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Hello everyone and welc--
Why is Nero standing in the middle of Revenant's Toll?
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 Ginger Pepper 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.
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? 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.
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. 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.
To be fair, Ginger never saw Nero without his helmet. Or, indeed, ever beyond that first time where he was "random miniboss in her way."
Right, then, let's get started. We have a lot of ground to cover. Today we're going to start the process of unlocking the first Alliance raid duty in the game...
And there it is in the distance. The Crystal Tower. It dominates the skyline of Mor Dhona, and it's only by blind luck so far that we haven't seen it yet in the LP. Well, outside of that brief glimpse at the start of update 2.
Way over here in what appears to be land completely corrupted by crystals we can find a small settlement. This is Saint Coinach's Find.
Why, if it isn't Ginger Pepper herself! I was not expecting such a celebrated guest. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?
Uh... some blond man.
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...
...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?
Damn straight!
I rather thought you would say that. Your courage is scarcely a secret. Now, the first-
Ginger!? I thought it was you!
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?
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.
She has, has she? Glad to have you aboard, Ginger! You...don't have the faintest idea what you've volunteered for, do you? Very well, let us begin at the beginning. 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.
...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. 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.
Not gonna lie, Ginger going on Indiana Jones style adventures would be fucking awesome. Maybe once 6.0 is done, yeah?
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.
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.
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.
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 looks at the markings...
...and thinks.
He gets a stone!
The Crystal Tower is protected by a huge shield.
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. 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, is the first barrier we must overcome.
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.
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. It will be difficult and dangerous, Ginger, but I can think of no finer woman for the task.
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.
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...
The game gives you a small exposition break here. Rammbroes and Cid like to ramble, so this "talk to Rammbroes again" is a small mercy.
Our first objective is to reach the entrance to the Crystal Tower. As I previously mentioned, however, that will prove no easy task. 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.
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. 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.
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.
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. You may be certain that the materials used in the beastmen's sacred rituals will be well defended. Whether you choose to venture there alone or with companions, I shall leave to your discretion. But whatever you do, please be careful!
So a couple years ago, this quest got changed for the better. Back in the day you had to wait for very specific FATEs to spawn in order to get the items to continue on in the quest. Camping FATEs is about the most boring thing possible because you either idle for hours and check every 10 minutes or so... or you run around the zone doing as many FATEs as you can and pray that the right one spawns. While the latter at least has you doing stuff, it's not the content you want to be doing.
Anyway, we're headed into the U'Ghamaro mines for the first item.
Now we just need to sit down and wait at a destination.
This random kobold will have our earth-aspected crystal!
Next we're headed to Western La Noscea.
We'll be dealing with this area in particular a lot more in the next patch. The 2.2 MSQ has us coming here for what will become pretty apparent reasons. Right now it's just a random high level area next to a newbie area. This is, for whatever it's worth, where the Sahagin make camp on Vylbrand.
This is in a cave in the extreme far back of the area. Thank god for flight, because walking here suuuucks.
Back to Rammbroes!
How progress your efforts in infiltrating the beastman strongholds?
I got two of the crystals already!
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.
You have done well, Ginger. 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. You can expect them to be as closely guarded as the first two, if not more so. Still, I look forward to receiving word of your resounding success!
First up, we're heading to Natalan near the aetheryte we attuned to for Garuda HM.
This quest isn't really the interesting part of this, so just bear with me as we skip through all this.
Finally we're headed to Southern Thanalan, into Zahar'ak.
This is my first time doing this quest since its rework a while back, and it's so much better now. Waiting for those FATEs was so boring and tedious.
This is the "hard" part done with at least
Ginger! It is good to see you. Tell me, were you able to obtain the remaining crystals from the beastmen?
Here's the last two, as ordered!
Wonderful! With all four crystals in hand, we are now ready to proceed to the next stage of our preparations.
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.
...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...
This reward is dark matter. Sufficiently-leveled crafters can use this as a reagent to repair materials for "free" instead of going to a repair merchant. Right now, Ginger only has CUL(inarian) leveled to like 14 or something for some beast tribe dailies. So she couldn't make use of it even if she wanted to.
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. 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.
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...
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.
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!
Certain extremely high level crafting recipes actually do make use of different varieties of aethersand. So there's some neat congruity here!
Anyway, Rammbroes pointed us at Serendipity. So that's as good a place to start as any.
Ah, Mistress Pepper! Welcome, welcome! What brings you here, if I may ask?
Aethersand. Really good quality, too.
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. 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-
Ah. I do beg your pardon. It seems she's assisting another customer.
Come on, there must be something you can do! Without that sand, we'll have to rethink our whole design!
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...
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...
Ginger! It's been too long! What brings you here, then? Got your eye on something expensive, have you?
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...
Oh no... You're here for the blooming aethersand, aren't you? 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.
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.
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. And that's why I can't just relinquish my claim on this batch here-even for you, lass. How're we meant to usher in a brave new age of technological innovation if not by technologically innovating, eh!?
Ahem. While I hesitate to interrupt such an impassioned speech, duty compels me to point out that this lady is a representative of the organization that reserved the aethersand in question-to mention nothing of the fact that her purse is considerably larger than yours.
...Oh, it's like that, is it? <sigh> 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. 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!
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? 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...
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.
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...
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!
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.
...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.
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. Hm? Oh. A friend of yours, is he?
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.
We need to return to where Ginger found a piece of her monk AF set.
Wedge is hiding in one of the houses.
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! 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!
YEEEAAARGH! I'm-sorry-I'm-sorry-I'm-sorry! Please don't kill me! I promise I'll leave and never come...back?
Ginger!? Is it really you!? B-But how did you find me? Can you...smell fear?
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.
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...
Chill, man. I'll go find it.
...You'll find the aethersand in my stead? Oh, thank the gods! You're a true friend, Ginger! I hope the search doesn't prove too troublesome-the bandits don't seem to care much for visitors...
Here's the aethersand.
Ginger! Have you had any luck locating the aethersand?
Got it right here. Gonna be taking it with me though.
Yes, that's it! I must return to the workshop at once and tell Biggs the wonderful news! 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.
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.
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! 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, Ginger!
Mor Dhona is a pretty small zone.
Ah, Ginger, you have returned. I take from your presence that you were successful in procuring us some aethersand. Tell me, which variety did you find?
...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. Master Garlond-if you would be so kind as to prepare the relevant crystals.
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.
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.
Your assistants, believe it or not.
...You had help from Biggs and Wedge? 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!
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?
Naught as of yet, but...I have made certain arrangements. We shall soon see if my efforts have borne fruit.
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.
<sigh> Mayhap an explanation is in order. But first, let us savor the preliminary victory that Ginger has won for our cause, if only for a moment.
I'm actually going to cut this update here to keep it breezy.
NEXT TIME: We make our way into the Labyrinth of the Ancients