Seer Folly

E-Sumi-Yan

[name], I am glad you have come. I have a task of a most urgent and confidential nature, and I can think of none other to whom I can entrust it.

You are doubtless familiar with the Seedseers, yes? Kan–E–Senna─Elder Seedseer, leader of the Order of the Twin Adder, and guardian of our fair nation─clearly needs no introduction, but know you also of her siblings?

The two young Padjals, Sister Raya–O–Senna and Brother A–Ruhn–Senna, make for Everschade as we speak, where they will perform a ritual of great import. Verily, such import that it would be no overstatement to say that the very fate of Gridania hangs in the balance.

As you well know, we dwell in this forest by the good graces of the elementals, eternal guardians of the Twelveswood, and most of all the great one who dwells within the Guardian Tree. Yet our ceaseless warring and ill treatment of the trees that shelter us have aroused the great one's ire, and it is only by the Quieting─the ritual of which I spoke─that he may be placated.

• FR Ce dernier a sans arrêt été courroucé par des intrusions étrangères, depuis quelque temps. ‘The latter has been constantly angered by outside intrusions for some time now.’ English blames our warring and mistreatment of the trees; French blames intrusions from outside.
• DE Der Gebieter des Wächterbaums wird zusehends feindlicher gegenüber jedem, der den Wald betritt. ‘The lord of the Guardian Tree is growing ever more hostile toward anyone who enters the forest.’ English blames our warring and mistreatment of the trees; German says he grows hostile to anyone entering the forest.
• JA かの地の「長老の木」に棲まう大精霊が、相次ぐ森への侵入者に怒り、我を忘れておいでになり……その御心を鎮める「鎮撫の儀」をせねばなりません。 ‘The great elemental dwelling in the "Guardian Tree" there, angered by the successive intruders into the forest, has lost himself... and we must perform the "Quieting rite" to calm his heart.’ English blames our warring and mistreatment of the trees; Japanese blames repeated intruders into the forest.

Thus did the two Seedseers set out for Everschade, with nary a guard to accompany them. Therein lies the rub, and the nature of the favor I ask of you.

By no means would I question the powers of the Seedseers, but with the great one's anger mounting, the Twelveswood becomes a threatening domain for even the most puissant of conjurers.

Pray hasten to Everschade and see that no harm befalls the two.

Raya-O-Senna

Curses! How can we hope to make it to the Guardian Tree with these ghastly creatures bursting forth like rampant weeds?

If I'd known what we were in for, I'd have brought along a Wood Wailer or two. In fact, I daresay we should return and do exactly that!

• DE Ich habe es dir doch gleich gesagt. ‘I told you so from the start.’ English has her admit she did not know what awaited them; German has her say she warned him from the start.

A-Ruhn-Senna

Oh, do not be such a coward, Sister. We are Seedseers─these overgrown vermin are no match for us.

• FR Mais, ma sœur, nous ne pouvons pas renoncer ! ‘But, sister, we cannot give up!’ English has him call his sister a coward; French has him plead that they cannot give up.
• DE Wir dürfen nicht vorschnell aufgeben, Raya-O. ‘We must not give up too hastily, Raya-O.’ English has him call his sister a coward; German has him urge not to give up too hastily.
• JA そんな、諦めちゃダメだ、ラヤ・オ姉さま！ ‘No way, you mustn't give up, Sister Raya-O!’ English has him call his sister a coward; Japanese has him plead that she must not give up.

Raya-O-Senna

The great one does not approve of our presence here...

A-Ruhn-Senna

I'll thank you to stay out of my way, adventurer.

Raya-O-Senna

Bring down as many of the creatures as you can!

We never should have tried to fight this battle alone... Brother, forgive me...

• FR J'ai baissé ma garde... je ne pensais pas échouer ! ‘I let my guard down... I didn't think I would fail!’ English regrets fighting this battle alone; French says she let her guard down.
• DE Wie konnte ... das geschehen ...? ‘I... How could... this happen...?’ English regrets fighting this battle alone; German only asks how this could happen.
• JA 油断したわ……。 ‘I got careless.’ English regrets fighting this battle alone; Japanese says she got careless.

A-Ruhn-Senna

I am A-Ruhn-Senna! I will not...fall...to these...urghhh...

Raya-O-Senna

Bold words, Brother. But were they true words, we would have dispatched our enemies and arrived safely at our destination bells ago.

• FR Je suis bien d'accord ! ‘I quite agree!’ English mocks her brother's words as bold; French agrees with him.
• DE Das weiß ich doch! ‘I know that!’ English mocks her brother's words as bold; German says she already knows that.
• JA 当然！ ‘Of course!’ English mocks her brother's words as bold; Japanese agrees with him.

Hm? A conjurer, are you...? Brother E–Sumi, ever the worrier. For once, however, his solicitude is most welcome. Might you help us dispose of these fell creatures?

A-Ruhn-Senna

Have you no pride, Sister!? A Seedseer does not beg the aid of some common adventurer!

Raya-O-Senna

Enough, Brother! We have a duty to perform─a duty that takes precedence over your silly notions of pride. Now, enough talk! Let us see to these pests.

• FR Je comprends ce que tu ressens, A-Ruhn, mais nous devons d'abord nous préoccuper de repousser ces monstres. ‘I understand how you feel, A-Ruhn, but we must first worry about driving back these monsters.’ English cuts him off and calls his pride silly; French says she understands how he feels.
• JA あんたのこだわりもわかるけど……今はまず、魔物を追い払うことを考えなさい、ア・ルン！ ‘I understand your fixation too, but... right now, think first about driving off the monsters, A-Ruhn!’ English cuts him off and calls his pride silly; Japanese says she understands his fixation.

That crystal! Do my eyes deceive me, or does this adventurer inherit the legacy of A–Towa–Cant?

It was none other than A–Towa himself who last performed the Quieting. No, I do not believe this adventurer's arrival is mere coincidence.

Bearer of the soul crystal, inheritor of arcane knowledge long since forbidden to those not of our kind... I know not why it is you he chose, but I believe our great forefather has led you to us today.

Ancient tradition dictates that the Quieting be performed by three Padjals─ah, but I misspeak. The ritual is to be performed by three white mages. If Master A–Towa truly has chosen this adventurer as his successor...

A-Ruhn-Senna

Y-You speak madness, Sister! Surely, you have not forgotten that Padjali tradition strictly forbids sharing the teachings with those not of our kind. The power of white magic is far too great to risk it falling into the wrong hands!

Raya-O-Senna

And so you would uphold tradition merely for tradition's sake? Even at the risk of incurring the great one's wrath and bringing disaster upon our forest home?

• FR A-Ruhn, il est certes important de préserver nos traditions. ‘A-Ruhn, it is certainly important to preserve our traditions.’ English mocks upholding tradition for its own sake; French concedes traditions are important.
• DE So war es bisher, mein Bruder, und ich pflichte dir bei, dass Traditionen gepflegt werden sollten. ‘That is how it has been until now, my brother, and I agree with you that traditions should be upheld.’ English mocks upholding tradition for its own sake; German agrees traditions should be upheld.
• JA ア・ルン、確かに伝統を守るのは大切なことよ。 ‘A-Ruhn, it's certainly important to protect tradition.’ English mocks upholding tradition for its own sake; Japanese concedes protecting tradition is important.

A-Ruhn-Senna

Have you so little faith in your own abilities, Sister? We are Seedseers─more than capable of slaying any beasts in our way and carrying out the ritual on our own.

Raya-O-Senna

This petty bickering is getting us nowhere...

Adventurer! I am sorry to trouble you with our silly sibling squabbles... If you've the time, I would speak with you further. But not here. Come to Camp Tranquil, and come quickly; time is of the essence.

• FR Tu as entendu ce qu'on vient de dire ? ‘Did you hear what we just said?’ English apologizes for their sibling squabbles; French just asks whether you heard what they said.
• DE Schwere Zeiten erfordern unkonventionelle Maßnahmen. ‘Hard times call for unconventional measures.’ English apologizes for their sibling squabbles; German says hard times call for unconventional measures.
• JA 聞いていたわね、今の話？ ‘You heard what we just said, didn't you?’ English apologizes for their sibling squabbles; Japanese just checks that you heard what they said.

Thank you for coming, adventurer. Forgive my brother's rudeness─he cannot help that he was born with a head of solid stone. Anywise, I do not believe we have been properly introduced. I am Raya–O–Senna, a Padjal─as you can see─and sister of the Elder Seedseer.

You are [name], yes? Brother E–Sumi has spoken of you─and most highly, at that.

As you no doubt have heard, my brother, A–Ruhn, and I were en route to the Guardian Tree. There, the great one, by whose graces we dwell here, resides.

The gentlest of guardians when at peace, a destructive force that knows no bounds when angered─as the great one goes, so goes our fate. The creatures you helped us dispatch─doubtless they, too, were roused to hostility by the great one in his anger.

You need only look around you to see. The forest grows more and more threatening with each passing hour. So it is that we traveled here to quell the great one's fury─to perform the Quieting.

In days of old, the ritual was, without fail, performed by three white mages. With our elder sister occupied with her many duties, my brother and I thought to attempt it on our own. A–Ruhn was quite confident, but I had my doubts...

• DE Ich hatte gehofft, dass wir der Situation gewachsen wären, doch so sehr wir uns auch bemühten, wir vermochten nicht zum Wächterbaum vorzudringen. ‘I had hoped that we would be up to the situation, but however hard we tried, we could not get through to the Guardian Tree.’ English says A-Ruhn was confident while she doubted; German says she had hoped they could handle it.

It was then that you arrived, and shortly thereafter became one of the chosen few to be gifted with a white mage's soul crystal. 'Tis no small honor; that gem marks you as an inheritor of the magic of our ancestors.

My brother's pride may blind him, but the signs are clear as day to me. You are not Padjali, but A–Towa–Cant meant for you to be here today, to perform the ritual with us.

A–Towa–Cant is known to all as one of the greatest mages in our history, but even more so, he was known for being something of an eccentric. In defiance of tradition, he bid farewell to his forest home, wandering the realm and healing the wounds of the land and its people wheresoever he went.

A most admirable cause, yes? But alas, A–Towa was never to return. He perished in a far–off land, and having taken no apprentices, his legendary powers were lost to us for eternity. Or so I believed...until I met you.

And yet, for all his stubbornness, there is some truth to my brother's words. Ancient laws forbid us from sharing the teachings of white magic outside of our own kind. There are reasons for this, which I would share with you when the time is right.

• DE Sei dir deines Privilegs bewusst und verhalte dich entsprechend. ‘Be aware of your privilege and behave accordingly.’ English promises to explain the reasons later; German tells you to be aware of your privilege and behave.

There are many who would not approve of this arrangement. Still, I am convinced that it is A–Towa's will that we bring you into the fold. And so I welcome you, [name] of the white.

• FR Bref, je dois t'ennuyer avec ces histoires de traditions et de gens morts. ‘Anyway, I must be boring you with these stories of traditions and dead people.’ English notes many would disapprove; French jokes she must be boring you with traditions and dead people.
• DE Doch genug der Förmlichkeiten. ‘But enough of the formalities.’ English notes many would disapprove of this; German simply says enough of the formalities.
• JA ま、堅苦しい話はここまで。 ‘Well, enough of the stiff talk.’ English notes many would disapprove of this; Japanese simply says enough of the stiff talk.

I can feel the great one's fury welling up even now. Time is short, and yet, while you may have been chosen by A–Towa, I fear your journey as a white mage has just begun. Return to me when you have further honed your skills, and we shall proceed with your training.