A Realm Reborn: Chapter 10 - The Masked Man Unmasked
Welcome back, all! Last time, we defeated Garuda, only for Gaius to show up and feed her, Ifrit, and Titan to his giant robot! That sucked. Luckily, when our heroes returned to the Waking Sands, we found Y'shtola and Yda there, working on rescuing the rest of the Scions from Castrum Centri in Mor Dhona! While they start working on the plan on that end, Satznswys has some work to do for Maelstrom, and definitely not because there really isn't a place to fit this in! Getting in the Ala Mhigan spirit, she's donned some earrings with Ala Mhigo's colors. These earrings are a preorder bonus I got for Stormblood, which when worn, will boost XP gains from levels 1 to 50. However, the Aetheryte Earring works from 1 to 70, and properly gives stats for your current job up to level 70, so it's largely obselete! They do make for some nice glamour, though!
Seems Commander Rhiki has more work from Ishgard, requesting Satznswys specifically after her exemplary work clearing Dzemael Darkhold of its voidsent infestation. Now they want her to clear an old digsite in Aurum Vale, near to where she was searching for Biggs and Wedge last time.
Seems Aurum Vale is infested with not just noxious gas of some kind, but also carnivorous plant life.
Whoo, that was a mess and a half! Thankfully, she came out the other side without debilitating respiratory illnesses!
Back at Maelstrom Command, Commander Rhiki is pleased at her work, and implies that a promotion is in her future!
"Future" being the time it takes to walk from in front of the Commander to the Personnel Officer.
With the promotion to 2nd LT, Satznswys can now transfer between grand companies, if you were getting bored of Maelstrom.
In addition, she's eligible to purchase a housing plot, or an apartment in any of the residential zones! However, Satznswys can already get an addition built on to the Free Company house in Mist.
In addition, with now being a fully commissioned officer, Satznswys can now command enlistees to Maelstrom!
In standing up this new squadron of Maelstrom, Satznswys is assigned a sergeant to be her second-in-command. Now she needs some new recruits.
Oh, perfect!
Here, we're in Satznswys' squadron headquarters, where she can issue commands to her subordinates, but first, she needs to recruit a minimum of four. As you saw, she already has three.
By completing objectives in the Challenge Log, Satznswys will receive new requests to enlist in her squadron.
Nothing can really be done right now, not until she gets a fourth recruit, so that's it for now.
This Lieutenant also has some new work for Satnzswys.
Once you get to the full officer grade ranks, you can unlock the Hunt. There are daily and weekly varieties of hunt bills, with rare enemies offering a stiff challenge, but the rewards can be quite lucrative. The expansions will have their own version of this, but I'll talk about those when I get to them.
How it works is you take a Wanted bill from your Grand Company HQ, then travel to the region where the Mark is located. The Daily bills are the generic trash enemies you've seen out in the world, but once a week, resetting every Tuesday, you'll be able to take an Elite Hunt. Satznswys switches over to Paladin with her strong Ironworks gear, as she's not a skilled enough Monk to take the challenge...not yet, as that run in Aurum Vale got her to level 49.
The Bills that are posted on the Hunt Boards are what is known as B-rank hunts. A level-capped character for the zone can easily solo a B-rank monster. In addition to B-ranks, ther are A ranks.
Like this chonky boy here! A-Ranks spawn infrequently, and have a cooldown timer for spawning at around a real-world day or so. At level 50, Satznswys doesn't stand much of a chance without some allies. In addition to A-ranks, there are S-ranks, which have strange and esoteric spawn conditions.
If you're having trouble finding your B-rank, you might consider dropping a note of that in /shout chat for the zone you're looking in. By doing this, kind players might keep an eye out for you in their other goings on. Players who don't have the hunt bill get no reward of any kind for beating you to the B-rank, and B-ranks will respawn randomly elsewhere in the zone after about a minute, so the only other reason for someone killing the hunt before you get to it is pure jerkbaggery, and most players in FFXIV aren't about that.
You don't need to report back in once you've killed a Hunt, you receive the rewards automatically. For the weekly ARR B-rank Hunts, you get 5000 gil and 100 of a new currency: Allied Seals!
Allied Seals can be exchanged for Grand Company glamour, older tiers of Tomestone gear that have depreciated, rare crafting materials, ventures to pay your retainers, and much much more!
I said that Satnzswys could buy an apartment, and so she does!
Not much to speak of here, but it's a small studio apartment, and it's right up the road from the Free Company house.
So she decides to put up some handbills that Cheemahree brought back to her. Fantastic decoration!
Oh, yeah. Rescuing the Scions. Really should get back to that.
Glaumunt's got one part of the plan to infiltrate Castrum Centri: acting the part. So he sends Satznswys to observe them in action and learn their mannerisms. Specifically, the Imperial army's salute.
Cid's got a bit of a wild plan. To prevent them from reporting stolen uniforms and tightening the already tight security, he's gonna build a jamming device to disrupt their communication equipment. He needs corrupted crystals to do it.
Luckily, there's a fairly large deposit right outside Revenant's Toll.
After scanning the crystal, Satznswys gathers enough data about the corrupted crystal for Cid to do his magitek.
Closer to Castrum Centri, Satznswys gets in close and spies on some soldiers.
Not bad. Completing this quest grants an emote to perform this salute, and will be needed for the actual infiltration.
Reporting back in Revenant's Toll, Cid's got the data he needs.
Glaumunt isn't keen on seeing the salute firsthand, but figures Satznswys knows it well enough to pass muster.
Sark Malark here has a line on some uniforms. He says buying them off the black market would invite too many questions that don't need asking, so it's the old fashioned way: incapacitating or killing a few soldiers until finding enough pieces to fit.
Sized for a Lalafell and two Roegadyn, as Biggs and Wedge will be on the infiltration team. Man, all this sneaking and subterfuge. You know who would be useful for this kinda crap? Thancred. Where is he, anyway?
Sark expected that the pieces Satznswys salvaged would need some tailoring and repair work, so he contacted the masters of the Weavers' Guild and Armorer's Guild, and sends Satznswys to meet with them in Ul'dah and Limsa Lominsa, respectively, to get things set up.
Luckily he's willing to keep mum on the situation.
Seems Sark is a rich boy. Interesting.
While the uniforms won't stand up to a blade, they're more likely to pass casual inspection.
H'naanza gets to work, and off-handed mentions Sark's lineage. A merchant prince in his own right, he made a lot of coin in Ul'dah outside of his family's wealth. However, instead of keeping it rolling, he rolled his wealth into his true passion: adventuring.
Sark vouches for the craftspeople's work, and thus, we have a disguise. He goes on to say that the bulk of Garlean forces are conscripts of conquered nations, so it won't be unusual to see a diverse mix of races in Imperial colors.
While she was out running errands to Ul'dah and Limsa, Glaumunt hatched a plan to get ahold of some magitek armor! Sweet! He's fed the imperials some false intelligence that should bait out a magitek reaper.
Heading out in her disguise, she finds the patrol baited out, and gives them more false information to lure the armor closer to Revenant's Toll.
Lock and load!
Done and dusted.
However, seems like Satznswys might've gone a little overboard with punching the machine. Looks like it'll need a little work if it's gonna be used to infiltrate the Castrum.
And Satznswys punched right through it with her bare hands!
Oh.
Biggs flings Wedge into the air!
So Biggs and Wedge will be burning the midnight oil to get this hunk of junk in working order.
Nice touch is that the machine limps back to Revenant's Toll.
Back in the workshop that Slafborn set aside for them, they're hard at work.
Unfortunately, the part in question cannot be repaired. It must needs be replaced, and the imperials pushed the one currently installed past its recommended service life.
It'd be too suspicious to attack and dismantle another reaper to get this one running, so Wedge has another idea: replacing the core with the heart of a mammet: a small toy-like mechanism that drives marionette-like constructs called mammets. Most of the wind-up minions you see out and about are mammets.
Oh. Uh. Will this reaper be able to feel love? Wedge says that he's ordered the core in question from the Goldsmith's Guild in Ul'dah. So back there she goes!
...Alphinaud, what HAVE you been telling people?
No, don't change the subject!
So anyway, Alphinaud bankrolled this one, so at least he's using his assets wisely.
When it doesn't start up immediately, Wedge attempts some percussive calibration to get it working.
Giving the reaper a bit of a shakedown trip around the corrupted crystal, seems everything is working.
Though Wedge notices some incompatibilities with the mammet heart and the rest of the systems when he hits on an idea.
...I don't know how I feel about this.
Cid explains that the servomechanism that Wedge has substituted is needed to simplify the machine's movement to allow for ease of use during combat. Otherwise every little joint movement would require input from the pilot.
Shame, really.
Aw heck.
The Centurion calls for reinforcements.
Aw yeah, awesome, Cid!
As you might guess, you need to keep the imperials off the reaper, with Wedge calling the machine "Maggie".
Oh boy. That second shot is unfortunate timing on my part. The reaper's camera field of view settles on Satznswys's face briefly.
Alright, seems like we're ready to go!
Back in the shop, Glaumunt comes by to wish the team luck. Seems he wants to get something off his chest though.
The imperials took his family and put them in a labor camp. He hatched a plan to get them out of Ala Mhigo, but the plan went south, and his mother and sister threw themselves into a gorge rather than be recaptured. This broke him, and he himself was recaptured. He eventually escaped again. This was all about 20 years ago, and while he swore he'd take revenge on the Empire, he hasn't done anything to strike back, and he regrets that. By working on this plan, though, he's heartened.
And so our team sets out.
Geez Cid, you could at least clean things up here so she can change, gosh.
Stop. Just stop.
Pretty simple: Cid and Alphinaud cause a distraction, and Biggs, Wedge and Satznswys will make their way inside and find the rest of the Scions.
Let's do this.
Thanks, Y'shtola.
Meanwhile, Livia is roughing up Minfilia in a cell somewhere in the Castrum.
Eikons are the what the imperials call the primals. It's a loan word they took from ancient Allagan texts about the entities.
She puts a boot in Minfilia's gut.
And with that she takes her leave.
Satznswys sneaks around in plain sight, trying to get information about where the others are being held.
...Better not tell Wedge. He'd be likely to bring the whole Castrum down around your ears, buddy.
This seems too easy.
Yep, this seems about right.
So, yeah, taking head counts, that's Yda, Y'shtola, Minfilia, Urianger, Papalymo, and Tataru all accounted for. Where the hell is Thancred?
Tataru recognizes Wedge, and smartly gets back in line, trying to pretend that she doesn't.
Wedge is a little more slow on the uptake.
Oh boy. Here we go!
Don't worry, Tataru. You're mostly safe now.
Papalymo thinks what I've been thinking for a while.
Good call, Urianger.
Ah, heck. Better shake a leg, gang.
So, funny story about this scene. For an April Fools Joke one year, Square Enix used the in-game engine to create a short movie to "tease" a fighting game version of Final Fantasy XIV.
I tell you what, the real meta in this game is Raubahn & Nanamo. S++ tier. Square Enix, balance your game.
But no, it went more like this.
Biggs works to cover Tataru and Minfilia, while Urianger busts out his arcanist skills, and Papalymo his thaumaturgy to take down these magitek vanguards. You need to seek out the field generators in the area to remove the barriers making them impervious to damage.
Finishing that, our heroes escape, but are rapidly cornered.
Not much commentary for this scene. It's just nice, and I wish I could show it in motion.
"...or the masses that clamor for their implausable panaceas." Thanks, Gaius.
Oh...right. That thing.
Minfilia gives Gaius's warmachina a name: Ultima Weapon. A relic of ancient Allag, excavated from beneath Ala Mhigo.
Alphinaud marks the Ascian as an overlord. Minfilia is convinced that it's Lahabrea.
Dun-dun-DUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
Cid turns the ship to flee.
Well, now we know where Thancred's been this whole time.
Honestly, Alphinaud, Satznswys doesn't think it your fault. But the more important question is "How was this Ascian able to infiltrate the Scions in Thancred's guise?"
Minfilia gets a call on her linkpearl, from someone named Krile. You can only hear her side of the conversation, but it seems that some item or another is ready for her. There's no text script for the conversation, it's only portrayed through Minfilia's voice acting in the background while Alphinaud continues his rah-rah speech.
Meanwhile in Ul'dah, Raubahn seems to have gotten word of Ultima Weapon.
The Admiral comes in, conferring with her officers via linkpearl.
The Elder Seedseer is not far behind. She asks of Ishgard.
Keep this simmering in the back of your mind for a while, dear readers.
The Sultana enters as well.
Raubahn, having not been at the Howling Eye, hasn't seen what Ultima Weapon is capable of.
Nanamo lays the terms bare: surrender or resistance, but there really is no choice, since if one surrenders, all three will surely fall.
The Scions arrive in Ul'dah.
I dunno, Wedge. You did just kinda ditch your reaper and run away like a wimp...
Yeah, that plan seemed to have Alphinaud written all over it. Tataru just seems to be consoling herself with her favorite song.
You're pretty confident, Alphinaud.
Minfilia urges Satznswys to head to the Fragrant Chamber, where the three heads of state are in council.
Namedropping the Scions tells Bartholomew here to buzz off.
The commanders continue to deliberate, unable to come to a consensus.
She continues, wondering if they have the right to go to war against Gaius and his weapon, and ask the people of Eorzea to sacrifice the fledgling stability they have rebuilt over the last five years.
Raubahn does not agree.
But he can't refute their words either.
Nanamo tries to encourage the others.
Kan-E-Senna agrees with the Sultana's point.
and, on cue...
Hopefully this turns the tide of the conversation.
Minfilia makes a valid point. As Satznswys saw in the Howling Eye, the desperation of those Amalj'aa and Kobolds was enough to call Titan and Ifrit to manifest there. Who's to say what might happen if the sahagin or tempered sylphs got wind of this and conjured their own gods to protect them?
Alphinaud asks them to remember the day that his grandfather sacrificed himself for Eorzea. The generals committed their forces completely to fight back the Empire at Carteneau.
Kan-E-Senna thinks back to those Warriors of Light.
Nanamo is invigorated by these words, and they all share a laugh.
The Admiral is the best, let's be honest.
And so, the three heads of state burn the Black Wolf's ultimatum, and begin to talk strategy.
The Sultana asks the Scions to return to the Waking Sands and await the Alliance's battle plan.
Arriving back in Vesper Bay, not all the Scions were lost. Fellows such as Arenvald here survived, though they've all lost something dear...
Back in the Solar, the inner circle of the Scions are preoccupied by various things, not the least of which is Thancred's apparent betrayal.
Yda and Papalymo are, of course, arguing with each other.
Cid is worried about how the Ultima Weapon might've been restored. He seems to have an inkling, though. "No, he didn't..."
Alphinaud muses to himself. Then he asks if Minfilia had some sort of trick up her sleeve to inspire the leaders of the nations.
Cid agrees to cover Thancred's post in Ul'dah.
Minfilia says that Ascians use Crystals of Darkness to ensnare and possess mortals, at least, that's all the information the Students of Baldesion have been able to turn up.
But where did you get this replica? Minfilia explains that she got it from the Students.
Thancred, for all his faults, is driven.
Minfilia surmises that if they could destroy the Crystal of Darkness that he carries, he might be freed of the Ascian possessing him. Of course, Satznswys agrees.
Huh. Okay...? Even Minfilia admits that she sees that resemblance as well.
The people cry out for a savior.
So, Satznswys is THE Warrior of Light of this Seventh Umbral Era. Perhaps she and the rest of the Scions can usher in a new Astral Era.
Later, the Scions reconvene, as Alphinaud has brought tidings of the Alliance's plans: dubbed Operation Archon.
The plan's goal is to see Castrum Meridianum fall, where the Ultima Weapon's home port is.
There are four objectives to Operation Archon:
Rhitahtyn is said to be heading to Cape Westwind, not far from Vesper Bay.
So Satznswys will take him on.
Phase two is to sever Castrum Meridianum from its supply lines. Maelstrom will attack Castrum Occidens, while the Lominsan navy siezes the Empire's sea base. The Adders will secure Castrum Oriens in the Twelveswood.
Phase three, the Immortal Flames will press north to Castrum Meridanum to serve as a diversionary force. Five'll get you ten as to who's leading the elite adventurers inside the Castrum. Satznswys's goal there is to disable a magitek field generator protecting the Praetorium, a fortress within a fortress that houses the Ultima Weapon.
Finally, after the Adders secure Castrum Centri and cut off the main railway supply line to Meridianum, the Flames will press fully into Meridianum, and allow Satznswys's unit to move in to the Praetorium and destroy the Ultima Weapon.
Even most of the free companies of Eorzea are pledging their swords. Maybe even the Talking Tyrants, perhaps...?
Assignments are doled out: Y'shtola, Yda, and Papalymo will liase with Maelstrom and the Twin Adders. Urianger and Tataru are assigned to work with the Flames. Alphinaud, Minfilia, and Cid will accompany the main host at Castrum Meridianum and provide intel and advise the troops on the ground.
Minfilia directs Satznswys to Cape Westwind, and wishes her luck.
Outside the Waking Sands, Satznswys got a quest that is an alternate way to unlock the dungeon Aurum Vale.
...and the quest experience is 1,034 points shy of pushing Satznswys to level 50. Damn it.
From here, you can see Cape Westwind silhouetted in the distance.
Finally, pay dirt!
So Satznswys prepares to head into the base around Westwind...
And punch one enemy down to get to level 50. Later, nerds, she's got a Job quest story to complete!
Erik is all about his latest breakthrough.
So off to Mor Dhona with her.
Yeah, this makes sense.
Widargelt has made a mess of these Imperial troops. Look buddy, don't screw up Operation Archon.
This seems...less than ideal.
And so, seems there's nothing for it but to fight.
Hitting Level 50 gives Satznswys access to two abilities: First, the Role Action True North. This lasts for 15 seconds, and removes all positional requirements from attacks. So Bootshines will always crit, Twin Snakes hits for its full damage, and so forth. It's very helpful when soloing, or when enemies don't like facing one direction all the time, or you are forced to move. In addition, you get two charges of the skill, meaning you can have a pretty decent amount of time to not have to be so fastidious about positionals.
The second is Perfect Balance. This monk skill will allow you to freestyle your Raptor, Coeurl, and Opo-opo attacks in any order that you wish. You can hit three Opo-opo attacks and get up to three greased lightning stacks rapidly, spam auto-critting Bootshines, or mix them up with Dragon Kick, a skill we will learn after this quest is over. It's very useful as a burst phase, or restarting your Greased Lightning if your stacks drop.
Widargelt, power is nothing if you can't see past the end of your own nose.
Satznswys is fighting not just for her own selfish reasons, but for the future of all of Eorzea. Not just Ala Mhigo, not just Ul'dah, not just Gridania or Limsa Lominsa either. If she fails, then Eorzea is toast.
Oh, so the chakra aren't superstitious nonsense any more, Erik?
He takes a swing at Widargelt!
Aether is the force of life in all living things. In that sense, they are all one with the world.
Erik echoes the words that I just wrote above, that they have a duty to one another, to use their power to deliver a future full of life, not death.
Wow. Eorzea must be on the cusp of doom for Erik to be so kind.
Before, all that Widargelt held in his heart was revenge. The easiest, and most dangerous of motivations.
And he removes his robe and hands it to Satznswys.
Completing the final Monk quest for ARR gives you the skill Dragon Kick. It's a Raptor attack that deals more damage from the flank, and grants a buff called Leaden Fist. This buff lasts for 30 seconds, and doubles the potency of your next Bootshine. So you'll want to alternate Dragon Kick and Bootshine during your Greased Lightning loops.
So, Satznswys has come a long way from that carriage trundling into Ul'dah. She's battled gods, lost close friends, navigated political intrigue. Now comes her greatest challenge yet: stopping Gaius van Baelsar's twisted ambition to unite Eorzea under his boot heel with the force of an unstoppable ancient weapon at his beck and call.
But now that the Scions of the Seventh Dawn are back, Satznswys feels no need to hide behind the guise of the warrior monk. When she faces Gaius and his Ultima Weapon, it will be as an honorary member of the Sultansworn.
And bearing the Ala Mhigan spirit of the Fists of Rhalgr on her earrings.
Next time, Operation Archon begins.
Welcome back, all! Last time, we defeated Garuda, only for Gaius to show up and feed her, Ifrit, and Titan to his giant robot! That sucked. Luckily, when our heroes returned to the Waking Sands, we found Y'shtola and Yda there, working on rescuing the rest of the Scions from Castrum Centri in Mor Dhona! While they start working on the plan on that end, Satznswys has some work to do for Maelstrom, and definitely not because there really isn't a place to fit this in! Getting in the Ala Mhigan spirit, she's donned some earrings with Ala Mhigo's colors. These earrings are a preorder bonus I got for Stormblood, which when worn, will boost XP gains from levels 1 to 50. However, the Aetheryte Earring works from 1 to 70, and properly gives stats for your current job up to level 70, so it's largely obselete! They do make for some nice glamour, though!
Seems Commander Rhiki has more work from Ishgard, requesting Satznswys specifically after her exemplary work clearing Dzemael Darkhold of its voidsent infestation. Now they want her to clear an old digsite in Aurum Vale, near to where she was searching for Biggs and Wedge last time.
Seems Aurum Vale is infested with not just noxious gas of some kind, but also carnivorous plant life.
Whoo, that was a mess and a half! Thankfully, she came out the other side without debilitating respiratory illnesses!
Back at Maelstrom Command, Commander Rhiki is pleased at her work, and implies that a promotion is in her future!
"Future" being the time it takes to walk from in front of the Commander to the Personnel Officer.
With the promotion to 2nd LT, Satznswys can now transfer between grand companies, if you were getting bored of Maelstrom.
In addition, she's eligible to purchase a housing plot, or an apartment in any of the residential zones! However, Satznswys can already get an addition built on to the Free Company house in Mist.
In addition, with now being a fully commissioned officer, Satznswys can now command enlistees to Maelstrom!
In standing up this new squadron of Maelstrom, Satznswys is assigned a sergeant to be her second-in-command. Now she needs some new recruits.
Oh, perfect!
Here, we're in Satznswys' squadron headquarters, where she can issue commands to her subordinates, but first, she needs to recruit a minimum of four. As you saw, she already has three.
By completing objectives in the Challenge Log, Satznswys will receive new requests to enlist in her squadron.
Nothing can really be done right now, not until she gets a fourth recruit, so that's it for now.
This Lieutenant also has some new work for Satnzswys.
Once you get to the full officer grade ranks, you can unlock the Hunt. There are daily and weekly varieties of hunt bills, with rare enemies offering a stiff challenge, but the rewards can be quite lucrative. The expansions will have their own version of this, but I'll talk about those when I get to them.
How it works is you take a Wanted bill from your Grand Company HQ, then travel to the region where the Mark is located. The Daily bills are the generic trash enemies you've seen out in the world, but once a week, resetting every Tuesday, you'll be able to take an Elite Hunt. Satznswys switches over to Paladin with her strong Ironworks gear, as she's not a skilled enough Monk to take the challenge...not yet, as that run in Aurum Vale got her to level 49.
The Bills that are posted on the Hunt Boards are what is known as B-rank hunts. A level-capped character for the zone can easily solo a B-rank monster. In addition to B-ranks, ther are A ranks.
Like this chonky boy here! A-Ranks spawn infrequently, and have a cooldown timer for spawning at around a real-world day or so. At level 50, Satznswys doesn't stand much of a chance without some allies. In addition to A-ranks, there are S-ranks, which have strange and esoteric spawn conditions.
If you're having trouble finding your B-rank, you might consider dropping a note of that in /shout chat for the zone you're looking in. By doing this, kind players might keep an eye out for you in their other goings on. Players who don't have the hunt bill get no reward of any kind for beating you to the B-rank, and B-ranks will respawn randomly elsewhere in the zone after about a minute, so the only other reason for someone killing the hunt before you get to it is pure jerkbaggery, and most players in FFXIV aren't about that.
You don't need to report back in once you've killed a Hunt, you receive the rewards automatically. For the weekly ARR B-rank Hunts, you get 5000 gil and 100 of a new currency: Allied Seals!
Allied Seals can be exchanged for Grand Company glamour, older tiers of Tomestone gear that have depreciated, rare crafting materials, ventures to pay your retainers, and much much more!
I said that Satnzswys could buy an apartment, and so she does!
Not much to speak of here, but it's a small studio apartment, and it's right up the road from the Free Company house.
So she decides to put up some handbills that Cheemahree brought back to her. Fantastic decoration!
Oh, yeah. Rescuing the Scions. Really should get back to that.
Glaumunt's got one part of the plan to infiltrate Castrum Centri: acting the part. So he sends Satznswys to observe them in action and learn their mannerisms. Specifically, the Imperial army's salute.
Cid's got a bit of a wild plan. To prevent them from reporting stolen uniforms and tightening the already tight security, he's gonna build a jamming device to disrupt their communication equipment. He needs corrupted crystals to do it.
Luckily, there's a fairly large deposit right outside Revenant's Toll.
After scanning the crystal, Satznswys gathers enough data about the corrupted crystal for Cid to do his magitek.
Closer to Castrum Centri, Satznswys gets in close and spies on some soldiers.
Not bad. Completing this quest grants an emote to perform this salute, and will be needed for the actual infiltration.
Reporting back in Revenant's Toll, Cid's got the data he needs.
Glaumunt isn't keen on seeing the salute firsthand, but figures Satznswys knows it well enough to pass muster.
Sark Malark here has a line on some uniforms. He says buying them off the black market would invite too many questions that don't need asking, so it's the old fashioned way: incapacitating or killing a few soldiers until finding enough pieces to fit.
Sized for a Lalafell and two Roegadyn, as Biggs and Wedge will be on the infiltration team. Man, all this sneaking and subterfuge. You know who would be useful for this kinda crap? Thancred. Where is he, anyway?
Sark expected that the pieces Satznswys salvaged would need some tailoring and repair work, so he contacted the masters of the Weavers' Guild and Armorer's Guild, and sends Satznswys to meet with them in Ul'dah and Limsa Lominsa, respectively, to get things set up.
Luckily he's willing to keep mum on the situation.
Seems Sark is a rich boy. Interesting.
While the uniforms won't stand up to a blade, they're more likely to pass casual inspection.
H'naanza gets to work, and off-handed mentions Sark's lineage. A merchant prince in his own right, he made a lot of coin in Ul'dah outside of his family's wealth. However, instead of keeping it rolling, he rolled his wealth into his true passion: adventuring.
Sark vouches for the craftspeople's work, and thus, we have a disguise. He goes on to say that the bulk of Garlean forces are conscripts of conquered nations, so it won't be unusual to see a diverse mix of races in Imperial colors.
While she was out running errands to Ul'dah and Limsa, Glaumunt hatched a plan to get ahold of some magitek armor! Sweet! He's fed the imperials some false intelligence that should bait out a magitek reaper.
Heading out in her disguise, she finds the patrol baited out, and gives them more false information to lure the armor closer to Revenant's Toll.
Lock and load!
Done and dusted.
However, seems like Satznswys might've gone a little overboard with punching the machine. Looks like it'll need a little work if it's gonna be used to infiltrate the Castrum.
And Satznswys punched right through it with her bare hands!
Oh.
Biggs flings Wedge into the air!
So Biggs and Wedge will be burning the midnight oil to get this hunk of junk in working order.
Nice touch is that the machine limps back to Revenant's Toll.
Back in the workshop that Slafborn set aside for them, they're hard at work.
Unfortunately, the part in question cannot be repaired. It must needs be replaced, and the imperials pushed the one currently installed past its recommended service life.
It'd be too suspicious to attack and dismantle another reaper to get this one running, so Wedge has another idea: replacing the core with the heart of a mammet: a small toy-like mechanism that drives marionette-like constructs called mammets. Most of the wind-up minions you see out and about are mammets.
Oh. Uh. Will this reaper be able to feel love? Wedge says that he's ordered the core in question from the Goldsmith's Guild in Ul'dah. So back there she goes!
...Alphinaud, what HAVE you been telling people?
No, don't change the subject!
So anyway, Alphinaud bankrolled this one, so at least he's using his assets wisely.
When it doesn't start up immediately, Wedge attempts some percussive calibration to get it working.
Giving the reaper a bit of a shakedown trip around the corrupted crystal, seems everything is working.
Though Wedge notices some incompatibilities with the mammet heart and the rest of the systems when he hits on an idea.
...I don't know how I feel about this.
Cid explains that the servomechanism that Wedge has substituted is needed to simplify the machine's movement to allow for ease of use during combat. Otherwise every little joint movement would require input from the pilot.
Shame, really.
Aw heck.
The Centurion calls for reinforcements.
Aw yeah, awesome, Cid!
As you might guess, you need to keep the imperials off the reaper, with Wedge calling the machine "Maggie".
Oh boy. That second shot is unfortunate timing on my part. The reaper's camera field of view settles on Satznswys's face briefly.
Alright, seems like we're ready to go!
Back in the shop, Glaumunt comes by to wish the team luck. Seems he wants to get something off his chest though.
The imperials took his family and put them in a labor camp. He hatched a plan to get them out of Ala Mhigo, but the plan went south, and his mother and sister threw themselves into a gorge rather than be recaptured. This broke him, and he himself was recaptured. He eventually escaped again. This was all about 20 years ago, and while he swore he'd take revenge on the Empire, he hasn't done anything to strike back, and he regrets that. By working on this plan, though, he's heartened.
And so our team sets out.
Geez Cid, you could at least clean things up here so she can change, gosh.
Stop. Just stop.
Pretty simple: Cid and Alphinaud cause a distraction, and Biggs, Wedge and Satznswys will make their way inside and find the rest of the Scions.
Let's do this.
Thanks, Y'shtola.
Meanwhile, Livia is roughing up Minfilia in a cell somewhere in the Castrum.
Eikons are the what the imperials call the primals. It's a loan word they took from ancient Allagan texts about the entities.
She puts a boot in Minfilia's gut.
And with that she takes her leave.
Satznswys sneaks around in plain sight, trying to get information about where the others are being held.
...Better not tell Wedge. He'd be likely to bring the whole Castrum down around your ears, buddy.
This seems too easy.
Yep, this seems about right.
So, yeah, taking head counts, that's Yda, Y'shtola, Minfilia, Urianger, Papalymo, and Tataru all accounted for. Where the hell is Thancred?
Tataru recognizes Wedge, and smartly gets back in line, trying to pretend that she doesn't.
Wedge is a little more slow on the uptake.
Oh boy. Here we go!
Don't worry, Tataru. You're mostly safe now.
Papalymo thinks what I've been thinking for a while.
Good call, Urianger.
Ah, heck. Better shake a leg, gang.
So, funny story about this scene. For an April Fools Joke one year, Square Enix used the in-game engine to create a short movie to "tease" a fighting game version of Final Fantasy XIV.
I tell you what, the real meta in this game is Raubahn & Nanamo. S++ tier. Square Enix, balance your game.
But no, it went more like this.
Biggs works to cover Tataru and Minfilia, while Urianger busts out his arcanist skills, and Papalymo his thaumaturgy to take down these magitek vanguards. You need to seek out the field generators in the area to remove the barriers making them impervious to damage.
Finishing that, our heroes escape, but are rapidly cornered.
Not much commentary for this scene. It's just nice, and I wish I could show it in motion.
"...or the masses that clamor for their implausable panaceas." Thanks, Gaius.
Oh...right. That thing.
Minfilia gives Gaius's warmachina a name: Ultima Weapon. A relic of ancient Allag, excavated from beneath Ala Mhigo.
Alphinaud marks the Ascian as an overlord. Minfilia is convinced that it's Lahabrea.
Dun-dun-DUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
Cid turns the ship to flee.
Well, now we know where Thancred's been this whole time.
Honestly, Alphinaud, Satznswys doesn't think it your fault. But the more important question is "How was this Ascian able to infiltrate the Scions in Thancred's guise?"
Minfilia gets a call on her linkpearl, from someone named Krile. You can only hear her side of the conversation, but it seems that some item or another is ready for her. There's no text script for the conversation, it's only portrayed through Minfilia's voice acting in the background while Alphinaud continues his rah-rah speech.
Meanwhile in Ul'dah, Raubahn seems to have gotten word of Ultima Weapon.
The Admiral comes in, conferring with her officers via linkpearl.
The Elder Seedseer is not far behind. She asks of Ishgard.
Keep this simmering in the back of your mind for a while, dear readers.
The Sultana enters as well.
Raubahn, having not been at the Howling Eye, hasn't seen what Ultima Weapon is capable of.
Nanamo lays the terms bare: surrender or resistance, but there really is no choice, since if one surrenders, all three will surely fall.
The Scions arrive in Ul'dah.
I dunno, Wedge. You did just kinda ditch your reaper and run away like a wimp...
Yeah, that plan seemed to have Alphinaud written all over it. Tataru just seems to be consoling herself with her favorite song.
You're pretty confident, Alphinaud.
Minfilia urges Satznswys to head to the Fragrant Chamber, where the three heads of state are in council.
Namedropping the Scions tells Bartholomew here to buzz off.
The commanders continue to deliberate, unable to come to a consensus.
She continues, wondering if they have the right to go to war against Gaius and his weapon, and ask the people of Eorzea to sacrifice the fledgling stability they have rebuilt over the last five years.
Raubahn does not agree.
But he can't refute their words either.
Nanamo tries to encourage the others.
Kan-E-Senna agrees with the Sultana's point.
and, on cue...
Hopefully this turns the tide of the conversation.
Minfilia makes a valid point. As Satznswys saw in the Howling Eye, the desperation of those Amalj'aa and Kobolds was enough to call Titan and Ifrit to manifest there. Who's to say what might happen if the sahagin or tempered sylphs got wind of this and conjured their own gods to protect them?
Alphinaud asks them to remember the day that his grandfather sacrificed himself for Eorzea. The generals committed their forces completely to fight back the Empire at Carteneau.
Kan-E-Senna thinks back to those Warriors of Light.
Nanamo is invigorated by these words, and they all share a laugh.
The Admiral is the best, let's be honest.
And so, the three heads of state burn the Black Wolf's ultimatum, and begin to talk strategy.
The Sultana asks the Scions to return to the Waking Sands and await the Alliance's battle plan.
Arriving back in Vesper Bay, not all the Scions were lost. Fellows such as Arenvald here survived, though they've all lost something dear...
Back in the Solar, the inner circle of the Scions are preoccupied by various things, not the least of which is Thancred's apparent betrayal.
Yda and Papalymo are, of course, arguing with each other.
Cid is worried about how the Ultima Weapon might've been restored. He seems to have an inkling, though. "No, he didn't..."
Alphinaud muses to himself. Then he asks if Minfilia had some sort of trick up her sleeve to inspire the leaders of the nations.
Cid agrees to cover Thancred's post in Ul'dah.
Minfilia says that Ascians use Crystals of Darkness to ensnare and possess mortals, at least, that's all the information the Students of Baldesion have been able to turn up.
But where did you get this replica? Minfilia explains that she got it from the Students.
Thancred, for all his faults, is driven.
Minfilia surmises that if they could destroy the Crystal of Darkness that he carries, he might be freed of the Ascian possessing him. Of course, Satznswys agrees.
Huh. Okay...? Even Minfilia admits that she sees that resemblance as well.
The people cry out for a savior.
So, Satznswys is THE Warrior of Light of this Seventh Umbral Era. Perhaps she and the rest of the Scions can usher in a new Astral Era.
Later, the Scions reconvene, as Alphinaud has brought tidings of the Alliance's plans: dubbed Operation Archon.
The plan's goal is to see Castrum Meridianum fall, where the Ultima Weapon's home port is.
There are four objectives to Operation Archon:
Rhitahtyn is said to be heading to Cape Westwind, not far from Vesper Bay.
So Satznswys will take him on.
Phase two is to sever Castrum Meridianum from its supply lines. Maelstrom will attack Castrum Occidens, while the Lominsan navy siezes the Empire's sea base. The Adders will secure Castrum Oriens in the Twelveswood.
Phase three, the Immortal Flames will press north to Castrum Meridanum to serve as a diversionary force. Five'll get you ten as to who's leading the elite adventurers inside the Castrum. Satznswys's goal there is to disable a magitek field generator protecting the Praetorium, a fortress within a fortress that houses the Ultima Weapon.
Finally, after the Adders secure Castrum Centri and cut off the main railway supply line to Meridianum, the Flames will press fully into Meridianum, and allow Satznswys's unit to move in to the Praetorium and destroy the Ultima Weapon.
Even most of the free companies of Eorzea are pledging their swords. Maybe even the Talking Tyrants, perhaps...?
Assignments are doled out: Y'shtola, Yda, and Papalymo will liase with Maelstrom and the Twin Adders. Urianger and Tataru are assigned to work with the Flames. Alphinaud, Minfilia, and Cid will accompany the main host at Castrum Meridianum and provide intel and advise the troops on the ground.
Minfilia directs Satznswys to Cape Westwind, and wishes her luck.
Outside the Waking Sands, Satznswys got a quest that is an alternate way to unlock the dungeon Aurum Vale.
...and the quest experience is 1,034 points shy of pushing Satznswys to level 50. Damn it.
From here, you can see Cape Westwind silhouetted in the distance.
Finally, pay dirt!
So Satznswys prepares to head into the base around Westwind...
And punch one enemy down to get to level 50. Later, nerds, she's got a Job quest story to complete!
Erik is all about his latest breakthrough.
So off to Mor Dhona with her.
Yeah, this makes sense.
Widargelt has made a mess of these Imperial troops. Look buddy, don't screw up Operation Archon.
This seems...less than ideal.
And so, seems there's nothing for it but to fight.
Hitting Level 50 gives Satznswys access to two abilities: First, the Role Action True North. This lasts for 15 seconds, and removes all positional requirements from attacks. So Bootshines will always crit, Twin Snakes hits for its full damage, and so forth. It's very helpful when soloing, or when enemies don't like facing one direction all the time, or you are forced to move. In addition, you get two charges of the skill, meaning you can have a pretty decent amount of time to not have to be so fastidious about positionals.
The second is Perfect Balance. This monk skill will allow you to freestyle your Raptor, Coeurl, and Opo-opo attacks in any order that you wish. You can hit three Opo-opo attacks and get up to three greased lightning stacks rapidly, spam auto-critting Bootshines, or mix them up with Dragon Kick, a skill we will learn after this quest is over. It's very useful as a burst phase, or restarting your Greased Lightning if your stacks drop.
Widargelt, power is nothing if you can't see past the end of your own nose.
Satznswys is fighting not just for her own selfish reasons, but for the future of all of Eorzea. Not just Ala Mhigo, not just Ul'dah, not just Gridania or Limsa Lominsa either. If she fails, then Eorzea is toast.
Oh, so the chakra aren't superstitious nonsense any more, Erik?
He takes a swing at Widargelt!
Aether is the force of life in all living things. In that sense, they are all one with the world.
Erik echoes the words that I just wrote above, that they have a duty to one another, to use their power to deliver a future full of life, not death.
Wow. Eorzea must be on the cusp of doom for Erik to be so kind.
Before, all that Widargelt held in his heart was revenge. The easiest, and most dangerous of motivations.
And he removes his robe and hands it to Satznswys.
Completing the final Monk quest for ARR gives you the skill Dragon Kick. It's a Raptor attack that deals more damage from the flank, and grants a buff called Leaden Fist. This buff lasts for 30 seconds, and doubles the potency of your next Bootshine. So you'll want to alternate Dragon Kick and Bootshine during your Greased Lightning loops.
So, Satznswys has come a long way from that carriage trundling into Ul'dah. She's battled gods, lost close friends, navigated political intrigue. Now comes her greatest challenge yet: stopping Gaius van Baelsar's twisted ambition to unite Eorzea under his boot heel with the force of an unstoppable ancient weapon at his beck and call.
But now that the Scions of the Seventh Dawn are back, Satznswys feels no need to hide behind the guise of the warrior monk. When she faces Gaius and his Ultima Weapon, it will be as an honorary member of the Sultansworn.
And bearing the Ala Mhigan spirit of the Fists of Rhalgr on her earrings.
Next time, Operation Archon begins.