7.45 follow-up (#99)

* Update cn

* 7.45 follow-up
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xiashtra
2026-03-03 21:04:14 -06:00
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0,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_000","Do not disturb me. Can you not see that I am building a device to measure the fluctuations of the land's aether? What am I saying, of course you can't. Bloody simpleton."
1,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_001","Ah, an honest inquiry─that sad, wonderful moment when ignorant curiosity overcomes pride. Right, then, let us begin."
2,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_002","You─you who have journeyed the realm, borne witness to aetherial wonders that shape our very destiny, you whose seventh chakra has begun to open─you would pose to me an inquiry befitting a suckling babe? You are either a <If(PlayerParameter(4))>woman<Else/>man</If> of rare enlightenment...or a fool."
3,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_003","So, it appears you have gotten embroiled in some manner of trouble yet again. It comes to me as no surprise, seeing as trouble is wont to follow that Widargelt around like his own shadow. Well, whatever should come to pass, the learning must go on."
4,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_004","You─you who have journeyed the realm, borne witness to aetherial wonders that shape our very destiny, you within whom the fourteen chakra of light and shadow have opened─you would pose to me an inquiry befitting a suckling babe? You are either a <If(PlayerParameter(4))>woman<Else/>man</If> of rare enlightenment...or a fool."
5,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_001","The thickness of Widargelt's skull never ceases to amaze me. From the first, there has only ever been one path for him to walk, yet he still struggles to find it."
6,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_010","I will not lie: traveling repeatedly to and from Gyr Abania will be physically taxing. Yet I cannot be absent from Ul'dah overlong, for there are countless souls who would be lost for want of my knowledge."
7,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_020","I shall apologize to Master Hamon. You and the others need only focus upon what lies ahead."
8,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_030","My thanks again, <Split(<Highlight>ObjectParameter(1)</Highlight>, ,1)/>. The Corpse Brigade are a depraved lot, and I shudder to imagine what might have happened were it not for your intervention."
9,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_040","Widargelt showed rare mettle in his confrontation with Theobald, and I am proud of him despite my general aversion towards violence. He has truly come far since first we met. He used to be a simple brute; now he is a brute with conviction and purpose."
10,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_050","Indeed, the Scions sought my counsel with regards to your slumbering comrades. That the aether of their souls should disappear without a trace... Never in all my experience have I heard of such a thing. I must confess, I struggle to make sense of it."
11,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_060","So, the mystery of the Scions' missing aether has been solved. But <Emphasis>of course</Emphasis> their souls were transported to a different world. The thought did cross my mind, but at the time I judged it too implausible, if theoretically not impossible."
12,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_070","I am told the Archons have been reunited with their wayward souls. This is glad tidings indeed. I have been quite curious about the history and culture of this world─this First─and should like to hear their accounts of their time there. I could ask you for yours too, obviously, but dim as you are, I fear you would struggle to articulate your experiences."
13,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_080","For all my pursuit of creation's mysteries─for all my research into myriad phenomenon─I could provide nary an explanation for the Final Days. It seems this scholar still has much and more to learn..."
14,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_Q1_000_000","What will you ask about?"
15,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A1_000_000","Sil'dihn history."
16,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A2_000_000","The study of aether."
17,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A2_100_000","Bloodshore."
18,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A3_000_000","Finesand Banks."
19,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A4_000_000","East End."
20,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A5_000_000","Monks and the Fist of Rhalgr."
21,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A6_000_000","The fate of the Fist of Rhalgr."
22,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A7_000_000","Silvertear Falls."
23,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A8_000_000","The last king of Ala Mhigo."
24,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A10_000_000","The revival of the Fist of Rhalgr."
25,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A11_000_000","The fate of the man named Adri."
26,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A9_000_000","Nothing."
27,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_010","I need hardly mention that Sil'dihn civilization is now centuries dead."
28,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_011","Sil'dih was plunged into chaos in the wake of King Lalawefu's demise─or the King of Springs, as he was known. Despite the success of his economic reforms, the tax increases he imposed did not sit well with his subjects."
29,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_011","This, coupled with a prolonged sequence of untimely droughts, fomented unrest among the people and in time sparked violent unrest throughout the kingdom."
30,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_101_011","Sil'dih was not alone in its want for water. Ul'dah, too, felt the effects of the droughts. "
31,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_012","The sultan at the time, Sasagan Ul Sisigan─ Ah! But perhaps you recognize the Ul name? The current sultana, Nanamo Ul Namo, represents the second Ul Dynasty. She is Sasagan's distant descendant. "
32,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_012","Now...where was I? Ah, yes! Right, so, Sasagan ordered an attack on Sil'dih to claim the water resources discovered as a result of Lalawefu's flood control acts."
33,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_013","But the royalty and nobility of Sil'dih would not remain idle. They mobilized their nation in the face of this crisis, and the people fought with great tenacity against the Ul'dahn threat. "
34,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_013","The full strength of both nations met in battle, and the end result was an arduous protracted conflict."
35,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_014","Though arguably more desirable than surrender, the ruling Sil'dihn elite took little pleasure in having succeeded in uniting the theretofore querulous citizenry to fight. For despite all they accomplished, every day spent waging war dragged the nation's financial affairs─which you will recall had only just been brought under control─back into the mire."
36,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_015","To bring an end to the long military deadlock, Sil'dih devised and set about implementing a perverse yet ambitious strategy."
37,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_016","It sought to zombify the deceased among its army, that they might fight again."
38,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_017","At first, it appeared to have worked. Yet at the height of hostilities, the Sil'dihns lost control over their necrotic creations. The undead turned on their masters, and before long the zombification had spread to a majority of the population."
39,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_018","Ever knowing an opportunity when they saw one, the Ul'dahns used this to justify their war─now proclaiming it a crusade to send these zombies to Thal. After seeing to the extermination of all zombies outside the city, they then sealed the gates of Sil'dih, entrapping both the living and dead within."
40,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_019","And that, in brief, is a history of the fall of Sil'dih. I only pray that your feeble mind is able to retain it."
41,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_020","I shall tell you yet again of the study of aether."
42,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_021","As I laboriously explained, aether is not only the source of all magicks, but also the fount of all life. Yet despite its ubiquity, it remains imperceptible to the senses of man. When a living thing dies, the aether comprising its life is released."
43,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_022","It has been learned that when this discharge takes place, a portion of that aether remains, lingering in the physical world. No doubt you have come across aetherial crystallizations in the course of your travels. "
44,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_023","All scholars now agree that these are the physical manifestations of great concentrations of aether."
45,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_024","I have a theory, however, that they are not the <Emphasis>only</Emphasis> such manifestations."
46,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_025","Allow me to give an example even you can understand─that of ghosts, spirits, disembodied souls. Apparitions of the deceased come back to haunt and generally unnerve us? False! "
47,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_026","These are nothing more than the luminescent glow of aether in the atmosphere. It is possible, though highly unlikely, that you are asking yourself <Emphasis>why</Emphasis> a portion of the aether remains. "
48,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_027","Right, well, the amount of aether that can shift between the physical and aetherial realms in any given instant is limited. I call this the <Emphasis>aetherial threshold</Emphasis>. Any aether present in excess of that threshold is left behind."
49,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_028","The more violent or dramatic the loss of life, the greater the amount of inner aether released to take the form of crystals or remain imperceptibly in the atmosphere. And you surely recollect the scene I identified as the most apt to produce such violent deaths?"
50,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_029","On the field of battle! It stands to reason, therefore, that through the aetherial measurement of such sites, I will be able to reconstruct details of the wars waged upon them."
51,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_030","And <Emphasis>that</Emphasis>, <Split(<Highlight>ObjectParameter(1)</Highlight>, ,1)/>, is why this military historian has a deeply vested interest in the subject of aether."
52,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_031","Despite all we do know, however, many mysteries remain. The study of aether will no doubt continue to yield fascinating and awe-inspiring discoveries for years to come─of that I am certain."
53,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_032","Very well, prepare to learn all you ever cared to and more of the land known as Bloodshore."
54,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_033","The sanguine nomenclature derives from a truly horrific battle which took place there some fifty years ago."
55,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_034","The two greatest pirate fleets of the day─the League of Lost Bastards and the followers of Rycharde Mistbeard─met one another at sea just off the coast."
56,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_035","To this very day, none can say with certainty who shot first, nor why. Mayhap there was no good reason at all. All know the two pirate leaders loathed one another, and when dealing with pirates, little more than that is needed to ignite a war."
57,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_036","By the by, it just so happens that the head of the League of Lost Bastards, one Bloefhis, was father to the current Admiral of Limsa Lominsa. It is told the old sea dog wished for his daughter to take command of his fleet upon his death."
58,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_037","But that is a tale for another time. Suffice it to say, a shot was fired, and the mightiest pirate armadas in the realm came to fight one of the bloodiest naval battles in Eorzean history. All told, seven galleys were sunk that day, and dozens of smaller warships."
59,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_038","Four of the seven galleys went down in mere moments. When at last the smoke cleared and the cannons fell silent, hundreds lay dead on the ocean's bottom."
60,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_039","It is said the foam of the tides was tinged red with blood for days after the battle, and bodies washed ashore for weeks to follow."
61,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_039","So, as you can see, geography and history are inextricably linked. Regrettably, the region has recently been purchased by a wealthy Ul'dahn merchant named Gegeruju. He has chosen to turn a blind eye to the land's history, and has taken to calling it Costa del Sol."
62,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_101_039","And I believe I will stop there concerning Bloodshore, and allow your feeble brain to process all it has heard."
63,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_040","The Finesand Banks have a rich history indeed."
64,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_041","They are found on the west shore of the Velodyna River, at the foot of a now-extinct volcano overlooking the Rothlyt Sound. The area is a sedimentary basin formed by the deposit of the fine silts and sands carried by the river."
65,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_042","Today, it falls within Gridanian territory, but in days past it belonged to my own home nation, Ala Mhigo."
66,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_043","A century ago, King Manfred came to power in Ala Mhigo and decided to expand the nation's territory in order to promote economic growth. "
67,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_044","To that end, he ordered the Ala Mhigan army to undertake large-scale campaigns that would eventually lead to the onset of the Autumn War."
68,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_045","Naturally, such action was met with vehement opposition from the other nations. Gridania, fearing encroachment along its border with Ala Mhigo, placed the renowned lancer Vainchelon in command of its standing armies and war began."
69,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_046","His opponent was Gylbarde, the great general of Ala Mhigo, a fervent believer in the Fist of Rhalgr, and a man who enjoyed enormous popularity among the Ala Mhigan people. "
70,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_047","The two leaders were loved by their troops, and, at the outbreak of war, morale on both sides was very high. The armies clashed time and again all along the border, neither general yielding an ilm. But in a galling twist of fate for Gridania, Vainchelon suddenly took deathly ill."
71,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_048","After no victor emerged following the Battle of Finesand Banks, Vainchelon devised a new strategy. "
72,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_049","He ordered his forces to retreat to Camp Nine Ivies, fully intending for Gylbarde to give chase. This would lure the Ala Mhigans to terrain more favorable and familiar to the Gridanians."
73,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_050","He died, however, before he was able to see his plan executed. Now, the man who would replace him, Osbern, was extremely ambitious and eager to prove his worth to the Seedseers. Having neither the mind nor patience for Vainchelon's defensive war, however, he ordered a frontal assault on the Ala Mhigan position. When Gylbarde learned of this plan─if plan it may be called─he secretly deployed troops to the most vital points along the Finesand Banks."
74,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_051","The Gridanian forces had scarcely entered the area before they began to suffer heavy losses from highly coordinated Ala Mhigan ambushes. "
75,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_052","In response, Osbern ordered a forced march, permitting his troops no rest for several days as he attempted to surge through the region. Eventually, exhausted, the Gridanians came to entrench themselves on a hill."
76,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_053","But this is <Emphasis>precisely</Emphasis> what Gylbarde had wanted! He surrounded the hill with six thousand soldiers to deny the forestborn any hope of retrieving water, and then proceeded to rain down barrage after barrage of arrows upon the encampment. "
77,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_054","In this seemingly hopeless position, the morale of the Gridanians quickly dwindled. Following two failed attempts to break free, Osbern himself led the van in a third and final charge."
78,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_055","In the end, Gridania was defeated. Osbern and several of his officers were captured, and the legendary staff Claustrum, lent him by one of the Seedseers, was taken."
79,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_056","This abject defeat accounted for what little morale remained among his surviving troops, and they beat a desperate retreat to Five Hangs with the relentless Ala Mhigans harrying them every step of the way."
80,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_057","Gylbarde's victory brought him ever greater accolades from his country, and as a result both he and the Fist of Rhalgr came to wield considerable political power."
81,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_058","And <Emphasis>that</Emphasis> is a brief history of the Finesand Banks. No, no, you needn't thank me. Knowing there is a little less ignorance in the world is all the reward I require."
82,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_060","East End is just that─the eastern end of the Black Shroud."
83,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_061","The Autumn War marked the beginning of hostilities between Ala Mhigo and Gridania. The first major victory in that war came at the First Battle of Tinolqa, and it belonged to Ala Mhigo."
84,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_062","Defeated, the Gridanians retreated to the safety of Five Hangs. The front was splintered, and afterwards they would resort to opportunistic ambushes, and the constant redeployment of troops to continue their resistance."
85,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_063","The Ala Mhigans, confident of ultimate victory, enjoined Gridania to surrender. As conditions, they demanded that all of the East and portions of the Central Shroud be relinquished, and perhaps more disturbingly, that the Seedseers be taken as wards of Ala Mhigo, where they would be met with no harm. "
86,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_064","Needless to say, Gridania refused."
87,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_065","Providence was to be delivered to the forestborn by the neighboring nation of Ishgard. Wary of Ala Mhigo's ambitions for the region, the See appealed to Limsa Lominsa and Ul'dah for aid. The three joined Gridania in her declaration of war against Ala Mhigo, and sent troops to reinforce the front."
88,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_066","But this was far from a gesture of charity. It is easy to see what the motives of the See were. "
89,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_067","Should certain sections of the Black Shroud be annexed to Ala Mhigo, Ishgard's southern and eastern borders would become extremely vulnerable to a possible invasion."
90,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_068","For their part, Limsa Lominsa and Ul'dah had virtually nothing to lose by entering into the war, and yet everything to gain by curbing the power of Ala Mhigo in the realm. Even more, victory would place Gridania in their debt."
91,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_069","And so it came to pass that these four great nations joined into a grand alliance to combat the advance of Ala Mhigo. The fighting which was to follow would later be named the Second Battle of Tinolqa."
92,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_070","The heaviest and most devastating combat took place on a tract of land called East End. In the beginning, there were several small-scale skirmishes, but the allied powers succeeded in foiling the stratagems of Ala Mhigo at every turn."
93,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_071","Feeling the tide begin to turn against them, Ala Mhigo dispatched its pikemen─known far and wide for their effectiveness against mounted units, such as the knights of Ishgard."
94,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_072","To rally the troops even more, King Manfred himself took to the field to lead them."
95,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_073","At first, it seemed as though Ala Mhigo had succeeded in reversing its fortune, as the allies began a slow retreat towards East End. "
96,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_074","This was a clever ploy, however, designed to lure the pikemen into the dense growth of the forest, where their long polearms would be unwieldy and near useless."
97,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_075","It was during these days that the archers of Gridania would prove their value beyond the bow, singing songs of heroism and glory in the field to bolster the allied troops."
98,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_076","It is said that this gave birth to the bard tradition."
99,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_077","The archers of Gridania excelled at combat in the dense vegetation of the Black Shroud, and their arrows inflicted heavy casualties on the Ala Mhigans."
100,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_078","In the end, General Gylbarde was slain, King Manfred severely wounded, and Ala Mhigo completely and utterly defeated."
101,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_079","And <Emphasis>that</Emphasis> is a brief summation of the history of East End─site of the end of the forest, and the end of the war both. Do you know, I can almost feel you getting less stupid, <Split(<Highlight>ObjectParameter(1)</Highlight>, ,1)/>!"
102,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_090","The monks and the Fist of Rhalgr are interesting in the same way as any other organized religion─a sad, pathetic, and humorous way."
103,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_091","The brothers and sisters of the monkhood are those souls training in the service of Rhalgr, god of destruction among the Twelve. The Fist of Rhalgr is their order."
104,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_092","This barbaric cult traces its origins back several centuries to Ala Mhigo. That simpleton Widargelt is one of their number."
105,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_093","The Fist teaches those foolish enough to listen that through rigorous training of the mind and body, and with constant invigoration and refinement, one can approach the sublimity of Rhalgr Himself."
106,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_094","Such is their power of concentration that they are able to master the aether within their bodies and channel it in a manner that grants them immense destructive power. "
107,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_095","The monkhood insists on calling this internal essence “spiritual energy” or “life force”─but trust me when I say it is nothing other than aether."
108,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_096","Endowed with this brutish, unthinking gift for hitting things very hard, the entire cult has evolved into a sort of clergy with martial proclivities. This was no doubt a result of their main temple being located in Gyr Abania─a region plagued by warfare where knowing how to protect oneself is essential."
109,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_097","As the years passed, however, what began as a simple group of religious fanatics fighting to protect themselves grew into an ambitious organization of religious fanatics taking part in the region's power struggles."
110,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_098","Those in power in Ala Mhigo grew wary of these war priests who proclaimed all their fights to be fought in the name of a god, and who employed deadly force without the slightest hesitation. And so, rather than make enemies of the monks, they decided instead to use them to their benefit."
111,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_099","Through affiliation with the Ala Mhigan royal family, the Fist of Rhalgr was incorporated into the nation's standing army. "
112,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_100","This not only granted the monks a great deal of power, but furnished them with all of the rights accorded protectors of the citizenry. And their political influence was still growing..."
113,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_110","I confess I find great joy in studying the demise of a religion─and even greater joy in recounting it!"
114,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_111","The power of the Fist of Rhalgr grew unchecked in Ala Mhigo, and it was eventually named the state religion. After this, its influence over political, economic, and cultural spheres of life became even more considerable. Needless to say, this did not sit well with one and all."
115,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_112","Among them was the last and most ugsome of Ala Mhigan royalty, the King of Ruin─Theodoric. The rise of the Fist meant a potential rival for power, and he would not suffer the monkhood to encroach on his prerogatives."
116,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_113","To counter their claims of religious righteousness, he simply conjured his own out of thin aether, proclaiming that the throne was his by divine right, given him by the word of Nymeia Herself─master of Rhalgr."
117,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_114","He then banned the worship and likenesses of Rhalgr and all other gods, and demanded that the prayers and praises of Ala Mhigo be given to Nymeia and Her alone. In doing so, he sought to establish his own absolute, uncontested rule."
118,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_115","Naturally, the Fist and other worshipers of Rhalgr throughout the nation rose in protest, <Emphasis>precisely</Emphasis> as Theodoric had known they would."
119,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_116","He used the uprisings as a pretext to imprison several high-ranking monks, whom he then tortured until they confessed their order's plans to topple his rule."
120,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_117","In 1552 of the Sixth Astral Era, Theodoric led a vast army to the site of the monkhood's main temple and surrounded it. "
121,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_118","Monks, novices, and devotees, including the elders; refugees seeking shelter after the fires of war had turned their homes to ash; servants and peasants hired to do no more than till the fields─none were left alive."
122,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_119","The monks fought heroically, but were hopelessly outnumbered. With the massacre of that day, nearly all of the monkhood perished."
123,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_120","The elders, the keepers of the tradition and its knowledge, resided within the temple grounds. It was thought that all versed in the ways of the chakra were lost..."
124,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_121","But then what of this Widargelt simpleton? Just who is <Emphasis>he</Emphasis>? Perhaps the end of the Fist was not the end of the monks, after all."
125,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_130","My dear, poor <Split(<Highlight>ObjectParameter(1)</Highlight>, ,1)/>. What you do not know about Silvertear Falls could fill a book. And has─multiple times over, I'm sure."
126,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_131","Since ancient times, the Falls and the region of Mor Dhona in which they are located have been believed to be the seat of a great <Emphasis>spiritual</Emphasis> energy, as less advanced peoples were wont to call it."
127,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_132","So old are these beliefs that the tomb of Xande himself, the first emperor of Allag, was built deep beneath the surface of Mor Dhona, in the hope that the <Emphasis>mystical</Emphasis> power which resided under the lake would raise him from the dead."
128,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_133","Oh, there are any number of legends and myths surrounding the place. I think the oldest and most widely known would have to be that of the dragon of the Falls. I do not claim to be a folklorist, but I can certainly provide the general tale."
129,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_134","There was the birth of Althyk, god of time among the Twelve, and in turn, His younger sister Nymeia, goddess of fate. And then there was water, and through it Silvertear Falls came to be at the center of all that was. "
130,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_135","Here was the source not only of water, but the fount of all magic as well."
131,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_136","Now, when water came into being, so too did the great dragon Midgardsormr. Brother Time and Sister Fate, fearing the Falls might fall into the hands of evil, ordered Midgardsormr their protector and warden."
132,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_137","Much later, with the arrival of man, would Midgardsormr be worshipped as the guardian deity of Silvertear Falls."
133,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_138","Have you been to Silvertear Falls, <Split(<Highlight>ObjectParameter(1)</Highlight>, ,1)/>? Or are you as untraveled as you are unread? Have you gazed upon the enormous dragon corpse, frozen as a statue with wings outspread? If you have, you have gazed upon Midgardsormr."
134,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_139","That tragedy is but ten years old. After invading my home of Ala Mhigo, the Garleans launched a fleet of airships led by the monstrosity <Emphasis>Agrius</Emphasis>."
135,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_140","They flew for Silvertear Falls, knowing them to harbor the greatest concentration of aether."
136,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_141","And then, as those horrific instruments of evil loomed overhead, casting the dark shadow of death, the surface of the lake suddenly parted and burst skyward as Midgardsormr emerged to defend his waters."
137,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_142","The battle between Midgardsormr and the <Emphasis>Agrius</Emphasis> has since come to be known as the Battle of Silvertear Skies. The dragon fought with divine strength and purpose, and after a fierce and grueling struggle, succeeded in bringing down the airship."
138,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_143","As it fell into the lake, the impact caused the ceruleum onboard to detonate, and Midgardsormr was killed, his corpse charred black in the conflagration."
139,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_144","The structure formed by the wreckage of the <Emphasis>Agrius</Emphasis> and the entangled remains of Midgardsormr is now called the Keeper of the Lake."
140,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_145","For many religious and mythological enthusiasts, it stands as proof of the existence of the gods. For most people, however, it serves as a grim reminder of the horrific, dare I say deicidal, power of Garlemald."
141,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_146","Why did that dragon appear that day? Was it truly <Emphasis>the</Emphasis> Midgardsormr, the legendary guardian of Silvertear Falls? Such questions and more remain unanswered. "
142,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_147","For my part, I make the entire debacle for an elaborate Garlean fabrication, acted out to near perfection."
143,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_148","But let us put aside dragons and empires, and speak instead of mine own latest discovery at the lake!"
144,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_149","The aether of the area is in an extremely chaotic state. I had long thought this to be a result of the Battle of Silvertear Skies, but have learned that this is not the case! "
145,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_150","The disturbances I have observed do not all derive from a single source. Beyond the imperceptible aether emitted by the Keeper of the Lake, there are even stronger aetherial waves coming from deep below the earth to the east."
146,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_151","I studied them in great detail, and learned that they are coming from a massive tower that was buried deep below the earth at the time of that battle─the Crystal Tower!"
147,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_152","To think, I had stumbled upon this legendary structure─the very height of Allagan civilization and technology! The shifting and grinding of the earth caused by the Calamity woke the tower from its slumber of some five thousand years."
148,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_153","And, having since slowly risen from its earthen tomb, the tower pierces the skies once more!"
149,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_154","You must someday gaze upon it with your own eyes. It is truly a sight to behold. Yes, I can still recall the thunderous applause of my colleagues when I presented my theory of the tower. They were a great deal more grateful than you, that much is certain."
150,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_155","There is a team of scholars who specialize in the study of all things Allagan. They are known as the Sons of Saint Coinach. At present, they are focusing their efforts on testing the validity of this theory. I very much look forward to news of their findings."
151,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_160","As I likely explained if you have ever bothered to ask me about monks and the Fist of Rhalgr, the King of Ruin, Theodoric, was a ruthless despot and tyrant. It should come as no surprise, then, that he was the last king of Ala Mhigo."
152,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_161","But the tale of his rise and fall is the stuff we historians live for!"
153,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_162","Theodoric's lust for power was such that nothing less than absolute rule would appease him."
154,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_163","To counter the political influence of the Fist of Rhalgr, he proclaimed his kingship to be the product of divine will─ordained by Nymeia Herself. What followed was a crusade which sought to exterminate the monks entirely."
155,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_164","Yet it was the truly depraved acts of barbarism to come that would shake Ala Mhigan society to its very core. "
156,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_165","This ensuing era of terror was what earned Theodoric the title “King of Ruin.”"
157,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_166","After the massacre at the Fist's main temple, religious opposition to Theodoric nearly disappeared altogether."
158,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_167","He then began purges of the Ala Mhigan royalty, seeing any and all potential pretenders to his throne dead and buried─regardless of house, loyalties, or standing."
159,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_168","Beheadings were commonplace, carried out daily. Before long, it looked as though Theodoric would have no heads left to take."
160,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_169","But he then turned his wrath upon any soul with a claim to the throne, no matter how remote. After that, it was to be the empowered nobles and wealthy merchants."
161,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_170","Fearing for their lives, they professed their innocence to the queen, pleading for her to stay her maniacal husband's hand. She attempted words to assuage his lust for power turned lust for blood, but he was deaf to her appeals."
162,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_171","Finding no recourse, she conspired with a group of nobles to murder Theodoric."
163,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_172","Yet before the regicide could take place, one among them betrayed their plot, and for their treason, the king saw them all less a head."
164,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_173","This only served to compound Theodoric's paranoia and insanity. Distrustful of all, his purges now became little more than random executions, claiming the lives of noble and beggar and all in between."
165,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_174","It is not difficult to imagine what transpired next. "
166,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_175","The palace became a despicable gathering of sycophants and backstabbers, and the commonfolk scarce left their homes. Seeking heads on which to lay blame for worsening conditions, Theodoric turned the axe upon his most loyal followers."
167,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_176","When the oppression became too much to bear, the people revolted and stormed the palace. The royal guard cast aside their vows and allowed the Ala Mhigans to pass."
168,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_177","A noble revolt? For the best, no? False! It was the absence of leadership and solidarity in the wake of this chaos that prompted Garlemald to attack!"
169,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_178","In the end, Theodoric was lucid enough to judge suicide preferable to death at the hands of an angry mob. He ended his own life, and with it, his reign of ruin and his own bloodline."
170,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_179","Or so it was thought at the time! "
171,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_180","But Theodred, a nephew to the king, was hidden by his mother in a remote temple of the Fist of Rhalgr which had survived the purges, and thus he escaped his uncle's fury."
172,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_181","And <Emphasis>that</Emphasis> is the history of the last king of Ala Mhigo. And many a lesson there is to be learned from it! It is only a pity you are too dull to do so."
173,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_200","Widargelt and his two chief disciples continue roaming the lands of Gyr Abania on their mission to revive the Fist of Rhalgr."
174,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_201","It will not be easy to bring a nigh-dead faith back to life, but they are a determined lot. If anyone can accomplish this, I believe it is they."
175,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_202","The simpleton that Widargelt is, there is no greater joy for him than to have a purpose to pursue with all his being. He is at peace, I shouldn't doubt, and I am too. For it means fewer hassles for me to deal with."
176,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_205","Widargelt continues imparting the faith to the Resistance soldiers at Rhalgr's Reach."
177,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_206","D'zentsa and O'tchakha have also joined him, and together they conduct their training at the Temple of the Fist. After all these years in the wilderness, the faith has finally returned home."
178,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_207","Lest you wonder, I merely chanced to see them when unrelated business took me to the Reach. I didn't approach them, however, but observed from an unobtrusive distance."
179,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_208","They are their own persons, after all. If they require my help, they may seek me out themselves.
0,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_000,"Do not disturb me. Can you not see that I am building a device to measure the fluctuations of the land's aether? What am I saying, of course you can't. Bloody simpleton."
1,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_001,"Ah, an honest inquiry─that sad, wonderful moment when ignorant curiosity overcomes pride. Right, then, let us begin."
2,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_002,"You─you who have journeyed the realm, borne witness to aetherial wonders that shape our very destiny, you whose seventh chakra has begun to open─you would pose to me an inquiry befitting a suckling babe? You are either a woman of rare enlightenment...or a fool."
3,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_003,"So, it appears you have gotten embroiled in some manner of trouble yet again. It comes to me as no surprise, seeing as trouble is wont to follow that Widargelt around like his own shadow. Well, whatever should come to pass, the learning must go on."
4,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_004,"You─you who have journeyed the realm, borne witness to aetherial wonders that shape our very destiny, you within whom the fourteen chakra of light and shadow have opened─you would pose to me an inquiry befitting a suckling babe? You are either a woman of rare enlightenment...or a fool."
5,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_001,"The thickness of Widargelt's skull never ceases to amaze me. From the first, there has only ever been one path for him to walk, yet he still struggles to find it."
6,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_010,"I will not lie: traveling repeatedly to and from Gyr Abania will be physically taxing. Yet I cannot be absent from Ul'dah overlong, for there are countless souls who would be lost for want of my knowledge."
7,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_020,I shall apologize to Master Hamon. You and the others need only focus upon what lies ahead.
8,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_030,"My thanks again, Player. The Corpse Brigade are a depraved lot, and I shudder to imagine what might have happened were it not for your intervention."
9,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_040,"Widargelt showed rare mettle in his confrontation with Theobald, and I am proud of him despite my general aversion towards violence. He has truly come far since first we met. He used to be a simple brute; now he is a brute with conviction and purpose."
10,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_050,"Indeed, the Scions sought my counsel with regards to your slumbering comrades. That the aether of their souls should disappear without a trace... Never in all my experience have I heard of such a thing. I must confess, I struggle to make sense of it."
11,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_060,"So, the mystery of the Scions' missing aether has been solved. But *of course* their souls were transported to a different world. The thought did cross my mind, but at the time I judged it too implausible, if theoretically not impossible."
12,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_070,"I am told the Archons have been reunited with their wayward souls. This is glad tidings indeed. I have been quite curious about the history and culture of this world─this First─and should like to hear their accounts of their time there. I could ask you for yours too, obviously, but dim as you are, I fear you would struggle to articulate your experiences."
13,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_080,For all my pursuit of creation's mysteries─for all my research into myriad phenomenon─I could provide nary an explanation for the Final Days. It seems this scholar still has much and more to learn...
14,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_Q1_000_000,What will you ask about?
15,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A1_000_000,Sil'dihn history.
16,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A2_000_000,The study of aether.
17,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A2_100_000,Bloodshore.
18,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A3_000_000,Finesand Banks.
19,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A4_000_000,East End.
20,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A5_000_000,Monks and the Fist of Rhalgr.
21,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A6_000_000,The fate of the Fist of Rhalgr.
22,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A7_000_000,Silvertear Falls.
23,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A8_000_000,The last king of Ala Mhigo.
24,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A10_000_000,The revival of the Fist of Rhalgr.
25,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A11_000_000,The fate of the man named Adri.
26,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A9_000_000,Nothing.
27,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_010,I need hardly mention that Sil'dihn civilization is now centuries dead.
28,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_011,"Sil'dih was plunged into chaos in the wake of King Lalawefu's demise─or the King of Springs, as he was known. Despite the success of his economic reforms, the tax increases he imposed did not sit well with his subjects."
29,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_011,"This, coupled with a prolonged sequence of untimely droughts, fomented unrest among the people and in time sparked violent unrest throughout the kingdom."
30,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_101_011,"Sil'dih was not alone in its want for water. Ul'dah, too, felt the effects of the droughts. "
31,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_012,"The sultan at the time, Sasagan Ul Sisigan─ Ah! But perhaps you recognize the Ul name? The current sultana, Nanamo Ul Namo, represents the second Ul Dynasty. She is Sasagan's distant descendant. "
32,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_012,"Now...where was I? Ah, yes! Right, so, Sasagan ordered an attack on Sil'dih to claim the water resources discovered as a result of Lalawefu's flood control acts."
33,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_013,"But the royalty and nobility of Sil'dih would not remain idle. They mobilized their nation in the face of this crisis, and the people fought with great tenacity against the Ul'dahn threat. "
34,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_013,"The full strength of both nations met in battle, and the end result was an arduous protracted conflict."
35,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_014,"Though arguably more desirable than surrender, the ruling Sil'dihn elite took little pleasure in having succeeded in uniting the theretofore querulous citizenry to fight. For despite all they accomplished, every day spent waging war dragged the nation's financial affairs─which you will recall had only just been brought under control─back into the mire."
36,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_015,"To bring an end to the long military deadlock, Sil'dih devised and set about implementing a perverse yet ambitious strategy."
37,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_016,"It sought to zombify the deceased among its army, that they might fight again."
38,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_017,"At first, it appeared to have worked. Yet at the height of hostilities, the Sil'dihns lost control over their necrotic creations. The undead turned on their masters, and before long the zombification had spread to a majority of the population."
39,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_018,"Ever knowing an opportunity when they saw one, the Ul'dahns used this to justify their war─now proclaiming it a crusade to send these zombies to Thal. After seeing to the extermination of all zombies outside the city, they then sealed the gates of Sil'dih, entrapping both the living and dead within."
40,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_019,"And that, in brief, is a history of the fall of Sil'dih. I only pray that your feeble mind is able to retain it."
41,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_020,I shall tell you yet again of the study of aether.
42,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_021,"As I laboriously explained, aether is not only the source of all magicks, but also the fount of all life. Yet despite its ubiquity, it remains imperceptible to the senses of man. When a living thing dies, the aether comprising its life is released."
43,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_022,"It has been learned that when this discharge takes place, a portion of that aether remains, lingering in the physical world. No doubt you have come across aetherial crystallizations in the course of your travels. "
44,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_023,All scholars now agree that these are the physical manifestations of great concentrations of aether.
45,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_024,"I have a theory, however, that they are not the *only* such manifestations."
46,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_025,"Allow me to give an example even you can understand─that of ghosts, spirits, disembodied souls. Apparitions of the deceased come back to haunt and generally unnerve us? False! "
47,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_026,"These are nothing more than the luminescent glow of aether in the atmosphere. It is possible, though highly unlikely, that you are asking yourself *why* a portion of the aether remains. "
48,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_027,"Right, well, the amount of aether that can shift between the physical and aetherial realms in any given instant is limited. I call this the *aetherial threshold*. Any aether present in excess of that threshold is left behind."
49,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_028,"The more violent or dramatic the loss of life, the greater the amount of inner aether released to take the form of crystals or remain imperceptibly in the atmosphere. And you surely recollect the scene I identified as the most apt to produce such violent deaths?"
50,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_029,"On the field of battle! It stands to reason, therefore, that through the aetherial measurement of such sites, I will be able to reconstruct details of the wars waged upon them."
51,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_030,"And *that*, Player, is why this military historian has a deeply vested interest in the subject of aether."
52,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_031,"Despite all we do know, however, many mysteries remain. The study of aether will no doubt continue to yield fascinating and awe-inspiring discoveries for years to come─of that I am certain."
53,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_032,"Very well, prepare to learn all you ever cared to and more of the land known as Bloodshore."
54,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_033,The sanguine nomenclature derives from a truly horrific battle which took place there some fifty years ago.
55,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_034,The two greatest pirate fleets of the day─the League of Lost Bastards and the followers of Rycharde Mistbeard─met one another at sea just off the coast.
56,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_035,"To this very day, none can say with certainty who shot first, nor why. Mayhap there was no good reason at all. All know the two pirate leaders loathed one another, and when dealing with pirates, little more than that is needed to ignite a war."
57,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_036,"By the by, it just so happens that the head of the League of Lost Bastards, one Bloefhis, was father to the current Admiral of Limsa Lominsa. It is told the old sea dog wished for his daughter to take command of his fleet upon his death."
58,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_037,"But that is a tale for another time. Suffice it to say, a shot was fired, and the mightiest pirate armadas in the realm came to fight one of the bloodiest naval battles in Eorzean history. All told, seven galleys were sunk that day, and dozens of smaller warships."
59,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_038,"Four of the seven galleys went down in mere moments. When at last the smoke cleared and the cannons fell silent, hundreds lay dead on the ocean's bottom."
60,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_039,"It is said the foam of the tides was tinged red with blood for days after the battle, and bodies washed ashore for weeks to follow."
61,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_039,"So, as you can see, geography and history are inextricably linked. Regrettably, the region has recently been purchased by a wealthy Ul'dahn merchant named Gegeruju. He has chosen to turn a blind eye to the land's history, and has taken to calling it Costa del Sol."
62,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_101_039,"And I believe I will stop there concerning Bloodshore, and allow your feeble brain to process all it has heard."
63,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_040,The Finesand Banks have a rich history indeed.
64,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_041,"They are found on the west shore of the Velodyna River, at the foot of a now-extinct volcano overlooking the Rothlyt Sound. The area is a sedimentary basin formed by the deposit of the fine silts and sands carried by the river."
65,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_042,"Today, it falls within Gridanian territory, but in days past it belonged to my own home nation, Ala Mhigo."
66,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_043,"A century ago, King Manfred came to power in Ala Mhigo and decided to expand the nation's territory in order to promote economic growth. "
67,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_044,"To that end, he ordered the Ala Mhigan army to undertake large-scale campaigns that would eventually lead to the onset of the Autumn War."
68,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_045,"Naturally, such action was met with vehement opposition from the other nations. Gridania, fearing encroachment along its border with Ala Mhigo, placed the renowned lancer Vainchelon in command of its standing armies and war began."
69,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_046,"His opponent was Gylbarde, the great general of Ala Mhigo, a fervent believer in the Fist of Rhalgr, and a man who enjoyed enormous popularity among the Ala Mhigan people. "
70,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_047,"The two leaders were loved by their troops, and, at the outbreak of war, morale on both sides was very high. The armies clashed time and again all along the border, neither general yielding an ilm. But in a galling twist of fate for Gridania, Vainchelon suddenly took deathly ill."
71,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_048,"After no victor emerged following the Battle of Finesand Banks, Vainchelon devised a new strategy. "
72,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_049,"He ordered his forces to retreat to Camp Nine Ivies, fully intending for Gylbarde to give chase. This would lure the Ala Mhigans to terrain more favorable and familiar to the Gridanians."
73,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_050,"He died, however, before he was able to see his plan executed. Now, the man who would replace him, Osbern, was extremely ambitious and eager to prove his worth to the Seedseers. Having neither the mind nor patience for Vainchelon's defensive war, however, he ordered a frontal assault on the Ala Mhigan position. When Gylbarde learned of this plan─if plan it may be called─he secretly deployed troops to the most vital points along the Finesand Banks."
74,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_051,The Gridanian forces had scarcely entered the area before they began to suffer heavy losses from highly coordinated Ala Mhigan ambushes.
75,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_052,"In response, Osbern ordered a forced march, permitting his troops no rest for several days as he attempted to surge through the region. Eventually, exhausted, the Gridanians came to entrench themselves on a hill."
76,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_053,"But this is *precisely* what Gylbarde had wanted! He surrounded the hill with six thousand soldiers to deny the forestborn any hope of retrieving water, and then proceeded to rain down barrage after barrage of arrows upon the encampment. "
77,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_054,"In this seemingly hopeless position, the morale of the Gridanians quickly dwindled. Following two failed attempts to break free, Osbern himself led the van in a third and final charge."
78,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_055,"In the end, Gridania was defeated. Osbern and several of his officers were captured, and the legendary staff Claustrum, lent him by one of the Seedseers, was taken."
79,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_056,"This abject defeat accounted for what little morale remained among his surviving troops, and they beat a desperate retreat to Five Hangs with the relentless Ala Mhigans harrying them every step of the way."
80,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_057,"Gylbarde's victory brought him ever greater accolades from his country, and as a result both he and the Fist of Rhalgr came to wield considerable political power."
81,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_058,"And *that* is a brief history of the Finesand Banks. No, no, you needn't thank me. Knowing there is a little less ignorance in the world is all the reward I require."
82,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_060,East End is just that─the eastern end of the Black Shroud.
83,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_061,"The Autumn War marked the beginning of hostilities between Ala Mhigo and Gridania. The first major victory in that war came at the First Battle of Tinolqa, and it belonged to Ala Mhigo."
84,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_062,"Defeated, the Gridanians retreated to the safety of Five Hangs. The front was splintered, and afterwards they would resort to opportunistic ambushes, and the constant redeployment of troops to continue their resistance."
85,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_063,"The Ala Mhigans, confident of ultimate victory, enjoined Gridania to surrender. As conditions, they demanded that all of the East and portions of the Central Shroud be relinquished, and perhaps more disturbingly, that the Seedseers be taken as wards of Ala Mhigo, where they would be met with no harm. "
86,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_064,"Needless to say, Gridania refused."
87,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_065,"Providence was to be delivered to the forestborn by the neighboring nation of Ishgard. Wary of Ala Mhigo's ambitions for the region, the See appealed to Limsa Lominsa and Ul'dah for aid. The three joined Gridania in her declaration of war against Ala Mhigo, and sent troops to reinforce the front."
88,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_066,But this was far from a gesture of charity. It is easy to see what the motives of the See were.
89,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_067,"Should certain sections of the Black Shroud be annexed to Ala Mhigo, Ishgard's southern and eastern borders would become extremely vulnerable to a possible invasion."
90,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_068,"For their part, Limsa Lominsa and Ul'dah had virtually nothing to lose by entering into the war, and yet everything to gain by curbing the power of Ala Mhigo in the realm. Even more, victory would place Gridania in their debt."
91,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_069,And so it came to pass that these four great nations joined into a grand alliance to combat the advance of Ala Mhigo. The fighting which was to follow would later be named the Second Battle of Tinolqa.
92,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_070,"The heaviest and most devastating combat took place on a tract of land called East End. In the beginning, there were several small-scale skirmishes, but the allied powers succeeded in foiling the stratagems of Ala Mhigo at every turn."
93,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_071,"Feeling the tide begin to turn against them, Ala Mhigo dispatched its pikemen─known far and wide for their effectiveness against mounted units, such as the knights of Ishgard."
94,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_072,"To rally the troops even more, King Manfred himself took to the field to lead them."
95,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_073,"At first, it seemed as though Ala Mhigo had succeeded in reversing its fortune, as the allies began a slow retreat towards East End. "
96,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_074,"This was a clever ploy, however, designed to lure the pikemen into the dense growth of the forest, where their long polearms would be unwieldy and near useless."
97,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_075,"It was during these days that the archers of Gridania would prove their value beyond the bow, singing songs of heroism and glory in the field to bolster the allied troops."
98,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_076,It is said that this gave birth to the bard tradition.
99,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_077,"The archers of Gridania excelled at combat in the dense vegetation of the Black Shroud, and their arrows inflicted heavy casualties on the Ala Mhigans."
100,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_078,"In the end, General Gylbarde was slain, King Manfred severely wounded, and Ala Mhigo completely and utterly defeated."
101,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_079,"And *that* is a brief summation of the history of East End─site of the end of the forest, and the end of the war both. Do you know, I can almost feel you getting less stupid, Player!"
102,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_090,"The monks and the Fist of Rhalgr are interesting in the same way as any other organized religion─a sad, pathetic, and humorous way."
103,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_091,"The brothers and sisters of the monkhood are those souls training in the service of Rhalgr, god of destruction among the Twelve. The Fist of Rhalgr is their order."
104,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_092,This barbaric cult traces its origins back several centuries to Ala Mhigo. That simpleton Widargelt is one of their number.
105,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_093,"The Fist teaches those foolish enough to listen that through rigorous training of the mind and body, and with constant invigoration and refinement, one can approach the sublimity of Rhalgr Himself."
106,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_094,Such is their power of concentration that they are able to master the aether within their bodies and channel it in a manner that grants them immense destructive power.
107,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_095,The monkhood insists on calling this internal essence “spiritual energy” or “life force”─but trust me when I say it is nothing other than aether.
108,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_096,"Endowed with this brutish, unthinking gift for hitting things very hard, the entire cult has evolved into a sort of clergy with martial proclivities. This was no doubt a result of their main temple being located in Gyr Abania─a region plagued by warfare where knowing how to protect oneself is essential."
109,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_097,"As the years passed, however, what began as a simple group of religious fanatics fighting to protect themselves grew into an ambitious organization of religious fanatics taking part in the region's power struggles."
110,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_098,"Those in power in Ala Mhigo grew wary of these war priests who proclaimed all their fights to be fought in the name of a god, and who employed deadly force without the slightest hesitation. And so, rather than make enemies of the monks, they decided instead to use them to their benefit."
111,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_099,"Through affiliation with the Ala Mhigan royal family, the Fist of Rhalgr was incorporated into the nation's standing army. "
112,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_100,"This not only granted the monks a great deal of power, but furnished them with all of the rights accorded protectors of the citizenry. And their political influence was still growing..."
113,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_110,I confess I find great joy in studying the demise of a religion─and even greater joy in recounting it!
114,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_111,"The power of the Fist of Rhalgr grew unchecked in Ala Mhigo, and it was eventually named the state religion. After this, its influence over political, economic, and cultural spheres of life became even more considerable. Needless to say, this did not sit well with one and all."
115,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_112,"Among them was the last and most ugsome of Ala Mhigan royalty, the King of Ruin─Theodoric. The rise of the Fist meant a potential rival for power, and he would not suffer the monkhood to encroach on his prerogatives."
116,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_113,"To counter their claims of religious righteousness, he simply conjured his own out of thin aether, proclaiming that the throne was his by divine right, given him by the word of Nymeia Herself─master of Rhalgr."
117,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_114,"He then banned the worship and likenesses of Rhalgr and all other gods, and demanded that the prayers and praises of Ala Mhigo be given to Nymeia and Her alone. In doing so, he sought to establish his own absolute, uncontested rule."
118,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_115,"Naturally, the Fist and other worshipers of Rhalgr throughout the nation rose in protest, *precisely* as Theodoric had known they would."
119,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_116,"He used the uprisings as a pretext to imprison several high-ranking monks, whom he then tortured until they confessed their order's plans to topple his rule."
120,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_117,"In 1552 of the Sixth Astral Era, Theodoric led a vast army to the site of the monkhood's main temple and surrounded it. "
121,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_118,"Monks, novices, and devotees, including the elders; refugees seeking shelter after the fires of war had turned their homes to ash; servants and peasants hired to do no more than till the fields─none were left alive."
122,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_119,"The monks fought heroically, but were hopelessly outnumbered. With the massacre of that day, nearly all of the monkhood perished."
123,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_120,"The elders, the keepers of the tradition and its knowledge, resided within the temple grounds. It was thought that all versed in the ways of the chakra were lost..."
124,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_121,"But then what of this Widargelt simpleton? Just who is *he*? Perhaps the end of the Fist was not the end of the monks, after all."
125,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_130,"My dear, poor Player. What you do not know about Silvertear Falls could fill a book. And has─multiple times over, I'm sure."
126,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_131,"Since ancient times, the Falls and the region of Mor Dhona in which they are located have been believed to be the seat of a great *spiritual* energy, as less advanced peoples were wont to call it."
127,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_132,"So old are these beliefs that the tomb of Xande himself, the first emperor of Allag, was built deep beneath the surface of Mor Dhona, in the hope that the *mystical* power which resided under the lake would raise him from the dead."
128,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_133,"Oh, there are any number of legends and myths surrounding the place. I think the oldest and most widely known would have to be that of the dragon of the Falls. I do not claim to be a folklorist, but I can certainly provide the general tale."
129,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_134,"There was the birth of Althyk, god of time among the Twelve, and in turn, His younger sister Nymeia, goddess of fate. And then there was water, and through it Silvertear Falls came to be at the center of all that was. "
130,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_135,"Here was the source not only of water, but the fount of all magic as well."
131,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_136,"Now, when water came into being, so too did the great dragon Midgardsormr. Brother Time and Sister Fate, fearing the Falls might fall into the hands of evil, ordered Midgardsormr their protector and warden."
132,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_137,"Much later, with the arrival of man, would Midgardsormr be worshipped as the guardian deity of Silvertear Falls."
133,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_138,"Have you been to Silvertear Falls, Player? Or are you as untraveled as you are unread? Have you gazed upon the enormous dragon corpse, frozen as a statue with wings outspread? If you have, you have gazed upon Midgardsormr."
134,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_139,"That tragedy is but ten years old. After invading my home of Ala Mhigo, the Garleans launched a fleet of airships led by the monstrosity *Agrius*."
135,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_140,"They flew for Silvertear Falls, knowing them to harbor the greatest concentration of aether."
136,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_141,"And then, as those horrific instruments of evil loomed overhead, casting the dark shadow of death, the surface of the lake suddenly parted and burst skyward as Midgardsormr emerged to defend his waters."
137,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_142,"The battle between Midgardsormr and the *Agrius* has since come to be known as the Battle of Silvertear Skies. The dragon fought with divine strength and purpose, and after a fierce and grueling struggle, succeeded in bringing down the airship."
138,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_143,"As it fell into the lake, the impact caused the ceruleum onboard to detonate, and Midgardsormr was killed, his corpse charred black in the conflagration."
139,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_144,The structure formed by the wreckage of the *Agrius* and the entangled remains of Midgardsormr is now called the Keeper of the Lake.
140,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_145,"For many religious and mythological enthusiasts, it stands as proof of the existence of the gods. For most people, however, it serves as a grim reminder of the horrific, dare I say deicidal, power of Garlemald."
141,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_146,"Why did that dragon appear that day? Was it truly *the* Midgardsormr, the legendary guardian of Silvertear Falls? Such questions and more remain unanswered. "
142,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_147,"For my part, I make the entire debacle for an elaborate Garlean fabrication, acted out to near perfection."
143,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_148,"But let us put aside dragons and empires, and speak instead of mine own latest discovery at the lake!"
144,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_149,"The aether of the area is in an extremely chaotic state. I had long thought this to be a result of the Battle of Silvertear Skies, but have learned that this is not the case! "
145,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_150,"The disturbances I have observed do not all derive from a single source. Beyond the imperceptible aether emitted by the Keeper of the Lake, there are even stronger aetherial waves coming from deep below the earth to the east."
146,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_151,"I studied them in great detail, and learned that they are coming from a massive tower that was buried deep below the earth at the time of that battle─the Crystal Tower!"
147,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_152,"To think, I had stumbled upon this legendary structure─the very height of Allagan civilization and technology! The shifting and grinding of the earth caused by the Calamity woke the tower from its slumber of some five thousand years."
148,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_153,"And, having since slowly risen from its earthen tomb, the tower pierces the skies once more!"
149,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_154,"You must someday gaze upon it with your own eyes. It is truly a sight to behold. Yes, I can still recall the thunderous applause of my colleagues when I presented my theory of the tower. They were a great deal more grateful than you, that much is certain."
150,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_155,"There is a team of scholars who specialize in the study of all things Allagan. They are known as the Sons of Saint Coinach. At present, they are focusing their efforts on testing the validity of this theory. I very much look forward to news of their findings."
151,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_160,"As I likely explained if you have ever bothered to ask me about monks and the Fist of Rhalgr, the King of Ruin, Theodoric, was a ruthless despot and tyrant. It should come as no surprise, then, that he was the last king of Ala Mhigo."
152,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_161,But the tale of his rise and fall is the stuff we historians live for!
153,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_162,Theodoric's lust for power was such that nothing less than absolute rule would appease him.
154,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_163,"To counter the political influence of the Fist of Rhalgr, he proclaimed his kingship to be the product of divine will─ordained by Nymeia Herself. What followed was a crusade which sought to exterminate the monks entirely."
155,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_164,Yet it was the truly depraved acts of barbarism to come that would shake Ala Mhigan society to its very core.
156,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_165,This ensuing era of terror was what earned Theodoric the title “King of Ruin.”
157,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_166,"After the massacre at the Fist's main temple, religious opposition to Theodoric nearly disappeared altogether."
158,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_167,"He then began purges of the Ala Mhigan royalty, seeing any and all potential pretenders to his throne dead and buried─regardless of house, loyalties, or standing."
159,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_168,"Beheadings were commonplace, carried out daily. Before long, it looked as though Theodoric would have no heads left to take."
160,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_169,"But he then turned his wrath upon any soul with a claim to the throne, no matter how remote. After that, it was to be the empowered nobles and wealthy merchants."
161,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_170,"Fearing for their lives, they professed their innocence to the queen, pleading for her to stay her maniacal husband's hand. She attempted words to assuage his lust for power turned lust for blood, but he was deaf to her appeals."
162,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_171,"Finding no recourse, she conspired with a group of nobles to murder Theodoric."
163,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_172,"Yet before the regicide could take place, one among them betrayed their plot, and for their treason, the king saw them all less a head."
164,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_173,"This only served to compound Theodoric's paranoia and insanity. Distrustful of all, his purges now became little more than random executions, claiming the lives of noble and beggar and all in between."
165,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_174,It is not difficult to imagine what transpired next.
166,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_175,"The palace became a despicable gathering of sycophants and backstabbers, and the commonfolk scarce left their homes. Seeking heads on which to lay blame for worsening conditions, Theodoric turned the axe upon his most loyal followers."
167,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_176,"When the oppression became too much to bear, the people revolted and stormed the palace. The royal guard cast aside their vows and allowed the Ala Mhigans to pass."
168,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_177,"A noble revolt? For the best, no? False! It was the absence of leadership and solidarity in the wake of this chaos that prompted Garlemald to attack!"
169,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_178,"In the end, Theodoric was lucid enough to judge suicide preferable to death at the hands of an angry mob. He ended his own life, and with it, his reign of ruin and his own bloodline."
170,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_179,Or so it was thought at the time!
171,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_180,"But Theodred, a nephew to the king, was hidden by his mother in a remote temple of the Fist of Rhalgr which had survived the purges, and thus he escaped his uncle's fury."
172,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_181,And *that* is the history of the last king of Ala Mhigo. And many a lesson there is to be learned from it! It is only a pity you are too dull to do so.
173,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_200,Widargelt and his two chief disciples continue roaming the lands of Gyr Abania on their mission to revive the Fist of Rhalgr.
174,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_201,"It will not be easy to bring a nigh-dead faith back to life, but they are a determined lot. If anyone can accomplish this, I believe it is they."
175,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_202,"The simpleton that Widargelt is, there is no greater joy for him than to have a purpose to pursue with all his being. He is at peace, I shouldn't doubt, and I am too. For it means fewer hassles for me to deal with."
176,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_205,Widargelt continues imparting the faith to the Resistance soldiers at Rhalgr's Reach.
177,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_206,"D'zentsa and O'tchakha have also joined him, and together they conduct their training at the Temple of the Fist. After all these years in the wilderness, the faith has finally returned home."
178,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_207,"Lest you wonder, I merely chanced to see them when unrelated business took me to the Reach. I didn't approach them, however, but observed from an unobtrusive distance."
179,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_208,"They are their own persons, after all. If they require my help, they may seek me out themselves.
...Or I simply send you, of course."
180,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_220","For a time, all was routine. Widargelt continued to impart the teachings of the Fist of Rhalgr in his homeland."
181,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_221","Upon learning of the dire situation in Garlemald, however, he and his chief disciples promptly set forth for the imperial capital."
182,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_222","Despite the oppression his faith had endured under the Empire, he is resolved to aid its people. Long gone is the man who once lived for naught but retribution."
183,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_223","The oaf, however, is very much alive and well. Ere he departed, I warned him to pack for the cold...only to be told that his training will keep him warmer than any garb can. I could only shake my head."
184,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_224","As I understand it, he will be on the road for a while, and I know not when he will return. For now, we can but wish him well on his mission."
185,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_210","As you know, following his defeat, Adri─or Theobald, his assumed role─was given to the care of the village healer. Alas, he vanished without a trace nary a day later."
186,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_211","In all likelihood, he feared reprisal from the Corpse Brigade, with whom he had entered into an unlikely─and uneasy─alliance."
187,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_212","According to the Resistance, one of the Griffin's doubles approached brigade members with an eye to recruit them to his cause. Fair to say that the double was Adri."
188,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_213","As the mad king's favored tool of terror, however, the brigade was feared and loathed by the masses. Its members knew that there would be no place for them in a new Ala Mhigo."
189,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_214","Adri exploited this fact, winning them over with the promise of reinstatement in return for helping him ascend his throne. Whether or not they believed him the rightful heir was immaterial; it was an opportunity to return to power, and they took it."
190,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_215","Of course, Adri's plot came undone, and the Corpse Brigade fell with their employer to even deeper depths. Suffice it to say they are not well pleased, and their displeasure will find Adri first of all. This he anticipated, and thus he fled."
191,"TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_216","Now, at about the same juncture Adri vanished, a contingent of brigade members were sighted striking out of their hideout in the direction of Gyr Abania. That is all I know. And perhaps all that I wish to know."
180,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_220,"For a time, all was routine. Widargelt continued to impart the teachings of the Fist of Rhalgr in his homeland."
181,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_221,"Upon learning of the dire situation in Garlemald, however, he and his chief disciples promptly set forth for the imperial capital."
182,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_222,"Despite the oppression his faith had endured under the Empire, he is resolved to aid its people. Long gone is the man who once lived for naught but retribution."
183,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_223,"The oaf, however, is very much alive and well. Ere he departed, I warned him to pack for the cold...only to be told that his training will keep him warmer than any garb can. I could only shake my head."
184,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_224,"As I understand it, he will be on the road for a while, and I know not when he will return. For now, we can but wish him well on his mission."
185,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_210,"As you know, following his defeat, Adri─or Theobald, his assumed role─was given to the care of the village healer. Alas, he vanished without a trace nary a day later."
186,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_211,"In all likelihood, he feared reprisal from the Corpse Brigade, with whom he had entered into an unlikely─and uneasy─alliance."
187,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_212,"According to the Resistance, one of the Griffin's doubles approached brigade members with an eye to recruit them to his cause. Fair to say that the double was Adri."
188,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_213,"As the mad king's favored tool of terror, however, the brigade was feared and loathed by the masses. Its members knew that there would be no place for them in a new Ala Mhigo."
189,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_214,"Adri exploited this fact, winning them over with the promise of reinstatement in return for helping him ascend his throne. Whether or not they believed him the rightful heir was immaterial; it was an opportunity to return to power, and they took it."
190,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_215,"Of course, Adri's plot came undone, and the Corpse Brigade fell with their employer to even deeper depths. Suffice it to say they are not well pleased, and their displeasure will find Adri first of all. This he anticipated, and thus he fled."
191,TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_216,"Now, at about the same juncture Adri vanished, a contingent of brigade members were sighted striking out of their hideout in the direction of Gyr Abania. That is all I know. And perhaps all that I wish to know."
1 key 0 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_000 1 Do not disturb me. Can you not see that I am building a device to measure the fluctuations of the land's aether? What am I saying, of course you can't. Bloody simpleton.
2 # 1 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_001 Ah, an honest inquiry─that sad, wonderful moment when ignorant curiosity overcomes pride. Right, then, let us begin.
3 int32 str 2 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_002 str You─you who have journeyed the realm, borne witness to aetherial wonders that shape our very destiny, you whose seventh chakra has begun to open─you would pose to me an inquiry befitting a suckling babe? You are either a woman of rare enlightenment...or a fool.
4 0 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_000 3 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_003 Do not disturb me. Can you not see that I am building a device to measure the fluctuations of the land's aether? What am I saying, of course you can't. Bloody simpleton. So, it appears you have gotten embroiled in some manner of trouble yet again. It comes to me as no surprise, seeing as trouble is wont to follow that Widargelt around like his own shadow. Well, whatever should come to pass, the learning must go on.
5 1 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_001 4 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_004 Ah, an honest inquiry─that sad, wonderful moment when ignorant curiosity overcomes pride. Right, then, let us begin. You─you who have journeyed the realm, borne witness to aetherial wonders that shape our very destiny, you within whom the fourteen chakra of light and shadow have opened─you would pose to me an inquiry befitting a suckling babe? You are either a woman of rare enlightenment...or a fool.
6 2 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_002 5 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_001 You─you who have journeyed the realm, borne witness to aetherial wonders that shape our very destiny, you whose seventh chakra has begun to open─you would pose to me an inquiry befitting a suckling babe? You are either a <If(PlayerParameter(4))>woman<Else/>man</If> of rare enlightenment...or a fool. The thickness of Widargelt's skull never ceases to amaze me. From the first, there has only ever been one path for him to walk, yet he still struggles to find it.
7 3 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_003 6 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_010 So, it appears you have gotten embroiled in some manner of trouble yet again. It comes to me as no surprise, seeing as trouble is wont to follow that Widargelt around like his own shadow. Well, whatever should come to pass, the learning must go on. I will not lie: traveling repeatedly to and from Gyr Abania will be physically taxing. Yet I cannot be absent from Ul'dah overlong, for there are countless souls who would be lost for want of my knowledge.
8 4 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_004 7 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_020 You─you who have journeyed the realm, borne witness to aetherial wonders that shape our very destiny, you within whom the fourteen chakra of light and shadow have opened─you would pose to me an inquiry befitting a suckling babe? You are either a <If(PlayerParameter(4))>woman<Else/>man</If> of rare enlightenment...or a fool. I shall apologize to Master Hamon. You and the others need only focus upon what lies ahead.
9 5 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_001 8 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_030 The thickness of Widargelt's skull never ceases to amaze me. From the first, there has only ever been one path for him to walk, yet he still struggles to find it. My thanks again, Player. The Corpse Brigade are a depraved lot, and I shudder to imagine what might have happened were it not for your intervention.
10 6 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_010 9 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_040 I will not lie: traveling repeatedly to and from Gyr Abania will be physically taxing. Yet I cannot be absent from Ul'dah overlong, for there are countless souls who would be lost for want of my knowledge. Widargelt showed rare mettle in his confrontation with Theobald, and I am proud of him despite my general aversion towards violence. He has truly come far since first we met. He used to be a simple brute; now he is a brute with conviction and purpose.
11 7 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_020 10 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_050 I shall apologize to Master Hamon. You and the others need only focus upon what lies ahead. Indeed, the Scions sought my counsel with regards to your slumbering comrades. That the aether of their souls should disappear without a trace... Never in all my experience have I heard of such a thing. I must confess, I struggle to make sense of it.
12 8 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_030 11 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_060 My thanks again, <Split(<Highlight>ObjectParameter(1)</Highlight>, ,1)/>. The Corpse Brigade are a depraved lot, and I shudder to imagine what might have happened were it not for your intervention. So, the mystery of the Scions' missing aether has been solved. But *of course* their souls were transported to a different world. The thought did cross my mind, but at the time I judged it too implausible, if theoretically not impossible.
13 9 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_040 12 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_070 Widargelt showed rare mettle in his confrontation with Theobald, and I am proud of him despite my general aversion towards violence. He has truly come far since first we met. He used to be a simple brute; now he is a brute with conviction and purpose. I am told the Archons have been reunited with their wayward souls. This is glad tidings indeed. I have been quite curious about the history and culture of this world─this First─and should like to hear their accounts of their time there. I could ask you for yours too, obviously, but dim as you are, I fear you would struggle to articulate your experiences.
14 10 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_050 13 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_080 Indeed, the Scions sought my counsel with regards to your slumbering comrades. That the aether of their souls should disappear without a trace... Never in all my experience have I heard of such a thing. I must confess, I struggle to make sense of it. For all my pursuit of creation's mysteries─for all my research into myriad phenomenon─I could provide nary an explanation for the Final Days. It seems this scholar still has much and more to learn...
15 11 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_060 14 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_Q1_000_000 So, the mystery of the Scions' missing aether has been solved. But <Emphasis>of course</Emphasis> their souls were transported to a different world. The thought did cross my mind, but at the time I judged it too implausible, if theoretically not impossible. What will you ask about?
16 12 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_070 15 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A1_000_000 I am told the Archons have been reunited with their wayward souls. This is glad tidings indeed. I have been quite curious about the history and culture of this world─this First─and should like to hear their accounts of their time there. I could ask you for yours too, obviously, but dim as you are, I fear you would struggle to articulate your experiences. Sil'dihn history.
17 13 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_080 16 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A2_000_000 For all my pursuit of creation's mysteries─for all my research into myriad phenomenon─I could provide nary an explanation for the Final Days. It seems this scholar still has much and more to learn... The study of aether.
18 14 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_Q1_000_000 17 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A2_100_000 What will you ask about? Bloodshore.
19 15 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A1_000_000 18 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A3_000_000 Sil'dihn history. Finesand Banks.
20 16 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A2_000_000 19 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A4_000_000 The study of aether. East End.
21 17 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A2_100_000 20 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A5_000_000 Bloodshore. Monks and the Fist of Rhalgr.
22 18 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A3_000_000 21 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A6_000_000 Finesand Banks. The fate of the Fist of Rhalgr.
23 19 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A4_000_000 22 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A7_000_000 East End. Silvertear Falls.
24 20 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A5_000_000 23 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A8_000_000 Monks and the Fist of Rhalgr. The last king of Ala Mhigo.
25 21 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A6_000_000 24 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A10_000_000 The fate of the Fist of Rhalgr. The revival of the Fist of Rhalgr.
26 22 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A7_000_000 25 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A11_000_000 Silvertear Falls. The fate of the man named Adri.
27 23 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A8_000_000 26 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A9_000_000 The last king of Ala Mhigo. Nothing.
28 24 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A10_000_000 27 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_010 The revival of the Fist of Rhalgr. I need hardly mention that Sil'dihn civilization is now centuries dead.
29 25 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A11_000_000 28 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_011 The fate of the man named Adri. Sil'dih was plunged into chaos in the wake of King Lalawefu's demise─or the King of Springs, as he was known. Despite the success of his economic reforms, the tax increases he imposed did not sit well with his subjects.
30 26 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_A9_000_000 29 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_011 Nothing. This, coupled with a prolonged sequence of untimely droughts, fomented unrest among the people and in time sparked violent unrest throughout the kingdom.
31 27 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_010 30 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_101_011 I need hardly mention that Sil'dihn civilization is now centuries dead. Sil'dih was not alone in its want for water. Ul'dah, too, felt the effects of the droughts.
32 28 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_011 31 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_012 Sil'dih was plunged into chaos in the wake of King Lalawefu's demise─or the King of Springs, as he was known. Despite the success of his economic reforms, the tax increases he imposed did not sit well with his subjects. The sultan at the time, Sasagan Ul Sisigan─ Ah! But perhaps you recognize the Ul name? The current sultana, Nanamo Ul Namo, represents the second Ul Dynasty. She is Sasagan's distant descendant.
33 29 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_011 32 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_012 This, coupled with a prolonged sequence of untimely droughts, fomented unrest among the people and in time sparked violent unrest throughout the kingdom. Now...where was I? Ah, yes! Right, so, Sasagan ordered an attack on Sil'dih to claim the water resources discovered as a result of Lalawefu's flood control acts.
34 30 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_101_011 33 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_013 Sil'dih was not alone in its want for water. Ul'dah, too, felt the effects of the droughts. But the royalty and nobility of Sil'dih would not remain idle. They mobilized their nation in the face of this crisis, and the people fought with great tenacity against the Ul'dahn threat.
35 31 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_012 34 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_013 The sultan at the time, Sasagan Ul Sisigan─ Ah! But perhaps you recognize the Ul name? The current sultana, Nanamo Ul Namo, represents the second Ul Dynasty. She is Sasagan's distant descendant. The full strength of both nations met in battle, and the end result was an arduous protracted conflict.
36 32 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_012 35 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_014 Now...where was I? Ah, yes! Right, so, Sasagan ordered an attack on Sil'dih to claim the water resources discovered as a result of Lalawefu's flood control acts. Though arguably more desirable than surrender, the ruling Sil'dihn elite took little pleasure in having succeeded in uniting the theretofore querulous citizenry to fight. For despite all they accomplished, every day spent waging war dragged the nation's financial affairs─which you will recall had only just been brought under control─back into the mire.
37 33 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_013 36 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_015 But the royalty and nobility of Sil'dih would not remain idle. They mobilized their nation in the face of this crisis, and the people fought with great tenacity against the Ul'dahn threat. To bring an end to the long military deadlock, Sil'dih devised and set about implementing a perverse yet ambitious strategy.
38 34 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_013 37 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_016 The full strength of both nations met in battle, and the end result was an arduous protracted conflict. It sought to zombify the deceased among its army, that they might fight again.
39 35 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_014 38 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_017 Though arguably more desirable than surrender, the ruling Sil'dihn elite took little pleasure in having succeeded in uniting the theretofore querulous citizenry to fight. For despite all they accomplished, every day spent waging war dragged the nation's financial affairs─which you will recall had only just been brought under control─back into the mire. At first, it appeared to have worked. Yet at the height of hostilities, the Sil'dihns lost control over their necrotic creations. The undead turned on their masters, and before long the zombification had spread to a majority of the population.
40 36 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_015 39 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_018 To bring an end to the long military deadlock, Sil'dih devised and set about implementing a perverse yet ambitious strategy. Ever knowing an opportunity when they saw one, the Ul'dahns used this to justify their war─now proclaiming it a crusade to send these zombies to Thal. After seeing to the extermination of all zombies outside the city, they then sealed the gates of Sil'dih, entrapping both the living and dead within.
41 37 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_016 40 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_019 It sought to zombify the deceased among its army, that they might fight again. And that, in brief, is a history of the fall of Sil'dih. I only pray that your feeble mind is able to retain it.
42 38 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_017 41 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_020 At first, it appeared to have worked. Yet at the height of hostilities, the Sil'dihns lost control over their necrotic creations. The undead turned on their masters, and before long the zombification had spread to a majority of the population. I shall tell you yet again of the study of aether.
43 39 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_018 42 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_021 Ever knowing an opportunity when they saw one, the Ul'dahns used this to justify their war─now proclaiming it a crusade to send these zombies to Thal. After seeing to the extermination of all zombies outside the city, they then sealed the gates of Sil'dih, entrapping both the living and dead within. As I laboriously explained, aether is not only the source of all magicks, but also the fount of all life. Yet despite its ubiquity, it remains imperceptible to the senses of man. When a living thing dies, the aether comprising its life is released.
44 40 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_019 43 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_022 And that, in brief, is a history of the fall of Sil'dih. I only pray that your feeble mind is able to retain it. It has been learned that when this discharge takes place, a portion of that aether remains, lingering in the physical world. No doubt you have come across aetherial crystallizations in the course of your travels.
45 41 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_020 44 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_023 I shall tell you yet again of the study of aether. All scholars now agree that these are the physical manifestations of great concentrations of aether.
46 42 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_021 45 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_024 As I laboriously explained, aether is not only the source of all magicks, but also the fount of all life. Yet despite its ubiquity, it remains imperceptible to the senses of man. When a living thing dies, the aether comprising its life is released. I have a theory, however, that they are not the *only* such manifestations.
47 43 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_022 46 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_025 It has been learned that when this discharge takes place, a portion of that aether remains, lingering in the physical world. No doubt you have come across aetherial crystallizations in the course of your travels. Allow me to give an example even you can understand─that of ghosts, spirits, disembodied souls. Apparitions of the deceased come back to haunt and generally unnerve us? False!
48 44 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_023 47 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_026 All scholars now agree that these are the physical manifestations of great concentrations of aether. These are nothing more than the luminescent glow of aether in the atmosphere. It is possible, though highly unlikely, that you are asking yourself *why* a portion of the aether remains.
49 45 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_024 48 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_027 I have a theory, however, that they are not the <Emphasis>only</Emphasis> such manifestations. Right, well, the amount of aether that can shift between the physical and aetherial realms in any given instant is limited. I call this the *aetherial threshold*. Any aether present in excess of that threshold is left behind.
50 46 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_025 49 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_028 Allow me to give an example even you can understand─that of ghosts, spirits, disembodied souls. Apparitions of the deceased come back to haunt and generally unnerve us? False! The more violent or dramatic the loss of life, the greater the amount of inner aether released to take the form of crystals or remain imperceptibly in the atmosphere. And you surely recollect the scene I identified as the most apt to produce such violent deaths?
51 47 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_026 50 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_029 These are nothing more than the luminescent glow of aether in the atmosphere. It is possible, though highly unlikely, that you are asking yourself <Emphasis>why</Emphasis> a portion of the aether remains. On the field of battle! It stands to reason, therefore, that through the aetherial measurement of such sites, I will be able to reconstruct details of the wars waged upon them.
52 48 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_027 51 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_030 Right, well, the amount of aether that can shift between the physical and aetherial realms in any given instant is limited. I call this the <Emphasis>aetherial threshold</Emphasis>. Any aether present in excess of that threshold is left behind. And *that*, Player, is why this military historian has a deeply vested interest in the subject of aether.
53 49 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_028 52 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_031 The more violent or dramatic the loss of life, the greater the amount of inner aether released to take the form of crystals or remain imperceptibly in the atmosphere. And you surely recollect the scene I identified as the most apt to produce such violent deaths? Despite all we do know, however, many mysteries remain. The study of aether will no doubt continue to yield fascinating and awe-inspiring discoveries for years to come─of that I am certain.
54 50 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_029 53 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_032 On the field of battle! It stands to reason, therefore, that through the aetherial measurement of such sites, I will be able to reconstruct details of the wars waged upon them. Very well, prepare to learn all you ever cared to and more of the land known as Bloodshore.
55 51 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_030 54 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_033 And <Emphasis>that</Emphasis>, <Split(<Highlight>ObjectParameter(1)</Highlight>, ,1)/>, is why this military historian has a deeply vested interest in the subject of aether. The sanguine nomenclature derives from a truly horrific battle which took place there some fifty years ago.
56 52 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_031 55 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_034 Despite all we do know, however, many mysteries remain. The study of aether will no doubt continue to yield fascinating and awe-inspiring discoveries for years to come─of that I am certain. The two greatest pirate fleets of the day─the League of Lost Bastards and the followers of Rycharde Mistbeard─met one another at sea just off the coast.
57 53 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_032 56 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_035 Very well, prepare to learn all you ever cared to and more of the land known as Bloodshore. To this very day, none can say with certainty who shot first, nor why. Mayhap there was no good reason at all. All know the two pirate leaders loathed one another, and when dealing with pirates, little more than that is needed to ignite a war.
58 54 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_033 57 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_036 The sanguine nomenclature derives from a truly horrific battle which took place there some fifty years ago. By the by, it just so happens that the head of the League of Lost Bastards, one Bloefhis, was father to the current Admiral of Limsa Lominsa. It is told the old sea dog wished for his daughter to take command of his fleet upon his death.
59 55 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_034 58 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_037 The two greatest pirate fleets of the day─the League of Lost Bastards and the followers of Rycharde Mistbeard─met one another at sea just off the coast. But that is a tale for another time. Suffice it to say, a shot was fired, and the mightiest pirate armadas in the realm came to fight one of the bloodiest naval battles in Eorzean history. All told, seven galleys were sunk that day, and dozens of smaller warships.
60 56 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_035 59 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_038 To this very day, none can say with certainty who shot first, nor why. Mayhap there was no good reason at all. All know the two pirate leaders loathed one another, and when dealing with pirates, little more than that is needed to ignite a war. Four of the seven galleys went down in mere moments. When at last the smoke cleared and the cannons fell silent, hundreds lay dead on the ocean's bottom.
61 57 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_036 60 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_039 By the by, it just so happens that the head of the League of Lost Bastards, one Bloefhis, was father to the current Admiral of Limsa Lominsa. It is told the old sea dog wished for his daughter to take command of his fleet upon his death. It is said the foam of the tides was tinged red with blood for days after the battle, and bodies washed ashore for weeks to follow.
62 58 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_037 61 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_039 But that is a tale for another time. Suffice it to say, a shot was fired, and the mightiest pirate armadas in the realm came to fight one of the bloodiest naval battles in Eorzean history. All told, seven galleys were sunk that day, and dozens of smaller warships. So, as you can see, geography and history are inextricably linked. Regrettably, the region has recently been purchased by a wealthy Ul'dahn merchant named Gegeruju. He has chosen to turn a blind eye to the land's history, and has taken to calling it Costa del Sol.
63 59 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_038 62 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_101_039 Four of the seven galleys went down in mere moments. When at last the smoke cleared and the cannons fell silent, hundreds lay dead on the ocean's bottom. And I believe I will stop there concerning Bloodshore, and allow your feeble brain to process all it has heard.
64 60 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_039 63 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_040 It is said the foam of the tides was tinged red with blood for days after the battle, and bodies washed ashore for weeks to follow. The Finesand Banks have a rich history indeed.
65 61 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_100_039 64 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_041 So, as you can see, geography and history are inextricably linked. Regrettably, the region has recently been purchased by a wealthy Ul'dahn merchant named Gegeruju. He has chosen to turn a blind eye to the land's history, and has taken to calling it Costa del Sol. They are found on the west shore of the Velodyna River, at the foot of a now-extinct volcano overlooking the Rothlyt Sound. The area is a sedimentary basin formed by the deposit of the fine silts and sands carried by the river.
66 62 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_101_039 65 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_042 And I believe I will stop there concerning Bloodshore, and allow your feeble brain to process all it has heard. Today, it falls within Gridanian territory, but in days past it belonged to my own home nation, Ala Mhigo.
67 63 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_040 66 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_043 The Finesand Banks have a rich history indeed. A century ago, King Manfred came to power in Ala Mhigo and decided to expand the nation's territory in order to promote economic growth.
68 64 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_041 67 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_044 They are found on the west shore of the Velodyna River, at the foot of a now-extinct volcano overlooking the Rothlyt Sound. The area is a sedimentary basin formed by the deposit of the fine silts and sands carried by the river. To that end, he ordered the Ala Mhigan army to undertake large-scale campaigns that would eventually lead to the onset of the Autumn War.
69 65 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_042 68 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_045 Today, it falls within Gridanian territory, but in days past it belonged to my own home nation, Ala Mhigo. Naturally, such action was met with vehement opposition from the other nations. Gridania, fearing encroachment along its border with Ala Mhigo, placed the renowned lancer Vainchelon in command of its standing armies and war began.
70 66 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_043 69 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_046 A century ago, King Manfred came to power in Ala Mhigo and decided to expand the nation's territory in order to promote economic growth. His opponent was Gylbarde, the great general of Ala Mhigo, a fervent believer in the Fist of Rhalgr, and a man who enjoyed enormous popularity among the Ala Mhigan people.
71 67 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_044 70 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_047 To that end, he ordered the Ala Mhigan army to undertake large-scale campaigns that would eventually lead to the onset of the Autumn War. The two leaders were loved by their troops, and, at the outbreak of war, morale on both sides was very high. The armies clashed time and again all along the border, neither general yielding an ilm. But in a galling twist of fate for Gridania, Vainchelon suddenly took deathly ill.
72 68 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_045 71 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_048 Naturally, such action was met with vehement opposition from the other nations. Gridania, fearing encroachment along its border with Ala Mhigo, placed the renowned lancer Vainchelon in command of its standing armies and war began. After no victor emerged following the Battle of Finesand Banks, Vainchelon devised a new strategy.
73 69 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_046 72 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_049 His opponent was Gylbarde, the great general of Ala Mhigo, a fervent believer in the Fist of Rhalgr, and a man who enjoyed enormous popularity among the Ala Mhigan people. He ordered his forces to retreat to Camp Nine Ivies, fully intending for Gylbarde to give chase. This would lure the Ala Mhigans to terrain more favorable and familiar to the Gridanians.
74 70 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_047 73 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_050 The two leaders were loved by their troops, and, at the outbreak of war, morale on both sides was very high. The armies clashed time and again all along the border, neither general yielding an ilm. But in a galling twist of fate for Gridania, Vainchelon suddenly took deathly ill. He died, however, before he was able to see his plan executed. Now, the man who would replace him, Osbern, was extremely ambitious and eager to prove his worth to the Seedseers. Having neither the mind nor patience for Vainchelon's defensive war, however, he ordered a frontal assault on the Ala Mhigan position. When Gylbarde learned of this plan─if plan it may be called─he secretly deployed troops to the most vital points along the Finesand Banks.
75 71 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_048 74 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_051 After no victor emerged following the Battle of Finesand Banks, Vainchelon devised a new strategy. The Gridanian forces had scarcely entered the area before they began to suffer heavy losses from highly coordinated Ala Mhigan ambushes.
76 72 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_049 75 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_052 He ordered his forces to retreat to Camp Nine Ivies, fully intending for Gylbarde to give chase. This would lure the Ala Mhigans to terrain more favorable and familiar to the Gridanians. In response, Osbern ordered a forced march, permitting his troops no rest for several days as he attempted to surge through the region. Eventually, exhausted, the Gridanians came to entrench themselves on a hill.
77 73 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_050 76 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_053 He died, however, before he was able to see his plan executed. Now, the man who would replace him, Osbern, was extremely ambitious and eager to prove his worth to the Seedseers. Having neither the mind nor patience for Vainchelon's defensive war, however, he ordered a frontal assault on the Ala Mhigan position. When Gylbarde learned of this plan─if plan it may be called─he secretly deployed troops to the most vital points along the Finesand Banks. But this is *precisely* what Gylbarde had wanted! He surrounded the hill with six thousand soldiers to deny the forestborn any hope of retrieving water, and then proceeded to rain down barrage after barrage of arrows upon the encampment.
78 74 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_051 77 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_054 The Gridanian forces had scarcely entered the area before they began to suffer heavy losses from highly coordinated Ala Mhigan ambushes. In this seemingly hopeless position, the morale of the Gridanians quickly dwindled. Following two failed attempts to break free, Osbern himself led the van in a third and final charge.
79 75 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_052 78 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_055 In response, Osbern ordered a forced march, permitting his troops no rest for several days as he attempted to surge through the region. Eventually, exhausted, the Gridanians came to entrench themselves on a hill. In the end, Gridania was defeated. Osbern and several of his officers were captured, and the legendary staff Claustrum, lent him by one of the Seedseers, was taken.
80 76 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_053 79 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_056 But this is <Emphasis>precisely</Emphasis> what Gylbarde had wanted! He surrounded the hill with six thousand soldiers to deny the forestborn any hope of retrieving water, and then proceeded to rain down barrage after barrage of arrows upon the encampment. This abject defeat accounted for what little morale remained among his surviving troops, and they beat a desperate retreat to Five Hangs with the relentless Ala Mhigans harrying them every step of the way.
81 77 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_054 80 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_057 In this seemingly hopeless position, the morale of the Gridanians quickly dwindled. Following two failed attempts to break free, Osbern himself led the van in a third and final charge. Gylbarde's victory brought him ever greater accolades from his country, and as a result both he and the Fist of Rhalgr came to wield considerable political power.
82 78 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_055 81 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_058 In the end, Gridania was defeated. Osbern and several of his officers were captured, and the legendary staff Claustrum, lent him by one of the Seedseers, was taken. And *that* is a brief history of the Finesand Banks. No, no, you needn't thank me. Knowing there is a little less ignorance in the world is all the reward I require.
83 79 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_056 82 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_060 This abject defeat accounted for what little morale remained among his surviving troops, and they beat a desperate retreat to Five Hangs with the relentless Ala Mhigans harrying them every step of the way. East End is just that─the eastern end of the Black Shroud.
84 80 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_057 83 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_061 Gylbarde's victory brought him ever greater accolades from his country, and as a result both he and the Fist of Rhalgr came to wield considerable political power. The Autumn War marked the beginning of hostilities between Ala Mhigo and Gridania. The first major victory in that war came at the First Battle of Tinolqa, and it belonged to Ala Mhigo.
85 81 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_058 84 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_062 And <Emphasis>that</Emphasis> is a brief history of the Finesand Banks. No, no, you needn't thank me. Knowing there is a little less ignorance in the world is all the reward I require. Defeated, the Gridanians retreated to the safety of Five Hangs. The front was splintered, and afterwards they would resort to opportunistic ambushes, and the constant redeployment of troops to continue their resistance.
86 82 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_060 85 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_063 East End is just that─the eastern end of the Black Shroud. The Ala Mhigans, confident of ultimate victory, enjoined Gridania to surrender. As conditions, they demanded that all of the East and portions of the Central Shroud be relinquished, and perhaps more disturbingly, that the Seedseers be taken as wards of Ala Mhigo, where they would be met with no harm.
87 83 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_061 86 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_064 The Autumn War marked the beginning of hostilities between Ala Mhigo and Gridania. The first major victory in that war came at the First Battle of Tinolqa, and it belonged to Ala Mhigo. Needless to say, Gridania refused.
88 84 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_062 87 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_065 Defeated, the Gridanians retreated to the safety of Five Hangs. The front was splintered, and afterwards they would resort to opportunistic ambushes, and the constant redeployment of troops to continue their resistance. Providence was to be delivered to the forestborn by the neighboring nation of Ishgard. Wary of Ala Mhigo's ambitions for the region, the See appealed to Limsa Lominsa and Ul'dah for aid. The three joined Gridania in her declaration of war against Ala Mhigo, and sent troops to reinforce the front.
89 85 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_063 88 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_066 The Ala Mhigans, confident of ultimate victory, enjoined Gridania to surrender. As conditions, they demanded that all of the East and portions of the Central Shroud be relinquished, and perhaps more disturbingly, that the Seedseers be taken as wards of Ala Mhigo, where they would be met with no harm. But this was far from a gesture of charity. It is easy to see what the motives of the See were.
90 86 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_064 89 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_067 Needless to say, Gridania refused. Should certain sections of the Black Shroud be annexed to Ala Mhigo, Ishgard's southern and eastern borders would become extremely vulnerable to a possible invasion.
91 87 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_065 90 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_068 Providence was to be delivered to the forestborn by the neighboring nation of Ishgard. Wary of Ala Mhigo's ambitions for the region, the See appealed to Limsa Lominsa and Ul'dah for aid. The three joined Gridania in her declaration of war against Ala Mhigo, and sent troops to reinforce the front. For their part, Limsa Lominsa and Ul'dah had virtually nothing to lose by entering into the war, and yet everything to gain by curbing the power of Ala Mhigo in the realm. Even more, victory would place Gridania in their debt.
92 88 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_066 91 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_069 But this was far from a gesture of charity. It is easy to see what the motives of the See were. And so it came to pass that these four great nations joined into a grand alliance to combat the advance of Ala Mhigo. The fighting which was to follow would later be named the Second Battle of Tinolqa.
93 89 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_067 92 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_070 Should certain sections of the Black Shroud be annexed to Ala Mhigo, Ishgard's southern and eastern borders would become extremely vulnerable to a possible invasion. The heaviest and most devastating combat took place on a tract of land called East End. In the beginning, there were several small-scale skirmishes, but the allied powers succeeded in foiling the stratagems of Ala Mhigo at every turn.
94 90 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_068 93 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_071 For their part, Limsa Lominsa and Ul'dah had virtually nothing to lose by entering into the war, and yet everything to gain by curbing the power of Ala Mhigo in the realm. Even more, victory would place Gridania in their debt. Feeling the tide begin to turn against them, Ala Mhigo dispatched its pikemen─known far and wide for their effectiveness against mounted units, such as the knights of Ishgard.
95 91 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_069 94 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_072 And so it came to pass that these four great nations joined into a grand alliance to combat the advance of Ala Mhigo. The fighting which was to follow would later be named the Second Battle of Tinolqa. To rally the troops even more, King Manfred himself took to the field to lead them.
96 92 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_070 95 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_073 The heaviest and most devastating combat took place on a tract of land called East End. In the beginning, there were several small-scale skirmishes, but the allied powers succeeded in foiling the stratagems of Ala Mhigo at every turn. At first, it seemed as though Ala Mhigo had succeeded in reversing its fortune, as the allies began a slow retreat towards East End.
97 93 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_071 96 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_074 Feeling the tide begin to turn against them, Ala Mhigo dispatched its pikemen─known far and wide for their effectiveness against mounted units, such as the knights of Ishgard. This was a clever ploy, however, designed to lure the pikemen into the dense growth of the forest, where their long polearms would be unwieldy and near useless.
98 94 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_072 97 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_075 To rally the troops even more, King Manfred himself took to the field to lead them. It was during these days that the archers of Gridania would prove their value beyond the bow, singing songs of heroism and glory in the field to bolster the allied troops.
99 95 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_073 98 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_076 At first, it seemed as though Ala Mhigo had succeeded in reversing its fortune, as the allies began a slow retreat towards East End. It is said that this gave birth to the bard tradition.
100 96 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_074 99 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_077 This was a clever ploy, however, designed to lure the pikemen into the dense growth of the forest, where their long polearms would be unwieldy and near useless. The archers of Gridania excelled at combat in the dense vegetation of the Black Shroud, and their arrows inflicted heavy casualties on the Ala Mhigans.
101 97 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_075 100 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_078 It was during these days that the archers of Gridania would prove their value beyond the bow, singing songs of heroism and glory in the field to bolster the allied troops. In the end, General Gylbarde was slain, King Manfred severely wounded, and Ala Mhigo completely and utterly defeated.
102 98 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_076 101 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_079 It is said that this gave birth to the bard tradition. And *that* is a brief summation of the history of East End─site of the end of the forest, and the end of the war both. Do you know, I can almost feel you getting less stupid, Player!
103 99 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_077 102 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_090 The archers of Gridania excelled at combat in the dense vegetation of the Black Shroud, and their arrows inflicted heavy casualties on the Ala Mhigans. The monks and the Fist of Rhalgr are interesting in the same way as any other organized religion─a sad, pathetic, and humorous way.
104 100 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_078 103 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_091 In the end, General Gylbarde was slain, King Manfred severely wounded, and Ala Mhigo completely and utterly defeated. The brothers and sisters of the monkhood are those souls training in the service of Rhalgr, god of destruction among the Twelve. The Fist of Rhalgr is their order.
105 101 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_079 104 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_092 And <Emphasis>that</Emphasis> is a brief summation of the history of East End─site of the end of the forest, and the end of the war both. Do you know, I can almost feel you getting less stupid, <Split(<Highlight>ObjectParameter(1)</Highlight>, ,1)/>! This barbaric cult traces its origins back several centuries to Ala Mhigo. That simpleton Widargelt is one of their number.
106 102 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_090 105 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_093 The monks and the Fist of Rhalgr are interesting in the same way as any other organized religion─a sad, pathetic, and humorous way. The Fist teaches those foolish enough to listen that through rigorous training of the mind and body, and with constant invigoration and refinement, one can approach the sublimity of Rhalgr Himself.
107 103 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_091 106 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_094 The brothers and sisters of the monkhood are those souls training in the service of Rhalgr, god of destruction among the Twelve. The Fist of Rhalgr is their order. Such is their power of concentration that they are able to master the aether within their bodies and channel it in a manner that grants them immense destructive power.
108 104 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_092 107 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_095 This barbaric cult traces its origins back several centuries to Ala Mhigo. That simpleton Widargelt is one of their number. The monkhood insists on calling this internal essence “spiritual energy” or “life force”─but trust me when I say it is nothing other than aether.
109 105 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_093 108 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_096 The Fist teaches those foolish enough to listen that through rigorous training of the mind and body, and with constant invigoration and refinement, one can approach the sublimity of Rhalgr Himself. Endowed with this brutish, unthinking gift for hitting things very hard, the entire cult has evolved into a sort of clergy with martial proclivities. This was no doubt a result of their main temple being located in Gyr Abania─a region plagued by warfare where knowing how to protect oneself is essential.
110 106 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_094 109 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_097 Such is their power of concentration that they are able to master the aether within their bodies and channel it in a manner that grants them immense destructive power. As the years passed, however, what began as a simple group of religious fanatics fighting to protect themselves grew into an ambitious organization of religious fanatics taking part in the region's power struggles.
111 107 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_095 110 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_098 The monkhood insists on calling this internal essence “spiritual energy” or “life force”─but trust me when I say it is nothing other than aether. Those in power in Ala Mhigo grew wary of these war priests who proclaimed all their fights to be fought in the name of a god, and who employed deadly force without the slightest hesitation. And so, rather than make enemies of the monks, they decided instead to use them to their benefit.
112 108 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_096 111 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_099 Endowed with this brutish, unthinking gift for hitting things very hard, the entire cult has evolved into a sort of clergy with martial proclivities. This was no doubt a result of their main temple being located in Gyr Abania─a region plagued by warfare where knowing how to protect oneself is essential. Through affiliation with the Ala Mhigan royal family, the Fist of Rhalgr was incorporated into the nation's standing army.
113 109 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_097 112 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_100 As the years passed, however, what began as a simple group of religious fanatics fighting to protect themselves grew into an ambitious organization of religious fanatics taking part in the region's power struggles. This not only granted the monks a great deal of power, but furnished them with all of the rights accorded protectors of the citizenry. And their political influence was still growing...
114 110 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_098 113 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_110 Those in power in Ala Mhigo grew wary of these war priests who proclaimed all their fights to be fought in the name of a god, and who employed deadly force without the slightest hesitation. And so, rather than make enemies of the monks, they decided instead to use them to their benefit. I confess I find great joy in studying the demise of a religion─and even greater joy in recounting it!
115 111 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_099 114 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_111 Through affiliation with the Ala Mhigan royal family, the Fist of Rhalgr was incorporated into the nation's standing army. The power of the Fist of Rhalgr grew unchecked in Ala Mhigo, and it was eventually named the state religion. After this, its influence over political, economic, and cultural spheres of life became even more considerable. Needless to say, this did not sit well with one and all.
116 112 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_100 115 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_112 This not only granted the monks a great deal of power, but furnished them with all of the rights accorded protectors of the citizenry. And their political influence was still growing... Among them was the last and most ugsome of Ala Mhigan royalty, the King of Ruin─Theodoric. The rise of the Fist meant a potential rival for power, and he would not suffer the monkhood to encroach on his prerogatives.
117 113 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_110 116 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_113 I confess I find great joy in studying the demise of a religion─and even greater joy in recounting it! To counter their claims of religious righteousness, he simply conjured his own out of thin aether, proclaiming that the throne was his by divine right, given him by the word of Nymeia Herself─master of Rhalgr.
118 114 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_111 117 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_114 The power of the Fist of Rhalgr grew unchecked in Ala Mhigo, and it was eventually named the state religion. After this, its influence over political, economic, and cultural spheres of life became even more considerable. Needless to say, this did not sit well with one and all. He then banned the worship and likenesses of Rhalgr and all other gods, and demanded that the prayers and praises of Ala Mhigo be given to Nymeia and Her alone. In doing so, he sought to establish his own absolute, uncontested rule.
119 115 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_112 118 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_115 Among them was the last and most ugsome of Ala Mhigan royalty, the King of Ruin─Theodoric. The rise of the Fist meant a potential rival for power, and he would not suffer the monkhood to encroach on his prerogatives. Naturally, the Fist and other worshipers of Rhalgr throughout the nation rose in protest, *precisely* as Theodoric had known they would.
120 116 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_113 119 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_116 To counter their claims of religious righteousness, he simply conjured his own out of thin aether, proclaiming that the throne was his by divine right, given him by the word of Nymeia Herself─master of Rhalgr. He used the uprisings as a pretext to imprison several high-ranking monks, whom he then tortured until they confessed their order's plans to topple his rule.
121 117 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_114 120 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_117 He then banned the worship and likenesses of Rhalgr and all other gods, and demanded that the prayers and praises of Ala Mhigo be given to Nymeia and Her alone. In doing so, he sought to establish his own absolute, uncontested rule. In 1552 of the Sixth Astral Era, Theodoric led a vast army to the site of the monkhood's main temple and surrounded it.
122 118 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_115 121 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_118 Naturally, the Fist and other worshipers of Rhalgr throughout the nation rose in protest, <Emphasis>precisely</Emphasis> as Theodoric had known they would. Monks, novices, and devotees, including the elders; refugees seeking shelter after the fires of war had turned their homes to ash; servants and peasants hired to do no more than till the fields─none were left alive.
123 119 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_116 122 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_119 He used the uprisings as a pretext to imprison several high-ranking monks, whom he then tortured until they confessed their order's plans to topple his rule. The monks fought heroically, but were hopelessly outnumbered. With the massacre of that day, nearly all of the monkhood perished.
124 120 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_117 123 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_120 In 1552 of the Sixth Astral Era, Theodoric led a vast army to the site of the monkhood's main temple and surrounded it. The elders, the keepers of the tradition and its knowledge, resided within the temple grounds. It was thought that all versed in the ways of the chakra were lost...
125 121 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_118 124 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_121 Monks, novices, and devotees, including the elders; refugees seeking shelter after the fires of war had turned their homes to ash; servants and peasants hired to do no more than till the fields─none were left alive. But then what of this Widargelt simpleton? Just who is *he*? Perhaps the end of the Fist was not the end of the monks, after all.
126 122 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_119 125 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_130 The monks fought heroically, but were hopelessly outnumbered. With the massacre of that day, nearly all of the monkhood perished. My dear, poor Player. What you do not know about Silvertear Falls could fill a book. And has─multiple times over, I'm sure.
127 123 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_120 126 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_131 The elders, the keepers of the tradition and its knowledge, resided within the temple grounds. It was thought that all versed in the ways of the chakra were lost... Since ancient times, the Falls and the region of Mor Dhona in which they are located have been believed to be the seat of a great *spiritual* energy, as less advanced peoples were wont to call it.
128 124 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_121 127 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_132 But then what of this Widargelt simpleton? Just who is <Emphasis>he</Emphasis>? Perhaps the end of the Fist was not the end of the monks, after all. So old are these beliefs that the tomb of Xande himself, the first emperor of Allag, was built deep beneath the surface of Mor Dhona, in the hope that the *mystical* power which resided under the lake would raise him from the dead.
129 125 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_130 128 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_133 My dear, poor <Split(<Highlight>ObjectParameter(1)</Highlight>, ,1)/>. What you do not know about Silvertear Falls could fill a book. And has─multiple times over, I'm sure. Oh, there are any number of legends and myths surrounding the place. I think the oldest and most widely known would have to be that of the dragon of the Falls. I do not claim to be a folklorist, but I can certainly provide the general tale.
130 126 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_131 129 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_134 Since ancient times, the Falls and the region of Mor Dhona in which they are located have been believed to be the seat of a great <Emphasis>spiritual</Emphasis> energy, as less advanced peoples were wont to call it. There was the birth of Althyk, god of time among the Twelve, and in turn, His younger sister Nymeia, goddess of fate. And then there was water, and through it Silvertear Falls came to be at the center of all that was.
131 127 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_132 130 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_135 So old are these beliefs that the tomb of Xande himself, the first emperor of Allag, was built deep beneath the surface of Mor Dhona, in the hope that the <Emphasis>mystical</Emphasis> power which resided under the lake would raise him from the dead. Here was the source not only of water, but the fount of all magic as well.
132 128 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_133 131 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_136 Oh, there are any number of legends and myths surrounding the place. I think the oldest and most widely known would have to be that of the dragon of the Falls. I do not claim to be a folklorist, but I can certainly provide the general tale. Now, when water came into being, so too did the great dragon Midgardsormr. Brother Time and Sister Fate, fearing the Falls might fall into the hands of evil, ordered Midgardsormr their protector and warden.
133 129 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_134 132 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_137 There was the birth of Althyk, god of time among the Twelve, and in turn, His younger sister Nymeia, goddess of fate. And then there was water, and through it Silvertear Falls came to be at the center of all that was. Much later, with the arrival of man, would Midgardsormr be worshipped as the guardian deity of Silvertear Falls.
134 130 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_135 133 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_138 Here was the source not only of water, but the fount of all magic as well. Have you been to Silvertear Falls, Player? Or are you as untraveled as you are unread? Have you gazed upon the enormous dragon corpse, frozen as a statue with wings outspread? If you have, you have gazed upon Midgardsormr.
135 131 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_136 134 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_139 Now, when water came into being, so too did the great dragon Midgardsormr. Brother Time and Sister Fate, fearing the Falls might fall into the hands of evil, ordered Midgardsormr their protector and warden. That tragedy is but ten years old. After invading my home of Ala Mhigo, the Garleans launched a fleet of airships led by the monstrosity *Agrius*.
136 132 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_137 135 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_140 Much later, with the arrival of man, would Midgardsormr be worshipped as the guardian deity of Silvertear Falls. They flew for Silvertear Falls, knowing them to harbor the greatest concentration of aether.
137 133 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_138 136 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_141 Have you been to Silvertear Falls, <Split(<Highlight>ObjectParameter(1)</Highlight>, ,1)/>? Or are you as untraveled as you are unread? Have you gazed upon the enormous dragon corpse, frozen as a statue with wings outspread? If you have, you have gazed upon Midgardsormr. And then, as those horrific instruments of evil loomed overhead, casting the dark shadow of death, the surface of the lake suddenly parted and burst skyward as Midgardsormr emerged to defend his waters.
138 134 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_139 137 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_142 That tragedy is but ten years old. After invading my home of Ala Mhigo, the Garleans launched a fleet of airships led by the monstrosity <Emphasis>Agrius</Emphasis>. The battle between Midgardsormr and the *Agrius* has since come to be known as the Battle of Silvertear Skies. The dragon fought with divine strength and purpose, and after a fierce and grueling struggle, succeeded in bringing down the airship.
139 135 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_140 138 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_143 They flew for Silvertear Falls, knowing them to harbor the greatest concentration of aether. As it fell into the lake, the impact caused the ceruleum onboard to detonate, and Midgardsormr was killed, his corpse charred black in the conflagration.
140 136 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_141 139 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_144 And then, as those horrific instruments of evil loomed overhead, casting the dark shadow of death, the surface of the lake suddenly parted and burst skyward as Midgardsormr emerged to defend his waters. The structure formed by the wreckage of the *Agrius* and the entangled remains of Midgardsormr is now called the Keeper of the Lake.
141 137 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_142 140 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_145 The battle between Midgardsormr and the <Emphasis>Agrius</Emphasis> has since come to be known as the Battle of Silvertear Skies. The dragon fought with divine strength and purpose, and after a fierce and grueling struggle, succeeded in bringing down the airship. For many religious and mythological enthusiasts, it stands as proof of the existence of the gods. For most people, however, it serves as a grim reminder of the horrific, dare I say deicidal, power of Garlemald.
142 138 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_143 141 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_146 As it fell into the lake, the impact caused the ceruleum onboard to detonate, and Midgardsormr was killed, his corpse charred black in the conflagration. Why did that dragon appear that day? Was it truly *the* Midgardsormr, the legendary guardian of Silvertear Falls? Such questions and more remain unanswered.
143 139 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_144 142 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_147 The structure formed by the wreckage of the <Emphasis>Agrius</Emphasis> and the entangled remains of Midgardsormr is now called the Keeper of the Lake. For my part, I make the entire debacle for an elaborate Garlean fabrication, acted out to near perfection.
144 140 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_145 143 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_148 For many religious and mythological enthusiasts, it stands as proof of the existence of the gods. For most people, however, it serves as a grim reminder of the horrific, dare I say deicidal, power of Garlemald. But let us put aside dragons and empires, and speak instead of mine own latest discovery at the lake!
145 141 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_146 144 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_149 Why did that dragon appear that day? Was it truly <Emphasis>the</Emphasis> Midgardsormr, the legendary guardian of Silvertear Falls? Such questions and more remain unanswered. The aether of the area is in an extremely chaotic state. I had long thought this to be a result of the Battle of Silvertear Skies, but have learned that this is not the case!
146 142 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_147 145 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_150 For my part, I make the entire debacle for an elaborate Garlean fabrication, acted out to near perfection. The disturbances I have observed do not all derive from a single source. Beyond the imperceptible aether emitted by the Keeper of the Lake, there are even stronger aetherial waves coming from deep below the earth to the east.
147 143 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_148 146 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_151 But let us put aside dragons and empires, and speak instead of mine own latest discovery at the lake! I studied them in great detail, and learned that they are coming from a massive tower that was buried deep below the earth at the time of that battle─the Crystal Tower!
148 144 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_149 147 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_152 The aether of the area is in an extremely chaotic state. I had long thought this to be a result of the Battle of Silvertear Skies, but have learned that this is not the case! To think, I had stumbled upon this legendary structure─the very height of Allagan civilization and technology! The shifting and grinding of the earth caused by the Calamity woke the tower from its slumber of some five thousand years.
149 145 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_150 148 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_153 The disturbances I have observed do not all derive from a single source. Beyond the imperceptible aether emitted by the Keeper of the Lake, there are even stronger aetherial waves coming from deep below the earth to the east. And, having since slowly risen from its earthen tomb, the tower pierces the skies once more!
150 146 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_151 149 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_154 I studied them in great detail, and learned that they are coming from a massive tower that was buried deep below the earth at the time of that battle─the Crystal Tower! You must someday gaze upon it with your own eyes. It is truly a sight to behold. Yes, I can still recall the thunderous applause of my colleagues when I presented my theory of the tower. They were a great deal more grateful than you, that much is certain.
151 147 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_152 150 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_155 To think, I had stumbled upon this legendary structure─the very height of Allagan civilization and technology! The shifting and grinding of the earth caused by the Calamity woke the tower from its slumber of some five thousand years. There is a team of scholars who specialize in the study of all things Allagan. They are known as the Sons of Saint Coinach. At present, they are focusing their efforts on testing the validity of this theory. I very much look forward to news of their findings.
152 148 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_153 151 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_160 And, having since slowly risen from its earthen tomb, the tower pierces the skies once more! As I likely explained if you have ever bothered to ask me about monks and the Fist of Rhalgr, the King of Ruin, Theodoric, was a ruthless despot and tyrant. It should come as no surprise, then, that he was the last king of Ala Mhigo.
153 149 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_154 152 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_161 You must someday gaze upon it with your own eyes. It is truly a sight to behold. Yes, I can still recall the thunderous applause of my colleagues when I presented my theory of the tower. They were a great deal more grateful than you, that much is certain. But the tale of his rise and fall is the stuff we historians live for!
154 150 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_155 153 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_162 There is a team of scholars who specialize in the study of all things Allagan. They are known as the Sons of Saint Coinach. At present, they are focusing their efforts on testing the validity of this theory. I very much look forward to news of their findings. Theodoric's lust for power was such that nothing less than absolute rule would appease him.
155 151 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_160 154 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_163 As I likely explained if you have ever bothered to ask me about monks and the Fist of Rhalgr, the King of Ruin, Theodoric, was a ruthless despot and tyrant. It should come as no surprise, then, that he was the last king of Ala Mhigo. To counter the political influence of the Fist of Rhalgr, he proclaimed his kingship to be the product of divine will─ordained by Nymeia Herself. What followed was a crusade which sought to exterminate the monks entirely.
156 152 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_161 155 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_164 But the tale of his rise and fall is the stuff we historians live for! Yet it was the truly depraved acts of barbarism to come that would shake Ala Mhigan society to its very core.
157 153 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_162 156 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_165 Theodoric's lust for power was such that nothing less than absolute rule would appease him. This ensuing era of terror was what earned Theodoric the title “King of Ruin.”
158 154 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_163 157 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_166 To counter the political influence of the Fist of Rhalgr, he proclaimed his kingship to be the product of divine will─ordained by Nymeia Herself. What followed was a crusade which sought to exterminate the monks entirely. After the massacre at the Fist's main temple, religious opposition to Theodoric nearly disappeared altogether.
159 155 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_164 158 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_167 Yet it was the truly depraved acts of barbarism to come that would shake Ala Mhigan society to its very core. He then began purges of the Ala Mhigan royalty, seeing any and all potential pretenders to his throne dead and buried─regardless of house, loyalties, or standing.
160 156 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_165 159 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_168 This ensuing era of terror was what earned Theodoric the title “King of Ruin.” Beheadings were commonplace, carried out daily. Before long, it looked as though Theodoric would have no heads left to take.
161 157 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_166 160 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_169 After the massacre at the Fist's main temple, religious opposition to Theodoric nearly disappeared altogether. But he then turned his wrath upon any soul with a claim to the throne, no matter how remote. After that, it was to be the empowered nobles and wealthy merchants.
162 158 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_167 161 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_170 He then began purges of the Ala Mhigan royalty, seeing any and all potential pretenders to his throne dead and buried─regardless of house, loyalties, or standing. Fearing for their lives, they professed their innocence to the queen, pleading for her to stay her maniacal husband's hand. She attempted words to assuage his lust for power turned lust for blood, but he was deaf to her appeals.
163 159 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_168 162 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_171 Beheadings were commonplace, carried out daily. Before long, it looked as though Theodoric would have no heads left to take. Finding no recourse, she conspired with a group of nobles to murder Theodoric.
164 160 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_169 163 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_172 But he then turned his wrath upon any soul with a claim to the throne, no matter how remote. After that, it was to be the empowered nobles and wealthy merchants. Yet before the regicide could take place, one among them betrayed their plot, and for their treason, the king saw them all less a head.
165 161 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_170 164 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_173 Fearing for their lives, they professed their innocence to the queen, pleading for her to stay her maniacal husband's hand. She attempted words to assuage his lust for power turned lust for blood, but he was deaf to her appeals. This only served to compound Theodoric's paranoia and insanity. Distrustful of all, his purges now became little more than random executions, claiming the lives of noble and beggar and all in between.
166 162 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_171 165 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_174 Finding no recourse, she conspired with a group of nobles to murder Theodoric. It is not difficult to imagine what transpired next.
167 163 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_172 166 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_175 Yet before the regicide could take place, one among them betrayed their plot, and for their treason, the king saw them all less a head. The palace became a despicable gathering of sycophants and backstabbers, and the commonfolk scarce left their homes. Seeking heads on which to lay blame for worsening conditions, Theodoric turned the axe upon his most loyal followers.
168 164 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_173 167 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_176 This only served to compound Theodoric's paranoia and insanity. Distrustful of all, his purges now became little more than random executions, claiming the lives of noble and beggar and all in between. When the oppression became too much to bear, the people revolted and stormed the palace. The royal guard cast aside their vows and allowed the Ala Mhigans to pass.
169 165 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_174 168 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_177 It is not difficult to imagine what transpired next. A noble revolt? For the best, no? False! It was the absence of leadership and solidarity in the wake of this chaos that prompted Garlemald to attack!
170 166 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_175 169 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_178 The palace became a despicable gathering of sycophants and backstabbers, and the commonfolk scarce left their homes. Seeking heads on which to lay blame for worsening conditions, Theodoric turned the axe upon his most loyal followers. In the end, Theodoric was lucid enough to judge suicide preferable to death at the hands of an angry mob. He ended his own life, and with it, his reign of ruin and his own bloodline.
171 167 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_176 170 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_179 When the oppression became too much to bear, the people revolted and stormed the palace. The royal guard cast aside their vows and allowed the Ala Mhigans to pass. Or so it was thought at the time!
172 168 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_177 171 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_180 A noble revolt? For the best, no? False! It was the absence of leadership and solidarity in the wake of this chaos that prompted Garlemald to attack! But Theodred, a nephew to the king, was hidden by his mother in a remote temple of the Fist of Rhalgr which had survived the purges, and thus he escaped his uncle's fury.
173 169 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_178 172 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_181 In the end, Theodoric was lucid enough to judge suicide preferable to death at the hands of an angry mob. He ended his own life, and with it, his reign of ruin and his own bloodline. And *that* is the history of the last king of Ala Mhigo. And many a lesson there is to be learned from it! It is only a pity you are too dull to do so.
174 170 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_179 173 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_200 Or so it was thought at the time! Widargelt and his two chief disciples continue roaming the lands of Gyr Abania on their mission to revive the Fist of Rhalgr.
175 171 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_180 174 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_201 But Theodred, a nephew to the king, was hidden by his mother in a remote temple of the Fist of Rhalgr which had survived the purges, and thus he escaped his uncle's fury. It will not be easy to bring a nigh-dead faith back to life, but they are a determined lot. If anyone can accomplish this, I believe it is they.
176 172 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_181 175 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_202 And <Emphasis>that</Emphasis> is the history of the last king of Ala Mhigo. And many a lesson there is to be learned from it! It is only a pity you are too dull to do so. The simpleton that Widargelt is, there is no greater joy for him than to have a purpose to pursue with all his being. He is at peace, I shouldn't doubt, and I am too. For it means fewer hassles for me to deal with.
177 173 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_200 176 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_205 Widargelt and his two chief disciples continue roaming the lands of Gyr Abania on their mission to revive the Fist of Rhalgr. Widargelt continues imparting the faith to the Resistance soldiers at Rhalgr's Reach.
178 174 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_201 177 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_206 It will not be easy to bring a nigh-dead faith back to life, but they are a determined lot. If anyone can accomplish this, I believe it is they. D'zentsa and O'tchakha have also joined him, and together they conduct their training at the Temple of the Fist. After all these years in the wilderness, the faith has finally returned home.
179 175 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_202 178 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_207 The simpleton that Widargelt is, there is no greater joy for him than to have a purpose to pursue with all his being. He is at peace, I shouldn't doubt, and I am too. For it means fewer hassles for me to deal with. Lest you wonder, I merely chanced to see them when unrelated business took me to the Reach. I didn't approach them, however, but observed from an unobtrusive distance.
180 176 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_205 179 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_208 Widargelt continues imparting the faith to the Resistance soldiers at Rhalgr's Reach. They are their own persons, after all. If they require my help, they may seek me out themselves. ...Or I simply send you, of course.
177 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_206 D'zentsa and O'tchakha have also joined him, and together they conduct their training at the Temple of the Fist. After all these years in the wilderness, the faith has finally returned home.
178 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_207 Lest you wonder, I merely chanced to see them when unrelated business took me to the Reach. I didn't approach them, however, but observed from an unobtrusive distance.
179 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_208 They are their own persons, after all. If they require my help, they may seek me out themselves. ...Or I simply send you, of course.
181 180 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_220 180 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_220 For a time, all was routine. Widargelt continued to impart the teachings of the Fist of Rhalgr in his homeland. For a time, all was routine. Widargelt continued to impart the teachings of the Fist of Rhalgr in his homeland.
182 181 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_221 181 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_221 Upon learning of the dire situation in Garlemald, however, he and his chief disciples promptly set forth for the imperial capital. Upon learning of the dire situation in Garlemald, however, he and his chief disciples promptly set forth for the imperial capital.
183 182 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_222 182 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_222 Despite the oppression his faith had endured under the Empire, he is resolved to aid its people. Long gone is the man who once lived for naught but retribution. Despite the oppression his faith had endured under the Empire, he is resolved to aid its people. Long gone is the man who once lived for naught but retribution.
184 183 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_223 183 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_223 The oaf, however, is very much alive and well. Ere he departed, I warned him to pack for the cold...only to be told that his training will keep him warmer than any garb can. I could only shake my head. The oaf, however, is very much alive and well. Ere he departed, I warned him to pack for the cold...only to be told that his training will keep him warmer than any garb can. I could only shake my head.
185 184 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_224 184 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_224 As I understand it, he will be on the road for a while, and I know not when he will return. For now, we can but wish him well on his mission. As I understand it, he will be on the road for a while, and I know not when he will return. For now, we can but wish him well on his mission.
186 185 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_210 185 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_210 As you know, following his defeat, Adri─or Theobald, his assumed role─was given to the care of the village healer. Alas, he vanished without a trace nary a day later. As you know, following his defeat, Adri─or Theobald, his assumed role─was given to the care of the village healer. Alas, he vanished without a trace nary a day later.
187 186 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_211 186 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_211 In all likelihood, he feared reprisal from the Corpse Brigade, with whom he had entered into an unlikely─and uneasy─alliance. In all likelihood, he feared reprisal from the Corpse Brigade, with whom he had entered into an unlikely─and uneasy─alliance.
188 187 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_212 187 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_212 According to the Resistance, one of the Griffin's doubles approached brigade members with an eye to recruit them to his cause. Fair to say that the double was Adri. According to the Resistance, one of the Griffin's doubles approached brigade members with an eye to recruit them to his cause. Fair to say that the double was Adri.
189 188 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_213 188 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_213 As the mad king's favored tool of terror, however, the brigade was feared and loathed by the masses. Its members knew that there would be no place for them in a new Ala Mhigo. As the mad king's favored tool of terror, however, the brigade was feared and loathed by the masses. Its members knew that there would be no place for them in a new Ala Mhigo.
190 189 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_214 189 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_214 Adri exploited this fact, winning them over with the promise of reinstatement in return for helping him ascend his throne. Whether or not they believed him the rightful heir was immaterial; it was an opportunity to return to power, and they took it. Adri exploited this fact, winning them over with the promise of reinstatement in return for helping him ascend his throne. Whether or not they believed him the rightful heir was immaterial; it was an opportunity to return to power, and they took it.
191 190 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_215 190 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_215 Of course, Adri's plot came undone, and the Corpse Brigade fell with their employer to even deeper depths. Suffice it to say they are not well pleased, and their displeasure will find Adri first of all. This he anticipated, and thus he fled. Of course, Adri's plot came undone, and the Corpse Brigade fell with their employer to even deeper depths. Suffice it to say they are not well pleased, and their displeasure will find Adri first of all. This he anticipated, and thus he fled.
192 191 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_216 191 TEXT_JOBDEFMNK_00093_ERIK_000_216 Now, at about the same juncture Adri vanished, a contingent of brigade members were sighted striking out of their hideout in the direction of Gyr Abania. That is all I know. And perhaps all that I wish to know. Now, at about the same juncture Adri vanished, a contingent of brigade members were sighted striking out of their hideout in the direction of Gyr Abania. That is all I know. And perhaps all that I wish to know.
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