These posts contain spoilers. Read the bold before clicking each spoiler to know which missions these spoilers cover.
Link to main page: http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/adoulin/index.html
Chapter 1 Summary: http://bg-wiki.com/bg/Seekers_of_Adoulin_Mission_1-4
Spoiler: showhttp://www.playonline.com/ff11/adoul...010001/ss1.png
Seeking fame and fortune in the far West, adventurers flocked to the Jeuno Chamber of Commerce and Industry to seek safe passage to Adoulin, a land of intrigue and innovation.
Yet the incomplete warping technology left them stranded in the Ceizak Battlegrounds, where they were pointed in the right direction by a young woman named Arciela. Upon arriving in the fabled city, they registered as official pioneers with the eponymous Pioneers’ Coalition, starting their new life as servitors to the city.
The newfound pioneers’ exploits in the wilderness had caught the eye of Adoulin’s ruling class. After an important assembly discussing the future of the city, the council held a grand feast to which they invited those recognized as making particularly valuable contributions. Yet another unexpected meeting waited the adventurers.
One with Arciela V. Adoulin.
And so the wheels of fate began to grind, slowly but surely, toward an uncertain future.
Melvien’s Personal Reflections: The Council Meeting and its Aftermath: http://bg-wiki.com/bg/Seekers_of_Adoulin_Mission_1-8
Spoiler: showhttp://www.playonline.com/ff11/adoul...010101/ss2.pngIt’s not that I find writing particularly disagreeable—it helps me collect my thoughts and spur on my memory—but all day I am strangled by official proposals, financial forms and governmental applications. Such stuffiness requires perfect precision, right down to the final stroke of each unsmeared letter.
That’s why I enjoy taking the time to collect my thoughts in a more informal manner at the end of each day—particularly those relating to colonization and pioneering.
I’ve no intention of showing this to anyone else. No, some of what I write here must never be made public. But I must record it, lest it weigh heavy on my mind.
I wonder what my reaction will be when I read this five, ten years down the line. I pray that our efforts toward opening up Eastern Ulbuka will have progressed, and inroads to the continent will have been secured.
The Pioneers’ Coalition came to me today with an update. Over the past month, their efforts have succeeded admirably; having given them free reign over the national coffers, I am pleased to see that they have not let even one coin go to waste. I must confess, though, that the majority of the burden has been borne not by our own native sons, but these battle-born adventurers from the Middle Lands who have come here to claim the moniker of “pioneer.”
There is, however, another thorn in my side—those who oppose colonization. They make quite a lot of noise, when in reality they are but a paper tiger; after all, of Adoulin’s Twelve Orders, only four growl in protest. The most effective way to silence them is to continue making inroads, to continue opening up the continent.
Adoulin is oft thought of as a big city, but its walls are beginning to burst as the population surges to previously unthinkable levels. The island is quite resource poor, providing sustenance for only a modicum of its citizenry, and prospects for securing a more stable food supply are grim. Those pitiable fools complain about living in harmony with the land and respecting the sanctity of the forest, yet they ignore the wails of the citizenry as they cry out for succor. Without the bounty provided to us by Ulbuka, how are we supposed to persevere?
Yet I must remain objective and not let my emotions control me.
Will Adoulin flourish as one of the great nations of Vana’diel? Or will it be relegated to a single footnote in the annals of history? The actions of those from the Middle Lands may decide the fate of us all.
What was the name of that pioneer whom I met at that dinner in Castle Adoulin? No matter. Of more pressing concern is that they have become a bit too close to the little witch—or rather, “Princess” Arciela—for my liking.
This vexes me, as our dear princess seems to have a strong distaste for our sudden calling—which in itself is surprising, given that it was none other than her brother Ygnas who proposed the gates be opened once more. What piques my interest, however, is that a pioneer could curry favor with the Order of Adoulin. I must let this play out as it will.
After all, the Pioneers’ Coalition is still in its infancy and requires further refinement if it is to fulfill its intended purpose.
Take the Zoldeff River, for instance—the main obstacle that impedes our advance into Foret de Hennetiel. Its waters are too perilous to ford without watercraft, and yet precious few coalition members have acquired watercrafting skills to navigate their way to the other side.
They would do well to learn more from the experiences of our new friends. Perhaps I should inform station and bivouac administrators to that effect...
Bah. These are supposed to be personal reflections, and yet I find once again my pen has turned toward duty over pleasure. I suppose it can’t be helped. There’s too much to do, and only so many hours in the day.
Suffice to say that these pioneers may yet prove their worth, and the bonds they’ve formed with each other will be the biggest source of their strength.
http://www.playonline.com/ff11/adoul...010101/ss3.pngPioneering, you see, is not something that can be undertaken alone. No...not with what I know about Lhe Lhangavo. For her, each day had been spent mired in regrets and what-ifs, all because she didn’t value those around her.
There is strength in numbers when fighting in uncharted lands. Ironic that it was Lhe herself who rose her voice to lecture us on what she called “the one undeniable truth of the continent” when Ygnas declared that colonization was to recommence.
She had been in such low spirits. What caused her to have a change of heart? “I’m our coalition’s Maester, after all,” she bleated out like a lost sheep, obviously trying to convince herself more than any one of us.
“Together we stand, divided we fall,” was it? Sometimes I wonder if those foreign-born adventurers will become aware of the true meaning of these words.
They must, or they shall find themselves suffering the same fate she did...
Melvien de Malecroix
Melvien de Malecroix
Male Elvaan
The leader of the Order of Woltaris, one of Adoulin’s Twelve Orders. With a keen eye for economics and fiscal theory, he was appointed as the Minister of Finance at a young age. He is gravely concerned with the recent population explosion in the city and finds colonization to play a critical role in stamping out fears of a lack of housing, food, and gainful employment that accompany such an increase.
Adoulin Examiner Inaugural Issue
Spoiler: show
"The tide of colonization has risen, and nothing will come of opposing it!"
"I suppose not..."
Skeptical Owl nodded politely in response to Famlienne's passionate plea.
Adoulin's soil was certainly not as fertile as that of other lands. Providing three simple meals a day for its population would prove to be a fool's game if it continues to expand at this dizzying rate. To say that colonizing the harsh lands of Eastern Ulbuka was a pressing matter would be understating the gravity of the situation. Yet Skeptical Owl knew better than to think Famlienne's opinions were born out of merely a sense of justice.
"If we can convince everyone that the pioneering initiative is for the good of the people, Minister Melvien would be quite pleased with us!"
"I suppose so..."
Famlienne was quite a striking woman, even to Skeptical Owl's undiscerning eyes. Her soft, curved figure and lustrous skin spoke volumes about the beauty of the South. What's more, she was of noble birth, with intimate ties to the Order of Woltaris—and her father was a decorated knight, to boot.
The current head of the order, a striking young man who jointly serves as Adoulin's Minister of Finance, was ripe for the plucking. Famlienne was most attracted to those of physical beauty, so Owl's budding hopes were dashed long before their relationship could have blossomed into something more.
"He might even give us a pat on the head for our enterprising efforts."
"...And you enjoy being treated like a child?"
"All journeys begin with but a single step."
"Just make sure you're headed in the right direction."
Famlienne puffed out her cheeks in exasperation. Skeptical Owl, for his part, took the wise option of not pointing out that her face looked like a balloon sold at a town fair.
"Famlienne, didn't we come out here to collect information for our first article?"
"I most certainly did not forget, Skeppy."
"I told you, I prefer Skeptical Owl."
"There is no need to be so stuffy about it. How many years have we known each other, now?"
"All the same..."
A Galka and an Elvaan exchanging playful banter was a rare sight, indeed.
"And how many times do I have to tell you to call me 'Fam?' After all, we're like 'Fam'ily."
"...Moving right along."
"You are colder than a snowy winter's eve!"
Though two peas in a pod they were not—one a boorish Galka, the other a refined Elvaan—there was a practical reason why the two had been assigned to collate information for an article about the colonization effort. After all, what better way to show cooperation between the five civilized races, joining hand in hand to support the continued prosperity of Adoulin, than by having two polar opposites collaborate to draft a lighthearted record of pioneering vignettes?
"So Famlienne, we've managed to make it all the way here to a cave leading to the Altana-forsaken swamps of Foret de Hennetiel. Now what?"
"Well, the records tell a harrowing tale from the last decade, where the son of a merchant in Eastern Adoulin fell ill with a rare disease."
"Yes, his cough was said to be terrible."
"And thyme moss, a plant found just on the outskirts of town, should have been a potent enough remedy. Yet that was not sufficient to cure his ailment."
The husband's father had heard tales passed down from generation to generation of a legendary herb even more potent than thyme moss. Yet the rub was in finding it, as none was known to grow anywhere near civilized lands.
"The grandfather, despite his advanced age, was determined to trek all the way to Foret de Hennetiel to claim a bounty that none had seen in countless years."
Of course, he had not told his family of this plan.
"The founder king's dying words were still followed to the letter then, with nary a foot tread on those hallowed grounds since they were spoken —and certainly no Pioneers' Coalition to aid him."
"The roads created during the Great Expedition must've been grown over, too."
"Beyond a doubt. The forest had reclaimed what man sought to create. The grandfather set out on an adventure of such import that he was willing to break the solemn pact and eschew the forest's visual warnings for it."
He never returned home. Though the Adoulin's finest were only charged with protecting the city, that one time they went above and beyond the call of duty, sending out a search party to find the poor soul. Yet the only thing left of him was his beloved harvesting sickle. When they picked it up off the ground, a single leaf, half crumpled upon itself, fluttered down from its blade, alighting on the soft dirt below.
"And you think that this plant still exists in Hennetiel?"
"It must. One of the prime reasons we press forward into the inner depths of Eastern Ulbuka is precisely to make valuable discoveries that better the lives of those in the city."
"Of course."
"See? I told you pioneering is important."
"I never said it wasn't. The problem is that we might have to head back before our surveys are complete."
"Unfortunately..."
"Hey, Famlienne."
"W-what?"
"If you've gotten us lost, you can just say so."
"It's not my fault! Those pioneers are a bit too quick on their feet for me to keep pace! They are so mean! What a travesty of justice! They sped along their merry way, and disappeared in the blink of an eye!"
It was no accident. Skeptical Owl could tell that her legs were starting to cramp as she begun to slow down, so he signaled with a slight shifting of his eyes that it was okay for them to forge ahead.
"My pride as the daughter of a highly respected knight has been torn to shreds by this whole ordeal!"
"Then you've got to work out a bit more."
He removed a tiny scroll from within the recesses of his pouch. Famlienne expected what was coming and acquiesced.
Teleporting back to town was as simple as reading a few simple words off the weathered parchment. Chanting in unison, they released the energies contained within and began to dematerialize.
"We can always come back."
"And next time, I shall make sure to be fully prepared!"
The force behind Famlienne's declaration echoed from stone wall to stone wall, fading softly with each bounce. A rushing wind swept through the Sih Gates as the two vanished.
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