Summary:
My final Shadowbringers crafting quest with the Facet of Forging. Iola
serves the beast tribes of the First and gets her father’s forge rolling
again.
---
Iola, Forgemaster
-Iola is… well, the forgemaster. She also runs a private forge called the Iron Bellows. It’s a bit weird, since I get the sense she only helps the Facet of Forging on the side.
-Her forge has been going downhill from her father’s time. She now has just one employee, little business.
-We get a new commission from the Zun, the beast tribe that handles amaro. Can we craft something to protect them from animal bites?
-Back when her business started to falter, her father made an arrangement with a moneylender known as Walden. It didn’t help much, and the father had to turn over a precious ring he made for his wife. One of Iola’s long-term goals is to get that ring back.
But first, she needs to rebuild the forge’s finances and regain her lost employees.
-Successful first commission. The Zun we crafted it for was reluctant – not used to metal armor – but these helped protect against some bitey amaro.
-Next client is the Mord (the First’s kobolds). We make them some jars for their tasty worms.
Each beast tribe seems surprised that any craftsman is accommodating their needs.
-Things are picking up! And some of the Iron Bellows’ old employees are returning. At least Iola a good boss. Her former employees seem to be excited to rejoin.
-Next client: the Ondo (First’s sahagin). I craft them some metal tridents, an upgrade to their coral ones.
(Though again, the real quest here is for Iola to build up the Iron Bellows enough to rehire even more old employees. One more to go.)
-After another successful transaction, the last of the Bellows employees returns.
A heterochromic cat dude named Sue-Rend.
-I’m nervous. Everything has gone so well that I’m waiting for another shoe to drop on this quest line.
---
To Struggle Nu Mou
-We’ll expand the business to Il Mheg, meeting with the Nu Mou in their weird mushroom town.
-They want… “censers?” Oh, incense burning container things! Coming right up, pups.
-I craft it back at town. Btw, I like how these 70-80 crafting role quests mix items you have to farm with items you just have to craft where they provide the materials.
-lolol the Nu Mou communicate with us in the Crystarium via a flying pig familiar. Frigging pixies.
-Things are humming… but Iola still yearns for that ring.
---
-Final project of the Iron Bellows questline: helping the Crystarium’s guard. Her father always had them as a client too, even when helping them netted a loss that hurt the Bellows’ finances.
Given all that the guard do, it’s a public service at the least.
-The Nu Mou told Iola about a magical talisman the old Voeburtite knights used to ward off magic. This was an old failed project of her dad’s, so she has the chance to build on it.
-This time, it’s Captain Lyna herself who comes by to accept the order of amulets. Good to see her.
-WOOOOO! I just hit 80 on all my crafting and gathering jobs. *dances wildly*
---
The Iron Bellows
-The other employees pull me aside. They want to do something to show their appreciation to Iola and to celebrate the return of the Iron Bellows. Buying back her ring.
-But the moneylender who bought it, Walden, increased the price by an absurd amount.
-OH SHIT I ALMOST FORGOT WE GOT A NU MOU ON OUR SIDE
“That Walden needs a lesson in equilibrium.”
DO NOT FUCK WITH PIXIES IN MATTERS OF FAIR TRADES.
-The Nu Mou helps me craft an enchanted ring. The enchantment makes it tantalizing to Walden, and he goes full on Gollum. Trades us Iola’s ring in exchange for his Precious.
-With that, the celebration of the Iron Bellows is on. A feast with employees and our beast tribe customers alike.
-She’s struck hard when her employees gift her the ring.
IOLA: “I’d thought myself alone since my father died, but it seems I do have family around me after all.”
-That was a sweet ending. Not the most impactful facet questline for me personally, but I liked it still.
---
For Every Child a Star
-An extra quest cropped up just now from Katliss, a manager of the facets.
-She has a final request for me. Some of the children are having trouble with the return of the night sky. They’re afraid of the dark. Won’t I help?
-This requires the aid of all the facet leaders. I LOVE IT
-They all craft lanterns, each according to the style of their facet. The gatherer finds a glowing flower, Iola crafts a sturdy metal lantern, etc.
Bethric’s light from the facet of fishing.
-The kids are delighted. They even get to see some fireworks.
-Katliss lost her son and husband. Seems like helping these kids here was cathartic for her.
---
---
Iola, Forgemaster
-Iola is… well, the forgemaster. She also runs a private forge called the Iron Bellows. It’s a bit weird, since I get the sense she only helps the Facet of Forging on the side.
-Her forge has been going downhill from her father’s time. She now has just one employee, little business.
-We get a new commission from the Zun, the beast tribe that handles amaro. Can we craft something to protect them from animal bites?
-Back when her business started to falter, her father made an arrangement with a moneylender known as Walden. It didn’t help much, and the father had to turn over a precious ring he made for his wife. One of Iola’s long-term goals is to get that ring back.
But first, she needs to rebuild the forge’s finances and regain her lost employees.
-Successful first commission. The Zun we crafted it for was reluctant – not used to metal armor – but these helped protect against some bitey amaro.
-Next client is the Mord (the First’s kobolds). We make them some jars for their tasty worms.
Each beast tribe seems surprised that any craftsman is accommodating their needs.
-Things are picking up! And some of the Iron Bellows’ old employees are returning. At least Iola a good boss. Her former employees seem to be excited to rejoin.
-Next client: the Ondo (First’s sahagin). I craft them some metal tridents, an upgrade to their coral ones.
(Though again, the real quest here is for Iola to build up the Iron Bellows enough to rehire even more old employees. One more to go.)
-After another successful transaction, the last of the Bellows employees returns.
A heterochromic cat dude named Sue-Rend.
-I’m nervous. Everything has gone so well that I’m waiting for another shoe to drop on this quest line.
---
To Struggle Nu Mou
-We’ll expand the business to Il Mheg, meeting with the Nu Mou in their weird mushroom town.
-They want… “censers?” Oh, incense burning container things! Coming right up, pups.
-I craft it back at town. Btw, I like how these 70-80 crafting role quests mix items you have to farm with items you just have to craft where they provide the materials.
-lolol the Nu Mou communicate with us in the Crystarium via a flying pig familiar. Frigging pixies.
-Things are humming… but Iola still yearns for that ring.
---
-Final project of the Iron Bellows questline: helping the Crystarium’s guard. Her father always had them as a client too, even when helping them netted a loss that hurt the Bellows’ finances.
Given all that the guard do, it’s a public service at the least.
-The Nu Mou told Iola about a magical talisman the old Voeburtite knights used to ward off magic. This was an old failed project of her dad’s, so she has the chance to build on it.
-This time, it’s Captain Lyna herself who comes by to accept the order of amulets. Good to see her.
-WOOOOO! I just hit 80 on all my crafting and gathering jobs. *dances wildly*
---
The Iron Bellows
-The other employees pull me aside. They want to do something to show their appreciation to Iola and to celebrate the return of the Iron Bellows. Buying back her ring.
-But the moneylender who bought it, Walden, increased the price by an absurd amount.
-OH SHIT I ALMOST FORGOT WE GOT A NU MOU ON OUR SIDE
“That Walden needs a lesson in equilibrium.”
DO NOT FUCK WITH PIXIES IN MATTERS OF FAIR TRADES.
-The Nu Mou helps me craft an enchanted ring. The enchantment makes it tantalizing to Walden, and he goes full on Gollum. Trades us Iola’s ring in exchange for his Precious.
-With that, the celebration of the Iron Bellows is on. A feast with employees and our beast tribe customers alike.
-She’s struck hard when her employees gift her the ring.
IOLA: “I’d thought myself alone since my father died, but it seems I do have family around me after all.”
-That was a sweet ending. Not the most impactful facet questline for me personally, but I liked it still.
---
For Every Child a Star
-An extra quest cropped up just now from Katliss, a manager of the facets.
-She has a final request for me. Some of the children are having trouble with the return of the night sky. They’re afraid of the dark. Won’t I help?
-This requires the aid of all the facet leaders. I LOVE IT
-They all craft lanterns, each according to the style of their facet. The gatherer finds a glowing flower, Iola crafts a sturdy metal lantern, etc.
Bethric’s light from the facet of fishing.
-The kids are delighted. They even get to see some fireworks.
-Katliss lost her son and husband. Seems like helping these kids here was cathartic for her.
---
AND THAT’S IT HOLY SHIT I DID IT! Completed all my crafting and gathering questlines. That was a lot of fun! It was a struggle around the midpoint, but then Square Enix revamped everything. They pared down a lot of the confusing complexity around the crafting jobs, and it went so much more smoothly.
I also have to thank my friend Raq, who walked me through a lot of the different gameplay loops and quest types unique to crafting.
Not sure where I go from here. I’ll likely dabble in some high end crafting stuff, but story is the main driving force for me rather than gear, so I’ll probably move on for now.
---
Random Stuff Around Eorzea
(This section will be longer than usual, as I want to include anything notable/funny I saw that I didn’t get to include in my earlier crafting and gathering posts.)
A pirate player and her pet parrot:
A Lalafell and their fox:
A pink Roegadyn:
A minion that’s one of the First’s cactuars. I like how its flowers randomly bloom:
A jagged crystalline sword:
A dapper frog:
A flamboyant frog:
The appropriately-named chef, Tabemono Kun:
A beautiful day in the faerie kingdom of Il Mheg:
A squirrel girl:
-Some great player names I’ve seen:
Merlin The-mage
Socks Chan
Dale Grible
Maxwell Stabbington
Brankle Spankle
Conrad Twiggly
Ethan Dalmasca
Winter Moonlight
Am Bizzy
King Bebop
Yenneferof Vengerberg
Ivanna Humpalotte
Bilbo Dabbins
Cobbler Kabobaler
Preppy Girl
Nachobell Taco
Krafty Kupo
Lindsey Hunter (like the basketball player)
Greed Demon
Delicious Sandwiches
Babyface Mcfaceface
---
Next time: I already got red mage to 80 and completed the Shadowbringers magic dps role quest. Three role quests remain: physical dps, tank, and healer. My tank (warrior) is already at 80, and I want to try dancer for the physical dps role who would start at 60. I’ll work on them next, and simultaneously start on the Shadowbringers beast tribe quests with the pixies.
