Highbridge Times

Main story quest #63, level 24. 137th of 173 in play order.

Quest giver: Hihibaru, Eastern Thanalan (X 20.2, Y 21.3).

Next: Where There Is Smoke ›

Steps

Speak with merchants at Highbridge.
Speak with Hihibaru.

Journal

Hihibaru wants to help you find Lahabrea...maybe.
As it turns out, Hihibaru is more concerned with his own business than yours. He brusquely tells you to speak with the other merchants at Highbridge about the masked man.
Your conversations with the other merchants have yielded nothing of note. For want of a better lead, perhaps you should speak with Hihibaru once again.
Hihibaru suspects that someone may be inciting the beast tribes. Apologizing for his earlier rudeness, he promises to keep an eye out for your target.

Hidden

Lore When Hihibaru

snaps 'Thal take your bloody masked man!', he swears by Thal. Ul'dah's god Nald'thal is one god formed from the twins Nald and Thal, and Thal is the one who judges the dead.

Characters 1

Hihibaru
Hihibaru claims he can help you find the masked man, but he is mostly worried about his struggling shop at Highbridge.
What you know from earlier quests 1
- #136 Shadow of Darkness: Hihibaru greets you warmly and says he can provide anything, probably. At first he takes your question as a shopping request. Then he hints that the masked man is in some rumors he heard, and asks you to linger.

What happens in this quest spoilers for this quest

Hihibaru sold everything for his business, hoping for pilgrims at Highbridge. Beastman raids keep them away, and he fears going bankrupt. He snaps at you, then apologizes. He suspects someone is directing the Qiqirn raids and promises to watch for the masked man.

Dialogue 14 lines

Accepting the quest

Hihibaru

When the Order of Nald'thal began excavating the ruins below, I had hopes that Highbridge would turn into a bustling hub for pilgrims. But thanks to the nigh-endless beastman raids, folk are too afraid to come within a malm of here.

DE Diese uneinsichtigen Amalj'aa vertreiben uns mit ihrem Geschwafel vom Herrn des Infernos und ihrem gruseligen Zähnefletschen die ganzen Pilgerreisenden. ‘These unreasonable Amalj'aa drive away from us, with their babble about the Lord of the Inferno and their creepy teeth-baring, all the pilgrims.’ English blames nigh-endless beastman raids; German blames Amalj'aa babbling about the Lord of the Inferno.

I sold everything I owned to get my venture started, and I'm loath to give up without making an earnest effort to stick it out. But if things keep going as they are, I'll be bankrupt before the moon is through...

Whining won't do me any good, though. No, for my business to survive, I need business. Speaking of which, perhaps you'd like to browse my wares! Spend a bit of coin to help a struggling merchant!

DE Wie wäre es also mit unserem Aktiv-Ausflug „Heilende Wurzeln aus dem heißen Sand“, der sich besonders bei Gridanias Druiden größter Beliebtheit erfreut ...! ‘So how about our active excursion "Healing Roots from the Hot Sand", which is especially popular with Gridania's druids ...!’ English invites the hero to browse his wares; German pitches a tour called "Healing Roots from the Hot Sand".

...The masked man? Bah, Thal take your bloody masked man! I know what I said before, but vague rumors are all I've got. If you want to know about him, go and ask the other merchants!

FR Il n'y a pas le feu à la Yugr'am ! ‘There's no fire at the Yugr'am!’ English curses the masked man by Thal; French tells the hero there is no rush.
JA なんて、せっかちなお人だい！ ‘What an impatient person you are!’ English curses the masked man by Thal; Japanese calls the hero impatient.

Speak with merchants at Highbridge.

On the trail of a masked man? Aye, I've heard of him...but only in hushed tones and faint whispers.

DE Klar, den kenn ich! ‘Sure, I know him!’ English has only heard of him in whispers; German claims to know him.

It's said he wears a black hooded robe, an' looks right suspicious. An' that's about all I can say, little though it is.

DE Die Nichte der Schwägerin meiner Schwester, also eigentlich meine Nichte, hat neulich einen äußerst verdächtigen Mann gesehen, der die Kapuze seiner schwarzen Robe tief ins Gesicht gezogen hatte. ‘My sister's sister-in-law's niece, so actually my niece, recently saw a highly suspicious man who had pulled the hood of his black robe deep over his face.’ English passes on a rumor; German says his niece, described in a roundabout way, saw the man.
DE Der soll nur versuchen, hier krumme Dinger zu drehen, dann kriegt er's mit mir zu tun! ‘Just let him try pulling anything crooked here, then he'll have me to deal with!’ English modestly admits knowing little; German threatens the man.

Have I seen a masked man wearing a dark robe? No, I haven't, nor do I wish to. Business is bad enough without shady characters lurking about.

FR Je ne suis pas au courant, mais il serait le bienvenu ! Un type aussi peu discret serait idéal pour servir de rabatteur ! ‘I'm not aware of it, but he'd be welcome! Such an indiscreet guy would be ideal as a tout!’ English wants no shady characters hurting business; French would welcome him as a customer-puller.
DE Klingt nach 'ner ziemlichen Attraktion! Wenn du den gefunden hast, musst du ihn mir unbedingt vorstellen! ‘Sounds like quite an attraction! If you find him, you absolutely must introduce him to me!’ English wants no shady characters hurting business; German finds him an attraction and wants to meet him.
JA そんな目立つ奴がいたら大歓迎だね。客寄せにちょうどいいってもんさ。 ‘If such a conspicuous guy were around, he'd be very welcome. He'd be just right for drawing customers.’ English wants no shady characters hurting business; Japanese would welcome him as a customer-puller.

Folk have been giving Highbridge a wide berth because of all the Qiqirn raids. None but the most devout of pilgrims are willing to come here anymore.

Mayhap it's best I moved on... Cut my losses before they drag me all the way down...

DE Von wegen, hier wimmelt's von Pilgern. ‘So much for this place teeming with pilgrims.’ English thinks of moving on to cut his losses; German grumbles that the promised pilgrims never came.
JA ハイブリッジが巡礼者で賑わうって噂、いったい何だったのかねぇ……。 ‘Whatever was that rumor that Highbridge would bustle with pilgrims, huh...’ English thinks of moving on to cut his losses; Japanese grumbles about the rumor of crowds of pilgrims.

Aye, I've heard tell of the masked devil. Seems he's been appearing not only around Highbridge, but elsewhere about Thanalan, too.

Enough folk have reported seeing him to convince me he's more than a figment of the imagination, but little is known about him otherwise.

Speak with Hihibaru.

Hihibaru

Judging by your expression, I take it you didn't learn much of use.

Look, I'm sorry for my rudeness earlier. It's just that things are tough for us merchants at the moment. The Qiqirn raids are so constant, so organized, we're beginning to suspect that someone is orchestrating it all.

FR Nous sommes tous au bord de la faillite, alors vous imaginez que nous sommes un peu à cran. ‘We are all on the brink of bankruptcy, so you can imagine we are a little on edge.’ English suspects someone is orchestrating the raids; French says the merchants are near bankruptcy and on edge.
DE Die ständigen Überfälle der Qiqirn haben sich nachteilig auf die Geschäfte ausgewirkt und jetzt machen auch noch Gerüchte die Runde, die Rattenwesen würden die Bewohner dieser Region entführen. ‘The constant Qiqirn raids have hurt business, and now rumors are even going around that the rat-creatures are abducting the inhabitants of this region.’ English suspects someone is orchestrating the raids; German reports rumors that the rat-creatures abduct locals.

I tend to put my own welfare first, like most of us do, but that doesn't mean I'm a bad person. I promise to keep an eye out for your masked man. If I see or hear anything, you'll be the first to know.