Title: Final Fantasy XI: Rise of the Zilart Missions Guide Author: charjer0 E-mail: charjer@gmail.com Version: 1.0 Date: December 11, 2007 ======== Contents ======== A Brief Explanation of My Guide Prerequisites Can I Skip Any Missions? Why Would I Want to Complete Missions? A Note on Posisions Terms A Word on Maps The Missions Credits Copyright and Other Stuff =============================== A Brief Explanation of My Guide =============================== I've written this to be a guide, not a walkthru. I won't tell you that you need a certain job to complete this mission or what kind of tactics you should be doing. This is an online game and everyone has their own unique play style. Instead, I'll be ambiguous by saying things like, "It's recommended you have at least a tank, a healer, and some damage dealers." I'll also omit on how to get to certain areas, such as Ro'Maeve, as you should know how to get there as you progress in levels. You've probably already been there in an experience party. ============= Prerequisites ============= To progress to the next mission, you need to complete the one you are currently on. To start the first mission, you'll need to be at a minimum of rank six in any of the three starting nations (Bastok, San d'Oria, and Windurst). You'll also need the Rise of the Zilart expansion installed and registered as well. ======================== Can I Skip Any Missions? ======================== The answer, simply put, is no. Unlike certain nation missions, Rise of the Zilart missions cannot be skipped. Unlike the nation missions, these missions are part of an expansion pack that has its own unique story and any skippable missions would destroy the "links" in each "chapter," so to speak. ====================================== Why Would I Want to Complete Missions? ====================================== A lot of people who play Final Fantasy games or RPGs in general do so for the story. And that's what Rise of the Zilart is trying to give here: a story. That, and the good feeling of killing something that's been blocking your story progression. If playing Final Fantasy XI for the story isn't what you're looking for, then you're probably better off playing World of Warcraft or Guild Wars. =================== A Note on Positions =================== Throughout my guide, I'll be using coordinates, such as G-7 or L-2. These coordinates refer to your position on your map. You can check your position by typing or by looking at your map by using the /map command. Note that if you have no map for the current area you're in, it will simply display a map page with "No Map" in capital letters across the center. Your position will still appear in the upper left area of the map. ===== Terms ===== Here's a brief explanation of some game terms I'll be using in this guide. Aggro: A monster that will attack you while you either stand, sit, heal, or cast magic close enough in front of it. Buff: Casting spells that are beneficial to the party, such as protect, shell, and haste. Damage Dealer: Any job that can dish out the damage. Jobs sought out as damage dealers are ninjas, samurais, dark knights, thieves, black mages, red mages, warriors, monks, and beastmasters, but it can pretty much include any job depending on what type of partying you'll be doing (i.e. skill up party, experience party, etc.) Healer: Any mage type character that usually will cast only healing spells. Jobs most sought out as healers are white mages and red mages but can also include bards and black mages. Invisible: A spell that makes you invisible. Usable by red mages and white mages at level 25. Usable by any level 50 job with a sub job of red mage or white mage at a minimum of level 25. NPC: It stands for non-playable character. You'll find many of these around towns and some outdoor/dungeon areas. Their names are in green when you target them. Sky: As opposed to "the thing we see when we look up," this refers to the region of Vana'diel known as Tu'Lia. It is made up of many floating islands with one large mass in the middle with many smaller islands surrounding it. Sleeper: Any mage type character that will usually focus on keeping all the monsters slept. Jobs most sought out as sleepers are black mages, red mages, and bards but can also include white mages. Also, some damage dealing type characters can also sleep monsters using the appropriate weapons such as thieves, samurais, dark knights, and rangers. Sneak: A spell that removes the sound you make while running. Usable by red mages and white mages at level 20. Usable by any level 40 job with a sub job of red mage or white mage at a minimum of 20. Tank: Your meat shield, or the person taking all the monster's hate. Jobs most sought out as tanks are paladins and ninjas but can also include warriors, thieves, and red mages (usually with ninja as a sub job). True Sight: An ability that a monster has that allows it to aggro you despite having invisible up. True Sound: An ability that a monster has that allows it to aggro you despite having sneak up. Zone: Each area is called a zone. When you change from one area to another, it's called zoning. ============== A Word on Maps ============== I will assume that you already know where all these locations, what connects to what, and so forth. However, if you do find yourself needing a map and you do not possess a certain one, you can go to http://www.ffxi-atlas.com for them. ============ The Missions ============ Mission Name: The New Frontier Minimum Level Recommended: 50 Mission Orders: Vana'diel is expanding day by day. What adventures await you in the Outlands? What to do: Once you are rank six in any of the starting nations, enter Norg for a cutscene. Reward: Map of Norg (Key item) Mission Name: Welcome t'Norg Minimum Level Recommended: 50 Mission Orders: Lion has someone she wants you to meet. She will be waiting for you at the room at the end of the hallway on the second floor of Norg. What to do: Head to Gilgamesh's quarters to view a cutscene. It's up the stairs and all the way to the end of the hall. Reward: None Mission Name: Kazham's Chieftainness Minimum Level Recommended: 50 Mission Orders: Before you travel to the Temple of Uggalepih, you are to meet with the Kazham chieftainness, Jakoh Wahcondalo. What to do: Head for Jakoh Wahcondalo's residence and speak with her for a cutscene. Reward: Sacrificial Chamber Key (key item) Mission Name: The Temple of Uggalepih Minimum Level Recommended: 65 Mission orders: The Temple of uggalepih is an ancient place where it is said that evil deities were once worshipped. Gilgamesh has ordered you to travel there and search out a strange, old hermit. What to do: You'll need to fight three Tonberries to compolete this mission. But before you do, you'll need to make some preparations. You'll need a paintbrush (key item). If you don't have one, you'll need to get one or find someone who already has one. You'll also need four unlit lanterns which drop from Tonberry Maledictors. You can do it with one unlit lantern. Four just makes the process faster. You also don't need a full party to do this fight. I did it in a party of four and others have done it with as little as two. I do recommend getting someone that can tank and someone who can sleep/cure. Once you're all set with your items and party, enter the Temple of Uggalepih via the J-12 entrance in Yhoator Jungle. If you're lower than level 70, you'll need invisible for the entire trip through the temple. Follow the right wall (point of view from zoning in) back out to Yhoator Jungle. From there, follow the left wall back into the temple. Follow the right wall again to a wooden gate. If you have someone high leveled or if you are, open the gate or have the jigh leveled person do it to let everyone through. Once on the other side, head south to a T-intersection and head east. You'll find a temple guardian (doll monster) guarding a door that's magically sealed. It opens when you kill the temple guardian, so go ahead and take care of business. Be careful about casting magic in this area because the NM Manipulator walks around on the other side of the door and it aggroes to magic casting. Once through the door, head to the northeast hall and follow it to a 'secret door.' Go through and have everyone go to the northeast part of the room while the person with the paintbrush examines the middle painting on the eastern wall to open the secret panel. To open the secret panel, examine the painting and when that little arrow thing appears that means there's more coming in the chat log, wait 30 seconds then hit enter. If you hit enter too early, you'll have to do it over again. Once the door opens, head through and zone into the Den of Rancor. Here, you'll need sneak for bats and invisible for bombs and tonberries. From where you zoned in, follow the right wall to find an altar of rancor. You may need to kill everything around it to avoid people getting aggroed. Once everything is dead, have everyone with an unlit lantern trade it to the altar of rancor to receive a rancor flame. Now, head back to the zone, but instead of running back and zoning into the Temple of Uggalepih, go past it following the left wall to another tunnel. Once in the tunnel, follow the right wall and you'll be on a different map once you reach the bottom. Keep following the right wall and you'll come to an area that has four large apparatuses and a wooden gate. You may need to kill everything in the area to make it easier to approach the apparatuses. Once they're dead, or if you're sneaky enough, have each person with a rancor flame to up to a different pillar and trade the flame to it to light it. Once all four are lit, the wooden gate will open. Go through to zone into the Sacrificial Chamber. Take this chance to rest and buff up. Once everyone's ready, examine the gate to enter the fight. You'll be facing three Tonberries: a thief, a black mage, and a summoner. Defeat them in that order. I recommend an elemental seal sleepga II at the start. The first one you fight will be the one that won't be put to sleep, which is the thief. Be careful of the summoner's astral flow. If possible, try to keep the avatar slept at all times. Once all three are defeated, you'll view a cutscene. Reward: Dark fragment (key item) Mission Name: Headstone Pilgrimage Minimum Level Recommended: 65 Mission Orders: Somewhere on the island of Zepwell lie the remains of an ancient temple. What to do: You'll need to go around the world and collect seven different colored fragments. Be sure to bring prism powders and silent oil as needed as most of the places you'll be travelling will have magic aggro. The dark fragment was given to you at the end of the last mission. For the last four, you'll be fighting spawned monsters. Here are the locations of the other seven: La Theine Plateau: G-11, accessible only by going through Ordelle's Caves. From the main entrance in F-7 of La Theine Plateau, head down to I-6, which should bring you to the second map. Make your way to H-12 and fall down the hole. You'll find yourself on the second map again, but on a raised ledge. Head through the tunnel on the eastern side and you'll find yourself on the third map after ascending those stairs. The zone back out to La Theine Plateau is at G-10 of this map. Follow the ravine to the end and examine the headstone to get the wind fragment. Cloister of Frost: There are two ways to get to this one. The easiest way is to have the level 20 summoner quest available in which you have the mini-tuning fork of ice. Otherwise, head to Beaucedine Glacier and enter Fei'Yin. From the entrance, make your way to G-9, which takes you to the lower map. Then head over to I-5, which zones you into the Cloister of Frost. The headstone is on the opposite side of the crystal. Examine it to get the ice fragment. Western Altepa Desert: You'll need to travel through the Quicksand Caves to get to this one. Rent a chocobo in Rabao and head to J-9 in Western Altepa Desert and enter the Quicksand Caves. From the entrance, follow the right wall and you'll eventually come to some quicksand. Stand on it to fall through, then follow the path and zone back out to Western Altepa Desert. You'll find the headstone in H-9. Examine it to get the earth fragment. Cape Terrigan: There are two way to get here. If you have done the supplies quest for the Vollbow region, you can take the outpost warp there. Otherwise, you'll need a Teleport-Altep and travel through Western Altepa Desert and zone into Kuftal Tunnel. For Kuftal Tunnel, you'll need sneak the entire way. You may need invisible if the NM Guivre is up. Head north to zone out to Cape Terrigan. Make your way to G-5. Note that this area is not marked on the map. Clear the area of monsters and examine the headstone to spawn a shadow type monster. Once it's defeated, examine the headstone to get the wind fragment. Sanctuary of Zi'tah: Make your way to J-9 to a tunnel not marked on the map. From there, head to I-7 where you'll find the headstone. Examine it when you're ready to spawn an NM undead toad. Examine the headstone again once it's dead to get the light fragment. Behemoth's Dominion: From the entry area, make your way to G-9 where you'll find the headstone. When everyone's ready, examine the headstone and two NM weapons will pop. After they're dead, examine the headstone again to get the lightning fragment. Yuhtunga Jungle: I saved the most difficult for last. I suggest stocking up on some ice clusters, prism powders, and silent oils. Rent a chocobo from Kazham and head over to the G-5 entrance in Yhoator Jungle to Ifrit's Cauldron. Head to H-8 from the entry and you'll be on another map. Follow the left wall from here and that will bring you to C-12 and another map. Make your way to H-7 where you'll find a flame spout. You can either way for it to go out or you can trade an ice cluster to it, thus putting out the flame for a good five seconds. Whatever you choose to do, once you're past it, follow the path to J-7/8 and you'll be on another map yet again. Follow the left wall to E-7 to get to the next map. Keep on following the left wall again to G-6 to the last map you'll need to go through in Ifrit's Cauldron. Follow the one way path here to I-8 where you'll find another of those flame spouts. Once past it, your next task is to make it through the large chamber where the HNM ash dragon is lurking. Be warned that it has true sound during the night hours (18:00- 05:59). After getting past the ash dragon, you'll find another flame spout at E-7. Past it is the zone out to Yuhtunga Jungle. The headstone is in K-6 behind one of the waterfalls. Once everyone is ready, examine the headstone to spawn two NM opo-opos. Once they're dead, examine the headstone to get the fire fragment. Note that for the headstones that spawn NMs that you only need to fight them once for everyone that is on the mission. There is also an easier way for a big group to get to the headstone in Yuhtunga Jungle. Have someone with tractor go through Ifrit's Cauldron while everyone else waits around the ledge in Yuhtunga Jungle. Once the person makes it through, have everyone die and tractor them up and raise them all. Of course, it's more fair to have everyone run through, but if you're dealing with newbies, it might be easier doing it this way. Reward: Light fragment, Earth fragment, Wind fragment, Ice fragment, Fire fragment, Water fragment, Light fragment (key items) Mission Name: Through the Quicksand Caves Minimum Level Recommended: 65 Mission Orders: You must hurry to Zepwell Island's ancient temple. What to do: You'll want to put together a party for this one. If the group that did the last mission is still together, you should be good to go. It's recommended to have a tank of some sort, a healer, a sleeper, and some damage dealers for this fight. You'll be going up against three anticans. Be sure that any magic casters bring some echo drops. Rent a chocobo from Rabao (or run if you're high enough not to get aggro) and make your way to C-11 in Western Altepa Desert. This is the entrance of an unmarked tunnel on the map. Take the D-12 entrance to Quicksand Caves. You'll need sneak for the whole trip in here. Follow the left wall from the entrance to I-9 where you'll find a large pressure plate. To activate it, have one galka, two humes/elvaans/mithras, or three tarutarus stand on it to open the door. Follow the left wall again and you'll find another pressure plate at H-7. Activate it and go through the door and fall down the hole to the lower level. Follow the left wall again to the Chamber of Oracles. Buff up and once everyone is ready, enter the fight. Defeat the anticans in this order: BLM, PLD, and RNG. They will each use their two hours. Reward: None Mission Name: The Chamber of Oracles Minimum Level Recommended: 65 Mission Orders: The Chamber of Oracles is said to be located in the deepest area of the Quicksand Caves. What to do: You'll be in a different area of the Chamber of Oracles. Examine each of the eight machines. After the eighth one is examined, you'll view a cutscene. Reward: Prismatic fragment (key item) Mission Name: Return to Delkfutt's Tower Minimum Level Recommended: 70 Mission Orders: Hurry to Delkfutt's Tower and stop the Zilartian princes from completing their plan to open the Gate of the Gods. What to do: If you still have your Delkfutt's key from completing the starting nations mission 3-3, then you'll only have to climb the last few floors to get to your destination. Otherwise, you'll have to trek up twelve floors to get up to the Stellar Fulcrum. For the eleventh and twelfth floors, you'll need both sneak and invisible. For the upcoming fight, you'll probably want a tank, a healer, a back up healer, and some damage dealers. If you remember the ending part of starting nations mission 3-3 (and by starting nations mission 3-3, I mission Bastok/San d'Oria/Windurst mission 3-3, where you had to rescue your embassy's ambassador from Delkfutt's Tower), that's the way we're going, if you still have your Delkfutt's key. On the first floor, head to E-8 and trade the key to the door to go through. Then head to J-8 and examine this door in order to get through. Head straight in and you'll find a ??? spot. Examine it and it will take you up to the tenth floor on top of the elevator. From the elevator, head to F-10 and head up to the eleventh floor. Make your way to I-7 and you'll reach the twelfth floor. In F-10 you'll find a teleporter that takes you up to the Stellar Fulcrum. Once you're buffed up and everyone's ready, enter the fight. Beware of dispelga and the hate reset move that he does. Also, he has a really hard hitting light attack. I won't mention who you'll be fighting so as not to give any spoilers. Once he's defeated, you'll view a cutscene. Then make your way to the Tenshodo Headquarters and talk to Aldo for another cutscene. Mission Name: Ro'Maeve Minimum Level Recommended: 70 Mission Orders: The Gate of the Gods, Tu'Lia, has been restored by Eald'narche. What do his words "Ro'Maeve" and "blessed by the light" mean? What is Lion's next move? What to do: Head to Norg and examine the door to Gilgamesh's quarters for a cutscene. Reward: None Mission Name: The Temple of Desolation Minimum Level Recommended: 70 Mission Orders: On the northernmost point of Mindartia and deep within the wilderness known as the Sanctuary of Zi'Tah lies a body of ruins feared by many. Ro'Maeve, the Temple of Desolation. What to do: For this trip, be sure you at least have some silent oil. Monsters in the area you'll be going through aggro to sound and magic casting. Enter Ro'Maeve and head to the Hall of Gods. Once there, head all the way to the end and examine the cermet gate. Reward: None Mission Name: The Hall of the Gods Minimum Level Recommended: 70 Mission Orders: A strange grate prohibits you from journeying into the Hall of the Gods. The depression in the center may be the key to getting through. You should probably report this find to Gilgamesh. What to do: Head to Norg and talk to Gilgamesh. Reward: None Mission Name: The Mithra and the Crystal Minimum Level Recommended: 70 Mission Orders: According to Gilgamesh, a Mithra carrying a mysterious crystal she found in Zi'Tah was recently in Norg. Her name was Mary or Maroo or Maree... What to do: Head to Rabao and speak to Maryoh Comyuja in G-7. Next, rent a chocobo or run out to the D-12 Quicksand Caves entrance in Western Altepa Desert. From the entrance, follow the right wall to a pressure plate in K-8. You'll need one galka, two humes/ elvaans/mithras, or three tarutarus to stand on the plate to open the nearby door. Once it's open, go through and you'll be on a different map. Make your way to G-8 to another pressure plate and open up the next door. Once through, fall down the ledge at the end of the path. Kill any monsters you find down here and search around for a ??? point. When you find it, buff up, rest, and when you're ready, examine it to spawn an NM pot. Once it's dead, examine the ??? again for a scrap of papyrus (key item). Now head back to Rabao and talk to Maryoh Comyuja again. Reward: Cerulean crystal (key item) Mission Name: The Gate of the Gods Minimum Level Recommended: 70 Mission Orders: The path to Tu'Lia has opened! What to do: Head back to the Hall of Gods and examine the cermet gate again. Once past it, head all the way to the end of the path and examine the shimmerling light for a cutscene. Reward: Sky access Mission Name: Ark Angels Minimum Level Recommended: 70 Mission Orders: Apathy, arrogance, cowardice, envy, rage--the darkness that lurks within us all. What to do: Your next fight (or fights, depending on what you do) will up against perhaps the most difficult things you've encountered yet. Your foes this time will be what are called ark angels. There are five of these bad boys and they do not mess around. You may have noticed them in an earlier cutscene. These guys have a main job and a sub job, just like you. Unlike you, they are able to use both their main job and sub job's two hour ability. Here's a run down of what they're called and what their jobs are: Ark Angel TT is a BLM/DRK; Ark Angel MR is a THF/BST; Ark Angel HM is a NIN/WAR; Ark Angel EV is a PLD/WHM (yeah, Invicible and Benediction); Ark Angel GK is a DRG/SAM. Dangerous combinations when you give them the ability to use the two hour of the sub job, too. There's two ways to go about this mission. You can either fight them one on one by teleporting to their seperate islands in Ru'Aun Gardens or you can choose to open up the quest titled Divine Might wherein you will be allowed up to 18 people (3 full parties) but must fight all five at once. The path you choose in defeating them is yours. I will say this about Divine Might: if you choose to do this quest with Ark Angels open, it will count as a mission completion if you do successfully complete the quest as it gives you the five key items that you would normally get if you did the mission and defeated them one at a time. Again, I will not give out strategies because everyone has their own play style and sometimes you can't win by regular means. Reward: Shard of apathy, Shard of arrogance, Shard of cowardice, Shard of envy, Shard of rage (key items) Mission Name: The Sealed Shrine Minimum Level Recommended: 70 Mission Orders: The door dep within the Shrine of Ru'Auvitau is sealed with some form of supernatural power. Could this be the work of Eald'narche? What to do: Enter the main entrance of the Shrine of Ru'Auvitau for a cutscene. Then head to Norg and speak to Gilgamesh, then run all the way back to the main entrance of the Shrine of Ru'Auvitau for another cutscene. Reward: None Mission Name: The Celestia Nexus Minimum Level Recommended: 70 Mission Orders: The fate of Vana'diel awaits you in the Celestial Nexus! What to do: You're coming upon the final battle for the Rise of the Zilart missions. Get together your party, which I recommend having a tank, a healer with erase, a back up healer, and damage dealers. Be sure to also bring along some prism powders and silent oil as needed. Having your tank as a ninja or something subbing ninja with your melee also subbing ninja will be beneficial. You may also want to search for some ranged attackers for your damage dealers. Make your way to the I-6 entrance of the Shrine of Ru'Auvitau in Ru'Aun Gardens. Some of the groundskeepers here will actually aggro you, but these will only be the ones in the little hollowed out sections of the walls you pass by and they'll only aggro if you get too close to them. You may need to have someone go into the main entrance to activate a monolith. There are two of them, each with a different color and they open doors of the corresponding color while the door with the other color becomes closed. Be sure to apply sneak for detectors (they look like floating orbs) and weapons and invisible for the golems. Once you've zoned in at the I-6 entrance, follow the right wall until you reach the room in H-7. Take the south path and you'll arrive in a hallway that goes around and forms a kind of squarish shape. Head to H-9 where you'll find some stairs that go down. Take them down and follow the path at the bottom and you'll zone into the Celestial Nexus. This fight will be in two parts. In the first part of this fight, you'll find your opponent with technically two forms. I say technically because he's protected by armor, so attacking him with his armor in tact will be for naught because he is invulnerable at this point. There will also be two orbitals casting high level magic. Have your nukers or ranged attackers focus on these while your tank and melee focus on taking out the armor. The attacks by the armor can be absorbed by utsusemi. Once the armor's down, go ahead and attack him. After his HP is depleted, the battle will stop momentarily for you to view a cutscene and you'll be immediately thrown into the second portion of the fight. In this second part, he'll teleport all over the place and pelt you with ancient magic with fast cast. Just try to keep up with healing and basically go all out. Once he's defeated, you'll view a cutscene. To finish up some of the story, head to Norg and speak to Gilgamesh, then head to the Tenshodo Headquarters and speak to Aldo. Reward: None ======= Credits ======= Square Enix, for developing the game. GameFAQs, for posting this list. Everyone online who has been gracious enough to help me see the story progress. ========================= Copyright and Other Stuff ========================= Final Fantasy XI: Rise of the Zilart Missions Guide (c) 2007 by charjer0. Final Fantasy XI: Rise of the Zilart (c) 2003-2004 by Square Enix Co., Ltd. Disclaimer: This List shall not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the creator.