Before Ishgard opened its gates to all who sought to enter, actually setting foot in Ishgard was a feat known only to smugglers and citizens. Many attempted to go beyond the gates yet were rebuffed for not being pious enough, or not having the requisite rights. Even today, you are more likely to get rebuffed and executed for impiety than actually entering the city.
Being what Ishgard natives would consider a heretic, and not willing to deal with any sort of illegal activity in order to make it into Ishgard, Kellach Woods was wracking his brain in the Twelveswood, more specifically, in the North Shroud, while his steed, the ephemeral Phantom, was busy pecking at a bunch of gysahl greens his partner had set out for him. He was using his axe as a sort of footstool in order to look beyond, to see if there was anything of notice.
Phantom perked up and immediately started nudging Kell, pointing ever towards the west. Not knowing exactly what the creature had in mind, he shrugged and mounted the chocobo. Phantom seemed to know where it wanted to go, and Kell, ever the wanderer, did not exactly question the desires of his mount - Phantom came and went as he wanted, and Kell was merely a passenger that the bird did not mind ferrying over great distances.
It zoomed faster than what Kell thought possible, going alongside the western coast of Eorzea, finding ways through the cliffs and rough paths that had long been abandoned since the self-exile of Sharlayans returning to their island. Not wanting to deter his mount's enthusiasm, he scarcely dug his boots in beyond steering it away from less than obvious obstacles.
Eventually, after running over several malms, Phantom was tired and night fell. As Kell prepared the fire, he looked at the stars to try and locate where he ended up, only to find that he had absolutely no idea how to navigate, whether land or sea, using astronomy. Worse still, he did not even have the tools for that. The night was peaceful, the silent breathing of Phantom being a soothing sound for the otherwise weary traveler. He thought he was heading towards Coerthas, but the climate was far too warm for this to be anywhere near it.
For days and nights, they traveled like this until they stumbled onto some ruins, and subsequently, a goblin. Kellach jumped off Phantom, patting it on the head as the goblin began to get agitated.
"Is you friendly uplander? Dimwix not see anyone, gobbiefriend or gobbiefoe, in days! What brings uplander to lands?" it said, just happy that someone had shown up.
"Um, well, I was letting Phantom, this chocobo here, lead me where it will. I don't exactly recognize where we are, though..."
"Oh! Birdmount guide? Dimwix never heard of birdmounts being guides. Or birdmounts having names. Is uplander lost?"
"No, well, lost would assume I had any idea on where to go! Though I'd sure like to know where I am." Kell answered, while Phantom was pacing frantically.
"Hm... Village of uplanders in dragonforest to northeast! Go there, uplanders may be uplanderfriends! Dimwix not know if they are gobbiefriends, but surely they help!"
With a frantic wave, Kell waved off Dimwix as they continued scrounging the remainder of the ruins. Two days later, the unlikely duo had made it to the Chocobo Forest, and the truth of Phantom's mad dash was revealed as he bucked his rider off a few hundred yalms, in sight of another chocobo which it went to "Kweh!" and "Wark!" around. Readjusting his mask, Kell could only sigh. His chocobo's thirst had brought him to unknown lands.
He soon found Tailfeather, the encampment that Dimwix had been referring to as a village, and from there, he found that he was past the Gates of Judgement, just... very far from Ishgard. Thanking the chocobo hunters, also warning them about Phantom's loose partnership with himself, he readjusted his gear, verifying the mechanisms of his daggers, and left towards the inhospitable frigid western highlands of Coerthas... in nothing but a belly shirt, a mask and what looked like a long skirt.
Being what Ishgard natives would consider a heretic, and not willing to deal with any sort of illegal activity in order to make it into Ishgard, Kellach Woods was wracking his brain in the Twelveswood, more specifically, in the North Shroud, while his steed, the ephemeral Phantom, was busy pecking at a bunch of gysahl greens his partner had set out for him. He was using his axe as a sort of footstool in order to look beyond, to see if there was anything of notice.
Phantom perked up and immediately started nudging Kell, pointing ever towards the west. Not knowing exactly what the creature had in mind, he shrugged and mounted the chocobo. Phantom seemed to know where it wanted to go, and Kell, ever the wanderer, did not exactly question the desires of his mount - Phantom came and went as he wanted, and Kell was merely a passenger that the bird did not mind ferrying over great distances.
It zoomed faster than what Kell thought possible, going alongside the western coast of Eorzea, finding ways through the cliffs and rough paths that had long been abandoned since the self-exile of Sharlayans returning to their island. Not wanting to deter his mount's enthusiasm, he scarcely dug his boots in beyond steering it away from less than obvious obstacles.
Eventually, after running over several malms, Phantom was tired and night fell. As Kell prepared the fire, he looked at the stars to try and locate where he ended up, only to find that he had absolutely no idea how to navigate, whether land or sea, using astronomy. Worse still, he did not even have the tools for that. The night was peaceful, the silent breathing of Phantom being a soothing sound for the otherwise weary traveler. He thought he was heading towards Coerthas, but the climate was far too warm for this to be anywhere near it.
For days and nights, they traveled like this until they stumbled onto some ruins, and subsequently, a goblin. Kellach jumped off Phantom, patting it on the head as the goblin began to get agitated.
"Is you friendly uplander? Dimwix not see anyone, gobbiefriend or gobbiefoe, in days! What brings uplander to lands?" it said, just happy that someone had shown up.
"Um, well, I was letting Phantom, this chocobo here, lead me where it will. I don't exactly recognize where we are, though..."
"Oh! Birdmount guide? Dimwix never heard of birdmounts being guides. Or birdmounts having names. Is uplander lost?"
"No, well, lost would assume I had any idea on where to go! Though I'd sure like to know where I am." Kell answered, while Phantom was pacing frantically.
"Hm... Village of uplanders in dragonforest to northeast! Go there, uplanders may be uplanderfriends! Dimwix not know if they are gobbiefriends, but surely they help!"
With a frantic wave, Kell waved off Dimwix as they continued scrounging the remainder of the ruins. Two days later, the unlikely duo had made it to the Chocobo Forest, and the truth of Phantom's mad dash was revealed as he bucked his rider off a few hundred yalms, in sight of another chocobo which it went to "Kweh!" and "Wark!" around. Readjusting his mask, Kell could only sigh. His chocobo's thirst had brought him to unknown lands.
He soon found Tailfeather, the encampment that Dimwix had been referring to as a village, and from there, he found that he was past the Gates of Judgement, just... very far from Ishgard. Thanking the chocobo hunters, also warning them about Phantom's loose partnership with himself, he readjusted his gear, verifying the mechanisms of his daggers, and left towards the inhospitable frigid western highlands of Coerthas... in nothing but a belly shirt, a mask and what looked like a long skirt.
