Mission: Flames of the Dead (Chains of Promathia, ch.5)
-I return to Cid in Bastok after the whole Prish-Black Magicitite thing.
-Ulmia joins me, as well as Shikarees X, Y, and Z. They are “sin hunters.”
-The trackers are involved because the Mithra representative on the Multinational Expedition all those years ago foud a shard of magicite and brought it back to the Mithra homeland. Bad stuff followed.
-The Mithrans met Prishe and Cardinal Mildaurion in the Tavnazian Cathedral during their efforts to investigate the magicite. They saw the “Star of Tavnazia” – magicite – and the Mithrans demanded that she dispose of it.
The Cardinal said no. “She would only say that the stone was necessary to wake the gods from their eternal slumber.”
-So some combination of the magicite with the hymns sung by the Tavnazian choir – or even just by Ulmia probably – would bring the gods back to life.
-At this point, four of the verses of the song have been recited. There is a fifth verse though, “and only the sleeping gods know it.”
So… how do you break the cycle? Like, if the song wakes sleeping gods, and only the sleeping gods know it, how are the wakers supposed to ever learn that fifth verse?
-Ah. Shikaree Z thinks that the evil god that woke recently in Uleguerand Range may know and say it.
I love the design for the Mithran trackers, especially the one with the trident.
SHIK. Z: “Or possibly the woman in Sel—No. I cannot trust you yet with that information.”
HJDKLSFHDJKLSFHDSKL GRRRRR.
-Fine. So a woman in Selbina might know something. Ok. The Mithrans leave.
-Two more quests ahead of me here. Do I investigate Al’Taieu or find Selh’teus? I’ll find Selh’teus.
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Mission: The Pursuit of Paradise (Chains of Promathia, ch.5)
-The next step to find Selh’teus is to join Tenzen. Tenzen went to La Theine Plateau to seek out Carbuncle, another terrestrial avatar, and ask for his help against the Emptiness.
-Tenzen joins me at this stone-circle in La Theine Plateau. He uses his status as wielder of Phoenix’s breath to request Carbuncle’s presence.
“The Keeper of the Apocalypse has come to Vana’diel, and four of the mothercrystals are besieged by darkness. Yet in the face of this crisis, Bahamut and Diabolos do nothing to defend them. Diabolos draws sould into his dreamworld to shelter people from the Emptiness. And Bahamut rallies his wyrms for the destruction of every last person on Vana’diel in the name of some ancient pact!
“Carbuncle. We all carry the curse of Promathia within us, and it is not within our power to lift this bane. But I cannot accept this as justification for genocide! We were born as part of fate’s design, and we will live the lives we have been given!”
WOOHOOO GO TENZEN!!! (I also seem to remember Selh’teus saying something like this to Bahamut.)
-Carbuncle appears. Carbuncle, who is on part in status and power with Bahamut and Diabolos.
HE. IS. SO. CUUUUUTE.
A BUNNYSQUIRREL THAT I WANT TO HUG.
CARBUNCLE: “No matter how tightly sealed, as long as it exists alongside the mothercrystal, Promathia’s will shall one day awaken.”
So Promathia’s curse is somehow tied to the mothercrystals.
“That is why I have come to guide you. Guide you to the power of the slumbering gods.”
YAY!!! Carbuncle is on our side! He wants as many people as possible empowered to stop Promathia from awakening.
TENZEN: “The slumbering gods…you speak fo the great avatars that dream away their existence in every corner of Vana’diel?”
I wondered about this. What gods exactly is he talking about? The likes of Ramuh and Shiva and those types?
-Tenzen’s blade starts to vibrate. Phoenix isn’t happy with this plan.
CARBUNCLE: “Every time the power of the avatars is granted to a person, it hastens the awakening of the sleeping gods. If the siphoning of energy continues, the boundaries of the crystal world they protect will shatter, and their true forms will manifest upon this world of Vana’diel.”
That sounds bad. It would apparently lead to a battle between the terrestrial avatars and the newly-awakened gods. But since it may be the only thing to prevent Promathia’s resurrection, it’s worth risking.
-Tenzen asks a question I’ve definitely had. Why is Promathia’s curse leading to the opening of the Gates of Paradise? Wasn’t the purpose of that very curse initially to STOP people from trying to open the Gates?
-Apparently not. Or I’m misunderstanding things. But whatever the case, the true purpose of Promathia’s curse was to eventually lead to his resurrection.
CARBUNCLE: “Thirty years ago, I sensed the birth of the Keeper of the Apocalypse.”
WAIT. Thirty years ago? But Selh’teus is, like, thousands of years old. So does this confirm that Selh’teus is NOT the Keeper of the Apocalypse? Hm. Not necessarily I guess, since Selh’teus could have taken on that role only thirty years ago.
Still suspicious. Thirty years ago was the Multinational Expedition to the northlands. As I hear this, I’m getting nervous. If djinn87 is right, and Prishe was part of the Multinational Expedition, she could well be the Keeper we need to destroy. God, I hope not.
-Carbuncle can no longer sense where the Keeper of the Apocalypse is. But he thinks Phoenix will guide us, so he’s lending his strength to the Phoenix blade.
-But this isn’t so easy. Carbuncle’s strength doesn’t exist here. It exists in a city built by the Kuluu. Pso’Xja. “The power we granted the Kuluu in ancient times should still be sealed within that city.”
Another trip to Pso’Xja incoming to secure Carbuncle’s power.
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Mission: Spiral (Chains of Promathia, ch.5)
-I arrive at the west-most tower of Pso’Xja in Beaucedine Glacier and go down.
-The last part of Pso’Xja I was in had a maze of portals to go through. This is more straightforward, with one single path and Gargoyles blocking each door.
-My old friends the Tonberries also reappear down here. Makes sense, since this was a Kuluu city.
-Found an elevator that takes me down to a lower level of Pso’Xja, to an “Avatar Gate.”
This must be the place.
-Very odd room inside. A device that we activate, to grant Tenzen’s blade the power of Carbuncle.
TENZEN: “I… I can hear the voice of Phoenix! She’s telling us to return to the place where we first met Selh’teus.”
Jeuno. I first met Selh’teus in Jeuno, when he was just a random injured kid who escaped whatever happened at Delkfutt’s Tower.
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Mission: Branded (Chains of Promathia, ch.5)
-I speak to Doctor Monberaux, who first cared for the boy. Monberaux doesn’t seem to know anything new – just heard that the end of the world might be near, and that a warrant is out for Prishe’s arrest.
-News reaches us here that Jeuno is preparing to attack Bahamut. That… sounds like a bad idea?
TENZEN: “Yes, Bahamut has threatened Vana’diel with the promise of apocalypse. However, he is still one of the terrestrial avatars bound to protect our world.”
-Tenzen still wants to persuade Bahamut, not attack him. He asked to join Lady Esha’ntarl (who I think is Cardinal Mildaurion, but we’ll see). She said no.
Okay. So if I’m right, if Esha’ntarl is Cardinal Mildaurion, what does she gain by attacking Bahamut? He’s in the way of Paradise. Maybe if she kills him, she’ll be able to open the Gates of Paradise finally and… do something pro-Promathia?
-The other nations – Bastok, Windurst, San d’Oria – have no idea about this impending attack. And even if they did, Tenzen says it wouldn’t help.
“Bahamut is known as the conqueror of the skies for a reason. The power he and his minions possess is beyond anything we could imagine – the power to control time and space.”
HOLY SHIT. Bahamut can do that?
-Tenzen still holds out hope. Bahamut is building up the energy necessary to teleport his wyrms to the point of attack. After he reaches that point, it sounds like we’re fucked, but beforehand, maybe we can reach him and persuade him to not attack Vana’diel.
-But in order to succeed in this act of persuasion, Tenzen is convinced that we need to know where Selh’teus was first discovered by the Jeuno soldiers. I don’t understand why exactly. Monberaux gives up the answer: Delkfutt’s Tower.
-Wolfgang, the Jeuno captain, has the key to the particular chamber within the Tower. Tenzen already charged off, but Monberaux is frenemies with Wolfgang. He thinks that if I ask Wolfgang for the key, then Wolfgang might oblige. He’s a Jeunoan, sure, but ultimately a good person.
-I reach the Jeuno palace, and find Wolfgang.
Unfortunately, he was looking for me, because Duke Vicarious Esha’ntarl wants to hear from my own lips what happened in the Northlands with the fourth mothercrystal.
-She learned that we failed to protect it, that Selh’teus still managed to get his Emptiness inside it. However, she blames Nag’molada for this, not me. Reasonable.
-A question: will we join with Jeuno to protect the mothercrystals? I mean… I don’t want to say no, but I really don’t trust this woman.
-Fine. I’m in. With eyes open.
-I relate what happened at the fourth mothercrystal to Esha’ntarl, including Prishe’s involvement that helped Selh’teus and thwarted Nag’molada.
ESHA’NTARL: “We do not wish to punish [Prishe]. We feel that she may be in grave danger. We must find her so we can protect her.” Suuuuuuuure.
-The fifth and final mothercrystal lies beneath the sea. The only one who knows how to reach is Prishe apparently, though I don’t understand how.
ESHA’NTARL: “If you find the girl, bring her here. No harm will be brought to her. I swear on the name of the Goddess.” SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURE.
-Just now, Nag’molada busts in. He blames Prishe’s meddling for stopping their plans to capture Selh’teus.
NAG’MOLADA: “The ‘testament of affinity’ she possesses – it connects the hearts and souls of men. Selh’teus has been using that to control her!”
The thing is, Prishe seemed like she was channeling Selh’teus of her own free will.
-Nag’molada here informs everyone that he learned Al’Taieu, the old Zilart capital, may yet live in some way, and that Selh’teus may be trying to protect it. Answers lie there, including why Selh’teus feels the need to poison the mothercrystals with Emptiness for the sake of Al’Taieu.
-The Jeuno high command says NO. Nag’molada is getting taken off the case. He is being sent to investigate something about Moblins (those weirdo goblins in FFXI). Uh. Wow.
-Esha’ntarl’s plan to catch Selh’teus now is to draw him forth without traveling to the fifth crystal even.
-OHO!! Esha’ntarl possesses an amulet that she knows Selh’teus wants.
ESHA’NTARL: “I am waiting, Selh’teus! Come and fulfill the pact!” …what pact?
[Later edit: I remember now that someone basically mugged Prishe and took her amulet. Everyone thought it was Selh’teus, but if that’s the case, I don’t know how Esha’ntarl would have gotten her hands on it.
Although we know the Zilart king made a bunch of these amulets for the Kuluu who lost the whisper of the soul to help communicate. It could be just another one lying around. But that sounds like a stretch.]
-The meeting with the Duke Vicarious ends. Wolfgang doesn’t give me the Delkfutt’s Tower key I was hoping for.
-I return to Monberaux. His response is a very FFXI response:
“Where should you go? Hah hah. That’s a secret, Detolilla. Though, if you think hard enough, I feel you will come to understand.”
-I mean. Maybe? Whatever. I’m just going to head back to Delkfutt’s Tower to meet up with Tenzen.
OH NEVER MIND! There’s no something drawn on Monberaux’s message from Wolfgang. A map of Batallia Downs with the inscription “K9N.” So I guess I have to head to the north part of the K9 coordinates in Batallia Downs for the Delkfutt’s Tower key.
This is Wolfgang helping me secretly. Thanks, Wolfgang!
-I also take back that brief snark I gave towards FFXI’s vague questing system. I mean, it’s usually deserved, but was not this time.
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Next time: entering Delkfutt’s Tower, following Selh’teus’s back trail.
