Coming to Gridania

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NOTE: The following cutscene serves as an introduction to the game but is not part of the actual quest.

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Voice
Hear...

Hear... Feel...


Hear... Feel... Think...
???
...Oi!
Y'all right, lad?
You were moanin' in your sleep an' sweatin' buckets besides.

That'll be the aether, I reckon. Some are more prone to the sickness than others.


No need to fret, though. You'll soon get used to it.
Furry Creature
Feeling better, kupo?
Aha! You can see us! I had a feeling you could, kupo!
Moogle
We're moogles, and we live in this wood.

Normal folks can't see us or hear us—which makes you special, kupo!


And seeing as how you're special, maybe you can tell us something.


The wood's been restless of late—lots of strange things happening. Have you chanced to witness anything suspicious, kupo?


But of course you haven't—you've only just arrived.


Well, there's nothing for it, then—we'll just have to keep looking. Nice to meet you, kupo!
Gridania's still a fair way off, in case you were wonderin'. Seein' as you're awake, how's about you keep me company till we get there?
Them young'uns don't much care for conversation, see.
Bremondt's the name, an' peddlin's me trade.

As for your good self, judgin' by your unusual garments, I'd say you were one of them new adventurers. Am I warm?


I knew it! Goin' wherever the wind blows, seekin' fortune an' glory—now that's what I call livin'!


So long as you can avoid dyin', I mean. Ain't no secret that adventurin's a risky business—these days especially.


What was it that first attracted you to it?
Why did you become an adventurer?

1) To gain power.
2) To win glory.
3) To amass a fortune.
4) ...

...Power? As in, er...power to do good? Like protectin' the weak, an' fightin' for what's right, an' all that? Aye, I thought that's what you meant. Well, adventurers do get up to a lot of fightin', that's for sure. You'll never be short of a chance to polish your warcraft in the adventurin' business.

Once we ???, you'd best sign yourself up at the Adventurer's Guild—they'll set you on the right path.


An' it wouldn't hurt to join a guild, neither.


Gridania's home to a few, so if you fancy learnin' how to fight with a bow, a polearm, or even spells, you should think about seekin' one out.

Glory, eh? Well, if you're willin' to take on them tasks as other folk ain't, an adventurer such as yourself can win fame what coin can't buy.

When you arrive in town, you'll want to report to the Adventurer's Guild.


You can find out everythin' you need to know about the adventurin' business there.

Fortune, eh? Well, it's a dream we've all had at one time or another.

Once you've learned to handle yourself in a fight, you'll want to pay a visit to whichever craftin' or gatherin' guild tickles your fancy.


Gridania's renowned for its leatherworkers an' carpenters, not to mention its botanists.


Adventurin' ain't just about killin' things, after all. A peaceful pastime may well help you make your fortune!

Well, if you ain't inclined to tell, I ain't about to pry. Might be as ol' Bremondt's a chatterbox, but he sure as hells ain't no busybody.

We all have a secret or three, don't we? Me? Dozens.


An' I'd rather they stayed secret, too—which is why I don't go stickin' me nose where it ain't welcome.

Just remember, though: there're more important things than fortune an' glory. Such as breathin'. Ain't no profit in beaing dead, an' that's a fact.
Wood Wailer is shouting. Wood Wailer
Halt! Go no further!
What's this, then?
Uwaaah!
Carriage Driver
Wh-What's going on!?
Wood Wailer
A skirmish has broken out up ahead with the Ixal! For your own safety, you must remain here until-
Bloody hells! We shall hold them here! Try to break clear!
That was too bleedin' close...

Nice of the Ixal to send us a welcomin' party, though, eh?


Jokin' aside, this won't be the last time you meet those feathered fiends, so just you take care, all right?


By the by, is this your first trip to Gridania?
Is this your first trip to Gridania?

1) Yes.
2) No.

Is it!? Well then, let this journeyed itinerant tell you the ins an' outs of your destination. Ahem!

Thought not! Ah, but I'll wager there've been some changes since your last visit. Allow a journeyed itinerant to apprise you of the current state of affairs. Ahem!

The city of Gridania lies slap—bang in the middle of the Black Shroud—the biggest, lushest forest in all Eorzea.

Though it ain't near as lush as it used to be, sayin' that. Not since the Calamity laid half of it to waste.


The destruction prompted a herd of new nasties to move in, an' gave the Ixal unneeded encouragement. Birdman raids've become a daily occurrence.


Ah, at long last.


Behold Gridania, the forest nation blessed by the elementals!
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The Black Shroud—the ancient forest close to the heart of Eorzea.
Beneath the boughs of its towering trees lies the woodland city-state of Gridania.
Once a sanctuary from the world beyond the Hedge, even the mighty elementals, eternal guardians of the forest, could not forestall the coming of the Seventh Umbral Era.
However, the goddess Nophica was never one to forsake Her children, and today She welcomes another brave soul...
one who may yet play a telling role in the tale of this great realm.
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An' here's where we part ways, son.

I'm off to the markets to deliver me wares, then it's back to the highroad for me.


Here, I want you to have this—by way of thanks for keepin' me company.


Hey—you never did tell me your name, did you? Well, here's an idea...


Become the sort of storied personage I can brag about havin' met, an' I'll consider us square.
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Player7 Icon.png Voiced cutscene start.
May the Matron take them to Her Bosom, that they may never want.
And in their heart sow serenity, purity, and sanctity.
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NOTE: The following cutscene serves as an introduction to the game but is not part of the actual quest.

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Voice
Hear...

Hear... Feel...


Hear... Feel... Think...
At the Battle of Carteneau, as fire rained down from the heavens... Archon Louisoix invoked the power of the Keeper and sent his fellow heroes into an aetherial rift, beyond the reach of the devastation. Five years since that fateful day, since the Seventh Umbral Era changed the world forever, the time is come for the heroes to return. The Black Shroud—the ancient forest close to the heart of Eorzea. Beneath the boughs of its towering trees lies the woodland city-state of Gridania. Once a sanctuary from the world beyond the Hedge, even the mighty elementals, eternal guardians of the forest, could not forestall the coming of the Seventh Umbral Era. However, the goddess Nophica was never one to forsake Her children, and today She welcomes another brave soul... One who shall fight once more to safeguard the future of the realm. May the Matron take them to Her Bosom, that they may never want. And in their heart sow serenity, purity, and sanctity.
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???
You there! Yes, you!
Your face is not known to me. Newly come to the city, no doubt.
I am Bertennant, a Wood Wailer of Gridania.
It is my duty to protect our nation from her enemies while welcoming those who may yet prove her friends. Let us see which you are.
System
Welcome to Gridania, a vibrant forest nation cradled in the bosom of nature.

Please select the control scheme you wish to use.


Follow the instructions to move your character and adjust the position of the camera.


When you are ready to proceed, speak to Bertennant.
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Didn't you hear me? Come here and I shall guide you.
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Another green adventurer, I presume?

I thought as much. We cannot allow strangers to wander Gridania unchecked and untested.


Before you rush off and begin pestering every second citizen for work, I suggest you make yourself known at the Carline Canopy. That's the headquarters of the local Adventurers' Guild, in case you were wondering.


The Carline Canopy is the building you see behind me. Speak to Mother Miounne within, and she will take you in hand.
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Quest Accepted
Make yourself known at the Carline Canopy, where the local Adventurers' Guild is headquartered. Speak to Mother Miounne within, and she will take you in hand.
So long as you are within Gridanian territory, you must abide by Gridanian laws. Go now, and do as I have instructed.
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Well, well, what have we here?

A wide-eyed and wondering young adventurer, come to put your name down at the guild, I assume?


Actually...haven't you registered with us already? There's something strikingly familiar about you, but I can't for the life of me remember when or where we might have met.

Oh, I probably just have you confused with another adventurer─dozens of you come through here every day, after all. Now, where was I? Ah, yes.

Welcome. Miounne's my name, or Mother Miounne as most call me, and the Carline Canopy is my place.


As the head of the Adventurers' Guild in Gridania, I have the honor of providing guidance to the fledgling heroes who pass through our gates.


No matter your ambitions, the guild is here to help you attain them.


In return, we expect you to fulfill your duties as an adventurer by assisting the people of Gridania. A fine deal, wouldn't you agree?


To an outsider's eyes, all may seem well with our nation, but naught could be further from the truth. The people live in a state of constant apprehension.


The Ixal and various gangs of common bandits provide an unending supply of trouble—trouble compounded by the ever-present threat of the Garlean Empire to the north. And that is to say nothing of the Calamity...


Even now, the wounds have barely begun to heal. Ah, but I speak of it as if you were there. Forgive me. Five years past, Eorzea was well-nigh laid to waste when a dread wyrm emerged from within the lesser moon, Dalamud, and rained fire upon the realm. It is this which people call “the Calamity.”


Scarcely a square malm of the Twelveswood was spared the devastation. Yet despite the forest's extensive wounds, not a soul among us can recall precisely how it all happened.


I am well aware of how improbable that must sound to an outsider... It is improbable. But it's also true. For reasons we can ill explain, the facts surrounding the Calamity are shrouded in mystery. There are as many versions of events as there are people willing to recount them.


Yet amidst the hazy recollections and conflicting accounts, all agree on one thing: that Eorzea was saved from certain doom by a band of valiant adventurers.


Whatever else we've misremembered, none of us have forgotten the heroes who risked life and limb for the sake of the realm. And yet...whenever we try to say their names, the words die upon our lips.


And whenever we try to call their faces to mind, we see naught but silhouettes amidst a blinding glare.


Thus have these adventurers come to be known as “the Warriors of Light.”


...Ahem. Pray do not feel daunted by the deeds of legends. We do not ask that you become another Warrior of Light, only that you do what you can to assist the people of Gridania.


Great or small, every contribution counts. I trust you will play your part.


You have my gratitude!


All that's left, then, is to conclude the business of registration. Here's a quill. Scrawl your name right there.


Oh, and I would appreciate it if you used your real name—there is a special place in the seventh hell for those who use “amusing” aliases.


...Forename Surname, hm? And you're quite sure that isn't an amusing alias?


Very well. From this moment forward, you are a registered adventurer of Gridania, nation blessed of the elementals and the bounty of the Twelveswood. The guild expects great things from you.
Look at what just arrived—another godsdamned adventurer...
Don't you start with that. Adventurers are the very salve that Gridania needs.
The Elder Seedseer herself bade us welcome them with open arms. Do you mean to disregard her will?
Of course not! Lest you forget, it is my sworn duty to uphold the peace! Am I to blame if outsiders bring mistrust upon themselves?
You—adventurer! Mind that you do not cause any trouble here, or I shall personally cast you out of this realm and into the seventh hell.
Ahem. Pay that outburst no mind. He meant only to...counsel you. Suspicious characters have been prowling the Twelveswood of late, you see, and the Wood Wailers feel they cannot afford to take any chances.

As is often the way with folk who live in isolation, Gridanians are wont to mistrust things they do not well know, your good self included. Fear not, however—given a catalog of exemplary deeds, and no more than a handful of years, the locals will surely warm to you.


On behalf of my fellow citizens, I welcome you to Gridania. May you come to consider our nation as your own in time.


Now then, you may depend on old Mother Miounne to teach you a few things that every adventurer should know.
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Quest Complete
System
This concludes the introductory game tutorial.

You have taken the first step as an adventurer in the city of Gridania.


Listen well to the wisdom of Mother Miounne, then go forth and discover the incredible adventures that await you!