Taking the Black

Yayake

[name]. I've been waiting for you─in a way. Please, let me explain. Do you know of the Marasaja Pit? It is a prison, here in Ul'dah.

• DE Voll Ungeduld habe ich dein Kommen erwartet. ‘Full of impatience, I have awaited your coming.’ English says she has been waiting "in a way", with doubt; German says she awaited you with great impatience.

In prison, a man will do most anything to keep his mind occupied. Of late, one inmate claims to hear the voice of Nald'thal. No doubt he has lost his mind after serving one hundred years of a life sentence.

But, he knew of you by name, [name], and maintains the Traders demand you win the Gem of Shatotto and exchange it for his release.

A farce, no doubt. I make it for nothing more than the maniacal ravings of a cell–crazed, sweaty–toothed madman. But I fear the only way to be sure is to free him of the Pit.

• FR Pourquoi devrions-nous prêter foi aux élucubrations d'un vieillard qui a certainement inventé ce conte à dormir debout pour sortir de sa geôle ? ‘Why should we put faith in the ramblings of an old man who surely made up this tall tale to get out of his cell?’ English fears freeing him is the only way to be sure; French says he made the tale up to get out.
• DE Wir haben natürlich weder die Pflicht, so einem an den Haaren herbeigezogenen Unfug nachzugehen, noch, den Aufwiegler nach willkürlich aufgestellten Bedingungen freizulassen ... ‘We are of course under no obligation to follow up such far-fetched nonsense, nor to release the agitator on arbitrarily set conditions ...’ English fears freeing him is the only way to be sure; German says they have no duty to release him.
• JA お告げとやらの真偽を確かめてやる義理も、罪人を牢より解放してやる道理もないというのに。 ‘Even though there is no obligation to verify the truth of this so-called oracle, nor any reason to release the criminal from prison.’ English fears freeing him is the only way to be sure; Japanese says there is no reason to release him.

The prisoner's name is Ququruka Tataruka, and as if his story were not proof enough of his lunacy, he also styles himself a black mage.

But such magic was lost to Eorzea centuries ago. Who does this senile charlatan think he will fool with such rubbish?

• DE Er hat sich wohl von einigen esoterischen Schriften an der Nase herumführen lassen. ‘He has probably let himself be led by the nose by some esoteric writings.’ English calls him a charlatan trying to fool others; German thinks he was himself fooled by esoteric writings.
• JA おおかた、禁書のまじないに取り憑かれた、愚鈍な術士でございましょう。 ‘Most likely, he is a dull-witted mage possessed by the spells of forbidden books.’ English calls him a charlatan trying to fool others; Japanese calls him a dull mage possessed by forbidden spells.

Nevertheless, he has invoked the name of Nald'thal, and so the Order feels it unwise to ignore his words. Though I am still no believer, you have come, as he said you would.

• DE Und daher haben wir beschlossen, der Sache nachzugehen und kurzerhand zu beweisen, dass das alles nicht mehr als leeres Geschwätz ist. ‘And so we decided to look into the matter and promptly prove that it is all nothing more than empty chatter.’ English admits you came as he predicted; German says they decided to prove it is all empty talk.

So let us get to the bottom of this, shall we? It may be that you are an agent of fate, or perhaps you are merely a crooked old man's accomplice.

In either case, I ask that you travel to Highbridge in eastern Thanalan. Seek out the planar fissure─a rift between this world and the next. Fell whatever beasts might lurk there, and water the earth with their blood.

According to our gaoled mummer, doing so will give rise to the Gem of Shatotto.

The gem is no more than a pretty stone oft mentioned in bedtime stories and the tales of faeries. We shall see if it truly exists.

• FR Par contre, je n'avais jamais entendu dire qu'elle était obtenue en tuant des monstres, encore moins des insectes qui se repaissent d'excréments. ‘However, I had never heard that it was obtained by killing monsters, let alone insects that feed on excrement.’ English doubts the gem exists; French scoffs at getting it by killing excrement-eating insects.
• DE Wie du so etwas aus erschlagenem Blutsauger-Ungeziefer bekommen sollst, ist mir ein Rätsel. ‘How you are supposed to get such a thing from slain bloodsucking vermin is a mystery to me.’ English doubts the gem exists; German wonders how it could come from slain bloodsucking vermin.

I shall await your findings here. Return to me when the deed is done.

KKazagg Chah

???: )/>, hear me.

Put up your weapon, friend. Kazagg Chah means you no harm.

So you are the one of whom Ququruka's prophecy speaks.

By your hand was the blood of these creatures spilt upon this earthen vein, was it not?

Then you have earned this Gem of Shatotto. Take it. You will know what to do with it when the time comes.

• DE Ihn soll ich dir geben. ‘I am to give it to you.’ English says you earned the gem; German says he was told to give it to you.
• JA 吾輩は務めを成すのみ、汝に「」を与えん。 ‘I merely fulfill my duty; I grant you the [ ].’ English says you earned the gem; Japanese says he merely does his duty in giving it.

With this, my part is done. Farewell, for now.

• DE Du wirst ihn zu verwenden wissen, wenn die Zeit gekommen ist. ‘You will know how to use it when the time has come.’ English says his part is done and bids farewell; German says you will know how to use it in time.
• JA そして、其の石の力が如何なるものや。それは、汝自身に問うがよい……思索生知。 ‘And what the power of that stone may be... that, ask of yourself... thought begets knowledge.’ English says his part is done and bids farewell; Japanese tells you to ask yourself what the stone's power is.

Yayake

Well, you certainly smell as though you've been off spilling blood. But it will take more than a waft of foulness to convince me you are an agent of divine will. I take it yours was an eventful journey?

• DE Dann hast du die Gegner also bezwungen. ‘So you have defeated the enemies, then.’ English mocks you for smelling of spilled blood; German neutrally notes that you defeated the enemies.
• JA 魔物を倒してきたようですね。 ‘It seems you have defeated the monsters.’ English mocks you for smelling of spilled blood; Japanese neutrally notes that you defeated the monsters.

I-It is exactly as described in the tales! Could it truly be...? The Gem of Shatotto?

Twelve be good, I can feel the magic pulsing within it!

The tales tell that only souls blessed by the grace of Nald'thal are entrusted with the keeping of the gem.

This is beyond mere coincidence. I must investigate further.

And you must assist me, [name]. This now involves you as much as any other.

Still, I cannot shake my inner skeptic. If Ququruka somehow made contact with the outside world, he may be manipulating adventurers such as yourself for ends yet unknown to us.

I will call an emergency council of the Order. Please, wait here.

QQuquruka

???: That will not be necessary.

Yayake

Ququruka!? What are you doing here? How have you escaped the Pit?

LLalai

Watch your tongue, you insolent fool! Master has passed a century in meditation communing with Nald'thal. You will address him with the proper respect!

QQuquruka

The gaolers of the Marasaja Pit are very different from the heretics of your Order. Suffice it to say they had wisdom enough to listen.

Must I remind you again? The will I speak is that of Nald'thal Himself. The true criminal is he who ignores the words of a god.

• DE Und wer an den Worten des großen Nald'thal zweifelt, der muss um Gnade winseln! ‘And whoever doubts the words of the great Nald'thal, he must whimper for mercy!’ English calls whoever ignores a god the true criminal; German says such a doubter must beg for mercy.

Yayake

Beware, Ququruka. The Twelve seldom spare those who claim Their voice. This mummer's farce will bring disaster to us all.

QQuquruka

The cause of the disaster to come will be no words of mine─of that be sure.

Nald'thal spoke unto me. By His own declaration, the seal on the voidgate will be broken.

Once thrown open, it can be closed once more by none but she/he who bears the Gem of Shatotto.

I speak of you, [name].

The gem you hold is the mark of a mage of the black. With it in hand, you must now set forth to gather the keys needed to seal the voidgate.

Yayake

Wait! You can't─ I mean, you don't have the right to─ I...I can't just let this happen!

QQuquruka

Silence, you hollow-pated prig! Those who do not listen shall not be heard!

You take for yourself the title of thaumaturge, and so I will not suffer you to claim ignorance. You know as well as any of the existence of a netherworld rife with shadow and monstrosity─the void.

As the power of the void waxes, the barrier between it and our own world wanes. Eventually, that barrier will falter, and the voidgate will open.

• DE Es pulsiert stärker als je zuvor, und manipuliert man das Gleichgewicht einmal zu oft, so dringt das Jenseitige herüber in unsere Welt an der schwächsten Stelle: Die Pforte zum Nichts springt auf. ‘It pulses stronger than ever, and if one tampers with the balance once too often, the otherworldly breaks into our world at the weakest point: the gate to the void springs open.’ English says the barrier weakens as the void grows stronger; German blames tampering with the balance once too often.

Once it has, only the black magic of eld can reseal it.

Yayake

This... This is sacrilege!

• FR La magie noire !? ‘Black magic!?’ English condemns it as sacrilege; French only exclaims the words black magic in shock.
• DE Schwarze Magie ...! ‘Black magic ...!’ English condemns it as sacrilege; German only exclaims the words black magic in shock.
• JA 「黒魔法」……！ ‘Black magic...!’ English condemns it as sacrilege; Japanese only exclaims the words black magic in shock.

QQuquruka

As one who now commands the forces of destruction, I bid you go forth, black mage.

The Gem of Shatotto is our sigil─the mark of the magi devoted to the true dark art. In it, you already possess the first key required to see the voidgate sealed.

• DE Denn du trägst bereits einen der Schlüssel in dir ... ‘For you already carry one of the keys within you ...’ English says the gem holds the first key; German says you already carry one of the keys within yourself.
• JA ヴォイドゲートを閉ざす、ひとつめのカギは、既にその身に宿る……。 ‘The first key to sealing the voidgate already dwells within your body...’ English says the gem holds the first key; Japanese says the first key already dwells within your body.

You have taken the black, but time is needed before the black takes you─before it permeates mind and body, and colors every fiber of your being dark as pitch.

Visit Milvaneth Sacrarium, and there hear the words of Lalai.

Do not fear the power to destroy. Master it, and with it destroy that which would destroy you.

• FR Ne laisse pas le pouvoir destructeur de la magie noire te dominer, et tu pourras accomplir cette tâche. ‘Do not let the destructive power of black magic dominate you, and you will be able to accomplish this task.’ English urges destroying what would destroy you; French says you will be able to accomplish this task.
• DE Du wirst sie dir zunutze machen, über sie verfügen - zu deinen eigenen Zwecken ... und zur Erfüllung deiner Bestimmung. ‘You will harness it, command it - for your own purposes ... and for the fulfillment of your destiny.’ English urges destroying what would destroy you; German speaks of using it to fulfill your destiny.
• JA そなたなら、その力を従え、必ずや使命を果たすことができるであろう……。 ‘You can master that power and will surely be able to fulfill your mission...’ English urges destroying what would destroy you; Japanese says you will surely fulfill your mission.

LLalai

Master is meditating in his chambers. For Nald'thal always speaks, and Master must listen. He has entrusted me with guiding you on your path─but you must walk alone yet. Come again when the black has grown stronger within you.

• FR Les occultistes de la ville sont suffisamment intrigués par la magie noire pour laisser maître Ququruka méditer au fond du sanctuaire. ‘The city's thaumaturges are intrigued enough by black magic to let Master Ququruka meditate deep in the sanctuary.’ English says he meditates because Nald'thal always speaks; French says curious city thaumaturges let him meditate there.