The Chronicles of Latcarf - Travels

Cavernous Maws

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 12:48:00 -0700

Things are changing in Vana'diel! We seem to be on the precipice of a drastic new potentials. In many places on the Quon and Mindartia continents adventurers (including myself) have noticed strange, Gothic, and hideous Cavernous Maws rising up from the ground!

The first one of these I'd seen I found in East Ronfaure (H-5 on the map) while fishing in the Cheval River. When I first saw it, I was hesitant to even come near it. As I approached, it seemed inanimate enough for me to take a closer look. From the dark depths of the maw came a peculiar smelling air, heavy around me with a distinct feeling of age. That's really the only way I can describe it. I tried to get into the maw but it seemed I could not get in - like something was preventing me.

Later that week, I was returning to Garlaige Citadel through Sauromugue Champaign to fight some more Hellmines. On my way, I spotted another Cavernous Maw (K-9 on the map)! This one was high atop a cliff and I knew the only way to get there was through the Citadel. I wasn't interested in that trek (banishing gates in the Citadel make solo travel there tough; as you need multiple people to open the gates). Instead, I turned back toward Jeuno and on a whim, went over to Rolanberry Fields.

It wasn't long until I found another Cavernous Maw there too (H-6 on the map)! I decided to dismount my Chocobo and investigate this one further, as I found a number of adventurers standing near it. After speaking with a few fellows who had looks of disbelief painted on their faces, I learned that some adventures had tried to look into the depths of the maw and a strong, swirling magic had pulled them in! As of my arrival, they had not yet returned from within the maw. The worried adventurers were too astonished and afraid to go looking themselves, so I decided I'd see if I could get in there too (well, you never know, it could be fun! ).

Continue reading "Cavernous Maws"

Little Bdg's Big Walk

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 23:24:00 -0600

My little friend Bdg decided it was time he visit Jeuno. I wholeheartedly agreed with him as I figured it would be a perfect way for me to have a buddy selling my stuff in Jeuno. There was only one complication with his idea... ...Bdg has no adventuring experience! That's right, he has no (zero, zip, zilch) experience. As a matter of fact, it's rare that he ever goes out of his mog house and he hasn't even ever been outside the Kingdom of San d'Oria! So naturally he asked my advice on how he should proceed.

I told him to buy a stack of Silent Oil and a stack of Prsim Powder and run as fast as he could from West Ronfaure, through La Theine Plateau, deep into Jugner Forest and across Batallia Downs until at last he would be safe on the Artisan Bridge. He asked me if I was serious and I said I most certainly was. He already had maps for all but Batallia Downs and once he got there all he had to do was head east and eventually he'd see the bridge.

Now, for a little Tarutaru, that's a really long way and Jugner, the dense dark forest, is a little daunting. Still, Bdg bravely said he'd try it and for that, I offered to give him the oil and the powder. He took the stacks of powder and oil from and I told him to go as far as he could in Ronfaure without using it - just in case he needed more than I'd anticipated.

The following is a transcript (in Bdg's own words) of his trek:

"West Ronfaure was a nice stroll, I really-weally enjoyed the tall trees and rolling hills. I saw a couple Goblins but I wasn'taru scared as I hid beneath some brushy-wushy grass.

La Theine is such a big place! I was able to run pretty far and notaru use any powder-wowder or oily-woily until I gotaru to the big cragy-wag. There were some Orcs there and I got scared so I wentaru invisi-wisible and really quietaru. Soon I got to the darky-warky Jugner Forestaru.

In the dark woods, I had to use powder-wowder and oily-woily the whole way. I saw panthers and too many Orcs. It was very-wery scary! I justaru ran and ran and ran until I got to Batallia Downs.

Batallia Downs is a beautiful open place with biggy-wig hills and I liked itaru. I still went invisi-wisible and quietaru though since I was still scared from Jugner! It didn't take long before I gotaru to the bridge to Jeuno and saw all the Adventarus selling their stuff. Jeuno is a busy place."

Well, now that Bdg's in Jeuno I'm going to start sending him some stuff to sell. Of course he'll get to keep some of the profits. I hope that little Taru's safe in the big city!

Kuftal Tunnel

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 23:58:02 -0600

I had a fun little adventure in Kuftal Tunnel the other day. My brother Sparkkplug and an old friend, Dimitri wanted to see if they could find a Notorious Monster named Devil Manta. Of course, this monster lives in the small ponds in the caves so who better to help them pull it up than a pro fisherman like myself.

I agreed to come and help felling that this would be a good opportunity to see if I could catch any cave cherax's; the legendary giant crustaceans. They are estimated to be a fish for fisherman around 100 skill and me at only 60 doubted I'd be able to catch any.

The journey to Kuftal wasn't too bad with the high-levels of Dimitri and Sparkkplug to take on any monsters we found. I kept some sneak oil on hand as the creatures in Kuftal tunnel could fairly easily make a meal of me even as a 53 Beastmaster!

I fished for some while they kept the tunnels clear of beasts and surprisingly, I was even able to catch three cave cherax's. They weren't nearly as hard as I'd expected. Unfortunately, I never did find the devil manta for the but I did pull a could other monsters that they quickly killed, yet had no real us for. In all I enjoyed the excursion and thought it was quite cool to fish up yet another legendary fish.

Den of Rancor

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:52:00 -0600

A few weeks back, the fishing guild's "catch-of-the-day" was zebra eel. I've never caught any zebra eel and wasn't sure where they could be found so I consulted my fisherman's almanac to see where these fish hang out.

It turns out that zebra eel are exclusively found in the Den of Rancor. Now, I've heard of the Den of Rancor but I've never had the chance to visit, so I decided a little adventure and travel was in order.

I elected to travel as a white mage and put on all my fishing gear. I knew I'd need sneak and invisible spells as I was entirely sure the Den of Rancor would be a wholly unsafe place for me to go. I mean, just listen to the name: Den of Rancor - it just sounds bad. Anyway, I was banking on a fishing area secluded enough to be away from any nasty monsters.

On arriving in Yhoator Jungle and entering the den, I felt like the place wouldn't be so bad. The caves were damp and musty but there was growth there and that's always a good sign. I continued on blindly (I have no map) looking for a place to fish. There were monsters there but they didn't seem too bad and I could easily get past them with my sneak and invisible spells. There were many small mandragora buds called "Puck" and while they seemed incredibly tough to me, I didn't think much of them. Of course, they could probably knock me out with one hit, but not if they couldn't see or hear me.

Finally, I heard water. I saw the glisten of a small cavern pond at the back of a tunnel. I was happy to think I'd found my fishing spot. Until I saw the four huge Den Scorpions crawling around the water's edge. Needless to say, I warped out of that place faster than you can say goodbye!

Some fishing is fun, other fishing is adventurous, but some fishing is downright dangerous! I guess the next time Fennella and the guild are looking for zebra eel, they can find someone else to pull them up. I'm staying clear of the Den of Rancor for a long time to come.

The Empire of Aht Urhgan

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 00:36:00 -0600

After my trip to Aht Urhgan was over, I stepped off the boat and into a completely foreign land! The Empire of Aht Urhgan.

This empire was nothing like the Kingdom of San d'Oria, the Republic of Bastok, or even the distant Federation of Windurst. This was a new place with new faces, new names, and new beastmen. What's more, this place seemed to be constantly under attack.

I walked through customs and sniffed the rich and spicy air. Things felt very different here. I wandered around Aht Urhgan Whitegate a while before I eventually found a residential area and rented a Mog House for the night.

The next day I explored Aht Urhgan Whitegate a little more. I found a map vendor who sold me a few maps of the town of Al Zahbi and the outlying areas. They were a bit pricey but not out of my reach. The vendor assured me that the maps didn't quite cover all of the large empire and that some places might not even have maps drawn up for them.

A little more wandering around town and I started chatting with some of the residents. I met a few interesting, a few strange, and a few very nice people. Before the day was over, I warped back top Jeuno determined to come back to this place. There was something here for me... ...I could feel it.

Oldton Movalpolos

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 15:24:00 -0600

On my latest fishing trip I visited a place I've never seen before: Oldton Movalpolos!

This strange place built underground is home to the Moblins, a race I've never had any interactions with. Actually, I'm rather glad I've never had any interactions with Moblins, as they are a rather disgusting race (even more so than Goblins). Their residence in Movalpolos on the other hand, is a very interesting place.

It looks like the Moblins are very efficient miners. Builders though, they are not. The whole place is a web of rickety wooden platforms built in the spaces of giant caves. Running along the platforms made me very nervous until I saw some of the huge beasts the platforms seem to be able to support.

As I ran around looking for a great place to fish, I came upon a Moblin Rodman. Figuring a fellow fisherman would be happy to show me where to fish, I asked him for directions. It seems he wasn't too happy with my inquiry as he grumbled some garbled growls, then slashed at me with his knife.
Continue reading "Oldton Movalpolos"

On the Manaclipper

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 21:02:00 -0600

I had a chance to ride on the Manaclipper in Bibiki Bay the other day. The sun and clear blue waters of Bibiki Bay are not to be missed. An adventurer could easily make a long vacation of enjoying Bibiki Bay and all of its scenery.

The Manaclipper has essentially three routes. Two of the routes are tours and the other takes you to and from Sunset Docks and Purgonorgo Isle. The tours take you around Dhalmel Rock and Maliyakaleya Reef and are round trips (start from Sunset Docks and end at Sunset Docks) and allow a nice ride before you set out for Purgonorgo Isle. The Dhalmel Rock tour is especially relaxing and while not as scenic as the Reef tour, you will have an opportunity to see some dolphins.

The Maliyakaleya Reef tour is gorgeous and blows away the Dhalmel Rock tour completely. The waters are such a crystal clear blue that you can see the reef below almost as clear as day. The fishing is also alot better on the reef tour as far as I'm concerned since there are a few Noble Ladies swimming around on that trip.

If you happen to be around the Buburimu Peninsula, stop by Bibiki Bay and take a ride on the Manaclipper. I don't think you'll regret the price of the ticket.

Spore Hollow

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 19:33:00 -0600

Some say being a Beastmaster is a lonely job. While it's true I solo alot, the solitude is nice and the greater benefit is that I get a chance to see places many adventurer's don't.

For instance, I spent alot of time recently in an area of Jugner Forest called Spore Hollow. The main entrance is in the middle of K-7 on the map. This is a place many adventurers haven't ever even heard of, much less seen - it's off the beaten path and off in its own little world.

The only creatures you find in Spore Hollow are Jugner Funguars. For me (level 24 Beastmaster) they range from easy prey to tough. It's a Beastmaster's heaven back there! No very tough or incredibly tough beastmen to watch-out for. No Jugner Tiger duos sneaking up to pounce on you (a personal irritant of mine in Jugner Forest). And best of all no other adventurers stealing your prey!

Last I checked, there were about eight to ten of those Funguars there and the only thing I had to worry about was them linking up against me or my pet. That is easily manageable though so, in general, Spore Hollow is probably one of the best places I've battled! I only wish I could find a place like it everywhere.

If you happen to check out Spore Hollow, stay around long enough to watch the giant sized mushrooms spew their spores - it is an awesome (and kind of disturbing) sight.

Happy exploring!

Carpenter's Landing

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Sat, 13 Aug 2005 17:30:00 -0600

I didn't realize it until just recently, but there is an entrance to Carpenter's Landing in North San d'Oria! It's right across from the Blacksmith's Guild (F-5 on the map). The wooden door leads to North Landing which is a nice place to battle beasts solo for any adventurer around level 19 or so. When I went there, I was already level 23 so I decided to venture out further.

I took the barge via the main waterway to Central Landing. The barge takes a long time and it lands fairly infrequently at the dock. When finally I saw one dock, I was told by the attendant that it was out-of-commission and if I could wait, another would be by shortly. Finally, another barge came and I bought a multi-ticket then boarded the wooden barge.
Continue reading "Carpenter's Landing"

The Sanctuary of Zi'Tah

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 20:09:00 -0600

I noticed on my Region Info map that San d'Oria was in control of the Li'Telor region. I haven't ever completed a supplies quest to that area so I decided it was time - before San d'Oria lost control of Li'Telor.

I grabbed some supplies from a Temple Knight and brought Drupa along for the ride. We were headed for the Sanctuary of Zi'Tah.

I've never been to Zi'Tah but I have heard it is a beautiful (yet dangerous) place. Until we arrived there, I could have never imagined how truly beautiful it was!

Drupa and I only spent enough time to get to the outpost and drop off supplies. As a level 39 White Mage, most of the Goblins around there were easy prey for me but there were alot of them and aggressiveness was a certainty. Drupa and I avoided the Goblins with use of Sneak and Invisible spells and made it to the outpost. After dropping off the supplies, we Warped back to San d'Oria.

I will dream of the Sanctuary of Zi'Tah tonight and will most certainly return there someday to bask in the majesty of that old growth forest.

Buburimu Peninsula

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Fri, 03 Jun 2005 23:50:00 -0600

I love getting a chance to explore new places! Every-time I take on a quest for someone, I find myself exploring new areas. The recent Bard quest Drupa and I did allowed me to see Buburimu Peninsula from whole different perspective!

The beach here looks very nice and the sand is so cool to the touch. There are a few leeches around but they don't seem to bother you if you don't bother them.

I'll come back here someday to fish and relax. For now though, I got a hundred things to do and not enough time to do it.

Ocean Spray

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Mon, 16 May 2005 19:45:00 -0600

I used to hate Qufim Isle for its cold, unforgiving climate. Surprisingly though, my recent quest for night flowers afforded me an opportunity to see Qufim from a different angle - near the beach at the bottom of the cliffs!

Not only were the night flowers themselves radiant and beautiful, but the cold ocean and distant islands also radiated a quite, peaceful feeling. True, the frigid waters are no place you'd want to be (especially at night) but the luminous sky playing on the ocean spray is a thought provoking sight.

I'm glad I got to see Qufim Isle in a different way. I makes me think the place isn't so bad after all. Nature seems to paint its beauty most radiantly in the harshest of places.

I still don't like Beaucedine Glacier though.

Hardships of Travel

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Sat, 14 May 2005 13:59:00 -0600

I love to travel but I hate the hardships of traveling. One of those hardships is dealing with places that I don't own maps for. Unfortunately my recent quest for the Teleport-Mea scroll took me through Ranguemont Pass and Beaucedine Glacier on my way to Batallia Downs.

These two places are both dangerous and inclimate and I must say I'd rather not go back for a long time. Ranguemont Pass was not so bad (especially with Sneak and Invisible cast on me). I didn't have too hard of a time navigating the tunnels past the Floating Eyes and on to Beaucedine Glacier. The Glacier on the other hand, is a whole different story.

As soon as I crossed into Beaucedine, I walked right into a frigid blizzard! >:-o It was downright miserable. I spent a long time trying to find the route down to the lower areas and over to Batallia Downs. There were Goblins and Tundra Tigers everywhere and even the Goblins had Tigers as pets! =-O Sneak and Invisible kept me safe but the journey was still arduous.

I'm happy to have made it through these places with my life and I feel better for having done so. I just hope that nothing in my future leads my through these lands again anytime soon. I would rather go through at a higher level, with maps, and with a far warmer set of armor.

Zegham Hill

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Tue, 26 Apr 2005 17:35:00 -0600

Have you ever been to the top of Zegham Hill in North Gustaberg? It's definitely worth a trip if you haven't been before. As you ascend the hill via the narrow paths, be sure to watch out for Goblins! If you are there at night, watch out for the Black Wolves too.

Once you reach the top, you'll get to see a monument erected in the honor of the Palborough Pioneers! It's a very old landmark and one that more Bastokan's (and others in Vana'diel) should definitely take time to see!

Also, while you're up there, stop at the graveyard nearby. The headstones are old and weathered but the spirits of those they remember are forever strong. Stop for a moment in silence to honor the dead.

Both the monument and graveyard are only two of Bastok's quieter attractions and can be found at the top of Zegham Hill in North Gustaberg (J-7 on the map).

Bah Jeuno

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Sat, 09 Apr 2005 00:59:45 -0600

The more I'm in the Duchy of Jeuno, the less I like the Duchy of Jeuno. I just can't see the appeal of that city!

Everything there is expensive and their taxes are exorbitant. The auction house tax is highway robbery and they even tax adventurer's bazaars; taking a cut of everyone's profits.

There are way too many people. Just trying to get from Upper Jeuno to Lower Jeuno or, Altana forbid, trying to get into the Residential Area is an eternal pain due to all the people in the thoroughfare! >:-o I can't go fives steps without an elbow or a bump. I have to watch my bag at all times for fear a Thief's hands will slip into it. I feel truly sorry for the poor Tarutaru. I'd bet a few of them have even been trampled to death just trying to commute! =-O

There isn't a good place to fish. Some will argue that you can fish at the Airship docks in Port Jeuno, but that is not a good place to fish. You must have at least a Kazham airship pass and then you also have to pay at least 200 gil to enter. That's not the good, relaxing, cheap kind of fishing I like!

There must be something good about Jeuno, but I swear I haven't found it. I try to keep an open mind, waiting to see the beauty in the Duchy of Jeuno, but it has not yet revealed itself to me. If I ever do see it, I'll let you know, but I wouldn't bet on seeing it soon.