A Proper Burial

Main story quest #33, level 18. 103rd of 173 in play order.

Quest giver: Isembard, Eastern Thanalan (X 13.9, Y 23.6).

Next: For the Children ›

Steps

Speak with Marques outside the Church of Saint Adama Landama.
Lay the embalmed corpse at the gravesite.
Bury the embalmed corpse.
Report back to Marques.
Speak with Sister Ourcen.
Speak with Isembard at Camp Drybone.

Journal

Isembard would like you to learn what you can from the clergy.
Isembard has asked that you visit the Church of Saint Adama Landama to inter a corpse he has prepared for burial, and to speak to the priests about the missing commonfolk. Seek out Marques in the lichyard.
Marques has directed you to an empty grave atop the nearby ridge. Bear the embalmed corpse to the gravesite.
You have gently placed the embalmed body at the foot of the grave. Perform one final duty for the deceased and provide him a proper burial.
You have interred the dearly departed as Isembard requested. Return to Marques and tell him the deed is done.
Marques admits to knowing little of the commonfolk. He suggests you speak to Sister Ourcen within the church.
Sister Ourcen informs you that while the commonfolk confide a great many things in her, she has not heard anything that might help your investigation. Return to Camp Drybone and speak to Isembard once more.
Upon your return to Isembard at Camp Drybone, the ever-dashing Thancred appears to greet you. To Isembard's dismay, he suspects that the only person who could take the vigilant commonfolk by surprise is the very Sister Ourcen who takes their confession. Isembard, however, is not so easily convinced.

Hidden

Lore Thal, the 'keeper' the commonfolk pray to here, is the side of Ul'dah's god Nald'thal who judges the dead in the afterlife. That fits a church with a graveyard.

Spoiler about later in the story

Foreshadowing Remember the lichkeeper Marques. Thancred is sure he has seen that face somewhere before.

Characters 4

Ungust
Ungust does not appear in this quest. Thancred mentions him.
What you know from earlier quests 2
- #97 Into a Copper Hell: He accuses a poor refugee woman of stealing dodo meat and sneers at refugees. He offers to spare her if she serves him "in whatever capacity" he wants. He sets his bodyguards on you. When witnesses say she bought it, he backs down.
- #102 What Poor People Think: Ungust angrily recognizes you as the adventurer who threatened him in Ul'dah. Born in Drybone and raised in the Golden Bazaar, he brags about tricking locals into hard labor. He shrugs off the disappearances, saying the missing simply moved away.
Thancred
Thancred is also looking into the missing people around Drybone.
What you know from earlier quests 3
- #97 Into a Copper Hell: Thancred has watched you since you left Ul'dah and praises your work as envoy and your selflessness, though the rescue was a happy accident. Thancred asks about your visions, knows a woman with the same talent, and invites you to join the Scions.
- #99 The Scions of the Seventh Dawn: In one version of this scene, you come at Thancred's request, and Tataru is startled to hear the name.
- #100 A Wild Rose by Any Other Name: Thancred is an Archon, a charming bard, and the Scions' man in Ul'dah. He explains the caravan robbery and the missing people, which point to the Amalj'aa, worshipers of the primal Ifrit. He sends you to Isembard at Camp Drybone.
Isembard
Isembard wants you to ask the clergy at the Church of Saint Adama Landama about the missing commonfolk.
What you know from earlier quests 3
- #100 A Wild Rose by Any Other Name: Isembard has no official title, but the camp's people look to him to lead. Minfilia sent word that you were coming and warned him about the Amalj'aa. He gives his word to help bring the victims home safely.
- #101 Unsolved Mystery: Isembard says the Amalj'aa murdered visitors to the Church of Saint Adama Landama. He asks you to bring back the bodies for a proper burial and thanks you. He feels the Amalj'aa cannot be acting alone and suspects another hand.
- #102 What Poor People Think: Isembard sends you to Ungust with a note, calling him rough but the man who knows the locals best. He is not surprised Ungust was little help. He thinks the commonfolk speak freely only to their gods, so the clergy may know something.
Ourcen
Sister Ourcen serves the Order at the Church of Saint Adama Landama, northwest of Camp Drybone.

What happens in this quest spoilers for this quest

Ungust: Thancred says he spoke with Ungust many times, and sees some truth in the idea that the commonfolk tell secrets only to those who serve the gods.
Thancred meets Isembard at Camp Drybone. He spoke with Ungust many times. He suspects Sister Ourcen, since people confess to her behind closed doors. Ourcen heard he took offense at the lichkeeper Marques, and he thinks he has seen that face before.
Isembard trusts you to carry an embalmed body to the church for burial, and thanks you for it. When Thancred names Sister Ourcen as a suspect, Isembard is shocked and cannot believe she could do it.
Ourcen thanks you for the burial. The commonfolk confide in her and speak to their keeper Thal through her, but she knows nothing of the missing. She worries about Marques, scarred by the Calamity. Thancred suspects her; Isembard refuses to believe it.

Dialogue 24 lines

Accepting the quest

It's all wrong. I...I should have...

FR Ne perds pas ton temps ici, je n'ai rien à te dire de plus ! ‘Don't waste your time here, I have nothing more to tell you!’ English has him mutter that it is all wrong and he should have acted; French dismisses you.
DE Ich fürchte, ich kann dir nicht helfen. ‘I fear I cannot help you.’ English has him mutter that it is all wrong and he should have acted; German says he cannot help.
JA ……俺はどうせ役には立たん、さっさと行け。 ‘...I'm no use anyway, so get going.’ English has him mutter that it is all wrong and he should have acted; Japanese tells you to go away.

Isembard

If we would know what the commonfolk speak of to their gods, we've no better place to ask than at the Church of Saint Adama Landama. It is a small and humble church, found to the northwest of here.

DE Sie liegt gleich westlich dieses Camps. ‘It lies just west of this camp.’ English places the church to the northwest; German places it just west of the camp.
JA この集落のすぐ西にある、小さな教会だ。 ‘It is a small church just west of this settlement.’ English places the church to the northwest; Japanese places it just west of the settlement.

And so long as you are headed there...might I ask you to deliver this embalmed corpse? A morbid request, I grant you, but it must be borne to burial, and I trust none more than you to see it done.

Seek out a man named Marques─he tends the graves of the lichyard. He will tell you where the body is to be interred.

Report back to Marques.

I am Marques, yes. A body? Of course... There...there have been...so many bodies of late...

FR Je te dirai ensuite ce que je pense de ces enlèvements. ‘Then I will tell you what I think of these abductions.’ English trails off about so many bodies of late; French promises to share his views on the abductions afterward.
DE Das gebietet uns die Pietät. ‘Piety demands it of us.’ English trails off about so many bodies of late; German says piety demands burying the dead first.

I... I apologize, miss/sir. If you seek a place of burial, then there is an empty grave atop the ridge. Take the path and lay him to rest there.

Bury him well and give his soul peace. Then we will talk.

DE Willst du den armen Tropf hier verfaulen lassen? ‘Do you want to leave the poor wretch to rot here?’ English gently asks you to bury him and give his soul peace; German scolds you for letting him rot.

Did you bury him? You must pack the earth tight, or they will come... The mongrels will come and defile the body...

May they all walk in Thal's realm... ...What? Missing people? I...I'm afraid I cannot help you.

DE Ich werde mich später von der Güte deiner Arbeit überzeugen. ‘I will check the quality of your work later.’ English offers a blessing for the dead; German says he will check your work later.

But maybe Sister Ourcen can. She has been kind to me. Everyone...everyone has been so kind.

FR Elle passe beaucoup de temps à s'occuper des pauvres des environs et il est possible qu'elle ait entendu quelque chose. ‘She spends a lot of time caring for the poor around here, and she may have heard something.’ English says she has been kind to him; French says she spends much time caring for the poor.
DE Die Priesterin Ourcen ist ständig von Flüchtlingen umgeben und scheint sich blendend mit ihnen zu verstehen. ‘The priestess Ourcen is constantly surrounded by refugees and seems to get along splendidly with them.’ English says she has been kind to him; German says she gets along splendidly with the refugees.
JA ……だが、貧民と仲の良い司祭「オルセン」様に聞けば、何かわかるかもしれん。 ‘...But if you ask Lady Ourcen, the priest who is on good terms with the poor, you might learn something.’ English says she has been kind to him; Japanese says she is on good terms with the poor.

I don't know why, though. I... Pardon me. You will find Sister Ourcen within the church walls.

DE Und jetzt lass einen einfachen Totengräber hier bitte weiter sein Tagewerk verrichten. ‘And now please let a simple gravedigger get on with his day's work.’ English has him wonder why everyone is kind and beg pardon; German asks to be left to his work.

Speak with Sister Ourcen.

Ourcen

I hear you have done us the service of burying a fallen soul. Please accept our gratitude, and extend it to Isembard when next you see him.

FR Faites savoir à Isembard que nous prierons pour le salut de son âme. ‘Let Isembard know that we will pray for the salvation of his soul.’ English asks you to pass her gratitude to Isembard; French asks you to tell him they will pray.
DE Richte Isembard bitte aus, dass meine Gebete den Verstorbenen begleiten. ‘Please tell Isembard that my prayers go with the departed.’ English asks you to pass her gratitude to Isembard; German asks you to tell him she prays for the departed.
JA お祈りしておきますと、「キャンプ・ドライボーン」の「イセムバード」さんにお伝えください。 ‘Please tell Isembard of Camp Drybone that I will offer prayers.’ English asks you to pass her gratitude to Isembard; Japanese asks you to tell him she will pray.

Hm? You seek knowledge of missing Drybone inhabitants? It is true I am closer to the people than any other of the Order. I confide in them, and they in me. When they wish to speak to their keeper, Thal, I am the medium through which they do.

Should I learn anything pertinent, I will be sure to share the information with you. I only wish Marques would be more helpful in the matter. I pray he did nothing to offend. He saw...terrible things during the Calamity... His scars run deep. Indeed, he seems to now prefer the company of the dead over the living.

While tragic, I fear such behavior ill befits the church. I received word not long ago that one of our recent visitors─a man called Thancred, I believe─took offense at his conduct. I must have words with Marques, and soon.

FR Je vais aller lui parler, ça lui fera certainement du bien de se confier. ‘I will go speak to him; it will surely do him good to open up.’ English means to take Marques to task soon; French expects a talk to do him good.

Please extend my gratitude to Isembard on behalf of the Order.

FR Faites savoir à Isembard que nous prierons pour le salut de cette malheureuse âme. ‘Let Isembard know that we will pray for the salvation of this unfortunate soul.’ English asks you to pass the Order's gratitude to Isembard; French asks you to tell him they will pray.
DE Richte Isembard bitte aus, dass ich für den Verstorbenen beten werde. ‘Please tell Isembard that I will pray for the departed.’ English asks you to pass the Order's gratitude to Isembard; German asks you to tell him she will pray.

Speak with Isembard at Camp Drybone.

Isembard

Thank you, [name]. A burial is no easy thing─even when the departed is a stranger. Were you able to learn aught of the missing commonfolk?

Thancred

You've been keeping yourself rather busy of late, haven't you, [name]?

A pleasure, my dear Isembard. The name is Thancred, and I share a passion with you and our mutual friend here for learning what has become of these missing persons and why.

I, too, spoke with Ungust─more times than I care to count. There seems to be some truth to this notion of the commonfolk speaking their secrets only to those in service to the gods.

Prostration, prayer, penance. Abject deeds done behind closed doors, away from prying eyes. Who better to take the pious unawares than she who takes confession─the good Sister Ourcen herself?

Isembard

Ourcen!? She wouldn't... She couldn't!

Thancred

Even the most beautiful roses have thorns, my friend. And you would be wise to keep an eye to this rose.

Still, the lichkeeper Marques... I'd swear to the Twelve I've seen that face elsewhere before...