Category Archives: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

To be recognized as an adventurer in the city–state of Limsa Lominsa, you must first register yourself with the Adventurers’ Guild.

Ryssfloh: Now then, I’m sure you’re itching to explore, but adventurers are required to register their presence in the city…and without a bit of local knowledge, you’re like to get your throat slit in some piss-stinking alley.
Ryssfloh: So before you do anything else, get yourself over to the Drowning Wench and enroll with the Adventurers’ Guild.
Ryssfloh: It’s not far─just head straight down this street and speak with Grehfarr. He’ll show you how to work that big moving platform we call the Crow’s Lift, and that’ll take you up to the pub.
Ryssfloh: Once you’re there, look for a fellow by the name of Baderon─he’s the proprietor of the Wench. He might curse like an ale-sodden sailor, but the man’s got a soft spot for wide-eyed newcomers like yourself. He’ll set you straight.
Ryssfloh: Got all that? Good. Now run along, and may the Navigator guide you on your journey.

Grehfarr: Welcome to Limsa Lominsa. If you’ve a mind to visit the Drowning Wench, the Crow’s Lift will take you there.

Baderon: Greetin’s to ye, lass.
Baderon: What’ll it be? …Ah, but you ain’t ‘ere fer the drink, are ye!? Ye’ve come with a mind to try yer ‘and at ‘venturin’, I reckon! Well, ye’ll find no shortage o’ work ‘ere in Limsa.
Baderon: The name’s Baderon, an’ this most ‘ospitable of ‘ostelries is the Drownin’ Wench.
Baderon: ‘Tis also the ‘ome o’ the ‘Venturers’ Guild, ‘ere in Limsa. That’s why we’ve got a desk ‘specially fer ‘andlin’ guild business─an’ why I seem to spend more time savin’ the necks o’ whelps like yerself than wettin’ the throats o’ me regulars.
Baderon: ‘Venturers ‘ave a knack fer findin’ trouble, see.
Baderon: Not that they need it in these parts, on account o’ there bein’ trouble wherever ye look. If ye manage to steer clear o’ the fishbacks an’ the kobolds outside the city, the pirates on the inside will get ye instead.
Baderon: An’ if they don’t manage, there’s always the Garlean Empire to finish the job. Oh, no one knows what they’re plannin’, o’ course…but if they’re plannin’ anythin’, ye can be sure it’s to kill the lot of us.
Baderon: Aye…this town seems peaceful at a glance, but look again, an’ ye’ll see a people livin’ in fear o’ what tomorrow might bring.
Baderon: …An’ who can blame ’em, after everythin’ that’s ‘appened? Eorzea took a mighty blow durin’ the Calamity, but our ‘omes weren’t the only things what got wiped off the face of existence by that thrice-damned bastard of a dragon.
Baderon: It took our bleedin’ memories, too. An’ no one’s been able to explain it in a way as makes an onze o’ sense.
Baderon: None o’ the folks what saw it an’ lived to tell the tale seem to agree on ‘ow the tale actually goes. ‘Tis all foggy…like recollections from an ‘ard night on the ale. Ye can imagine why people might fear fer the future if they can’t rightly recall the past.
Baderon: But there is one thing we all remember, an’ that’s the group o’ ‘venturers what laid down their lives to drag Eorzea back from the brink, when she was bound fer the abyss.
Baderon: Well, I say we remember… Truth is, though we ain’t forgotten what they did fer us, this godsdamned Calamity-spawned memory loss robbed us o’ their names…
Baderon: It won’t even let us picture their damn faces. ‘Tis like starin’ at a gull flyin’ in front o’ the sun─all ye see in yer mind’s eye is a shadow set against a blindin’ glare. An’ that’s ‘ow every bugger describes it, by the way…give or take the odd gull.
Baderon: It’s this what’s got people callin’ these ‘eroes the “Warriors o’ Light.”
Baderon: If Limsa’s ever goin’ to put this time o’ darkness behind it, it’s goin’ to need ‘venturers to ‘elp banish the fear. It’s goin’ to need new ‘eroes like the ones we lost.
Baderon: Maybe one day ye’ll be one of ’em. An’ that’s why any aid we can give to a ‘venturer is effort well spent. What say ye, lass? Ye willin’ to lend us yer strength?
Baderon: Me thanks to ye, an’ to the Navigator an’ all! I knew She’d steered ye my way fer a reason.
Baderon: Ah, but listen to me, yatterin’ on like a sun-touched fishwife. ‘Tis ‘igh time we got yer mark in me book.
Baderon: Put yer scrawl right there.
Baderon: Meredith Croix, is it? An’ a fine name it is.
Baderon: Congratulations. Yer now an upstandin’ member o’ the ‘Venturers’ Guild.
Yellowjacket: You there─adventurer. You sailed in on the last ferry, did you not?
Yellowjacket: The captain reported being attacked by a pirate vessel. And several witnesses have testified independently that a passenger matching your description went out on deck mere moments before the incident took place. Sending your friends signals, were you?
Baderon: Now ‘old on a just a moment there, officer. Ye’ve got the wrong lass.
Baderon: This fine, upstandin’ young lady is me dear departed grandma’s sister’s niece’s cousin’s closest companion. The lass wouldn’t be caught dead fraternizin’ with such unsavory elements.
Yellowjacket: …Is that right? Ahem. You are surely aware of the recent kidnappings? Respectfully, then, we cannot be too trusting of outsiders at a time when the loyalty of even our closest friends is in doubt.
Baderon: Aye, ye make a good point there, officer, a very good point. Very wise. Ye needn’t worry, though─I keep one eye open at all times, me, an’ two more often than not. Now, sir, what say ye to a tankard o’ me finest ale afore ye return to yer duties, eh?
Yellowjacket: Not a watered-down cup of piss like last time, I should hope?
Baderon: Ain’t got the faintest idea what yer on about, officer. The Wench might offer some o’ the cheapest grog this side o’ the Strait o’ Merlthor, but that don’t mean it won’t get ye good an’ pickled! An’ look, there’s a chair over there just cryin’ out to be sat on, so kick off them ‘eavy boots, eh!?
Baderon: Ye’ll ‘ave to excuse these eager bloody Yellowjackets. There’s been a spate o’ kidnappin’s, see, an’ they ain’t got a clue who’s behind ’em. Naturally, they’ve taken to clappin’ irons on anyone who looks vaguely suspicious, which means ‘venturers, visitors…an’ pretty much every bugger else in this town.
Baderon: Don’t take it personal, though. Us Lominsans can be an ‘eadstrong bunch o’ bastards, ’tis true, but given time, we’ll grow on ye. Now, where was I…?
Baderon: Oh aye! Welcome to Limsa Lominsa, where the sea’s as green as the faces o’ me patrons after a few too many Blackbelly whiskeys!
Baderon: Now, take a moment to gather yer wits, an’ we’ll get started with learnin’ ye the ways o’ the city.

To be recognized as an adventurer in the city–state of Gridania, you must first register yourself with the Adventurers’ Guild.

Bertennant: Another green adventurer, I presume?
Bertennant: I thought as much. We cannot allow strangers to wander Gridania unchecked and untested.
Bertennant: Before you rush off and begin pestering every second citizen for work, I suggest you make yourself known at the Carline Canopy. That’s the headquarters of the local Adventurers’ Guild, in case you were wondering.
Bertennant: The Carline Canopy is the building you see behind me. Speak to Mother Miounne within, and she will take you in hand.

Mother Miounne: Well, well, what have we here?
Mother Miounne: A wide-eyed and wondering young adventurer, come to put your name down at the guild, I assume?
Mother Miounne: Welcome. Miounne’s my name, or Mother Miounne as most call me, and the Carline Canopy is my place.
Mother Miounne: As the head of the Adventurers’ Guild in Gridania, I have the honor of providing guidance to the fledgling heroes who pass through our gates.
Mother Miounne: No matter your ambitions, the guild is here to help you attain them.
Mother Miounne: In return, we expect you to fulfill your duties as an adventurer by assisting the people of Gridania. A fine deal, wouldn’t you agree?
Mother Miounne: To an outsider’s eyes, all may seem well with our nation, but naught could be further from the truth. The people live in a state of constant apprehension.
Mother Miounne: The Ixal and various gangs of common bandits provide an unending supply of trouble─trouble compounded by the ever-present threat of the Garlean Empire to the north. And that is to say nothing of the Calamity…
Mother Miounne: Even now, the wounds have barely begun to heal. Ah, but I speak of it as if you were there. Forgive me. Five years past, Eorzea was well-nigh laid to waste when a dread wyrm emerged from within the lesser moon, Dalamud, and rained fire upon the realm. It is this which people call “the Calamity.”
Mother Miounne: Scarcely a square malm of the Twelveswood was spared the devastation. Yet despite the forest’s extensive wounds, not a soul among us can recall precisely how it all happened.
Mother Miounne: I am well aware of how improbable that must sound to an outsider… It is improbable. But it’s also true. For reasons we can ill explain, the facts surrounding the Calamity are shrouded in mystery. There are as many versions of events as there are people willing to recount them.
Mother Miounne: Yet amidst the hazy recollections and conflicting accounts, all agree on one thing: that Eorzea was saved from certain doom by a band of valiant adventurers.
Mother Miounne: Whatever else we’ve misremembered, none of us have forgotten the heroes who risked life and limb for the sake of the realm. And yet…whenever we try to say their names, the words die upon our lips.
Mother Miounne: And whenever we try to call their faces to mind, we see naught but silhouettes amidst a blinding glare.
Mother Miounne: Thus have these adventurers come to be known as “the Warriors of Light.”
Mother Miounne: …Ahem. Pray do not feel daunted by the deeds of legends. We do not ask that you become another Warrior of Light, only that you do what you can to assist the people of Gridania.
Mother Miounne: Great or small, every contribution counts. I trust you will play your part.
Mother Miounne: All that’s left, then, is to conclude the business of registration. Here’s a quill. Scrawl your name right there.
Mother Miounne: Oh, and I would appreciate it if you used your real name─there is a special place in the seventh hell for those who use “amusing” aliases.
Mother Miounne: …Mortimer Croix, hm? And you’re quite sure that isn’t an amusing alias?
Mother Miounne: Very well. From this moment forward, you are a registered adventurer of Gridania, nation blessed of the elementals and the bounty of the Twelveswood. The guild expects great things from you.
Wood Wailer: Look at what just arrived─another godsdamned adventurer…
Mother Miounne: Don’t you start with that. Adventurers are the very salve that Gridania needs.
Mother Miounne: The Elder Seedseer herself bade us welcome them with open arms. Do you mean to disregard her will?
Wood Wailer: Of course not! Lest you forget, it is my sworn duty to uphold the peace! Am I to blame if outsiders bring mistrust upon themselves?
Wood Wailer: You─adventurer! Mind that you do not cause any trouble here, or I shall personally cast you out of this realm and into the seventh hell.
Mother Miounne: Ahem. Pay that outburst no mind. He meant only to…counsel you. Suspicious characters have been prowling the Twelveswood of late, you see, and the Wood Wailers feel they cannot afford to take any chances.
Mother Miounne: As is often the way with folk who live in isolation, Gridanians are wont to mistrust things they do not well know, your good self included. Fear not, however─given a catalog of exemplary deeds, and no more than a handful of years, the locals will surely warm to you.
Mother Miounne: On behalf of my fellow citizens, I welcome you to Gridania. May you come to consider our nation as your own in time.
Mother Miounne: Now then, you may depend on old Mother Miounne to teach you a few things that every adventurer should know.

To be recognized as an adventurer in the city–state of Ul’dah, you must register yourself with the Adventurers’ Guild.

Wymond: ‘Tis plain to anyone with eyes that you don’t know your way around here.
Wymond: If I let you go wanderin’ off down the nearest dark alley, you’re certain to get mugged or worse, an’ I don’t want that on my conscience.
Wymond: So before you do anythin’ else, you’ll want to head over to the Quicksand, an’ speak with Momodi. She’s the master of the Adventurers’ Guild, an’ can set you on the right path.
Wymond: Just take those steps over yonder an’ pass through the double doors. You’ll find her inside.
Wymond: …An’ that’s as much as you’re gettin’ for free. Good luck with the adventurin’, adventurer.

Momodi: Why, hello there! Who might you be?
Momodi: If you’re lookin’ to join the Adventurers’ Guild, you’ve come to the right place.
Momodi: Name’s Momodi, and I own this fine establishment, if it please you.
Momodi: I also manage the Adventurers’ Guild here in Ul’dah. So you might say that lookin’ after green adventurers like yourself is my vocation.
Momodi: And lucky for you that it is. Without someone like me to steer you right, you’d soon find yourself out in the middle of nowhere, caught up in business you don’t understand.
Momodi: Like our conflict with the Amalj’aa, for example. They’ve been plaguin’ the sultanate for nigh on, oooh…forever now.
Momodi: Then there’s the Garlean Empire. None can say for sure what they’re plottin’ these days, only that they are.
Momodi: Aye, the people drink and make merry…but underneath it all, there’s worry. Worry and a lingerin’ feelin’ of loss.
Momodi: And little wonder. It’s scarce been five years since the lesser moon cracked open like a giant egg, releasin’ an abomination intent on turnin’ the realm into an eighth hell…
Momodi: So much was lost in the blink of an eye. ‘Twas like the end of the world had come at last.
Momodi: But then things begin to get foggy. Everyone’s got their own version of what happened next─some of ’em, two or three…
Momodi: You’d think people would remember somethin’ like that─but the fact is, they don’t. Nobody does.
Momodi: There is one thing the survivors agree on, though: the part played by a band of adventurers who laid down their lives for a realm that wasn’t their own.
Momodi: They fought valiantly, and like so many others, they never returned. Deeds worth rememberin’, I’m sure you’ll agree. It’s just a shame our recollections of those brave heroes are as jumbled as those of the Calamity itself.
Momodi: Whenever we try to call their faces to mind, it’s like they’re standin’ between us and the midday sun, permanently silhouetted… I’ll bet that sounds poetic to you, doesn’t it? Well it’s not. It’s bloody infuriatin’.
Momodi: But even if we can’t remember them, we’ll not let ’em be forgotten, and so we call ’em the Warriors of Light.
Momodi: And they’ll forever stand as a shinin’ example of what adventurers can achieve. That’s why I welcome new arrivals like yourself to our fair city.
Momodi: All I ask is that you lend a helpin’ hand, and try to leave Ul’dah in a better state than you found her. If you can promise that, I’d be happy to let you join the guild.
Momodi: All right, then! A promise is a promise, now!
Momodi: I’m countin’ on your help to put the past behind us. We need people workin’ and spendin’ and bickerin’ like the old days!
Momodi: And a happy and prosperous Ul’dah means more business for the Quicksand, too!
Momodi: Anyroad, let’s make this official.
Momodi: Go ahead and write your name in the register─neat as you can.
Momodi: …Marion Croix. Well, ain’t that a charmin’ name. Just rolls off the tongue, it does.
Momodi: All right, Miss Croix! On behalf of the Adventurers’ Guild, I officially─
Gullible Gambler: Please, sir, be merciful! Twelve as my witness, I swear to you, I’ll bring you your money!
Debt Collector: In the East, it is said that even a merciful god might be driven to vengeance if thrice blasphemed.
Debt Collector: Be grateful you were given a fourth chance to offend. You two, attend to this scum.
Gullible Gambler: No, please! Mercy!
Momodi: Well, ain’t that a sorry sight. Nor an uncommon one, if I’m honest. Don’t worry, though─if you work hard, I doubt you’ll end up like him.
Momodi: Just the same, if you ever need a bit of advice about one thing or another, pay me a visit. Just don’t go botherin’ me every time you stub your bloody toe, all right?
Momodi: ‘Course, I do enjoy hearin’ a lady muse on the many manhoods of her acquaintance from time to time…
Momodi: Anyroad, welcome to Ul’dah, Marion!
Momodi: Take a moment to catch your breath, and I’ll teach you a little about our fair city.

???: …Oi! Y’all right, lass?
Grizzled Passenger: You were moanin’ in your sleep an’ sweatin’ buckets besides. Rollin’ of the ship got your stomach churnin’, has it?
Grizzled Passenger: Hmmm… Don’t seem like seasickness, now that I look at you. It’ll be the aether, then, I reckon.
Grizzled Passenger: Some are more sensitive to the stuff than others, see, an’ we ain’t too far from Vylbrand now, which is chock-full of aetherytes.
Grizzled Passenger: No need to fret, though. You’ll soon get used to it.
Grizzled Passenger: Eurgh. Might as well have been bloomin’ seasickness… Ship’s leapin’ around like a demented chocobo today.
Grizzled Passenger: I reckon I might head out on deck – get meself a breath of fresh air.
Grizzled Passenger: Limsa Lominsa’s still a fair way off, in case you were wonderin’. Seein’ as you’re awake an’ all, how’s about you keep me company till we get there?
Grizzled Passenger: Them young’uns don’t much care for conversation, see.
Brennan: Anyroad, Brennan’s the name, an’ peddlin’s me trade.
Brennan: Ah, smell that salty sea breeze!
Brennan: Now then, lass, judgin’ by your unusual garments, I’d say you were one of them new adventurers. Am I warm?
Brennan: I knew it! Goin’ wherever the wind blows, seekin’ fortune an’ glory-now that’s what I call livin’!
Brennan: So long as you can avoid dyin’, I mean. Ain’t no secret that adventurin’s a risky business – these days especially.
Brennan: What was it that first attracted you to it?
Meredith Croix: To amass a fortune.
Brennan: Fortune, eh? Well, it’s a dream we’ve all had at one time or another.
Brennan: Once you’ve learned to handle yourself in a fight, you’ll want to pay a visit to whichever craftin’ or gatherin’ guild tickles your fancy.
Brennan: Limsa Lominsa’s renowned for its smitties an’ armorers, not to mention its fisherfolk. An’ then there’s its cooks, of course.
Brennan: Adventurin’ ain’t just about killin’ things, after all. A peaceful pastime may well help you make your fortune!
Brennan: Just remember, though: there’re more important things than fortune an’ glory. Such as breathin’. Ain’t no profit in bein’ dead, an’ that’s a fact.
Brennan: Uwaaah!
Stalwart Sailor: Ships off the starboard bow! Pirate colors!
Brennan: Pirates? Bloody hells…
Stalwart Sailor: Have ye no sense!? Get below!
Brennan: What is the world comin’ to…? Pirates firin’ on a ship flyin’ Lominsan colors! Bastards either have a boatload of balls, or bugger all for brains.
Stalwart Sailor: Ye can rest easy, friends! We’ve made it out o’ cannon range, an’ no buccaneer’s bark’ll catch this flighty temptress once the wind’s in her sails.
Brennan: That was too bleedin’ close… Glad one of us kept her head on her shoulders – I reckon I’d’ve lost mine, otherwise.
Brennan: If them pirates gave up the chase, we must be close to port. Let’s head up on deck an’ have us a look, shall we?
Brennan: By the by, is this your first trip to Limsa Lominsa?
Meredith Croix: Yes.
Brennan: It is!? Well then, let this journeyed itinerant tell you the ins an’ outs of your destination. Ahem!
Brennan: Limsa Lominsa prides itself on bein’ Eorzea’s foremost naval power.
Brennan: Weren’t too long ago that the place was ruled by pirates, but thanks to the current Admiral’s civilizin’ influence, the city-state could almost pass for a respectable nation. You’d never guess she was once a rum-swillin’ buccaneer herself! Heh heh!
Brennan: ‘Course, most folk ain’t so quick to change, an’ with a town full of liberty-lovin’ ruffians, you can imagine how many naysayers an’ troublemakers she’s got to deal with-like them pirates who took a fancy to us just now.
Brennan: An’ if that weren’t bad enough, I’ve heard the Sahagin are raidin’ the coast just as bold as you please. Them’re the sea-dwellin’ beastmen the locals call “fishbacks,” ‘case you didn’t know.
Brennan: Ah, at long last. Land ho!
Brennan: Behold Limsa Lominsa, a nation blessed by the ocean’s bounty an’ beloved of Llymlaen, goddess of navigation.

On a windswept isle in the southwestern corner of the realm, amidst the roiling waves of the Rhotano Sea, lies the maritime city-state of Limsa Lominsa.
To this haven for bandits and brigands, cutthroats and curs, seekers of both freedom and fortune, comes a lone adventurer.
Lone, yet not alone, for the hero’s arrival has drawn the gaze of the nation’s patron deity Llymlaen.
What realm-shaking fate has She descried in the churning waters of this mortal’s future?

Brennan: An’ here’s where we part ways, lass.
Brennan: I’m off to the markets to deliver me wares, then it’s on to the highroad for me.
Brennan: Here, I want you to have this-by way of thanks for savin’ me arse earlier.
Brennan: Hey you never did tell me your name, did you? Well, here’s an idea…
Brennan: Become the sort of storied personage I can brag about havin’ met, an’ I’ll consider us square.

Through peril and hardship, discovery and triumph, may the Navigator guide this brave soul on her life’s voyage…
Till sea swallows all.

Yellowjacket Infantryman: Hey! You there!
Yellowjacket Infantryman: Aye, I mean you. This is my district, and I make it my business to know all the scum that washes up in it.
Yellowjacket Infantryman: Ah, an adventurer fresh off the boat, is it? Well then…
Ryssfloh: Allow one of Limsa Lominsa’s finest to set you on the right path. Hop to it, lass, I haven’t got all day!

???: …Oi!
???: Y’all right, lad?
Grizzled Passenger: You were moanin’ in your sleep an’ sweatin’ buckets besides.
Grizzled Passenger: That’ll be the aether, I reckon. Some are more prone to the sickness than others.
Grizzled Passenger: No need to fret, though. You’ll soon get used to it.
Furry Creature: Feeling better, kupo?
Furry Creature: Aha! You can see us! I had a feeling you could, kupo!
Moogle: We’re moogles, and we live in this wood.
Moogle: Normal folks can’t see or hear us─which makes you special, kupo!
Moogle: And seeing as how you’re special, maybe you can tell us something.
Moogle: The wood’s been restless of late─lots of strange things happening. Have you chanced to witness anything suspicious, kupo?
Moogle: But of course you haven’t─you’ve only just arrived.
Moogle: Well, there’s nothing for it, then─we’ll just have to keep looking. Nice to meet you, kupo!
Grizzled Passenger: Gridania’s still a fair way off, in case you were wonderin’. Seein’ as you’re awake, how’s about you keep me company till we get there?
Grizzled Passenger: Them young’uns don’t much care for conversation, see.
Bremondt: Bremondt’s the name, an’ peddlin’s me trade.
Bremondt: As for your good self, judgin’ by your unusual garments, I’d say you were one of them new adventurers. Am I warm?
Bremondt: I knew it! Goin’ wherever the wind blows, seekin’ fortune an’ glory─now that’s what I call livin’!
Bremondt: So long as you can avoid dyin’, I mean. Ain’t no secret that adventurin’s a risky business─these days especially.
Bremondt: What was it that first attracted you to it?
Bremondt: Glory, eh? Well, if you’re willin’ to take on them tasks as other folk ain’t, an adventurer such as yourself can win fame what coin can’t buy.
Bremondt: When you arrive in town, you’ll want to report to the Adventurers’ Guild.
Bremondt: You can find out everythin’ you need to know about the adventurin’ business in there.
Bremondt: Just remember, though: there’re more important things than fortune an’ glory. Such as breathin’. Ain’t no profit in bein’ dead, an’ that’s a fact.
Wood Wailer: Halt! Go no further!
Bremondt: What’s this, then?
Bremondt: Uwaaah!
Carriage Driver: Wh-What’s going on!?
Wood Wailer: A skirmish has broken out up ahead with the Ixal! For your own safety, you must remain here until─
Wood Wailer: Bloody hells! We shall hold them here! Try to break clear!
Bremondt: That was too bleedin’ close…
Bremondt: Nice of the Ixal to send us a welcomin’ party, though, eh?
Bremondt: Jokin’ aside, this won’t be the last time you meet those feathered fiends, so just you take care, all right?
Bremondt: By the by, is this your first trip to Gridania?
Bremondt: It is!? Well then, let this journeyed itinerant tell you the ins an’ outs of your destination.
Bremondt: The city of Gridania lies slap-bang in the middle of the Black Shroud─the biggest, lushest forest in all Eorzea.
Bremondt: Though it ain’t near as lush as it used to be, sayin’ that. Not since the Calamity laid half of it to waste.
Bremondt: The destruction prompted a herd of new nasties to move in, an’ gave the Ixal unneeded encouragement. Birdman raids’ve become a daily occurrence.
Bremondt: Ah, at long last.
Bremondt: Behold Gridania, the forest nation blessed by the elementals!

The Black Shroud—the ancient forest close to the heart of Eorzea. Beneath the boughs of its towering trees lies the woodland city-state of Gridania. Once a sanctuary from the world beyond the Hedge, even the mighty elementals, eternal guardians of the forest, could not forestall the coming of the Seventh Umbral Era. However, the goddess Nophica was never one to forsake Her children, and today She welcomes another brave soul… …One who may yet play a telling role in the tale of this great realm.

Bremondt: An’ here’s where we part ways, son.
Bremondt: I’m off to the markets to deliver me wares, then it’s back to the highroad for me.
Bremondt: Here, I want you to have this─by way of thanks for keepin’ me company.
Bremondt: Hey─you never did tell me your name, did you? Well, here’s an idea…
Bremondt: Become the sort of storied personage I can brag about havin’ met, an’ I’ll consider us square.

May the Matron take him to Her Bosom, that he may never want.
And in his heart sow serenity, purity, and sanctity.

???: You there! Yes, you!
Wood Wailer: Your face is not known to me. Newly come to the city, no doubt.
Bertennant: I am Bertennant, a Wood Wailer of Gridania.
Bertennant: It is my duty to protect our nation from her enemies while welcoming those who may yet prove her friends. Let us see which you are.

???: …Hey. Hey, you!
Grizzled Passenger: Y’all right, lass?
Grizzled Passenger: You were moanin’ somethin’ fierce for a while there.
Grizzled Passenger: Feelin’ the effects of the aether, I reckon.
Grizzled Passenger: You’ll get used to it, though, don’t worry.
Brass Blade Captain: You there─halt!
Carriage Driver: What’s all this about!?
Brass Blade Captain: Inspection! Men, search the carriage!
Grizzled Passenger: I’m just an honest peddler, friend. So, er…don’t be too disappointed if you don’t find nothin’, eh?
Brass Blade: Mind your tongue, old man, lest I cut it out!
Brass Blade: Sir, look! Somnus!
Brass Blade Captain: Honest peddler, was it? Since when do honest peddlers deal in prohibited herbs?
Brass Blade Captain: You’re in a lot of trouble, old man. You’ll rot in a dungeon till the end of your days…unless you can afford the fine.
Grizzled Passenger: Heh, business as usual…
Grizzled Passenger: Uwaaah!
Brass Blade Runner: Amalj’aa! Amalj’aa! To arms! To arms!
Brass Blade Captain: Seven hells… Consider this a warning! Now go─all of you!
Grizzled Passenger: Phew… That kind of excitement ain’t good for the heart.
Grizzled Passenger: You be careful ’round them Brass Blades, lass. Bastards’ll have the shirt off your back if they fancy it. Like common bandits, they are, only less honest.
Grizzled Passenger: Thank the gods for sendin’ some beastmen to the rescue, eh!?
Grizzled Passenger: Hey, seein’ as we’ve still got a long ride ahead, you mind keepin’ me company till we arrive?
Grizzled Passenger: Them young’uns don’t much care for conversation, see.
Brendt: Brendt’s the name, an’ peddlin’s me trade.
Brendt: An’ judgin’ by your unusual garments, I’ll wager you’re one of them new adventurers.
Brendt: I knew it! Goin’ wherever the wind blows, seekin’ fortune an’ glory─now that’s what I call livin’!
Brendt: So long as you can avoid dyin’, I mean. Ain’t no secret that adventurin’s a risky business─these days especially.
Brendt: What was it that first attracted you to it?
Brendt: …Power? As in, er…power to do good? Like protectin’ the weak, an’ fightin’ for what’s right, an’ all that? Aye, I thought that’s what you meant. Well, adventurers do get up to a lot of fightin’, that’s for sure. You’ll never be short of a chance to polish your warcraft in the adventurin’ business.
Brendt: When you arrive in town, you’d best enroll at the Adventurers’ Guild─they’ll set you on the right path.
Brendt: An’ it wouldn’t hurt to join a guild, neither.
Brendt: Ul’dah’s home to a few, so if you fancy learnin’ how to fight with a sword, your fists, or even spells, you should think about seekin’ one out.
Brendt: Just remember, though: there’re more important things than fortune an’ glory. Such as breathin’. Ain’t no profit in bein’ dead, an’ that’s a fact.
Brendt: By the by, is this your first trip to Ul’dah?
Brendt: It is!? Well then, let this journeyed itinerant tell you the ins an’ outs of your destination.
Brendt: Ul’dah’s ruled by the sultana in name, but as most folk know, the Syndicate holds all the real power.
Brendt: Them and their Monetarist cronies would happily get rid of Her Grace altogether, but that won’t happen while she still commands the loyalty of the Royalists─an’ the Royalists are nothin’ if not loyal.
Brendt: These factions have long fought over power, throwin’ the weight of their wealth against each other, an’ they show no sign of stoppin’.
Brendt: ‘Course the lizardmen─that’s the Amalj’aa─couldn’t care less about Ul’dahn politics. They have their own interests, see─an’ they ain’t afraid to use force to serve ’em.
Brendt: They say war is a gift to peddlers─need breedin’ profit─an’ though it shames me to say it, I’m inclined to agree…
Brendt: Ah, at long last.
Brendt: Behold Ul’dah, jewel of Thanalan, where folk turn sand into gold!

Deep in the sunbaked south, surrounded by the shifting sands of an endless desert, she rises.
A solitary rose amidst the dust and rock. A symbol of defiance. Her name: Ul’dah.
Even with the coming of the Seventh Umbral Era, hope springs eternal for the mongers and merchants who vie for lost fortunes in this bustling oasis.
As the Twin Faces of Nald’thal maintain Their vigil over all that has been and shall be, the present proffers a brave soul…
…One whose arrival could mark the beginning of a new era of prosperity for the realm.

Brendt: An’ here’s where we part ways, lass.
Brendt: I’m off to the markets to deliver me wares, then it’s on to the highroad for me.
Brendt: Here, I want you to have this─by way of thanks for puttin’ up with me prattle.
Brendt: You never did tell me your name, though. Hey, but here’s an idea…
Brendt: Become the sort of storied personage I can brag about havin’ met, an’ I’ll consider us square.

May the Traders nurture our fortunes as They kindle the flames which burn within us all.
For by fire are we reborn.

???: Oi, ‘venturer! Over here!
???: Aye, I mean you.
???: Fresh off the carriage, by any chance? Eh? How can I tell? Heh!
Wymond: Name’s Wymond, an’ my business is knowin’ every bugger else’s!
Wymond: Now then, what if I was to offer you some invaluable advice by way of welcome to our fair city? Free of charge, even─just this once, like.

I close my eyes, tell us why must we suffer
Release your hands, for your will drags us under
My legs grow tired, tell us where must we wander
How can we carry on if redemption’s beyond us?

To all of my children in whom Life flows abundant
To all of my children to whom Death hath passed his judgement
The soul yearns for honor, and the flesh the hereafter
Look to those who walked before to lead those who walk after

Shining is the Land’s light of justice
Ever flows the Land’s well of purpose
Walk free, walk free, walk free, believe…
The Land is alive, so believe…

Suffer (Feel) Promise (Think) Witness (Teach) Reason
(Sleep) Weather (Sleep) Wander (Sleep) Answer
Sleep on

Now open your eyes while our plight is repeated
Still deaf to our cries, lost in hope we lie defeated
Our souls have been torn, and our bodies forsaken
Bearing sins of the past, for our future is taken

Mired by a plague of doubt, the Land, she mourns
Tell us why, given Life, we are meant to die, helpless in our cries?

Witness (Feel) Suffer (Think) Borrow (Teach) Reason
(Hear) Follow (Feel) Stumble (Think) Wander (Teach) Listen
(Blink) Whisper (Blink) Shoulder (Blink) Ponder (Blink) Weather
(Hear) Answer (Look) Answer (Think) Answer together

In one fleeting moment, from the Land doth life flow
In the same fleeting moment
Thou must live
Die
And know