Shaped like a giant hourglass with an eye in its middle, the Hourglass Nebula is one of the most beautiful objects that can be observed from Earth. The eye in the center is a red giant, emitting high—energy solar winds that are spread around the star in two flattened rings. These ejected particles emit light as a result of being trapped in the star’s complex magnetic fields.
Miounne has a mind to assign you a mission of great import.
Mother Miounne: Time is of the essence, so I shall speak plain.
Mother Miounne: Based on Luquelot’s observations, the Ixal have designs on the Guardian Tree, and they mean to act soon.
Mother Miounne: The tree is the oldest living thing in this ancient forest, and it is held sacred by every forestborn Gridanian.
Mother Miounne: Should it come to any harm, the elementals would fly into a rage beyond pacifying. I dread to think of the chaos that would ensue.
Mother Miounne: There isn’t much time. We must act quickly.
Mother Miounne: Mortimer, please see this letter to the hands of Bowlord Lewin, at the Seat of the First Bow in Quiver’s Hold. Should the need arise, pray put yourself wholly at the man’s disposal. I strongly suspect he will need all the able-bodied souls he can muster.
Mother Miounne: The fate of Gridania hangs in the balance. Go swiftly, Mortimer.
Gods’ Quiver Bow: An urgent message from Mother Miounne? Very well, you may enter.
Lewin: So you are Mortimer Croix, the adventurer of whom I have heard so much. I understand you wish words with me.
Lewin: Miounne has information on the Ixal, you say? Speak freely─you have both my ears.
Lewin: …Matron forfend! They mean to defile the Guardian Tree?
Lewin: Before Nophica, I swear those filthy birdmen will not touch it─nay, not so much as a single leaf!
Lewin: Twelve help me! How can it be that neither the Wood Wailers nor the Gods’ Quiver caught wind of this?
Lewin: I cannot help but think this plot bears the mark of the masked devil who has eluded us for so long. We must be wary─this incursion may be more than it seems.
Lewin: Ah, would that the Warriors of Light were still with us…
But this is no time for such idle thoughts. I thank you for delivering this message. You may assure Miounne that I will dispatch a unit of my best men to investi─
Gods’ Quiver Bow: My lord!
Lewin: What is it!?
Gods’ Quiver Bow: It’s the Ixal, sir! The Ixal have amassed at the Guardian Tree!
Lewin: Already!? Bloody hells…
Lewin: Mortimer─Miounne believes you capable, and I can think of no better judge than she. Lend us your strength this day─aid in the defense of the Guardian Tree!
Gods’ Quiver Instructor: The Bowlord sent you, yes? Good to have you with us!
Gods’ Quiver Instructor: The birdmen have completely surrounded the Guardian Tree, and their calls grow more urgent by the minute.
Gods’ Quiver Instructor: Whatever it is they mean to do, we cannot let them go through with it. They must be stopped, no matter the cost!
Ixali Occultists: O mournful voice of creation!
O mournful voice of time!
Ixali Chieftain: Squaaawk! Attend me, all!
Ixali Chieftain: To us, this forest, Tinolqa, belongs!
Ixali Chieftain: Wisdom of Paragons, we possess! To our former glory, restore us it will!
Ixali Chieftain: From this tree, a great crystal we take! Unto Garuda, an offering we shall make!
Ixali Chieftain: Unfeathered ones and elementals, banish we shall! Our ancient home, reclaim we will! Squaaawk!
Lewin: First squad, left flank. Second and third, right flank.
Lewin: The rest, form the main host with me. It is high time we reminded our Ixal guests why we Quivermen are to be feared!
Lewin: This position is yours, adventurer. May the elementals keep you!
Ixali Chieftain: Squawk!?
Ixali Chieftain: Interrupt us, you dare!? In your own blood, you shall bathe!
Gods’ Quiver Bow: Impressive work, adventurer.
Gods’ Quiver Bow: The Bowlord bids you hold this position. Enemies may yet lurk near, so stay on your guard.
Gods’ Quiver Bow: We go to bolster the left flank, where the battle yet rages.
Masked Mage: The source of his strength becomes clear…
Masked Mage: You may have bested the golem, but you will not fare so well this day.
Masked Mage: O mournful voice of creation! Send unto me a creature of the abyss, my thrall to command, that I may smite mine enemies!
Masked Mage: Your very being imperils the plan. You cannot be suffered to live.
Masked Mage: Unnngh… That the wisdom of the Paragons should be brought low…by mere mortals…
Papalymo: …Paragons?
Yda: That’s what I heard.
Papalymo: The Bringers of Chaos…or Ascians, to give them their proper name.
Papalymo: It would seem our suspicions were correct─it is they who have been manipulating the beast tribes.
Lewin: Mortimer, are you unharmed!? Had I known this creature was near, I would have sent men, not called them away!
Gods’ Quiver Bow: There is no mistake, sir─he is the one who stirred the Ixal from their nest. Our intelligence was reliable.
Lewin: So this is the man who has eluded us for so long?
Yda: Right! We finally got him!
Papalymo: We sensed an ominous presence, and came here as swiftly as our legs would carry us.
Yda: Well, it’s good to know what we’re up against, anyway.
Lewin: My thanks as ever, friends.
Lewin: Quivermen! Move out!
Lewin: To say you played an instrumental role in the success of this mission would scarcely do justice to your efforts this day, adventurer. Upon your return to Gridania, pray visit me at Quiver’s Hold. I will see to it that you receive the thanks you are due.
Yda: Hmmm…you’re probably wondering why we always seem to appear when there’s trouble, right?
Yda: Well, trust me when I tell you that it’s almost never our fault. Despite what it looks like, Papalymo and I are actually helping the Gridanians. And we’ve been doing so for a good few years, too. Oh! Did I mention that we’re not from around here?
Yda: Hm? Why, yes, we are Sharlayans! However did you know?
Papalymo: So I wasn’t mistaken…
Yda: Mistaken? About what?
Papalymo: Nothing. Nothing at all.
Yda: Awww! You always do that! Mumble something loaded with meaning, only to keep it to yourself when someone asks! It’s unfair! And it’s especially unfair when the someone is me!
Papalymo: Oh, do calm down! I’ll tell you later.
Yda: Hmph! I bet you won’t. Anyway, all’s well that ends well.
Papalymo: …Quite. We’d best be on our way.
Yda: See you later!
Gods’ Quiver Bow: Welcome back, adventurer. Your exploits at the Guardian Tree are the stuff of songs. The Bowlord awaits you within.
Lewin: I have awaited your return, Mortimer. Allow me to thank you again for helping us to defend the Guardian Tree.
Lewin: Not only did you put the invading Ixal to rout─you confronted the masked mage and his fell minion, and emerged the victor.
Lewin: I have good men and women under me, none of whom give me cause for complaint─but you, Mortimer, are a class apart.
Lewin: Your strength, your determination, your heart…
Lewin: You have all the makings of a great adventurer. Miounne is seldom mistaken in her appraisals, and she is plainly not mistaken now.
Lewin: Gridania is stronger for your presence. The Elder Seedseer will doubtless be pleased to learn that a capable adventurer like you has come to us.
Lewin: Once more, I thank you. Owing to your valor, disaster has been averted.
Kan-E-Senna: I am come to express my gratitude for your valiant efforts before the Guardian Tree.
Kan-E-Senna: I am informed that an adventurer of singular talent now walks amongst us. You are he, are you not?
Kan-E-Senna: My name is Kan-E-Senna, and it is my solemn charge to watch over all who call Gridania home.
Kan-E-Senna: Well met and well come to our fair nation.
Kan-E-Senna: It was your valor that won us the day, I believe. On behalf of all Gridanians, I offer you my humblest thanks.
Kan-E-Senna: This gift I present to you as a small token of my gratitude. I hope that you will ever remain a friend to Gridania.
Kan-E-Senna: Greenbliss is coming. It is an age-old ceremony to renew the bond between man and elemental.
Kan-E-Senna: Over the centuries, it has blossomed into a joyous festival encompassing Gridanians from every walk of life.
Kan-E-Senna: I should be most gratified if you would participate in the ceremony as Emissary.
Kan-E-Senna: I look forward to seeing you on that most joyous of days.
Kan-E-Senna: Till then, fare you well. May you walk in the light of the Crystal.
The estimation of a star’s life expectancy has turned out to be quite simple. It only depends on one property – mass. The mass of a star determines all significant properties of the star – the aforementioned life expectancy, but also colour, temperature and obviously size. It also specifies its destiny. Let us focus on this chart now, which is known under the name of HR Diagram. This diagram is crucial for a deeper understanding of stars. With a bit of courage, it might even be said that the HR Diagram is one of the most eminent findings of astronomy:
The diagram in front of your eyes classifies all stars in the universe – each star in the observable cosmos could be categorized into one of the categories above. First, let us focus on the most important part of the diagram, the main sequence, which stretches diagonally from the top left-hand corner to the bottom right-hand corner. At the start of its life, every star belongs among the stars of the main sequence. All the stars outside this sequence are either dying (giants and supergiants) or have been long dead and just keep harvesting the energy they have produced during their lifetime (white dwarfs).
Let us now describe the fascinating life story of individual star types. And let us begin with the very smallest ones, which a located at the bottom right-hand corner of our diagram. These stars have earned an apt nickname – red dwarfs.
The life of a red dwarf starts the same as the life of all the other stars – inside of a nebula. For some reason, however, red dwarfs have not been able to accumulate as much matter as their larger relatives – perhaps their nebula was too small or a different star forming in the same nebula has deprived them of some mass. Whatever the case, the mass of a red dwarf ranges from 0.1 to 0.5 solar masses. Their red colour comes from the fact that they have quite a low temperature, so they only emit red light, which has the lowest energy. What is truly remarkable is that more than three quarters of all stars in our galaxy happen to be red dwarfs.
However, if you wish to set your eyes on one of them, I have bad news for you. From the Earth, we cannot observe even a single red dwarf, since they have very small luminosity – sometimes even one ten-thousandth of the Sun’s luminosity. They compensate for this deficit by being able to glow for trillions of years. Red dwarfs are true masters of longevity – since the birth of the cosmos, not even one of them has used up its fuel in the form of hydrogen. Therefore, we cannot know how the life of a red dwarf ends – not even one of them has died to this day. But very likely they will end up in the bottom left-hand corner of our diagram as white dwarfs, where they will stay for another billions of years.
Now, let us move to the next category of stars. Stars of similar masses as our Sun (located in the middle of the main sequence) leave the world in a somewhat more spectacular way. At the beginning of their lives, Sun-like stars behave just like red dwarfs – they serenely link hydrogen nuclei and radiate heat. But they have much greater temperature, which gives them their yellow or white colour.
However, as a sacrifice for their greater luminosity, they die much faster. Once a Sun-like star depletes the hydrogen supplies in its centre, which usually lasts several billion years, the core begins to collapse rapidly under its huge gravitational pressure. The gravitational crash causes a massive rise in the core’s temperature – sometimes even a hundred million degrees Celsius. However, this temperature is sufficient for the star to start connecting helium nuclei (the second lightest element) in their cores and therefore avert its extinction temporarily.
But this trick has a little side effect. As the star starts fusing helium, its blistering core starts warming the surrounding parts, which causes a massive rise in the star’s volume and eventually its transformation into a red giant (the top right-hand corner of the diagram). It is appropriate to know one thing about red giants – the term giant is definitely not exaggerated.
It is estimated that once the Sun gets to the red giant phase, it will increase its diameter about 250 times. Imagine a football that just so happens to inflate to the size of a huge sphere 60 meters in diameter – a similar thing will happen to our Sun. It goes without saying that when it happens, it will not be a good idea linger anywhere in the vicinity of the Earth, unless you wish to be burned alive (the heat will become so intense that even mountains will begin to melt) or even pulled inside the Sun’s interior – scientists are still unable to agree as to whether the Earth will be at least partially spared from the Sun’s rampage, or whether it will be engulfed along with the first two planets of our solar system – Mercury and Venus.
Whatever the case, if the human civilisation is still around at this point of time, it will roam a different part of the universe – perhaps humans will find a new home somewhere around Pluto, which will at that time provide a convenient temperature for the existence of water in its liquid form. But maybe they will depart to a completely different corner of the Milky Way galaxy. The only consolation provides the fact that it will take several billion years before our Sun swells so much. But let us go back to red giants.
Once a red giant exhausts even all of its helium, it spontaneously ejects billions of tons of material into the surrounding cosmos, and the sole thing left from the entire star will be its core in the form of a white dwarf. An average white dwarf is not much bigger than our own planet. Stars that used to be grandiose red giants therefore end their lives in the same way as red dwarfs – as relatively small space objects waiting to cool down. The whole life of such a star, from its birth to its majestic transition into a red dwarf, lasts a few billion years. If we compare that to those trillions of years red dwarfs can be proud of, we might even say that stars originating from the very centre of the main sequence do not seem to be particularly teemed with longevity.
Now, let us focus our attention on the most remarkable of stars – massive blue stars from the top left-hand corner of the main sequence. The lower limit of their mass is about ten solar masses, but some can reach up to a hundred solar masses. These stars are incredibly luminescent – sometimes even a million times more than the Sun. For this reason, they quickly burn all of their fuel – a star fifty times more massive than the Sun exhausts all of its hydrogen in “just” one hundred million years. After that, blue stars use the same trick as their smaller companions and start fusing helium atoms as giants.
But their pilgrimage is far from finishing here. Once they burn all the helium in their cores, they move to the next stage of their lives, a stage that is even more impressive than the previous one – they become supergiants. It goes without saying that supergiants are enormous. Their diameter is often even a thousand times greater than that of the Sun (and a hundred thousand times greater than the diameter of our tiny planet).
Due to the huge temperature in their cores, supergiants present determined machineries with only one purpose – to assemble heavier elements. While lighter and cooler stars are only able to fuse helium nuclei, which makes them capable of creating carbon nuclei at most, supergiants are definitely not frightened to create even much heavier nuclei. Their endeavour does not stop until it reaches iron – the 26th lightest element. Iron presents the final milestone for fusion. The arrangement of particles in iron’s nucleus is so energetically efficient that whenever iron fuses with a different nucleus, energy is consumed, not created.
At iron, supergiants therefore reach the fatal breaking point – the only efficient tool they have had to counteract gravity betrays them, which means they can no longer resist their gravitational collapse. The atmosphere of the star starts to drift towards its heart under an incredible velocity. After a few minutes, it reaches the star’s nucleus. Once there, the whole atmosphere is bounced back with a tremendous power. The result is an immense explosion in the form of a supernova.
Imagine the overwhelming energy of the nuclear bomb that wiped Hiroshima off the face of the Earth back in 1945. Now multiply that energy million million million million times. Why? Such is the energy released during a supernova explosion. This stellar explosion is so enormous that it cannot possibly be expressed by any superlative. A supernova can outshine the collective brightness of all other stars in its entire home galaxy.
During the explosion, the star has so much redundant energy that it even starts producing elements that are heavier than iron. An average supernova explosion takes only about a minute. In such a brief period of time, an exploding star is able to assemble all of 92 naturally occurring elements of the universe. Heavy elements, such as zinc, iodine, or uranium would never see the light of day were it not for the staggering supernova explosions, since nothing else in the universe simply has the amount of energy necessary for their construction. It is mesmerizing when we realise that all heavier elements around you have once been ejected by one of the ancient supernovae of the early universe.
Fufulupa would entrust you with a matter of grave import.
Fufulupa: I salute you, honored friend. As acting captain, I should be much obliged if you would grant me a personal request.
Fufulupa: In our efforts to ascertain the full extent of the former captain’s corruption, we have been poring over his personal correspondence.
Fufulupa: Our search unearthed this sealed letter addressed to a man named Owyne.
Fufulupa: But he is one of the Sultansworn elite! I can think of no reason why he should have any dealings with Baldewyn!
Fufulupa: We now know that the former captain was consorting with a coalition of criminals… Could it be that Owyne was, too!?
Fufulupa: This letter may well serve as evidence of their collusion, and so I dare not tamper with it myself.
Fufulupa: But given the events of recent days, I knew not whom to trust with this information─until now.
Fufulupa: I have chosen you, Marion. Pray bear the letter to Mistress Momodi of the Quicksand, and relate the circumstances of its discovery.
Fufulupa: Not only is she a staunch supporter of the sultana, but she is well acquainted with the Sultansworn. She will know how best to proceed.
Momodi: Ah, Marion! It’s been too long! Dadanen tells me you’ve been keepin’ busy in Horizon.
Momodi: I want you to know that I’m grateful for everythin’ you’ve done for the people of Ul’dah.
Momodi: Even though you’ve seen the seedier side of our city, you’ve continued to help your fellow man. Believe me, the folk around here love you for it.
Momodi: Hmmm? What is it? You look like you’ve got somethin’ to say.
Momodi: …So that’s what this is all about.
Momodi: Fufulupa’s thinkin’ Owyne might’ve been in league with Baldewyn─that this letter could be proof of somethin’ shady.
Momodi: Well he needn’t worry. Owyne’s as loyal a Sultansworn as I’ve ever known. I haven’t the foggiest what this says, but─
Momodi: Wait a minute. Wasn’t Owyne the one who…?
Momodi: Oh, hells… I’ve got a bad feelin’ about this.
Momodi: Listen, Marion─I think I know what this is all about, but I need you to swear to keep it quiet.
Momodi: If you’d rather wash your hands of this business, I won’t hold it against you. But if you’re determined to see it through to the bitter end, say the word and I’ll explain.
The best way to visualize the speed of light — 186,000 miles or 300,000 km per second — is to picture looking at the Earth from far away and seeing a ball of light spinning around the Earth 7 times per second. Now imagine that ball of light takes off from the Earth in a straight line, going the same speed. Think of how unfathomobly far away that ball of light is a year later. That’s a light year. Or, we can try this comparison: If Switzerland were a grain of sand, a light year would be the circumference of the Earth.
Still — in the grand scheme of things that is still not that much. If you travel a light year from Earth you end up in the middle of nowhere, still way closer to Earth than to anything outside the Solar System.
Ghimthota wishes to entrust you with an important task.
Ghimthota: Meredith. In light of your role in recent events, there are few others to whom I would entrust this task.
Ghimthota: Since last we spoke, a curious missive has been discovered amongst the personal effects of Ahtzapfyn, the pirate behind the plot to sabotage the Victory.
Ghimthota: This missive was penned in the most unusual script─a script we believe to be some manner of code.
Ghimthota: Needless to say, anything which a proven enemy of Limsa Lominsa deems worthy of enciphering is like to be of great interest to the Maelstrom. Unfortunately, none among us can make any sense of the message.
Ghimthota: In cases such as this, I am told the Yellowjackets are wont to turn to Baderon and his convenient…connections.
Ghimthota: Thus I would have you deliver this missive to the proprietor of the Drowning Wench. Into his hand, and no other, do you understand?
Baderon: Ahoy there, Meredith! I’ve been ‘earin’ about your deeds at the Drydocks!
Baderon: Ahtbyrm laid out the entire tale fer me. Poor sod was still reelin’ at ‘is old man’s part in the business, but at least ye kept the Victory from bein’ sunk afore she’d sailed.
Baderon: An’ fer that, I owe ye me thanks!
Baderon: Ye’ve really made a name fer yerself ‘ere in Limsa, lass. Folk know that when they need summat doin’─
Baderon: Eh? You need summat doin’? An’ what might that be?
Baderon: …Ye want someone to read a message writ in funny letters fer ye? An’ Ghimthota thought I might know a man as could? Well, let’s see it, then!
Baderon: Aye…
Baderon: …I reckon I might know a canny bugger what can read stuff like this. Ugly sod by the name o’ Baderon.
Baderon: Ye know, yer like one o’ me regulars now, Meredith.
Baderon: Ye’ve never let me down yet, an’, Navigator ‘elp me, I reckon I can trust ye.
Baderon: Ghimthota was right to want this message deciphered… We’ve got us some trouble brewin’, ‘ere, an’ no mistake. Get ready fer action, an’ I’ll explain.
A great way to take a light year size cloud down a notch is to make fun of it like a schoolyard bully. Named for its embarrassingly high sulfur content, the Rotten Egg Nebula may be glorious and vast, but that doesn’t mean humans have to give it any respect.
Keishinrei