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As the morning sunlight rose above the Thanalan desert and seeped through the cracks of the storage shed, I realized that there was no early morning rail carts on this day. Thankful for my full night of sleep, I rose and gathered my belongings before heading out to greet Papashan. We exchanged our greetings and he introduced me to another Lalafell named Cicidoa. This young Lalafell owed a debt to a local man, so he requested that I take a receipt of purchase over to the Royal Plantation, obtain one of their pumpkins, and deliver it to a fellow named Roger at the Coffer & Coffin tavern. When I arrived at the plantation, the farmers told me they'd be happy to give me a pumpkin but first I would need to help them with a pest problem. Snapping Shrews had infested their pumpkin patch and were eating all of their hard work. They gave me some herbs that would draw out the rodents, so I carefully made my way through the pumpkin patch luring out the shrews and dispatching them with my magic. Having had a lot of battle practice recently, I could feel my magical abilities growing stronger and my coin purse growing heavier. What a rewarding feeling! Now that the shrews had been dealt with, the farmers gave me the pumpkin needed to complete Cicidoa's request and pointed me in the direction of the Coffer & Coffin. It was time to go meet with Roger. After traveling a few yalms north I arrived at the Coffer & Coffin. It seemed rather quiet outside, however upon entering I could see just how lively the bar was. The people of the area worked hard on the land and rightfully enjoyed their nightly ales even harder. I made my way to the counter and asked for Roger, who just so happened to be the bartender. I handed the pumpkin over to him and he rewarded me with a complimentary dish of Marmot Steak. This seems to be the staple of Ul'dah, of which I have no complaints! As I ate the meal, he told me about the troubles at Black Brush Station and tipped me off that the Stone Torch guard was looking for hard workers to help their efforts. I thanked Roger for the meal and asked him which direction Black Brush Station was. He told me to follow the rail cart tracks north and I couldn't miss the large Aetheryte crystal in the center of the village. My contact was a warrior named Warin. I made my way north and shortly found the large glowing crystal in the distance. After attuning myself to the Aetheryte, I asked a local guard where I could find Warin and he pointed me over to the rail station. I greeted the warrior and learned that the Stone Torches were mercenaries hired by Amajina and Sons Mineral Concern to protect their goods, but the local creatures were overwhelming their forces and they needed help. He warned me about what I was getting into and insisted that I make sure my equipment was prepared before starting the extermination task set before me. With all the work I had been picking up and the gracious gifts of those that employed me, I had been able to upgrade my plain clothes to some rather unflattering mage armor. Warin agreed that I was prepared for the task at hand and explained that along the rail cart tracks was an ore storehouse that had unintentionally turned into a Coblyn breeding ground. I was to exterminate the Coblyns to make the track safer. He handed me a shard of silver ore and told me to use it to lure the Coblyns out of their nest. With that, I made my way south to the cave Warin marked on my map and set out on my search for the Coblyns. The cave was rather dark, however I could see that someone was at least maintaining the torches in the ore storage and I was thankful for the bit of light that they provided. I searched around and found a small fissure in the ground, where I placed the silver shard that Warin had given me. Within moments, a swarm of Coblyns appeared ready to feast on whatever was in front of them. I felt slightly overwhelmed, as I had never had to battle in the darkness, but I kept my distance and eventually slayed the swarm. With my mission complete, I took the small trek back to Black Brush and informed Warin that the Coblyns had been taken care of. He thanked me and then introduced me to Zuzumeda, a tiny Lalafell merchant who exclaimed that he had heard talk of me and was glad to make my acquaintance! Despite all of these jobs seeming meaningless against tales of great adventurers that have freed enslaved countries and slain dragons, I seem to be making a name for myself. Perhaps one day there will be tales of my adventures too! Zuzumeda shared a rumor with me that there is a local private merchant looking to establish sole proprietorship on an untouched ore deposit in the area, but he is competing with a long standing benefactor of the Syndicate that is not keen on people invading what he claims to be "his" territory. Lord Lolorito was the name, and he has intertwined himself with the governing bodies of Ul'dah by providing them with immense amounts of gil in order to maintain control over the local economy and root out any competitors that may come forth. I was told to head back to the Coffer & Coffin to meet with the merchant, a man named Wystan, and offer my services to him. When I arrived at the tavern, I noticed a new inhabitant in a rather garish looking blue smock and approached him. Wystan skipped any introductions and immediately informed me that I was too late to join in on his expedition because the Brass Blades, another mercenary group, had already started their journey to the ruins. He seemed to feel bad for not being able to offer me a chance at employment, so instead he tasked me with delivering cookies to local children that were in his charge. This didn't seem nearly as exciting as venturing through ruins, but gil is gil, so I accepted the task and made my way around the encampment sharing the deliciously fragrant cookies with the children. Wystan thanked me for my help and shared his childhood struggles with me. At first I thought him to be rude, but he has a good heart and his reasoning for trying to tap into this literal gold mine is to earn enough money to help the refugees in the area rebuild their homes and return to some sense of dignity after the calamity. Shortly into our conversation, some of the Brass Blades hurriedly entered the bar and told Wystan that they had found the ore vein. Because I had proven myself as a worthy ally, Wystan invited me to travel with him and inspect the area that they had discovered. I had some other errands to run for the townsfolk in Black Brush Station, so I assured Wystan that I would meet with him at the Sil'dih ruins before nightfall. After I finished my other duties, I started the long journey south and found myself atop a cliff overlooking what appeared to be a collapsed temple. I saw Wystan and started my descent down the hill, but something seemed off. Wystan was rather, distressed. As I approached Wystan, I could hear the leader of the Brass Blades troop telling him that the Syndicate would never allow someone like him to take over what belonged to them. They intended to execute Wystan and quickly drew their blades upon me as I stood by his side. Wystan is a good man. I can't let them harm him! I drew my staff and readied myself for battle, but suddenly another voice cut out across the ravine. "O mournful voice of creation! Grant ye this humble stone a soul, that it may wake to life." All of us, friend and foe alike, looked around for the source of the voice. Who else was here with us? Suddenly, the ground began to rumble and aetherical energy swirled around the entrance of the collapsed temple. The stones started to gather and rise up into a large, hulking mass. Someone was summoning a golem! The Brass Blades shouted to abandon their mission and ran as the golem's form took shape. I didn't have much time to react before the mass of enchanted rocks lumbered forward, so I pushed Wystan behind a rock and began to channel my magic. As I battled the hulking shape, I heard the disembodied voice continue to shout orders to the rock beast. It's large hands smashed into the earth around me, causing me to break focus as I dove for cover against the shards of earth that rose from the ground. I continued hurling blasts of fire and bolts of lightning at my foe. At once point, I was certain my demise had come because the creature had gathered an overwhelming amount of energy at the center of it's mass and was preparing to launch it directly at me. I rushed behind the remains of an ornate pillar and prayed that whatever ancient masons built this temple used the sturdiest of stones to hold up their creation. A loud BOOM erupted around me as the beast released the energy. The earth shook and debris fell all around me, but I was still alive! I stepped out of my cover drenched in sweat, mud, and river water, focused everything I had into the end of my magical staff, and fired one last bolt of flame. The spell struck the golem in it's core and the once bright orange light that shone out of it's body dimmed. The creature slumped over and it's stone features began falling into the stream, dead. Not feeling safe yet, I scanned the ruins for the source of the voice. I caught a glimpse of a man dressed in a black robe and a dark face covering, but just as quickly as I noticed him, he vanished. I made my way over to Wystan to make sure he was okay and as I helped him to his feet, Thancred ran towards us. He assessed the situation and commended me on my performance, but as he spoke a piercing sensation shot through my head and my vision blurred. I fell into a vision again, this time of Thancred. He was walking the streets of Ul'dah, spouting sweet nothings to a couple of women enthralled by his charm. Thancred became distracted by a group of nearby merchants talking about a lost caravan. A group known as the Amalj'aa had attacked a caravan carrying crystals across the Thanalan desert and Thancred was certain this was part of their plan to summon a Primal, whatever that meant. The dream shifted to the Sapphire Exchange, where Thancred looked into the sky and noticed the large red mood growing brighter and descending slowly towards the earth. The vision blurred and reformed, showing Thancred inside the Thaumaturges' Guild. The device that he usually had strapped to his shoulder was now worn on his face. He approached the large statue of Thal and bowed, noting that the device actually showed him the strands of aetherial energy in the air and that it was particularly dense here. Thancred rose and removed the mask, asserting to himself that he needed to focus and get back in contact with the Scions. Before the vision ended, I saw a small scene leading up to Thancred's meeting with Papashan, explaining how our paths crossed. Who are the Scions? What have I gotten myself involved with? I rose from my sudden nap again to find Thancred helping Wystan and his men, tending to their wounds and making sure they were okay to travel back to Black Brush Station. He turned to me and spoke. "My colleagues went to great lengths to provide me with the means to detect aetheric disturbances, but every time I find one, you seem to be in the middle of it. I'm starting to wonder if it might not be simpler just to follow you around. Sadly, I have business elsewhere. Tread softly, my friend. The carefully laid trap you dismantled was clearly sanctioned by Lord Lolorito. I heard the Blades mention him as they fled. Believe me when I tell you that is not a man to be trifled with. The sultana's enemies grow bolder by the day, and I suspect they have the support of outside forces." Wystan rose from the ground as well and thanked us for keeping him and his men safe. He told me he wished to speak further, but it was not safe to linger in this area. I was instructed to meet with them back at the Coffer & Coffin, to which Thancred volunteered as their escort. Thancred then took a moment to formally introduce himself as my ally, echoing almost exactly what Papashan had told me about him in our last meeting. He appears to be an ally, so I will trust him for now. As they left, Thancred turned back to me and began mentioning something, but cut himself off and insisted that we would be able to discuss things later. Alone, confused, and exhausted, I slowly made my way back to Black Brush Station. I entered the inn and attempted to pay for a room, but Wystan had already taken care of my lodging. I made my way upstairs and had no time to decompress anything that had happened before a heavy sleep swept over my body.

My sleep was restful, although rather short, as I was suddenly awoken by an early morning rail cart passing by. Unable to return to my slumber, I roused myself enough to get ready and head out to deliver the rations given to me by Papashan. The first sentry I found was rather...skittish...and demanded I leave the pretzel on the ground before he realized I was a friend and not foe. The other two guards were less abrasive, although both seemed to be rather exhausted with their duties and ill-fit to defend against anything. Once my deliveries were complete, I reported back to Papashan. Seeing that I was carrying a rather worn scepter and shield, he kindly replaced my weaponry with a new staff. Although I could tell in it's nature that it was meant for an apprentice mage, I did feel that it was stronger than my previous equipment. Papashan thanked me for helping him, and then informed me that he had a more pressing matter he needed assistance with. A young noblewoman from a very prestigious family had run away from home and he was ordered to see her safe return. Apparently the sultansworn sentries I provided rations to were searching for her and I have now been tasked with finding her as well. The old Lalafell gave me her name, Lady Lilira, and instructed me to quickly head south to the Sultantree and find her before anyone else of the unsavory sort were to discover her. I hurried off to the Sultantree and was rather relieved to find Lady Lilira unharmed. As I approached, I could hear her uttering some kind of prayer. I was getting ready to announce my presence, but another white-haired man showed up behind me and called out to her. "Just how important is she to have this many people searching for her?", I thought to myself. He was a rather unique looking fellow with a bright purple tattoo on his neck and some kind of device strapped to his shoulder. The man approached Lady Lilira and insisted that he was here to make sure she returned safely, but Lilira was having none of it and demanded he leave her at once. Refusing, the white-haired man insisted that the area was not safe for her, much less anyone else, and that he could sense an aetheric disturbance around us. Something about the dead watching us. He then turned to me and congratulated me on finding our charge, saying that Papashan had sent him to find Lady Lilira as well. Just as we were preparing to leave, a large gargoyle attacked us. This was it! My first real battle against a formidable enemy! The white-haired man jumped in front of Lady Lilira and drew his daggers, engaging the monster before it could approach any further. My hands were shaking, but I quickly removed my staff from my back and began channeling the arcane energies around us. A flash of fire, a bolt of lightning, shards of ice - all of the skills I had been practicing on the small creatures outside of Ul'dah zinged at this creature and it took them with not so much as a peep of pain. What were we up against? Would we survive? Just as I felt that we were weakening the creature, several of what I assume were it's children flew in to join the battle. I let the stranger handle the large gargoyle and began focusing my spells on the smaller ones, hoping that my magic would drive them back. It did at first, but then a second and third wave came forth. I wasn't giving up, and neither was the white-haired man. Before long, we had slain all of the monsters and delivered a fatal blow to the largest one. After the creature fell, the stranger went to check on Lady Lilira. I learned from the guild master that just as life brings aetheric energy to form, death disperses the energy just the same. The gargoyle began to disintegrate and in it's place I noticed a glimmer in the sand. Some kind of crystal, perhaps? I approached the shining blue object and felt an enormous pulse of energy surge out of it. This proved to be too much for me and I collapsed to the ground. Somewhere in between consciousness and unconsciousness, I floated in darkness. My mind was blank, but I heard a faint voice echoing in my mind. "Hear...Feel...Think..." The voice echoed again, "Hear...Feel...Think..." and then light erupted in all of the space surrounding me. Below me, a large magical glyph expanded and shot a bolt of light into the sky. It was really amazing! As the bolt soared further and further, the sky opened into a brilliant orange glow surrounded by dark, ominous clouds. Large shards of molten rock and fire began to rain down all around me. What in the hell was going on? Was this a vision of the calamity? Despite the disaster surrounding me, I felt a pressing sense of calmness embrace me as I floated in space. Suddenly, a light brighter than any I had seen before shone all around me and as it faded, the devastation above me was gone and replaced by the image of a very large crystal. Again, a voice spoke to me, though I was not sure where it came from. It told me that it's name was Hydaelyn and that the light that once shone throughout this realm was growing dim, with darkness taking it's place and rooting out life across the land. Then, it called on me, asking me to use the light that resides within me to seek out the Crystals of Light and banish the darkness from whence it came. Despite having so many questions, I could not speak or move, and everything around me began to fade away. Soon, after these visions left me, I could feel the hot desert sun on my face as my consciousness returned to me. I could feel the presence of the white-haired man and Lady Lilira standing next to me. I slowly rose, rubbing my eyes and dusting myself off as I regained my balance. Lady Lilira addressed the stranger and demanded that he explain what sort of monster attacked us. He claimed to not have any details other than it being a void-sent demon. This shocked Lady Lilira, and she exclaimed that it was unusual to have a void-sent this close to the city. The stranger then turned to me and approached, sarcastically asking if I had gotten any information during my sudden nap. He explained that my loss of consciousness was caused by an overabundance of aether from the crystal that had fallen from the beast. Unable to make sense of what had just happened, we prepared for our journey back to Papashan. Lady Lilira insisted that she would not be escorted and left without either of us. Unwilling to cause any more of a disturbance in the area and unsure of what to do next, we both agreed to let her go now that she was safe and started to separate in our own directions. Before leaving, the white-haired man assured me that we would be meeting again soon. What did he mean by that? Who was he? What was going on with me? There was nothing left for me here, so I returned to Papashan. Papashan enthusiastically thanked me for helping save Lady Lilira and assured me that I would be paid handsomely. I questioned him about the man that he hired and he told me that his name was Thancred. According to Papashan, he is a rather loquacious, self-inflated scholar that studies oddities in the aether. Fair enough. But his assurance that we would meet again had me wondering what kind of studies he was involved with and what I had to do with any of them. He also seemed to know about the crystal, so I made a mental note to seek him out and ask him what that dream was about. Papashan thanked me again for my work and encouragingly told me that I am just the type of adventurer this realm needs. Night had fallen again and I was rather exhausted after the days events. Papashan enthusiastically offered the storage shed to me again and even gave me some of their rations to tide me through the night. I slowly ate the food as I sat in the darkness pondering everything that had happened. Before long, my eyes grew heavy and I was asleep before my head touched the pillow.

Hello! My name is Markus Duskridge. I am 33 years old and decided today to leave my homestead and begin a new adventure in the town of Ul'dah. I'm not sure what the world has in store for me, but I hope to become a grand mage and carve a name for myself in the history of this world. This journal will be a log of my adventures as I make my way across Eorzea. I hope you enjoy reading about my tales. Upon arrival in the grand sultanate, I made my way to the local tavern, The Quicksand, and met with Momodi, the proprietress and leader of the adventurer's guild. She accepted my registration as an adventurer and asked me to familiarize myself with the area so I don't get lost or swindled during my journey. I'm glad she looks out for new adventurers. She instructed me to attune myself to the central Aetheryte, scope out the Sapphire Exchange bazaar, and then visit the Thaumaturges' Guild to begin my training. made my way over to the aetheryte using an enchanted map that Momodi so graciously provided for me. Upon arrival, I noticed how diverse the population is in Ul'dah compared to my small village. There are so many different types of people and each with a different style and personality. It's rather refreshing, really. As I made my way around the town performing Momodi's tasks, many of the townsfolk called out to me and asked for help. I suppose I do look like a helpful fellow! Most of the tasks they gave me were rather menial, though as a budding adventurer I can't be too picky about what jobs are sent my way. Perhaps once I've established myself a bit more, I can be more...selective. This new land is so vibrant and the sights are something to see! While I was trying to find the Sapphire Exchange, I happened upon the entrance to the Ul'dahn Palace and boy was it beautiful! All this running around made me quite famished, so when I finally reached the Sapphire Exchange I sat down and enjoyed a nice Marmot Steak with some Orange Juice. The Garlean Garlic they used in this dish was so aromatic and flavorful! Even the shopping hub here in Ul'dah is something to see. All the different merchants peddling their wares and even the townsfolk were available to craft any items you needed right there on the spot! They even have a market board where you can browse sales tickets and purchase items from anywhere in the world. Having completed all of my other tasks, I made my way to the Thaumaturges' Guild and met with Yayake, the guild receptionist. Momodi had sent word of my arrival, so they were prepared to meet with me. At first, I felt a little overwhelmed, as Yayake told me my admission was dependent upon me reading all one hundred and eight volumes of the Fundamental Thaumaturgical Principles. However, this remark was in jest and she informed me that practice had been abolished and I would simply need to meet with the heads of the Thaumaturges' Guild. The five elders greeted me and told me I had potential to join their guild, but first I would need to complete a trial of slaying certain monsters outside of the city gates. They told me this was an initiation rite to understand the depths of the destructive powers of a Thaumaturge. Very well. Outside Ul'dah I put the Thaumaturges' advice to action and began slaying beasts as requested by the guild master. The battles were rather simple and nothing I wasn't used to living in a remote village, although I was reminded that I need to keep an eye on my mental fortitude if I plan on becoming a powerful mage. Focusing too much on one arcane element can be very draining, so it is vital to my survival that I get plenty of practice with each arcane specialty. The elemental gauge trinket that the guild provided me should prove useful in monitoring my elemental affinity during battle. I returned with my bounty to the guild hall and met with Cocobuki again, where I was formally indicted to the Thaumaturges' Guild. He gave me a notebook called a Hunting Log and told me that the creatures detailed within would help me hone my skills as a Thaumaturge and improve my ability to manipulate the arcane energies. I was instructed to return to him once I had filled out some of the hunting log. With all of my work at the guild completed for now, I made my way back to the Quicksand and asked Momodi if there were anymore jobs available. She told me I have already begun to make a name for myself and a man by the name of Papashan wants to speak to me at the Dispatch Yard in central Thanalan. I made my way to the Dispatch Yard and met with Papashan. He's was a rather kind old man. During our discussion, he informed me of all the work that has gone into restoring the nation since the calamity five years ago and all the work that is still needed. I don't remember much of the calamity, which seems to be the case for most people. From what I've heard, it was such a devastating event worldwide that there was mass amnesia and very few people, if any at all, have any kind of concrete idea of the events that happened on that fateful day. Night fell as Papashan and I were speaking, so he graciously handed me a bedroll and unlocked one of the Dispatch Yard's storage rooms for me to take shelter for the night. He has asked me to deliver some rations to his sentries in the morning, so I shall do so. In the meantime, I think I deserve a good night's sleep. As my consciousness drifted away from me, I thought about how my new adventure has started. I am excited, yet nervous, to see what is in my horizon.