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Hello everyone and welcome back. Today's update is gonna be a bit crazy. We're getting two job stones and then that's it because the NIN quest is really fucking wordy like the ROG ones before it.
First off, we're back here in the Rogues guild because Jacke has a new mission for us!
Ninja is one of my favorite jobs in the game. I love its aesthetics so much.
Ah, Ginger. Keepin' yer stabbers sharpened, I hope? 'Cause I've got a job to be done, and I reckon the dimber damber what put the Executioners on the choppin' block is just the one to do the doin'. My men have sighted some shifty types 'round Wineport o' late. Not code-breakin' curs, so far as I know, an' that's the rub-we don't know half as much about them as I'd like.
They claim to be simple peasants-refugees from some far-flung realm-but I don't know many peasants what skulk about in the darkmans as much as they've been doin'. So long as they're not breakin' the code, they can do as they please. But bein' who we are, it falls to us to look into the matter an' make sure that all's bob.
As my gut tells me this may be a two-rogue job, I've sent Underfoot on ahead. So pull on yer best beater cases, head to Wineport, an' meet him there. This ain't the time for prittle prattle, Ginger. I'm countin' on you and Underfoot to snilch Wineport and make sure that all's bob.
Translation: there have been some suspicious types prowling around Wineport lately and Jacke wants us to investigate them because while they claim they're just peasants, they're really good at sneaking around. So our job is to investigate them and make sure everything's copacetic.
Oh and Underfoot will be joining us.
Wineport is the second aetheryte in Eastern La Noscea, and it's where I usually set my free telport destination. From here we can access both the NIN and WAR class quests quite easily! We'll be back here in a matter of updates for the MSQ.
Underfoot is hiding over here.
Ginger! When Jacke said he'd be sendin' one o' the guild's canniest morts along after me, I had a feelin' it might be you. Now, I'd love to tell ye ol' Underfoot's already whiddled the whole scrap on our friends, but truth is I've turned up more questions than answers. They claim to hail from the south sea isles, but me little birds at Mealvaan's Gate swear to the last man that that's some piss-poor mummery. There's no record of any such ship sailin' into port.
Looks like it falls to you and me to take a closer snilch, aye? I hope ye brought yer sharpest stabbers, as there's no tellin' who we're--
*AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH*
Did ye hear that, lass? Either ol' Underfoot's gone daft, or some mort just screamed out for dear life. Somethin' tells me our little task is about to take a turn for the interestin'. What say we go see what's what?
:thunk:
H-Have mercy! I am but a simple milkmaid, with not a single gil to my name.
Underfoot strolls up to speak for us.
Rest easy, lass--my friend and I don't mean ye no harm. Though I must say ye've got me curious-just what in the name o' the Twelve happened here?
I had just come to town to purchase some supplies. No sooner had I walked through the gates than I was suddenly accosted by three burly drunkards who demanded that I hand over all of my possessions. To my good fortune, it seems the men had partaken a bit too heavily. When they saw the meager contents of my coinpurse, they began to squabble among themselves. A fistfight ensued, and before I knew it, the three men were lying on the ground as you see them now.
Sounds like Nymeia smiled upon you today, lass. Though might I suggest ye be a bit more careful on yer next visit. All manner of scurvy sorts frequent these parts, and you'll find that not all of them are blundering lackwits like yer friends here.
Thank you for your concern, good sir, and rest assured that I will take your words to heart. Good day to the both of you.
This Queer Maid bows weird.
Well, Ginger? How did the girl's whids strike ye?
Mummery, I say.
You too? I was thinkin' the very same. Squabblin' amongst themselves? Just look--there's barely a scratch on any o' these louts. Aye, I'd wager there's more to the rum doxy than she's lettin' on. Come, let's go on the drag and see what she might be hidin'.
I really boosted the exposure in this image to point out the bat that you can barely see in the middle-left. By the way, I recently learned how to boost exposure to make an image viewable! It adds a little extra work, but it lets me show off stuff even with my nighttime curse in full effect.
Three peasant bodies in the middle of the road...
...And a right mess we've got here. Ye reckon these coves got on the wrong side of our lass? One thing's for sure, they're no more peasants than you an' I--one look at those stabbers tells me as much.
I have...failed... I beg of you... Take this, and return it to Master Oboro...to Lady...Tsubame...
Ginger takes the item from the man because she's not the sort to deny someone's dying wishes.
...It's too late. The poor sod's dead. As for this stone, yer guess's as good as mine. A lucky charm o' sorts, mayhap? Anyroad, we'd best start movin' our dew beaters afore the lass gets away. Her footprints lead in the direction of upper La Noscea.
This is a different section of Upper La Noscea than the one we've been to in the past. This one is across the river from that other one. It's kinda confusing, yeah.
Also same, NPC lady. Same.
Three more bodies on the ground.
Ginger and Underfoot arrive to find the woman hiding behind a tree.
She hides behind a tree...as if that could hide her from me!
You can tell this man is a ninja because he's dressed like Edge from FF4.
Also that bat we saw earlier is hanging out with him.
She didn't really think she could fool me with those silly rags, did she? Or did she? Perhaps she's not as clever as we believed?
The woman looks surprised and shocked.
Naturally Ginger puts herself between the woman and danger.
And a mysterious savior rushes to the damsel's defense! Such bravery! Such compassion!
...Such folly! Little does she know that the girl is more than capable of taking care of herself.
I love this guy. He's so animated and theatrical and... goofy!
The woman rushes the weirdo.
He prepares for battle when...
Both of them seem surprised to see the shuriken.
...And right on cue! Oboro the dim leaps onto the scene to save his dear little swallow in the most unsurprising surprise attack the realm has ever seen!
Cease your ramblings, Karasu, before I rip that tongue from your bloody beak!
Yeeeow! Our hero is wounded! A stab through the heart! His childhood friends stand before him, blades drawn and hate in their eyes! Oh, the tragedy of it all! The audience sobs!
...And what's this? A couple of bit players who have forgotten to leave the stage? Did no one tell them their part in the play is long since over?
Karasu throws a shuriken at Ginger...
And she very boredly steps out of the way.
By the way... she did that in a split second. Ginger is really fucking badass!
Oho! And the faceless rogue shows surprising skill! Perhaps she yet has a role to play? I will say this much: unlike a certain someone, at least you...intrigue me.
Ginger is the first thing in this cutscene to surprise Karasu, and it shows.
...But other matters demand our hero's attention, and so the first act must draw to a close. Come, my pet!
Wait! Karasu! ...Ever quick to retreat, that one.
The two from Wineport? Did you...follow me here?
Beg pardon, miss. My friend an' I are here on behalf o' the Dutiful Sisters. An' you, Sister, have some questions to answer. I've lived on the underbelly o' society long enough to recognize when a man's more than he seems. So make this easy for us, lass--just who exactly are ye, and what are ye doin' here? And here's hopin' for both your sakes that it doesn't involve breakin' no code.
...So you are the rogues of whom I have heard so much. Forgive me--we were remiss in not seeking you out sooner. Very well. You shall know all there is to know.
Remember that this questline came out in 2.4, so there's actually different text for if you've played the MSQ up until at least that point. It specifically references one of the postgame MSQ NPCs.
My name is Oboro, and she is Tsubame. We hail from a village in Doma, several thousand malms across the sea. We are--ah, but perhaps you have no word for what we are. In our own tongue, one might call us shinobi.
Doma? The imperial province!?
...The same, though it did not have to be so. Our countrymen fought with honor against the might of Garlemald. What we lacked in number, we made up for with martial prowess. It was a battle we could have won...had we not been betrayed by one of our own. Our every secret, our every move known to our foe, the tide of battle turned on the morrow. Thousands of our countrymen were slaughtered, and at day's end, Doma remained under the imperial yoke.
The traitorous cur joined the imperial ranks as chief of their covert operatives, or so they say. That is the man you just met, Karasu-though I am loath to call him a man. To this day, he whispers in the ears of the Garleans, making a mockery of those who once called him friend and brother-but no longer. We have come to Eorzea at our village elder's behest to see that Karasu pays for his crimes...with his life.
Wait, Ginger just dodged a shuriken from one of the foremost Imperial spies? 
Come to mill a treacherous rook who blew the gab on his comrades? You sound like a right bene cove--consider ol' Underfoot impressed.
...Hm? Forgive me--this land and its tongue are still new to us. Nonetheless, we were able to lure Karasu here, but more than a few of our comrades gave their lives in the effort. And now this... Was their sacrifice for naught?
Ginger remembers that trinket she got from the dying man. The one who asked us to deliver it to these two individuals.
Ah... You have my gratitude. When one of our kind falls, tradition dictates that we return their soul to the village, that it may rest with our ancestors.
What!? Our fallen brother's soul calls out to this woman? Could it be a sign? Are we fated to fight as one? I would make you an offer. We will instruct you in our art--the art of ninjutsu. In return, you will share with us your knowledge of this land, that it might serve us in our mission.
B-But, Oboro! She is not Doman! She is not of the village!
Look around you, Tsubame. Our brothers and sisters are fallen or gravely wounded. And today's failure makes it all too clear--we cannot hope to stand against Karasu without knowing the lay of the land.
Can't say I'm thrilled at the prospect o' losin' a dimber damber like yerself, but hells! In my younger days, I'd like been keen to try my fams at some o' those techniques myself! An' the more my wattles take in, the more these two strike me as benar and benar folks. If yer keen to lend them yer daddles, I'll not be the one to stand in yer way.
If you would know more, come to the dock storehouse at Raincatcher Gully. We shall await you there.
Who'd have figured, eh? Anyroad, the choice is yours, Ginger. In the meantime, I'm goin' to head back to Limsa and report to Jacke afore he comes an' gives me a good clout in the nob.
And away they go.
Down from Wineport is a bridge. Next to that bridge is the dockhouse at Raincatcher Gully.
Tradition forbids us from sharing our art with those from outside our village. Yet watching you hold your own against Karasu today, I cannot deny your potential...
And so we meet again. Am I to take your presence to mean that you have chosen to accept our offer?
Hell yeah I have!
...Thank you. I speak not only for myself and Tsubame but for our entire village when I say that you have our profound gratitude. What I would tell you next, I would tell you out of the earshot of strangers. Byakubu has been instructed to let only trusted visitors through the doors behind me. When he speaks to you a-ya-me, you are to answer ka-e-de. You need not know what the words mean, only that they will grant you entrance.
A... ya... me...
Ka... e... de...
...Enter.
The Edge (Ninja Theme)
Welcome, Ginger. You stand within the provisional base of operations my people have established in your land of Eorzea. It may not look like much--either without or within--but that is precisely the point. We find it an ideal vantage point from which to observe the comings and goings of Karasu and his men without attracting undue attention to ourselves.
My fallen brother saw you as a worthy inheritor to his soul. To honor his memory, I entrust it to you. But soul alone will not make you a shinobi. No, this will require training of the body and mind. Our art--the art of ninjutsu--originated with our ancestors many years ago. Since then, it has been passed down with each generation...mother to daughter, father to son.
We draw power from the world around us--the heaven, the earth, and the hearts of man--and channel this power into physical form. I am told that this is similar to your concept of...ay-ther, was it? I must confess that Eorzean words and ways remain unfamiliar to me.
How does one channel this power, you ask? Through the use of mudra, hand gestures that call forth each of the three forms of energy of which I spoke. The first mudra I will teach you will call power from the heavens. In Doma, we call this Ten. You are eager to learn, yes? Attune your soul to that of my fallen brother, then approach me once more. It is then that your training will begin.
Hang tight and I'll explain what Ten does in just a moment. There are two level 30 NIN quests.
Yes... I can sense it. Though you are not of our blood, the soul of my people is strong in you. You are one of us now, a shinobi. ...And yet your training has only just begun. Heed my words well, Ginger. For the shinobi, blade and mind are one. The weak mind gives rise to a weak blade. The false mind gives rise to a false blade. But the mind that is strong and true? That blade will know no equal.
Such were the teachings of my master, his master, and his master's master before him. The shinobi must keep presence of mind at all times, or his blade may as well be one of grass. That is the lesson of the mind. Now we shall begin the lesson of the body. You will recall that the art of ninjutsu involves using hand gestures called mudra to summon the energies of heaven, earth, and man--Ten, Chi, and Jin in the Doman tongue.
Myriad techniques can be unleashed depending on the mudra you combine, and the order in which you do so... But perhaps I am getting ahead of myself. A child must learn to walk before he can run. To begin, I would see you master your first mudra-Ten, the mudra of heaven. Summon the energy of heaven and project it forth, and from your hand will fly a flaming star, or Fuma Shuriken.
Outside of the storehouse, you will find a mokujin--a wooden man of the sort traditionally used in Doma for training. Do as I have told you and strike it with a Fuma Shuriken. I will observe your technique from a distance.
Oboro kind of explained it, but let me try and do a more succinct job. Ninjas are melee DPS but they're also spellcasters of a sort. They use different combinations of the skills Ten, Chi, and Jin to cast their spells. Ginger is just starting out so she only knows the Ten mudra.
So we'll hit that...
...and follow it up with the ninjutsu ability. This puts our combo into action! Because all Ginger knows is Ten, all she can do right now is throw a Fuma Shuriken.
You only have two charges of mudras by default, and each charge takes 20 seconds to replenish. The upside is that each combination only takes a single charge!
Yes, that will do, Ginger. Clearly we did not misjudge your potential. Perhaps you have also felt your body becoming lighter. This is but another benefit of your training. You may find yourself able to dance through the air with your blades drawn. But be mindful: the true shinobi sees that no movement is wasted. You demonstrated your skills well against the wooden man, but wood does not strike back. Your next opponent will not be so docile. Prepare yourself.
We naturally have a duty now to ensure we know how to use the mudra properly.
The onibi will attack in waves. Use your Fuma Shuriken to dispatch them from a safe distance.
Nobody actually says you have to use Fuma Shuriken. You just need to beat the Onibi.
Excellent, Ginger! I shall summon a great beast for your next challenge. Remember: you must maintain presence of mind, no matter how fearsome the foe!
The frog goes down quickly.
For your final challenge, I shall be your opponent. Let us see how well you have learned!
And Oboro goes down pretty quickly as well. It's an easy duty and it's over in like two minutes.
...I see.
What Oboro means to say is that he's not seen anyone master the fundamentals of ninjutsu with such swiftness. Is that not so, Oboro?
I am capable of speaking for myself, Tsubame. But it is true: Ginger has exceeded even my own expectations. Her blade slices through the air as a fish glides through water. But that is enough training for the day. Now, it is my turn to be the student, and you the teacher. I would learn the ways of Eorzea. You will instruct me, yes?
*nods*
You have my gratitude, Ginger. First, I would better know the terrain of La Nosc--hm? Is something amusing?
Well...
My bow!? I see. Who would have thought a simple gesture of courtesy would be so complicated? Like this, is it? <cough> Urk...
Forgive him. Oboro has not been quite himself since coming to these shores. It would seem that neither the food nor the climate agrees with him.
And let us not forget the stink of those infernal horsebirds! All the more reason for us to complete our mission swiftly and return to more hospitable environs. Anyhow, Ginger, that should suffice for the day. Practice well your ninjutsu, and return when you are ready for your next lesson.
It would seem you have some practicing to do as well.
And that's FINALLY the end of the NIN job quest.
And then we'll just finish off with a short one.
Ginger's back in Limsa to talk to Wyrnzoen.
Ah, Ginger. Just the woman I was hoping to see. Aye, it's plain as day that you've no equal in our guild, and I've a task that I'd entrust to no ordinary marauder. To wit: I just received a message from an old comrade-in-arms of mine who now serves as a guardsman in Costa del Sol. It would seem the fighting's grown fierce in those parts, and he finds himself in dire need of reinforcements.
Mind you, this man is no white-livered whelp. He can wield an axe with the best of them, as evidenced by Master Gegeruju's paying good coin for the services of he and his men. No, any enemy who could fluster that bunch is not one to be trifled with. I've sent Solkwyb on ahead to tend to the wounded. Seek her out upon your arrival and she'll apprise you of the situation at hand.
Wyrn's talking about the villain of the Titan arc isn't he?
Ginger! Ever the sight for sore eyes. A nasty bale of turtles has been preying on this area of late, snapping and gnashing at everything in sight. Why, even the best men that Master Gegeruju could buy find themselves no match for the creatures. Word has it that the beasts have been sighted swimming in from the lightly guarded northern shore. I would send you there to investigate the cause behind their burgeoning numbers.
Here we go...
Solkwyb is confused...
Our, er, friend roars in defiance and....
This summons the turtles!
You're supposed to believe that the berserk guy vanished between turtles. But if you look closely you can see the glow of his eyes behind the shell!
Ugh, damn it all! Ginger, we must see to these beasts!
This duty lasts for a while and all it is is killing turtles.
So here's the highlights because it's not worth showing off otherwise.
Eventually a cutscene takes over.
Seven hells, there's no end to them! Prepare to fall back!
Here comes the berserker from before.
I'll see to the shellbacks! You whelps just try not to end up as turtle grub!
That axe! I've not seen its like in...
Ginger! We must do what we can!
And now it's several more minutes of killing turtles.
That should send 'em scuttling back to their nests. You can call me Curious Gorge--one remark about the name and I'll rip yer ugly heads from your shoulders and suck the marrow out of your twitching spines. You two are guards from Costa del Sol, I reckon?
Not as such. We are of the Marauders' Guild, sent here by Axemaster Wyrnzoen to assist in the defense. I am Solkwyb, and this is my comrade Ginger.
From the guild, you say? Well, blow me down and call me a bogy! Had you told me sooner, I'd have introduced myself with proper respect. You're Ginger, right? We've only just met, but I see in you a strength not found in ordinary women. What say you unleash the beast within and become a warrior with me?
A warrior, you say!? So it was you I saw, brandishing battle techniques I had thought lost to the sands of time...
Lost? Gahaha! Perhaps in these parts. But where I come from, the way of the warrior is alive and well! My tribe has been handing them down for thousands of years. Yet our numbers dwindle with every new summer, and this is why I left the mountain where I was raised to come here. What say you, Ginger? If you would walk the path of the warrior with me, seek me out at Hidden Falls.
I've been quiet for most of this for good reason. Namely... I don't like Curious Gorge all that much. As a job NPC, he's fine. But the problem is that the quest designers assume that he's everyone's favorite. So I hope you all enjoyed the fun MRD quests while they lasted. From here for the rest of Ginger's WAR career, the quests will be all about Curious Gorge and his problems.
Curious Gorge can't control his berserker rage. Curious Gorge can't go berserk anymore. Curious Gorge really likes the cute dragon girl who showed up nearby. The quests are all about him, when he's probably the least interesting thing going on with Warriors. It's a little frustrating.
The warriors of old... We have all heard the tales, but never once did I dream that I would meet one in the flesh. My memory is cloudy, but many years ago, it was said there was a young marauder in the Company of Heroes who would unleash crushing blows theretofore unseen by his comrades. When the Company disbanded, he vanished, never to be seen again--might that be this Curious Gorge?
I cannot vouch for the man's identity, but there can be no denying the display of strength we saw today, nor that he has taken a liking to you, Ginger. This could be an opportunity for the ages. Hidden Falls, was it? Were I in your boots, I would head off there without delay.
Hidden Falls is at the base of the waterfall that runs by the docks. Those docks connect to Raincatcher Gully. So that's why the Wineport aetheryte can serve both the NIN and WAR job quests!
I knew you would come, Ginger. Let us begin. Any woman can take up an axe and call herself a marauder, but to become a true warrior, she must prove she can tame the inner beast that guides the blade. I witnessed your battle with the turtles, and I must say that I was impressed. You have proven yourself far more worthy of this than I could have imagined.
In your hands lies the Soul of the Warrior-a crystal within which the deeds of a thousand thousand warriors from history are recorded. For countless generations, the Soul has been passed on to those in my tribe who choose the path of the warrior, to guide them and aid them on their journey. When your inner beast awakens, the runes will resonate, further empowering your will, and granting you such strength as you never thought possible.
Today, there is cause for celebration, my friend! For through you, I have ensured that my tribe's legacy will endure. Yes, it is for this day, this moment, that I came down from the mountain. Yet however earnestly I pursue my goal, I cannot deny the fear inside me that my mission will ultimately end in failure. For you see, while I style myself a warrior, the truth is that I left the mountains before my training was complete.
And while I carry with me the chronicles of my ancestors, detailing the ancient arts of war, I lack the ability to fully decipher the texts. Yet, there may still be hope, for there is another who fled my village-one who shared my dream of passing on the teachings of the tribe, and can read the tome... My brother. Without him, I fear there is little more I can teach you at this time. But that will not discourage me from continuing my studies of the chronicles, nor shake my belief that further secrets will soon reveal themselves to me.
Until then, I ask that you use the knowledge I've passed on to you, and continue your training. You must strive to harden your will so that it may endure the strain of future burdens. Good luck, my friend.
I honestly didn't expect these three quests to take this long to get through. I actually wanted to start on the Titan arc again today, but this update is now actually over-long. So that'll just have to wait until...
NEXT TIME: 