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Hello everyone and welcome back! On the one hand, I'm really happy that we're now nearly done with the ROG quests. But on the other, I'm really not looking forward to what comes next.

I was wonderin' when ye'd show up, Ginger, but bugger me if ye don't look ready to mill an entire crew o' sods by yerself. An' bene that ye are, 'cause we've finally uncovered some hard facts about that last treasure. Won't be long now afore we cloy the winnin' piece an' put this daft challenge to bed. All right. I've gathered the other coves for a meetin', so let's get down to it.



At long bloody last, the Black Sarcophagus has given up its secrets. ...Underfoot, ye've some news for us?
Aye, Jacke. I think half our troubles in whiddlin' the truth of it lay in callin' this nasty thing a "treasure." The Black Sarcophagus ain't no dimber bauble...it's the Mark LI magitek mine--a bleedin' prototype explosive what was bitten from an imperial transport vessel!

LI translate to 51 in numerals.



An' even though it ain't that big-maybe the size of a small cargo box--they say the blast'd have enough kick to incinerate a bloody behemoth. Seems the Garleans meant to start production at their factory in La Noscea, then distribute the mines through Castrum Marinum. Lucky some plucky privateer cloyed the prototype en route, then, eh?
An experimental weapon... That explains why the thalassocracy was so bleedin' eager to bid at that auction, an' so reluctant to share the details with us.
At least now we know the "what"...but there's still the question of the "where." The Curs delivered their bitten goods to the Reformists, that much is certain. What happened to the sarcophagus after that, though, we ain't so sure. There've been no reports o' huge explosions or the like, so either the Executioners still have the mine, or they've peddled it to some other buyer...



The Reformist faction came together out o' their shared hatred for the Admiral an' her ways. I'm guessin' they didn't cloy that bomb just to sell it...



Someone walks in.

...What is it, Lonny?



A letter for ye, Jacke. Says it's urgent.
A letter? Who's it from?
The old man. I found it while I was sortin' through our daily deliveries.







Let's see now...

Come to Thalaos. I have urgent news.

I've never known the old man to summon a customer! No one's seen him at his usual haunts for a while, so do ye reckon this's some rum morsel he's dug up just for us?
Aye, it could be... Ginger, you an' me are headed to Thalaos. Underfoot, V'kebbe, yer to take another stab at pinnin' down the location o' the sarcophagus.



Thalaos is in Outer La Noscea. Technically the ROG quests were recorded before the whole Sylph debacle, so the map is empty, but we've been there before. It's just up the road from Memeroon's trading post.





As soon as we step into the purple fog, we get ambushed by a bunch of Bloody Executioners.



It goes badly for them, even if there are like five or six of the bastards.





The Black Marketeer is dead.

<giggle> Yer wastin' yer time, darlin'. We opened that scrag's wrinkled throat bells ago.





Ye cross the Bloody Executioners, an' ye get what's comin' to ye. ...Did ye like our message? We wasn't sure ye'd fall for it, but a little mystery goes a long way, eh?



Aw, now don't be like that, darlin'. Me an' me mates didn't have much choice--when the boss says "go play wiv the rogues," then we gotta go play wiv the rogues. After all, we never asked ye to come ruin our game, now, did we? An' don't give me no long-winded speech about yer precious code...
The Reformists' vision stretches far beyond what them tired ol' rules is good for. Once Cap'n Aisibhir takes command o' the Executioners, 'e'll give us back the teeth we lost when we submitted to the Admiral's leash! We'll be the terrors of the sea once more! Free to rove an' plunder in a new age o' pirate glory!



...An' I'll bathe in blood to see that age come to pass! I'll kick down yer shite-stinkin' code, an' 'ave all yer sneaky 'eads on the choppin' block!
Like hells you will! The only sentence what's bein' passed today is yers!



While Ginger could easily take strawman du jour, it's nice that Jacke is finally here for backup.

Well, 'ello there, darlin'. Ain't you a fine-lookin' lad?
I've heard all this prattle afore. Free to pillage an' plunder, is it? Aye, it all sounds grand, but ye don't think o' the price. That "shite-stinkin' code" is the only thing what keeps you bloody coves from millin' one another! Without it--without Limsa Lominsa to call home--ye'd be adrift in an ocean o' quarrons! ...But if yer so keen to keep company with the dead, I'll be soddin' happy to oblige!



<sigh> You was prettier wiv yer gob shut... But I can see I'm outta me depth, 'ere. As much as I'd like to lop off yer noggins, I'll 'ave to be satisfied wiv draggin' the two o' ye out into the wilds. Kept ye well outta the way, 'aven't I?
...Out with it, then!



Gahahahahaha! Ain't it obvious? You stubborn scrags is lookin' to swipe our new toy, an' my job was to stall ye. The cap'n 'as the mine wiv 'im right now. 'E's set to show the rest o' the Executioners that 'e's got the stones to sit in the leader's chair! ...An' what better way to do that than executin' the bitch what snapped the chains on our crew!

He's targetin' the Admiral herself!? ...Yer plannin' to blow up the command room, ain't ye?
Aye, you 'ave me permission to panic! 'Course, if ye'd rather steer clear o' the city, I'd be glad to keep ye company right 'ere, sweetmeat! Gahaha!



Now the blades in the dark need to foil an assassination attempt.

Think ye can stop Cap'n Aisibhir? If ye sprout yerself some wings, then ye might still make it! Gahaha!
We've got this mad mort at our mercy, but she seems to be enjoyin' herself... I'd better drag her back to the guild an' see what other information she'll spill. I'll need you back in Limsa as well, but ye've business at the Foremast first. Ye should find Captain Milala at her post there. Forget about the soddin' challenge an' tell her everythin' we know. Unless me judgment's well off-kilter, she'll do what needs to be done.



Show of hands... who all can see what's coming?



The Foremast is in Middle La Noscea, and is the headquarters of the Yellowjackets.





Oh, you're one of Jacke's rogues. ...You've come to steal the Sorrows, have you!? Well, you shan't have them. As you can see, they're safely clasped upon my very own--



Oh my GOD. Stop jumping to conclusions.
Hm? You're not here for the earrings? ...The Admiral, you say!? And you are sure these fiends are in possession of the sarcophagus? I must deploy more sentries at once! Do not think this voids our challenge, rogue! And you can relay as much to your impudent guildmaster! ...I suppose you can thank him for the warning, as well.

Milala is lawful stupid. Jacke can see that theres much bigger fish to fry than some stupid game, and Milala can't see past her own dumb nose. Instead of working with the rogues, she's just determined to use this as an opportunity to disband them.



At least she's not so dumb that she's willing to ignore the warning.

And in the middle of the very action-packed finale as Ginger races against time to return to Limsa before bad shit goes down...



A fucking 90k. The loading screen popped up and then the server was like "LMAO YOU DISCONNECTED FUCKER"



And so now I get to twiddle my thumbs while I wait to log in.



Naturally if your server is congested, the game isn't smart enough to realize you were just disconnected. So if there's a queue to get in... then you get to wait in the queue again. Yes, no matter how long that queue is. It doesn't matter that you're healing a dungeon and disconnected mid-fight. You get to wait in that queue. This one is "only" 26 people long, but it's bullshit of the highest caliber that the server can't fast-track someone who was kicked off through no fault of their own.

If you disconnect mid-cutscene, by the way, then you have to start it over again. Some cutscenes in this game are more than 45 minutes long. Imagine watching the story hit an emotional crescendo and then being hit with a fucking 90002 error right in the middle. Yes, that has happened to me before.



...So the 'Jackets are on the move? Bene. I've been listenin' to that addled pirate cackle since I got her back to the Sisters, but she's given us naught what we didn't already know. An' we know more'n enough. I say we rally the rogues an' go after that mine...afore it blows up in our muns.
Ye'll need all the edge ye can get for what's to come, so let's introduce ye to a new trick. This one's called Shadow Fang. Do it right, an' ye'll see yer opponent start to wither afore ye-even the toughest swads'll be wonderin' why their knees are tremblin' halfway through the fight. I'd tell ye it's best to sink the fang in early, but I'm sure a clever lass like yerself'll figure that out.





Shadow Fang is a weird skill. It's ROG/NIN's only damage over time ability, but it has a 70 second cooldown. The DOT effect lasts half a minute, at least.



If the leader o' the Reformists-this "Captain Aisibhir"-is plannin' on millin' the Admiral with a bang, then my guess is he'll be aimin' to demolish the entire command room.

Captin Icy Beer

Ye know the Mizzenmast, aye? The tower what holds the Drownin' Wench an' Bulwark Hall? The Admiral's Bridge--an' her command room--are right at the top of it. Then ye've got the district what surrounds the Mizzenmast--that's the busy beatin' heart o' the city. Even with the threat of an attack, ye can't just seal it up in the blink of an eye an' call the whole thing bob. Try to explain the danger to the culls what live an' work there, an' then ye'd have a frightened, stampedin' mob on yer fambles.
Nay, lass, our only option is to have eyes snilchin' every approach to the tower. I'll put the whid out to as many coves as I can, an' spread 'em through the streets. Yer job'll be to cover the Aftcastle. Just wait an' see, Ginger--we'll get this Aisibhir...an' his little bomb, too!



This was recorded in early November. That dude in the background is wearing a Reindeer outfit.







I LOVE these establishing shots. This is expert camera work that you just don't see in the base game, and will not see for a very long time.



Even something as simple as Ginger's eyes being fixed on the Mizzenmast provide a lot of extra character. You can practically feel the tension in the air.





Underfoot doesn't see anything.



V'kebbe is protecting her egg sandwich dispensary, which is fair.



I'm not sure what that giant blue thing in the background is. It's not Limsa's aetheryte crystal, and it's very prominently visible in every shot of the city... even going back to the very first update of this LP! Really!



Ugh, the fog picked a grand night to roll in thick. This'll make things interestin'...





Our presence on the streets is far too thin! Where are the reinforcements I ordered!?
My apologies, Captain. There just aren't any more soldiers to spare. The bulk of our forces has already been assigned to guard not only the Admiral, but a number of other high-ranking personnel, as well.
Unacceptable! What could Commodore Reyner be thinking? There are dangerous criminals stalking the city as we speak! Call in squads from the outposts if you must, but I want to see our security tightened and the populace properly protected!



But, Captain... We can't be certain the pirates' plan hasn't changed. If we consider the possibility that they've switched to a target outside the walls, it would be folly to weaken those defenses...
Hmph! You've made your point, Sergeant. Return to your post!





Once all is lost, it is far too late to question what one should have done...



Around the corner here comes another lalafell.





You seem troubled, sir. Perhaps I can be of assis--





Ah!





Milala fires...



...and misses. She brought a gun to a knife fight.



I've been dyin' to meet you, lass. Aye, keen to set eyes on the bold Yellowbelly what cost our crew a fortune in Ul'dahn coin.
You... You're an Executioner! One of Aisibhir's men!
Ye've strayed too far into a world ye don't understand, lass. Yer eyes is fixed on the light o' justice, leavin' ye blind to the chasm openin' up at yer feet...





She's only got two shots before she has to reload. And when you're fighting someone who wants to charge you, you can't exactly reload a gun in close range.









At least they'll say ye died with yer boots on.



The Yellowbelly won't be botherin' us no more, Cap'n. As for the mine, the lads'll 'ave it primed in front o' the Wench by the time ye get there.
Good. Not long now afore we drag that bitch Admiral, her pretty tower, an' all her simperin' curs down to the bottom o' the sea... Then I'll raise our flag on the ruins o' the Mizzenmast, an' lead our brethren in a return to the old ways o' blood an' plunder!

You gotta love these dumb idiot pirates who think it'll be as easy as assassinating the Admiral. Never mind that the Garleans under Gaius van Baelsar's leadership are breathing down everyone's necks. Nevermind that Ul'dah is just across the sea and that airships are a thing. Never mind that Limsa Lominsa is one of the East Aldernard Company's best trading partners, and as such makes Lord Lolorito a fuckton of money. Even if Asshole Bear actually succeeds in accomplishing his goals, all he'd wind up doing is painting a huge fucking target on his back.



Pictured: the face of the greatest strategist the world has ever known.





Should not've 'ad that lasht bottle... <hiccup> ...Bottlesh? The wife ish gonna... <hiccup> ...kill me... Eh? What'sh that, then?





She took an axe strike right on the chin and is still breathing. Milala's tough as nails.



...Not after...the command room... They mean to bring down...the entire...tower... If the Mizzenmast falls... <gasp> The bridges...will follow... Half the city will... P-Please... You must help me... The danger... Far greater than we...



Bloody hells! It'sh alive! Oh no, no, no, I didn't shee nuffin'! Didn't. Shee. Nuffin'!



Please! You must...send word... Someone...must be told...







You... How did you...?
Yer "valiant an' forthright" weapon--ye could hear that single pistol shot from malms away. Weren't hard to guess what'd happened.



I love that cutscene Ginger was smart enough to come running as well.

I poked the Yellowjackets on me way over. A healer'll be along shortly.



Bene. That means we've only one last thing to do.



We have never...been allies... But I beg of you... You must... You must stop them! ...Save the city!
Ah, lass, ye know ye don't need to ask. Takin' down mad coves an' bitin' back what was bitten is our job.



Aaaand she passed out again.





You all set, then?
Ready, Jacke.



Always!
*nods*



Then let's go cloy that sarcophagus--an' fit Aisibhir for a new coffin!



That very long cutscene was just the preamble for the duty! This duty is extremely important, because it's probably the first time you actually need to listen to what NPCs say.

Make for the Mizzenmast an' find Aisibhir!





Until we receive orders otherwise, our job is to just stab fools.



So many of 'em... I think their whole bloody crew is here!
Bene! Ye know how I hate trackin' down stragglers!



I like that for once it's just all the Rogue NPCs in a huge brawl across the city.



Ye can't stop us now, scrags! Only three minutes until the show begins!
What!? That's it, then!?
Find an' smash them detonators! Check the ramps goin' up, an' goin' down!
Ginger, mill all them detonators! We'll keep these coves busy!

This is a very important line! If you ignore it, then it's very easy to fail the quest, because enemies never stop coming.



We have a very short time limit to find the detonators. So no dawdling!



The first one is just down the way from the brawl, being guarded by a single guy.



One down, two to go!



I'm surprised Absolute Birtue didn't send people chasing after us. Though that would be kind of unfair if you're undergeared.



The second detonator is up this ramp.



You can see generic, faceless Yellowjackets in the background helping out!



Two down, and the timer is only halfway expired. We're doing great!



The last one is down the down-ramp. Next to the up-ramp. It's confusing, I know. Limsa's layout sucks.







The light on the mine went out!
Ginger's disabled the sarcophagus!
That's the bomb taken care of, then. Now these bastards get our full attention!



Time for cleanup duty!

Damn you rogues an' yer swivin' code! I'll have yer bloody 'eads for this!



Ashie Blare has a lot of health. But with four pissed off rogues stabbing him, it doesn't take too awful long to drain his massive HP bar.

This wasn't...part o' me plan... I could've been a king among pirates...





Seriously, I can't say enough good things about the cutscene camerawork. It started on the aetheryte and panned over to the Black Sarcophagus.





It's good to see she's up and walking around. She may be dumb, but she's on the side of good at least.

Status report?
The mine has been disabled, and the engineers should soon have it safely removed. Our soldiers sustained some injuries in the battle with the Reformists, but none were fatal. ...Also, the Admiral sends her sincerest gratitude.



Hm...



Look, there she is! That's Captain Milala! The hero of Limsa Lominsa!



Are you recovered from your wound, Captain!?
We heard how you very nearly lost your life stopping that horde of pirates from blowing up the Mizzenmast!
Three cheers for the Yellowjackets! Our city'd be lost without ye!



But, wait... That's not how it... Sergeant! What of the rogues? Did they survive the battle?



I don't rightly know, Captain... All we found near the sarcophagus were Reformists-either dead or strung from the rafters.



...Alive, then. 'Twould seem we are deeply in their debt.



She doesn't seem to be too upset by that news.

...Ah, Captain? Might I have the Silver Sorrows from you now? We've been ordered to hand them over to the commodore, along with the Black Sarcophagus.
Why, of course, they're right h-

Look at her ears.



...The earrings! I could've sworn I was still...



<gasp> ...He wouldn't have! He stole them from me while I lay dying!? That...that cad! I knew he was not to be trusted!







The Rogues are watching from a little ways away. The duty marker was actually just up the stairs from where they are now.

Are ye sure about this, Jacke? We should've cloyed the sarcophagus as well.



...Eh, I think she's earned it, don't you? If it bothers ye that much, think of it as a trade.
<giggle> If ye ask me, they look a bit daft.
Well, I didn't ask ye! So, the 'Jackets ended up with the mine, an' we got the diamond an' the earrings. Which means... Victory belongs to the Rogues' Guild!



Do ye think Milala'll leave it at that, then? I get the feelin' we ain't done with her yet.
I'd say we're done with her challenge, but ye never know when our paths'll cross again. We'll just have to see what Limsa's underbelly spits up next.



Aye. This city ain't ever quiet for long... Well, it's been a pleasure workin' with ye, Ginger! If I ever need a trusty pair o' stabbers by me side, I'll know who to ask!



I'm off as well. Bloody starvin', I am... Don't forget to yaffle a bite when ye can, eh, Ginger?

I saw a video last night on youtube of someone constructing a breakfast skillet, and I'm not gonna lie... it looked really fucking delicious. It's also 8AM right now, so I'm really hungry. Basically, V'kebbe has the right of it. Get some good food y'all!



We'd best head back to the Sisters, too, afore the shrew decides she'd rather hear us cry cockles.





Bene work, Ginger. Be seein' ye soon.





I love the disappearing trick like that.





Alright, now let's just turn it in and make it official!





Ho there, Ginger. It'll be nice to finally have a bit of a rest, eh? The job never ends, but even a dimber damber like meself needs to breathe every now an' again. An' yer 'venturin' mates must be wonderin' where ye've got to! That was a proper long assignment, but I'm glad ye decided to see it through.



Ye've proven to be a stalwart protector o' the code...even if this ain't truly yer world. When ye walk back into the lightmans, ye'll have to find yer own code to uphold. An' when ye do, ye'll have the skills ye learned in the shadows to help ye defend it. Well, that's more'n enough prittle prattle out o' me. Yer travels might take ye far an' wide, Ginger, but know yer always welcome here at the Sisters!





That's all for now! This recording still has the NIN quest to get through yet, but I think we've earned a small break from that. Coming up soon are the MRD quests! They're at least nice and breezy. They'll be the standard two updates long, and both will cover all of 1-30! And then I'll show the NIN and WAR job quests at the same time.

NEXT TIME: But before we do that... let's make a little headway into what I consider to be the absolute weakest part of A Realm Reborn... the Titan Arc.

Yes the Garuda arc used to be just as bad. But with the quest changes it's nice and breezy, while Titan remains the game deliberately wasting your time and finding it the height of hilarity to do so