The Unending Journey

At Revenant's Toll, an oddly garbed visitor informs you of a rare opportunity to uncover the wisdom of the ancients. Make your way to Saint Coinach's Find and speak with the site's chief supervisor, Rammbroes, whom the stranger believes would welcome the services of a storied champion such as yourself.

Upon arriving at your destination, you find the Sons of Saint Coinach making preparations for an expedition into the forbidding Crystal Tower-- aided by your old friend Cid Garlond. Speak with Rammbroes when you are ready to assist in the Sons' mission to understand and preserve the potent technology of the fallen Allagan Empire.

According to Rammbroes, the entrance to the Crystal Tower is guarded by potent elemental defenses which will need to be circumvented before any expedition into the structure can be attempted. Cid's research suggests that the wrath of the elements can theoretically be reflected by crystals of sufficient clarity. Unfortunately, such flawless specimens are most likely to be found in the midst of the various beast tribe strongholds, and will not be had without a fight. It falls to you to obtain a flawless earth crystal from the U'Ghamaro Mines in Outer La Noscea, and a flawless water crystal from the Sapsa Spawning Grounds in Western La Noscea.

You have wrested the flawless crystals from the clutches of the kobolds and the Sahagin. Deliver your prizes to Rammbroes where he awaits you at Saint Coinach's Find.

After taking receipt of the two flawless crystals you acquired in La Noscea, Rammbroes asks that you seize the equivalent fire-and-wind-aspected specimens held by the Amalj'aa and the Ixal. Obtain a flawless fire crystal from Zahar'ak in southern Thanalan, and a flawless wind crystal from Natalan in the Coerthas central highlands by participating in the FATEs "He's a Firestarter" and "The Storm Caller," respectively.

You succeed in infiltrating the strongholds of the Amalj'aa and the Ixal, and escape with the beastmen's flawless fire and wind crystals. Deliver them both to Rammbroes at Saint Coinach's Find.

Thanks to your daring forays into the beastmen's strongholds, the Sons of Saint Coinach now possess flawless crystals of each of the four elements. If they are to be relied upon to reflect the wrath of the tower's sentinels, however, the crystals must be cut and polished to exacting specifications. According to Rammbroes, this process calls for certain extraordinary materials. Clearly, much work remains to be done.

Rammbroes explains that four varieties of an extremely rare abrasive known as aethersand are required to polish the flawless crystals. Take the purse given to you by the dig supervisor and deliver it to Serendipity, the master of the Goldsmiths' Guild in Ul'dah. It is Rammbroes's hope that the presence of a celebrated adventurer will prompt the goldsmiths to redouble their efforts to procure the required materials.

Upon arriving at the Goldsmiths' Guild, you encounter an old friend: Biggs. By some strange coincidence, it appears that the Roegadyn engineer is also intent on purchasing what little aethersand there is to be had. After a somewhat one-sided negotiation, he relinquishes his questionable claim on the only available batch in exchange for a role in the forthcoming expedition. The fire-aspected aethersand thus secured, inquire as to whether Biggs might know where to obtain the three remaining varieties.

Biggs reveals that his partner, Wedge, has traveled to northern Thanalan to meet with a merchant rumored to be in possession of a quantity of earth-aspected aethersand. Make for Bluefog and seek the Lalafell, who should be accompanied by a hired adventurer bodyguard.

According to the adventurer hired to guard Wedge, she last saw her employer during a bungled attempt to retrieve some aethersand, which had been stolen by bandits. Betraying scarcely a hint of shame, the bumbling bodyguard speculates that Wedge may still be trapped inside the abandoned Amajina mythril mine which the bandits call home. Make haste to the site and rescue Bigg's stricken friend before it is too late.

To your great relief, Wedge bears no scars from his recent ordeal. Unfortunately, he also bears no aethersand, having dropped it whilst fleeing from his pursuers. Search the mine and retrieve the precious mineral before the bandits stumble upon it.

You have succeeded in retrieving the lost aethersand. Return to Wedge and inform him of your success.

Wedge is plainly overjoyed to have the aethersand back, but when he hears of your impending expedition, he decides to surrender the precious mineral to you, reasoning that your need is greater. It is time to head back to Saint Coinach's Find, and deliver the fire- and earth-aspected aethersand to Rammbroes.

After delivering the two samples of aethersand, you regale Cid with tales of his indefatigable employees' most recent misadventures. When thoughts subsequently turn to the two outstanding varieties of aethersand, Rammbroes declares that he has made "arrangements" to procure them. Quite what form these arrangements may take is unclear, but his expression betrays no small amount of apprehension...

Rammbroes explains that he had made arrangements for an acquaintance of his to obtain the remaining varieties of aethersand. Since doing so, however, the dig supervisor has received no word of any kind, prompting him to worry that something may be amiss. Seek Parsemontret in the Gridanian markets, and inquire as to the to the whereabouts of Rommbroes' missing friend.

Parsemontret informs you that aethersand has not been sold in the markets for many years. Sensing your dejection, he mentions that you might consider mining the ore from which the water-aspected variety of the abrasive is refined. He is quick to point out, however, that the dangers inherent in this course of action make it an errand fit for desperate fools alone. Though you would ordinarily take issue with at least half of this description, it seems you have little choice but to accept the master's suggestion. Travel to Urth's Gift in the South Shroud and scour the territory of a particularly nasty hog.

While examining a large porcine carcass in Urth's Gift, you are addressed by an unseen observer who smugly declares that he has already collected the water-blessed ore that you came to find. Ostensibly on a whim, he then proposes a race to obtain a quantity of wind-aspected aethersand held by the Ixal. Hurray to the Ixal logging grounds in the North Shroud, and wrest the precious abrasive from the talons of the feathered beastmen.

After fighting your way past countless Ixal, you succeed in securing the wind-aspected aethersand. No sooner have you done so than you hear the voice of the unseen observer again. He thanks you for providing an entertaining spectacle, and declares his intention to reward your efforts. Travel to the clearing in Proud Creek and collect your prize, whatever it may be...

Upon arriving at the clearing in Proud Creek, you are surprised to find the very thing you need most: water-aspected aethersand. With predictable timing, the unseen observer chooses this moment to break the silence, praising your deeds before promising that the two of you will soon meet again. Return to Saint Coinach's Find in Mor Dhona, and deliver the remaining abrasives to the waiting Rammbroes.

Assuming the role of expedition leader, G'raha Tia issues instructions to the assembled fellowship of NOAH, detailing how the operation will proceed. Make your way to the large gate located to the south east of Saint Coinach's Find, and await the arrival of the rest of the survey team.

To the great relief of all concerned, the crystal "fangs" make short work of the tower's lethal outer defences. Reasoning that the structure's inner reaches are likely to contain further hazards, Cid volunteers you for the task of securing the Labyrinth of the Ancients. Rid the maze of anything which might pose a threat to the survey team.

Now that a path through the Labyrinth of the Ancients has been secured, it is time for the fellowship of NOAH to discuss the next stage of the expedition. Begin by apprising Rammbroes of your progress.

The most significant finding of your initial survey is also the most obvious: namely that the long-dormant mechanisms of the Crystal Tower have somehow been reawakened. In order to ascertain what coaxed them into motion after several thousand years of stillness, there is no recourse but to forge onwards and upwards into the spire itself. Given the danger inherent in this proposition, however, it is agreed that no further forays should be made until Cid and his assistants have conducted an exhaustive analysis of the tower's next line of defense. Faced with the prospect of a lengthy delay, G'raha Tia warns you against idleness, doubtless anticipating that the challenges to come will punish any hint of rustiness in your technique.