Hunter’s Moon: The Curse of Dalamud (09/02/2011)

[Gokulo]

The inexplicable happenings assailing Eorzea of late seem to know no cease; as one incident begins to fade into the dark reaches of memory, another emerges to take its place.

Recent moons have seen the nation in the grip of apprehension at the changes exhibited by Dalamud. Those who have an interest in astrology will know Dalamud to be the celestial body that orbits the moon in perpetual dance. For others the name will recall childhood tales of the loyal hound of the moon goddess Menphina, who would put to flight in a flurry of torn flesh and gushing blood those who meant his mistress harm.

Whatever it is Dalamud conjures up in your mind, lately it has taken on such an angry red hue, even those ordinarily indifferent to the affairs of the heavens have been hard-pressed to ignore the change. Verily, a growing number of citizens are seeing this as an evil portent. With a sanguinary eye seeming to glare down at all creation, you can scarce begrudge folk their sense of foreboding.

http://static.finalfantasyxiv.com/to...a8111766630ef2

For some, it would seem this so-called “curse of Dalamud” has already become grim reality. During my investigation, I came upon rumors of a small company of Ul’dahn goldsmiths whose entire shipment of earrings was stolen—earrings themed upon the twin moons withal. My curiosity roused, I sought a meeting with the leader, one Master Joldewin, who related with unrestrained misery the misfortune that befell him and his two apprentices.

The earrings had been commissioned by the Adventurers’ Guild, he began, and were meant as gifts of gratitude to be presented to adventurers for their part in vanquishing the Bombards of the summer past. The earring’s design, which Joldewin proudly explained is of his own devising, comprises a single lustrous pearl to which a smaller crimson gemstone, wrought of meteorite found during the Bombard outbreak, is joined in a tasteful homage to the Keeper of the Twin Moons.

The goldsmiths toiled many a sleepless night that they might fulfill the order by the stipulated deadline. Here, and ever so briefly, an expression of joy formed on the veteran goldsmith’s face as he recounted the day the fruits of their labor were borne away by delivery caravans. Alas, the earrings never arrived at their intended destinations. En route to each city-state, the caravans were beset by—and I quote—“packs of overgrown white rodents,” who made off with every last earring.

As I sat dumbstruck, struggling to visualize a pack of rats bearing away ornate earrings—four to a crate, perhaps—Joldewin’s voice shrilled in anger as he revealed to me the loathsome individual he suspects to be mastermind behind the theft: the Lord of the Rats. Aye, you read true—that thief of legend said to hold dominion over all rodentkind, whose imaginary exploits have served to fascinate and frighten many a youngling at bedtime.

Most folk, upon hearing Joldewin’s story, would doubtless be inclined to think that he and his crew, despairing of meeting the deadline, fabricated an excuse out of their desperation to save face. I would be lying if I said the selfsame suspicion had not crossed my mind. Yet stranger things have happened, and I, for one, will not rush to pass judgment. Should your travels bring you within earshot of lamenting goldsmiths, dear readers, mayhap you could lend an ear to their side of the story, that you might discern for yourself the truth of the matter.

And here I take my leave of you. Till next time, may the Twelve watch over you.

Kipih Jakkya

Hunter’s Moon

Schedule
Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. – Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at 2:59 p.m. (GMT)

Location
During the event, special monsters will appear in the vicinity of the following locations:

La Noscea
Red Rooster Stead / Bloodshore, Eastern La Noscea (36,25)
Halfstone / Bald Knoll, Western La Noscea (7,20)

Thanalan
Mythril Pit T-8 / Halatali, Eastern Thanalan (40,28)
The Coffer & Coffin / Horizon's Edge, Western Thanalan (9,27)

The Black Shroud
Buscarron’s Fold / Tranquil Paths, South Shroud (35,43)
The Hawthorne Hut / Nine Ivies, East Shroud (50,32)

[Fiddle Sticks]

I hope these special monsters are something new and not marmots, rats, dodo, goats, hippos, and doe. That might be asking to much though ; ;

[Alkar]

I hope these special monsters are something new and not marmots, rats, dodo, goats, hippos, and doe. That might be asking to much though ; ;

Considering the whole event is about the Lord of the Rats I honestly doubt we're getting anything more than rats lol.

[Gulkeeva]

Considering the whole event is about the Lord of the Rats I honestly doubt we're getting anything more than rats lol.

wtb king rat the size of a buffalo

[miokomioko]

No new NPCs reported, just a couple Moon-Eyed Mouse (lv.15) and Moon-Eared Mouse (Lv.25) mobs around the encampments... So far they have dropped Moon Nuts, Dalamud Nuts, and Moonlets (earring). I imagine the nuts are the key to drawing out this "Lord of the Rats" guy. I am at Mythril Pit T-8 and there's probably 4 spawns total. It's incredibly stupid. I'm seeing maybe a 10% drop rate on getting anything to drop at all.

Moonlet (Unique) (Untradable)
Slot Cost: 1
Suits: All Classes
Optimal Rank: 1

Defense: 1
Mg. Defense: 1
Evasion: 3
Resilience: 3

Elemental Resistances +3

It looks like a big, fat, pearl earring with a tiny ruby hanging from it.

Moon Nut
The ghostly white shell which encases this walnut is reminiscent of the celestial body of its namesake.

Dalamud Nut
The blood-red shell which encases this walnut is reminiscent of the lesser moon of its namesake.

Still no idea what either of the nuts do... someone ate one with no obviously unique effect. The game gives the usual error if you try to use the nuts on the mice. The Goldsmiths' Guild NPCs have nothing to say about the matter. I'm hoping there's maybe a little more to it than just one-shotting rats for a Moonlet and calling it a day although it's totally possible that the two nuts are only there to imply that the rats stole the earrings because they resembled walnuts...

[tol]

Shit drop rates.

Checked Uldah briefly and didn't see anything apparent in terms of a quest NPC or such.

[Carraway]

10 of each nut and a billion trashed moonlets later, no sign of the Lord of Rats. Went back to crafting.

[Ambrosia]

Just logged on to see what was the ruckus with this event. I logged near the Red Rooster Stead to see those silly rats with a glow to them now. No one was killing them at this spot, not sure if everyone already got their earring or if they were in a different area. There are level 15 and 25 rats, killed about a dozen, then I saw one level 35 rat slightly bigger than the other two. Not sure if it is because I killed about a dozen of them before this one popped. Tried to fight the level 35 one but at level 22 I couldn't handle the amazing nut sacks it was throwing at my face so I had to run away! Sad thing is I think it de-popped because when I went back to the Red Rooster Stead spot it was no longer there. All of this happened during a full moon.


The level 15 drops the dalamud nut, the level 25 drops the moon nut, no idea what the level 35 one can drop. Any one of them can drop the earring (got two of them in a row from level 15 mobs, hence why I noticed I had the little chest icon on the second drop since it is rare/ex). Not sure if you have to kill them enough to make the level 35 one pop and so on... but it was just odd that it wasn't there before I got there, nor after when I ran away from it. Not sure if the level 35 mobs are common in other areas. I could be wrong since I haven't visited the other spots, and honestly I only spent like 15 minutes logged on.

[Hiroishime]

what was the name of the level 35 one, don't think i came accross that one.

[Corrderio]

Respawn rate sucks to, if you have others doing it, it's going to suck.

EDIT: Tried to use the nuts on the mice, no luck.

[Ambrosia]

Yeah I should of been paying more attention. I thought they were all the same. Level 15 is called Moon Eyed Mouse. Level 25 mob is called Moon Eared Mouse. Wasn't expecting for the level 35 one to depop like that. I should of taken a picture! It wasn't like the regular mobs that have a zone line and you get a message that it is returning, I literally ran almost to Camp Blood Shore before making a U-turn when it depoped. I wasn't wearing the earring either when it popped (since I didn't have it at the time) nor did I try to eat any of the nuts while I was hunting down for the earring.


About a dozen people just showed up like 5 minutes ago so I just logged off, I don't think I would of been able to take a picture of it with so many people going all over the place one shotting them now. Not sure if that mob shares a timer with all the camps or just the one you are on. It wasn't a named mob either, but the nut sack move was hitting me for roughly 175 as I was running away from it as a level 22. I was trying to replicate it, by just killing more of the event mobs but nothing. And yeah the repop timers are a little slow even with only 1-2 people per area (and the Red Rooster Stead is only like 2 grids on the map were the mobs pop so it is a tiny camp).


[Speculation] Hell I'm not sure if you kill that mob some other window/timer pops up where you just keep killing more mobs to make the "Lord of the Rats" pop, possibly level 45... or if we need to talk to some NPC... who knows.

[miokomioko]

I wonder if Gulkeeva could give us some insight as to whether or not there is actually any other items besides Moonlets, Moon Nuts, and Dalamud Nuts that seem related to this event. If so, maybe I'll believe the existence of this other rat. I've killed them long enough to be 100% skeptical about it without a screen shot or even a name. Especially since the "Lord of the Rats" is implied to be a person, not a rat.

[miokomioko]

Oh, by the way, the lodestone listed these accomplishments:

Observed Hunter's Moon!
Miya Kai (Palamecia) has valiantly slain a moon mouse during Hunter's Moon!
9/6/2011 1:01 a.m.

Observed Hunter's Moon!
Miya Kai (Palamecia) has decimated the moon mouse population during Hunter's Moon!
9/6/2011 1:42 a.m.

"Descimated" the Moon Mouse population? So, it's keeping track of your kills?

[Corrderio]

Get a fancy profile background when you log out/in as well.

[miokomioko]

NPC in Ul'dah just popped. Joldewin. Says he's a goldsmith... He basically just told me that the rats stole the shipment of earrings he busted his ass to make... and that if I slaughter said rats, I can keep any earring I may find.

Yay.

He also said something about the incident happening specifically at the Coffer & Coffin... and the rats probably lie in wait there to ambush people. *shrug*

edit: nothing new out there.

[Grey Jorildyn]

Is this really some kinda world event? If so SE needs to do a better job than an out of game news article and some cryptic NPC you aren't really looking for.

[Corrderio]

I'm assuming this will be like the Easter event where it's divided into two parts.

[miokomioko]

Yeah, it smells like one of those events that slowly changes over the course of a few weeks. Even XI has multiple NPC Moogles pop up every few days to give more hints to players who hadn't figured it out yet.

NPC also made zero mention of Moon/Dalmud nuts. He only went into detail that the moon's name is Mephina, and Dalamud is her guardian hound... implying something is very bad is going to happen soon due to the red hue of the moon as of late.

[Hyan]

Is this really some kinda world event? If so SE needs to do a better job than an out of game news article and some cryptic NPC you aren't really looking for.

So there's really someone out there thinking they should put more resources into a seasonal event like this with the game's current state.

Learn something new every day.

[Grey Jorildyn]

Don't misinterpret me. I think seasonal events are a huge waste of time, but if they're going to bother, they shouldn't half-ass it. They shouldn't be half-assing anything whatsoever, but hey, this is SE we're talking about, right?