Back to Square One

Main story quest #76, level 27. 151st of 173 in play order.

Quest giver: Gundobald, Southern Thanalan (X 16.9, Y 14.4).

Next: Terror at Fallgourd ›

Steps

Report to Minfilia.

Journal

Gundobald wants to wish you well on your investigation.
There is no more that Gundobald and his people can tell you of the masked stranger. Without another lead to investigate, return to the Waking Sands in Vesper Bay and report all that has transpired to Minfilia.
Listening to your report, Minfilia cannot hide her disquiet over the incident at Little Ala Mhigo. Thanking you for your efforts, she promises to look further into the matter.

Hidden

Easter egg Tataru's

'All work and no play makes Minfilia

a dull Scion' twists the saying 'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy', which warns that too much work and no rest is bad for you.

Title reference 'Back to square one' means back to the start after a dead end. Fitting, since the masked stranger's trail goes cold and you return to Minfilia

with no new lead.

Characters 5

Tataru
Tataru is with Minfilia at the Waking Sands as you return with your report.
What you know from earlier quests 4
- #99 The Scions of the Seventh Dawn: Startled, she first takes you for a shady merchant or a pushy peddler, then welcomes you warmly and tells the Antecedent, Minfilia. She brings Minfilia papers. A chart note says she is twenty-one, a beginner singer, and sings while doing her sums.
- #100 A Wild Rose by Any Other Name: Minfilia introduces Tataru as the Scions' clerk, who makes sure everything runs smoothly. Tataru greets you warmly.
- #111 A Hero in the Making: Tataru admits she praised you too loudly to too many people, and says sorry for the attention. She gives you the order of the services, Gridania, Ul'dah, then Limsa Lominsa, and tells you to see the sentry Zanthael.
- #135 Back from the Wood: Tataru greets you warmly and sends you to Minfilia in the solar. When a sylph suddenly appears, she shrieks in fright, then nervously greets Noraxia. Minfilia says Tataru shows her fright as freely as everything else.
Minfilia
Minfilia waits at the Waking Sands in Vesper Bay for your report on Lahabrea.
What you know from earlier quests 14
- #99 The Scions of the Seventh Dawn: She welcomes you home after five years, as Louisoix said. The Scions protect Eorzea from the primals, godlike beings. Your power, the Echo, shows people's pasts and lets you understand any speech. She has it too, asks your help, and shares the password "wild rose."
- #100 A Wild Rose by Any Other Name: Minfilia welcomes you to the Scions and introduces its leaders. She thinks people forget you because of the power Louisoix used to save your life. She asks you to lead an investigation into crimes in Ul'dah that may involve a primal, a godlike being.
- #101 Unsolved Mystery: Isembard says Minfilia names the Amalj'aa as the culprits behind the disappearances, so he advises you to look into them first.
- #106 Dressed to Deceive: Thancred sends you to report to Minfilia. She praises your work and says only the Amalj'aa know where the abducted were taken. She fears blood must be spilled before this is over.
- #107 Life, Materia and Everything: Minfilia lends you a dagger to take to Mutamix. She admires how much one piece of materia improves it, and urges you to use materia, since good gear can decide victory or defeat. She then turns to your next mission.
- #108 Lord of the Inferno: Minfilia is relieved to see you safe. With Thancred, she explains that primals feed on crystals and worship. She says those with the Echo, like you, cannot be tempered, or forced to serve a primal. She leaves out the captives' fate.
- #111 A Hero in the Making: Minfilia warns that fame has a price. Officers from all three Grand Companies (city armies) come to recruit you. She urges you to join one for safety among friends, gives you a linkpearl to keep in touch, and hopes you still aid the Scions.
- #113 Till Sea Swallows All: Minfilia calls you by linkpearl to congratulate you on joining the Maelstrom. She reminds you that you are still a Scion and asks you back to the Waking Sands. There she says Biggs and Wedge are now under the Scions' protection.
- #114 Sylph-management: Minfilia explains a study of the sylphs, a beast tribe of the Twelveswood, done for the Order of the Twin Adder. She wants a peaceful approach. She asks you to use the Echo, the only sure way to show your intentions.
- #134 Believe in Your Sylph: Yda says she and Papalymo are going back to the Waking Sands to tell Minfilia all about the talks with the sylphs. Papalymo promises to mention the part you played.
- #135 Back from the Wood: Minfilia praises your work and reviews the primals left to watch. Hearing of Lahabrea, she is alarmed that the Ascians no longer hide, and wants him investigated. She is glad the Scions' family grows, yet feels deep foreboding.
- #136 Shadow of Darkness: Minfilia fears the Ascians are behind the chaos in the realm. She asked each Grand Company for help, and the Immortal Flames answered. She sends you to Commander Swift in Ul'dah and asks you to be careful.
- #142 Foot in the Door: Minfilia feels for the Ala Mhigan refugees, who lost their homeland two decades ago and now face poverty and unfair treatment. She thinks only taking back their home would truly help. She offers to introduce you to an Ala Mhigan among the Scions.
- #143 Meeting with the Resistance: Minfilia tells you about Haribehrt, who joined the Scions hoping to free his homeland. She is sure he is glad to help, and sends you to the storage area, where he rests between missions.
Gundobald
Gundobald has told you all he knows about the masked stranger and wants to wish you well.
What you know from earlier quests 7
- #140 On to Little Ala Mhigo: Gundobald meets you coldly and asks why his people should help an outsider. He says they struggle enough already. He tells you that you are not welcome and orders you to leave.
- #141 Tea for Three: Gisilbehrt mentions him as a bristly old bear and has no doubt that he told you to leave.
- #142 Foot in the Door: Gisilbehrt mentions that Gundobald belongs to the Ala Mhigan Resistance. So the best person to vouch for you is someone from the same group.
- #147 Come Highly Recommended: Gundobald is moved to hear from Meffrid, whom he feared dead. Any friend of Meffrid is his friend, he says. He drops his mistrust and agrees to tell you what he knows of the masked stranger.
- #148 The Bear and the Young'uns' Cares: Gundobald says some young people here meet the masked man in secret. He knows their anger: two decades ago he and his brothers rose against Ala Mhigo's ruler, playing into the Empire's hands, and Ala Mhigo fell. He asks you to report their plans.
- #149 Wilred Wants You: Gundobald is shocked that Wilred and his friends attacked you for the sake of their plan. He fears the young fools may harm others or themselves, and wants to uncover their plan and stop it.
- #150 Big Trouble in Little Ala Mhigo: Gundobald comforts Bertliana after her capture by the Corpse Brigade. He hurries east with you, saves Wilred from the Amalj'aa, and calls the young ones the hope of his people. He tells Wilred that Ala Mhigo lives on within them.
Wilred
Wilred does not appear. Gundobald brings him up as the one who told you about the masked stranger.
What you know from earlier quests 2
- #149 Wilred Wants You: Wilred's meeting is a trap. He asks if the Empire sent you, then his Ala Mhigan friends attack you. Beaten, he swears to keep fighting and says they seek power to bring down the Empire and reclaim their homeland. He escapes.
- #150 Big Trouble in Little Ala Mhigo: Angry over Bertliana's capture, Wilred leads his friends to steal Amalj'aa crystals and summon Rhalgr, the Lord of Destruction, as a masked stranger taught them. Many die. He admits he never questioned the stranger, fears his people are doomed, and apologizes to you.
Haribehrt
What you know from earlier quests 1
- #143 Meeting with the Resistance: Haribehrt greets you as the Scions' rising star. He left the Ala Mhigan Resistance to join the Scions, so his old comrades shun him. His goal is still to free Ala Mhigo. He sends you to his contact Albreda in Quarrymill.

What happens in this quest spoilers for this quest

Tataru mutters that all work and no play makes Minfilia a dull Scion. When Minfilia asks, Tataru quickly says it was nothing, and Minfilia decides to rest awhile.
Minfilia hears how the young ones were taught summoning and sees the kind of deception the Ascians use. She believes some troubles come from someone evil, not only the Calamity, and wants to dig deeper. Then she agrees to rest awhile.
Gundobald says that what Wilred told you is all his people know. He hopes you find and stop the masked man, for the sake of the young ones who died because of his words.
Wilred: Gundobald says that what Wilred told you is all his people know about the masked stranger. There is nothing more to learn from him.

Dialogue 11 lines

Accepting the quest

Gundobald

Would that we had more information to offer, but what Wilred told you is the extent of our knowledge of the masked stranger.

Left unchecked, that man will bring about great pain and suffering. I pray that you'll find and put a swift end to the creature─for the sake of the young ones who died by his poisoned words.

DE Der Abschied fällt mir nicht leicht, doch es ist wohl besser, wenn du deine Nachforschungen an anderer Stelle fortsetzt. ‘Parting is not easy for me, but it is probably better if you continue your investigations elsewhere.’ English prays you will swiftly end the masked man; German advises continuing the investigation elsewhere.
JA 別れは惜しいが、調査を続けるのであれば、ほかの地をあたるべきだろう。 ‘Parting is a pity, but if you continue your investigation, you should try other lands.’ English prays you will swiftly end the masked man; Japanese advises looking in other lands.

Report to Minfilia.

Minfilia

Welcome back, [name]! I'm reliably informed the investigation took you to Quarrymill and Little Ala Mhigo.

DE Von Haribehrt habe ich gehört, dass deine Reise dich bis in die entlegensten Winkel von Thanalan geführt hat. ‘I heard from Haribehrt that your journey took you to the remotest corners of Thanalan.’ English names Quarrymill and Little Ala Mhigo; German says the journey reached the remotest corners of Thanalan.

So tell me, were you able to learn aught of Lahabrea?

Planted the knowledge of summoning in impressionable young minds, you say? Precisely the kind of deception the Ascians would employ...

DE Das ist pure Kriegstreiberei! ‘That is pure warmongering!’ English calls it typical Ascian deception; German calls it pure warmongering.
JA まさに、争いの火種をまいていたわけね。 ‘So he was truly sowing the seeds of conflict.’ English calls it typical Ascian deception; Japanese says he was sowing the seeds of conflict.

While many of the ills that ail the land can be attributed to the Calamity, some are being brought about by a malign will.

We must needs delve deeper into this, while things remain quiet on the primal front.

Tataru

All work and no play makes Minfilia a dull Scion.

FR Quand est-ce que je me repose, moi ? ‘When do I get to rest?’ English jokes overwork makes Minfilia dull; French has Tataru complain she herself never gets to rest.
DE Du bist und bleibst eine echte Schinderin, Minfilia. ‘You are and remain a real slave driver, Minfilia.’ English jokes overwork makes Minfilia dull; German calls Minfilia a real slave driver.

Minfilia

Hm? Did you say something?

Tataru

N-Nothing, my lady!

Minfilia

Ahem. Mayhap we ought to rest awhile before speaking further of the investigation.