The Black Shroud

“You cannot lie to nature. It will eventually force you to be honest.” That is a family proverb. My mother speaks it often, but I only learned its full meaning recently.

Nature demands things from us. If we choose to deny it, we die. It is that simple, and that strict. I must kill to eat, I must accept that I am never fully clean and I must be selfish at least part of the time.



The path to being a good person is not pretending that I would not harm a gnat, or that I am selfless; it is killing only when needed, following a code of conduct and learning to commit occasional acts of charity. Beyond that, people can do nothing more without putting on a falsehood. A falsehood that would soon be destroyed by the forces of nature within us all.



My home is the Black Shroud. Some call it the Twelveswood. Even after being struck hard by the fires of the calamity, the Black Shroud is still vast, and still intricate. But the vastness it still has is nothing compared to what it once had. The Twelveswood is like a large beastkin that has been dealt a bleeding wound. If the wound continues to bleed, the beast will eventually die.






Even after a cycle in Gridania, I still do not understand, nor place my faith in, the Elementals. Other places in Eorzea survive without Elementals, so why are they so important to the Shroud? The Gridanians swear by them, and would do their bidding; everything else be damned by Rhalgr. But me, I place my faith in the Twelve, and bow to no other power.






My sept, and many others, must survive in a dying forest that is no longer able to support everyone who calls it home. Everything we have done, we did for our survival. It is no longer enough. The Ixal are like scavenger birds that see weakness, and attack. Their raids, Gridanian laws and the desperate groups trying to eek out a living in Eorzea are all adding to a hardship my kin cannot bear for much longer.






That is where my story began. As one of the scouts in my family, I set off into Eorzea to find resources, and mayhaps even new hunting grounds for my group. I plan to make many ventures to many lands.

Eastern Thanalan (1st visit)

Eastern Thanlan was more lush than expected. The trees were pitifully sized and few in number, but they were strong and healthy. The brush was half-alive and half-dead with leaves that bore hues of brown and green. The soil was dry; a mix of sand and dirt. But the night insects chirped as loudly as they would in the Shroud, and the cycle of life paced ahead; being driven by many beastkin and other animals.





The night sky was the most impressive sight. Clear and unobstructed; the stars, and the glorious Moon were easier to see than ever. Unlike the Shroud, there were no tree canopies in Thanalan to block any sight from the sky! I was in awe of it.




Finding water and food was not as hard as expected. A large river was close to a place called Highbridge. And a kind of Aldgoat lives in the land. They were easy prey during the night. With only scavenger hounds and Ziz-like beasts to worry about, I hardly felt threatened during most of my trek.





Highbridge was a good place to find rest. The Brass Blades allowed me to sleep there for a modest fee. I slept the sun away then continued my trek into the next night. I was warned about a Beast Tribe of Amalj'aa that settled near-by, but I never encountered them.

The Thanalan nights were actually very cold, but much more preferable to me than the heat of the Thanalan sun. I traveled a ways to a place called Camp Drybone. Even with the gods damned scavenger hounds following me at a safe, but annoying distance, my trek was uneventful. The camp was my next place of rest. I found it odd that they would build a settlement in a large pit, but mayhaps the people of Thanalan like pits? I slept the sun, and had my Aldgoat meat cooked by a rather grouchy Roegadyn chef.



A Brass Blade gave me directions to Ul'dah, for a modest fee, then I set off to a South-Western pass to Central Thanalan. I was hoping my trek through Central would go just as smoothly, but Nymeia served my hopes to Rhalgr on a godly plate.

Central Thanalan (1st visit)



Upon arriving in Central Thanalan, there was an eerie fog set about the land. I could hardly see but ten fulms in front of me. I began to follow the road; hoping it would lead me to Ul'dah. If I had known then what I know now, I would have turned back to Camp Drybone and waited for the fog to pass.





I was warned about the heat, the scavenger hounds, the Amalj'aa and the bandits. No one mentioned absurdly huge vilekin!



Mayhaps they did not like the sound of my voice, for when I called out to a strange clacking sound that I could hear through the thick fog, the big bugs greeted me with their massive, spiked mandibles.



I ran without shame as fast as an Elezen to his ego. I was not prepared to deal with insects the size of Banemites. I believe the people of Thanalan should make a sign or something because travelers should be warned about the deceptively-named Antlings.

After fleeing the first group, I found myself against a large boulder near a lake. I only had a few moments of rest when another Antling revealed itself from behind the boulder. I would not run from that one!









Fleeing and fighting in thick fog was my nightmare for the next few bells after my first encounter with them. The Antlings seemed nearly blind, so I was able to evade them most of the time, but their carapace was very solid. I had to be clever in order to kill the few that I killed.




Soon after the fog had cleared, I had made it through Antling territory. I arrived at a place called Black Brush Station. I was exhausted, so I took rest at that station. But I did what I could to avoid the Brass Blade guards whom would have likely made me pay another “modest” fee.

The next night, I set off to Ul'dah. I would soon witness another spectacle that I had never seen before.

A Stone Used to Sharpen Blades

The Brass Blades told me it would cost 10,000 gil to enter Ul'dah. I spent the sun in a refugee camp outside the city. I fail to understand why the walls of the city are so tall. It is as if they wish to keep the Gods themselves out of the city.




At one point I witnessed a large gathering of people forming around a camp-ground near a river. I felt a strong urge to stalk. The diverse group of people were heavily armed, but they did not wear uniforms of any kind. Other people were obviously robed magic-users, and some of these random people surrounded an open ground as if awaiting something.

I was too wary to approach the gathered people. I did not know their purpose. I stood and watched, but no clear answers were given. There were shouts from some people, responses from armed people and too much happening at once. I would not have figured it out on my own anytime soon. Fortunately, I was given answers by peculiar Hyur woman.

The sound of clanking alarmed me, for I was afraid that Antlings were near again! But it was no giant insect. It, or rather she, was an armored Hyur woman by the name of Roen Deneith. I am small even from Miqo'te sight, but she was not much bigger, yet she wore armor that I would never wear unless perhaps Bahamut appeared in the sky once again!

I wondered what battles she would have to fight in order to need armor like that. She glanced at me, but I did not immediately speak. I decided to approach her after mustering courage. Questions needed answering.

I learned from her that the gathering peoples were going to take part in the Grindstone Tournament. No, it was not a tournament where people would compete with grindstones to see who could make the sharpest blade. It was, in fact, a tournament of fighters who would compete to be deemed the strongest and most skilled. It was a competition like I had never seen before.

I sat with the kind, but quiet, Roen as we watched the fights. We spoke, and I quickly grew to like her. She seemed a strong and smart woman. I did not know the Hyur had such women among their kind. Other odd people appeared to witness the matches. One such character was an ominous Elezen who worked with Roen. After watching him, and hearing his words about the fights, I now know why Roen walks around in such heavy armor. I learned that she was a warrior of sword and shield. I learned that she never participated in the Grindstone matches. But, I didn't learn much else.

Southern Thanalan (2nd Visit)


I later had learned that it did not cost 10,000 gil to enter Ul'dah. I was shamefully fooled by the Brass Blades at the gate. I am very fortunate that I did not have that much gil, or I may have spent it! The nerve of the people in this arid land. Or mayhaps I am a hog-brained fool.

I decided to head to a place known as The Forgotten Springs. It is the only known location of a Sun Seeker tribe that is named the Drake Tribe. Other Sun Seeker tribes are isolated, and their location is not known. This would be my only chance to see how the Sun Seekers eek out a living in a harsh land. But there would be many check-points along the way.




One such check-point is a place known as Little Ala Mhigo. It is the last refuge of the traditional peoples from a once powerful nation called Ala Mhigo. I do not know much about their history, and do not really care to learn it, but I needed to stop by the settlement in order to replenish my supply of water.






The Brass Blade at the gate warned me about the Ala Mhigans' hate of outsiders, but I had no choice; I needed to negotiate for rights to their settlement's spring. I felt less out of place near Ul'dah...




Upon entering the “settlement”, which may be more properly called a cavern, I was greeted with menacing stares from many of the tall Hyur. I was directed towards their chieftain who was an imposing, and rather stern-looking old male. I would have to resist my urges to scowl at him...






He wanted me to leave as soon as I filled my water-skins. It was dawn already, so I wished to stay the sun, but he would not allow me to stay even a bell. This was probably for the best because I was about to die from the smell of the “settlement.” But without shelter for the sun, I would have to face the Thanalan heat.





I did not get far as I headed South. The sun quickly made a mess of me. I did not know I could sweat so much. I had dressed more fitting for this journey, but that was far from enough. I collapsed under a small tree, and awaited dusk.






Damn the Ala Mhigans to Rhalgr.

But they would like that, so nevermind.

Forgotten Springs, Southern Thanalan (2nd Visit)


When the sun set, my trek began anew. I crossed a stone bridge that took me to a small Immortal Flames camp. The soldiers were nervous, and I soon understood why. They were watching Amalj'aa territory.





I had never seen Amalj'aa before, so I decided to scout ahead. The Roegadyn soldier almost tackled me to stop me, but his Hyur commander told him to stand down, and let me get myself killed if I desired. Little did they know that I am a trained scout.

I got close enough to see the Amalj'aa sentries from a safe distance. I was awestruck. These beast-men are no Ixal. They are a whole different creature. Large, black and scaly; they were armed with spears and bows. Even from a distance I could see their imposing size. Now I know why they are oft feared. I had seen enough. I glanced at their compound along a mountainside then turned back to the Flames camp.





There would be no getting through the Amalj'aa territory, but the Flames showed me a cave passage through the mountain that would take me directly to The Forgotten Springs. It was a surprisingly long cave. It went on for countless yalms before I finally reached the spring.







Once I reached the Drake Tribe camp, I saw that it was an oasis in a vast, dune desert. A refuge in the Sagolii. Tress, brush, water, buildings, even a central Aetheryte crystal. They had everything. The water was abundant, clean and clear. The place was beautiful, but much smaller than I thought it would be.








I was surprised by many of the things I learned about The Forgotten Springs and the Drake Tribe. They did not live in the harsh desert environment; they lived in a tiny paradise. They did not rely solely on their rangers for defense; they had a building given to Immortal Flames use, and had Immortal Flames soldiers on their grounds. I will not even speak my thoughts on their leaders.






Their huntresses still hunted drakes in a traditional way, but I believe their resources were aided by Immortal Flames supplies. They were not the independent tribe of Sun-seekers I had expected them to be. Their huntresses knew no more than I did about anything. There was little I could learn from those people. I would get the rest I needed then begin my journey home.