Koru-Moru

Koru-Moru in a non-playable Tarutaru character in Final Fantasy XI. He is the principal and former minister of the Aurastery, the Federation of Windurst's introductory school of magic. He is well known for enchanting tiny dolls to perform useful functions such as tracking enemies or detecting pollutants.

Although Tarutaru are known for their curious speech patterns, Koru-Moru's style in particular is notably similar to that of cartoon character Ned Flanders.

Wings of the Goddess
During the Great Crystal War Koru-Moru continued the education of Windurst's children in spite of the encroaching Yagudo army. The difficulty of this task was compounded by one especially bright student, Ajido-Marujido, who abandoned his studies and eluded Koru-Moru in an effort to join combat. Eventually Koru-Moru enlisted the Mithra Mercenaries to keep his rebellious pupil in line.

Some time later Koru-Moru was summoned to Jeuno as part of a research effort to alleviate the food shortage thrust upon Vana'diel by the war. Having received a pair of bodyguards from Romaa Mihgo, he proceeded across the continent on foot. He forgot to bring his official papers, however, and was nearly turned away at Jeuno's gate. Fortunately Koru-Moru was spared a return trip when Rasusu, his colleague and girlfriend, emerged from the city to identify him.

Koru-Moru and Rasusu took many walks together in the Ru'Lude Gardens as they considered methods to avert the looming famine. It was on one such walk that Koru-Moru had the idea of using Windurst's sacred star trees for food. Rasusu dismissed the concept as the plants were not allowed outside Heaven's Tower and the consequences of a minister absconding with one would be severe. Even so, Koru-Moru could not bear to see Rasusu saddened by the hunger roaming the streets and covertly returned to Windurst to steal a bag of starseeds.

Though Rasusu was flattered by this gesture, she begged Koru-Moru not to use the seeds for fear of what would be done to him. Instead she took the bag and embarked on an unspecified mission of her own. Rasusu promised that they would plant the starseeds together if her plan failed. She never returned, however, and Koru-Moru was recalled to Windurst before he could find her.

Present Day
Koru-Moru resides in a manor in Windurst Walls and spends much of his time collecting curiosities from adventurers. Though officially retired for four years, he serves as principal of the Aurastery due to the disappearance of his successor, Minister Sedal-Godjal, three years earlier. Unfortunately he does not pursue his administrative duties as intensely as he once did and rarely leaves home.

Koru-Moru sometimes receives love letters from a girl named Mojiji. Although he has never met her, he is so pleased by the attention that he sends gil in reply. He suspects that she might be trapped somewhere and is eager to learn her whereabouts.

In the past Koru-Moru had constructed a talking doll, the Star Seeker, with the ability to find his enchanted ministry ring when he routinely misplaced it. The Aurastery later elects to use this device to track down Sedal-Godjal, who inherited the ring when he succeeded Koru-Moru. The subsequent hunt reveals that Koru-Moru had embezzled a large amount of gil in his time as minister and that Sedal-Godjal had invented "Mojiji" as a means of squeezing money back out of the professor. The Aurastery opts not to inform anyone of this and allows the ruse to continue.

When the baby star trees at Heaven's Tower become unhealthy Koru-Moru is consulted alongside fellow retired ministers Yoran-Oran and Shantotto. Koru-Moru argues that the Federation has been using the same soil for hundreds of years and that its nutrient depletion is the obvious source of the problem. His colleagues have other ideas and their discussion quickly reaches an impasse. All three stubbornly implement their own solutions. The star trees fail to improve, however, and the professors decide to review past events to determine where the problem began.

This line of thinking leads Koru-Moru to recall his time with Rasusu. Supposing that the trees might be holding a grudge over the stolen bag of starseeds that she carried, he quietly dispatches a mage to search for any trace of her. The seeds are eventually discovered in an elemental roaming the Crawler's Nest. When the bag is returned Koru-Moru learns that many other seeds had been destroyed by flooding during the war. No one, not even a spiteful tree, would have noticed they were missing if he hadn't mentioned it.

Having discounted Koru-Moru's hypothesis, the professors consider the possibility that the trees are affected by a talking doll he had given to Shantotto during the war. He had designed this Foe Finder Mark I to detect enemy troop movements but Shantotto had abandoned it and heard it cursing all of Windurst as she left. When the remains of the doll are retrieved from Castle Zvahl Keep, however, it is determined that it is completely run down and could not influence the star trees.

The retired ministers finally order Toraimarai Canal to be searched for evidence of trouble beneath Windurst itself. Koru-Moru rebuilds the Foe Finder as the Sluice Surveyor Mark I for this purpose. This provides proof that magical stagnation is accumulating in the canal and damaging the star trees above. The Sluice Surveyor also indicates an unusual presence in the Horutoto Ruins. Koru-Moru investigates this area and discovers a bud of the Great Star Tree, suggesting that the original tree is sufficiently aware of the threats against it to attempt a new beginning for itself. Although this is a great discovery for Windurst's ministries, Koru-Moru is crestfallen. He had imagined that Mojiji was waiting for him in the ruins.