Leofric would like you to deliver an item to Horizon.
Leofric: As you may have noticed, I’m in no shape to leave Lost Hope right now. So, in my stead, I’d like you to return to Horizon and give this dagger to Fufulupa. Leofric: Although it’s just an old, ornamental dagger, it belongs with the Brass Blades of the Rose. Leofric: Aye, I should’ve given it to the boy before I came here…
Fufulupa: Ah, Marion! I received word from Captain Leofric the other day. Thank you for delivering the letter for me! Fufulupa: Wh-Why do you have that dagger!? Only a captain of the Brass Blades of the Rose is permitted to possess it! Fufulupa: Captain Leofric says I am to have it? There must be some mistake! Fufulupa: He couldn’t possibly mean to tell me that─ No, no, of course not. I am not worthy to wield it. Fufulupa: Nevertheless, I shall respect the captain’s wishes and take the dagger into safekeeping until he comes to reclaim it.
This cone—shaped nebula, 2,700 light years away from us and a neighbor of the festive Christmas Tree Cluster, stands an outrageous 15 light years high. If the Cone Nebula were the height of a 50—story skyscraper, our Solar System would be the size of a 10 cm drink coaster and our Sun would be the size of a silt particle, far too small to see with the naked eye.
Ahtbyrm is looking for a member of his crew and the items he was supposed to deliver.
Ahtbyrm: Where in the seven hells is that man!? Not once in twelve moons has he been late with a shipment, and now two whole turns of the sun without a single word. Ahtbyrm: A shipwright of mine─a young man named Fyrilsmyd─recently left Candlekeep Quay to retrieve several crates of supplies ordered from Limsa Lominsa…but has yet to return. Ahtbyrm: I have sent several missives to Haldbroda, but his replies are always the same. He does not recall ever seeing the wright, nor the supplies he was scheduled to collect. That man knows something, and I severely doubt he is telling me the whole truth. Ahtbyrm: As I cannot leave my post, I would ask you to travel to Candlekeep Quay in my stead and inform Haldbroda that if he insists on playing these games, I will personally see that he is transferred to Turtleback Island, where he can rot alone in the middle of the sea for eternity.
Haldbroda: Eh? Does that self-righteous dog Ahtbyrm doubt that I’ve never told him anything less than the truth!? Haldbroda: Turtleback Island!? He cannot do that…can he? Haldbroda: I swear on my poor nana’s grave, Navigator rest her soul, I know naught of this Fyrilsmyd, nor his precious supplies. Haldbroda: Hells, we here at the Quay have had enough trouble these past few suns, what with the sinking of that Lominsan cargo ship off the Salt Strand. I haven’t the time to take a proper piss, let alone make note of every scrag that wanders in off the Grip.
The strong interaction is, as suggested by its name, the strongest of all interactions. It is about a hundred times stronger than electromagnetism (and about a hundred trillion trillion trillion times stronger than gravity). How is it possible that we almost never hear about this interaction if it has such an immense strength? The problem is that its range is just billionth of a millionth of a meter. It may seem that a force with such a short range would never be able to influence our universe in a significant way, but the truth is that without the strong interaction, humans would never be able to exist.
As already mentioned, the universe was flooded with elementary particles right after the Big Bang. Those then started clumping together to create composite particles – quarks started forming protons and neutrons. But what caused them to attract? Why were quarks so keen on creating more complex particles? As you may already suspect, the attraction between individual quarks was provided by the strong interaction.
It does not end here, though. The strong interaction is to blame for another crucial phenomenon of our reality – the existence of atoms. We already know from the previous chapter that the same electric charges repulse each other. However, this means that protons in the nuclei of complex atoms should repulse and escape into all conceivable directions. But the strong interaction ensures that protons remain together. If electromagnetism were just a tiny bit stronger than the strong interaction, the existence of atoms would simply be impossible.
The final force, the weak interaction, may be the least known and the least interesting of all interactions. However, this is not to say it is not important. The weak interaction has the power to turn a neutron into a proton. Why would it do that? Within some atoms, there is an unstable ratio between the number of electrons and the number of protons in the nucleus. And the weak interaction is here to make sure that this instability is eliminated. When there are too many neutrons in a nucleus, the weak force simply turns one of them into a proton. This phenomenon is called the beta decay.
As we know from the first chapter, the number of protons in the nucleus determines what atom we are dealing with. But this means that any time an atom undergoes beta decay, which adds one proton into its nucleus, the whole atom changes into a different element. The weak interaction can therefore turn carbon into nitrogen or hydrogen into helium just by turning neutrons into protons.
And that is all. We have reached the end of the story of interactions. They make sure that our universe functions the way it does and without them, we would have never existed – perhaps with the exception of the weak interaction, which is the only one that does not affect the course of the cosmos in a significant way. Now, we can focus our attention on another fascinating element of our universe – huge fusion factories which are making billions of photons each moment.
Eylgar would like to impose upon the kindness of an adventurer.
Eylgar: You’re quite the compassionate adventurer, by the sound of it. Well far be it from me to look a gift chocobo in the mouth─I have need of a capable man like yourself. Eylgar: We received a peddler at the gates the other day─an excitable Lalafell that was sweating and swearing that he had been attacked by large winged beasts. Yet other than hornets, I know of no flying creatures in this region. Eylgar: If there’s any truth to what he said, it might prove problematic for other travelers. Follow the road south and see if you can find any evidence to support his claim. Eylgar: And, should you find something, kindly tell Lothaire to patrol his area sometime instead of just standing beneath the spire and staring at the godsdamned road. In those words.
Lothaire: …A northern vulture? Two? And they were defending a nest!? Lothaire: Well, I, uh…perhaps we could omit that last detail from any official reports. I would rather not give Eylgar any further cause to be cross. Lothaire: Thank you for slaying the beasts. You may rest assured that I will not permit this to happen again.
Tied with the Big Dipper for the biggest celebrity constellation, Orion is the great hunter in our night sky. If you look carefully on a clear night, you can see the great Orion Nebula right beneath Orion’s belt. The nebula contains on estimated 2,000 times the mass of our Sun and is one of the best—observed stellar nurseries — a hotbed of new stars. Observing the Orion Nebula has helped astronomers understand more about how stars and planets form.
Leofric has a request for an adventurer looking to do some good.
Leofric: I thought I told you to get out of here. What, looking for a chance to do some good? (sigh) I guess I can’t force you to leave. Damn stubborn adventurers, the lot of you. Fine, then. Listen well. Leofric: A band of outlaws has taken up residence at the Quiveron Manse on the ridge to the south. Leofric: Their leader has styled himself heir to Eolande Quiveron, the Syndicate member who died in the Calamity. (spit) Leofric: The baron and his cronies are naught more than a pack of jackals. They prey on the people of Lost Hope, robbing them of what little they have. Leofric: I myself cannot act without endangering the refugees, as they know my face and will retaliate against Lost Hope. You, however, are not known to the bandits or their allies. If you wish to help us, then deal with the baron.
Leofric: So it is done? Good. I hope that wretch died screaming. Leofric: Ul’dah is more prosperous than ever, some say. That may be true for the Syndicate, but none of that wealth has trickled down to the smallfolk. Leofric: It’s all a mummer’s farce. One day, I refused to play my part─and so I was made to leave the stage. Leofric: Aye, my time has passed. The Brass Blades of the Rose must look to others for guidance.
Keishinrei 