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Chapter LXI: A Final Ignominy
Music: Ruby Moonrise
Not content with how much our fight with the deadly Titan has been delayed already, Wheiskaet is now asking Aggro to lay the tables for the banquet we've been supplying. These guys have no sense of urgency, at all.
Our guests of honor are already here in Costa del Sol, and so Master Gegeruju has demanded that we finish preparations immediately.
Given all the trouble we've had go through for those guests, I wonder who they are?
Hm? The guests? Oh, I'm told that one is a beautiful Miqo'te scholar. Personally, I'm more curious about her companion, some famous adventurer with an endless list of accomplishments. But you can judge for yourself soon enough. Anyway, go and lend Dyrstweitz a hand. The poor man is liable to collapse from the stress.
Just kidding. Wheiskaet makes it pretty clear who the guests are. I think he believes he's more coy than he actually is.
We can find Dyrstweitz just a little behind us, on the next platform. He hurries us along to arrange the table.
The next part of our quest is essentially just clicking five different spots on the table. I'm sure we don't need to spend any more time on this than necessary. Aggro first places exotic flowers on the table, followed by the Bacchus Wine and three individually placed Exotic Feasts.
Yeah, sounds delicious.
We have to return to Wheiskaet when we're done.
Where are they, you ask? Why don't you ask your associate? I'm sure she'll be happy to explain.
We already get it, but sure, let's do as he says and speak to Y'shtola.
Oh, if only she knew.
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.
I'm sure you all guessed this already, but the guests for the banquet were Aggro and Y'shtola. We went through all of that effort so we could get information about Titan, ... and it was all for a feast in our own honour. That's some real player-hating writing, and I wouldn't be surprised to hear that the scenario writer was probably someone originally from Final Fantasy XI.
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.
Here's some additional salt on the wound.
Time passes as the two talk. It's not long before they're interrupted.
Soundtrack ends.
Interrupted by a tiny Lalafell with a freaking eight foot leap!
He lands on the ground in a kneeling position and begins to apologise. Everyone, meet Gegeruju: the owner of Costa del Sol in its entirety.
As the Lalafell apologises, the Company of Heroes finally show up. Behind Wheiskaet are the members of the crew that Aggro had spoken to earlier. I guess nobody else was invited.
Come now, she must have sensed something was amiss. You didn't seriously think I would send you running the length and breadth of Eorzea for a banquet, did you?
You did though.
Music: Machinations
We five were chosen by our brothers and sisters, and before the Company of Heroes disbanded, we each swore a solemn oath... That any who would follow in our footsteps must be weighed and measured—not by their reputation, but by their deeds.
Titan is not one to be challenged lightly, and we will not be complicit in the deaths of the unworthy.
Only, the unworthy could have died on their way here by virtue of being unworthy. You'd be complicit in that.
Music: A World Apart
I mean, this seems a little unnecessary given Aggro's reputation for slaying Ifrit already.
Aggro isn't impressed either.
Eat, drink, and be merry, my friends, for today we celebrate the birth of a new legend—Aggro Crag, Titan's Bane!
Music: Ruby Moonrise
From this point, Aggro is invited to partake and enjoy the celebration.
We've got to talk to every single one of the guests.
We even get to enjoy the food. In a cutscene. Sadly, there aren't any Palicos to make up for what we've been through.
Do you need me to talk to everyone? I don't think you do. As usual, you can find all the missed dialogue in the bonus video.
Eventually, we'll reach Y'shtola. Talking with her will complete this quest, and my nightmare.
The rewards for the quest aren't particularly great, but we can also get some level 32 boots for our troubles. Aggro has better, so we're just going with the allagan mint. In addition to those rewards though, we also got a mount speed increase for eastern La Noscea. That's definitely a positive sign. Let's get a move on with this.
Our road to Titan is finally almost over, but this is the Company of Heroes we're dealing with. They have one last task for us.
Travel to Bronze Lake in upper La Noscea. There you will met with Riol, another man who once served the Company. To ensure that this knowledge does not fall into the wrong hands, he will remain in hiding until you have given the correct signal.
The correct signal involves Aggro walking to three locations at Camp Bronze Lake and whistling. We could have probably resolved the computer data brain knowledge security problem by inviting Riol to our very nice party, but oh well. That'd be too easy, and the Company of Heroes are anything but easy.
We've spent a lot of time working here, but it'd be a shame for Aggro to miss her opportunity to unwind in the resort that is Costa Del Sol. Let's take a dip before we leave.
In Costa Del Sol, we can actually enjoy one of the very few Stormblood features available to low level players. The expansion introduced swimming, and expanded the Eastern La Noscea map to include it. Those islands in front of us are a new addition to the map. Aggro can also sprint while swimming, changing her animation. I think there are sharks here, too? It's not really a meaningful addition, and we can't fight in the water, but it's nice that low level players can enjoy this somewhere too. New swimming areas were also added to all the residential maps.
Soundtrack ends.
After a playful day swimming, it's time for Aggro to get back to the task at hand. Saving us a portion of the journey, let's just teleport to Wineport. We can do that in the water.
Upper La Noscea is just north of Wineport, past the Grass Raptors.
We've been to Upper La Noscea before, but the map is split into an east and west side, kind of like how Eastern La Noscea is split. Of course, we're in the eastern side.
This is a pretty small map.
Immediately apparent is the ruined path, presumably either pre-Calamity or belonging to the old Nym settlement that was once located somewhere nearby.
Bronze Lake is pretty scenic. To the far left, we can see the glow from the corrupted aether on Pharos Sirius—the lighthouse in Western La Noscea. The looming shadow to the right is the Wanderer's Palace—an old Nym ruin. Its entrance is on this map, but we won't be able to enter it until Aggro is level 50.
Music: Saltswept
We finally find ourselves arriving at Camp Bronze Lake. Usual rules apply: talk to the Chocobokeep and attune to the Aetheryte to unlock all the fast travel here. It's a resting place for the weary, complete with a few hot springs. These weren't around in 1.0, even if this map was, but the lore reason is that the water in Bronze Lake has receded. This revealed both the Wanderer's Palace and the Camp's hot springs. The camp location is also different from 1.0, so it was clearly relocated.
Aggro just has to whistle at three different spots, and then we'll learn how to reach Titan.
I don't know why I was expecting that to be all. Now to go find Riol, because apparently the whistling wasn't just enough. This is like a puzzle in Uncharted, except we're unlocking a person and not a door.
Riol is overlooking the Aetheryte, and the path we came from through Eastern La Noscea.
This is it!
Beastmen Aetherytes is not a concept we're familiar with.
Y'shtola, however, is.
Music: Canticle
Forgive me for interrupting. I had planned to await your report, but I succumbed to curiosity. 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.
Ha! Give us a bit of credit, love! We weren't daft enough to try goin' in the front.
Riol waves her thoughts off.
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? Funny thing was, the kobolds didn't seem to have trouble findin' their way 'round—an' it was that as got us thinkin'.
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. 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.
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."
Soundtrack ends.
Alright, so the Kobold's home—O'Ghomorro Mines—is a complex maze, meaning we'll need to teleport in using their own Aethernet against them. Sounds good! We'll need to go catch up with our party at Zelma's Run.
Zelma's Run is north of the camp, and Aggro passes some Mamool Ja along the way. These are another beast tribe species, but they're not native to Eorzea. You'll usually find them serving as mercenaries in La Noscea. These guys are actually serving the Kobold, so we need to be careful unless we're looking for a fight. The Mamool Ja are actually originally from Final Fantasy XI.
There's two paths, and Riol didn't actually tell us where in Zelma's Run we can find him. Fortunately, Aggro's intuition points her in the right direction.
Let's try and sneak past these Kobold to reach the Aetheryte.
Well, that didn't work. The Kobold Sidesman is a predominately Stone-casting Conjurer, while the Kobold Patrolman is essentially a Marauder or Gladiator, with a defensive buff called Titan's Boon. The Sidesman can also cast Stoneskin—an ability that generates a shield that absorbs 10% of the shielded target's HP. It's now a legacy Conjurer spell.
Aggro's attuning animation is a little different than usual. Instead, she's clawing at the Aetheryte.
Music: Canticle
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.
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 channels her energy into the aetheryte for a litte while.
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.
Y'shtola's connected the Navel—home of Titan—aethernet with our aetheryte. Par for the course, our Scion buddy won't be joining us in any actual conflict. We'll find out what's awaiting Aggro on the other side next time. See you then.
Chapter Summary
One of the translators for the game, and co-lead world and lore developer, Koji explained the naming origin behind Zelma's Run at one of the recent fanfests. Essentially, it's named after a character called Zelma—a hunter—who discovered an armed group of kobolds. He escaped through the valley, wounded, and passed after warning folk about the coming attack.