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Hello everyone and welcome back. It's been a while since we've seen some forward progress with the MSQ! Counting this update, this quest has been available for 13 updates.
That's just how the postgame rolls. And will continue to roll. I'm estimating about 15 updates per postgame patch, which puts me finishing the LP sometime in March. I'm typing this at the end of July. 
Let's see how all our friends are doing.
The Garlean threat may have abated, but there is no end to the work we Scions do. In our own unique ways, may every one of us continue striving to make a better Eorzea!
The Waking Sands
The nerve of some petitioners, engaging us as if we were a band of common mercenaries. I should be glad to refuse them all without a second thought.
In bringing the struggle against the Empire to a decisive end, the nations of Eorzea spent much of their military strength. I fear the beast tribes have caught scent of this temporary weakness, and will give us scant leave to rest. A hero's work is never done, Ginger.
Believe me, I am quite eager to resume active duties and redeem my good name. But I have not forgotten that similar sentiments nearly led me to my doom once before. I will not question the wisdom of our Baldesion colleagues. They have bid me rest, and so I shall.
A lot of this is the dialogue these guys have (that I never covered) after beating the HM primals. Still, I like doing these Scion Check-Ins between major story arcs because almost all of them comment on stuff going on.
Just when we dared to believe that peace had arrived, another primal awakens. I say, has there ever been rest for the weary?
So much has happened in this place... If the walls could talk, such tales they would be able to tell!
Urianger has about three quests availble. One is the second coil, one is for an Extreme Difficulty Primal fight (that I probably won't be covering), and the other is for a fight that is equivalent to an Extreme Primal, but I won't be covering until Patch 2.5.
As one age endeth and another doth arise, so do our struggles wax and wane. What wouldst thou ask of me?
What of the expedition?
We have bent our backs in an effort to erase the scars of the Calamity, all in ignorance of the monumental mystery that slumbered 'neath our feet. We must needs uncover aught we may concerning Bahamut and his Allagan prison, lest the dearth of understanding invite an unimaginable demise.
And how fares the realm?
Souls from aether far,
strangers from strange lands,
Yester with thine eyes,
morrow by thine hands.
Thou and thy fellow Warriors of Light have led us from the darkness of the Seventh Umbral Era, as was writ in the Divine Chronicles. Yet peace is ever fleeting. When the darkness riseth resurgent, I pray thou wilt bring thy light to bear once more.
And the primals?
I thank thee, Ginger. By thy hands are the mighty primals brought low once more. Thy victories have purchased the realm a freedom those terrible beings would surely have denied by their mere presence.
I should have done something, done anything. But I didn't, and now A'aba and Aulie are... I will not let it be for nothing. I...I will earn this.
I've shown off this dialogue several times now, but Arenvald is the only person here in the storage room who wants to talk and not just offer Ginger sidequests.
I should really do those sidequests sometime to get them out of my way.
I should have said it back in update 75 when we hit the first ending, but I'm going to say it now. If you don't like Fantasy Politicking, then this is your last warning to stop reading now. From this point on, we're going to do a rather deep dive into the politics of Eorzea.
Things will not get better from here on out. Things are going to get worse. Immeasurably so. So if you want to bow out now, then there are no hard feelings. For the rest of you? Here we go...
...Hm? Ginger. It pleases me to see you well.
A door opens offscreen.
Do excuse me for interrupting, Ginger. My lady, the gentleman from Ashgana Exports has just left.
<sigh> I understand now why you didn't want to receive him.
You did well, Tataru. Please inform the guards that we will not be receiving any further guests this evening.
Thank you, my lady!
Tataru waves at Ginger before she walks off. I said it before, but I love the friendship between these two.
Ever since we defeated Gaius van Baelsar and destroyed his ultimate weapon, the eyes of the world have followed our every move, scarce remembering to blink. Where once we worked in secret-with precious few friends and all too many enemies-we are now besieged by benefactors, each one more eager than the last to offer us his complete support.
Of course, every promise of patronage comes with a price. Some make their intentions known from the start, while others endeavor to engage us more subtly. Dress it how they will, the message is ever the same: we shall help you, but only if you help us.
The gentleman Tataru spoke of was more brazen than most. In exchange for certain supplies, he would have us resolve a business dispute. Naturally, I refused him, as I have every other merchant of his ilk... Alas, the Syndicate's overtures are not so easily rejected...
I've mentioned the Syndicate before. They've been mostly background players up until this point because the 2.0 story was your standard Final Fantasy adventure. Starting with this patch and for the rest of the LP, the Syndicate will be a concern.
If you need a refresher, the Syndicate are the most wealthy citizens of Ul'dah. I don't remember their exact number. Nanamo has an honorary seat on the Syndicate because she's the Sultana and has the riches of the kingdom behind her, and Raubahn bought his way onto it by dint of being rich as fucking hell from his gladiatorial winnings.
Four other known members of the Syndicate are...
Teledji Adeledji - A very rich man who has all the oily charm of a used car salesman.
Godbert Manderville - We've met Godbert several times now and he really likes Ginger for some reason. He's the foremost gemsmith in the world and is the owner and proprietor of the Manderville Gold Saucer, which we will be visting very soon in the LP. He's also Hildy's dad and was visible in several of the screenshots in the final part of the last update
Prioress Dewlala - She's the head of the Order of Nald'thal, which means that she's in charge of not only the Thaumaturge's guild, but the necropolis beneath Ul'dah, as well as all the religious temples.
Lord Lolorito - The richest man in Ul'dah, if not the entire world. He's the owner of the East Aldernard Trading Company. (Actual footage of the EATC buying out the competition.) And on top of that is the owner of the Brass Blades, which are the official police force of Ul'dah. Reminder that the Blades are insanely corrupt. The greatest crime that it is possible to commit in Ul'dah is to cost Lolorito money either directly or indirectly.
One of the minor story arcs in the opening, if you recall, was the direct fallout of someone crossing Lolorito for the crime of "trying to give people too poor to buy the dirt caking their boots a job."
When we formed the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, it was with the goal of serving Eorzea, not the interests of individual Eorzeans. Our neutrality is fundamental to our cause.
In my heart, I know this to be true, and yet... And yet... If accepting these offers of patronage could empower us to do greater good, might they not warrant greater consideration? Our Baldesion colleagues have been generous beyond measure, but we cannot expect them to- Forgive me. I did not mean to burden you so.
Yet...my urge to share this dilemma may not be wholly misguided... Might I impose upon you to consult the others? They are like to have their own opinions on this matter.
No need to show individual shots of everyone. You can scroll up to see Thancred or Yda and Papalymo if you want. So here's everyone's thoughts en masse...
Recall you our meeting with the Admiral, shortly after the Lominsans sent word of the summoning of Titan? Then mayhap you also recall my words to our host. I said unto Merlwyb that her people had broken their treaty with the kobolds, and that the beastmen had justly responded-that we had been called to intervene in a conflict which she herself had invited. I spoke, in short, the truth.
And wherefore did I speak it? Because, owing no allegiance to Limsa, I felt no compulsion to allow the Lominsans to distort the facts to fit a narrative which justified their actions and absolved them of guilt. Upon this subject, Minfilia can expect a similar reply. Our many dalliances with the citystates have already weakened our claim to neutrality, but the path she contemplates would see us relinquish it entirely.
Fortune begets power, and power fortune. That we-and especially you-have power is beyond doubt. The question is what to do with it...
You may be interested to know that there is a growing belief amongst the refugees that Ala Mhigo could be liberated...if only the Scions would commit their strength to the cause. Yet theirs is but one of many causes. We stand at a crossroads, Ginger. Each path is paved with good intentions, but where they lead is far from clear.
I've been receiving a lot of gifts lately, but Papalymo keeps making me send them back. It wouldn't be so bad, but some of them are really nice! I mean, very nearly abandon-your-principles nice, you know?
None can deny that we would benefit from more support, but if it comes at the cost of our principles? Neutrality was ever a delicate matter. I've lost count of the times I've had to explain to people that our allegiances need not necessarily lie in the same place as our headquarters. Mind you, if we are to sell our services for gil, we might as well declare our fealty to Ul'dah now, and have done with it. I'm quite sure Yda would enjoy the bribes...
Papalymo and Y'shtola both bring up strong points. He in particular is especially correct because when it comes to a game of "selling your services for gil" Ul'dah will win. Every time.
'Tis the lot of the powerful to attract the covetous as well as the needy. Thus doth prudence dictate that those with power proffer aid with one hand whilst the other resteth ever on their hilt. Alas, we have not the luxury of time to decipher our petitioners' machinations-nay, not while the beast tribes do labor unseen, defiant in defeat, to raise up their fallen primals once more.
Doubt not that they shall return-stronger and bolder both-nor that we shall be the ones to meet them. This sacred charge shall ever be ours. 'Tis but a pity we are so few, and our fortune so finite...
Lastly we have Alphinaud.
Hm. This situation is not wholly unexpected. I too have given much thought to our organization's future...though it would seem I have reached a different conclusion. Mayhap it is time I made my feelings known to the Antecedent. Come along, Ginger.
Alphinaud, Ginger? Is aught amiss?
You desired counsel, and so you shall have it. Minfilia-the Scions of the Seventh Dawn must leave Ul'dah.
It was already mentioned during the Hildy stuff that the cinematics team was experimenting with facial expressions. You can already see their influence on the MSQ because this face is not one Minfilia would have made while speaking during 2.0.
So long as we remain within Ul'dahn territory, we will never be free to act with impunity. Moving our headquarters to Vesper Bay only delayed the inevitable.
We have demonstrated our capabilities, and the Syndicate has taken note. They will not suffer our organization to remain independent now. We are far too dangerous for that.
Alphinaud is kind of a dick, but he's not wrong here. If there's one thing he knows better than anything else, it's politicking. If the Syndicate can't control something (like the amalj'aa) then they fuck them over. That's why the term "beast tribe" exists. The Syndicate wanted amalj'aa lands and so they outlawed them from entering Ul'dah and declared them little more than beasts. Beasts, you see, don't legally own very valuable property that the Syndicate wants.
Surely you realize they are the reason Vesper Bay still lacks an aetheryte? They know full well how beneficial one would be to our cause... Which is why it and other favors will be denied us unless we cooperate.
If Ul'dah is no longer suitable, where would you have us go?
Experience has taught us that the appearance of neutrality is as important as the reality. Accordingly, we must keep each of the great nations at arm's length, and plant our banner in a place which all agree to be beyond their borders.
Revenant's Toll, to be precise. It lies within neutral territory, and offers all the essential facilities we require. By way of an additional benefit, it is also frequented by a veritable legion of adventurers who may serve to supplement our ranks.
I am, of course, conscious of the fact that we have developed a certain bond with Ul'dah and her people over the years... But I truly believe this to be the best course of action.
As you yourself observed, we have invaluable ties to the local community, forged through years of concerted effort. Ul'dah...Ul'dah is our home, Alphinaud! To cast aside everything we have built and start anew in that desolate wasteland would be beyond reckless!
The decision is yours to make, Antecedent. I ask only that you recall the shared purpose which first moved us to found the Scions of the Seventh Dawn-and which moved you to found the Path of the Twelve ere that.
We aspire to an ideal, you and I. Just as my grandfather did. That makes us more than mere comrades-in-arms. We are as much your family as-
That will be all, Alphinaud.
Your concern is most generous, but no-I have left them in the hands of men better suited to the task than I. I could not very well allow my personal affairs to come before the needs of the order, after all.
I love how Minfilia tried to tell him to fuck off diplomatically and Alphinaud no-sold it. 
So, 2.1, more than any other story arc so far presented in the game, was really changed by last year's rework. It used to have 19 quests. After 5.3, it has 10.
The reason I bring that up is because this quest and the next were fused together into a hybrid.
Leave Ul'dah... Has it truly come to this? ...Hm? Oh. Ginger. Pray attend to Alphinaud. He is engaged in some business or other and requires your assistance. Pray be on your way. Alphinaud waits upon you, and I have much to think about. Oh, and...tell him he shall have my answer in due time.
Something that's going to become a running theme with 2.x is that while Ginger is an active participant in everything going on, the Big People NPCs like Minfilia and Alphinaud will order her about like she's their personal servant instead of, y'know, their friend.
It's going to get extremely old before too long. A crisis happens and everyone's all "oh Ginger save us!" and as soon as it's over it's "go sit in the corner and be quiet while we do Big People Things."
Confound it. She knows what must be done, and still she hesitates. All because of these fanciful rumors. Hm. I should explain. Minfilia's mother-well, adoptive mother-was among the great many who perished during the Calamity.
F'lhaminn was her name, though you may know her better as the "Songstress of Ul'dah." She was a performer of singular talent, and much beloved by the people of Eorzea-not to mention a certain Sharlayan minstrel. As you may imagine, the news of her passing was greeted with shock and disbelief by her adoring followers, many of whom refused to acknowledge what had happened. That her body was never found only served to encourage speculation.
Minfilia, too, struggled at first to accept the truth, but as F'lhaminn's absence stretched from months into years, she saw that there could be no other explanation. Until recently, at any rate. For whatever reason, rumors have once again begun to circulate that F'lhaminn is alive and well.
One of our informants, Father Iliud, has sent word that a woman matching the songstress's description has been seen of late at the seaside resort of Costa del Sol. If we could succeed in tracking her down, I have no doubt that any worries that now plague Minfilia's heart might be assuaged. I mean to set forth for La Noscea at once. Let us reconvene there and inquire with Master Gegeruju as to the veracity of these rumors.
So off to Costa del Sol we go! Back in the Before Times, this quest had us going out to East Thanalan to talk to Father Iliud and some random dude. They would then point us at Costa del Sol.
Ruby Sunrise
Ah, you've arrived. Let us see if Master Gegeruju can shine any light onto the rumors regarding F'lhaminn.
<sigh> O sweet siren of the sands, my Miqo'te muse! Why have you forsaken me...? T-Titan's Bane! I mean, Ginger! What brings you to my humble resort?
Well...
F'lhaminn!? You mean to tell me the goddess made flesh who dwelt among us until so very recently was the Songstress of Ul'dah!? Egads, woman-if I had known that, I would've chained her to my bedpost and never let her leave!
You know, I've never been more thankful that I was not born a miqo'te.
Oh, for shame! To think that she now plies her trade for the riffraff off to the west or wherever she said she was going! It's a tragedy, I say! A tragedy!
West, is it? Thank you, Master Gegeruju. Your information will serve us well. That said, there are any number of places she could be. I shall begin my search by the docks and see if any witnesses might have some knowledge to spare. I would be most appreciative if you could travel on to Wineport and do the same.
Do you remember when I said it was possible to get Alphinaud and Alisaie in Wineport at the same time? This is the quest where it would happen. I'm glad I did Coils when I did, though.
Well, if it isn't Ginger, the savior of Wineport! To what do we owe the pleasure?
I'm looking for a miqo'te...
Ah, yes, we did receive a customer matching that description. She was a delight to behold, to give the woman her due, but her perfume was so ghastly, I had no choice but to eject her from the premises. Interfering with tastings, you understand. If she is your quarry, why not consult your blind associate? His olfactory perception is without peer. Given that I could smell the woman from a malm away, I daresay he could smell her from ten.
...Eh? You want to know if I've seen a Miqo'te lass by the name of F'lhaminn? I wish! I haven't seen a lass of any description for far too bloody long... Er, excepting yourself, of course.
<sniff> <sniff> I see you have had many grand adventures since last we spoke, Ginger. You must share them with me sometime.
I have need of a catgirl. One wearing perfume.
The girl from a little while ago? One does not forget a perfume like that. So robust and intoxicating...yet simultaneously familiar. Reminiscent of a bloom native to these parts, in fact. I said as much when we spoke. She complimented my powers of observation and asked me where she might find some of the flowers.
So I told her to follow the road south into Raincatcher Gully and then head east after crossing the second bridge. The flowers which grow in the shade of the cliff have the strongest scent, you see. If you make haste, you may yet find her there.
F'lhaminn is in a danger circle. Time to save the day!
Black Mage certainly makes for an impressive way to make problems disappear.
I am in your debt, stranger. I did not realize my activities had aroused the goobbue's ire until it was too late. Their oils can be used to make a perfume, you see, and I-
Are you F'lhaminn?
F'lhaminn? I'm... I don't... Who are you? Whom do you serve?
It appears you've already found our woman. Consider me impressed, my friend. The Songstress of Ul'dah, I presume? Minfilia-or should I say, Ascilia-is looking for you.
Ascilia!?
You are the very picture of health, milady-yet the world thinks you dead. I can only conclude that this was by design. The question is: why?
Not everyone who endeavors to find me does so with the best intentions, child. You will be pleased to know that I fully intend to reveal myself to Minfilia-when the time is right.
Oh! Well...that does please me. More than you know. But tell me: sojourns in the forests of La Noscea aside, when exactly will the time be right?
When I deem it so. Do you imagine I traveled all this way on a whim? As I was telling your associate prior to your intrusion, I came here to harvest these flowers for use in a perfume. Does that satisfy your curiosity, or would you interrogate me further?
M-My apologies for the interruption. Anyway-now that we all have that which we came for, might we continue this conversation in a safer locale? Wineport, say?
The entire quest we just did is technically unchanged. It was just given the previous quest's name when the merger happened.
Rescued yet again from the jaws of a ravenous goobbue. How quickly we forget the lessons of the past. <sigh> Though I was not solely to blame for that foolishness...
This...this is not at all how I had envisioned it. I can scarce begin to imagine what emotions will go through Minfilia's heart when she reunites with her mother after all these years.
This quest used to have a first half where we had to kill some random wildlife to make a thing for F'lhaminn. Now we just have to talk to her.
You say my daughter awaits us in Vesper Bay, yes? I have kept her waiting long enough. Let us be off on the next ferry. I can finish fashioning the perfume along the way.
Understood. Come with me-it would be my pleasure to escort you to the Waking Sands.
The Waking Sands
The game actually fades out and fades back in at the Waking Sands. You used to have to walk all the way back yourself!
Lhaminn!?
Ascilia...
Ginger watches as Minfilia walks out from behind her desk...
(I haven't seen her like this in years, Ginger!)
For all my complaining earlier, moments like this are totally worth it. Imagine knowing that your (adoptive) mother has been missing for five years, presumed dead, and then one day one of your friends shows up with her in tow and she's alive and well and so happy to see you. Try and tell me you wouldn't tear up at that.
Minfilia wipes one of her own tears away.
I...I never truly believed it when they told me you were dead. But...what kept you away for so long?
The imperials came for me, as I always knew they would. And so I resolved to stay as far away from you as I could, lest their pursuit of me endanger you and our cause. I could think of no better way to grant you the freedom to continue our work. And continue it you did, achieving things I would not have imagined possible. I followed your every success, and celebrated in secret.
I learned from the best.
I have a gift for you.
F'lhaminn is a Seeker of the Sun miqo'te. She has a Seeker name. But those are Keeper whisker marks, fangs, and eyes. According to a lorebook somewhere, she's supposedly a half-breed between the two different types of miqo'te!
I was also just about to write that F'lhaminn is an old woman, but she's apparently 37. While that's not young, she's not even middle aged yet! Minfilia is 27, for what it's worth. Most of the Scions are in that range, with the exception of Papalymo who is 42, and Y'shtola who claims to be 23.
If you're curious, Y'shtola claims to be 23, but her younger sister of several years is 26.
Celsettia perfume! You remembered.
How could I ever forget? You wore it all the time. If ever I lost sight of you, I could find you again, just by following my nose.
I did not think it was made anymore. You must have gone to so much trouble...
It was no trouble to me, my darling. I fear I cannot say the same for Ginger, however. I could not have made it without her.
Thank you, Ginger. Thank you both.
Was the least I could do after all you've done for me!
There's something else.
This...this is the cat's-eye I found! All these years you kept it...
My father was a member of the Ala Mhigan Resistance. When I was yet a child, he brought me here to Ul'dah. The accident which claimed his life happened shortly after our arrival. It was Lhaminn who took care of me then. She raised me as her own-taught me everything I needed to know to survive.
Hmm. I am no stranger to the facts of your history, yet I fear I have failed to grasp their implications. It is clear that there is much I do not know-about you and your mother both.
One of her first lessons to me concerned mining-and I was a very dedicated student. This cat's-eye was the first stone I unearthed. It wasn't much, of course, but I was exceedingly proud to have found it nonetheless. So I gave it to Lhaminn as a gift. She said it was beautiful... But there I am at a loss. Why are you returning this to me? Is something amiss?
No, Ascilia, nothing is amiss! Quite the opposite! I need you to realize how far you've come, and how much further you may still-must still go. You and your allies have accomplished more than I could ever have hoped. You have succeeded where I failed, and made me so proud that...that words fail me.
But even as I marvel at the woman you've become, and at all the many things you've done, I cannot help but think of that which you have yet to do, and of what it may entail. Ascilia...Daughter-you cannot stay here anymore. You and the Scions must leave Ul'dah.
Lhaminn...
You built it once, Ascilia. You can build it again. And this time, we'll do it together.
Truly?
F'lhaminn nods here.
Alphinaud. The time has come for the Scions to leave Vesper Bay. We shall establish a new headquarters in Revenant's Toll, as you proposed.
Much work lies ahead of us. Inform our fellow Scions, and send word to the Students of Baldesion: preparations begin at once!
Alphinaud and F'lhaminn share a word and walk off together.
I'm actually going to call this update here!
NEXT TIME: Boys and girls of every age
Wouldn't you like to see something strange?
Come with us and you will see
You Have Selected Regicide.