a puppet to diabolical forces, would be too enticing to ignore. Hien: The Empire would not be quick to recover from a second war of succession. Thancred: I am no stranger to infiltrating imperial territory. With a team of operatives gathered from among the Alliance's finest, the plan should have a reasonable chance of success. Hien: Doma already has shinobi in place throughout the provinces. We stand ready to act, and act we must. What say you all? Merlwyb: I am for Master Thancred's proposal. We shine a light upon the Ascian and test the Empire's unity. Merlwyb: 'Twas his plot that scuttled Doma's negotiations, was it not? Why then, if we can eliminate him, there may yet be a chance for peace. Merlwyb: Let us wage this war of subterfuge, that we may one day lay down our arms. Gods know, we never will while the Ascians remain. ??? (G'raha Tia): That way...sorrow... ??? (G'raha Tia): History...must be changed...
  • What will you say?
  • Who is this?
  • I don't understand...
??? (G'raha Tia): Ahead looms a Calamity. ??? (G'raha Tia): Ahead looms Light, expunging all form and life. ??? (G'raha Tia): Twin dooms only you can forestall. Only you. Raubahn: What's the matter!? Alisaie: There's...there's a voice... Merlwyb: Spies in our midst!? Kan-E-Senna: Nay. I sense no such presence. ??? (G'raha Tia): Let expanse contract, eon become instant... Y'shtola: Is it over? Aymeric: Master Thancred! Kan-E-Senna: Twelve forfend... Kan-E-Senna: Bear him to a private chamber. Have every healer make ready. Kan-E-Senna: Swiftly!
Resistance Healer: Master Thancred remains in slumber. Though his vital signs appear stable, he is unresponsive. Lyse: What could have done this? And why just him and not the others? Resistance Healer: I'm afraid we could not identify the cause, my lady. Our examinations revealed no wounds, nor the presence of any poisonous substances... Lyse: Gods, that only makes it worse. You're to let us know the moment there's any change, all right? Alisaie: Thank you for coming. Knowing Thancred, he would apologize for being otherwise engaged at so crucial a juncture. Kan-E-Senna: In gifting us a course of action, Thancred sowed the seed of all that is to follow. We have but to nurture it as best we can. To him I would say rest easy, that he may wake to enjoy the fruits of our labors. Kan-E-Senna: Now, the matter of the mysterious voice must not be forgotten. Will you tell me exactly what happened? Y'shtola: Alisaie and I heard a voice in the moments before Thancred collapsed. It was accompanied by a severe headache─as if something were clutching at our minds. Did you experience the same thing? Alisaie: ...So, in between the voice and the pain, you felt as if you were somewhere else entirely? Kan-E-Senna: Your testimony confirms my suspicion. That which you experienced was, I believe, your soul being plucked from your flesh. Called. Y'shtola: Called? Kan-E-Senna: I myself examined Thancred. Kan-E-Senna: Reach out as I may, I could not sense in him the spark of life that is his soul. Kan-E-Senna: That Thancred alone was stricken so is likely due to his heightened sensitivity to the effects of aether─a consequence of his prior possession by the Ascian Lahabrea. Kan-E-Senna: The owner of the voice, whoever it may be, reached out to you─called your souls─and in so doing caused you and yours such pain. Alisaie: But...if that's true, where exactly are we being called to? Kan-E-Senna: I know not. Yet one thing is plain: whoever waits for you on the other side is possessed of a power unlike any I have ever known. Y'shtola: Forgive us, Lyse, but may we leave Thancred in your care for a time? Lyse: As if you had to ask. I may not be a Scion anymore, but I'm no less a friend. Lyse: Don't worry, I'll see to it that Thancred's well looked after. Just focus on solving this mystery, all right? Y'shtola: Thank you, Lyse. Y'shtola: As the Elder Seedseer says, 'tis no ordinary individual we are dealing with. Nor can we discount the possibility of Ascian involvement. Alisaie: Whoever or whatever is behind this, the sooner we find out the better.
Alisaie: I just tried to call Urianger on his linkpearl. He didn't respond, but I dare to hope that he possesses some knowledge we do not. Alisaie: ...Ah, Urianger! Something happened during the meeting. Thancred's collapsed. A disembodied voice suddenly started─ Alisaie: ...What? But that's... We should talk about this in person.
...All right. We'll meet you there. Alisaie: That was Urianger. He heard the voice too! Y'shtola: In Thanalan? Hm. Y'shtola: As we alone were afflicted at the meeting, I had my suspicions, but if the voice also spoke to Urianger, there can be little doubt: the Scions were targeted specifically. Y'shtola: By whom and to what end is the question. One to which we must find an answer with all possible haste.
Prelude in Violet Alisaie is eager to rendezvous with Urianger.
Alisaie: Urianger agreed to meet us at the Rising Stones. If any of the others heard the voice, we'll find out soon enough. Lyse: Good luck. I should get back to the meeting with the Elder Seedseer, but if there's anything I can do─anything at all─you must let me know, all right? Promise me. Alisaie: Right, let's be on our way.
Alisaie: Urianger! Gods it's good to see you! Urianger: Would that our meeting were under happier circumstances. I judged the voice sufficient cause for concern even before you sent word of its effect on our comrade... Y'shtola: You heard it too, then? Urianger: Aye. And all but certainly at the selfsame instant. Alas, pained as I was, I could make little sense of what few words did then reach mine ears. Y'shtola: Who do you think is responsible? Could this be the Ascians' doing? Urianger: That I cannot say. Not when so little is known. Urianger: Ere I indulge in speculation, I would examine Thancred with mine own eyes. Alisaie: To Ala Mhigo, then─without further delay! Y'shtola: One other thing. During my visit to the Far East, I observed a strange phenomenon. Urianger: Thou referest, I presume, to the localized reduction in aetheric density? Y'shtola: Well, that spares me the trouble of an explanation. Yes. I noted precisely that at two apparently unconnected locations. I take it the phenomenon is not limited to the Far East? Urianger: Indeed not. Of late, our agents charged with surveilling the beast tribes have spoken of little else. In every corner of the realm, they tell of places in which the aether hath grown thin. Urianger: Naturally, my suspicions first turned to primal activity, but the areas thus affected betray no evidence of summoning. I must confess to being quite perplexed. Y'shtola: If the same phenomenon is being observed in multiple locations on opposite sides of the world, we may safely discount regional factors. Needless to say, this warrants further investigation. Urianger: Indeed. I shall make it my task to─ Urianger: The voice... It calleth to me once more... Y'shtola: I...I hear it too! ??? (G'raha Tia): Only you... Only you... Alisaie: Ah! Unnngh! No...! Alisaie: Y'shtola... Urianger... ??? (G'raha Tia): Throw wide...the gates... Alisaie: No! NO! This can't be happening! Alisaie: Y'shtola! Urianger! Open your eyes! Alisaie: Open your eyes, I beg you... Alisaie: Say something...anything... Not again... Please! Not again!
Alisaie: Forgive me, that was an unseemly display... Hoary Boulder: It happened before your very eyes, my lady. None here would have behaved any differently. Hoary Boulder: We have borne the two of them to a private chamber. But tell me, is it true that Master Thancred languishes in a like state in Ala Mhigo? Alisaie: I'm afraid so. Though, given the circumstances, it would seem best to observe them together. I will send word to Lyse that he should be brought here. Hoary Boulder: Take heart, my lady. The world is full of scholars and knowledgeable folk of every persuasion. Someone out there is bound to know what ails our comrades, and how it may be cured. Thus will we rouse them─no matter what. Alisaie: That we will, Hoary. That we will. Alisaie: But first things first─our comrades will have questions. May I ask that you explain the situation to them? I must attend to a private matter. Alisaie: Oh, I promised I'd visit someone in Limsa Lominsa. He's been waiting at Maelstrom Command for a while now. Alisaie: ...You know, you should come along too. I think he'd be glad to see you.
Alisaie: As you've probably guessed, it's Ga Bu we've come to see. The private here will bring him out to us. Alisaie: Ever since the Maelstrom took him in, I've tried to visit as often as I can. And after what befell our friends, I was taken by the urge to visit again. It's...difficult to explain.
Storm Private: Here he is, my lady. Alisaie: Ga Bu...it's been too long. Ga Bu: ... Storm Private: I'm afraid there has been no change. If he can see or hear us, he has given no sign... Alisaie: I see. You're still fighting. Alisaie: I'm proud of you. Alisaie: We promised that we would come and visit you together, didn't we. Alphinaud and I. I'm sorry that we haven't managed that yet. Alisaie: You know, with the three of us like this, does it not remind you of that night? Of the stars beyond count, twinkling in the heavens? Alisaie: I was feeling pretty low back then. Powerless. But I knew that my brother was close by if I needed him. And that the others would be waiting for me back at the Rising Stones. Alisaie: Not like now. Alisaie: I've seen my share of trouble since coming to Eorzea. Alisaie: ...Been reminded again and again of my limitations─of how little I can change about this world. And I've come to know the sorrow of parting all too well. Alisaie: But to have the people I hold dear struck down before my eyes, and be powerless to help them...? That─ That I cannot bear.
  • What will you say?
  • You still have me. Alisaie: And for that I am grateful. I don't know what I'd do without you.
  • You don't have to bear this burden alone. Alisaie: ...No. I don't. You're right. It's pure arrogance to imagine I can solve everything by myself. You'd think I'd have learned that by now. Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you.
Alisaie: Well, that's more than enough brooding for one day. Alisaie: Come on. We have friends to save.
Alisaie: Let's return to the Rising Stones and take it from there. Alisaie: Thanks again for agreeing to come. It meant a lot to me.
Alisaie: I did some thinking on the way back, and I think Hoary is right: we need to seek outside help. Ordinarily, we would turn to our own experts on such matters, but they're both among the stricken... Alisaie: I will begin by reaching out to the myriad guilds and research institutions here in Eorzea. Additionally, Grandfather and Minfilia had a wealth of connections between them, and I mean to explore those avenues too. We'll find a way to save everyone, mark my words. Alisaie: Much and more has happened in recent days. Some of it for the good, some...not so. But all around me, people continue their fight. Alisaie: From the shinobi who search for Alphinaud to the Alliance members who make ready to move against the Empire, they march on in the face of great adversity, bearing heavy burdens. Everyone is playing their part...and so must I. Alisaie: You have your own part to play, I know, and it's bigger than most. So I won't keep you. Just promise that you'll visit from time to time, and I promise I'll have good tidings to share with you when you do.
Meanwhile, in the imperial palace... Zenos (Elidibus): The Populares no longer present an obstacle. Now is the time to bring the Empire's might to bear. Zenos (Elidibus): A word from Your Radiance is all it takes. But one word, and the imperial army will fall upon Ala Mhigo as a pack of bloodthirsty wolves and tear that feeble nation apart. Zenos (Elidibus): Have you no words for me? Zenos (Elidibus): Despite the lengths I go to─an emissary, playing the part of a fool. Zenos (Elidibus): When first I took this face, I swore to use all of my knowledge, all of my power, to further the cause of the Empire. My deeds stand testament to my commitment. Zenos (Elidibus): And with this adamant flesh at my disposal, I could destroy the eikon-slayer as easily as one might swat a fly. Why do you hesitate? Zenos (Elidibus): Our enemy is resourceful. Though victory is certain now, it will not remain so indefinitely. Deliberate if you must, but be quick about it. We will speak again when you have unburdened yourself of doubt. Until then, I take my leave...Father. ??? (Emet-Selch): I should be the one to sigh. ??? (Emet-Selch): I played my part to perfection. I had earned my rest. And then, thanks to Lahabrea's crowning act of idiocy, our favorite emissary sees fit to summon me back. ??? (Emet-Selch): Elidibus was ever a worrier. A most tiresome trait, would you not agree? ??? (Emet-Selch): What, have you no words for me either? No matter. I've long grown weary of this mummery. ??? (Emet-Selch): Now, my dearest grandson. Let me remind you of your place, in the simplest of terms. ??? (Emet-Selch): You do not make judgments─you administer them. Swiftly and to the letter. Naught else is your concern. ??? (Emet-Selch): Elidibus may be an insufferable bore, but he is no fool. His choices as emissary seldom err. ??? (Emet-Selch): If aught threatens the balance 'twixt Light and Dark, it falls to you to remove it. ??? (Emet-Selch): Be it by your own hands or by your armies, you have ample means at your disposal. Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): That is why this empire exists─why I built it. Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): Oh dear. Have I touched a nerve? You always were an easy one to read. Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): I pity you, I do. As they say, ignorance is bliss. And I know how much happier you would be not knowing the things you know. Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): The founding father was an Ascian! And he created the Empire solely for the purpose of sowing the seeds of chaos! Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): Don't take it personally. I merely do my duty. Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): To bring about a Calamity requires no small amount of power. And there is no surer way to obtain such power than by collecting powerful pawns. Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): To that end, I have labored long and hard, and I must say I am quite pleased with my handiwork─paltry though it seems in comparison to Allag. Varis zos Galvus: You fiends are overfond of your own voices. Varis zos Galvus: Mark me, Ascian. Man is the master of his own destiny! Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): Such a waste of time and energy. Both yours and mine. Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): Lest you forget, you are Emperor now. If you wish to spout drivel about man's destiny, save it for the masses. It will serve to give them a sense of purpose...and you pliant pieces for the game. Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): Oh, do stop sulking, boy. You of all people should understand. Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): Ours is a struggle to restore both mankind and the world to their rightful state. Viewed thus, our goals are one and the same.
Meanwhile, at a resistance encampment, somewhere in the Empire... Alphinaud: What in the world...? Alphinaud: Dead... All dead. Yet I see no wounds, nor any evidence of battle... Shadowhunter (Gaius): Damn them. They finally used it. Shadowhunter (Gaius): The Empire developed an alchemical weapon in Gyr Abania. A gas. “Black Rose,” it was called, and to breathe it is to breathe your last. Alphinaud: And that did this? Shadowhunter (Gaius): I thought the project abandoned, and its vile fruit destroyed. But naught else could have wrought such an atrocity. Shadowhunter (Gaius): Fools... What do they hope to gain with this butchery? Can they not see that a rule won through terror will not endure? How many more provinces must they lose!? Shadowhunter (Gaius): Nay...wait. This is not the work of men, but monsters. The Ascians. It cannot be a coincidence that their trail led us here. Their objective was never to rule, but to sow strife and discord. Alphinaud: Such a crime does indeed bear the mark of the Bringers of Chaos. Alphinaud: Black Rose cannot be allowed to kill again. We must find the Ascians and put an end to their plot.

Stormblood: A Requiem for Heroes (4.5)

Soul Searching Alisaie is at her wit's end.
Alisaie: I'm glad you've come, though I'm afraid there's little in the way of good news. Alisaie: After you left, we reached out to both the Alchemists' Guild and Stillglade Fane, and attempted all manner of treatments... Alisaie: But the results were always the same. Whatever the answer is, it's not alchemy or conjury... Alisaie: Why did it have to be Y'shtola and Urianger, and not me? Out of all of us, they are the ones who could feasibly have solved this puzzle. Alisaie: And Alphinaud's still missing. Gods, it's all going wrong... Where do we even start? ??? (Krile): A grave situation, indeed. Might I be of some assistance? Alisaie: Krile! I did not think you well enough to travel... Krile: When word reached me of the plight of our friends, I could not well stay away. As a fellow Scion, not to mention your erstwhile mentor, this is one of those times you should feel free to call on me─regardless of my personal circumstances. Alisaie: I... Yes, I should have thought of that. Alisaie: Thank you for coming, Krile. We would welcome your insight. Krile: And I should be happy to provide it. Now, what's this I hear about Alphinaud heading into imperial territory? That boy always did have some funny ideas. Do you remember the speech he gave when he was accepted to the Studium? Alisaie: “My life's goal is naught less than the salvation of this star!” Krile: That particular grand pronouncement has been a source of great embarrassment to him, as you know. But the fact of the matter is, he meant every word, and has lived his life accordingly. Alisaie: Yes, he remains altruistic to a fault. But I'm worried he was too fixated on his goals to see the dangers, as has happened before... Krile: You needn't be so concerned. Though his values remain the same, Alphinaud is not the blinkered boy he once was. Slowly but surely, his eyes have been opened─thanks to a certain someone. Krile: A certain someone whom he'd be mortified to learn had heard about his little speech. Mum's the word, eh? Krile: Right, I had better have a look at our patients. They're in the infirmary, I assume? I'll need absolute quiet, so it would be best if I did this alone. If you'll excuse me...
Krile: All three are in fine physical health. At a glance, I would say they were merely sound asleep... Krile: ...Except for the fact that I couldn't sense the slightest trace of “them” in their bodies. It's as if their souls have taken leave of their physical forms. Alisaie: Ah. Yes. The Elder Seedseer made a similar observation. Krile: I've read the report. When you heard this mysterious voice, you described feeling as if you were “somewhere else,” yes? Krile: If we assume the aether which comprises your essence is being drawn to some other place... Krile: Then it may be possible to follow the trail it leaves behind, just as we did in our search for Thancred. Alisaie: I wasn't around for that. But I can't imagine it was easy. Krile: Oh, it wasn't. But that's no reason not to try. I will have need of Master Matoya's Crystal Eye if I'm even to make the attempt, so I suggest we pay her a visit.
Alisaie: I'd heard Master Matoya was something of a recluse, but this seems...extreme. Still, I'll happily overlook her eccentricities if she agrees to help us.
Matoya: Come to disturb my peace again, have you? I hide myself away in a cave, and still you people insist on pestering me with your problems. Matoya: Oh. I mistook you for young what's-his-name, but I see now you're the sister. Weren't you supposed to be the lively one? I've seen happier faces at a rain-sodden burial. Alisaie: Well, I'm sorry to dash your expectations, but the situation isn't exactly conducive to gaiety. Matoya: Ah, that's more like it. Shtola used to spit and hiss like a wildcat, too. Better for a young thing like you to be filled with fire, and leave the doom and gloom to your elders. Matoya: Now, what exactly does this tragic situation of yours have to do with me? Krile: If I may, Master Matoya, we have need of your Crystal Eye once more... Matoya: And Shtola is one of the afflicted, is she? Matoya: Very well. She may be an ungrateful stray, but she's my ungrateful stray. And I'll not see her buried before I am. Krile: Right. Let us see what we can see. Krile: I'll begin from where our friends first fell, and cast my senses out from there... Alisaie: ...What is it? Did you find them!? Krile: Th-This doesn't make sense. How is it even possible...? Alisaie: How is what possible!? Krile, what did you see!? Krile: Th-The threads, they just...they just ended. And, no, I didn't lose track of them─I followed them as far as they went. It's as if─ It's as if they were cut off. Alisaie: Could their aether have dissipated? If it had─ Oh gods... Alisaie: Their bodies are just husks. It's like the broodmother's daughter all over again... Krile: No, no, this is different. The Qalyana girl was already dead, body and soul, when Lakshmi effected her resurrection. Matoya: Aye, let's not jump to conclusions. If their physical forms yet breathe and show no signs of wasting, then it follows that their souls must still be intact somewhere. Alisaie: But where!? Matoya: That's the question, isn't it, girl? Death has not taken them to the aetherial sea, yet there are no tracks left for us to follow. Alisaie: We're no closer to an answer than when we started. But knowing their souls are still out there is progress of a sort. We just have to keep looking. Alisaie: Pray excuse me a moment. Alisaie: Yes? ...I remember, but─ ...What, to Ala Mhigo!? We're on our way! Alisaie: That was Lyse. Apparently, a group of Populares have defected to Ala Mhigo, and Maxima─the envoy Alphinaud left with─is one of them! Alisaie: I'm sorry, I realize we've barely begun here, but... Matoya: Go, child, go. You've made up your mind, and life's too short for dithering. Krile: I'll do some digging in the meantime, and see if there isn't some other method we could use to continue the search. Alisaie: Let's be off, then! Matoya: Bah, not again... The enchantment barely seems to take, these days. I'd chalk it up to old age, but I rather doubt it's that simple. Alisaie: Before they...took ill, Y'shtola and Urianger were sharing notes on a “thinning” of the aether. It seems to be happening all over. Matoya: Does it now? And here I was, all set to blame my woes on that creaking mountain of refuse clogging up the Thaliak. Matoya: I fear something has gone awry. Still, there's naught to be gained from starting at shadows. You can only do what can be done, and that but one thing at a time!
Alisaie: So that was the woman who tamed Y'shtola... I had the distinct feeling of being grabbed by the scruff of the neck and having the nonsense shaken out of me. Alisaie: When Alphinaud is back, I'd like to visit again and ask her what tales she has of Grandfather.
A Defector's Tidings The news from Ala Mhigo has left Alisaie in a state of nervous excitement.
Alisaie: I almost can't bear to hear what Maxima has to tell us... Alisaie: But it can't be bad news, can it? Lyse would have said. Unless─ Agh, there's no point speculating. Lyse said she'd notified the guards of our coming, so we should head straight to the palace gate in the Ala Mhigan Quarter. Krile: I'll be praying for good news. Learn what you can about Alphinaud's plight, and leave the search for our friends' lost souls to me.
Resistance Guard: Greetings, Scions─the commander told me to expect you. Shall I show you in?
  • Enter the Royal Palace?
  • Yes
  • No
Lyse: I'm sorry to drag you halfway across the realm, but when Maxima mentioned Alphinaud, I thought you'd want to hear the news in person. Maxima: Ah, we meet again...though I was hoping our reunion would be under more auspicious circumstances. Alisaie: What happened to my brother? Where is Alphinaud? Maxima: Never fear, my lady. Your brother was in fine health when I took my leave of him, and I have no reason to assume that has changed. Alisaie: You assume!? Maxima: If you will allow me, I shall endeavor to explain events. Maxima: Our troubles began not long after we departed Doma. While crossing the Burn, we were fired upon by the Emperor's personal guard, and forced to make an emergency landing. Maxima: As we stumbled from the wreckage, our attackers fell upon us again, and we would have perished there and then were it not for the intercession of a third party... A band of mercenaries whose leader claimed to pursue a vendetta against the Ascians. Maxima: This “Shadowhunter,” as he styled himself, then escorted us out of the wastes to relative safety. Maxima: Upon arriving back in civilization, I gathered my Populares colleagues and prepared to flee the Empire. Master Alphinaud, however, declined the invitation to join us, preferring to continue his investigation into the Ascian threat. Alisaie: Well...at least he's not lying in a heap in the Burn. Alisaie: Tell us more about these Ascian hunters. Who are they? And is Alphinaud still with them? Maxima: He is. As to who they are, I am afraid I have nothing to tell you. Beyond the fact that they root out and destroy Ascians, they were unwilling to divulge anything which might serve to identify them. Maxima: They would not even reveal their next destination...but Master Alphinaud asked to accompany them all the same. Maxima: Since parting company with your brother, we've been engaged in a game of cat and mouse with the Emperor's guard. We made our way through province after province, finding the army busy “restoring order” wherever we went, until we finally arrived here in Ala Mhigo. I cannot thank Commander Aldynn enough for giving us such an unexpectedly warm welcome. Raubahn: I'm not inclined to turn away refugees, no matter which land they call home. And if they can tell me how things lie in Garlemald...all the better. Maxima: On that subject, there is much I would tell you. During the course of our journey, we heard tales that an entire rebel army had been slaughtered in the space of a single night. Maxima: It would seem my former comrades grew tired of putting down uprisings in the conventional manner, and chose instead to bring a formidable new weapon to bear. Details were sparse, but the rumor alone was enough to dampen the flames of rebellion. Maxima: I have also heard reports that several companies have withdrawn from their designated provinces and begun marching westward. It is my assessment that the Empire's forces are mobilizing for a large-scale military engagement. Lyse: Westward? You mean they're getting ready to invade Ala Mhigo!? Raubahn: We knew this was coming. But not that it would be so soon. Lyse: We've barely even begun to shore up our defenses! They won't stop an invading army! Raubahn: ...No, they won't. Raubahn: Dispatch messengers to the Alliance leadership requesting reinforcements. And send word to our officers in the field to hasten completion of those border fortifications. Prepare to meet the imperials head-on! Raubahn: No matter how quickly we act, we still want for time. When the enemy comes into view, our best recourse will be to open negotiations with their commander, and see that the ensuing proceedings take as long as possible. Lyse: Would you and Alisaie head to Doma and let Lord Hien know about this? I'm sure he'll want to hear about Alphinaud too. Alisaie: Consider it done. We'll send word when─ ??? (G'raha Tia): ...Untold sorrow... Must be changed... ??? (G'raha Tia): Ahead looms a calamity... ??? (G'raha Tia): Eon become instant. Throw wide the gates. Alisaie: You heard it too? Alisaie: Well, at least we're both still standing. Lyse: Oh, thank the gods─I thought we'd lost you for a moment there. Why does this keep happening!? Alisaie: I wish I knew. Nothing we've tried has brought us any closer to an answer... Alisaie: We'll keep working on it, but first we need to go and see Lord Hien.
Alisaie: So, Alphinaud is safe─for the present, at least. Now all we need to worry about is a full-scale imperial invasion... Alisaie: I'm actually glad Lyse tasked us with visiting Lord Hien─better to be dashing from place to place than sitting around stewing over things we can't change. To the enclave!
Kienkan Guardsman: I see you have tidings for Lord Hien. May I show you in?
  • Enter the Kienkan?
  • Yes
  • No
Hien: Greetings, my friends. I was just discussing future endeavors with the members of our newly formed alliance. Hien: The Kojin and the Confederacy you already know, and it was your own strength of arms that won us the cooperation of the Steppe tribes. Hien: We have also been joined by our neighbors from Nagxia, and the indomitable citizens of Dalmasca...though the scattered nature of the latter's resistance will somewhat delay their official induction. Hien: These proud peoples have united under a single purpose: to stand against the tyranny of the Garlean Empire. Alisaie: I am glad to see your alliance is coming together so swiftly. As things stand, I fear we shall soon have need of your strength... Hien: I thank you for bringing me news of Alphinaud. His fate is never far from my thoughts─and not only because he is our emissary. As for this sudden deployment of imperial forces, I agree that Ala Mhigo would be wise to shore up its borders with all haste. Yugiri: Every report we receive from our shinobi indicates a massing of troops in the western provinces. It seems all but certain that the Empire is poised to bring its fist down upon Eorzea. Hien: And I would help deflect that blow. But I cannot risk sending reinforcements just yet. We will remain vulnerable to airborne assault until our wall in the Burn is in place. Alisaie: The all-important Allagan energy barrier. Hien: The...energy barrier, yes. I thought to call it something more auspicious. A name drawn from the Four Lords of legend, perhaps─“Seiryu's Aegis” or some such. Well, just a thought. Yugiri: The Ironworks engineers report that they have finished calibrating the generators, and are ready to proceed to the testing stage. Hien: Have you time to attend the first test? You've seen the field which protected Azys Lla firsthand, and I would be interested to hear how you think ours compares. Alisaie: I will come too, if you don't mind. Though I am no Y'shtola, I may be able to offer some insight. Hien: Of course. Time being of the essence, it would be best if we made directly for the Burn. Yugiri, I leave you and Hakuro to bring the war council to a close. Yugiri: Understood.
Your mounts are saddled and ready, my lord. Ware the storms.
Seiryu's Wall Hien is eager to see the energy barrier in action.
Hien: We will cross the Burn by yol and falcon, as before. Join me at the overlook near the House of the Fierce.
Hien: Give the word when you are ready to take wing!
  • Head to the Burn?
  • Yes
  • No
Hien: It seems the engineers have matters well in hand. Hien: Should the barrier work as we intend, Doma will be free to reinforce her allies in Ala Mhigo without fear of weakening her own borders. Hien: Honored friends, the time has come to put your hard work to the test! Start the generator! Ironworks Engineer: Node one is operational. Nodes two to eight are reporting similar energy levels. The barrier is forming! Ironworks Engineer: ...One thousand yalms. Two thousand. Three thousand. Expansion remains smooth. No fluctuations detected. Ironworks Engineer: ...Four thousand. Five thousand! Target altitude reached! The barrier is holding steady at five thousand yalms! We've done it! Alisaie: ...Is that an imperial airship? Of all the rotten timing... Hien: But this is a gift, Mistress Alisaie. They can test our new wall for us! Hien: Seems solid enough. Though I was hoping for a fireball. Alisaie: By the gods... It's Alphinaud! Alisaie: What are you─ Let me go! He has my brother! Hien: Lower the barrier! Shadowhunter: Be at ease, girl. The lad is not dead─merely locked in slumber. Alisaie: No, not him too...
Shadowhunter (Gaius): We could identify no cause and found no remedy. Thus I sought to return him to Doma─and into the arms of Lord Hien himself, it would seem. Shadowhunter (Gaius): It is a day for fated reunions... Shadowhunter (Gaius): Would you not agree, adventurer? Or should I address you as the “Warrior of Light”?
  • What will you say?
  • Gaius van Baelsar...
  • The Black Wolf...
Gaius: Aye. Gaius van Baelsar, the Black Wolf. That was the title I was given. One I have long since relinquished. Gaius: Stand down. The legatus of the XIVth Imperial Legion died in Castrum Meridianum. I am no more than Gaius Baelsar, a man without rank or allegiance. Alisaie: Impossible! There's no way you could have survived! Gaius: Do you remember how it unfolded? Gaius: How I was deceived by Lahabrea? How I was convinced that reviving the Ultima Weapon would allow me to bring peace to Eorzea? Gaius: The Ascian used me, as he used so many others─all to further the restoration of his wretched god. Gaius: Yet even with the might of Allag at my command, you bested me. And as the Praetorium went up in flames, I was content to burn along with it...for a moment, at least. Gaius: A moment of folly. To surrender my life thus would have been to betray all who died for my cause. It was for them that I dragged myself free of the rubble, and swore vengeance on the Ascians. Gaius: The Black Wolf has shed his pelt, never to return to Garlemald or her legions. I live now only to exact revenge. Gaius: My principle quarry was to be Lahabrea, whom I gather you have since ushered unto oblivion. Gaius: But so many more remain. Long has their kind lurked in the shadows, laboring to sow chaos throughout our world. I would see each and every one dragged into the light and put to the sword. Gaius: Are the Scions not of like mind? Alisaie: In this single respect, perhaps... Gaius: Then I shall continue the partnership the boy began, and share what intelligence I have acquired. Gaius: Among the Ascians, the black-masked ilk are subordinate to those who wear red. This, you already know. Gaius: Yet among the red there exists a hierarchy. Those set adrift with the shards clearly stand below those still joined to the Source. Gaius: Nabriales, who once dared to intrude upon the Rising Stones, belonged to the former group. And while he was indeed a dangerous foe, his powers were inconsequential next to the Paragons of the Source. Gaius: The first was Lahabrea, who plagues us no more. There is also the white-robed Elidibus; and the elusive Emet-Selch, about whom little is known. Alisaie: We have files on Lahabrea and Elidibus, but I believe this “Emet-Selch” is new to us...? Alisaie: As I assume my brother told you, we have evidence to suggest that an Ascian now walks in the body of the crown prince. Have you identified this interloper? Gaius: Elidibus seems the most likely culprit. As “emissary,” it is his role to maintain the equilibrium between Darkness and Light. Gaius: Your many deeds in Hydaelyn's name have upset the balance, and I believe he seeks to restore it by throwing his considerable power behind the Empire. As a leader of the Ascians, he is one of our primary targets. Gaius: It was on the trail of this very prey that the boy and I came across the scene of a failed uprising. In the absence of a single Garlean casualty, we inspected the bodies of the rebels, and the lack of any external injury drew my immediate attention. Gaius: They had been slain by Black Rose─an alchemical invention of the imperial army. When I yet served as legatus, I ordered its production halted and all stockpiles destroyed. Toxic gas is not a tool of conquest, but of extermination. Alisaie: Toxic gas!? This must be the new weapon Maxima warned us about─something deadly enough to sweep away all resistance in a matter of hours. Alisaie: Gods, you don't think they're planning to use this in Ala Mhigo, do you? Gaius: Put your fears to rest. We infiltrated the production facility, and destroyed all existing stores of the chemical along with the plant itself. Even should they rebuild the operation, they will not soon manufacture another batch. Gaius: Regardless, I would draw your attention to a directive we discovered in the plant's records. The document was marked with a recent date, and authorized with the signature of one Zenos yae Galvus. Hien: A dead man signing the death warrant for thousands. 'Tis bad comedy. Gaius: But the tale does not end there─within that same facility was a chamber filled with devices of Allagan design. Cloning technology, we realized. Gaius: And what should we find in each and every incubator...but a young Emperor Solus. Gaius: ...All of which prompts the question: were the Ascians responsible for these abominations? Or was it the will of the Emperor? Gaius: I must know which hand guides the Empire. Though I have given up my rank, I am yet a son of Garlemald...and I will fight for the future of my homeland. Gaius: It is time I returned to the hunting of shadows. We should focus on our common foe─to reopen old quarrels now would serve no purpose. Alisaie: You saved my brother's life, so I'm willing to let sleeping dogs lie. But in truth, it's not my decision to make.
  • What will you say?
  • You're right. There are more important matters at hand.
  • We'll settle this another time.
Gaius: There was a time when I scorned those who placed their faith in false gods─even as I, in my blinkered conviction, placed mine in Ascian promises. Gaius: Unlike yours, my strength of will─and my restraint─was found wanting. We shall meet again, Warrior of Light. Hien: So that was the infamous Black Wolf. An unexpected ally, to say the least... Hien: Well, I am content to leave the fine-tuning of the barrier to cleverer minds. Let us bid our friends from the Ironworks farewell and see what can be done for Alphinaud back in Doma.
Hien: Alphinaud is safely ensconced in a private chamber. My finest healer is examining him as we speak. Alisaie: I've spoken with the physician, and there are no outward signs of illness. Alphinaud is lost in a sleep from which he cannot be awoken...just like the others. Alisaie: It seems that even the lands of the Empire were not far enough away to escape that cursed voice... Hien: I share your frustration, Alisaie, I do─but Alphinaud is returned to us alive and otherwise unharmed. All that remains is to find the means to wake him. Hien: Until then, you can but fulfill your duties as a Scion─yours and your brother's both. Alisaie: ...You're right, of course. There are arrangements to be made, and little time to make them. Alisaie: To business then, my lord─now that we know “Seiryu's Wall” works as intended, can we expect reinforcements for Ala Mhigo? Hien: You most certainly can. As promised, we will send troops to bolster our allies in Eorzea without delay. Yugiri: Pray be aware, however, that they will not arrive without delay. Save for some few who boast teleportation magicks, the bulk of our force must be transported by sea─a lengthy voyage for which the smaller vessels favored by the Confederacy are ill-equipped. Hien: Accordingly, I mean to enlist the assistance of the East Aldenard Trading Company in finding suitable ships. As for navigating the distances in question, we are in the happy position of being able to call upon those who plotted the course of my people's exodus to Eorzea. Hien: Beyond the procurement of ships, I think it unlikely that our East Aldenard friends will consent to any involvement in military operations, but I am certain they will afford Alphinaud a berth aboard one of their vessels. I shall have a chirurgeon accompany him every ilm of the way to the Rising Stones. Alisaie: You have my thanks, Lord Hien. Hien: Yugiri─I will go on ahead with our friends to Ala Mhigo. Enlist all those capable of teleportation, and put them at the disposal of the Eorzean Alliance as soon as possible. They will form the vanguard. Yugiri: Yes, my lord. Alisaie: This is exactly what we'd hoped for. Lyse and the Alliance leaders will be glad indeed to welcome the combined strength of the East.
Meanwhile, at the Black Rose chemical plant... Imperial Magitek Engineer: Our supplies of Black Rose have been ruined, but the new plant is already under construction. We should have the first batch ready in time for the offensive, Your Radiance! Varis zos Galvus: See that you do. Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): Ah, yes! The infamous “Black Rose.” If I recall correctly, Gaius did not much care for the invention. Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): A ruthless and indiscriminate weapon indeed, this airborne poison. It seems you are capable of making decisions worthy of your bloodline. Varis zos Galvus: With no gift for sorcery, we Garleans must look to magitek to even the odds. If it spares the needless deaths of our soldiers, and serves the cause of this empire, there is no method I would not employ. Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): How very noble of you. Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): Truly, though, I must commend you for embracing your role as emperor. You play the part of the determined ruler well. Sometimes, even I catch myself believing! Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): A silent agent of death... Now that I think on it, Black Rose may well possess the perfect aspect. Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): Slowly but surely, the deluge of Light has worked upon the aether here in the Source, and the gas should be most susceptible to its influence... Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): Well, I shall leave you to your own devices. Go forth and bloody the land with your grand and glorious war. Varis zos Galvus: ...While you do what, precisely? Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): Need you ask? I will be doing what all Ascians do. Varis zos Galvus: I am well aware that your kind exists only to usher in the next calamity. But you seem oblivious to the harm your singular agenda causes to the Empire. Varis zos Galvus: You cannot have forgotten the events which followed your mortal demise. Varis zos Galvus: Our homeland was plunged into civil war for your failure to name a successor. The edifice you so carefully constructed was but a hair's breadth from collapse! Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): Are you truly so naive? Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): You thought me oblivious to the consequences? Of a departure so painstakingly timed? Varis zos Galvus: ...It was by design!? Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): Well, of course it was! Though I will admit the resulting panic exceeded even my wildest expectations. But how can you be surprised? Throwing the world into disarray was the very purpose for which this nation was, as you say, “so carefully constructed.” Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): Now, if you have no further questions, I must be on my way. Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): Since we may not meet again in this lifetime, it would be remiss of me not to offer a word or two of gratitude. Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): I really must thank you for this surplus of vessels. I can mold any host into my own image, but having bodies tailor-made for me in this fashion is so much less tiresome! Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): You dabbled in Allagan cloning techniques, yes? It certainly is a compelling─not to mention entertaining─field of research. Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): And of all the options available, you chose the founding father on whom to experiment! You have a twisted streak to you, Varis. Like grandsire, like grandson, eh? Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): If events play out as planned, this will become something of a family enterprise. Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch): You will be the capstone of this world; I, the anchor in the shard. And together, we will give the lie to this star's fraudulent existence!
Parley on the Front Lines Hien stands ready to depart for Ala Mhigo.
Hien: We must leave now to convene with Eorzea's leaders, and it may be some time before I return to Doma. Hien: Hakuro─I leave you in command. Hakuro: My lord! Yugiri: I shall assemble an advance party with all haste, and join you in Ala Mhigo forthwith. Alisaie: I've just received word from Lyse. The Alliance has established a base camp near Ala Mhigo's northeastern border. Alisaie: Once we've arrived in the Lochs, we're to report to a Resistance officer stationed in Porta Praetoria who will point us in the right direction. Let's not keep them waiting.
Resistance Fighter: Ah, you must be the Scion party I was told to look out for! If you'll follow me, I'll take you directly to Alliance Headquarters.
  • Accompany the Resistance fighter to Alliance Headquarters?
  • Yes
  • No
Lyse: Welcome back, you two. Greetings, Lord Hien! Glad you could join us! Hien: Glad to be here. I would have come sooner, were our own defenses not in question. But I am pleased to report that our soldiers are assembling for deployment to Ala Mhigo as we speak. Raubahn: We are grateful for your support. Thanks to the efforts of our allies, it won't be long before we've established defensive positions on this front as well. Alisaie: Ahem, we have some good news too... Alphinaud has come back to us. As for the bad news... Lyse: So, Alphinaud won't wake up, Gaius van Baelsar is alive and hunting Ascians, and the Empire is planning to poison us all with toxic gas. Does that sound about right? Lyse: Ordinarily, any one of those things would have left me in shock, but the way things have been lately, it's all starting to seem pretty normal. Lyse: Getting back to your report, are we sure this “Black Rose” is the weapon Maxima was talking about? Raubahn: It fits the description. And it seems we have Alphinaud to thank for sparing us an early demonstration of its effectiveness. I've a feeling this won't be the last time his bravery in the Empire will serve us here in Eorzea. Raubahn: The threat of an unknown weapon has had us all on edge... But now that we know what we're dealing with, we can take steps to defend against it. Raubahn: As for Gaius...I'm not sure what to think. Am I happy he's alive? Not in the slightest. Am I happy he's hunting Ascians? Aye. I'd have to say I am. Lyse: Oh, speaking of Garleans-you-didn't-expect-to-see, we have a tale of our own, as it happens. When we sent envoys to the imperial army to request talks, they returned with the message that “Varis zos Galvus” would be attending. Hien: The Emperor himself? Well, Varis did sanction the Populares' peace mission... Hien: ...But knowing that an Ascian walks in his son's skin, I do not see how we can trust him or anyone from that nest of vipers. Raubahn: The Alliance would proceed with negotiations regardless, if only to give ourselves more time to prepare. We do, however, require your cooperation... Lyse: Ah, right, yes... So...as a condition for the talks to go forward, the Empire has requested that a member of the Scions be present. There'll be a representative from each Alliance nation, of course, but I'm afraid we have to ask that you come along too. Alisaie: Gods, Lyse...you know how much I hate politics. But then what choice do I have? Alphinaud and the others aren't going to do it... Alisaie: Very well. I shall attend as the Scions' representative. Lyse: In case you're wondering why I didn't ask you, the Empire also requested the presence of “Eorzea's champion”...
  • What will you say?
  • I'll be there. Lyse: That's settled, then. We don't know what Varis means to bring to the table, or why he wants you there, but having you close at hand will make all the difference.
  • I'm not fond of politics either... Lyse: Oh, you're not, are you? Come on. If Alisaie can put on a brave face, then so can you. Now, we don't know what Varis means to bring to the table, or why he wants you there, but having you close at hand should make all the difference.
Raubahn: The meeting will take place on the border. Anticipating an early assault, we mean to position the bulk of our forces nearby. Lyse: The Alliance leaders should already be on their way. Once you're ready, we can head out and join them.
Lyse: Well, I don't suppose it's polite to keep an emperor waiting too long. Shall we?
  • Parley with the Emperor?
  • Yes
  • No
Varis zos Galvus: Esteemed representatives of the Eorzean Alliance─on behalf of the Garlean Empire, I thank you for inviting me here today. Varis zos Galvus: As this parley was convened at your request, I invite you to speak first. Nanamo Ul Namo: Very well, Your Radiance. I, Nanamo Ul Namo, seventeenth in the line of Ul, should be pleased to oblige you. Nanamo Ul Namo: As recent events in Ala Mhigo and Doma have made plain, the subjugation and exploitation of neighboring nations is not a sustainable policy. Nanamo Ul Namo: Should this day end in war, you may very well defeat us, but you will never extinguish the people's desire for freedom. Though it may not be in our lifetime, there will be another revolution, another war, and the cycle will continue. Nanamo Ul Namo: Doma has entered into a concord with the nations of Eorzea. A partnership wherein we recognize one another as equals. Nanamo Ul Namo: Garlemald could be afforded similar treatment. You need only set aside your ambitions and join us in paving a path towards peace. Varis zos Galvus: Hmph! You will not win me over with sophistry, Your Grace. Varis zos Galvus: As you know only too well, this alliance lacks the strength to keep the peace within its own borders. Even now, your struggles with the beastmen continue unabated. Varis zos Galvus: Divided, you sow this fertile soil with the seeds of your differences and reap naught but discord and chaos for your trouble. Eorzea must be united under one leader, one purpose. I would offer you both and bring an end to your strife. Lyse: With all due respect, Your Radiance, the only thing that you offered the people of Ala Mhigo was fear and hopelessness. Hien: The citizens of Doma can also attest to the meager alms of imperial rule. There is no purpose to be found in a life of oppression, each day more uncertain than the last. Lyse: Our people are willing to die for their freedom. A great many already have. And countless more will, if we don't put an end to this madness here and now. Varis zos Galvus: We brought order and stability to your lives. This madness and bloodshed is of your own making. You broke the peace, not Garlemald. Raubahn: Peace? Order? You kill our peoples, despoil our lands, take everything that is ours. And what? You expect us to lick the boot that grinds our faces into the dirt? Varis zos Galvus: I expect you to weigh the costs. To recognize that countless lives have been lost on both sides in pursuit of a greater good─and to not squander all we have achieved in a fit of petulance. Aymeric: Your Radiance, I fear I can personally attest to the dangers of pursuing one's vision with such righteous fervor. Aymeric: For a thousand years, the Holy See of Ishgard waged war with dragons. Aymeric: A thousand years of sacrifice, of sorrow and hate, in which we bathed in the blood of friend and foe alike. Had it gone on any longer, we may well have drowned. Aymeric: Yet we have chosen to raise ourselves out of this bloody spiral, and have since made peace with our former enemy. Varis zos Galvus: So I understand. No doubt the dragons were more receptive to your overtures in the wake of their leader's demise. Varis zos Galvus: You speak of peace, yet use war to achieve it. Your father would not have bothered to obscure his intent with honeyed words. He understood that strength is all that matters in the end. Varis zos Galvus: Without his clarity of vision, I can but wonder what will become of Ishgard and her people. Varis zos Galvus: There was a time when Garlemald too lacked a leader of conviction. Weak and unable to wield magic, we were at the mercy of the strong, from whom we sought refuge in the bitter cold of the north. Varis zos Galvus: Were it not for the discovery of ceruleum, and the subsequent development of magitek, we might never have gained the power to take back that which was rightfully ours. Merlwyb: You speak as if your people were the first to have been driven from their homes. Limsa Lominsa was built by wayward souls in search of a place to call their own. Merlwyb: On the shores of Vylbrand we found it, and from those humble beginnings did we grow and flourish. And all without robbing our neighbors of their liberty. Varis zos Galvus: So sayeth the pirate. Am I to believe that you simply asked the kobolds to yield up their lands, and that they were happy to oblige you? That you did not drive them out like rats in the hold of one of the many ships seized by your “privateers”? Varis zos Galvus: I will concede that, after centuries of exile, reclamation may be mistaken for invasion. Nevertheless, it is not─and those who till stolen soil have no right to object when cast out in turn. Kan-E-Senna: Your uncompromising nature rivals that of the Ixal. Kan-E-Senna: They too lament circumstances which they themselves perpetuate. Were they but to embrace peace, we would welcome them with open arms. Indeed, some few have done just that, and now receive of the Twelveswood's bounty. Kan-E-Senna: Would that your people might learn from their example. Varis zos Galvus: You would dare compare us to the birdmen? You who thought to invoke the Twelve and threaten all of creation? Varis zos Galvus: I came here in the hope of finding some speck of common ground, but I see now these discussions will accomplish nothing. Varis zos Galvus: Despite what you people may believe, I am not wont to choose the sword over the olive branch. 'Tis but a pity men are loath to accept one without first being shown the other. Alisaie: Wait, I beg you! This meeting was supposed to be a chance to find a way forward together, not to bemoan the missteps which brought us here. Alisaie: Please─if you truly consider violence a last resort, there must be a way we can come to an agreement. Nanamo Ul Namo: As Mistress Alisaie says, we did not come here to bicker over the past, but to discuss how we might strive towards a brighter future. Nanamo Ul Namo: Emperor Varis, may I suggest a short recess, that all present might compose themselves prior to beginning anew? Varis zos Galvus: Very well. I pray this intermission will suffice to move these talks in a more constructive direction.
Alisaie: Phew. This is really not my forte. Alisaie: After His Radiance's little performance, it was all I could do not to swear at him. I honestly don't know how I ended up playing the mediator. Alisaie: I just asked myself what Alphinaud would have done, tried my best to do the same, and...by some miracle, it worked. Alisaie: But there really is no common ground to be found with that man─nor do I think he looked for any. So the question becomes, what did he come here to do─because you may be certain it wasn't to make peace. Alisaie: <sigh> ...Whatever it is, I can't make it out─not yet, at least. We do have a little time before the parley is due to reconvene, though, so why not try consulting our illustrious leaders? Mayhap they have some insight to share.
Merlwyb: I will say one thing for this Varis─he is well versed in Eorzean history. Kan-E-Senna: His interest in our affairs is that of a beast in its prey. The conqueror would know his enemies. Merlwyb: All should know their enemies. Yet there is much and more we do not know of the Empire.
  • What will you say?
  • I'm sure Varis would be happy to tell you more...
  • Then it's up to us to change that. Here and now.
Merlwyb: Hah! You would have me ask the Emperor himself? Well, mayhap there is some wisdom in that. Merlwyb: If we can skirt the storm of his displeasure, we may yet come to our answers...even if it does mean sailing close to the wind.
Nanamo Ul Namo: Twelve have mercy... But for Lady Alisaie's timely interjection, we might well have come to blows at the negotiating table. Nanamo Ul Namo: Not that Emperor Varis left us a great many options. Is unconditional surrender all he will accept, do you think? Raubahn: Ere he arrived, I'd have said yes. But having heard him speak...I cannot help but think he came with some other end in mind. Lyse: Exactly! He's building up to something, I know it! Nanamo Ul Namo: Hmm... How then should we approach the rest of the parley? Have you anything to say, Warrior of Light?
  • What will you say?
  • Invite Varis to explain himself.
  • Say nothing of Zenos or the Ascians.
Nanamo Ul Namo: You believe he is more apt to reveal the truth if we put him at his ease? ...Mayhap you are right. Nanamo Ul Namo: Thank you, Forename.
Hien: This parley was never like to bring peace, but I had hoped to learn something of Emperor Varis's relationship with the Ascians... Aymeric: As had we all. Yet if he is in league with them, he is not like to volunteer the fact─and if he is not...how much weaker would his position seem for their presence. If we are to broach that particular subject, we will need to be subtle... <sigh> Would that I knew more of the man... If you would indulge me, Lord Hien: you received an imperial education, did you not? Is it true that the Emperor's will is considered absolute? Hien: There is no higher authority in all of Garlemald, nor else in the heavens, come to that. Veneration of the gods is forbidden─the only worship permitted being that of His Radiance's own person.
  • What will you say?
  • That sounds suspiciously like a religion in itself.
  • ...
Hien: I share your disdain for their hypocrisy. Even as they denigrate the idea of faith, they revere their leader with a fervor others reserve for the divine. Hien: 'Tis a flaw common to much of the doctrine they fed us─logical on the surface, perhaps, but contradictory upon closer examination. I wonder if a discussion of the various discrepancies might prompt Varis to reveal something...?
Alisaie: You've spoken with everyone then? Good. Now, all that remains is to await the pleasure of the Emperor, and hope we fare better at the second attempt...
Varis zos Galvus: Now then. Who would have the floor? Nanamo Ul Namo: Before we resume, I wish to offer you an apology. After you graciously accepted our invitation to discuss an armistice, we have done naught but rebuke you at every opportunity. I believe I speak for all of us when I say we are deeply sorry for our discourtesy. Merlwyb: I'll admit, your familiarity with our affairs surprised me─and served to remind me how little I know of yours. Raubahn: I think all here can understand the desire to reclaim one's homeland. But why expand further─that is my question. Hien: If I may─the answer can be found in the imperial doctrine they took great pains to impart to my people. Hien: Recognizing the threat eikons pose to the world, Solus zos Galvus decreed that they were to be eradicated. To this end, he began a campaign to unite all lands under the Garlean banner. Hien: Or so we were taught. Yet the Emperor only reached the Burn─the barrens said to have been laid waste by eikons─after conquering all the lands that lay between. What is more, I am quite certain the practice of summoning was not nearly so widespread in the days before the Empire's founding. Lyse: When you put it like that, it all starts to sound like an excuse, doesn't it? But to distract from what? Why are you really waging this war? Varis zos Galvus: ...Finally, you ask the right question. Varis zos Galvus: I can but hope you heed mine answer and at last accept the righteousness of our cause. Varis zos Galvus: My goal is this: to return the world to the way it once was. The way it was always meant to be. Varis zos Galvus: In doing so, mankind will be made whole once more. Varis zos Galvus: No longer will we suffer from the dissension born of our differences. Varis zos Galvus: There will be but one race─a perfect race─as we were when time began. Lyse: What in Rhalgr's name are you talking about? Varis zos Galvus: I am talking about the origins of this star. Of the Source, and its thirteen reflections. Varis zos Galvus: At the instant of the great sundering, 'twas not only the world that was shattered, but mankind itself. Thus were we divided into myriad races, each with its own unique imperfections. Varis zos Galvus: That is why man looks upon his neighbor and feels fear and hatred. Why he wages war. Why he kills his brother. Varis zos Galvus: You all in your own way have proven as much today. The peace you seek is but a fleeting solution to a fundamental problem. One which calls for more drastic measures. Varis zos Galvus: To bring about everlasting peace, our worlds must be rejoined. Varis zos Galvus: That is the goal the Empire would see realized─the glorious future unto which we shall one day shepherd mankind. Merlwyb: A rejoining of worlds...? Kan-E-Senna: I have heard this tale of the Source and its reflections before... Nanamo Ul Namo: Are these not the selfsame desires as the Ascians? Aymeric: Emperor Varis! Do not trust in their words. They will lead you to your doom. Aymeric: My father thought to use them, but in the end he succumbed to their temptations. He embraced summoning like so many other pawns before him. Do not tell us you mean to do the same! Varis zos Galvus: To be a pawn, free from the burden of choice, would be a blessing... Varis zos Galvus: But I foreswore that privilege the day I learned that the Garlean Empire was built by the hand of an Ascian. Alisaie: What!? Varis zos Galvus: Yes. My grandsire, the former emperor, is of their number. And who better to build an empire capable of bringing about the calamitous change we desire? Varis zos Galvus: Would you condemn me for this alliance, for bowing to the will of these shadowy masters, when the prize is true and lasting peace?
  • What will you say?
  • Your prize is a lie. Your master, demons.
  • I will stop you and the Ascians. No matter the cost.
Varis zos Galvus: I come not to conquer, but to liberate─to free man from the prison of divergence. Varis zos Galvus: Imagine a world united. One perfect race beneath a single standard. Varis zos Galvus: An army before whose might these servants of Darkness and Light would fly as leaves in a storm, never again to meddle in man's affairs. Varis zos Galvus: We would be the masters of our own fate! Varis zos Galvus: I bid you join me! Not as subjects of Garlemald, but of a new nation! And together we shall win freedom for ourselves and generations yet unborn! Lyse: You want to trigger another half-dozen calamities? You can't be serious! Raubahn: Have you forgotten how many died? There will be no one left! Merlwyb: Do you truly imagine we would aid you in your bloodletting? Kan-E-Senna: It is unthinkable! Unconscionable! Varis zos Galvus: And what is the alternative? To be as cattle waiting for slaughter. I would have us work together, that we might take fate into our own hands. Alisaie: Into your hands, perhaps... Alisaie: But what of the other worlds, Your Radiance? With every calamity, you obliterate a star and every soul that dwells on it! Varis zos Galvus: To the Ascians, we are all but tiny, momentary specks within an indifferent universe. We cannot hope to oppose them until we have been made whole once more. Nanamo Ul Namo: Are these truly the words of Garlemald's ruler? Nanamo Ul Namo: The flaws and foibles which you so abhor are what make us who we are. Every nation─even yours, Emperor Varis─is made whole through the combination of these imperfections, the strengths of one compensating for the weaknesses of another. Nanamo Ul Namo: While it is true that man succumbs all too often to anger and avarice, he may yet overcome his baser instincts through the forming of bonds with others, fostering community and cooperation. Nanamo Ul Namo: That the protector of an empire should not only reject these fundamental truths, but seek to change them at so dear a cost to life is indefensible. Nanamo Ul Namo: Such a man is not fit to govern. Varis zos Galvus: And you, Warrior of Light? Would you refuse me as well?
  • What will you say?
  • I cannot condone such a loss of life.
  • We can defeat the Ascians as we are.
Nanamo Ul Namo: It would seem the Alliance is of one mind on this matter. Varis zos Galvus: You Eorzeans never cease to disappoint me. Varis zos Galvus: Though I suppose I have only myself to blame for expecting more from savages. Varis zos Galvus: This discussion is at an end. I bid you make ready for our next meeting. It will not be at the negotiating table.
Lyse: I came back to find Doma's advance party ready and waiting for battle. So, as worrying as our little chat with the Emperor was, it did buy enough time for at least some of our allies to arrive.
The Face of War Having listened to Emperor Varis's maniacal plans, Lyse is ready to go to war.
Lyse: I'm not sure what I was expecting from our meeting with the Emperor, but it wasn't that. Still, at least we know now what he's really after! Raubahn: Aye, a future built on a mountain of bodies. I too want the Ascians dead─but not at any cost. Hien: The last of the reinforcements from Doma arrived not long ago. I pray it will be enough. Given the Emperor's stated goal, this is a battle we can ill afford to lose. Raubahn: If the Garleans come in force, we may not have much say in the matter...even with our combined strength. Hien: We knew from the first that the odds would be against us. But if there is even the slightest chance of victory, we must do everything in our power to seize it. Raubahn: We must seize it, full stop. Hien: Hear, hear! Raubahn: The two of you are to join an irregular unit and support the main host. I won't bother asking if you're minded to fight. Alisaie: After coming this far, how could I not? Alisaie: And for once, there's no one around to countermand me. Not that they would. Not even my brother. Alisaie: But we all know who'll really make the difference. Ready to frighten some Garleans? Raubahn: I wouldn't want to be on their side. Hien: Might I ask you to accompany the Doman contingent? They are strangers here, and your presence would do much to raise their spirits. Alisaie: We would be honored. Yugiri: When our people stride out with you in their midst, I daresay the Eorzeans will feel an ilm taller themselves. High spirits have a way of spreading. Raubahn: Ah, what I wouldn't give to join you. But my duties as field commander will not allow it. I leave the front lines in your capable hands. Raubahn: Comrades! Ready your arms! The hour of battle has come! Raubahn: May the Crystal guide us to victory! Alisaie: Since the others couldn't be here, we'll have to fight twice as hard. If Alphinaud wakes to find the imperials have won, I shall never hear the end of it. Alisaie: It's strange... I thought I would be terrified when the fighting started. Alisaie: I should be terrified. But with you at our side, I can't help feeling everything is going to be all right. Alisaie: So please... Alisaie: Don't you dare leave me alone. Alisaie: No matter what happens, we have to survive. Together.

The Ghimlyt Dark

For those who dare travel 'twixt Aldenard and Ilsabard, there is but one path, and it leads through Ghimlyt. A confluence of harsh terrain and aetheroclimatic conditions have shrouded the land in perpetual darkness, and it is here the decisive battle for Eorzea begins. Joined by their Far Eastern allies, the Eorzean Alliance battles desperately to fight back the seemingly endless waves of imperial troops. In a bid to change the tide of battle, the Warrior of Light has been called to the fray, but can they prevail in this land long since lost to the light?
Hien: This is the moment of truth, my friends! Hold nothing back! Alisaie: Aye, let's give them hells!
Yugiri: Enemies from above! Hien: They must do better than that to catch us off guard!
Alisaie: Out of our way!
Hien: Golden armor... Safe to assume it's dangerous. Yugiri: Indeed. Let all have care. Alisaie: Ungh, my head is spinning... Hien: That was some truly savage swordplay.
Yugiri: Machina wreckage!? Hien: Too close for comfort...
Alisaie: How fierce must the fighting have been here...
Yugiri Mistwalker: Spread out, and be wary of artillery fire. Hien: Keep to the north. We will head off their troops to the south.
Pipin of the Steel Heart: I shan't hold back! Hien: Our friends need us! With me! Alisaie: Hang in there, Lyse! Pipin of the Steel Heart: Brace yourself. They've called for reinforcements! Yugiri: My lord! Lyse: Thanks, but we're not done yet.
Lyse: Ready? Pipin of the Steel Heart: Keep moving. We will hold them here!
Yugiri: Some manner of trench-digging weapon? Alisaie: Whatever it is, we can't afford to be stopped here! Hien: Such bizarre machina the Garleans are wont to make... Alisaie: That one was like a fire-breathing mole, I thought.
Aymeric: You underestimate me! Alisaie: Elder Seedseer! Ser Aymeric! Hien: Let us press on together! Kan-E-Senna: My thanks, Forename.
Aymeric: This knight does not yield!
Hien: You seem troubled, friends. Not getting tired, are you?
Alisaie: You're all safe, thank goodness! Pipin of the Steel Heart: Fear not! Help is on the way! Hien: How heartening to have the Alliance's finest at our side! Yugiri: Aye, there is naught we need fear! Kan-E-Senna: Quickly! To me! Yugiri: A sturdier barrier I have seldom seen! Alisaie: No less than I'd expect of the Elder Seedseer!
Hien: It looks ready to explode. Stand back! Hien: This is for you, old friend.
Lyse: It's going to blow! Lyse: This one's for you, Papalymo. Hien: Leave it to Lyse to pierce warmachina armor with her fist! Lyse: Go on, Forename. Leave these soldiers to us. Alisaie: I won't be outdone!
Annia quo Soranus: These savages bested our vanguard? Impressive... Julia quo Soranus: But in the end, they are only that—savages.
Now, let us be brief. His Radiance awaits.
Julia quo Soranus: Annia. Take the field. Annia quo Soranus: Very well. I leave the artillery fire to you. Alisaie: These are no ordinary soldiers... Hien: So, their commanders deign to appear at last! Annia quo Soranus: Commence bombardment, and prepare to strike. Julia quo Soranus: They will not escape. Julia quo Soranus: Impressive. Annia, let us engage them together. Alisaie: This can't be good... Stay on guard! Annia quo Soranus: They cannot hope to evade us both. Hien: Don't take your eyes off them! Julia quo Soranus: Annia. Fall back. Annia quo Soranus: Very well. Leave the artillery to me. Julia quo Soranus: Ready the ceruleum tanks. Annia quo Soranus: Deploying now. Annia quo Soranus: It seems we have no choice, Julia. Julia quo Soranus: You should feel honored, savages. Few are they who have witnessed this twice. Julia quo Soranus: And fewer still who have witnessed this... Hien: So they mean to play their trump card! Annia quo Soranus: Farewell, savages. Alisaie: Throw everything you've got at them!
Annia quo Soranus: We have served our purpose. Come, we shall withdraw for now.
Yugiri: Their teamwork was quite fearsome, I must allow.
Alisaie: Is it over already?
Hien: It seems we've thrown them back.
Alisaie: There you are! And none the worse for wear! Hien: Indeed. I had hoped we might do more to help, but there seems to be no one left to fight.
Alisaie: We did it! I daresay they'll be reeling from this! Hien: You were truly inspiring in battle, my friend. I'm determined not to be outdone, but there seems to be no one left to fight... Yugiri: A tactical withdrawal, perhaps? Alisaie: We should give chase. Finish them off while we have the chance. Alisaie: Imagine the others' surprise when they wake to find the war already won. ??? (G'raha Tia): The Light...will expunge all life... ??? (G'raha Tia): Only you...can forestall the calamity... ??? (G'raha Tia): Throw wide...the gates... Alisaie: No! Not now... Not...like... Hien: Oh no, don't tell me... Hien: Are you all right? Hien: Quickly! We must get her back to the encampment.
Raubahn: So the Garleans have been routed, have they? Well done. Raubahn: Though this exchange was no more than a test of our strength, like as not. They won't be taking any chances now that the Emperor has joined the fray. They'll want to take their time─whittle down our defenses... Raubahn: Still, with your help, and that of our Eastern allies, we've passed the first test. Our line is unbroken. Raubahn: As for Alisaie...well, she's in good hands over at the infirmary. Yugiri: My lord─the chirurgeons have completed their examination of Mistress Alisaie, and it is as we feared. She is locked in a slumber without any outward cause. Hien: Just like the others. Damn it all... Raubahn: Aye...the Garleans picked a fine time to come knocking. Raubahn: Five Scions incapacitated... And with the enemy on our doorstep, I cannot spare the men to assist in the search for a cure. The best I can do is see to it that Alisaie is escorted safely back to the Rising Stones. Hien: Yugiri and I would return to our encampment. The main contingent of our forces from the Far East is under sail, and all must be made ready for their arrival. Raubahn: I'll not keep you, then. Raubahn: Judging by the Garleans' recent movements, or lack thereof, they won't be launching another offensive in the immediate future. Raubahn: You should return to the Rising Stones. Given the plight of your fellow Scions, I can understand if you feel on edge, but you'll be no good to anyone without rest.
Hoary Boulder: Ah, Forename. Welcome home. Word has it you and Mistress Alisaie gave the Garleans quite a thrashing. Speaking of whom, where is Mistress Alisaie? I was certain she would have returned by now. Hoary Boulder: By the Twelve, not her too... Hoary Boulder: Ocher and I will ready the infirmary for her arrival. Hoary Boulder: We will also need to send a message to Tataru posthaste. <sigh> Would that I had something other than grim tidings to share with her... Hoary Boulder: And with you too, for that matter. It grieves me to report that the Archons' condition remains unchanged. Hoary Boulder: As we speak, Coultenet, Krile, and Master Matoya continue to explore every possible avenue. Alas, their efforts have yet to bear fruit. Hoary Boulder: But all is not lost. You are still hale and whole, after all. Though I suspect you must be tired from your journey. You should rest, my friend. Leave the worrying to us, for the time being, at least.
Meanwhile, at the border of Ala Mhigo...

Stormblood: A Requiem for Heroes (4.56)

A Brief Reprieve Hoary Boulder's sullen expression suggests he has no news to share, which in this case may not mean good news.
Hoary Boulder: Ah, Forename. Yours is a welcome face indeed in these troubled times. Though if you've come to inquire about our stricken brothers and sisters, I am afraid I have naught to report. Hoary Boulder: Coultenet and the others continue their tireless search for answers, and I too have done all in my power to assist them. Alas... ??? (Maxima): My apologies for the intrusion. I was told Master Alphinaud had been brought here, and wished to see if his condition had improved. Maxima: Mistress Forename. I have heard about the part you played in driving back the Empire's forces...
...Thank you. That you were able to stop them, if only for a short while, gives me hope. Maxima: I realize how strange such words must sound coming from a Garlean's lips, but I speak them out of the love I bear for my homeland─because I wish to see an end to the bloodshed. Maxima: That is why I chose to share all that I know with the Alliance. Though I will surely be branded a traitor, I am content to bear that ignominy. 'Twill seem a small price to pay if it helps to prevent this conflict from escalating any further. Maxima: But enough of my prattling. The war is not what brought me all this way. I came to see Master Alphinaud. Hoary Boulder: An acquaintance of Forename and Alphinaud, are you? Well, far be it from me to turn away good company. If you will follow me, sir...
Maxima: When word reached me that Alphinaud had returned, it seemed only right that I visit him. Poor lad... It pains me to see him thus. But I take solace in the knowledge that he is safe and well cared for. Maxima: He fought valiantly at the Burn. The Populares could not have wished for a more committed ally. Maxima: I know not how he came to be so afflicted, but I pray a cure will be found soon. Maxima: On an unrelated note, you may be interested to know that I traveled here in the company of another acquaintance of yours. Maxima: He awaits my return at north Silvertear, and I am certain he would be glad to see you. Assuming you can spare the time, that is.
Maxima: Ah, there you are. I was beginning to think you would not come.
Cid: It sounds like you've been through the mill. You should have called me. Cid: Though I must confess, tracking down missing souls isn't exactly within my field of expertise. Maxima: As you may have surmised, I heard much of Master Garlond growing up in Garlemald. Indeed, he has long been a source of inspiration to me. Maxima: Most Garleans would say he is a traitor, that he turned his back on his country. We of the Populares, however, consider him a revolutionary─a man willing to defy the Empire's dreams of subjugation, that his inventions might bring about a better future for all mankind. Cid: Please─“revolutionary” is a term best reserved for my work. I am but an imperial defector who thought to aid another imperial defector. Maxima: Whatever Master Garlond says, I am humbled to find myself in such distinguished company. Cid: Speaking of distinguished company, we heard from Raubahn that you ran into an old friend in the Burn. Is it true? Gaius still lives? Maxima: Like most in the army, I never had the privilege of seeing the legatus without his mask. To think I walked halfway across the Burn in the presence of the Black Wolf... Cid: And he claimed to have severed ties with the Empire to hunt Ascians, did he? Cid: Hmph. After his humbling at the Praetorium, one would think he'd have the good sense to stay dead. Cid: Should we meet again, I shall be sure to tell him so. Maxima: Commander Aldynn also spoke of the Alliance's meeting with the Emperor...though I still labor to believe what he told us. Did His Radiance really claim that Garlemald was founded by the Ascians? Maxima: But that is madness. The very notion is absurd! Every fiber of my being rails against it... And yet I see there is no escaping the truth. From the very founding of my homeland, my brothers and sisters have laid down their lives in service to a lie. Maxima: The Ascians must be stopped. To save my people, to save all peoples. Cid: For all the Empire's many crimes, even I did not suspect. Had I known, I would have left a lot sooner. Cid: But that is in the past. Here in the present, we must apply ourselves to the problem of how the Empire's ambitions may be thwarted, not only in Eorzea, but in the Far East as well. Cid: The Ironworks will spare no effort to achieve that end. Seiryu's Wall was a good start, but we can do more─and we will. We'll show them what it means to achieve “Freedom through Technology”! Alliance Herald: Begging your pardons! I bear a message for the Warrior of Light! Alliance Herald: Commander Aldynn requests your presence at Alliance Headquarters in Ala Mhigo. He would discuss matters of strategy at your earliest convenience. Cid: Ah yes. The inevitable messenger. I knew it wouldn't be long before duty called you away. Cid: Time no doubt being of the essence, could I tempt you to a ride aboard the Excelsior? If there's a faster way to Raubahn's side, I will personally apologize to the commander for keeping him waiting.
Cid: I swear, every time you board my airship, you seem to be barreling headlong into danger. And every time, you somehow contrive to emerge victorious. Which, of course, is an admirable skill. Cid: But no one is invincible, Forename. Not even you. So please, take care of yourself out there. Maxima: I pray you remain safe on the front lines. Though ill-equipped to join the fray, I shall do all I can to assist from headquarters. Cid: My colleagues and I have been tasked with evacuating casualties by air. See that you aren't among them, eh?
A Requiem for Heroes Despite the apparent urgency of Raubahn's summons, the Resistance fighter seems content to wait for your signal to proceed.
Resistance Fighter: Commander Aldynn is waiting, my lady. It would be best if we proceeded to Alliance Headquarters at once.
Resistance Fighter: Are you ready?
  • Accompany the Resistance fighter to Alliance Headquarters?
  • Yes
  • No
Raubahn: You're here. Good. I summoned you to discuss strategy, but first I would apprise you of the Garleans' movements.
Raubahn: There have been several skirmishes along the border, but as yet, neither side has delivered a decisive blow. Raubahn: We had long assumed that the Garleans would overwhelm us in a straight fight, but we seem to be gaining ground, albeit slowly. Raubahn: As to why that might be... The most likely explanation is that they have yet to commit all their forces. Still, we're winning, and our latest intelligence suggests the Emperor has retreated back to Garlemald. Raubahn: In light of this, we're considering launching an offensive, with the aim of pushing the front line forward, and giving ourselves some room to breathe. Distressed Soldier: Commander! The imperials─they've broken through our defenses to the east. Raubahn: What!? Distressed Soldier: Our scouts say their forces are being led by Lord Zenos! Distressed Soldier: Lord Hien and Commander Hext have taken their troops to provide support, but we don't know how long they can hold out. Raubahn: So they've been biding their time, waiting for his arrival, have they? Raubahn: Very well. Send word to our allies, requesting reinforcements for the front line. Raubahn: Should the worst come to the worst, I may need to enter the fray myself. But what of you? Do you still have the strength to fight?
  • What will you say?
  • You need only say the word. Raubahn: Much obliged. Given the choice, I'd take you over a hundred soldiers.
  • So long as you leave the Ascian to me. Raubahn: He may not die as such, but to see Lord Zenos fall on the battlefield would deal a heavy blow to imperial morale. I'll see to it the men stay clear.
??? (G'raha Tia): Why won't they open? ??? (G'raha Tia): Please... I bid you, open...! Raubahn: What's wrong? Is it the voice again? Raubahn: Are you sure you're in a fit state to do this? Raubahn: May Rhalgr grant us strength... Raubahn: Give them hell, lass. I, for my part, will defend this place to my dying breath.
Meanwhile, at the border of Ala Mhigo...
Zenos yae Galvus (Elidibus): So, there are still those willing to stand against the crown prince. Interesting... The Warrior of Light has left Alliance Headquarters. Lyse: Let's put an end to this here and now! Zenos yae Galvus (Elidibus): Do you truly believe that possible? Then let us test the limits of this Garlean vessel. Yugiri Mistwalker: A formidable foe... But we have come too far to fail now. Zenos yae Galvus: Soon I shall give the lie to man's indomitable spirit. The Warrior of Light is still nowhere in sight. Hien: Strength, my friends! It would not do to have Forename arrive to find us battered and broken! Zenos yae Galvus (Elidibus): Fight and struggle if that is your wont, but you will not escape your fate. Hien: Our fate is not for you to decide! Zenos yae Galvus (Elidibus): Enough! You will learn your place. Zenos yae Galvus (Elidibus): Behold─a taste of my true power! Hien: Grrr... Ngh... What is this sorcery!? Zenos yae Galvus (Elidibus): Look upon Ame-no-Habakiri and know the depths of your folly! Lyse: Oh no you don't! Hien: Lyse, no... What have you done!? Yugiri Mistwalker: If he would bring all to bear then so must we! Hien: Well done dispelling his phantoms. Now hurry, we must protect Lyse! Zenos yae Galvus (Elidibus): Still you choose to struggle against the inevitable... The Warrior of Light is but a few hundred yalms away! Hien: We may be on the back foot, but it's not over yet! Lyse: If we can at least hold out until Forename arrives, I'm sure we can turn this around. Zenos yae Galvus (Elidibus): She comes, does she? Then I need not waste my time on you.
Yugiri: Fall, fiend! Hien: Yugiri! Lyse: Damn you! Hien: Magic? With a Garlean body? That's hardly fair... Hien: Still, he must be stopped...no matter the cost... Zenos (Elidibus): Ah, Bringer of Light. It has been too long. Zenos (Elidibus): No words to mark our reunion? ...So be it. Zenos (Elidibus): Equilibrium must be restored... And only your death will redress the balance.
Zenos yae Galvus (Elidibus): We will suffer your interference no longer. Zenos yae Galvus (Elidibus): You think you know of the dark, but I will show you the true nature of our power! Zenos yae Galvus (Elidibus): The potential of this vessel is transcendent─without limit! Zenos yae Galvus (Elidibus): You are strong, Bringer of Light, but Her blessing will avail you not. Zenos yae Galvus (Elidibus): To redress the balance─to ensure the salvation of this star─you must fall! Zenos yae Galvus (Elidibus): Impossible... How is it you have grown so powerful in the gift!? Zenos yae Galvus (Elidibus): No matter... You may have bested Lahabrea, but I will not be cast aside so easily! Zenos yae Galvus (Elidibus): I see...
Zenos (Elidibus): Your Mother chose Her champion well. Zenos (Elidibus): Yet for all your strength, you will still fail. ??? (G'raha Tia): Please... I beseech you... Zenos (Elidibus): Hm? Someone calls to you... Zenos (Elidibus): Too late, alas.
??? (G'raha Tia): At last, I've found you. Enigmatic Figure (G'raha Tia): Please! There is no cause for alarm! Enigmatic Figure (G'raha Tia): ...Though, I confess, this is not where I had intended to meet. Enigmatic Figure (G'raha Tia): But the place of our meeting is of no consequence─like the war you wage. Win or lose, the path you walk leads only to oblivion. Enigmatic Figure (G'raha Tia): The better path leads you here. To me. I have need of your strength.
  • What will you say?
  • Who are you!? Enigmatic Figure (G'raha Tia): I am afraid such questions will have to wait. We have precious little time, and your work is not yet done.
  • You have to send me back, now! Enigmatic Figure (G'raha Tia): The battle is over. The danger passed. But your work is not yet done.
Enigmatic Figure (G'raha Tia): Go to the Crystal Tower. I have left something for you near its base. Enigmatic Figure (G'raha Tia): It will serve as a beacon of sorts. One which I pray will help you on your journey. Enigmatic Figure (G'raha Tia): All you need do is find it. I will take care of the rest. Enigmatic Figure (G'raha Tia): Soon we will throw wide the gates... Enigmatic Figure (G'raha Tia): And the path to the First will be yours to walk at last.
Aymeric: You're awake. Thank heavens!
  • What will you say?
  • What happened? Aymeric: Do you recall the confrontation with Zenos? You were the first to come to the aid of Mistress Lyse and the others on the front line.
  • Where is Zenos? Aymeric: I see you recall that much, at least.
Aymeric: In the midst of your duel, it is said you faltered, and that the crown prince seized the opportunity to deliver a mortal blow. Aymeric: Yet before his blade could find its mark, he was distracted by the arrival of a second adversary who bore you away from the battlefield and into the hands of our chirurgeons. Aymeric: Lest you wonder, he left before you awoke. As is his wont. Aymeric: Estinien never was one for emotional farewells. Aymeric: Though Zenos bested all before him, the battle clearly took its toll, for he retreated shortly after your rescue. Seeing this, the remaining imperial forces decided discretion was the better part of valor and pulled back, allowing us to reestablish our position. Aymeric: We have since received word of renewed unrest in the provinces, doubtless inspired by the efforts of the Eorzean Alliance and our Far Eastern allies. Aymeric: Nor does the good news end there. We have also come into possession of intelligence suggesting unrest within the imperial court. Aymeric: This would certainly explain why both the Emperor and Lord Zenos appear to have abandoned the fight. Aymeric: A long-awaited ray of hope in these dark times.
  • What will you say?
  • Is Alisaie all right?
  • What of the Scions?
Aymeric: Yet to awake, I'm afraid. But, please...concentrate on your own recovery for now. Aymeric: You have carried the hopes of some half-dozen nations─and we are all eternally grateful for your efforts─but no one is without their limits. Not even you. Aymeric: Leave this fight to us, my friend. You have earned your rest. Aymeric: Ah, but before I forget... Aymeric: I was asked to deliver a message as soon as you awoke. Aymeric: A reminder that you are not alone, though many of your allies have fallen. Aymeric: When you are well and rested, you are to return home, where friends will be waiting for you. Aymeric: Now, if you will excuse me, I must return to the front. May we meet again soon. Under happier circumstances.
??? (Count Edmont de Fortemps): Well, this is a most unexpected surprise. I thought you confined to bed. Count Edmont de Fortemps: When I heard that you had collapsed on the field of battle, I confess I feared the worst. But with you standing here before me, I see now that the reports of your defeat were greatly exaggerated. Thank the Fury. Count Edmont de Fortemps: As long as we have you, Mistress Surname, history suggests we have a fighting chance. Speaking of fighting, you may be surprised to hear that the war's effects can already be felt even here in Ishgard. In anticipation of a need for reinforcements, Artoirel will soon be departing for the front lines with a contingent of our finest knights. Count Edmont de Fortemps: I would advise you to stay until your strength had returned, but I know it would be an exercise in futility. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Indeed, I suspect you have already decided on your next destination. Count Edmont de Fortemps: Dark days lie ahead, of that I have no doubt, but the light of hope shall ever guide our steps so long as we have the will to press onward. Count Edmont de Fortemps: And press onward we must. Farewell, my friend. I pray our next meeting will be under happier circumstances.
Tataru: By the Twelve, I don't believe it! Tataru: I rushed back as soon as I could. Tataru: I swear, my heart nearly stopped when I heard you'd collapsed like the others. What in heavens' name is going on? Tataru: “Win or lose, the path you walk leads only to oblivion.” ...Well, that's helpful. Tataru: And what else did he say? The better path leads to him? Hmm... Tataru: If his is the voice you've all been hearing, perhaps the others are with him. Tataru: Ser Aymeric said the fighting had reached a stalemate, didn't he. Tataru: But if that monster masquerading as Zenos comes back... Tataru: Thancred, Y'shtola, Urianger, Alphinaud, Alisaie... You're going to need all of them on your side to defeat him. Tataru: And I forbid you from going to face him on your own. Do you hear me? Tataru: So if you must leave... Go and find the others. Bring them home. Tataru: As for where to start, you said the stranger had left a beacon for you at the Crystal Tower, right? Tataru: But how are you to find it now that the tower has been sealed shut? Tataru: There has to be a way... If anyone would know, it's Cid and the researchers of Saint Coinach's Find. Tataru: Don't you worry. We'll find that beacon for you.
Meanwhile, in the imperial palace... Zenos (Elidibus): ...I pray you have good reason for abandoning the front. Varis zos Galvus: How could I remain there while the rumor that my son is possessed by a demon spreads like a sickness here at home? Varis zos Galvus: I will not be made to fight for the throne a second time. Varis zos Galvus: But what of you? Did you not tell me you would destroy Eorzea's champion with the ease that one might swat a fly? Zenos (Elidibus): A minor setback. She will not escape me again. Zenos (Elidibus): Where is your grandsire? I would have words with him. Varis zos Galvus: How should I know? Do you hide from each other's sight as well? I imagine he is doing what all Ascians do. Zenos (Elidibus): Hmmm... He must have found a way to take advantage of this turmoil. Varis zos Galvus: Men are not pawns to be played with, Ascian. You underestimate us at your peril. Varis zos Galvus: This war will not be decided by you and yours. Man must choose his own fate, and I, for my part, will do all within my power to see Garlemald emerge victorious. Imperial Magitek Engineer: Pray forgive the intrusion, Your Radiance, but the requested preparations are now complete. Imperial Magitek Engineer: We stand ready to begin production of Black Rose, upon your order.
Tataru: I knew you'd be all right. And to celebrate your return, I made you this─a brand-new traveling outfit! Oh, I do hope it fits... Tataru: <ahem> But now is not the time to fuss over your measurements. I must go and speak with the researchers of Saint Coinach's Find. You go and rest while we track down that beacon.
Katana-wielding Soldier (Zenos): My enemy. My friend. Had I been but a step faster... Imperial Centurion: Bloody savages! Katana-wielding Soldier (Zenos): A pity your hunt leads you elsewhere... Not that I am surprised. Katana-wielding Soldier (Zenos): May you find joy in it. Grow stronger, more savage, and savor every triumph... Katana-wielding Soldier (Zenos): In the meantime...I will reclaim that which is rightfully mine.
In the midst of a requiem for heroes,
a voice rings out across time and space... In fields of tranquil light,
sow you seeds of darkness

Shadowbringers (5.0)

The Syrcus Trench Tataru is itching to share what appears to be good news.
Tataru: Good news, Forename! We've had a stroke of luck in our search for that beacon! Tataru: Apparently, our colleagues have stumbled across a hidden path leading down into the hollows around the base of the Crystal Tower. Tataru: ...A path I doubt we'd ever have found had the Ironworks and the Sons not added their numbers to the party. Tataru: Thanks to them, we have eager eyes aplenty down there, checking under rocks and peering into every nook and cranny. Still, it sounds like there's a lot of ground to cover...
  • What will you say?
  • Then we'd better go and give them a hand! Tataru: My thoughts exactly! Tataru: The sooner we find this beacon, the sooner you can travel to wherever it is this mysterious voice is coming from.
  • ...Sounds like tedious work. But not as tedious as waiting around, I suppose. Tataru: Exactly! So I was thinking we should go and lend a hand. The sooner we find this beacon, the sooner you can travel to wherever it is this mysterious voice is coming from.
Tataru: And the sooner we can work out how to help our friends. Tataru: We have to find a way to wake them up─and before the Empire comes calling again! Meaning we have no time to lose! Tataru: There's a boat in north Silvertear waiting to ferry people to the site, so let's be on our way!
Saint Coinach Ferryman: Heading to the survey site, madam? It's on the eastern shore of the lake, and the swiftest way to get there is by boat.
  • Take the boat to the survery site?
  • Yes
  • No
Tataru: Look how many people there are! Tataru: Should we get to it, then? Pick up anything that seems the least bit “device” like, and we'll make ourselves a pile. Biggs: Well if it isn't the hero of the hour! Maybe you'll change our luck─we've found bugger all without you. Tataru: Biggs! Wedge! Biggs: Aye, aye, well we could hardly say no to a call for aid from the Scions. Biggs: Jessie collared the chief for some other business, so we'll be working twice as hard to make up for his not being here. Wedge: Thrice as hard, even! Tataru: Thank you─both of you! I'm sure we'll find that beacon in no time!
Biggs: Hm. I'm not seeing anything out here. Biggs: D'you reckon you could squeeze in there, Wedge? Wedge: And get stuck halfway!? No thank you. Tataru: I could try if you like! Wedge: Tataru, no! We couldn't ask you to do that! Tataru: Oh, I'll be fine. This receptionist is not afraid to get her hands dirty. Biggs: ...Hm, what's that you got there? Biggs: Now that looks promising! Wedge: Uhh...isn't that the Ironworks' symbol? ...Counterfeiters? ??? (G'raha Tia): Now...now I have you! Biggs: You all right? Wedge: What's happening!? ??? (G'raha Tia): Stay with me! Focus on my voice! ??? (G'raha Tia): Let expanse contract, eon become instant... Tataru: ...Wait, this must be it! The device! This is supposed to happen! ??? (G'raha Tia): Throw wide the gates that we may pass! Tataru: Safe journey, Warrior of Light. Find our friends, and bring them home!
Voices from the Past: <indistinct> Haurchefant: Oh, do not look at me so. ??? (Ardbert): We did everything right, everything that was asked of us, and still─still it came to this! Oracle of Light (Minfilia): Your time has not yet come.
??? (Ardbert): From endless dreams, I awake. ??? (Ardbert): Something vague...yet urgent...calls me to action once more. Traveling Merchant: Rare to meet someone out here who's not a peddler themself. What brings you into the wilds this time o' night?
  • What will you say?
  • What do you mean, “this time of night”?
  • But it's bright as day...
Traveling Merchant: Well, if it ain't the oldest joke in the book. Me grandad─gods rest his soul─used to tell that one to the barman at kickin'-out time. Traveling Merchant: “An' when, pray tell, did we last have a dark night? Ye rotten old drunk ye!” he'd reply. Traveling Merchant: “Over a hundred bleedin' years ago, that's when!” Traveling Merchant: Hm! You've got that look down to a tee. I'd almost think you meant it... Traveling Merchant: Ahhh, got to you, did they? Poor beggar. That explains it, then. Traveling Merchant: Well, I've roads to travel and wares to sell, but you─you'd best hurry along to the town nearby. Traveling Merchant: Just head east through the trees, and aim for the shining tower. You'll find the place soon enough. 'Tis the biggest settlement for malms around. Traveling Merchant: Go on, now, friend. They'll take good care of you in the Crystarium. ??? (Ardbert): To dizzying heights it rises, the gleaming spire, its tip threatening to pierce the blinding canopy. ??? (Ardbert): There it will all begin anew. Between Dark and Light, the pure and the corrupt—the one true struggle... Shadowbringers
??? (Lyna): Halt. Curt Gateguard (Lyna): Every face in this city I know. Yours I do not. Curt Gateguard (Lyna): This is the threshold of the Crystarium, stranger, and I am its gatekeeper. If you would enter, you will answer my questions. Curt Gateguard (Lyna): From where do you hail?
  • Where are you from?
  • Gridania. Curt Gateguard (Lyna): Do you take me for a fool? No such place exists.
  • The Source. Curt Gateguard (Lyna): “The Source”? What is this cryptic nonsense?
  • ... Curt Gateguard (Lyna): You will not say? Then I have even less reason to trust you.
Curt Gateguard (Lyna): Had you given me an honest answer, I would not have barred your way─we care little here for a person's place of origin. But instead you chose concealment, and I will not suffer you to pass... Curt Gateguard (Lyna): That one had eaten. It must have gulped down the whole hand, ring and all... ??? (G'raha Tia): Everything all right, Captain? Curt Gateguard (Lyna): Quite all right, my lord. Just a stray sin eater, and a weak one at that. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): I see. Weak or not, we should be on the lookout for more. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): But I see you've met my guest. I will escort her to the Crystarium myself...if you've no objections? Curt Gateguard (Lyna): Another of your mysterious friends, is it? I should have known. Curt Gateguard (Lyna): Very well. I'll inform the others your guest is to be given the run of the city. Curt Gateguard (Lyna): Pray forgive my less-than-cordial welcome. May the rest of your stay with us be a pleasant one. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Come with me. I will answer whatever questions you have when we are somewhere more private.
Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Right, then. Before we plunge into the wheres and wherefores, let me first thank you for answering my summons. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): I had intended to bring you directly to my personal quarters, but I fear my aim was...slightly off. That you were still able to make the crossing unharmed is...a great relief. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): And so we come to the question of where. The realm in which you now find yourself belongs to one of the thirteen reflections or shards─the First, to be precise─even if its inhabitants are largely oblivious to the fact. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): As to wherefore... Having been awarded the rather grandiose title of “Crystal Exarch,” I─in my capacity as caretaker of the Crystarium─thought to seek the aid of you and your companions.
  • What will you ask?
  • Are the other Scions here? Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Ah. That...is a question with no simple answer. But all shall be explained in due course, I promise you.
  • Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused? Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): ...An inkling, yes. I can only beg your forgiveness─matters here forced my hand. But all shall be explained in due course, I promise you.
Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Let us begin with the glaring skies up above. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Here in the First, the world has been all but consumed by primordial Light. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): It began a century ago, by this realm's reckoning. A luminous flood swallowing everything in its path. More than nine-tenths of this star was lost. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): And the fortunate few who survived are hounded by abominations born of that catastrophe even now. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): “Sin eaters,” we call them. The creature you saw earlier was one such monstrosity. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): It was to save the First from this menace that I learned to bridge the rift between worlds─that I might call upon the aid of the greatest of heroes. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Though it meant depriving a world of its champion, I had to try─for in saving the First, you would bring salvation to the Source as well. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): But what manner of host harangues his guest in the middle of the road? Let us continue our talk within the Crystarium.
??? (Ardbert): Such a proud and vibrant city... ??? (Ardbert): The sole sanctuary for the living in a world all but resigned to oblivion. ??? (Ardbert): Each stone was laid with hope; the town itself a symbol, a monument to defiance in the face of death. ??? (Ardbert): No would-be hero could fail to answer its call. For who among us does not yearn for salvation?
Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): And here we are. Welcome, my friend, to the Crystarium.
City of the First The Crystal Exarch has a request for you.
Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Now, a full and frank discussion in the privacy of my study would seem to be in order... Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): ...But I think our conversation would be more meaningful were you first to gain a firmer grasp of the situation here. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): To that end, I would like you to visit a few of the Crystarium's civic leaders, and glean something of this world and its predicament. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): As you can see, this path will take you directly to the aetheryte─a convenience with which I am sure you are only too familiar. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Being the rightful object of my summoning spell, you should in theory be able to reach all the way back along your aetheric trail and find a connection in the Source, believe it or not. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): I strongly suggest you complete this attunement before venturing any further. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): After you have done so, walk up the steps next to the aetheryte and head out to the left to arrive in the Crystalline Mean. This is where you'll find our collective of crafters and gatherers, as well as their spokeswoman, Katliss─one of the people I should like you to meet. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Another is Moren. To reach him and his “Cabinet of Curiosity,” you'll want to avoid the aforementioned steps, take the exit on the left, and simply continue straight along and down until you come to the large doors at the end of the path. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): The third and final person I should like you to meet is Bragi, our man in charge of trade and distribution. He is to be found in the markets, which you can access from the opposite side of the aetheryte plaza. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): In seeking out each of my colleagues, you will visit the major districts of the city, and hopefully gain a feel for the place. I trust my directions were simple enough?
  • What will you say?
  • Crystal clear. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Hah, very good. I concede, the layout of the Crystarium owes more to historic necessity than planning, but I'm sure you'll learn its twists and turns before long.
  • To the right and down the where now...? Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): My apologies. I forget how confusing the Crystarium can be for newcomers. Not to worry! I'm sure you'll soon become accustomed to its twists and turns.
Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): ...In all honesty, the true challenge may be in finding the right way to approach its citizens. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): As you discovered during your encounter with the captain, the people of this world are unaware of the existence of other stars, and will struggle to accept the truth of your origin. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): That being the case, when they ask whence you hail─as they inevitably will─I suggest you claim to share a homeland with the Crystal Exarch. There is an unspoken rule here about peering too deeply into that particular mystery. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): When you've finished making the rounds, pray meet me in the large courtyard at the center of town. Until then.
By focusing your senses, you detect the flow of vastly distant currents of aether. Your connection to these energies is faint but stable, and should allow teleportation to aetherytes in the Source.
Katliss: Rare to see a place so well stocked with goods, isn't it? But not here. Katliss: I'm going to guess you're new to our fair city? Katliss: Well, for what it's worth, you've chosen a fine sanctuary. The Exarch can throw up a barrier if the sin eaters come knocking, so it's a damn sight safer in here than it is out there. Katliss: Safer and more civilized, too─thanks to us in the Mean. We work together to procure materials and resources, and craft the goods which make city life possible. This is the place to visit if you need a coat mended or a kettle forged! Katliss: Just don't go thinking it'll all be handed to you on a plate like those Eulmoran layabouts. Here in the Crystarium, we work for a living. Katliss: Though I see you're no stranger to honest labor. You don't have that whiff of indolence about you like some folk I've met. Still, I can't quite pin down your profession... Where is it you're from? Katliss: ...One of the Exarch's countrymen, you say? ...I see. Katliss: Well then, I'll work twice as hard to make you feel welcome! Our city wouldn't even exist if it weren't for him, and any friend of his is a friend of ours! Katliss: It's really quite incredible when you think about it. They say his grand magicks summoned the Crystal Tower into existence─pulled the entire thing out of thin air. Katliss: It wasn't long before droves of refugees began congregating around its base, desperate for shelter after losing their homes to the Flood... Katliss: And that's how the Crystarium began. At the Exarch's invitation, buildings started going up, and with the help of some curious relics brought forth from the tower, the place gradually expanded into the thriving metropolis you see today. Katliss: The city's stood here for decades now, yet the eldest among us swear the Exarch looks exactly the same as he did back then... Katliss: He is indeed a man of many mysteries. But for all his secrecy, he has never yet let us down. Katliss: So if he─and you─wish to remain silent about your shared homeland, then the folk here will respect your wish for privacy. Katliss: ...I am, however, more than a little curious to see any crafting talent you might be hiding! If you've aught to contribute on that front, be sure to come back and visit once you've had a chance to settle in. Katliss: Just ask for Katliss, and I'll find you a niche here in the Crystalline Mean. You can help us keep the cogs of the city greased and turning! Your exchange with Katliss has taught you about “Life in the Crystarium.”
Moren: Er, e-excuse me, miss! Are you recently come to the city, perchance? I'm quite familiar with our civic roles, you see, and...well... Ahem! Moren: Wh-What I mean to ask is, have you brought any books with you!? A rumpled scroll, even? A scrap of scribbled-on parchment...? Moren: ...My apologies. Literature is something of an obsession of mine. As well as a profession. Moren: Librarian Moren, at your service. And this humble collection is known as the Cabinet of Curiosity. Moren: As your powers of perception have likely informed you, my colleagues and I are responsible for curating all manner of tomes, documents, and other vehicles for the written word. Moren: As horrific as the loss of life and land wrought by the Flood unquestionably was, the damage to recorded knowledge was no less catastrophic. We few do all we can to preserve what wisdom survived. Moren: But tell me, what brings you to the Cabinet today? Looking for any title in particular? Mayhap a spot of academic research!? Moren: Oho! So you've an interest in modern history? Splendid! A thorough review of recent events can often yield novel perspectives, I quite agree! Moren: If you would prefer something visual to accompany the account, then I think I have an illustrated history book for children somewhere... Just a moment, and I'll fetch it for you.
Moren: And here we are. Would you like to pull up a chair? Make yourself more comfortable? ...Ahem, on with the lesson, then. Moren: A hundred years ago─or near enough not to matter─villains known as the Warriors of Light slew the Shadowkeeper, the steward of Darkness. Moren: In the wake of this tainted deed, Light began to pour into the world as if from unseen cracks. It pooled and swelled without cease, until the day an enormous, blinding wave rose up and swept across our star. Moren: We called this calamity the “Flood of Light.”
Everything it touched was leeched of life and vigor, leaving naught behind but a luminous wasteland. Moren: Yet just when it seemed that all would be lost, a savior appeared before us... Moren: The Oracle of Light. She stood 'twixt us and approaching doom, and by her power did she stay the Flood. Thus was Norvrandt, and Norvrandt alone, spared the fate of erasure. Moren: Tragedy would, however, arrive in another form. From the blasted emptiness descended horrors of strange and terrible aspect to bedevil the few folk who survived. Moren: These “sin eaters” were Light incarnate, and their fulgent presence stole the night from Norvrandt's sky. Moren: Even now, they circle the remaining bastions of civilization, ever on the hunt for us, ever hungering for our flesh... Moren: ...And thus did the world become what it is.
Should you ever wish to hear the tale again, I would be glad to retell it for you. Moren: O-Or if you would rather I speak of other matters, that too would be my pleasure! I should be glad of the company! Your exchange with Moren has taught you about “The Flood of Light.”
Bragi: New to the city, friend? The spinning head and wide eyes give you away. Bragi: Welcome. My name is Bragi, and I'm the master of these markets. They gave the district another, official title, but I'm not in the habit of using it. Too florid by half... Bragi: In any case, our merchants stock a range of equipment for Mystel such as yourself, so finding something in your size shouldn't be a problem.
  • What will you say?
  • I'm sorry, did you say, “Mystel”...? Bragi: Aye? Something wrong?
  • Um, I'm actually a Miqo'te... Bragi: Hm? Must be a dialect I'm not familiar with.
Bragi: Let's see if we can straighten this out. See those two in front of us? The shorter one is a Hume. Bragi: And the taller one is an elf. Bragi: That sturdy individual over there is a Galdjent... Bragi: ...whilst the one with the horns is a Drahn. Bragi: And then you have the large, scaly chaps with long tails and a knack for raising livestock. Those would be the Zun. Bragi: ...Which is apparently not the name you know them by. Now I'm curious to know which far-flung region you hail from... Bragi: Ah, the same as the Exarch, eh? Well, that explains it. Bragi: You don't get much further-flung than that. We've had a few of your lot pass through in recent years, and despite their obvious learning, they floundered over the simplest things. Bragi: But not to worry! Should you find yourself confused by the local language or customs, I'll be here to answer your questions. Your exchange with Bragi has taught you about “The Peoples of the First.”
Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Well, how did you fare? Did my colleagues help you form a clearer picture of this world and its people?
Life in the Crystarium An account of how the Exarch summoned the Crystal Tower, and the city built by the refugees who sheltered there.
The Flood of Light An account of how the Warriors of Light caused the Flood, which later led to the appearance of the sin eaters.
The Peoples of the First An account of how the races of the Source are known by different names in the First.
Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Yes, it seems you were treated to a most thorough introduction. I understand it was something of a chore, but 'twas necessary that you grasp these things before we proceed. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): As for the Crystal Tower's origin, you may have noted that details were sparse. The structure is, in fact, the selfsame one you know from the Source, transported to the First in its entirety. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): It was my first attempt at breaching the boundaries between worlds─something of a trial run for your eventual crossing. And although I do not know which era I tore it from, I do know that its arrival served to set the wheels of fate in motion.
Travelers of Norvrandt The Crystal Exarch is finally ready to discuss the matter of your comrades' whereabouts.
Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): You've done as I requested, and learned something of the world in which you find yourself. Now it's time I fulfilled my half of the bargain, and explained what has befallen your comrades. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): That is a conversation I would rather have in the privacy of my quarters, however. I must go on ahead to the tower and organize a few things, but I shall see that the guard knows to admit you.
  • What will you say?
  • The tower's gate lies open, then? Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Well, yes, of course. It can be opened and closed just like any other. Does that seem strange to you? Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): I know not how the tower functioned in your time, but I assure you there is no danger of us being locked inside.
  • Just like that? Then..G'raha Tia is...? Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): ...I am not familiar with that name. Is there something I should know? Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): An extraordinary tale. But I'm afraid I found no such individual residing in the tower when it passed into my care. Mayhap we can revisit that mystery another time. For now, I think it best that we focus on the present.
Crystarium Gatekeep: Greetings, madam. The Exarch awaits you within.
  • Enter the Crystal Tower?
  • Yes
  • No
Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Welcome to the Ocular, my private study. We can speak here without fear of being overheard. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): I have much to explain, but the truths which I must touch upon in doing so would cause only distress and confusion to the people of this world. Pray keep that in mind. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Now, I am sure you are desperate to know the fate of your fellow Scions. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): To put it simply, they are here in the First... Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Their arrival, however, was not as recent as you may imagine. Here, time flows at a different pace from that of the Source. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): In the space of a single hour in your home world, an entire year might pass in the First─and the reverse could also be true. The pace fluctuates without rhyme or reason, and it cannot be predicted. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): That said, we seem to be entering a period of near-equivalence, and thus, for the moment, you need not overly concern yourself with the passage of time. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): As for your companions, however... Y'shtola and Urianger have dwelled here for three winters all told, while Thancred's count stands at five. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Even our more “recent” arrivals, Alphinaud and Alisaie, have lived in the First for almost a year. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): My intention had been to summon only you, but the art of reaching across worlds has proven exceedingly difficult to master. Thus it was that my fumbling hand closed upon those to whom your fate is most closely bound as well. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): As they were not the object of my summons...their transference was...incomplete. Though they may appear to possess corporeal bodies, they are, in truth, merely spirits that one can see and touch. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Consequently, while you yourself will be able to pass between worlds with relative freedom, they will not. Much as it grieves me...they are stranded here, unable to return.
  • What will you say?
  • Then find a way to send them back.
  • What have they been doing all this time?
Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): We spent every waking hour searching for a way to reverse the summoning. In the beginning, at least... Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): As you may have surmised, however, our efforts met with little success. And then we all but abandoned the endeavor once Urianger shared with us the vision he had witnessed during his journey through the rift. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): In that chaotic no-man's-land between realms, time and space warp and blend in...unexpected ways. What Urianger saw...was the future. That which would one day come to pass. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): In his vision of tomorrow, the First was rejoined with the Source... Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): This collision of worlds brought about the Eighth Umbral Calamity, and the deaths of countless multitudes. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Amongst those who perished, Urianger clearly saw the fall of the Scions' mightiest champion. He watched you die. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): And thus did the Scions embrace their exile, and began searching this world for a means to forestall the coming catastrophe in yours. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Their souls are stranded in the First, yes, but they have fought on, desperate to save their home─and you─from destruction. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Nor have their efforts been in vain: for it was they who finally established that the elimination of the sin eaters will indeed serve to prevent the calamity. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Considering the...circumstances of our meeting, you would be forgiven for doubting my version of events. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): And so, before all else, I would suggest you track down your comrades, and hear the tale from their lips. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): I shall, of course, be happy to assist in these reunions─and you need not make any decisions regarding your involvement until you are certain of where you stand. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Meanwhile, I promise I will not rest until I have found a way to help your friends return home. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): What say you? Have I earned your trust for the moment, at least?
  • What will you say?
  • For the moment.
  • Aye, but I'll see you keep that promise.
  • For want of a better choice...
Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Excellent. You will not regret this. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): With that settled, we shall have to see about getting you ready for the road. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Traveling across the rift has no doubt left you weary─I will arrange for a room where you might rest in comfort. While it's being prepared, perhaps I can show you around?
Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): The Crystarium boasts a number of residential districts, but I have been informed that a room has just become available at the Pendants. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Which, as it turns out, is perfect. Our path there will take us past the markets, and I was hoping to give you my own introduction to their wares. Come along.
Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): This is the Musica Universalis, the commercial heart of the Crystarium. Aught you might need to prepare for your journeys can be purchased here. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Ah, yes─you must be curious about the currency. Fear not! The gil you carry will serve you well enough. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Each nation once minted its own coins, but 'twas all a jumbled mess following the Flood. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): After much debate, the local merchants eventually elected to revert to the old ways, wherein a coin's value was decided by the worth of its metal. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): As for a unit of measurement, we agreed upon the term “gil.” A word borrowed from coins uncovered within the Crystal Tower here. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): And as our traders peddled their wares across the land, so too did our usage of gil become common practice. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): From what Y'shtola tells me, a standard coin from the Source equates to exactly one gil here─or near enough not to matter. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Our way of life has benefited greatly from the artifacts we recovered from the tower... Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): ...Some of which may be familiar to you. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): But I fear it would not be practical for us to provide everything to which you are accustomed. You shall need a means to access the commodities of your home world... Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): [Are you there, my friend?] ??? (Feo Ul): Yes, I'm here, of course I'm here! What amusements do you have for me today? Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): My dear Feo Ul, paragon of pixie-kind. For you, I have the most vital task. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): This fine lady is a friend from a distant realm. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): And we have need of a means to ferry things back and forth from her home. Might you be able to...assist us in this matter? Feo Ul: You came from beyond, didn't you!? From beyond the rift! Feo Ul: How wonderfully exciting! What a brave and reckless and marvelous thing you did! You've the heart of a pixie, you do! Feo Ul: After careful consideration, I have decided to grant you my assistance. Make a pact with me, and the fun can begin! Feo Ul: But answer me this, traveler: did your garments come with you when you crossed over? Your teeth? Your nails? Feo Ul: Just as I thought! Then you've a good, stout connection with your home, through which all your belongings great and small may easily pass. Feo Ul: From this moment forth, I will be your [beautiful branch], and you my [adorable sapling]. Like the branch which sprouts from the sapling, our bond will flow unbroken from one to the other! Feo Ul: Raise your hand. Feo Ul: 'Tis done! We are bound now, dearest sapling. Feo Ul: Come, come, then! Make your request! Tell me your desire! I wish to visit this world of yours! Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Mayhap a message to your friends in the Source to inform them of your safe arrival?
  • Who will you contact?
  • Send a message to Tataru.
  • Send a message to Krile.
Feo Ul: Consider it done! Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): As you heard, that was Feo Ul of the pixies. Their kind possess an affinity for magic akin to that of arcane beings. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): They rarely show themselves in populated areas, but Feo is insatiably curious even by pixie standards, and seems to have taken a liking to the Crystarium. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Right, we were going to organize a room for you, weren't we? Come along.
Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Ah, there you are─I was just finalizing the matter of your accommodation. You'll have a private room here at the Pendants for the duration of your stay, to make use of as you see fit. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): When you are ready to retire, the manager will show you to your lodgings. Pray rest and recuperate, and we shall reconvene in the Ocular anon. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): I believe that covers all of the practical concerns... Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): ...Thank you for answering my call, Forename. We are denied the comforting blanket of night, but may peaceful dreams attend you nonetheless.
Manager of Suites: A pleasure to meet you, miss, and welcome to your new home at the Pendants. Manager of Suites: Your room is ready, if you'd care to retire?
  • Retire to your quarters?
  • Yes
  • No
??? (Ardbert): ...You...? ??? (Ardbert): I know you... You're the Warrior of Light from the Source!
  • What will you say?
  • The Warrior of Darkness...? ??? (Ardbert): What? Did you just... You can hear me!? ??? (Ardbert): Oh, gods, how long has it been...? ??? (Ardbert): ...Aye...aye, that was what I called myself in your world... The “Warrior of Darkness.” Ardbert: My real name is Ardbert. I used an alias in the Source. A daft one, looking back...
  • And who are you? ??? (Ardbert): What? Did you just... You can hear me!? ??? (Ardbert): Oh, gods, how long has it been...? ??? (Ardbert): ...“And who are you?” she says. An enemy not worth remembering, apparently... Ardbert: My name is Ardbert. In the First, I was a Warrior of Light, but in the Source you knew me as the Warrior of Darkness.
Ardbert: If you recall my tale, it was my comrades and I who caused the Flood. Ardbert: We thought our home doomed. And so we listened to the Ascians─let them guide us to the Source, and tried to hasten their godsdamned Ardor. Ardbert: I remember when we fell, defeated by you and yours. I remember our audience with Minfilia─how she listened to our pleas, and returned our souls to the First. Ardbert: The Flood was poised to swallow Norvrandt... Ardbert: Minfilia and my friends, they...they surrendered what little they had left to hold it back. Just faded away...leaving me to bear witness. Ardbert: Tell me, do you know the year? How much time has passed since we caused the Flood? Ardbert: A hundred years... A hundred long years... Ardbert: My hands find no purchase. My gestures catch no eye. And my pleas, be they whispered or screamed, reach not a single ear... Ardbert: I am a shade, cursed to do naught but drift. Ardbert: I feel as if I've been walking forever... I hardly noticed when my mind and body began to fray at the edges. Ardbert: Then “bang,” my senses were sharp again. I felt like a fish being reeled in, and before I knew it, I found myself in this room. Ardbert: Why is it that you can see me? What are you even doing here, come to that? Ardbert: You were summoned to save the First? Ardbert: A waste of time. This world is beyond saving─like those who try to save it. Ardbert: Muddled as my mind may be, I've not forgotten that. Ardbert: But if fate has brought me to you─the one person in this godsforsaken world who can see and hear me─then perhaps there is a reason I endured. Ardbert: If I can find out why I was left behind, then maybe...maybe I can bring this journey of mine to an end... Ardbert: Well. I'll be watching, Warrior of Light. Ardbert: But do me a favor. Be careful out there. This world has had its fill of heroes.
Crystarium Gatekeep: Mistress Forename. The Exarch awaits you within.
  • Enter the Ocular?
  • Yes
  • No
Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Ah, how did you find your new quarters? I trust you were able to rest?
  • What will you say?
  • Well enough, thank you. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): That is good to hear. Should you want for anything, pray let me know.
  • I had a ghostly visitor... Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): I...was not aware the room was haunted. And...you were rather tired... Well, should you receive another visitation, be sure to let me know.
Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Now, let us return to the subject of the Scions' whereabouts. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): This map shows the lands of Norvrandt, the only area to be spared the Flood of Light. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): The Crystarium is here, in the region known as Lakeland. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): To the north is the faerie kingdom of Il Mheg. That is where you will find Urianger. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): To the east lies the once-prosperous civilization of Rak'tika. Y'shtola is stationed there, in the heart of the forest. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Alas, neither location can be reached without considerable difficulty. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): As such, I would suggest you first seek out one of the twins─each of whom is stationed but a short flight from the Crystarium. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Alphinaud is on Kholusia, an island off the western shore. It is home to a city called Eulmore, where the rich and privileged while away their days in idleness. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): For his part in furthering our cause, Alphinaud journeyed there to meet with the citizenry and forge alliances. From what I hear, he has since kept himself busy gathering information around the main settlement. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Alisaie, meanwhile, traveled south to the arid wastes of Amh Araeng. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): They lie upon the very edge of the inhabitable world, where the Flood of Light was halted. Those who dwell there live in constant fear of attack by the sin eaters. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): In contrast to her brother, Alisaie felt that her energies would better be spent learning about the enemy. And thus she sells her services as a guard, both to hone her skills and gather information on our foe. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): So, will it be Kholusia or Amh Araeng? It matters not which you choose to visit first. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Simply inform me once you have made your decision, and I will see to it that you are provided with a suitable mount. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Ah, but you must be wondering about Thancred. He has taken up with...a new companion, and is presently engaged as a wandering hunter of sin eaters. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Being ever on the move, his whereabouts are often difficult to ascertain, but I am certain your paths will cross ere long.
In Search of Alphinaud The Crystal Exarch is eager for you to meet with Alphinaud.
Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): You will visit Alphinaud in Kholusia, then? Excellent. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): As I mentioned, your destination is an island off the west coast, so you will need a mount capable of making the journey. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Here is a letter of introduction. Present it to Szem Djenmai, the Master of Beasts at Temenos Rookery, and he will take care of you. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): When you see Alphinaud, be sure to pass on my warmest regards.
Szem Djenmai: Your face is unknown to me. What business have you at my rookery?
Letter of Introduction A letter of introduction addressed to Szem Djenmai, and signed by the Crystal Exarch.
Szem Djenmai: ...Hmph. Signed by the Exarch, no less. Szem Djenmai: Yes, I can provide you with an amaro for passage to Kholusia. I will pick you out a friendly whelp.
  • What will you say?
  • An “amaro,” you say...? Szem Djenmai: That's right. Mounts like my grey friend over there are a common sight in these parts. Szem Djenmai: But I gather you hail from further afield. More accustomed to chocobos, perchance? I hear there are a few places where they ride little else.
  • Not a chocobo, then...? Szem Djenmai: A chocobo? Do you hail from one of Norvrandt's more isolated settlements, perchance? I hear there are a few places where they ride little else. Szem Djenmai: But here in the Crystarium, mounts like that grey fellow there are far more commonly used.
Szem Djenmai: ...Hm. Seeing as you are plainly unaccustomed to riding amaro, I think it best I accompany you on this flight myself. Szem Djenmai: Any Zun worthy of the name could do it, of course, but the Exarch sent you to me. Ensuring you arrive safely is my responsibility. Szem Djenmai: Gather your things and meet me at the Amaro Launch. One of the junior tamers will attend to you while I ready the mounts.
Aspiring Amaro Tamer: You want to fly an amaro to Kholusia? Well, I suppose if Master Djenmai is going with you... Aspiring Amaro Tamer: Wait here, please. The master should be along with the mounts shortly.
Ardbert: The whistling breeze, mute. The pounding surf, frozen. Time itself takes a breath... Ardbert: At Light's edge, all is perfectly still. The world captured in a painting; locked in a moment. Ardbert: Music, faint and fleeting, drifts coastward on the lifeless air... Ardbert: And in the distance, beyond the broken earth, a city beckons...
Szem Djenmai: We are arrived. This is Cracked Shell Beach, on the eastern coast of Kholusia. You should be safe here for the present. Szem Djenmai: Compared to the mainland, sin eater attacks are far less prevalent. And the native beasts are not any more dangerous than elsewhere. Szem Djenmai: It is the people you should be wary of... Szem Djenmai: Spy you that city in the distance? That is Eulmore, the island's main settlement. Szem Djenmai: It rivals the Crystarium in scale, and was once an ally in our battle against the abominations. Szem Djenmai: For years, the Eulmoran elite have fancied themselves the masters of what remains of our broken world. They have gone as far as to offer the leaders of other settlements their protection─if we bend the knee. Szem Djenmai: But to say their ideals are questionable would be putting it mildly. The Crystarium is one among many who resist their heavy-handed authority, and while we are not at war, our relationship with Eulmore is strained at best. Szem Djenmai: It may be wise to conceal your ties with the Exarch during your stay here, especially in the vicinity of the city. Szem Djenmai: I am glad we understand each other.
Now, the Exarch has instructed me to divulge a secret that should make finding your friend a good deal easier. Listen closely...
A Still Tide Whatever Szem Djenmai has to tell you, he plainly deems it worthy of your undivided attention.
Szem Djenmai: ...If you head south along the coast, you will eventually come to a fisherman's shack. Szem Djenmai: A friend of the Crystarium lives there─a man who goes by the name of “Eybor.” Szem Djenmai: Eybor keeps an eye on everything that happens in Kholusia, and will be able to point you in the right direction. Just hand him a sprig of thyme─that will let him know you can be trusted. Szem Djenmai: Here─this should be enough. Find your friend. I will stay here with the amaro until you are ready to return.
Eybor: What you after? Fish? Crab? Think I've got an eel in a barrel somewhere, if you've a taste for 'em...
Lake Thyme A fragrant herb commonly found growing along the floodplains of the Source.
Eybor: Ooh, I do love a bit of thyme. Chuck some in the pan, and it's like a bloody festival of flavor. Eybor: ...Now what is it I can do for you? Can't say as there's been any major upsets to report these past few weeks. Eybor: Alphinaud, eh? Aye, I know the one. Our young champion of the downtrodden. Eybor: Eulmore's richer than all of Norvrandt put together, but it's a different story for them as live outside the city. Most spend every wakin' moment just tryin' to stay alive─which makes your friend's dedication to helpin' others stand out all the more. Eybor: Aye, I can hazard a guess as to where he is now, get a message to him. But you'll need somewhere quiet to meet, away from pryin' eyes... Eybor: Make for Stilltide─that's the fishin' village just up the path there. You're lookin' for a run-down excuse for a tavern the locals call the Leaky Keel. Wait there, and I'll see that Alphinaud joins you.
Theva: This your first time in a tavern? It's customary to buy a drink if you mean to loiter. What'll you be having?
  • What will you order?
  • Ale.
  • Mead.
  • Water.
Theva: A fine choice. And what'll you be paying with? Theva: Well now...those are exotic. Where did you come by coins like that? Theva: I'm sorry, dear, I don't doubt they have value... But I don't have a touchstone to test their purity, and I'm not about to go begging for one from the neighbors─so we'll just have to come to some other arrangement. Theva: Ah, here's an idea... There's a common to the north where we grow our vegetables, but lately the pests have been eating more of them than we have. What do you say to a bit of extermination work? Theva: I want you to squash any vermin you find, then visit the caretaker and give him an earful from me for sleeping on the job. He'll be in the old silo next to the fence─snoring, like as not. Theva: Do that for me, and you can laze about here as long as you like.
No response. Maybe you need to knock louder.
No response. Perhaps the occupant is hard of hearing...?
You hear a faint squeaking from the room beyond. Time to burst in and save the day, brave adventurer! ...No one is home, and judging by the lack of furniture, they haven't been for some time. The gnawed scraps of vegetables on the floor suggest rats have taken up residence in their absence.
Theva: Welcome back, dear. What did that good-for-nothing caretaker have to say for himself? Theva: ...Gone? Hmph. Must have left to join the rest of the hopefuls. Theva: ...In Gatetown. Outside Eulmore? You don't have a clue what I'm talking about, do you. And there I was thinking you were another dreamer. Theva: Well, never mind all that. Take a seat wherever you like, dear, you've more than earned it. I'll even throw in another drink, on the house.
??? (Alphinaud): And how is business today, Mistress Theva? Theva: Oh, frenetic. Look. I have a new customer. Alphinaud: ...'Tis good to see you, my friend. Alphinaud: The barley seeds you wanted. They should produce a better harvest than the last. Theva: What, just like that? Oh, Alphinaud, you really are a dear. Theva: Well, I'd best be tidying up some of those empty shacks before the pests move in. Keep an eye on the place while I'm out, eh? Alphinaud: It seems an age since last we spoke. Not since the prisoner exchange in Doma. And Yotsuyu... Alphinaud: It has been even longer for me, of course, if you count the days I have spent here. But the time has only added to the relief I feel, seeing you safe and well.
  • What will you say?
  • Me? I was more worried about you.
  • We thought we'd lost you.
Alphinaud: Hah! Alisaie said much the same thing. I don't think I've ever had such a scolding. Alphinaud: But I believe an exchange of news is in order. Come─tell me of your arrival, and all that came before! Alphinaud: I see. Both the Exarch and Alisaie told me what they knew of events, but I had stubbornly clung on to the hope that all-out war might yet be avoidable... Alphinaud: And poor Tataru─she must be sick with worry. We must endeavor to return as soon as we may... Alphinaud: 'Twould be nice to bring her good tidings for a change. Alphinaud: But before we bid this world farewell, we must first ensure that it is not rejoined to the Source. We must prevent the Eighth Umbral Calamity. Alphinaud: Urianger's vision of the future has, I fear, every chance of coming true. Alphinaud: By his description, the catalyst for the Calamity was a formless and deadly weapon employed by the Garlean Empire. Alphinaud: Which can only mean one thing: Black Rose. Gaius was telling you the truth. When we were on the trail of the Ascians, we saw evidence that the gas was being manufactured once more. Alphinaud: Gaius was adamant that the project had been scrapped. But so long as there are wars to be waged, there will always be those determined to win by any means. Alphinaud: And thus simply destroying the existing stores of Black Rose would do little to alter fate's course. Alphinaud: In that sense, our involuntary journey here to the First was something of a boon. Alphinaud: Together with the Exarch, we've developed a theory as to how we believe the Rejoining will be set in motion. Alphinaud: I am sure Urianger himself will cover the subject in more detail... Alphinaud: But I can tell you the process requires that both worlds─the Source and the First─be facing an existential threat. Alphinaud: One being sin eaters, of course. Alphinaud: They are a menace that I would dearly love to remove, and not just to avert a calamity. Alphinaud: I may be a stranger to this world, but I will not stand idly by and let innocent people be slaughtered. Alphinaud: That is what brought me to the gates of Eulmore. Ignoring its pretentions as a kind of capital city to what remains of the world, it is nonetheless a center of power and authority. Alphinaud: If any solutions are to be found, I believe our search should begin there. What say you, old friend? Hungry for another adventure? Alphinaud: And so we take to the road once more!
Open Arms, Closed Gate Alphinaud is ready to take to the road once more.
Alphinaud: Assuming you have no objections, let us make our way directly to the city outskirts. Alphinaud: If we time our arrival just right, you may be lucky enough to see why I have yet to set foot in Eulmore─despite my best efforts to do so... Alphinaud: Come. From here, we must head west, and then cross a small bridge...
Alphinaud: Kholusia seems peaceful, does it not? Almost...familiar? I had a similar impression of the Crystarium. Even in this distant world, people are much the same. Alphinaud: <sigh> To think that whenever a calamity struck the Source, a reflection such as this one─with all its culture and history─was being erased from existence... Screaming Woman: N-No! Get away from me! Alphinaud: ...Over there! Alphinaud: Quickly, someone's in trouble!
Manic Madame: Oh, thank the fates, y─ Look out!
Manic Madame: My poor heart... Thank you, young miss. Alphinaud: Ah, there you are! In my haste, I lost my bearings... But I see you have the situation well in hand. Fine work! Alphinaud: Are you alright, madam? Manic Madame: Just a few bruises from where I fell. Nothing compared to what was in store for me before this brave soul came to my rescue. Manic Madame: I honestly thought I was done for. My feet are not as swift as they once were, and I knew there was no one left to hear me scream. Not that I let that stop me! Manic Madame: <sigh> I should probably leave my old house behind and queue up outside Eulmore with the rest of them. Manic Madame: Doubt those fancy lords and ladies would welcome an old crone like me... Still, even a shack near the gate has to be safer than staying here! Alphinaud: One would hope. Either way, I suggest you avoid wandering alone, lest you make the sin eaters' task any easier. Manic Madame: Thank you again. You saved my life. Now, I'm sure a strapping lass like you has little to fear, but I wouldn't linger long in this place. There's naught to be had here but cobwebs and memories. Alphinaud: 'Tis as the lady says. Many in these parts have abandoned their homes to live in Eulmore's shadow. Alphinaud: Should the sin eaters descend upon this region, there are precious few with the strength to fight them off... Alphinaud: Speaking of which, what have you been told of these monsters? Alphinaud: A brief history, then...
'Twas not long after the Flood swallowed the better part of the world that the sin eaters first appeared, some beastly, some beauteous. Alphinaud: Yet regardless of their form, all seem incapable of speech, and all are driven by the same insatiable appetite for mortal aether. They are predators─and we are their prey. Alphinaud: Kholusia suffers from far fewer attacks than most regions, but even so, the list of the sin eaters' victims grows longer by the day. A tragedy without end... Alphinaud: Still, we have won a small victory this time, at least. Now, shall we press on? Alphinaud: We need to return to where the road forks and follow the path that leads west...
Alphinaud: That gate up ahead is known as the “Open Arms,” and Eulmore itself lies beyond. Alphinaud: This, meanwhile, is the aptly named “Gatetown.” The dwelling place of the many desperate souls who hope to be chosen to live in the city proper. Begrimed Bloke: Oh! I thought I recognized you. Brought a new friend, eh? Begrimed Bloke: Heh heh heh heh... I'll bet you've got a trick or two up your sleeve. Maybe even three! Care to show me? Alphinaud: She's not here to compete. Leave her be. Begrimed Bloke: What!? I was only making conversation! ??? (Blue Jongleur): Ladies and gentlemen! Your attention pleeease! Red Jongleur: Greetings to our hopeful petitioners, one and all! Eulmore extends its warmest regards! Red Jongleur: Let it be known that a lady of distinction wishes to dine on fish divine! Blue Jongleur: We seek a master culinarian who can guarantee seafood perfection! Dazzle the matron with your delicious dishes, and life in the city will be yours to enjoy. Even on days when fish is not on the menu! Red Jongleur: Who among you will answer the call? Name yourself or another, we mind not at all! Alphinaud: Do you recall how I said Eulmore was a center of power and authority? Well, that is not the only reason for its fame. Alphinaud: It is also known as the “city of final pleasures.” The noble and the wealthy who survived the Flood gathered here to live out the rest of their days in decadent abandon. Alphinaud: A poor man could sooner pass through the eye of a needle than Eulmore's gates. The only way the commonfolk can enter this perverted paradise is if they fulfill the whim of one of the privileged. And so they are picked over like market produce... Red Jongleur: Ohoho! What a catch! We'll not be throwing this one back! Red Jongleur: Having seen your all-too-obvious charms, we welcome you with open arms! Come, join us in the city of splendor, and live out your life in an ecstasy of endeavor! Blue Jongleur: Ah, just look at those expectant faces! What could you possibly be waiting for!? Blue Jongleur: Well, well, what have we here!? An extra share of meol to celebrate our newest resident! ??? (Red Jongleur): For you. ??? (Begrimed Bloke): Ah, at last! ??? (Blue Jongleur): Enjoy! ??? (Gatetown Resident): Thank goodness. ??? (Gatetown Resident): Over here! Alphinaud: “Meol” is a foodstuff which Eulmore routinely doles out to the people of Gatetown, and apparently a staple for its citizens as well. Alphinaud: Many here rely on it to survive in these times of scarcity. Yet the whole arrangement just seems... Alphinaud: Well, let us just say it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Alphinaud: Now you understand why my attempts to enter the city have thus far come to naught. The dubious privilege of residency must be won via a contest with ever-changing rules... Alphinaud: They say this policy has been in place for the past two decades, ever since Eulmore's current ruler came into power. Alphinaud: Yet from what I have seen, it does more harm than good. Not only does it distract people from our shared struggle against the sin eaters, it robs them of their self-sufficiency. I have tried to propose ways they could improve their lot, but my words invariably fall on deaf ears. Alphinaud: The attitude is so entrenched now, I worry that─ Well, mayhap you should take a turn around Gatetown, and judge the situation for yourself.
Begrimed Bloke: Still here, are you? Can't blame you for wanting a slice of Eulmore's pie. If you ask me, you should ditch that sour-faced brat and make a home for yourself here! Begrimed Bloke: Gatetown's not much to look at, aye, but at least it's safe. And the meol is the best thing I've ever tasted!
A large pot bubbles over the flame. Pale chunks─meol, you realize─float in the otherwise plain broth.
Preoccupied Petticoat: Just look at it... Can you imagine a more beautiful city? Preoccupied Petticoat: Every day, I dream of the life that waits for me inside those walls. Oh, will they ever pick me...?
Alphinaud: You've seen what Gatetown has to offer? Alphinaud: These people can no longer fend for themselves. They've become dependent on handouts of meol, and believe Eulmore is the answer to all their woes. Alphinaud: Yet no matter how I frame my encouragement, they seem unwilling─nay, unable─to conceive of any other way of life...
A Fickle Existence Alphinaud wears a look of profound disapproval.
  • What will you say?
  • You disapprove of these people's way of life? Alphinaud: Disapprove...? It frustrates me, certainly. That is only part of it, though. The whole situation makes me uneasy.
  • You disapprove of Eulmore? Alphinaud: 'Tis difficult to make a final judgment without first seeing the city's inner workings. Mayhap it is that uncertainty which always makes me feel so ill at ease here...
Alphinaud: Not that it matters. However unjust this system seems to me, if these people claim to be content with their lot, it is hardly my place to criticize their choices. Alphinaud: But take that elderly lady you rescued─does it not seem that those who have chosen to forgo Eulmore's largesse are doomed to suffer for their independence? Alphinaud: In the end, they are all but forced to seek refuge in Gatetown. And so hamlets and fields across the island are left empty and untended, hastening the region's descent into ruin. Alphinaud: Nay, I am not convinced that Eulmore's generosity truly serves the best interests of Kholusia's people. Alphinaud: I am not so naive as to think there is some miraculous solution to all of this. Yet I cannot help but frown at the sight of hardworking villagers struggling to survive, even as the chosen few rejoice at being plucked from poverty by the hand of a capricious noble. Alphinaud: There has to be a better way. I will not know for sure, however, until I have taken those long-delayed steps through Eulmore's gates. Alphinaud: 'Tis fortunate that you arrived when you did, Forename. I have been working on a scheme to insinuate myself into the city, and if all goes to plan, it should soon come to fruition. Alphinaud: There is a beast tribe who makes its home in the seas surrounding the island. The Ondo, they are called, though you and I know them as Sahagin. Alphinaud: For the most part, they keep to themselves in their ocean grottoes, and rarely have dealings with land-dwellers. Alphinaud: But as Tataru took such great pains to impress upon me during our stay in Kugane, business favors the bold. And so I reached out to them. Alphinaud: I duly discovered that the Ondo are inordinately fond of land-grown produce─fresh fruits in particular. And when I offered to procure such goods for them, they promised to pay me in pearls. Alphinaud: An attractive business venture for any prospective investor, would you not agree? Surely even the most jaded Eulmoran lord would have time for a merchant who can make pearls from plums and pumpkins? Alphinaud: Yes, I've come a long way since my days of buying samurai swords without first negotiating a price! Alphinaud: My appointment with the Ondo is due to take place in a few hours. I just need to collect the produce and meet with them on the shore. Alphinaud: Might you help me make the exchange? Alphinaud: Excellent, I should be glad of your company. Alphinaud: First things first, then─we must pay a visit to Mosha-Moa, my supplier in Wright. Come, it is just to the northwest of here.
Mosha-Moa: ...Is there something I can do for you, friend? Alphinaud: Good day to you, Mosha-Moa. This is my associate, Forename. We are here to collect the produce I purchased. Mosha-Moa: ...Eh? I loaded your lackey up with the goods not long ago. Alphinaud: My lackey? I know of no such person! Mosha-Moa: Mystel lad, short blue hair? ...No? He said he'd come on your behalf, and since he seemed to know all the details, I just assumed... Alphinaud: Confound it. Someone must have been eavesdropping on our conversation... Alphinaud: If this charlatan was here not long ago, he cannot have gone far. We should split up and search the area. You find a vantage point on the south side of town, and I shall take the west!
You have located your quarry! Alphinaud: Forename! Any sign of him!? Alphinaud: ...You've a keen eye. Let us move in, before he makes good his escape!
Alphinaud: There you are! Alphinaud: The thief who claimed the harvest on my behalf. Hand it over. Blue-haired Mystel (Kai-Shirr): Wha─ I...I... Blue-haired Mystel (Kai-Shirr): Forgive me, I just─ I have to get into the city! Blue-haired Mystel (Kai-Shirr): I have no family, and all my friends have already been chosen. Blue-haired Mystel (Kai-Shirr): No one here gives a damn about me. When the meol gets handed out, I'm lucky if I get a smell of it! Blue-haired Mystel (Kai-Shirr): No matter what I do, they won't call out my name! I'm so tired─I'm so bloody hungry... Blue-haired Mystel (Kai-Shirr): I thought maybe I could steal your idea─get in that way... Alphinaud: ...What is your name? Kai-Shirr: Kai-Shirr... Alphinaud: Tell me then, Kai-Shirr─must it be Eulmore or nothing? Alphinaud: What of the Crystarium? They may not offer charity, but you would be fairly compensated for any work you did. Kai-Shirr: No, no, it has to be Eulmore! Kai-Shirr: That's where all my friends are. We made a promise that we'd live together in paradise... Alphinaud: ...I was to make my deal with the Ondo at the Clave. Listen carefully, and I shall tell you my plans for the business, and how best to arouse the Eulmorans' interest. Kai-Shirr: You'll give me your place? Just like that? Alphinaud: I'm giving you a chance, nothing more. What comes of it is entirely up to you. Kai-Shirr: ...I understand! Oh thank you, thank you!
Alphinaud: This was but one path─there will be others. But for young Kai-Shirr, it was the difference between life and death. Alphinaud: I do not regret my decision...yet I will admit that a part of me wonders if it was for the best. Alphinaud: We strive to bring swift salvation to this world, that countless lives might be saved─not least your own. Even if it came at the cost of one man, should I have forged on regardless...?
  • What will you say?
  • That's not who you are. Alphinaud: I suppose not... Were Estinien here, he would most likely scoff at my soft-heartedness. “Same old Alphinaud. Ever the slave to sentiment.” Alphinaud: But I thank you for your kind words, nonetheless. Let us see to it that both these stories have a happy ending.
  • Quite possibly. Meaning we'd better hurry up and think of a new plan. Alphinaud: Indeed. We will find another way, I promise you.
Alphinaud: Shall we return to Wright, then? Alphinaud: Is that...? Alphinaud: I can't be sure, but I-I think someone's in trouble! Alphinaud: Come on, they may need our help!
Alphinaud: ...That should take care of the worst of his injuries. Weakened Wretch (Tristol): <cough> <splutter> Mercy... Mercy, I beg you... Alphinaud: Breathe easy, sir. No harm will come to you here. Alphinaud: The poor man is shivering. Pray keep an eye on him while I get a fire going.
Weakened Wretch (Tristol): I thought for certain I was d-dead. How am I ever to repay this kindness...? Alphinaud: We'll settle for the tale behind your current predicament. Why don't you begin by telling us your name? Tristol: Tristol. I was invited into Eulmore to work as an artist... Tristol: A wealthy couple took me in to paint pictures for them, but when my style proved contrary to their taste, they just as quickly turfed me out onto the street. Tristol: I was left penniless and patronless─a grave sin in Lord Vauthry's city. Tristol: Within days, they had brought me before the man himself, and he asked me what I meant to do. Dejected as I was, I told him that I wished to leave... Tristol: Little did I know how soon he would grant me my wish! They flung me over the balustrade into the godsdamned ocean! Alphinaud: From up there!? How were you not dashed to pieces!? Tristol: Don't ask me. Luck, I suppose. Though if you hadn't found me when you did, it wouldn't have counted for much. Alphinaud: Monstrous... And the citizens condone such barbaric punishment!? Tristol: Oh, without a second thought. When Lord Vauthry passes judgment, no one so much as blinks, let alone argues. Tristol: In Eulmore, his word is law.
Alphinaud: The more I hear about Eulmore, the more determined I am to see what waits within its walls. Alphinaud: I shall bend all my thoughts toward securing another way into the city. There must be something we can do... Alphinaud: But first, we should convey Tristol to the shelter of the village. Fire or no fire, he needs to be out of this chilly coastal air. Tristol: A way into the city...?
Tristol: Pray accept my deepest gratitude. I owe you both my life. Tristol: And...if you'll permit me, I would assist you in your attempt to enter Eulmore─insofar as I am able, at any rate. Tristol: To be frank, the thought of sending my saviors into that awful place makes me sick to the stomach─but since it's plain you've set your minds on it...you should take this. Tristol: It's my favorite paintbrush. Tristol: The Eulmoran elite are never satisfied until they get exactly what they want, and if I'm not mistaken, the couple I mentioned will be looking for someone to replace me. If you make a show of owning such a well-used brush, you may be able to convince people you have a talent for painting. Alphinaud: Are you certain? This is your livelihood. We cannot deprive you of such a treasured possession... Tristol: I give it gladly after all you've done for me. Besides, I can't─ I...don't think I have the heart to paint anymore. Tristol: As to what I'll do instead...I honestly haven't decided. But I shan't stay long in this place─not with that city brooding over me. Nay, I'll move on to new lands and a new profession. And I'll keep you in my prayers from now until my dying day.
Alphinaud weighs the brush you received from Tristol, deep in thought.
Alphinaud: They say kindness is its own reward, but Tristol has repaid us with a gift as timely as it was unexpected. Alphinaud: We will, however, need to act upon his advice before another painter steps in to fill the vacancy. Thankfully, I do have some modest skill with a brush. Nothing approaching that of a true artist, of course, but enough to play the role, I would hope. Alphinaud: As for you... Hmmm... Well...if you don't mind taking a subordinate role, mayhap you could pose as my assistant? Alphinaud: Then it is settled! All we need do now is return to Gatetown, and await the next appearance of those vile jesters.
Alphinaud: Here they come... Red Jongleur: Ladies and gentlemen! Your attention once more! What a day it's been for the folks at our door! Blue Jongleur: We've welcomed a peddler who made pearls from a plum, and now we've a place for a painter of aplomb. Red Jongleur: So come along and don't be slow! It's time to let your colors show! Alphinaud: I can paint. Portraits, at least. Landscapes and still lifes are so rarely commissioned these days... Red Jongleur: Oho, I thought I spied some new faces in the crowd. What fortune that you should feel at ease around an easel! Blue Jongleur: What proof have you of your prowess? Any masterpieces on your person? Alphinaud: Sadly not. Everything I paint is soon sold. Such is the life of a working artist. Alphinaud: I have only my brush to testify for me─though you will note that it has seen no small amount of service. Blue Jongleur: Aha, hoho, hm hm. Flecks of paint, both old and new, a tool much loved and much used. Red Jongleur: Not a prop to be conjured on the hop! Very well! Come with us, and we'll put those talents to the test! Blue Jongleur: And who is this hanger-on? Well-wisher or parasite? Alphinaud: Why, this is my assistant. She whose unfailing support allows my art to flourish. I will go with her or not at all! Blue Jongleur: Parasite, then. We shall leave her fate in the hands of your new employer─it matters not a whit to us. Red Jongleur: And having filled our latest vacant space, we retire to Eulmore's sweet embrace! Gatetown Residents: ... Blue Jongleur: Oh, mercy me! The meol! We almost took our leave without leaving a loving token! Red Jongleur: We must empty the sacks ere we make our way back!
Ardbert: Redemption is beyond us. Ardbert: The lament of all but saints and fools...and the comfort of the lords and ladies of this accursed place. Ardbert: Once, they held fast against the madness, only to embrace the coming cataclysm and delight in the end of days. Ardbert: Perhaps in rapture they seek to lose themselves and the misery they share... Ardbert: Or perhaps for them alone the promise of eternal pleasure really does hold true.
Red Jongleur: Welcome, welcome, to the city of final pleasures! Feel free to weep at its magnificence! ...No? Not even a single tear? Moving right along, then! Red Jongleur: Our first task is to register you as residents─you know, make it all nice and official. We'll smooth the way, so you just need to put on your happy faces and head through to Joyous Hall. Red Jongleur: The Bureau of Immigration is in the first room on the left side of the passage. Declare your name and occupation in a nice loud voice─the clerks will tell you where to go from there. Red Jongleur: Oh, and pay no mind to those folk off to the side of the road. Much like the hopefuls in Gatetown, they haven't earned the right to enter the city proper. Red Jongleur: If, however, you enjoy basking in the envy of your fellow man, then by all means...take your time. But why waste another moment? Go! Enjoy the beginning of your new life in paradise!
Immigration Officer: Welcome to Eulmore, fortunate friends! May I have your names? Alphinaud: I am Alphinaud, an artist, and this is Forename, my assistant. Immigration Officer: Ah, yes, I was informed of your imminent arrival. We can forgo the usual interview and begin processing your registration papers forthwith. Immigration Officer: Now, the citizens of Eulmore are divided into two classes. There are the “free,” who are blessed with the favor of Lord Vauthry, and the “bonded,” who work in the employ of the free. Immigration Officer: You will be joining the ranks of the bonded. Your duties are to serve a patron in the capacity for which you were chosen─in your case, painting pretty pictures. Immigration Officer: Should your patron dismiss you for any reason, you must find another sponsor among the free, or accept work as a general laborer. Alphinaud: I see. And might you tell us something of the patron we are to serve? Immigration Officer: The two patrons, actually. Chai-Nuzz and Dulia-Chai─a Mystel couple whom most refer to as the “Chais.” Immigration Officer: They are both gentle souls, but I would ask that you conduct yourself with respect and humility...for your own sake as much as theirs. Immigration Officer: Now. A moment, please, while I complete the relevant paperwork... Immigration Officer: All in order. These are your registration documents. Immigration Officer: Take those papers next door and submit them to the clerk. Once they've been stamped, you will officially be Eulmoran citizens. Immigration Officer: Enjoy your new life in paradise!
Registration Officer: Welcome to the Bureau of Registration. Papers, please.
Registration Papers A set of documents required to register as a bonded citizen of Eulmore.
Registration Officer: What have we here...?
“Alphinaud, artist. Forename, artist's assistant. To be employed in the service of Lord Chai-Nuzz and Lady Dulia-Chai...” Registration Officer: Yes, everything seems to be in order! Your registration is hereby approved. Registration Officer: I think it best that we deliver you to the Chai residence before─ Registration Officer: <sniff> Hm? <sniff> <sniff> Oh dear... Registration Officer: You smell...hideous! Registration Officer: Did you crawl here through a ditch? It's like an unholy miasma of dust and sweat and the musk of some unwashed beast! Registration Officer: Proceed directly to the Delousery next door and scrub yourselves clean. Use whichever showers are free. Registration Officer: After you've rinsed away that stench, you'll want to splash yourselves with this perfume. Liberally. Registration Officer: Once you've made yourself presentable, then you may proceed to the Chai residence. Cornenne, the guard by the stairs, will give you directions. Alphinaud: I hadn't realized we were so...aromatic.
You rinse yourself clean in the stream of water...
Sweet-smelling Perfume This bottle contains scented water, the liberal application of which can conceal undesirable odors.
You apply the perfume as directed, and the delicate scent of roses fills the air...
Alphinaud: Oh, you've showered and dressed already, have you...? Alphinaud: Is it not─ Th-That is to say... Ahem. It seems rather...exposed for one's ablutions, does it not...?
  • What will you say?
  • Hurry up and shower, stinky. Alphinaud: Fine. Just a quick rinse, then...
  • What would Estinien say...? Alphinaud: Good gods... You will mention nothing of this! Swear to me!
  • Alisaie would have been drying her hair by now. Alphinaud: ...Wouldn't she just. Very well...I shall endeavor to emulate her boldness, then. Courage, Alphinaud!
Alphinaud: Well, that was bracing! I believe the lingering smells of the road have been successfully expunged. Alphinaud: Shall we go and present ourselves to our new patrons, then?
Cornenne: You're looking to present yourselves to the Chais, are you? Let me explain how the city's laid out, then. Imagine three layers, one on top of the other... Cornenne: This layer here is called the Buttress. Above us is the Understory, where the military has its headquarters. And above that, you've got the Canopy, which is where the free citizens of Eulmore spend their days. Cornenne: So if you want to find your new patrons, you'll need to keep climbing until you run out of stairs, then look for the “Grand Dame's Parlor.” They'll be in there, like as not.
Dulia-Chai: Ooh? Who's this then? Alphinaud: Lord and Lady Chai, pray forgive our intrusion. I am given to understand you were in search...of an artist? Chai-Nuzz: Ahh, you must be the new, uh... Dulia-Chai: Oh, goodness me! What an adorable boy! Dulia-Chai: That silken hair, those pearly cheeks...oh, and you even smell wonderful─like a bed of flowers! Dulia-Chai: I approve of this one, dearest! I am positive he will paint us the most delightful pictures. Chai-Nuzz: I, um, er, y-yes... Ahem. Well, as long as he paints better than that talentless wretch we sent packing last week... Dulia-Chai: Wonderful, wonderful! Welcome to Eulmore...um, er... Alphinaud: Alphinaud, if it please you, my lady. And this...is my assistant. Chai-Nuzz: Your...assistant? I've heard of folk bringing in family members, but this seems a bit irregular. Aren't you a little young to have a protégé? Alphinaud: We are family in all but name, my lord. Though we share no blood, we have stood by each other through life's many challenges, resolved to prevail together─or not at all. Alphinaud: Of all people, 'tis she who best understands my work. With her unique insight guiding my hand, the art I create is sure to satisfy your expectations. Alphinaud: Once the picture is begun, of course, I shall have no need of constant encouragement. Alphinaud: And so I wondered, rather than her being in your way, might it then be permissible for my assistant to explore the city she has so longed to see? Alphinaud: Out of gratitude for her priceless contribution to my art, I thought it only fair that I make this humble request on her behalf. Dulia-Chai: Oooh, did you ever hear of such devotion! Of course your assistant must have her wish! She shall be free to roam to her heart's content! Dulia-Chai: ...Isn't that right, darling? Chai-Nuzz: Uh... Oh, yes. Yes, of course, dearest. Q-Quite right.
Free to Sightsee Alphinaud would send you into the city to explore.
Alphinaud: Now you've the opportunity to experience Eulmore, I suggest you make the most of it. Explore the city, top to bottom. Alphinaud: In other words, I would start with the Canopy and go from there. Try wandering around the market stalls, mayhap...? Such places are usually filled with colorful characters, only too eager to share local gossip with a friendly visitor. Alphinaud: ...I would appreciate it, of course, if you could share any discoveries with me in turn. We should both learn as much as possible about our, ahem, “new place of residence.”
Amiable Maiden: Oh, hello there. A fresh register, are we? You seem a little lost. Amiable Maiden: Well, 'tis lovely to make your acquaintance. Ahem, speaking of acquaintances, you wouldn't happen to have run into my attendant on your wanderings, would you? Big strong lad? Long hair, tied back? Amiable Maiden: He was escorting me on a shopping errand when I realized I'd dropped my handkerchief. And now I've been waiting here all alone while he's been off searching for it. Amiable Maiden: I'm not terribly fond of being alone. If you do see him, I would be obliged if you could pass on this message: forget the silly handkerchief and return to my side at once!
Ardent Attendant: Wicked white, that was too close! Ardent Attendant: Thank you, friend. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't come along. Ardent Attendant: I was trying to rescue my lady's handkerchief, you see. The wind must have blown it over the edge, but luckily it caught on something. I thought if I could just stretch out far enough...
  • What will you say?
  • You risked your life for a scrap of cloth? Ardent Attendant: It's not just a scrap of cloth! Not if it belongs to her. Ardent Attendant: I would risk my life and more to spare my mistress but a single moment of sadness.
  • You must think highly of your mistress. Ardent Attendant: She is my entire world! Without her, I am nothing.
Ardent Attendant: When I first came to Eulmore, I thought only of improving my lot in life. Ardent Attendant: But there was so much more to this city than wealth and plenty. There is no war here, no conflict... The residents all treat each other with warmth and respect. Ardent Attendant: My mistress has been ever so kind to me, and I can think of no other place in Kholusia where I could possibly be happier! Ardent Attendant: <cough> Sorry, I might've gotten a bit carried away. I find it hard to stop when I start counting my blessings these days. Ardent Attendant: Please, you should come with me to meet my lady. Once she hears of your deed, you'll be witness to her generosity firsthand. Ardent Attendant: ...What!? Lonely, you say!? Ardent Attendant: Curse my clumsy feet! I must return to her immediately!
Amiable Maiden: My attendant told me everything. I am so very grateful you were there to offer your assistance!
  • What will you say?
  • You seem a dedicated patron... Amiable Maiden: Oh, my attitude is naught unusual, I assure you. Without the efforts of our bonded residents, we free citizens would not enjoy the pleasures of our daily lives. They are deserving of our unending gratitude.
  • You value him highly, then... Amiable Maiden: As if he were a member of my own family! I could not live the wonderful life I lead without him. We free citizens owe the bonded our unending gratitude.
Amiable Maiden: Mayhap in another society, our different standing would breed prejudice or resentment. But in Eulmore, a most glorious measure is in place to avert such unpleasantness. Amiable Maiden: Part of that measure requires that the free surrender their fortunes. Upon registration, all of our property─financial, intellectual, or otherwise─is given over to the city. Amiable Maiden: In exchange, we are provided with ample funds and commodities to live a life of pampered luxury. Amiable Maiden: Being liberated from the concern of earning coin has an almost miraculous effect on people's outlook. There are no rivals to compete against, only fellow residents with whom to enjoy our tranquil existence. Amiable Maiden: Now, if you'll excuse us, I must see what the markets have to offer as a reward for the return of my handkerchief. Oh, and I've not forgotten you, of course, our courageous messenger-turned-rescuer!
A Taste of Honey The amiable maiden appears suddenly concerned.
Amiable Maiden: All this talk of relying on the bonded, and I haven't given a thought as to what your duties might be. I hope I haven't interrupted your work unduly? Amiable Maiden: A tour of the city, is it? Then you really must visit the Beehive─it's always buzzing with activity! Ahem, local humor... Amiable Maiden: Anyway, a lady by the name of Tista-Bie usually has her seat near the entrance. She will gladly speak with you on any number of topics, assuming you find yourself on her good side!
Tista-Bie: Welcome to the Beehive, my little drone. Seeking the sting of excitement to liven up your day? Tista-Bie: ...Hm hm, I can tell at a glance when folk are new to our happy colony. It's the nervous fluttering, you see─always gives them away. Tista-Bie: Why don't we play some cards to set you at your ease, eh? A quick game of “High or Low”─it's simply a matter of guessing who has the bigger hand. Tista-Bie: If you win, I'll grant you a single favor...within reason, of course. Interested?
Tista-Bie: Ready for a game of “High or Low”, then?
  • What will you say?
  • Let's play! Tista-Bie: Good for you! No time like the present, I say!
  • Maybe another time. Tista-Bie: Oh? Well, you know where to find me if you want to play a hand or two.
  • What are the rules? “High or Low” is a guessing game. You must decide whether the total of your three cards is higher or lower than the total of your opponent's cards. The deck holds nine cards, with the pictures printed thereon representing the numbers one through nine. Each number appears only once in the deck, so there are no repeats. If you guess correctly, then you win the match. If both totals are the same, then another hand is dealt.
Tista-Bie: Three cards for you, three cards for me. You flip one of yours over, and I flip two of mine. Tista-Bie: Now, what's your call? Will your total be higher or lower than mine?
  • I call...
  • ...high! Tista-Bie: You're going with “high,” then? Right, let's see what we've got...
  • ...low! Tista-Bie: You're going with low,” then? Right, let's see what we've got...
Tista-Bie: My cards add up to ○○. And you have... Tista-Bie: ...a total of ○○.
Tista-Bie: Oho, it seems we came out equal. But as lovely a coincidence as that may be, we still need a clear winner...
  • Shall we play again?
  • Yes Tista-Bie: That's what I like to hear. Let me shuffle the deck...
  • No Tista-Bie: Had enough for now? Fine, fine─I'll be sitting right here should the mood strike you.
Tista-Bie: Aw... Sorry, honeybee, but this match goes to me.
  • What will you say?
  • Yes Tista-Bie: That's what I like to hear. Let me shuffle the deck...
  • No Tista-Bie: Had enough for now? Fine, fine─I'll be sitting right here should the mood strike you.
Tista-Bie: Congratulations, your guess was right! Tista-Bie: Hm... Usually I'd concede defeat at this point, but what do you say to a rematch? One more win, then we'll talk about that favor. Tista-Bie: Another match of “High or Low”? Come now, little honeybee, we all need our diversions.
  • What will you say?
  • Let's play! Tista-Bie: Good for you! No time like the present, I say!
  • Maybe another time. Tista-Bie: Oh? Well, you know where to find me if you want to play a hand or two.
  • What are the rules? “High or Low” is a guessing game. You must decide whether the total of your three cards is higher or lower than the total of your opponent's cards. The deck holds nine cards, with the pictures printed thereon representing the numbers one through nine. Each number appears only once in the deck, so there are no repeats. If you guess correctly, then you win the match. If both totals are the same, then another hand is dealt.
Tista-Bie: That's the spirit! Let me sort out the deck... Tista-Bie: Three cards for you, three cards for me. You flip one of yours over, and I flip two of mine. Tista-Bie: Now, what's your call? Will your total be higher or lower than mine?
  • I call...
  • ...high! Tista-Bie: You're going with “high,” then? Right, let's see what we've got...
  • ...low! Tista-Bie: You're going with low,” then? Right, let's see what we've got...
Tista-Bie: My cards add up to ○○. And you have... Tista-Bie: ...a total of ○○.
Tista-Bie: Oho, it seems we came out equal. But as lovely a coincidence as that may be, we still need a clear winner...
  • Shall we play again?
  • Yes Tista-Bie: That's what I like to hear. Let me shuffle the deck...
  • No Tista-Bie: Had enough for now? Fine, fine─I'll be sitting right here should the mood strike you.
Tista-Bie: Oh dear, looks like this match goes to me.
  • Shall we play again?
  • Yes Tista-Bie: That's what I like to hear. Let me shuffle the deck...
  • No Tista-Bie: Had enough for now? Fine, fine─I'll be sitting right here should the mood strike you.
Tista-Bie: Well, well, would you look at that. I think you've got a knack for this, newcomer. Tista-Bie: Congratulations! Victory is yours...as is the prize I promised. Tista-Bie: Come whisper in my ear, then, and don't be shy. Tell ol' Tista what she can do for you. Tista-Bie: ...That's all? How delightfully wholesome. But if knowledge is what you want, then that is what you shall have. Tista-Bie: In my humble estimation, the most wondrous thing about this town is how safe we are from the sin eaters. Tista-Bie: They say Lord Vauthry was born with the power to command them─which means no Eulmoran need ever raise a weapon in defense of the city. Tista-Bie: ...Was that the kind of thing you wished to know? If your itch still needs scratching, you might get a few words out of Atharn over there. There's naught that merry sot likes more than the sound of his own voice.
Atharn: Whassat? New to Eulmore, you say? Atharn: Gahaha! Only just arrived and already you're looking to peel away the layers of mystery. Oh, I'm all for chatting, but you need to slow down and enjoy life, my friend! Atharn: I tell you what: you hop up on stage and give us a dance first, and then we can have our little talk!
Atharn: That's the way! Dance like there's no tomorrow!
Atharn: <whistle> Now that was a show! You're welcome to clamber up on stage any time you like! Atharn: So...what was it you wanted to ask me? Ah, yes, something about our fair city. Well, I can tell you it wasn't always so peaceful as it is today. Atharn: The Eulmoran Army may be the very essence of military might, but even our forces saw grievous losses in the war against the sin eaters. Atharn: Things changed for us, oh, around twenty years ago now, when the old ruler's son came to power! Atharn: He's got this way with the eaters, you see─turns them docile as house cats. I wouldn't be exaggerating to say they've become something of an ally to Eulmore. No longer an enemy to be feared. Atharn: And yet elsewhere, there are still fools who insist on fighting their losing battles... Pah! A toast to Lord Vauthry! You've gained a preliminary sense of the city. The Chais─and Alphinaud─will be expecting your return.
Dulia-Chai: Oh, you've returned from your jaunt around the city? So soon? Dulia-Chai: You needn't have hurried back─young Alphinaud has yet to put brush to canvas. Chai-Nuzz: One cannot rush good art, I'm told. Or good artists, apparently... Chai-Nuzz: ...Ah, finally. Alphinaud: I've put together an ensemble out of the garments you chose. Is this satisfactory? Dulia-Chai: Oh, goodness gracious me! That last outfit was precious, but this makes you look positively dashing! Dulia-Chai: You truly are a handsome boy! However am I to decide!?
  • What will you say?
  • What happened to painting?
  • I don't recall this part of the artistic process...
Chai-Nuzz: Exactly! The lad is an artist, dearest, not a dress-up doll. It's about time we set him to work for the reason we called him here! Dulia-Chai: ...Must we? I do love a good painting, but I thought since we were enjoying ourselves so thoroughly... Chai-Nuzz: Well, I'd not─ That is to say, as long as you... Chai-Nuzz: Ugh. Just...make sure you give the lad time to prepare. We know who'll be upset if he's not ready to paint at a moment's notice. Dulia-Chai: Whatever you say, darling. So! Shall we pick out some jewelry, next!?
A Blessed Instrument Alphinaud draws you close with a whisper.
Alphinaud: (Lady Chai has a very particular sense of beauty, and apparently that extends to how I should dress whilst painting...) Alphinaud: (But this obsession of hers works in our favor. The time I spend indulging these distractions is time you can use to continue your explorations.) Alphinaud: (For this excursion, I'd like you to delve into the layer below us, and sniff about the military headquarters. I'm sure the Understory has its own tale to tell...)
Weeping Warbler: <sob> <sniff> Weeping Warbler: You...you're one of the bonded, aren't you? Like me? Weeping Warbler: Please, I need your help! My throat, it's... I can't sing anymore... Weeping Warbler: I've been making excuses, but it's just not getting any better. If my patron thinks I'm of no use to him, then... <sob> Weeping Warbler: I need you to sneak out to the Derelicts and describe my condition to Thoarich. Weeping Warbler: Here's a list of symptoms, and a hunk of meol to pay for his medicines... Please, I have no one else to turn to!
Thoarich: Hee hee! You need medicines? Tonics? Potions?
Singer's Symptoms “Coughing. Hoarse. Hard to swallow (feels like something's there?). Sore throat...”
Meol Chunk A portion of meol, intended as payment for an apothecary's medicine.
Thoarich: Hmmm, a cure for an ailing voice, is it...? Thoarich: No, no medicine will cure this. Methinks your songbird has a lump in her throat. It must be cut out, excised, and even then the voice may never heal completely. Thoarich: Hee hee, poor little songbird. Will they kick her from the nest, I wonder? Or simply silence her chirps? Thoarich: Hoho, your face! You didn't know!? Of the many hopefuls who enter the city, very few are ever seen to leave. Even as corpses... Thoarich: Oh, you might see one or two fortunate fools hurled from the balconies, but the rest...? Gone. Thoarich: A town of nightmares, it is. Not for this ship's rat, oh no no. I am content to scurry around down here, and nibble on the crumbs which fall from the table. Thoarich: This consultation is over! You have my verdict, and I have my meol! Good day!
Weeping Warbler: D-Did you get my medicine...? Weeping Warbler: <sob> ...So that's it? What am I to do if I can't sing...? Free Citizen: Ah, there you are, my sweet canary. Have you been crying again? Don't tell me your voice is still not on the mend... Weeping Warbler: Oh, generous sir, have mercy! I've done all I can, but even the apothecary said... Free Citizen: ...So you've been suffering all this time? Free Citizen: I am sorry, my pet. I hadn't realized your affliction was this grave... But you needn't fret! I'll not reward your hours of trilling by casting you out into the street! Weeping Warbler: You are too kind, sir... Weeping Warbler: But what use am I if I cannot sing? I fear the day I become more burden to you than treasure... Free Citizen: Then I shall have a word with Lord Vauthry, and arrange for your ascension. Free Citizen: In that paradise where resides neither pain nor illness will your song ring out clearly once again. Free Citizen: ...Or mayhap you think it a step too far? Weeping Warbler: No, I... You would do that for me!? Free Citizen: Of course. Why, I would almost wish to hasten my own ascension, knowing your blessed instrument was waiting there to greet me.
  • What will you say?
  • Ascension...? Free Citizen: Ah, you must be a new arrival. Allow me to explain.
  • Sounds too good to be true... Free Citizen: Ah, you must be a new arrival to harbor such doubts. Allow me to allay your suspicions...
Free Citizen: As all know, the sin eaters exist to devour the sinful. But also do they serve to gather the souls of the innocent, and shepherd them unto celestial paradise. Free Citizen: It is through Lord Vauthry that we learned this truth. It is through Lord Vauthry's grace that the free people of Eulmore are destined to embrace salvation. Free Citizen: We are blessed to spend our days surrounded by love and merriment, until at last we are called to our final rapture. Even the bonded may find a place within that host, should their patrons deem them worthy. Weeping Warbler: Lord Vauthry truly is a great man, isn't he? Free Citizen: Now if you will excuse us, we must be on our way. May you find eternal salvation for the compassion you have shown my precious canary.
Alphinaud: 'Tis good to see you back. You were taking so long I began to worry something had happened. Alphinaud: I've begun sketching an outline for the portrait, but...nay, the Chais appear otherwise occupied. Will you share what your investigations have gleaned thus far? Alphinaud: So...Lord Vauthry boasts some manner of influence over the sin eaters, does he? That would explain the reverence in which he is held by the citizenry. Alphinaud: And as for this “ascension” business, I cannot help but be put in mind of that apothecary and his ominous remarks. If so many folk have entered the city over the years, then where do they go...?
Emergent Splendor Alphinaud seems eager to discuss the significance of your discoveries.
Chai-Nuzz: Hmph. I take my eye off you for one moment and you're chattering away with that assistant of yours. Am I to assume the outline is done, then? Chai-Nuzz: Wh-What in the blazes...!? Chai-Nuzz: It's so...so...unflattering! Explain yourself, Alphinaud! Chai-Nuzz: Where is your artistic interpretation!? It should evoke images of affluence and nobility, and overwhelm the viewer with its boundless beauty! Alphinaud: Lord Chai─you stated that this portrait was to commemorate your anniversary. Yours being a joyous union, it seemed to me that a realistic portrayal─ Chai-Nuzz: Realistic!? I don't want realism! I want perfection! A spectacle to slacken jaws and weaken knees! To make people cry out in amazement! Chai-Nuzz: Now, fetch a blank canvas and─ Screaming Man (Kai-Shirr): Ah...ugh... Aaarrrggghhh! Chai-Nuzz: I say... Did that come from above...? Red Jongleur: Ladies and gentlemen, your attention pleeease: a tale to make you quiver and your noble blood freeze! Red Jongleur: There was a villain on the loose, set to ruin our fair city... Blue Jongleur: ...But our lord has got him now, and his fate will not be pretty! Blue Jongleur: Yes, the hammer of justice is poised to come crrrashing down! And one and all who'd watch it fall are invited to join his lordship in the Offer! Dulia-Chai: A malcontent? How dreadful... Alphinaud: And this man is to face sentencing...? Chai-Nuzz: That's right. In fact...if you're curious, it might be worth you going along for the experience. The Offer they mentioned is part of the Emergent─the level above us where Lord Vauthry resides. Chai-Nuzz: Ordinarily, you would be barred from entering, but it seems they'll be opening its doors for the next little while. The Crown Lift will take you up there. Alphinaud: ...We had better not dawdle, then.
Chadden: Joining the crowd up there?
  • Proceed to the Offer?
  • Yes
  • No
Alphinaud: That's him. That's Vauthry! Alphinaud: He is attended by sin eaters...? But how does he keep them from attacking? ??? (Kai-Shirr): Mercy... Mercy... Alphinaud: By the Twelve! Alphinaud: Kai-Shirr! What happened to you!? Vauthry: Who are these impudent louts? I do not recall requesting their presence. Alphinaud: Lord Vauthry! What is the meaning of this? Why is this poor man bleeding to death on your floor!? Vauthry: Why? You ask me why? Because criminals must be punished, and this man is guilty of fraud. Vauthry: He came to us claiming to be a man of business, yet his subsequent conduct has shown him to be anything but! Vauthry: Eulmore is a city built on love for one's fellow man. Those who have naught to give and live only to take are a blight upon our society! Vauthry: To atone for this crime, I ordered that he fling himself from the balcony. Vauthry: And he had the temerity to weep! “Please, my lord! Anything but that!” Vauthry: What then is a man of mercy to do, but offer the sinner another way to show his contrition? Alphinaud: "Another way“ meaning what, exactly!? Vauthry: Sin eaters are part of Eulmore's society. But they must be fed with aether─living aether. Vauthry: So─I demanded an offering of flesh! Carved by his own hand, from his own hide! Vauthry: And still! Still, he could not do as I asked! Vauthry: A wholly unsatisfactory performance! Alphinaud: 'Tis true that Kai-Shirr won his place here by fraud. But his actions were driven only by a desire to share in your paradise. Alphinaud: That you would cast him out I could almost accept, but to humiliate him thus? To demand his very life!? Is this truly the way of Eulmore!? Vauthry: Oh, you dim, deluded child... Have you ever paused to consider what it takes to maintain such a paradise in this barren, broken world of ours? Vauthry: The guarantee of safety and stability. The knowledge that if one only abides by the rules, one has naught to fear. Vauthry: I alone can offer these things, for I alone can command the sin eaters. Vauthry: And thus am I alone the voice of justice─and any who oppose me villains to be punished! Alphinaud: And people call this paradise... Vauthry: You were granted a place in my city for a particular skill. What was it? Alphinaud: ...Painting. Vauthry: Oho, an artiste! Then you shall paint a picture for me. Of Eulmore. Vauthry: If I find your art pleasing, then I may excuse this display of insolence. Vauthry: Who gave you permission to tend to that criminal's wounds!? I told you to paint me a picture! Alphinaud: What you need is a mirror, not a painting. It will capture the horror I see before me far better than I ever could. Alphinaud: Can you walk? Kai-Shirr: I think so. Vauthry: Did...did that little worm just insult me? Vauthry: I─I─I'll kill them! I'll─I'll kill them all! Vauthry: I'll enslave their minds! I'll─I'll torment them─torture them! Then tear out their hearts!
Alphinaud: ... Alphinaud: Forgive me. In my anger, I seem to have marched us back outside again...though it is probably best we leave the island altogether. I believe we've worn out our welcome in Eulmore. Alphinaud: In any case, I've seen enough of the world's self-proclaimed “capital city” to convince me that our battle against the sin eaters will find few allies in Kholusia. Alphinaud: I will accompany you back to the Crystarium. We need to regroup and think on our strategy anew. Alphinaud: Kai-Shirr, I have done you a grave disservice. Alphinaud: You were hungry and desperate, and I offered you a solution without once considering the risks inherent in you accepting it. If I had but known the price you would be made to pay... Kai-Shirr: You gave me everything I needed to make your idea work. It was me who made a mess of things, not you. Kai-Shirr: But even after all the trouble I caused, you still stepped in and saved me. And now Lord Vauthry wants us all dead... Alphinaud: Why not come back with us to the Crystarium? I am certain we can find work for you there, if you are willing. Kai-Shirr: No...that would just be me leaning on your kindness again. Kai-Shirr: I need to do some thinking─learn how to stand on my own two feet. Alphinaud: ...Very well. But you must promise you'll be careful. The Eulmorans may yet come looking for us. Kai-Shirr: I'll keep my head down, don't worry. And you take care too. Give me the chance to repay what you've done for me. ??? (Dulia-Chai): <huff> Alph... <puff> Alphinaud! Alphinaud: Lord and Lady Chai... Chai-Nuzz: What in the blazes did you do!? They have the entire city looking for you! Dulia-Chai: ...I took a peek at your unfinished portrait, Alphinaud. Dulia-Chai: Now I've had many a beautiful and striking picture painted for me, but there was something about your work... It was as if you had caught the very essence of our love, and rendered it naked upon the canvas. Dulia-Chai: It was bold, unflinching...and I adored it. Please, you must come back with us and finish what you began! I will speak with Lord Vauthry, and vouch for your character. I'm sure we can smooth over any hard feelings! Alphinaud: I am sorry, Lady Chai. There are more important matters to which I must attend. Dulia-Chai: More important? What could be more important than enjoying the days we have left to us to the fullest? Alphinaud: Pray press me no further. We are leaving. But I would not presume to take the garments you were so kind as to procure for me. One moment─ Dulia-Chai: <gasp> I wouldn't hear of it! Keep the clothes, you silly boy─I insist! Dulia-Chai: And I shall make arrangements so that you can pass through the gate without causing a stir. I expect you to come and visit. Alphinaud: I will return, I promise you that. The outrage I witnessed must not go unanswered. Alphinaud: The next time we meet, I shall be better prepared to confront the corruption which hides behind the glittering facade.
Alphinaud: Thank you, my friend...for staying at my side through this whole sordid endeavor. Alphinaud: Whilst not quite the joyous outcome I had hoped for, our efforts have nevertheless answered a great many questions. Suffice it to say, our plans for saving the First are unlikely to involve the aid of Lord Vauthry and his subjects. Alphinaud: Come, we must speak with the Exarch and chart a new course. This is far from over...
Crystarium Gatekeep: Do you have business with the Crystal Exarch? Just say the word, and I would be happy to escort you to the Ocular.
  • Enter the Ocular?
  • Yes
  • No
Alphinaud: Ahhh...it is good to be back amongst friends. In such company, I can finally turn my thoughts to the future. But ere we discuss all we have learned and begin planning our next step, I think it best that you visit Alisaie. Alphinaud: Her familiarity with Amh Araeng will no doubt provide us invaluable insight, and besides, I know she is as eager to see you as I was. Alphinaud: Bring a smile to her face, Forename.
Alphinaud: Ahhh...it is good to be back amongst friends, not to mention my dear sister. I have not seen her for some time, but I gather she is as keen to press on with our plans as I am. Alphinaud: And you've seen quite a lot of the First yourself now─more than enough to appreciate the scale of the obstacles we face. Let us lay our discoveries before the Exarch, and discuss what must be done.
In Search of Alisaie
Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): Ready to depart for Amh Araeng? Alisaie will be overjoyed to see you safe─I know she was particularly concerned for your well-being. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): She, uh...impressed upon me how regrettable the timing of her summoning was. Repeatedly. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): I only hope that my part in sending you to her will garner me some measure of forgiveness. Here. This is a letter of introduction addressed to a man named Cassard, the master of a merchant caravan. Crystal Exarch (G'raha Tia): There are few who know the ways of the desert as well as he does. Find him at the Amaro Launch, and he will see that you reach your destination.
Cassard: Hm? If you've come looking for work, I might have a spot for another guard─
Sealed Missive A wax-sealed envelope addressed to Cassard.
Cassard: Oh. Oh! A friend of the Exarch! Hoping to meet someone in Amh Araeng, are you? Cassard: Then I shall be your guide! I was about to set off for our outpost there, as a matter of fact, so we can leave right away─assuming you have everything you need?
Cassard: All set? Then off to the unforgiving sands we go!
Ardbert: Amh Araeng. From this parched earth the nation of Nabaath Areng once rose. Ardbert: When I journeyed here, long ago, I spoke with a sun-weathered elder. Ardbert: He told me Amh Araeng meant “majestic land” in the language of his people. Ardbert: And so it might still be...were it not for the Light's unrelenting onslaught...
Cassard: Oof, no matter how many times I come here, the heat never fails to catch me off guard! Don't be surprised when the temperature drops at night, though─the sky is still bright, of course, but it gets brisk enough to make you shiver. Cassard: Now, the Exarch's letter said I was to take you to the Inn at Journey's Head, which is where this Alisaie friend of yours is staying. Cassard: But that's a fair old distance. So I propose we make a stop in Mord Souq to break up the trek─allowing me to attend to some business, and you to enjoy the local hospitality. Sound good? Good! Cassard: All right, you lot! I'm off, and I'd better not see the goods covered in sand when I get back! Cassard: Right, we head southwest, straight as an arrow!
Cassard: Stop here a moment. This is your first visit to Amh Araeng, is it not? Cassard: Before you cross the River of Sand, you need to turn around and feast your eyes on that!
Cassard: They built them big, didn't they? That's Qasr Sharl, a fortress meant to protect the northern reaches of Nabaath Areng. Cassard: Seeing what was left behind, I believe it when they say that it was once one of Norvrandt's mightiest nations. Cassard: ...At least until the Flood came along. Great chunks of Nabaath Areng's lands were lost to the Light, its great city included. The few who survived didn't see much point in staying. Most of them, anyway. Cassard: No, not many choose to come here these days, not with everything in ruins. Even that hulking great fortress has become little more than an amaro roost for me and my caravan. Cassard: But not everywhere is as deserted as this place. Just wait until you see Mord Souq... Cassard: Let's press on, shall we!
Cassard: Here we are─Mord Souq! By the blessed shadow, I love this town!
City of the Mord Cassard stands at the entrance to Mord Souq, an eager smile on his face.
Cassard: Mord Souq... Not just full of Mord, but Humes and all manner of others, too! It has long been a refuge for folk displaced by the Flood, so the population is nothing if not diverse. Cassard: Oh, have you met a Mord before? They might look like shifty little blighters, but a more welcoming lot you could never wish to meet! Cassard: Speaking of which, we should pay our respects to Master Ghen Gen. I'll go ahead and let him know we've arrived.
  • What will you say?
  • So this is a Mord...?
  • That's a kobold!
  • What beady eyes...
Cassard: Master Ghen Gen, this is the friend of the Exarch I was telling you about. Ghen Gen: Very good, very good! Though friend or no, all are welcome in Mord Souq. Cassard: "Souq“ is Mordish for ”city.“ As things stand, this souq boasts the largest and busiest marketplace in all Amh Araeng. Cassard: You'll find ore from the mines here, of course, but all manner of other things too─many of them rare. Cassard: As I told you before, not many visit Amh Araeng by choice, but Mord Souq's a different story. Merchants come from malms around to purchase the relics the Mord dig up. Ghen Gen: Aye, that they do, for Mord do not dismiss the spoils of the earth. We clean them and polish them and reveal to the world their true value! Ghen Gen: That is why they come here! Come from far away! Come with much money! Ghen Gen: And so our souq is always busy, busy, busy! No such thing as a thing no one needs! Cassard: You say that every time, Master Ghen Gen! Some sort of family motto, wasn't it? Cassard: Or perhaps a Mord philosophy─for which we should all be very grateful. Would that everyone was so willing to take in refugees regardless of race or creed. Cassard: Now, then─if you intend to spend any time here, you'll want to gain the trust of the locals. Cassard: And there's a little custom all newcomers are expected to observe... Ghen Gen: The cracking of the coinpurse! You buy one thing from the market. Price can be low or high, just as long as you buy! Cassard: ...As the good Mord says. In fact, the Exarch sent a little something to cover this very expense. Cassard: A Voeburt gold piece, no less! The first I've held in years. Mord Merchant: Voeburt gold!? Real Voeburt gold!? Hospitable Hawker: Here, newcomer! Crack your coinpurse with me! Peddler of Pots: No, no, you want my goods, newcomer! I have jars and pots, all smooth and shiny! Mord Merchant: Over here! Hospitable Hawker: Come and look! Peddler of Pots: You buy, you buy? Ghen Gen: Enough of that! Calm, I say! Ghen Gen: This one must still journey through the barrens. Nothing bulky! Nothing heavy! No pots! Ghen Gen: Nothing better for the road than a full belly. Spend that piece at Rhon Ron's place, yes? Eat for three before you leave!
Rhon Ron: Welcome to Rhon Ron's, traveler! I have wares to empty your purse and fill your belly! Rhon Ron: Take your time! Stare and sniff before you choose! But no drooling on the merchandise, yes? Rhon Ron: Hm? Silly customer, you cannot eat Rhon Ron. Not even for a Voeburt gold piece! Rhon Ron: I call that “Mushloaf”! The middle is stuffed with bittersweet cactus fruits, so even if the bread dries out, it's still moist inside. Keeps you going in the heat! Rhon Ron: That's my “Everburning Bounty,” made with the best parts of the lizard. Cured with special spicy spices! Some find the smell...challenging, but it'll warm you up on chilly desert nights! Rhon Ron: Oh, you'll like those! “Chewy Skewers”! Find small frogs hiding under rocks, spear with stick, then roast over fire. Crackly on the outside, gooey on the inside─perfect for snacking! Rhon Ron: Everyone's favorite! Plump white worms slathered in honey. Once you eat a “Glazed Wriggler,” you'll never want any other treat! Rhon Ron: They all look tasty, yes? Which to choose, which to choose!
  • Which to choose?
  • Mushloaf. Rhon Ron: Ah, very wise! You won't wither on the sands with a gut full of cactus fruit filling! Rhon Ron: You have the gold...? Rhon Ron: ...And done! One Voeburtite honor buys you forty loaves of bread!
  • Everburning Bounty.