Windurst Missions and SOB Quests

Being a “career mage”, I fell in love with Windurst and the mysterious aura of magic that enveloped the city and surrounding ancient ruins. What makes the Windurst missions unique among the nations is the way they tie in so well with other quests, as well as the RoTZ and CoP missions. In particular, the “Star Onion Brigade” (S.O.B.) quests are intricately linked with the events from the Windurst story line, so much so that I heavily debated whether I should make them their own video (about 30 minutes long), or integrate them with the already two-hour long Windurst mission video. I decided that in order to fully understand the sequence of events, the two could not be separated. I also found it important to include cutscenes from the Summoner Flag quest (I Can Hear a Rainbow) and the Fenrir Prime quest (The Moonlit Path). The result is the longest video I have produced to-date, even 20 minutes longer than CoP Chapter 5.

This story is as much about the Cardian named “Joker” as it is about the Star Sybil, Karuha-Baruha, Ajido-Marujido, and the history of Windurst. You also get background into the Kuluu and Zilart, and the origin of summoning magic. Only by combining the various sources described above does the viewer/player understand how Joker comes be resurrected, the rebirth of Fenrir, and the final outcome of his/their promise to the S.O.B.s.

As with the San d’Oria missions, I have omitted those cutscenes which deal specifically and exclusively with the Shadow Lord, as you can get that complete story in my Shadow Lord Missions video. I have also slightly altered the order of the scene from the “magicite” mission since placing it earlier actually explains events in 3-1 and 3-2. I inserted the SOB and Carbuncle/Fenrir quests in the positions I felt made the most sense to the story overall, trying to follow the grand sequence of events of the various characters’ interactions with each other, specifically the Ace Cardians, Nanaa Mihgo, and Semih Lafihna.

This video has been a long time in the making for me. While I completed the Windy missions right after the new year, I have held off completing the recording until beating Fenrir (which I finally did last weekend); I’m now glad I did, as the result is much more cohesive video than would have otherwise been possible.

Mithra Trackers

Yet another set of side quests to CoP provide additional story related to the Mithra Trackers, which were sent to the middle lands to accomplish three things:

• - subdue the wyrms that threaten the world with destruction (Shikaree X)
• - learn more of the sleeping gods who supposedly hold the power to obliterate the emptiness (Shikaree Y)
• - discover the location of Mildaurion, who knows the method to awaken the deities (Shikaree Z)

While the CoP missions themselves deal primarily with Shikaree Z, the quests "Tuning In" and "Tuning Out" give a great deal of information into Shikaree Y's investigation. Specifically, this video provides yet more background for the Dark Divinity (see the NPC Fellowship quests). 

 

The other quest presented here ties in the Trackers with Goldmane, and gives a brief glimpse of Tiamat in her rage. This video is a compilation of the cutscenes from "One Good Deed". 

A Timely Visit

This is a compilation of cutscenes from the quest “A Timely Visit”, which many players frequently site as one of the most memorable side quests in FFXI. This video tells the story of Vijartal Caphleux and gives a little history on an important San d’Orian artifact, the Scepter Rouyaulais.

Goldmane & Louverance

Several quests share the stories of various side characters from the CoP storyline. Two in particular share a very close relationship with each other.

 

The first video presented here is the story of a young girl named Sanctia who sets out to find the legendary bounty hunter that captured Atarefaunet. This is a compilation of cutscenes from two quests - "Chasing Dreams" and "The Search for Goldmane".  

 

 

 

The second video is a compilation of cutscenes from the quests "Signed in Blood” and “Tea with a Tonberry”. These quests give additional background into the characters of Louverance and Atarefaunet.

 

 

 

This story ties into the Goldmane quests, as well as CoP missions 3-3, 5-3, 7-2, and the epilogue. It is also somewhat related to the flashbacks in the 4-1 magicite missions.   The identity of the two Louverances (one in red mask, one in purple) is one of the more confusing plot-lines in CoP.  However, based on the information from these various sources, I pieced together the following:

 

The real Louverance (in the purple mask) is the grandson of Francmage Mistalle, who died mysteriously in Bostaunieux Oubliette after coming back from the northlands allied expedition.  His family used to own Carpenter’s Landing but was stripped of its land and title after challenging another family to a duel, which is against San d’Orian law.

 

The new count of Carpenter’s Landing was Teulomme. He had ties with Atarefaunet’s Band, but when the leader was captured by Goldmane (Vukki-Chebukki), Teulomme tried to poison Atarefaunet to prevent him from revealing secrets about his customers. Atarefaunet used this opportunity to fake his death and escape the San d’Orian prisons. Atarefaunet then stole Louverance’s identity and donned a red mask.  Atarefaunet attempted to use this false identity to take revenge on Teulomme and steal his lands back from him.

 

The “Louverance” in the red mask that features prominently in the Chains of Promathia missions is therefore actually Atarefaunet.  This explains why Honoi-Gomoi gives him the Mimeo Mirror (the taru admitted ties to Atarefaunet in Chapter 3-3), and it also explains the history between the red-masked “Louverance” and Vukki-Chebukki (Goldmane) in CoP Chapter 5-3, and why Vukki threatens to notify the San d’Orian authorities.  However, when the real Louverance (purple mask) attempted to interfere and re-claim his identity, Atarefaunet tried to set a trap for him in Carpenter’s Landing (which you end up foiling in Chapter 7).  In the end, Atarefaunet challenges Louverance to a duel so as to fake his death yet again and don a new identity as a San d’Orian priest, and perhaps restore the Remevel name.

 

Incidentally, I also found out that Atarefaunet’s Band plays a role in the THF AF quests (which I don’t plan on doing) and that Atarefaunet may have adopted the identity of Vauderame, who plays a role in the San d’Orian rank missions and the quest “A Timely Visit”.  For some interesting discussion, visit:

 

http://killingifrit.com/forums/topic/157528-wings-of-the-goddess-speculation-thread

 

http://killingifrit.com/forums/topic/176370-cop-plot-questions/

NPC Fellowship Quests

While CoP and ToAU may at first seem unrelated, there is in fact a hidden link between the two. In the process of forming a bond with our Adventuring Fellows, we learn of two mirrors, two entities in conflict with another, and a revelation concerning the Divinity of Darkness.

This NPC Fellowship storyline directly relates to the Treasures of Aht Urhgan missions involving Odin and Alexander, as the mirrors are of near eastern origin and are tied to the "Age of Judgment" or "Ragnarok". It also ties into the Chains of Promathia missions pertaining to the "Dark Divinity" (specifically in Chapter 5, at the Bearclaw Pinnacle), and the Mithra Tracker quests "Tuning In" and "Tuning Out". Based on these various sources, I am convinced that Odin is indeed the Dark Divinity.

This video is a compilation of all cutscenes from the NPC Adventuring Fellow quests:

• Unlisted Qualities
• Girl in the Looking Glass
• Mirror, Mirror
• Past Reflections
• Blighted Gloom
• Blessed Radiance
• Mirror Images