Another FFXIV IC Journal.(Eternal Shadows On Faerie.)

So we got yelled at for destroyed food stuff for the party and faced the veggie crew. By we I mean Hildibrand and I. And by Hildibrand and I...I mean just me.

I guess you'd say that Hildibrand often times finds himself buried in his work.

Puns aside we were pretty close to having our thief but they just narrowly slipped away and...well surely we'll have them next time.

We gotta hurry though because the Lapis Maiden is nearly here.

Right, the bombs, the bombs for Briardien, the bombs left to especially kill Briardien, Briardien's bombs. I don't think the blessing of light can protect me from Nashu's delights. So it's better to just....not get caught by them. Luckily Briardien survives his close brush with a fiery demise and we learn that the Inspector is actually pretty level-headed.

Briardien claims he's just a flat skulled nitwit but we all know he's just that good.

Unfortunately, this bit of comedy cost a lot of food and now I got to hunt down for more...dealing with some semi-sentient veggies playing at anarchist rebels.

Right, so engagement feast, banquet, party, thing....yeah we're all crashing for the little bacon wrapped weenies on toothpicks...right? RIGHT?! Phantom thief? What phan- OH THAT ONE RIGHT THIS IS THE HILDIBRAND QUESTLINE JOURNAL! Uh....so yeah...um...a dye and a head piece does not a flawless disguise make. But gotta give the inspector points for effort. Was really...blending in with those brass blades. Or the sods are too drunk to notice the odd man out.

Or it's just funnier that it works on almost anyone except the straight man in this comedy routine. Probably drunken brass blades. But the interesting analysis of comedy and Inspector Hildibrand is not what brings us to Costa Del Sol, it's the potential for catching a thief who is after the Lapis Maiden's virtue.

But don't worry, surely the inspectors shall put this case to rest before anything terrible happens! Or at least until I get this cook to give me their recipe for some of this food. Top stuff.

Okay so to start off let's be honest, the music for this battle is great. I say despite the fact that...I still don't understand where the music in battles come from. Look after being in this world for....

...

...Wow, I don't know how long it's been since I have been in this game and actually I don't know how long this vacation has been. It honestly feels like forever though. Maybe...maybe I should check in?

Ah, so we learned that Greg is our thieving duelist in red. I mean obviously. However we beat him and we brought the treaty blade back to lady Dulia....only for it to turn out that we'd been duped by the true phantom thief. Who left their calling card...right in the forehead of Inspector Briardien. The fiends next target. The Lapis Maiden's virtue!

Will our Hero Hildibrand be able to put a stop to this scheme, will Greg ever find the legendary sword, will we ever figure out the true identity of that mysterious shadowy person?

Tune in next time on Gentleman Inspector Hildibrand!

So searching for the priceless vase we found it all in pieces. Thus Hildibrand brought us to meet a craftsman of unparalleled skill. That man is his father. Godbert is a pinnacle of craftsmanship and strength. If Godbert was the Warrior of Light instead of me... I would both fear and be relieved because he would just hit everything with a hammer or suplex it out of existence. Hell, the Empire would probably just give up after watching the man suplex their secret weapons or turning it into a golden lawn decoration.

Why isn't he the warrior of light, Hydaelin? He would be a better choice than I!

Meh, there's probably a reason that I don't understand. One flaw for the prodigal craftsman is his propensity to take things to the next level. Lady Dulia was not happy about it at all until she learned that it was a remastering by Godbert himself.

With a few choice words of recommendation, Dulia allowed Hildibrand to aid inspector Briardien with the hunt for the thieving duelist.

The inspector was not as enthused about this as would be logical but he haughtily thought his plans foolproof.

Sadly I don't think there's a plan that's ever Hildibrand proof.

-Eternal Shadows

"Chapter 3?: The Cold Genius and the Warm Buffoon.

Briardien was as cold and calculating as one might expect a lordling from the frozen reaches of the holy see to be. He swore he would bring this thieving duelist to justice and protect the Treaty Blade, however, even he who remained as stalwart as the winters of coerthas was not prepared for the changes that would come from interacting with the Inspector who considered him in no small parts a rival."

So we meet lady Dulia who really kind of bores me like a lot of Ul'Dahn merchants. Really just kind of selfish and after the most valuable thing without regards to the standards, historical worth or for that matter ethics. Like you employed your own daughter to bring a priceless vase home? Seriously? SERIOUSLY?! You don't even show concern over this possible bird demon? Mothers these days, I swear! Instead, the inspector and I shall aid Lady Maria in finding this missing chamber pot and show the conniving inspector what a true hero looks like.

Oh right, bias. Sorry, I'm cool don't worry.

So now knowing where the younglings were taken we quickly headed there to find an evil Lalafell behind all of it. Why is it always a rich and evil Lalafell? Some questions are best never answered. However, as it stood, while I dispatched the rank and file guards. I left the Ebon Claw to my friends who not only wounded him but also brought him to justice as I destroyed the massive alchemical vat and the vile potion within. The vile businessman was arrested, the beastmen forged a true alliance with the return of their abducted members.

And best of all I got a cool villainous mask to wear. Thus ends this chapter of my journey.

I do not like this guy, mostly because he's cheeky enough to walk in front of us in only his leopard print skivvies. Also because he threw Loonh Gah like she were nothing. Though I wasn't allowed to attack the bastard. I did make note to at least break everything else in his room. After carrying Loonh Gah out. I was satisfied with the loud series of crashes I heard as we left.

"What was that?" Tataramu asked as I smirked.

"Oh, just did some quick remodeling while he was distracted. Even left him a gift of Morbol Bile. Which he should be opening in."

I counted down until I hit zero and watched as a cloud of frothing gas filled the hall with the horrendous stench of death that comes naturally to Morbols. I chuckled as I lead the way out as the stench choked and sickened the likes of the ebon claw. I knew it wouldn't be enough to kill him but it was enough to make him suffer for the time.

So the bastard made it off his boat and on his way towards his airship he captured that Kobold Alchemist, Bi Bi. Well time for me to return to the Ehcatl Nine and see about this Airship lead. Following that I learned the make of the Airship and the person who owns it, while also finding one of the Brotherhood of Ash members lost in Ul'dah and trying to get help for the taken Hatchlings.

Still we have some clues and I might be a brilliant Inspector, but I'm ready to fight if need be. Still, I have questions regarding the purpose of all this. Is it just to make the Beast Tribes suffer and angry with the people? Is this some Ascian plot? I haven't dealt with them for a while. Wouldn't surprise me at all.

I was not able to make it in time. Bouu was also fishnapped. And by a cat no less! Clearly this is the person whom is also responsible for the disappearance of the Sylph Podlings. However I couldn't stop him and he managed to hurt Novv and get away. I chased down the boat to find that "girl" again. Telling me once again that I should not get involved.

Also that dark aura effect was kinda cool. Low key envious of it. Ah, right, Novv stabbed focus. Guy got away and is now probably pestering the Kobolds.

So uploading these in small parts because there are a lot of pics I took for this questline and I want to post them all but Tonbelr gets Rancor if I tried to upload more than 10 in a post. So....yeah.

Some sylph Podlings got kidnapped by some evil person. Not sure what for but evil is what evil does. Maybe it's some illegal Beast Race trading thingy....yeah, not a fan of that. If I don't stop them there will be arguments if Hrothgar could count as a beast race. Nope going to stop it as soon as I can.

While staking out on the off chance it was the touched ones doing the kidnapping I came across a "girl". Look, I know exactly what she is just from her scent and the green about her. I'm a bit of a fool but not that big of one. However it looks like there's no trail to follow here but Voyce has the brilliant idea to talk to an old colleague of his in Limsa Lominsa. So that's where I'll be heading.

tI can see now what spark of fury lights her heart like dry kindling. To have your mother rendered to a state of madness like that. I also truly see now the cowardice of the flamefang leader. So easily bested in battle without his god's blessings he would dare try to play surrender. If it weren't for Hamujj Gah's clumsily losing a dagger that just so happen to take out the guy I would have just had to accidentally set him on fire myself. You know it's really hard to control one's carbuncles sometimes.

Before leaving I did convey one promise to Loonh Gah. That eventually there will be a cure to restore her mother to her senses. Swore on my honor for it. However, that is still a ways off from now. For now, though I walk on knowing I have made many friends out of the Brotherhood and shall seek ever reforge myself.

Dang it, Ellie! I could have used that guy as a stand-in for my heroics so I could finally pursue my goals of becoming a Shadow Lord while also acting as the hero for the plot! We finally got our first calling card for our mysterious thief. Look, let me give you some cliff notes. There's a lot of misdirection and assumptions that one might take for this case. Also a lot of cards to dodge.

Also...*Rewinds to the Lalafell eyeing up Nashu.* Who is this guy? Another stalker? Oh, this one I will make into Hashbrowns soon enough. Anyway... so the phantom thief is after the Treaty-blade. We'll surely have to stop them!

Oh, right I forgot one of the reasons I came out to Thanalan. To finish up the Amalj'a quests and get to work on the Allied beast tribe quests. I'm usually not one to interrupt a good comedy with drama but...I think it's worth it.

Okay so yeah, some things I learned today. One that creepers will literally just spawn into existence. Two, how much a score is and holy moly 6 scores ponzes? Yeah, no I'm surprised these guys are still living. Ah...right, the crime is solved... yeah, you expect it to be that easy? Yeah no. It turns out these stalkers are not the weapon thief that's everyone been talking about.

Look I'm not posting it here but I might be writing a novelization of the great Inspector Hildibrand's capers for the people of Eorzea and the world at large. Of course I'll seek proper permission before publishing it from relevant parties but let's face it. If I don't then people will forget how wonderful the inspector is.

Yes, I can see it now. The curtain rises and the inspector, still scuffed up from the explosions that restored him to his senses as he daringly begins to fight for justice once more. Chapter 2: The Pure Heart Returned. Shadow of the Thieving Duelist

You may be wondering exactly how long this vacation is going to last. Well, the answer is until I complete the Hildibrand series, the beast tribe quests, the coils of Bahamut, and the Crystal Tower. Only after finishing all of those can I say my vacation is finally done and will return to continue on the path of being the Dark Warrior of Light for this world. I'm working hard at trying to get done with my vacation around Eorzea but hey, the point of a vacation is to take your time and relax, yeah?

Ah, inspector Hildibrand, I can always trust him to give me a good laugh. So I took a mystery regarding Gentlemanly Zombies in the deserts of southern Thanalan. I've been dealing with them often during my travails in the region for the Amalj'a beast tribe quests. So finally took the time to get to the bottom of this mystery of their overlord.

That overlord was the injured but still living Hildibrand Manderville. Granted he did get a bit of amnesia from the fall from Dalamud. Really can't blame him. So Nashu did something sensible. An explosive clonk on the noggin to help him remember which worked. However, now I have to follow the Inspector around as he sniffs out a case. This is fine because well that's what I signed up for. Laughs and silliness to help ease the stress of being the hero of the realm.

...Right I need to specify that I already know the case front and back but I will refrain from disturbing the plot too much.

After returning to Gridania, we learned that the Ixal were summoning Garuda for the umpteenth time. Noctis and I decided to take the Goddess on. When we got there we ended up taking on something more akin to her Brother. He was just as annoying though. Granted with the aid of that Warp ability, it was pretty easy once I got the hang of it. Except for the part where I got put in a storm Gaol. However, luckily Noctis saved me and we defeated Alternative Garuda. The god also was able to open a way back for Noctis just in time for him to have a fixed Regalia too.

It was kinda sad saying goodbye to a friend that I had just made. However, he had things to take care of in his own world. I just hope that if I never get to see him again. I hope he and Luna get to be together happily. So long, Noctis, my friend. May you ever walk in the light of the Crystal.