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We're back! Hello! November kind of sucked, so we just skipped over it.
I will not deny that I am disappointed, but I take comfort in the knowledge that individuals are permitted to transfer between Grand Companies. Know that the Order of the Twin Adder would be proud to have you should you undergo a change of heart.
So you have decided to cast your lot with the Flames. Well, there is no help for it. Just remember that it's never too late to sign on with a different crew.
Before you may take your place within our ranks, you must speak with the personnel officer at the Hall of Flames in Ul'dah. Pray do so at your earliest convenience. I, meanwhile, will bear word of your excellent decision to General Raubahn.
A nice thing about going with the Flames is that their barracks are just right next to the aetheryte plaza. So all you have to do is run up a ramp and jump up a flower planter and you're right there! The Maelstrom requires you to sit through a loading screen, and nobody goes Adders Adders is farther away from their aetheryte than Flames are.
Like I said, just jump up onto a planter and through the window. Takes like 5 seconds counting run-up time from the aetheryte!
This guy is different from the flame officer from before, but 
What brings you to the Hall of Flames this day, adventurer?
My name is Ginger Pepper. I believe you are expecting me.
Ah, I thought as much! You are just as our man at the Waking Sands described! It is an honor to meet you, madam! Now, in order to formalize your-
Sir!
Speak, Private.
Imperials, sir! They've fired on a Highwind Skyways airship! Scouts say she's coming down to the west, near Horizon's Edge!
Bloody hells! Of all the times for this to happen! Ginger, there's no time for formalities! The Immortal Flames need your help now! 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! If there are any survivors, see that they do not come to further harm. Now go!
*nods*
I do like the bit of continuity here. The Flames are still dealing with the fallout over the Ifrit situation.
I need to look into disabling the mouse cursor when I record. It's bugging me.
Ginger runs up behind the man which is undoubtedly the best way to endear herself to him.
He looks down and steps on a twig, snapping it.
Thankfully, a coblyn chooses that exact moment to run past.
An adventurer!? What're you doing out here? No, wait--let's find some cover first...
The Immortal Flames sent you? How do I know you're not an imperial spy? You don't even have a uniform!
Ginger's just staring at him like "you really don't wanna go down that road, bro."
Are you all right, sir? Our scouts reported the attack on your craft. We've come to rescue you.
Ginger Pepper, yes? Glad to have you with us.
You just know she's rolling her eyes at him now.
I have not seen a craft of this design before... That traitor Garlond has been busy. The secrets of magitek are ours by right. They are not to be squandered upon the savages of this land.
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.
They mean to take the ship back to Castrum Meridianum, along with your friend.
Castrum Meridianum is a very long way away from here. It's up in a zone we haven't seen yet, North Thanalan. To get there, they'd have to pass no less than two Immortal Flames checkpoints and an Ul'dahn town patrolled by both the Flames and the Brass Blades and after that they'd have to an extremely heavily guarded Ceruleum Processing Facility.
And if they mean to go by air, then Cape Westwind is much closer than Meridianum, and it has a direct link to Castrum Marinum, which is in the middle of the damn ocean. The only thing that Castrum Meridianum has going for it is that it's Gaius's primary base in Eorzea. These imperials are really fucking stupid.
Wedge! You have to help him! That fool of a Lalafell was hiding inside the Tiny Bronco!
If he's talking about Wedge, then he can only be Biggs. Because some jokes are eternal.
Nice-looking ship-though not the best place to have taken shelter, I agree.
It's the first airship we've built since the Calamity-the first since Master Garlond...well, since he went missing. 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!
We attack on my command. Kill them quickly, and save the Lalafell if possible. Is that clear, Ginger? Show them what becomes of those who play with fire! Charge!
We're under attack! To arms!
I think Ginger's about to cry.
Give them no quarter, Flames!
There's a lot of targets here, and we're gonna tear through them like a knife through butter.
Defend the airship! Kill the savages!
What are you doing!? Kill them, I said!
Where's that bloody vanguard!? We need it NOW!
Eventually, a Magitek Vanguard appears and tries to spear us.
Hahaha! Show them no mercy!
It's just an HP pinata with a penchant for running away to do weird maneuvers.
Biggs!
Wedge! You shouldn't have stayed with the ship!
Th-That was a close one!
Too damn close. So...how's she look, anyway?
The auxiliary propeller is a dead loss, but I think we can wring enough thrust from the main propeller to get us airborne.
A few minor modifications and we should be able to fly the Tiny Bronco home.
The imperials will come looking for their scouts, but we can defend this position until the engineers leave. You should go, Ginger. You still have unfinished business to attend to at the Hall of Flames. You're not quite one of us yet, though anyone who'd seen you in action today would be forgiven for thinking otherwise.
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 Immortal Flames lads there, we'd be chained up in a dungeon by now. I'm in your debt, friend-we both are.
Wedge!
Thank you! We're very grateful!
Back to the Hall of the Flames we go!
Welcome back, Ginger. Word of your deeds in the field reached me not long ago. Exemplary service! Rest assured that the Garlond Ironworks engineers are fine. They were able to get their vessel back in the air before imperial reinforcements arrived. Your willingness to assist us on such short notice is to be commended. Clearly, your reputation is well deserved.
Now then, I believe we have some unfinished business. Shall we continue from where we left off and induct you into the Immortal Flames?
We're given three pots of dye to match everyone else. This is a hidden sub-benefit of joining the Flames: free money! Because this is an MMO, and people are nothing if not predictable, the soot black dye we get here is gonna net us some free cash on the marketboard.
Are you ready, Ginger? Then let us begin.
Ginger Pepper--you stand poised to enter a sacred trust. The Flames of Ul'dah burn bright, casting light where there is dark and purging evil wheresoever it lurks. We are ever ready to meet the nation's enemies in battle, be they beastmen, Garleans, or worse. 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.
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. Burn as one of us, Ginger Pepper, and together we shall chase the darkness from Ul'dah! Will you swear an oath to mark this occasion?
I can actually show off all the responses here! Feel free to pick your favorite.
My sword belongs to Ul'dah!
Spoken like a soldier! You'll do well here.
What skills I have belong now to Ul'dah!
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!
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!
...
I take it you would rather be judged by your deeds. I respect that. We want a woman of action, not words
Very well. Your resolve is plain. Ginger Pepper-I hereby confer upon you the rank of flame private third class. Welcome to the Immortal Flames, Private. May you fight to the last for coin and country.
Everyone is applauding Ginger.
*ring ring*
Can you hear me, Ginger? This is Minfilia. An officer of the Immortal Flames contacted me with news of your enlistment. My congratulations, Private Pepper.
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!
For some reason I find myself tempted to get Ginger a sergeant rank and keep her there. 
It seems your presence is required elsewhere. 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.
Do you see it? Do you? My Little Chocobo? We're gonna be doing that quest, ohhh yes.
Private Pepper, yes? A moment of your time, if you please. You wish to carry out your duties swiftly, do you not? Well then, perhaps you should get yourself a chocobo. If you're interested, the Immortal Flames will furnish you with one. It's not a complex process, but it does require some paperwork.
First, speak with the quartermaster to obtain a Flame Chocobo Issuance. You'll need to exchange company seals in order to do so. Once you've received your issuance, show it to Mimigun by the Gate of Nald. He'll be the one to furnish you with a bird.
And while we're here...
Private Pepper. I have been keeping a close eye on you of late. Your efforts on behalf of Ul'dah do us all proud. Yes, I understand now what the Flame General saw in you. It would not be an understatement to say that the future of our Grand Company is riding on your capable shoulders. And yet, it is also clear to me that you have only begun to tap into the depths of your potential.
Your flame burns strong, but it may yet grow stronger. Yes, I would see you become a blazing inferno that reduces all that oppose Ul'dah into smoldering embers. It is with such hopes that I have made arrangements for you to receive training at the Wolves' Den -- a proving ground established by the Eorzean Alliance for the training of Grand Company recruits. Mayhap you are familiar with it?
That look in your eye tells me you are eager to take to the road. I knew I had not misjudged you. The Wolves' Den is to be found just off the shores of La Noscea. The ferry at the Moraby Drydocks in lower La Noscea will grant you passage there. Upon your arrival, seek out Storm Captain Berkoeya Loetahlsyn. I have already taken the liberty of submitting a letter of recommendation on your behalf.
Wolves' Den is the PVP hub of the game. I used to think that PVP was a waste of time, but it's pretty decent experience for like 20 minutes of flailing. You get rewards the same if you win or lose, you just get more of them if you win. The only downside is, you can't participate without a job stone. But you do get the opportunity to get some neat-looking gear! A solid week of queuing every day will get you enough to get a vanity set. And that's if you lose. It's a pretty good deal!
One of the sets you can get is just Raiden's suit from Metal Gear Rising. Another is basically a set of N7 armor.
We're back in Vesper Bay to talk to this fellow here. He's been in the background of a few screenshots so far, and now we finally have cause to talk to him.
I'm not showing off his text because it's generic "HEY GO HERE" but this is a dungeon unlock quest. The short version is that Halatali used to be, I'm pretty sure, a coliseum training ground. And it's been abandoned since the Calamity. Now that Ginger is officially a Private in the Flames, she has a new type of currency called Flame Seals.
The chocobo license that Swift mentioned to us costs like 200 seals. The easiest way to get seals is to fill out the Immortal Flames Hunting Log. And many entries in the first tier of the log can be found in Halatali!
And because this is largely a throwaway update, I'm just going to include Halatali inline. That's seriously all that's left after this point.
It was pretty late in the evening whatever day it was that I recorded this, so we were only able to scrape together three for the run. Orokin returns, this time using a gun to blast fools. And featuring for the first time in the LP is Royce Weild, the character of our own Roluth!
Halatali is a very easy dungeon, and it doesn't pop up all that often compared to some others I could name. So it's always something of a pleasant-ish surprise. Also, I want to point out that the Doctore there is just the first of many enemies in here we need for the Flames log.
The path through the dungeon is pretty linear.
And it's no time at all before we reach the first boss.
Firemane here is the first boss and another log target. It's functionally a target dummy.
About halfway through the fight, a bunch of fire motes spawn that rush toward the bonfire in the middle. If everyone focuses the boss down, then it'll die fairly quickly. If people peel off to go take care of the fire motes, then you'll be mired down for-freaking-ever in taking care of them.
After the boss dies, the bonfire turns into a warp to the next section of the dungeon.
Between the first and second bosses, there's five chain winches to pull. Every time you pull one, it will either give you a treasure chest of goodies or spawn more enemies to fight.
Gas Bombs will blow up and die in the process. So you can tag 'em and run past and they'll sort themself out.
This run is pretty kind and is giving us a lot of chests. There's some pretty decent mid-20s gear to be found here in Halatali. We actually could have come here much earlier, but I was saving it for just this point to be efficient or something. Also, let's be honest, Ginger really didn't need the gear upgrades at the time. Plus if you wear the gear on a lalafell, then you get put on a government watchlist.
And that makes five winches. Number four was in a doorway a ways back. They're all on the critical path, so they're impossible to miss.
Opening all five opens the way to the 2nd boss.
Thunderclap Guivre is basically a trash mob that has a single gimmick.
Twice in the fight, it goes invulnerable and electrifies the water you're fighting in. That's it. You have to kill a couple low HP mobs to make it quit that shit and then you can continue. The phase does last long enough that your healer will be very cross with you if you stand in the electrified puddle, however. So in the interest of preventing your own murder, please stand somewhere non-electric until the water stops being purple-indigo.
Like over here.
Once the boss dies, another warp pops up along with two treasure chests!
Through the warp and up the ramp is the door to the final boss as well as an optional miniboss.
Going near that treasure coffer makes the miniboss spawn. It's a little more XP, and that's really what matters in the end right?
The last boss is this... thing.
Its gimmicks combine the two previous bosses into one. Twice in the fight, it goes invulnerable and you need to kill some low HP mobs to make it knock that shit off.
And while that's happening, an endless stream of fire motes will fly toward the boss to detonate. Just ignore them.
Also when the boss goes invulnerable, he poops out a fire puddle to clue you in.
He takes like a minute to die at most. Halatali is very easy.
That was quick and painless, just like Halatali always is. I think that run took less than 15 minutes total.
Back at Flame HQ...
200 Flame Seals to learn to ride a chocobo. We have over 800! Back in the day, this sucker used to cost 2000 and it was an actual grind to get. I'm glad those days are long since gone.
Over at Mimigun...
Want a bird issued, you say? Then I'll need to see your Flame Chocobo Issuance.
*proudly hands over license*
Yes, everything appears to be in order. A moment please. I'll be right back with your chocobo.
And here he is! The fellow has been in high spirits the past few bells. He must have sensed that his master was coming! Now then, to make it official, you'll want to give your noble steed a name.
Kweh!
This took some thinking. I was gonna let y'all name him, but I thought better of it. Also I'm pretty sure I can't actually use a mount until I do, and I recorded this like a month and a half ago.
His name is in keeping with the theme of things you season food with! If y'all don't like Garlic, I can rename him I suppose.
Heh heh! I daresay he likes his name! Here is your very own chocobo whistle. Simply blow into it, and your feathered friend will come bounding to your side. But do forgive him if he doesn't respond when summoned in crowded city areas or monster-infested lairs. Chocobos are stout-hearted creatures, but they have their limits.
And lastly, I present you with your chocobo rider's license, as is required by law. And that concludes all the formalities! I wish you and your chocobo long years of fulfilling companionship!
So let's take Garlic for a spin!
SDS Fenrir
Eorzea de Chocobo
I spent actual money on this mount, so you bet your ass I'm using it. It's account-wide and it always goes at the fastest possible speed that you have unlocked. Also for posterity, I've linked the FFXIV chocobo theme, but I really really do not like it. It's too bombastic.
It's so nice being able to finally mount up after walking for so long. Anyway, that's enough of that for now.
NEXT TIME: Ginger goes to Gridania