Mystery..

Dear Friends,


It seems that with the new year comes mystery. The town is abuzz about some prophetic text that has recently been uncovered concering the 7th Umbral Age that is will be upon us before long.... I am certainly no scholar, and I can't make heads or tails of it. What do you think?

~Kiji

Happy New Year!

Dear Friends,

Happy to New Year to you all! It's time for the Heavensturn festival! Enclosed is a portrait of myself and some new friends. What is that on my back??? Hmmm? It's a spear! Yes, taking up arms as a lancer has been my latest obsession. With all these new notorious monsters roaming about the land, I suppose I really should focus less on city life and more on patrolling and battling these strange creatures. But to be honest, I have lost touch with most of the friends I made upon my arrival. It seems that the life of an adventurer is too hard for many... To be honest. the populations of adventurers have diminished...a lot. They are dropping like flies, I tell you!

I wish I could ignore it, and just go out and see everything the wilds of Eorzea has to offer. However, considering I am not yet skilled enough for more advanced duties, I find myself at a bit of a loss. regardless, I do think that I will keep my lance around for quite a while. I'm quite good at poking things, not to mention it looks just swanky with my trendy rabbit helm! Now, to find a decent armor smith that can jazz this helmet up a bit...

Haha! Happy Heavensturn

~Kiji

Happy Starlight Celebration!

Dear Friends,

I know I have not written lately. Alas, there has not been much to write about. I've been taking things a little slow and just enjoying life. Lately, I have found myself spending more time in Ul'dah. I've been passing my time by dabbling in a little bit of everything! I've been practicing with swords, and bows, staves and even hand-to-hand weapons. I'm having the hardest time deciding which method of combat suits me best. I'm truly a jack of all trades, but master of none.

 

Lately, I've taken a bit of a break to participate in the Starlight celebration. Yes, I Kijimuna have donned that silly white and red costume and trekked to various rural outposts to deliver gifts to poor children. Don't you laugh! I look quite good in it.

I've managed to collect quite a few roasted dodo's during my stint as a smilebringer. I sense a new hobby on the horizon... cooking anyone?

                                      A postcard I received from a friend in Limsa Lominsa

~Kiji

Official!

Dear Friends,

Today I received a great honor! I was issued an official Right of Passage certificate by the Stillglade Fane of Gridania. I am officially recognised as an adventurer of the highest order!

~Kiji

Trouble in Eorzea

Dear Friends,

Things have settled into a lull after all the excitement I detailed in the last letter. I have began a routine of training at the Bentbranch Aetheryte camp during the day, and practicing my Alchemy after nightfall. Things have actually been a bit uneventful. I worry that there is some great evil lurking in the shadows, however. Day by day, it seems that there are less adventurers around. The camps have gone from bustling places, to virtual ghost-towns at times. It's concerning...

I have kept my mind on other things by continuing to hone my skills. However, as of now, no new work has presented itself. I suppose in a way, this is a good thing. I didn't come to Gridania to be a hero. I came simply to apply my trade and acquire a bit of wealth. Although, as you know, fate has it's own plans. Ever since my run-in with the elementals I've found myself craving adventure. I think, that unless the opportunity presents itself soon, I may go looking for it.

That being said, I've laid down the axe for a while and I've been dabbling in a bit of Conjury... can you picture that? Me a spellcaster? Haha!

~Kiji

Fire in the sky

Dear Friends,

The time for the grand rite has come, and so have the moogles! Who would have imagined, but the moogles did accept the children's invitation after all and showed up for the ceremony.

As we were all standing on stage with our masks on, I caught the outsiders mumbling to themselves about spilling the beans on some "great secret" that the elders of Gridania were keeping from everyone. Before I could hear more, the rite had started - then all manners of hell broke loose. Dunstan collapsed to the stage.

 I remember rushing to help him when suddenly there was a brilliant flash of light, then as if in a dream, I found myself and the outsiders somewhere deep in the Black Shroud of the Twelveswood. Confused, we noticed just a few feet away there was a conversation between Khrimm and a group of adults, Dunstan included. It appears that somehow we were seeing the moment right before Khrimm set that tree on fire! He was arguing with them, about keeping secrets and lying about the wildlings. I got the impression that this band of people he was talking to are some of those  that have gone "missing" from Gridania.

As soon as the mysterious vision began, it was over, and I found myself back on the stage surrounded by everyone. I looked to my right and I saw Fye kneeling next to Dunstan. He sat up and smiled at her. Also, Khrimm seemed to be awake and lucid! E-Sumi declared that  Khrimm and Dunstan had been saved!

The celebration was short. For at that very moment the sky darkened suddenly, in a way I've never seen before. It sent chills up my spine... Lightening began to flash through the clouds, and then out of nowhere, the clouds swirled into what appeared to be a fiery vortex! A blazing projectile spewed forth from the vortex and streaked fiercely across the sky. I could tell by the look on brother E-Sumi's face that this was NOT something he was expecting to see.

I caught Dunstan whispering to himself: "So it has begun." Oh, what I wouldn't give to know what secrets these people are keeping. I fear that something VERY perilous is on the horizon. The outsiders seemed to know more then meets the eye as well. I heard the Lalafell, Papalymo, mention something about "The Echo". I tried to hear more, but I suddenly found myself overcome with vertigo and, well... this is a bit embarrassing, but I blacked out!

When I awoke, I found myself in a room at the adventurer's guild. Miounne, the owner, advised me that my expenses were seen to by my friend, and that he also suggested that when I was ready, not matter when that might be, I should stop by the "Waking Sands" in Ul'dah.With that, she left me.

One of the first things I did, after getting back on my feet was to seek out Spark. He mentioned that he had seen the fire too. However, he claims that he did not have anything to do with getting me to the Canopy after I passed out. What "friend" was Miounne referring to? Oh, I hate all this mystery!

~Kiji

The truth is out there...

Dear Friends,

Well wouldn't you know it... danger certainly has a way of finding me when I'm completely unprepared for it! Remember when I said I was skeptical about the existence of the "elementals"? Well forget that! They are most certainly real...

I know this because I had to face one in combat! It started when we found Khrimm... We caught the little bugger standing in front of an ancient tree that he had set ablaze! Also in the vicinity were the two outsiders that I rescued during the airship crash. The whole scene was quite suspicious. But honestly, before I could think on it very much, a forest spirit emerged from the burning tree. A bunch of us from Gridania engaged the elemental and warded it off. But poor Khrimm was left in some type of catatonic state...

Sadly, Fye did not take the news very well. I've figured out that the mask she was attempting to fix was for her brother Dunstan, the one who has been lost to the forest. As if the loss of her brother wasn't hard enough on the girl, now her friend Khrimm may be lost to her as well.

Well, just as I pondering this tragic turn of events, the word begins spreading through town that Dunstan has been found and returned to the Gridania. It seems that the outsiders discovered him deep in the woods and together with some of Gridania's soldiers, escorted him to town.

After a brief meeting, it was decided that a grand rite would be held in attempt to clear him of his woodsin and allow him to remain in Gridania. I have to be honest, watching Dunstan and E-Sumi (one of the horned conjurers I mention earlier) talk, I get impression that there's some secret between them... I'm not quite sure what, but I suspect that there's a lot more to the "wildling" business than meets the eye. Plus, some things said between E-Sumi and the outsiders lead me to believe that they may just be spies for the Garlean Empire to the north!

~Kiji