Summary: A sahagin attempts to preserve a beautiful species of fish. The new year comes to Eorzea.
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Whither Wawalago Wanders
-The guildmaster, Wawalago, has made a new friend. A sahagin, Govv. Wawalago accidentally caught Govv with his hook, but they got to talking, found they shared a love of the ocean, and boom! Friends.
-Govv has a problem. He lost a beautiful specimen of fish called the “shooting star of the sea.” The local ones just left. He followed their trail here, to Limsa Lominsa.
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A Rousing Reunion
-Govv has rushed off on a hunch of sorts to the Velodyna River, near Rhalgr’s Reach. I pursue.
-LOL – I find him here with Reyna, the wonderful NPC from the Heavensward fishing quests. She was casting a line in this river when the dunkus Govv bit once again.
-Anyway, the sahagin is convinced that the pollution in this river has something to do with the shooting stars’ disappearance.
-But he won’t really share the details with me. Doesn’t trust “shorewalkers,” and so it’s time for a fishing contest! I have to fish up three deep Velodyna carp before him.
-I like XIV fishing, but it’s far more opaque than other crafting and gathering. Other jobs say where to find items, your chances to gather successfully, and more. For fishing, I use guides and wikis.
-Anyway, I win the contest and IN HIS SHAME he acknowledges me. (Apparently, sahagin are great fishers, and this was tough on him.)
-Oh. He thought the shooting stars were dying because of this pollution, but didn’t know they’re not native to this river. Reyna found they come from further east. Starting there as hatchlings, then journeying west.
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Search for the Spawning Grounds
-Reyna’s research reveals that the shooting stars come from the Ruby Sea, where they’re known as harutsuge.
-The Kojin (turtle beast tribe) note that the harutsuge have been diminishing, even there.
-I fish up some sample harutsuge younglings. Maybe these will tell us what’s wrong.
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Always a Bigger Fish
-We don’t find any obvious disease or problem. Maybe some environmental factor.
-An old fisherman in Hingashi notes that before the Empire took over, they used to hold an annual ceremony where fishermen would catch the biggest fish they could to offer to the kami. The Garleans stopped it, so maybe predators have made a comeback.
-We need the kojin’s approval to renew the Wadatsumi festival. I’ll catch them some prized fish, dafangshi, to earn favor.
-New fishing mini-game: spearfishing! It’s more active than regular fishing, and pretty fun. Started catching ichthyosaurs, and eventually drew out the dafangshi in a secret node.
-The kojin love our gift. The Wadatsumi’s revival is on.
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Whither Wawalago Wanders
-The guildmaster, Wawalago, has made a new friend. A sahagin, Govv. Wawalago accidentally caught Govv with his hook, but they got to talking, found they shared a love of the ocean, and boom! Friends.
-Govv has a problem. He lost a beautiful specimen of fish called the “shooting star of the sea.” The local ones just left. He followed their trail here, to Limsa Lominsa.
---
A Rousing Reunion
-Govv has rushed off on a hunch of sorts to the Velodyna River, near Rhalgr’s Reach. I pursue.
-LOL – I find him here with Reyna, the wonderful NPC from the Heavensward fishing quests. She was casting a line in this river when the dunkus Govv bit once again.
-Anyway, the sahagin is convinced that the pollution in this river has something to do with the shooting stars’ disappearance.
-But he won’t really share the details with me. Doesn’t trust “shorewalkers,” and so it’s time for a fishing contest! I have to fish up three deep Velodyna carp before him.
-I like XIV fishing, but it’s far more opaque than other crafting and gathering. Other jobs say where to find items, your chances to gather successfully, and more. For fishing, I use guides and wikis.
-Anyway, I win the contest and IN HIS SHAME he acknowledges me. (Apparently, sahagin are great fishers, and this was tough on him.)
-Oh. He thought the shooting stars were dying because of this pollution, but didn’t know they’re not native to this river. Reyna found they come from further east. Starting there as hatchlings, then journeying west.
---
Search for the Spawning Grounds
-Reyna’s research reveals that the shooting stars come from the Ruby Sea, where they’re known as harutsuge.
-The Kojin (turtle beast tribe) note that the harutsuge have been diminishing, even there.
-I fish up some sample harutsuge younglings. Maybe these will tell us what’s wrong.
---
Always a Bigger Fish
-We don’t find any obvious disease or problem. Maybe some environmental factor.
-An old fisherman in Hingashi notes that before the Empire took over, they used to hold an annual ceremony where fishermen would catch the biggest fish they could to offer to the kami. The Garleans stopped it, so maybe predators have made a comeback.
-We need the kojin’s approval to renew the Wadatsumi festival. I’ll catch them some prized fish, dafangshi, to earn favor.
-New fishing mini-game: spearfishing! It’s more active than regular fishing, and pretty fun. Started catching ichthyosaurs, and eventually drew out the dafangshi in a secret node.
-The kojin love our gift. The Wadatsumi’s revival is on.
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Farewell, and Thanks for the Fish
-The festival’s fishing contest kicks off. Catch as many high-quality giant plesiosaurs as you can. Govv and the Kojin will chase them underwater while everyone else grabs them on the surface.
-It took pushing to level 71 for Shadowbringers gear, but eventually hooked them.
-Success! If they keep this festival up, the harutsuge will make a comeback.
-Govv and I dive underwater to see what we can.
There aren’t many, but the “shooting stars” are definitely here. The species is safe.
-What a cool storyline! I liked working with a sahagin, and mostly enjoyed how this whole thing was about protecting a beautiful piece of nature that fascism nearly wiped out.
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Mochi to Be Desired (Heavensturn/New Year’s)
-The harbinger of the new year, the Nezumi Bugyo, announces the year of the rat.
Aww! I love his rat hat.
-Unfortunately, they want to celebrate by giving out mochi made by rats. The west is not super into this, as rats are seen as a plague-bearing pest.
-A local Qiqirin, Neneroon, wants to help us. Qiqirin are rat-people beasts. Helping dole out delicious rat-made mochi cakes will improve the Qiqirin standing in town.
-Further trouble strikes when the mochi gains sentience. Just everyday life in Eorzea.
-Hee! The FATE itself is a giant living mochi in the shape of a flan.
We fight it, gradually cutting advent cakes from its body. Seems intensely cruel to keep slicing after it can feel pain, but c’est la vie. This isn’t Star Trek.
-The Lominsan head chef smells the cakes and he’s into it. Doesn’t care if a rat or rat-person cooked them. His word will make them sell like gangbusters.
NEZUMI BUGYO: “We must go forth and prepare to bring our advent cakes to the masses, who shall soon doubtless be clamoring for a fair plague’s worth of rats to descend on their city!”
Psst. Maybe in your advertising don’t use the words “plague” or “descend?”
Hanging out in my new rat hat.
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Random Stuff Around Eorzea
Badass golden armor:
A lonely wandering red mage:
Mining with my minion, Alpha, in the Azim Steppe:
A teleporting viera:
Some great player names:
Lady Vonscrufflebutt (easily my favorite)
Hoppy Ale
Melody Mcilrath
Undercooked Noodle
Hot Diggitydog
Ssour Snack
Spaced Kitty
Owain Galahad
No’memes Here
Perma Frost
Seifer Al’masy
Eller Mentary
Bigus Boius
Ed Gar
Epik Weeaboo
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Next time: the 60-70 carpenter questline.
