- Y'shtola is appraising the voidgate with a scholarly eye.
 The Unending Journey: # 1: Voiced cutscene start.
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I must admit, I am deathly curious to know how a voidgate came to be hidden in the depths of these ruins.
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To tell that tale, we must first peer far to the south, and even further into memory.
An age five millennia past, when the Allegan Empire sent an invading force to the shores of Meracydia.
The southern people rallied around the commanding figures of Bahamut and Tiamat, and fought fiercely to repeal the would-be conquerors.
With Bahamut's defeat, however, the tide turned against them. Desperate to seize any advantage, the Meracydians resorted to summoning primal entities.
In response, Emperor Xande forged a covenant with the Cloud of Darkness, sovereign among the all-devouring denizens of the Void.
Thus bolstered by eikons on one side and voidsent on the other, the two armies clashed in a battle of unspeakable carnage. So much death. So much loss. |
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I consider myself well versed in that period of history, yet you speak as one who witnessed it happen...
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Indeed I did.
I heard Tiamat's roar of defiance, and sped toward that war-torn land...
... Along with my sibling, Azdaja.
We dragons are not "male" or "female" as men are wont to classify, but "elder sister" is the closest a mortal tongue can come to describing what she meant to me.
I was the last of our brood to hatch, and Azdaja cared for me where my sire could not.
Thus I was with her when Tiamat roared. I was with her when she journeyed south. And I was with her when she fought against the voidsent hordes.
Yet no matter how many of their vile fiends we cast down, more rose from the abyss to take their place. Faced with an unwinnable war of attrition, Azdaja risked her all on a final gamble...
She plunged through the voidgate itself to strike at the root of their strength.
I tried to follow in her wake, determined to lend what aid I could... But even as I came upon Allag's glittering Tower, I saw the rift close behind her.
And Azdaja has been lost to us ever since. |
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I find I must retract my earlier claim of historical knowledge—nowhere in the Crystal Tower's archives did I see mention of such noble sacrifice.
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That does not surprise me. To Allagan eyes, it must have seemed as if a lone dragon, driven to madness, simply dove through the gate and did not return.
For my part, I spent long years searching for the means to reunite with Azdaja...
Until I could search no more—until Allag was dust, and the arts to open a voidgate large enough to accommodate a dragon forever lost. |
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Yet you have the beginnings of a gate right here, under the control of a Hannish device.
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My discovery came before Radz-at-Han was founded. Though I scoured the lands for a method to cross the rift, it was beneath the sea that I had chanced to find a natural planar fisher.
It was, however, far too narrow to admit a wyrm's bulk. Only after our city rose upon the rock, and I could enlist the aid of our talented alchemists, did matters take a favorable turn.
Their dedication was beyond reproach. Tirelessly they worked to expand the fissure, and after decades of toil, it finally grew to a size that a child might pass through... |
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Not long ago, you told us that you called out to your kin; that Azdaja's answer was silence. I suspect the conclusion to your tale is not a joyful one.
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With hope in my heart, I used a simulacrum to cross the threshold... But no—I did not find her.
What I found was a host of voidsent, clamoring around the opening they had sensed.
'Twas but a moment, but enough. I had no choice but to retreat and allow the portal to contract once more. |
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The gate was a threat to your people. You had to decide between endangering Radz-at-Han, and abandoning your sister... And you chose the latter.
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'Twas not that thy sibling scorned thy call; 'twas that she was trapped behind a barrier through which neither road nor dragon may pass. Even now, in the desolate world of the Thirteenth...
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I can scarce imagine your pain, yet it was wise not to linger in that place. Too long a sojourn, and even a being of your power risks being warped into a creature of the void.
You've seen this phenomenon before, when we stepped into the darkness...
As did I. Were it not for Unei and Doga—or Nero, for that matter—we might never have made it home.
Do you remember what happened to Nero? How his wounds allowed the void's corruption to enter his body and twist his aether?
Had it been allowed to progress much longer, I have presume he would have been fully transformed. |
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Then there is little hope for Azdaja...
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Ah, no, I hadn't meant to—I speak only of possibilities.
The scales of the first brood are extraordinarily resistant to aethereal fluctuations. They are the protective talismans' core components, after all, and even the corruption I described would struggle to overcome—
Of course. With a warding scale in one's possession, one could conceivably survive a stay in the Thirteenth without being warped by its energies... |
Be that as it may, it is too late to rescue my sister. Five thousand years too late.
And now, countless others look to me for guidance and protection.
So when I sensed intruders in the ruins, I came only to ensure that the gate remain closed. That, and to secure the treasure, of course.
I wish only to forget the rest... |
| The Unending Journey: # 1: Voiced cutscene end.
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Vrtra's grief for a lost sibling will be no mystery to Estinien. His hath been a life entwined with sorrow, even before he became host to Nidhogg's essence. |
The Thirteenth... What chaos must consume that world... |
I wondered how one of the first brood could simply vanish and leave no trace of her passage. Now I have my answer. |
Millennia have passed since last I saw her. But I see Azdaja in memory still, clear and vivid... |
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So they managed not only to expand the fissure, but also manipulate it as one might a gate...
Astonishing. Is there any chance I could learn more of how this feat was accomplished?
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I will tell you what I can. First, however, I must return to the High Crucible, and arrange to replace the guardians you so handily destroyed. It will not do to leave the gate undefended.
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Ah, my apologies─we were perhaps a touch zealous in our rush to uncover the vault's secrets. If the constructs can be repaired, we would be happy to offer our assistance...?
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That will not be necessary. Much as I retain spare vessels for myself, we keep duplicate guardians on hand for such eventualities. In any case, we should return to Radz–at–Han.
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There is much about the voidgate that I cannot even begin to explain. I must convince Vrtra to share everything he knows... |
'Twas a most enjoyable expedition, for which I am grateful. As for mine evaluation, I shall impress upon the Loporrits that a treasure vault is incomplete without daunting sentinels to test the mettle of any would-be intruders. |
While I am loath to keep Krile waiting much longer, I cannot bring myself to leave before hearing more of Vrtra's tale... |
Vrtra speaks as if Azdaja is a lost cause. But I wager he feels differently in his heart of hearts. |
This is quite the gathering. To what do we owe the pleasure...? |
| Cutscene start.
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I promise we will discuss the voidgate further, but first I must attend to the matter of the vault's sentinels.
As your instruments have no doubt informed you, the Kapikulu has been reduced to so much scrap. Please bring a new one out of storage, and see that it is conveyed to its post along with some few lesser constructs.
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Was it tomb robbers? Fiends born of the Tower of Zot? By the Sisters, do not tell me a blasphemy yet roams free!
Why such guilty faces!? Surely it isn't you who are responsible for this... Oh.
Ahem, well...the details aren't important! I shall see it done immediately. |
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And with that, the vault will soon be secure once more. Now, I believe you had questions?
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Quite a few, in fact. But I'd like to begin with the gate itself. It is still functional, yes?
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Indeed, which is why I saw it sealed with an alchemically forged lock and warded it with my magicks. Such power must not fall into the wrong hands.
In truth, the primary reason for the vault's construction was to keep the gate hidden from the outside world.
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So much effort for such a little door.
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That "little door" you speak of leads to an abyss teeming with unspeakable horrors.
That said, in its current state, it would admit only the lowliest of voidsent. And from this side, no man would be able to pass through.
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No man? I should think Alphinaud would fit, given a firm enough push.
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Physical size is only one consideration. The true restriction hinges upon the aetheric density of the soul in transit.
And yet you succeeded in expanding this diminutive portal and sending your simulacrum to the Thirteenth...
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Thanks to my brilliant alchemists. I should have destroyed the anomaly when I found it, but instead, I bade them devise a means to control it.
After much experimentation, they accomplished the impossible. A method was conceived by which my magicks could manipulate the fissure and transform it into a serviceable gate.
But the process has long since been forgotten. Once I had given up searching for Azdaja, there was no need to preserve such esoteric and dangerous knowledge.
Thus has the gate lain dormant, for years uncounted. |
Our own passage to the Thirteenth was made relatively simple thanks to the Crystal Tower.
An ancient mechanism channeled the tower's vast stores of energy to open a voidgate─one bound to a covenant made with the Cloud of Darkness.
Once that sovereign entity was beaten back, however, the covenant was broken, and the doorway severed from its connection to the void.
Theoretically, it should be possible to reconnect the gate by forging a new pact with another voidsent...but such deals usually end in betrayal and death. |
| If playing as a Reaper.
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If playing as any Job besides Reaper.
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You seem to have struck a bargain of your own, Forename. Though it serves you well in battle, be aware that the beneficial nature of your "arrangement" is the exception which proves the rule.
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In any case, we should attempt to gain an understanding of the Bounty gate. Mayhap you could resume the search for your sister...
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As I have already explained, I put those futile hopes to rest centuries ago. My place─and my duty─is here now.
Ah, I had meant to ask... What prompted you to search for the vault in the first place?
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What will you say?
| To see if the legends were true.
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It was all Estinien's idea.
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As you have seen, the "fabulous wealth" from the stories is quite real, if not its rumored origin. But I'm afraid I must assert a prior claim.
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As I recall, 'twas you who was chasing tales of undersea ruins.
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Well, as you have seen, the "fabulous wealth" from the stories is quite real, if not its rumored origin. But I'm afraid I must assert a prior claim.
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I've been adding to that trove for years, little by little. But the time has come to spend it, that I might alleviate my people's suffering.
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Then we are of one mind. We had no intention of taking it for ourselves.
Isn't that right, my friend?
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Your Excellency. Would you object if I were to conduct a closer examination of the gate? I will make no attempt to open it, of course.
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I owe you and yours a debt that can never be repaid. Whatever boon you ask of me, you shall have it.
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You are most gracious. I shall take full advantage of your permission.
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Would that I could join thee in thy study, but the Loporrits will be anxious to receive my report. I beg my leave of you.
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And I must be off to Sharlayan, as well.
Mistress Krile was eager to speak with you about that request, so please come back to the annex as soon as you are able. Farewell for now!
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We can discuss my findings once I return. You'll not be rid of me so easily.
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System
You may now undertake the Chronicles of a New Era quest series "Myths of the Realm." Speak with the fresh-faced Student at the Baldesion Annex to accept the first quest.
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| Cutscene end.
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I hope you enjoyed the expedition, at least. Otherwise it was a heavy purse to pay for a treasure map leading to a treasure we couldn't keep. |
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The difficult part in all this will be deciding how best to put these riches to use...
Will you lend me your assistance in these deliberations?
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What will you say?
| Of course.
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Anything to make up for the constructs we broke...
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Then think of your employment as recompense. Serve me as guest advisors, and I will consider the broken constructs paid for in full.
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Forename and I are in this together. I will follow his example.
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| The Unending Journey: # 2: Cutscene start.
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System
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
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Throne of Earth
I sssensed the breaching of a gate, but it was not inssstigated from this ssside. 'Twas thrown open from the other...
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Throne of Fire
I, too, felt it. A rare occurrence, yes, but such a tiny portal is beneath our notice. There are more pressing matters at hand.
An opportunity is upon us, the coming of which we have awaited for nigh on ten thousand years. We dare not let it slip our grasp.
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Throne of Wind
Yet we must not underestimate she who bested the Cloud of Darkness. Even restrained by a covenant, the Cloud was no feeble wisp to be dispersed by some flesh-and-blood mortal.
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Throne of Water
Bah, let her come! I will drown the world and watch this fleshling gasp for breath in her final moments!
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Knight in Black
Your zeal is admirable, but forget not our cause.
Think back on our struggles beneath this sunless sky. Remember why we cede not our will to fight.
'Tis time we set the war in motion, and win redemption for our star! |
| The Unending Journey: # 2: Cutscene end.
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I hope you enjoyed the expedition, at least. Otherwise it was a heavy purse to pay for a treasure map leading to a treasure we couldn't keep. | 
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Acquisition
Closest Aetheryte: Yedlihmad → Akyaali, Veteran Radiant
Requirements
Rewards
Description
Objectives
Unlocks Quests
