xyzzysqrl

Another day, another mission in the defense of Bastok. There's little time for Xenosa to rest. As she rolls into town, she's called upon to undertake a special mission with the Mythril Musketeers...

Interestingly, Naji is referred to as Musketeeter #5. Admittedly he gets no respect, but is that really any way to have four musketeers? Ayame is #4. If Volker is #1, and Iron Eater is #2... What happened to #3?

Anyway. The operation today is a fairly easy one. Roll out to "Beadeaux", deep in the Pashhow Marshlands. Slay 20 Copper Quadav. Meet up at the gates. Roll on home. Ayame planned this mission as a means of deepening the rapport between the adventuring community and the Mythril Musketeers, and it's as much a test of her planning and tactical ability as it is of our ability to work effectively with them.

"Nobody get lost now!" Naji crows.
"You'd even get lost in your own Mog House." Iron Eater deadpans. Naji slumps.

Once at Beadeaux, the crew makes their plans. Ayame restates the concept: 20 Copper Quadav, everyone spread out so they can't identify the source of the attacks. Aside from that, take your example from the Musketeers.

Naji screams "YEAH! COME AND GET ME, COPPERS!" and sprints off, waving his sword.
Long silence.
Ayame leans over to Xenosa. "...do not follow HIS example, please."

With no traditional quest tracker, Xenosa has to count coup herself. When she gets back, everyone's done except Naji, who comes charging up. He couldn't leave without taking out a few extra!

Ayame: "You are late! You almost compromised our retreat! Everyone was worried you might be injured!"
Naji: "H-hey... you're not mad at me, are you?!"

The two other adventurers side-eye each other. THEY were fighting for their lives. The two Mythril Musketeers just treated the whole thing like a game. Maybe this was a test for them, too... or to see which adventurer would have the easiest time handling a position with the Musketeers?

In any event, it's time to head back to town. ... Man, that was kinda boring! Let's keep this mission train going -- ALL THE WAY TO JEUNO. That's right, it's time for the mission that takes us to Jeuno, which is helpfully called "Jeuno". So! The President's Aide (aka Lucius The Suspicious) wants to have a chat with Xenosa.

No fancy cutscene, he just passes over a letter. Xenosa is to go off to the Bastokian Embassy in Jeuno and see what we can do to help out there. Now as I mentioned before, Jeuno is full of things and cutscenes, and we'll get to those in due time. (Read: When I'm not trying to progress stuff.) Right now, let's hit up the Embassy.

Located in the Ru'Lude Gardens of Jeuno, the Bastokian Embassy is just as inviting as the others were in this foreign land. Unfortunately, the Ambassador isn't here. Instead first a man named Wolfgang wanders in, then the Ambassador's doctor Monberaux shows up looking for him.

Wolfgang and Monberaux seem to know each other, and Wolfgang advises the tall elf to stay out of foreign affairs. Monbreaux isn't put off at all though. Disease knows no borders. It comes out that Wolfgang is the guard captain for Archduke Kam'lanaut, and I know just enough about FFXI to perk my ears at that. We're going to hear more of that name later.

With no patient, though, he can't do much -- and it looks like there's a line. Could Xenosa maybe go out to Delkfutt's Tower, out in the middle of nowhere, and find the ambassador? Well of course she can, she's your doormat. I mean, adventurer. Off we go.

As it happens, I've been out here before. Delkfutt's Tower is an enormous cermet structure full of giants and goblins and bats and weird clay golem things.

I have no idea why an ambassador would want to be in here, but I canvas the place. It's ten stories tall, and at the very top Xenosa battles a giant who gives her a key to the elevator and the doors in here.

Basically it was just this over and over the whole way up the tower. Occasionally the game would tell me I "couldn't see the Gigas" I was trying to attack, which... I cannot even begin to list the ways in which I don't believe that.

No ambassador though. So with that key, we check out the basement...

Bingo. The ambassador was checking the place out because it had an "ominous feeling" in the air, which is totally a great reason to come trapsing out here and get yourself twisted into a moebius strip by the Grumpy Green Giant. He runs off back to town...

...and... I run off back to the top floor so I can camp out and farm experience and a rare-drop Greataxe from a boss up there. ... TOTALLY A GREAT REASON OKAY? Of course, the axe I wanted never dropped, but I did get some level 50+ armor. I am not yet level 50. Soon.

Reporting back to the ambassador, we are assigned the position of Special Attache to Jeuno.

Excellent.

Remember I said a bunch of stuff unlocks when we hit Jeuno? Next time, we'll check out one of those... uh, stuffs. Stuff I've been really excited to get into. It'll take a lot of work, but I think the results will totally be worth a look. Please look forward to it!