Mission: Southern Legend (Chains of Promathia, ch.5)
-I have to learn more about the history of the Al’Taieu painting by talking to the Mithran chieftanness in Windurst.
-Chieftainess Vashai doesn’t know much about the painting, and the Mithran Sin Hunters who might know are busy right now hunting down Cardinal Mildaurion for sins related to the painting.
-The Cardinal took the picture from the Temple of Uggalepih. The Mithran trackers found her. She knew everything about the picture, and the Mithran duties relating to it.
-She convinced the trackers that she had the means to carry those duties herself in Tavnazia. The Trackers accepted this and left. What duties though? Stopping the Keeper of the Apocalypse?
-No. The duty given to the Mithra was to awaken the sleeping gods.
-According to Mithran legend, the Zilart’s failed attempt to open the Gates of Paradise caused Emptiness to pour out. Altana wept tears at the attempt, and the living beings of Vana’diel tried using the tears of Altana to cleanse the world.
-A battle erupted between the Zilart king and Bahamut over the fifth tear. The survivors of this battle used the power of the sleeping gods to heal the land. The resting places of the gods are giant, glowing crystals, the tears of Altana.
Two possibilities about these tears. She could be talking about the mothercrystals, or about the elemental protocrystals I’ve seen around the world. Not sure which.
Inside those crystals are immortals who were called forth to heal the world before, and went to sleep. The Emptiness has continued to bleed out, and so it’s time for the Mithrans to awaken the sleeping deities and mend the world. The Cardinal said she’d take this on and the Sin Hunters think she betrayed them.
-Louverance and I leave. He’s a bit confused by all this since the Mithra theology differs from the Elvaan theology, but the basic premise of spreading Emptiness that needed to be healed holds true.
-A Tarutaru named Honoi-Gomoi appears. He seems to know Louverance, delivering something that “was broken when you [Louverance] crossed swords with that detestable Vukki.” Some history here that I don’t know.
-Honoi-Gomoi references a bounty hunter named Goldmane who troubled Louverance and fled to an island south of Mhaura. Louverance is excited to hear this, and goes to take care of whatever business this is on his own.
-Lol yeah right. As if I’m not gonna follow and stick my nose where it doesn’t belong. Off to Mhaura.
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Mission: Partners Without Fame (Chains of Promathia, ch.5)
-Reaching the island is a minor pain. About 10 minutes of waiting at the dock and another 15-20 minutes of sitting on the boat, and I reach Purgonorgo Isle.
-There’s a boat glitch that amuses me. The ship keeps picking up sea creatures that just chill on board, like a surly calamari.
-I find Louverance already here. He’s chasing someone, really kicking their ass.
-His prey is Vukki-Chebukki, a Tarutaru. Vukki knows he’s outmatched, but is trying to force a stalemate. He’s got a carrier bird ready to go who would fly to the palace of San d’Oria with a note that Sir Louverance is still alive.
He’s behind the times, hiding out on this island. They already know he’s alive. Louverance says as much, and couldn’t give a shit about that bird.
What did this little Tarutaru do to incur Louverance’s wrath?
-Vukki was around during the catastrophe in Tavnazia. He’s shocked to hear that Tavnazians still survive in the Tavnazian Safehold. His wife and child died during the war twenty years ago, and he has been in isolation since.
LOUVERANCE: “These very same villains [responsible for the state of the marquisate] are soon to be the recipients of tears of gratitude from the very people they condemned to misery.”
So JEUNO is behind the destruction of Tavnazia! Holy shit! Louverance isn’t here to kill or punish Vukki-Chebukki. He wants to spur Vukki into vengeful action.
-Louverance intends to tell the truth about what happened in Tavnazia 20 years ago, about “the dark purpose of the allied army, hidden behind the confusion of the Great War.” It sure as hell sounds like Louverance has evidence (not sure on the specifics) indicting Jeuno and the Society for the fall of Tavnazia.
-He’s got this whole plan in the works! He controls the successor to the Tavnazian Marquisate (is that Ulmia?), and is preparing to channel funds and troops for the restoration of the Marquisate. The funds and troops will go towards recovering the knowledge and relics collected by the Tavnazian Cathedral, relics which were stolen by Cardinal Mildaurion.
This explains why he is so gung-ho to find Cardinal Mildaurion. Not just catching a thief, but getting back the wealth that will fund the redevelopment of the fallen Tavnazian Marquisate.
-This is why Louverance has come here. He wants Vukki’s help. Vukki knows the way to “the source of this bounty,” to Al’Taieu.
-Vukki had been on a secret mission to find the way to the celestial capital, but claims he doesn’t know anything. Louverance doesn’t believe him.
“Now choose! Will you keep your silence, or keep your life!?”
GO LOUVERANCE!
-Vukki gives up the one piece of info he knows. That the way to Al’Taieu opens only once very hundred years. Some Brigadoon bullshit.
-Vukki flees, his role done.
-Louverance ponders this. He thinks the statue of Promathia is also a relic from Al’Taieu, and thus the professor in Windurst who got that statue might just know the way.
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Mission: A Century of Hardship (Chains of Promathia, ch.5)
-I head to Windurst to check in with Doctor Yoran-Oran. He says that there were actually two types of soil on the statue of Promathia. Soil from the Sea of Shu’Meyo and soil from Gustaberg.
-My next stop is a new area beneath Gustaberg, the goblin mine of Oldton Movalpolos. Louverance is here.
-One of Louverance’s colleagues said he spoke with Tarnotik in the eastern part of Oldton Movalpolos about the Promathia statue, so I go find him.
-As we’re talking, we see Selh’teus across the mine, strolling along. We’re close to the path to Al’Taieu.
-I like this zone. The music down here is ragtime. The look resembles a less toxic version of Dark Souls’ Blighttown.
-Found Tarnotik. He can get me to “Shaft #2716,” but wants a flower that grows in snow first. I warp back to town, buy a Snow Lily from the auction house, and return to him. He warps me into the mine shaft.
-Cutscene. A bunch of goblins are dancing with joy in front of Selh’teus: “Promathia’s reborn! Promathia’s reborn! He’s more powerful than ugly goddess goddess!”
-These goblins and the other beastmen were created by Promathia. Makes sense that they’d be excited. But is Selh’teus really Promathia reborn?
-The goblins promise Selh’teus that they’ll take him to “sparkly place,” likely meaning the path to Al’Taieu.
-As Louverance and I are watching this interaction, a Galka comes up behind us named Jabbos. Jabbos has lived with the Moblins down here for a long time in peace, but they’ve been acting strangely of late.
“They praise the Twilight… God… They attack… the children of Altana… But I’ll stop them. I promise.”
-MOTHERFUCKER. The Tarutaru trio showed up. But this time, they’re not here to annoy us. They’re working for Nag’molada, and that means they’re after Selh’teus.
-I charge in, and take out the Moblins helping Selh’teus.
-At the last minute, Jabbos gets annoyed with the Tarutaru trio and launches a bomb at them (which hits us too). Can’t say I blame him. We’re taken prisoner.
-Outside the cage, Jabbos makes the case that the Moblins are being tricked somehow. “That boy… He’s… He’s not Promathia… He looks… nothing… like Promathia…”
-They debate whether Selh’teus is Promathia incarnate. He used dark magic like Promathia, but he doesn’t look like the statue of Promathia that was taken from them, with wings and helmet and all. He also doesn’t have a crystal on his chest.
-GODDAMMIT. I hadn’t thought of the crystal on the Promathia statue in those terms. You know who has a crystal on her chest? Prishe.
-The Tarutaru trio is pretty crafty. They overhear this and offer to trade back the Promathia statue in exchange for custody of Selh’teus. (Not sure how an annoying group of kids would ever take someone as powerful as Selh’teus against his will though.)
-Selh’teus has heard enough. He starts to walk away. Jabbos opens the cage, and the Tarutaru chase after Selh’teus.
-Jabbos wants to help us, and knows a lot about the Moblins’ perspective on Promathia. He agrees to meet up with us in Bastok to regroup with Cid.
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Mission: Departures (Chains of Promathia, ch.5)
-Back to Cid in Bastok. No sign of Louverance yet.
-Hi Cornelia! I haven’t seen her in a while. Some angry goblins attacked a restaurant, taking Jabbos back to Movalpolos.
-Cid’s Galka assistant, Raibaht, overhears this. He says that Jabbos has been living with the Moblins for the past century, trying to convince them to make peace with the upper world, but Raibaht wants nothing to do with him.
“He has forgotten his roots – thrown away his identity. He is no longer a Galka.”
-Regardless, we need Jabbos to help track Selh’teus. Back to Movalpolos.
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Next time: rescuing Jabbos.
