This is Just a Tribune II

Alright, after that little mental breakdown, we're back at it.

Now we're talking.

These are the questions that will reveal the casual losers who just live day to day, not knowing anything about their country of origin or the inner workings of their government.

I take Bastok very seriously.

There are adventurers who hail from the Republic of Bastok, the Kingdom of San d'Oria, and the Federation of Windurst. But how much do they know about their own countries? I asked a number of adventurers passing through Jeuno to answer a simple question. Question : Who leads your country? Correct Answers :   Bastok / President Karst   San d'Oria / King Destin   Windurst / The Star Sybil Do you know who leads your country?   Yes - 10% / No - 90% The results were surprising; only a scant 10% of the adventurers I spoke to could name the leader of their own country. In fact, nobody could name Bastok's President Karst. In the end, it turned out that Windurstians, who are led by the Star Sybil, were most able to identify their leader. "The Star Sybil. But I'm afraid I don't know who leads the other countries," said a Tarutaru woman from Bastok. In fact, the Star Sybil was known even by citizens of other countries. There are several possible reasons for this, but the largest factor is that "Star Sybil" is her name as well as her title. "I don't know. Hmm. Does Bastok have a president?" replied a Hume woman from Windurst. "I'm afraid I don't know. Other countries? I certainly don't know that," said a Hume man, also from Windurst. Setting aside people who had no interest in government and politics, most adventurers knew that Bastok had a president, but none could name him. On the other hand, the survey did reveal that many people knew the names of important people who were not their national leaders. "I know the names of both princes. Huh? The King? I don't know," said a Galka from San d'Oria. "Well, I could tell you all about Ayame of the Mythril Musketeers," said a Galka from Bastok. The names of San d'Oria's Prince Trion and the Mythril Musketeer Ayame were on the tips of everyone's tongues; these people in particular have a lot of contact with adventurers. The adventurers queried seemed to feel a stronger bond with those whom they had actually met. To adventurers who chafe at the restraint of national allegiance, the name of their national leader was of little importance. Evidently, those who are worth remembering are those who take action. Nonetheless, it's difficult to find anything positive to say about the fact that such a small percentage of adventurers know their own national leader. The reality is that it reflects a deeper problem. The most skilled adventurers often leave their home countries to stay in Jeuno. For the adventurers constantly passing through the Jeuno region, talk of home feels as if it is of some distant and foreign land. But the three countries have shifted the burdens of law and order and national defense to adventurers. The loss of adventurers therefore poses a threat to the wellbeing of the countries. We must also not forget that Jeuno owes its greatness to the strength of the other three countries. The governments of the different countries should be looking to increase their presence in the hearts of their many adventurers. Contributor : Across / Phoenix

So, only 10% of people surveyed knew who is at the top of their country's government? For shame, people. Even I knew who the Star Sybil was, and I hate hippies. Granted, I forgot/didn't give a shit about the King's name, but who cares about elves, really guys.

But you bet your leaping boots I knew who Karst was. I shouted his name at people from other countries who dared look me in the eye, letting them know who really runs the world.

Even though Bastok Mines is 60% a literal ghetto and is mainly run by old dudes in overalls who want animal parts, the president is doing a damn good job. Damn good. Let's keep him in office.

Karst 2020.

The man in the white silk robe stands apart from the hordes of merchants and adventurers that crowd the streets; there's something different about him. He is one of the fortune-tellers you hear so much about these days. When I first asked if he would tell my fortune, he refused me. "Form a party with the person you wish to check your fortune with, and then speak to me for a reading of your fate," he said. He specializes in the compatibility of one person with another, after all. I decided to wait and speak with his next customers. Most of the people on the street paid no attention to him, just passing him by on their way to wherever they were going. After a while, a Hume named Yoshua and a Tarutaru named Rine came up to speak with him. "We're more than happy to spend our lives together," they said with a smile, having broken racial barriers by preparing for their otherwise traditional wedding. When I asked them what their fortune had been, Yoshua happily repeated the fortune-teller's words: Adventuring together will be mutually advantageous. Good fortune fills your cup to overflowing. Be sure to share it with those less blessed by fate. "After all, we're happy now, but it's not something we did alone. There are plenty of others who had a part in it," said Yoshua as he took his time to digest what the fortune-teller meant. As he reflected on his previous adventures, Yoshua seemed like the type of man who can make all around him, including his partner Rine, happy. Next to approach the fortune-teller were two people who occasionally head out fishing together--and are often competitive. "Adventuring together will bring fair fortune. Stand together and you have little to fear. With your combined strength, you can overcome any obstacle." One of the pair, Kenya, nodded his head in agreement as he listened. He let out a nearly defiant laugh, saying, "The two of us, we could probably even take on the mighty Sea Horror!" It almost seemed as if he was about to set out at that very moment to hunt down the Sea Horror. Standing next to her friend Kenya, Mayoc shrugged her shoulders and laughed, but she didn't seem to be objecting too strongly. It was easy to see that the two work well together. After they left, several more pairs of adventurers visited the fortune-teller. Here are their impressions. "It looked interesting, so I asked one of the other people on the street to have their fortune told with me. The fortune-teller said that adventuring together would bring us great fortune. So good, in fact, that he gave us a present." "What should we do to improve our relationship? It would have been nice if he'd given us some advice..." "He said adventuring together would be disastrous. I'm just happy he didn't say we should be together forever. Ha-ha." The fortune-teller's words are sometimes met with laughter, sometimes with complaints, and sometimes with just a nodding head. Everyone reacts differently. It is not really clear why the fortune-teller got into this line of work. This is not a very lucrative trade. Perhaps his only motive was to make people happy? This question was put to rest when the next pair, Raivran and Myigoma, came to see the fortune-teller. Raivran had been on the verge of death out in the Valkurm Dunes when he was saved by Myigoma. This is not an uncommon way for adventurers to meet. Before the reading, Raivran stated, "Whatever the fortune, my love for her will not change." Their fortune wasn't especially encouraging. Clearly, Raivran and Myigoma weren't pleased. But it did seem to bring the two of them closer together. "Ill portents will only make our love burn brighter. We'll never give up." The fortune-teller's beard jutted out from under his hood as he nodded. Regardless of whether or not you believe in fortune telling, the fortune-teller's words provide support to more than a few. The fortunes he provides are not just advice and warnings, but encouragement. If you have a special someone, I recommend visiting the fortune-teller together. Whatever the fortune, the fortune-teller's words will most certainly strengthen the bond between the two of you. Contributor : Storm / Kujata

I did the whole fortune telling thing exactly one time and promptly ignored whatever the elf was saying as I ran out of town to murder orcs. Priorities, people.

The dimly lit room echoes with the sound of hammers striking steel. The faces of the craftsmen are lit by the fires that dance in the furnace. The sweltering heat in here is a different thing from the heat of battle; this is the Blacksmiths' Guild. High-quality weapons and armor are constantly being forged here. The craftsmen think of nothing but honing their skills to better create the implements that adventurers request of them. The workshop allows no room for slacking off or cutting corners. There is not even time to sigh over a failed synthesis. Those who have chosen this hard path fight a different battle. Among the many dedicated craftsmen are several adventurers who have only recently passed through the guild's doors. Crasher is an initiate in the San d'Orian Blacksmiths' Guild. She spends her time synthesizing weapons so that her skill might one day approach that of the senior smiths she so envies. Even as she works, she says with enthusiasm, "I'm trying to figure out the most efficient way for me to work." On the other hand, Ozu wants to try his hand at blacksmithing and has just joined the guild today. He's taken aback by the amount of work involved. "I'll need to give this some careful thought before deciding to dedicate my life to it," he says. As Ozu has learned, blacksmithing is a long road--and not something that you can master overnight. No one is renowned for his swords without first being known for his dedication. So what is it like to be constantly watching and imitating the senior smiths? According to two blacksmiths I talked to, it's not easy. Yanron, nearly buried in the fruits of his practice, is an apprentice in the guild. Now that he's an apprentice, one of his objectives is to outfit one of his Paladin friends with armor he made himself. When asked if he had anything to say to those just beginning, he summed up his years of experience: "Take it slowly and enjoy what you're doing." On the other hand, he's not one to praise himself or his accomplishments, saying, "This journey is not one that has an end." But despite this, he enjoys the blacksmith's life and that's what keeps him going. On the other end of the continent is the Bastok Blacksmith's Guild. There, in the Metalworks, I came across two Galka adventurers. One was a craftsman, kneeling next to his current project as he put the finishing touches on it. The other adventurer was his client. The craftsman was so immersed in his work that it was almost unthinkable to disturb him. After a moment, he stood up and presented his newest creation to his client, who looked more than pleased. After he had completed his work, the Galka, named Uzee, consented to an interview. Uzee has spent his whole life studying blacksmithing, but it's only recently that adventurers who fight on the front lines have seen fit to make requests of him. "It's not so much about the money. It's about seeing the look on my clients' faces when they first try on their new armor. You just saw that," he says. Even the untrained eye can see that Uzee is capable of meeting nearly any request. Still, he says that "There's always somebody better," paying respect to his seniors. Most of the craftsmen I met spoke humbly. Perhaps this is a sign that, deep down in their hearts, they are not satisfied with their own skills and are always looking to improve. If you listen hard, you'll be able to hear the reassuring sound of steel being shaped. Deep within the workshops of the Blacksmiths' Guild, the blacksmiths are swinging their hammers. Contributor : Mizakura / Quetzalcoatl

Everyone knows how I feel about crafting. If not, here's a hint: 

Fuck it.

It was too expensive and unless you made HQ everything, your money was just going to be wasted. Also, there was the little detail that stores only open for a certain period of time and could sell out of items. Because of this, people camped crafting vendors and bought up all the stock. So yeah. Fuck it.

"The Canticle of Carbuncle."   Once held in the back of a jewelry store   Hidden from view and locked up in a chest   Now in a ring forged of silver and more   On the hand of a princess most regally dressed   Soon dropped in palm of a man very poor   His ragged life soon to be heavenly blessed   There is tell of a ruby that is   Finding its way to one starting to seek   Hearing those words the voice within does speak   "Carbuncle," it is called   The jewel in which passion flows and grows   Once flowing through the canals that did line   The edges of cities way far out in the West   Now buried beneath barnacles and brine   Under bluest of waves as they foam and they crest   Soon covered by remnants of trees, oak and pine   Reduced to a hollow that mere rot can infest   There is tell of a ruby that   Travels over seas and shores of every kind   Searching for its master, the one that it must find   "Carbuncle," it is called   The stone that has ever shone with the sheen of the sunset   Once hearing tunes of hunger as sung   By chicks snug away in their nest   Now poised before eyes of a goblin so young   He by its fine beauty so duly impressed   Soon round the neck of a maid 'twill be strung   At the end of a shining gold chain shall it rest   There is tell of a ruby that is   Craved by both man and beast, always adored   Testing the master by whom freedom's restored   "Carbuncle," it is called   The gem that time imbues with the hues of the rainbow "The Canticle of Carbuncle" has been passed down from one generation of Tarutaru to the next since before recorded history. "Carbuncle" is the name of the ruby in the poem. It is also the name of an avatar close to the heart of every summoner and well known to most adventurers. Is there a relationship between the avatar and the poem? It might be possible, with the aid of a summoner, to answer these questions by speaking with Carbuncle directly. I made just such a request of a local summoner. Alas, the summoner refused, saying "Summoning Carbuncle involves far more effort and danger than you seem to think. It is a very interesting question, but it is not worth the risk." However, several days later, I received a message from the summoner saying that he would help me. When I next met the summoner, he greeted me by saying, "I finally got them," and showing off the mittens he was wearing. The were, at first glance, unremarkable. The summoner informed me that they were in fact valuable items that eased the strain of summoning. Having said that, he began to chant. A small blue beast bathed in shimmering light appeared out of nowhere and alit on the ground before us. It was Carbuncle. I immediately began to ask him questions. "I have heard the poem of which you speak. As in the poem, I waited within the jewel for many seasons, hoping someone would hear my voice," Carbuncle said through the summoner. So far, Carbuncle's tale had no major surprises. So how did his story become a Tarutaru poem? "This I do not know. It is possible that my greatest wish somehow found its way to the heart of a very aware person who then crafted it into a poem." This makes sense. It's not hard to imagine that a race as magically-gifted as the Tarutaru would produce someone who could hear Carbuncle's quiet voice. Perhaps the poem came in a dream. But what kind of life has Carbuncle had up until now? "The poem is an accurate description of the course of my life. I've passed from person to person and seen what fortune held for each of them. I've seen some spend their days in bliss, while others found everything but happiness and still others allowed their hearts to be twisted by evil... There was little that I could do myself, but in every case, my very presence changed the courses of their lives. I even saw their final breaths." As the summoner relayed these words, his face began to show an expression of loneliness. He seemed to be receiving more than just words from the creature. Before vanishing, Carbuncle let out a loud cry. The summoner had to fight back tears when he heard this, leaving me only to guess at it's meaning. I'm quite sure Carbuncle said "I'm extremely happy right now." Carbuncle has led a long and eventful life, but he seems to have found his true master at last. Perhaps it would be appropriate to add another verse to the "Canticle of Carbuncle": Standing firm in the face of time's every disaster And shining so bright in the heart of its master. Zenngg

I unlocked summoner for one thing:

To summon the devil.

Carbuncle was just like a little hurdle. I was forced to use him until the pact with Satan could be sealed in elvaan blood. The whole Carbuncle ruby quest was boring to me. I couldn't care less about a little radioactive squirrel. Just give me my damn demon.

A pretty dull issue if I do say so myself. And I do say so myself. Because it's my blog. Go away.