Excerpt from ‘The history of Thanalan, from Belah’dia to Ul’dah’ by Archon Niniri Niri. After the reclamation of Halatali by a number of adventurers for Ul'dah, it underwent a period of restoration that allowed it to begin function as a training hall for the gladiators of the Bloodsands once more. Again, the halls of the ancient cave complex rang with the clangor of combat. Halatali has since also begun to hold public events, acting as a secondary arena to the Bloodsands and hosting the grand finale of the Mythril Cup. The Hall of the Provocatores The initial hall of Halatali had received considerable restoration, with discarded weapons gathered up, furnishings restored, banners hung and lighting fixed. During the period in … [Read more...]
The Bestiary of Copperbell Mines (Hard)
Chalcopyrite Coblyn Taxonomy: Soulkin (Coblyn) Description: What exactly a coblyn is differs depending on who you ask. In Gridania the theory is that coblyn are beastkin who graft mineral to their flesh in order to gain a measure of armament. In Ul’dah, the prevailing thought is that they are instead true soulkin, ore that has taken on sentience and the ability to walk in order to propagate… somehow. The Ul’dahn theory is increasingly the one accepted as fact within the halls of Sharlayan. These ones are evidently spawned from the ore that can be found throughout the Mines. Etymology Notes: Chalcopyrite is a copper-iron ore that is the primary ore used in copper mining, fittingly found in the copper mines at … [Read more...]
The Copperbell Mines (Hard) – A Vengeance Thwarted
Excerpt from ‘The history of Thanalan, from Belah’dia to Ul’dah by Archon Niniri Niri. After intervention by adventurers in the employ of Amajina & Sons Mineral Concern and the destruction of the Hecatoncheires, the Concern sent miners back into the tunnels in hopes of exploiting the mineral wealth of the region once again. A crew of surveyors leading the party discovered the incompletion of the Mines' cleansing however when they were confronted by a tide of the gigants, as vengeful and deadly as ever. The Concern did later sue for damages with the Adventurer's Guild for the incomplete nature of the first purge, although the Order of Nald'thal decided to apportion the burden of the crisis across both parties equally. Shaft … [Read more...]
The Bestiary of Cutters Cry
The Myrmidons Taxonomy: Vilekin (Antling) Description: Antlings are common creatures in the deserts of Aldenard and are in almost every way simply enormous ants. Their 'societies' are divided in twain, between a worker and soldier caste. A number of variants of these creatures are native to the Cry, first and foremost being the sentries. Members of the soldier caste, these creatures seem to have acted as guardians for the sensitive parts of the nest deeper within. The adventurers who cleared the Cry also reported the presence of a princess deeper within. A princess arises in a rare birth, at which point the queen will take half of the colony and depart, allowing the princess to flower into a queen in their own right. Nearby … [Read more...]
Cutter’s Cry – Grave of the Darklight
Excerpt from ‘The history of Thanalan, from Belah’dia to Ul’dah’ by Archon Niniri Niri. Cutters Cry is one of the most dangerous locations in Thanalan, if not all of Aldenard. A simple shaded cave to an inexperienced observer, the depths of the cave are both immense, labyrinthine and filled to the brim with extraordinarily dangerous wildlife. Not long before the Seventh Umbral Calamity struck the world a famed group of adventurers resolved to empty the Cry of its ferocious inhabitants. The legendary Gerbald the Red led the Darklight Raiders into the caves, and these veteran warriors made good progress through the Cry before coming to a terror forgotten by history, a chimera of ancient Allag. All but one raider was slain, the sole … [Read more...]
The Armory of the Sunken Temple of Qarn
From the archeological notebook of Archon Niniri Niri. Weaponry: The Flametongue: This sword found within Qarn is fairly standard in its structure, and appears to be a bastard sword, a blade that combines the balance and versatility of a longsword with the heft and length of a greatsword. The name flametongue is an expected one, as Azeyma herself is a deity of flame, and so this blade was likely used by one of her followers, likely a guardian of her temple. Etymology Notes: Flametongue is a common name for swords that boast a measure of flame magic across fantasy, from the wider Final Fantasy franchise to Dungeons & Dragons. The Boar's Bane: A common bardiche in structure, these axes were invented by Elezen tribes … [Read more...]
The Bestiary of the Sunken Temple of Qarn
Temple Bat Taxonomy: Cloudkin (Bat) Description: Bats reside within the dark places of the world, roosting in caves and other secluded locales. It is common knowledge that they are nocturnal creatures, but more dedicated research by the scholars of the realm has uncovered that they are capable of feats of extremely keen hearing and a technique called echolocation. Although most bats feed on insects and fruit, folklore has long held that some of them instead feed on blood. These specimens have obviously made their roost in ruins of the temple. Capabilities: Much to the chagrin of this author, it was discovered by the research team that these particular bats are fully capable of the blood-draining abilities ascribed to … [Read more...]
The Sunken Temple of Qarn – Belah’dia’s Grave
Excerpt from ‘The history of Thanalan, from Belah’dia to Ul’dah' by Archon Niniri Niri. One of the most impressive ruins of the early Sixth Astral Era, Qarn is any archeologist or historian's dream, and so this author felt extremely grateful to get the chance to poke around after it was cleared by adventurers. Qarn was a temple of Azeyma, goddess of the sun, built by Sultan Tatamefu II of Belah'dia that remained important to members of the Sultanate in the years since. The temple was undergoing a series of expansions underground, presided over by Sultan Lalafuto IV before internal strife and monetary issues forced their cancellation, followed soon after by the fall of Belah'dia. The ancient kingdom fell to a massive civil war waged … [Read more...]
The Bestiary of Halatali
Doctore Taxonomy: Soulkin (Dullahan) Description: Golems of arcane origin, dullahan such as these doctore are suits of animated plate armor. Opinions on the origin of the dullahan vary, from magical creations to ghostly possessed armor. The general scholarly opinion seems to lean towards the former, however. The name doctore is adopted from the entities' roles as gladiatorial trainers. Capabilities: According to reports given by the maintainers of the complex, the doctore were capable of using a number of terribly destructive techniques including a wide sweep named the 'iron justice' and a magical empowerment of their physical ability named the 'king's will' which might reference a form of patronage by the … [Read more...]
Halatali – Rusted Gore and Glory
Excerpt from ‘The history of Thanalan, from Belah’dia to Ul’dah' by Archon Niniri Niri. Halatali is a more ancient and revered site than the vast majority of those who attend fights facilitated by it on the Bloodsands would ever know. Piecing together what few records survive with folklore and archaeological evidence has revealed that Halatali was a system of naturally-occurring caves that were found by Lalafell who escaped the terror of the fall of Mhach. They settled here, naming it Halatali, which translates to 'the land of a thousand shadows' in honor of its role in protecting them from Thanalan's baleful sun, and would later go on to found Belah'dia. This status persisted until later in the life of Belah'dia's successor, … [Read more...]
