Forever Taken

[update]
I'm going to eat my own words.

Go via the Camp Brittlebark route (either through going west around Mor Dhona like I did to get there or, to save time, through the Ul'dah > Camp Bluefog route) and you'll be fine. After dying a few times before writing the original post and getting frustrated, I gave it another shot the next day. At level 37 I'm hardly any sturdier than I was 3 levels ago but luckily enough I never took a single point of damage when doing this run. I got a nasty glare from two mites at separate points, but neither threw a ranged attack at me; their names just turned yellow and they started to head in my direction while I sped off on chocoback.

Recommended Route:
- If you don't have a chocobo yet, I'd recommend getting one. The faster move speed helps you to slip by enemies when they've moved out of your path before they can move back... or run from any that might notice you and start heading your way.
- Ul'dah to Camp Bluefog. You shouldn't have any issues getting there because nothing along the way should be hostile.
- Camp Bluefog to Mor Dhona. You should be able to dodge around the wolves, piestes, and mites that you encounter along the way by giving them a wide berth. Once you get to the narrow canyons you'll run into vultures. Just wait until they move to the side of the path and then move past behind them. Vultures aggro by sight, and won't attack unless you pass in front of them.
- Mor Dhona to Camp Brittelbark (optional). You don't have to go to Brittlebark if you don't want to, but I'd recommend setting your homepoint here in case you have trouble with the next part.
- Camp Brittlebark to "Northwest Passage". There are two routes you can take from Brittlebark to the mission location, one is northeast of the camp and one is north/northwest. I would recommend the location to the northwest simply because the passage to the northeast makes you go through one long canyon... then ANOTHER long canyon... only to spit you out at the same location that the northwest passage does with only one short canyon to traverse. You should have no trouble avoiding the hogs getting to the canyon (though on my first try there was a hog sitting near the canyon entrance that got me once while I was waiting for the evil eye to move... it seemed to move away after that because it was not there afterward or on my second run), and there will be an evil eye just inside the canyon entrance. Wait for it to move to the side and give you room to run behind it, because it detects by sight so going behind it (and taking care not to bump into it) will let you sneak past.
- "Northwest Passage" to VICTORY. At the end of the passage there may be another evil eye. On my first run it was sitting just outside the canyon waiting for me. On my second run it was a little to the east inside of the exit of the northeast passage route (another reason why I'd not recommend taking that route). Sneak past this eye if necessary and head north. There will be a toad in the middle of the open area but you can easily move around it, and other than that there are nothing but Qiqirn between you and the final area, which aren't hostile so you're safe. After the last canyon (filled with nothing but cowardly rat-men) you'll reach the final area which has nothing but level 30-32 saltspray pterocs (and one level 50+ toad in the pond that all your ??? points are clustered around). You're free and clear.

Bury a crystal at each ??? point, wait a few minutes, and dig them up again. After this I headed east to The Black Shroud and teleported to Gridania once inside (for the cheaper anima cost).

So I repeat... despite being frustrating, this is in fact entirely possible as long as you remember that the evil eyes (the one thing you cannot avoid going past no matter which route you take) won't notice you if you walk behind them. It probably didn't help that every other guide I'd read for this mission said "you'll get hit once but then the monster will return to its territory and you can rest up before the next one that you have to run past". Lies and misinformations! Deceptions! Slander! You don't have to get hit by anything at all, ever.

Happy hunting, kiddos.








[original post]
Just like everyone else, I have to agree that if you're trying to do this at level 34 you are going to have to rely solely on luck to get you through.

As of patch 1.19 (the first time I tried doing this):

- Going via camp Crimson Bark in the Black Shroud leads you either through narrow passageways with level 80 enemies (going north from camp, then south), or through equally narrow passageways with groups of 3-5 level 50+ enemies (following the route on the map above). You will not be able to do this.
- Going via camp Revenant's Toll in Mor Dhona (heading through Coerthas and south into the zone) is equally impossible due to a group of 3 50+ Evil Eyes hanging out at the entrance to the long narrow passage that you are forced to traverse by this route. At level 34 I'm slain in 3 hits. I don't know if there are more further ahead in the passage but due to that camp you will not be able to do this without someone clearing it for you.
- Going via camp Brittlebark in Mor Dhona (when I did this I actually ran through Coerthas to Revenant's Toll and then around the zone to Brittlebark with no trouble, it is only these 'chokepoint' passages that make the run impossible) is probably the safest route you can take. You have two options here, both narrow passages, both with a single Evil Eye (50+) guarding it. I managed to run past the first one without it killing me, and then directly into a second one at the exit of the passage (both passages exit in the same place, so you will have to pass this eye one way or another).

With luck I believe the route from Brittlebark is possible. POSSIBLE. Not likely... seeing as I still died in 3 attacks from the single eye (rather than 1 attack each from the group of 3 eyes) and it seems like the enemies here will chase you very very VERY far as well as having powerful ranged attacks that you won't be able to get away from. If you aggro, you die.

If you are getting someone to help you with the quest, I would suggest taking this route because they will only need to occupy one enemy at a time and likely only two or three enemies total before you reach the wide open area again and can avoid them.

Still, it would be nice if this weren't NECESSARY considering that there are no stealth items/abilities in FFXIV like there were in FFXI (excluding deciples of the land). It would be easy enough to nab a prism powder and walk straight through these enemies if that were an option.

Edited, Nov 12th 2011 6:04am by Tiem

After Patch 1.18 this quest now also rewards up to ~26,500 SP to the class you finish the quest as. (rank dependent)

I just re-ran this as a 21 pug. on 1/12/11 only aggro'd two mobs one before I even got to Crimson Bark which was a dreadwolf and the ptercotrap plant. The plant did do 742 dmg but then returned to it's territory after 1 hit. None of the efts touched me and no vulture hit me either.

I added notes about aggro to the guide: like other people were saying never stop running (I would not use auto-run so I would not hit any obstructions) and avoid running directly into mobs (I know this part is hard because of the small paths, but you can run along the edges of the path).

When I ran back through to Crimson from Mor Dhona I let a bark eft hit me & it did 1 shot me (1235 as a 21 pug), if you keep running you should be able to outrun them without even getting hit.

Edited, Jan 12th 2011 3:40am by kumago

Just a heads up for people doing this quest now. Many new mobs have been added along this route. I am currently r38 and these new mobs are one shotting me through stoneshield/protect. R38 pgl with 1700hp.

crystals are set,
Ok, so I can only find 3 "???" spots or are there more?
Also, once deposited, how long until I can retrieve them, and can I simply click on them?

Anyone know how many Lightning crystals are needed. I wanna know before I head down.
I saw a ??? spot near the Mor Dhona / Gridania zone a while back. I wonder if that's one.

what kind of quest is this? storyline or class? anyone know?