Chasing Shadows

Galfrid needs an adventurer to investigate suspicious activity in the Twelveswood.

Quest description

Chasing Shadows is a main scenario quest in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. It is one of the first quests players starting out in Gridania will encounter that features a solo duty, an instanced battle that serves as boss fights for solo players. Having proved their readiness to Galfrid, the adventurer is tasked investigating suspicious activity in the Twelveswood.

Journal[]

At the Bannock, you learn that Ixali activity has been steadily increasing since the appearance of an as-yet-unknown individual in the Twelveswood. Suspecting a connection, Galfrid bids you investigate Lifemend Stump to the northeast.
Arriving at Lifemend Stump, you are met with a baffling sight: a sword has been thrust into the stump, and an Ixal lies dead nearby.
The mystery does not end there. Who were those two strange characters, and what was the scene that unfolded inside your mind's eye? The sword may well be a clue...
You have removed the sword from Lifemend Stump. Take it back to the Bannock and show it to Galfrid.
It turns out that the Hyuran lass and Lalafellin lad you encountered are friends of Gridania. Named Yda and Papalymo, respectively, the pair are scholars who are assisting the Gods' Quiver and the Wood Wailers. That revelation aside, your efforts have helped shed some light on the Ixal's recent activities. Galfrid expresses his gratitude, and asks that you continue to labor in service of Gridania and her citizens.

Objectives[]

Investigate Lifemend Stump.
- Defeat the frenzied creatures!
Pull the sword from Lifemend Stump.
Deliver the sword to Galfrid.

Walkthrough[]

As the first major battle new players are likely to encounter, there is not much at risk here. The pugilist and thaumaturge accompanying are more than strong enough to handle the stronger enemies in the duty themselves, and indeed the treants will focus their efforts on them. As the duty progresses more treants will spawn accompanied by bulbs. While the treants attack the duo, the bulbs will rush the player. The bulbs can be quickly dispatched, and the thaumaturge will heal the player if necessary. Aside from that, the player needs only watch for a Heavy-inducing AoE from the frenzied elm. Defeating all enemies ends the duty, though once the elm is defeated the pugilist and thaumaturge will only engage enemies attacking them, leaving the stragglers to the player.

Script[]

Chasing Shadows script
Upon speaking with Galfrid.
Galfrid	Ah, <Forename>. By your tireless efforts, you have proven yourself a friend to Gridania. I believe you can be trusted with sensitive intelligence.
Galfrid	I would assign you a mission of considerable import, yet the need for secrecy prevents me from disclosing its details until you have pledged your participation. I am authorized to tell you only that it concerns suspicious activity in the Twelveswood. Say that you will lend us your aid, and I shall proceed with the briefing.
Upon accepting the quest.
Galfrid	Good. Time is of the essence, so listen well.
Galfrid	You will by now have heard that a suspicious individual has been seen prowling the Twelveswood.
Galfrid	And you may also be aware that Ixali activity has risen sharply in the region of late. What you may not know is that this increase coincided almost exactly with the first recorded sighting of the aforementioned individual.
Galfrid	Suspecting a connection, we tightened our surveillance in hopes of tracking down our unknown visitor. Alas, our quarry is proving to be exceedingly elusive—almost as if he knows our movements ahead of time.
Galfrid	But where whole units have failed, a lone adventurer may yet succeed. Acting independently and covertly, you may be able to close in on our quarry unnoticed.
Galfrid	Fear and anxiety are beginning to take their toll upon the citizenry, <Forename>. For their sake, I ask that you aid us in this investigation.
	The adventurer nods.
Galfrid	You have my gratitude. With your help, I am hopeful we will shed light upon this mystery.
Galfrid	Begin your search at Lifemend Stump. It is there that the majority of the sightings took place.
Galfrid	Be forewarned: my people cannot offer you support, lest our quarry catch scent of our presence and evade us yet again. Proceed with caution.
Upon interacting with the magicked blade at Lifemend Stump.
System	You are about to enter an instanced battle. Instanced battles only occur during certain quests and missions.
System	Take a moment to read the information displayed in the active help window before answering the call of duty.
	The adventurer inspects a magicked blade embedded in Lifemend Stump.
??? (Animated Pugilist)	Look! Someone's already here!
	The adventurer turns to see a hyuran pugilist, a lalafellin thaumaturge, and a moogle standing behind them.
Animated Pugilist	Oh dear. Is that a sword in the stump? Bad idea. Really bad idea...
Animated Pugilist (background)	It takes a lot less than that to incite the greenwrath, you know. Why, the first time we came to the Twelveswood, we almost ended up as a treant's dinner just for crashing our airship in the wrong place. It was all Papalymo's fault, of course. Though he'd sooner swallow his staff than admit that he's wrong.
Branch A: if the player character is newly created.
Short-tempered Thaumaturge (to the moogle)	Is this our dark stranger?
Moogle	No, no, not this one. Not even close, kupo!
Animated Pugilist	Hm? You know <her/him>, Kuplo Kopp?
Kuplo Kopp	Well, not exactly, but we did once share a carriage. Isn't that right?
Branch B: if the player character is imported from the original release.
Short-tempered Thaumaturge (to the moogle)	Is this our dark stranger?
Moogle	Of course not! <She/He>'s not a stranger at all! At least I don't think <she/he> is...
Short-tempered Thaumaturge	Ah, now that you mention it, there is something familiar about <her/him>...
Animated Pugilist	Hey, you're right! This feels more like a reunion than a first meeting.
Animated Pugilist	So, um...when did we first meet again?
Moogle	I...don't recall exactly. But I do remember <her/him> being a good person.
Branch ends.
	The thaumaturge puts on a pair of strange looking goggles and surveys the surroundings.
Animated Pugilist	How are the readings?
Short-tempered Thaumaturge	Same as the last. There is a disturbance here as well, and newly manifested at that.
Short-tempered Thaumaturge	Kuplo Kopp seems convinced of your innocence. But if this isn't your doing, whose is it?
Animated Pugilist	Ever since the Calamity, the forest's been really sensitive.
Animated Pugilist	The slightest disruption to the aetheric flow...
	The ground starts rumbling.
Animated Pugilist	And this sort of thing happens!
	Treants burst from the ground and surround the group as they ready for battle.
Short-tempered Thaumaturge	It seems we have little choice...
Upon starting the quest battle.
System (broadcast)	Defeat the frenzied creatures!
Short-tempered Thaumaturge (broadcast)	Do you want to get eaten!? Hit them harder!
Animated Pugilist (broadcast)	I'm trying, I'm trying!
When the first wave of adds appears.
Animated Pugilist (broadcast)	There's more! Be careful!
Short-tempered Thaumaturge (broadcast)	If you value your life, stay close!
When the frenzied elm is at low HP.
Short-tempered Thaumaturge (broadcast)	Well done! We're almost there!
If the player is defeated.
Short-tempered Thaumaturge (broadcast)	Are you all right!?
Upon completing the quest battle.
Animated Pugilist	<huff> <puff>
Short-tempered Thaumaturge	<huff> <puff>
	As the duo catch their breath, the adventurer spies a blue crystal laying on the ground nearby. Picking it up, the adventurer has a vision of themselves standing in a hexagram as one of the points lights up.
Hydaelyn	Hear... Feel... Think...
	The vision changes to a starshower, and they then find themselves in the aetherial sea. As the voice continues speaking, several crystals appear.
Hydaelyn	Crystal bearer...
Hydaelyn	I am Hydaelyn. All made one.
Hydaelyn	A Light there once was that shone throughout this realm...yet it hath since grown dim.
Hydaelyn	And as it hath faltered, so hath Darkness risen up in its stead, presaging an end to Life.
Hydaelyn	For the sake of all, I beseech thee: deliver us from this fate!
Hydaelyn	The power to banish the Darkness dwelleth in the Crystals of Light. Journey forth and lay claim to them.
	A gargantuan crystal appears before the adventurer—the Mothercrystal.
Hydaelyn	By thy deeds shall the Crystals reveal themselves to thee.
Hydaelyn	Only believe, for the Light liveth in thy heart.
	The adventurer becomes aware of other individuals (meant to signify other players' characters). They and the others begin glowing with light and flying about the Mothercrystal.
Hydaelyn	Go now, my child, and shine thy Light on all creation.
The adventurer awakens back in the Black Shroud with Kuplo Kopp looking over them.
Short-tempered Thaumaturge	You fainted. A surfeit of aether, no doubt.
Animated Pugilist	Hm? And what have we here?
	The pugilist is knelt next to the body of an Ixal.
Short-tempered Thaumaturge	Our culprit, it would seem. An Ixal. And no ordinary Ixal, either—a chieftain.
Short-tempered Thaumaturge	That they would venture this deep into enemy territory... The beastmen may indeed be acting under orders.
Short-tempered Thaumaturge (background, into his linkshell)	This is Papalymo. We've found the culprit—it was an Ixali chieftain. Yes, we'll seek Brother E-Sumi-Yan's cooperation in the matter. Yda? Oh, loud, tactless—much the same as always.
Animated Pugilist (to the adventurer)	How are we feeling, then? Better? Good!
	The adventurer explains what they saw to the pugilist.
Animated Pugilist (to the adventurer)	Giant crystals? Can't say I've seen any... Are you sure you're feeling better?
Short-tempered Thaumaturge (into his linkshell)	...Understood. Over and out.
Short-tempered Thaumaturge	Kuplo Kopp. Please bear word of these developments to Brother E-Sumi-Yan. We shall soon return to give a full report.
Kuplo Kopp	Understood! Over and out, kupo!
	Kuplo Kopp flies away.
Short-tempered Thaumaturge	Here is where we part ways. Till next time, take care!
Animated Pugilist	I think that sword might be a clue! You should definitely pull it out and take it back to the Bannock!
Animated Pugilist (to the thaumaturge)	You don't suppose that adventurer could see Kuplo Kopp, do you!?
Short-tempered Thaumaturge	And this occurs to you NOW!?
Short-tempered Thaumaturge	Yes. It seemed that way. Time will tell...
Animated Pugilist	Well, time will have to, because you won't! You never tell me what's really going on! Unless...you don't know what's going on either!
Short-tempered Thaumaturge	Bah! You'd like that, wouldn't you!?
Upon returning to Galfrid.
Galfrid	<Forename>! It is good to see you back!
Galfrid	One of our patrols sent word that you had been spotted doing battle with enraged treants. I am relieved to find you none the worse for the experience.
Galfrid	But tell me, what were you able to discover at Lifemend Stump?
Upon handing over the magicked blade.
Galfrid	A sword in the stump, and a dead Ixal? Hmmm...
Galfrid	I can say with absolute certainty that this blade is of Ixali origin. It is of a kind used exclusively in the beastmen's rituals.
Galfrid	The Ixal rarely set foot in the Central Shroud, so tight is our guard over the area. What purpose could have driven them to take such a risk? I fear something is afoot...
	The adventurer tells Galfrid about the strange duo.
Galfrid	What's that? A dubious couple sporting peculiar spectacles? Hah hah hah!
Galfrid	So you have finally been acquainted with Yda and Papalymo! Lay your suspicions to rest—Gridania counts them among her staunchest allies. Both are scholars hailing from a distant land, and have been with us since before the Calamity.
Galfrid	Their garb may appear outlandish, and their exchanges baffling, but never once have they given us cause to doubt them.
Galfrid	Indeed, they often assist the Gods' Quiver and the Wood Wailers in their work—much as I hope you will in the days to come, <Forename>.
Galfrid	Although our unknown visitor eludes us still, owing to your efforts, we have acquired important intelligence on the Ixali threat. You have my gratitude.
Galfrid	We are fortunate indeed to have a capable adventurer such as you aiding us. I pray you will continue to serve the people of Gridania in whatever capacity you are able.
Quest complete.

Musical themes[]

"Darring Dalliances", "A Fine Death", "Prelude – Discoveries", "Prelude – Rebirth", and "Tranquility" play during the cutscenes. "A Fine Death" plays during the duty.