Letting Out Orion's Belt

Premise:

To help Captain Ahldskyf of the trading ship Orion convince the ship's trader to allow him to sell La Noceasn flour to the noble houses of Radz-at-Han, he wants you to take pieces of fishtack baked by the ship's cook to four locla gourmands and see what they have to say.

Quick Summary:

¤ Talk to Ahldskyf

¤ Talk to Daca Jinjahl

¤ Talk to Aentfoet

¤ Talk to F'zhumii

¤ Talk to Shoshoma

¤ Talk to Ahldskyf

-end-

Full Guide:

Text in Blue is dialogue and may contain spoilers

Talk to Ahldskyf

"Might I have a moment of your time, good adventurer? My name is Ahldskyf. I'm the captain of a trading vessel called the Orion, currently docked here in Limsa Lominsa. We're in the process of resupplying in preparation for the long journey east across the Sea of Jade to the small island nation of Thavnair, and its capital city RadzatHan. My intention is to fill our hold with high-quality flour, a rarity on Thavnair, and sell it to the upper-class merchants there for ten times its value here on Vylbrand. However, the Orion's owner, my employer, doubts the wisdom of my plan."

"He says flour is flour, and that the merchants of Thavnair would not be able to discern La Noscean flour from the less expensive Ul'dahn variety that they already import, giving them no reason to pay more for our product. Truth be told, I expected he might have his misgivings, so I had a solution ready─I would have the ship's cook bake some bread using La Noscean flour and offer it as a gift to the ruling houses of RadzatHan, telling each house that the others had found its flavor to far surpass that of bread made from Ul'dahn sunset wheat. The nobles would have no choice but to agree, of course, and, not wishing to be outshone by their peers, demand that their kitchens also stock La Noscean flour. A flawless plan, one would think. Ah, but not my ever-doubtful patron. Can you guess what his eloquent retort was? “What if the bread tastes of sh*te?”"

"So to appease him, I have contrived a second plan, and it is in this that I require your assistance. The ship's cook has already baked several batches of bread following the same recipe we intend to use in RadzatHan. I would like you to take them to four of Limsa Lominsa's more respected gourmands and gauge their opinions on the flavor. Very good. I have marked on your map the location of the four Lominsans whose opinion I would have you seek. Oh, and do not forget the bread. It is a variety known as fishtack─a firm, unleavened biscuit containing pieces of dried sardine for flavor. It has been a staple on trading ships for generations, but the recipe was perfected by my cook. My crew says they've tasted none better in all the realm."

Talk to Daca Jinjahl

IMAGE TO COME

" Fishtack? Do I look like a sailor? Alright, I suppose I do, but why in the seven hells would you be just giving the stuff away? Is this a ruse? Hard, dry, briny. Yes, it's fishtack, alright. What? Were you expecting something else? For me to say how I've never tasted anything better? How the aroma and crunch of the perfectly browned buttery crust tickled my senses? How the subtle hint of smoked sardines was the perfect accent to the full-bodied richness of the coarsely milled La Noscean flour? Will that do?"

You turn in a piece of fishtack. (1 of 4)

Talk to Aentfoet

"Of all the culinarians in this fine establishment, you would have none other than Aentfoet, lord of the larder, give his opinion on this quaint little biscuit of yours? Quite a discerning eye you have, my friend. You were right to come to me. And I shall duly indulge you. Now, let us have a taste...The flavor! The aroma! Why, this fishtack is utterly amaz─ Ah! Er...not bad... Yes, yes, not bad. Not good, mind you, but not bad. Yes."

"I say, why don't you invite whomever it was that made those biscuits to visit me? I would like to, uh...examine his recipe and, um...remedy its shortcomings. Yes. Be sure to tell him that. I shall be here waiting...generously."

You turn in a piece of fishtack. (2 of 4)

Talk to F'zhumii

"Peddle your gutter biscuits elsewhere, adventurer. I will not squander good coin on third-rate cuisi─ Free of charge, you say? Ah, well then, I suppose a bite wouldn't hurt. Hmmm... Fishtack, eh? I must admit, it is better than I expected, though, truth be told, my expectations were quite low. A bit too salty for my taste, but that is naught a good mug of warm ale couldn't help balance."

You turn in a piece of fishtack. (3 of 4)

Talk to Shoshoma

"Biscuits for Shoshoma!? My mum always told me to never take food from strangers, but those biscuits look so good! I'm sure she won't mind, just this once! Oh, miss! It's absolutely delicious! Far better than the biscuits Mum makes, that's for certain. They're always burnt black as an alley cat, and smell like one, too!"

You turn in a piece of fishtack. (4 of 4)

Talk to Ahldskyf

"Well, what is the consensus on the fishtack? Salty, yes... Better than burnt biscuits, yes... Amazingly not bad, yes... Tongues removed... What? Ah well, I suppose three of four is not that bad. This should be enough to thoroughly convince the Orion's patron that my plan is worthy of consideration. If he agrees, I can have our hold filled with flour and ready to set sail by nightfall tomorrow."

"Once the flour has sold in RadzatHan, I can use the money to buy ten score crates of kukuru beans, which I will then take to Ul'dah, where they will catch a fine price from the sultana's royal confectioners. And with the coin made from the beans, I should have enough to fill the Orion's hold with Thanalan tea leaves, which I will bring back here to Limsa Lominsa─tea being the preferred drink of the city-state's many pleasure barge patrons."

"And if my calculations are correct, the profit made from this run, added to what I have stashed away, should be enough to convince the owner to sell me his ship. You seem like the reliable type. When the Orion is finally mine, I wouldn't mind having you on as a deckhand. No? Well, life on the sea isn't for everyone, but if you change your mind, come back and speak with me again. Until then, my friend."

You obtain 5,000 gil.

“Letting Out Orion's Belt” complete!

Final Fantasy XIV Wikibase™ Quests - Sidequests (FFXIV)