45
Loam Maintenance
Main story quest #7, level 9. 45th of 102 in play order.
Quest giver: Gurcant, Middle La Noscea (X 25.5, Y 17.2).
Steps
Journal
- Gurcant seeks fertile soil to improve the yields of his newly plowed fields.
- It would appear that Rhotwyda
is knowledgeable about 
blackloam. Seek her in the orchard and ask her about this special soil. - While Rhotwyda knows where blackloam may be found, she refuses to do the obtaining herself. In her stead, gather three bushels of blackloam from the lair of aurochs known as the Cookpot.
- You have obtained the required quantity of blackloam. Deliver it to Pfrewahl
at Tiller's Rest. - Pfrewahl is overjoyed upon seeing the blackloam, but becomes coy when you express your curiosity at the soil's origins. Hopefully it is nothing to soil oneself over.
Hidden
blackloam really is. Pfrewahl's jokes about its 'cloying stench' and the aurochs' lair say it for them. The journal ends on a toilet pun.blackloam item's own description says it plainly: 'Quite literally a steaming sack of shite.' idle line goes: 'Fifty years of farming have taught me the songs of the soil and the words of the wind'. And now the men come in from the sea to hear them. that used to lead into this one. Patch 5.3 removed it while cutting down the A Realm Reborn main story quests. wants for his fields.Characters 2
Gurcant worries about his newly plowed fields: the crops are growing too slowly. He wishes he had
blackloam, a rich soil.What you know from earlier quests 1
- #31 Dressed to Call: Staelwyrn
mentions Gurcant in small talk as a top plant expert who teaches the ex-pirates to farm. But Staelwyrn adds there is only so much he can teach them.
- #31 Dressed to Call: Staelwyrn
Pfrewahl works the land at Tiller's Rest, where the dirt is so poor that even the weeds wither and die.
What happens in this quest spoilers for this quest
- Gurcant sends you to Rhotwyda in the orchard, sure she knows where blackloam is found. Neither of them tells you where it comes from. His idle line says he has fifty years of farming behind him.
- Pfrewahl is overjoyed by the blackloam. He has not seen any in ages and expects a fine harvest. Laughing, he tells you it comes from the aurochs' lair, and its stench says the rest. He thanks you.
What the Japanese, French and German versions say 7
Japanese
EN Loam Maintenance · 'Pfrewahl is overjoyed upon seeing the blackloam, but becomes coy when you express your curiosity at the soil's origins.'
JA 「芳しき陸の勇者」, 'the fragrant hero of dry land' · 「芳しい土をフルーアールに届けたところ、過剰と思えるほどに感謝された。」, 'You took the fragrant soil to Pfrewahl, and he thanked you almost too much.'
The title is a joke. The blackloam you haul is hinted to be aurochs dung, so you are the smelly hero.
EN 'Well, surely you figured it out on your own from the cloying stench! It comes from the aurochs' lair, of all places!' · 'What matters is that your efforts have brought us the blackloam, and we can expect a bountiful harvest as a result. Thank you!'
JA 「このずっしり湿り気を帯びた塊、そして、ねっとり粘り着くような臭気……そう、これはオーロックスの……」, 'This heavy, damp lump, and this sticky, clinging stench... yes, this is the aurochs'...' · 「とにかく、あんたの自己犠牲の精神に感謝するよ！」, 'Anyway, thank you for your spirit of self-sacrifice!'
Pfrewahl stops just before he names the soil, while the English says where it comes from. He thanks you for your self-sacrifice, not just your efforts.
French
EN 'If only we had blackloam... Just a bit could send our stalks soaring!' · 'That Gurcant's got a head of cabbage if he thinks I'm fetchin' him any blackloam!'
FR «Chi cheulement j'avais du bon humuch frais, il cherait pochible de faire poucher les fruits plus vite chur ches terres pauvres...», 'If only I had some good fresh humus, it would be possible to make the fruit grow faster on these poor lands...' · «Gurcant t'a demandé d'obtenir de l'humuch frais... ? Aaah, tu veux dire de l'humus frais !», 'Gurcant asked you to get some fresh humuch...? Aaah, you mean fresh humus!'
Old Gurcant says ch for s, and Rhotwyda teases him by repeating his 'humuch'. The English lines are said plainly.
EN Loam Maintenance · 'Ahem, well, why dwell on who misled whom about what?'
FR «Les mains dedans», 'hands in it' · «C'est sûrement mieux d'ignorer ça avant d'aller mettre les mains dedans, je l'admets volontiers.», 'It's surely better not to know that before you go putting your hands in it, I freely admit.'
The title comes from Pfrewahl's closing joke: better not to know what soil you put your hands in. Here, it is aurochs dung. The English line has no such joke.
EN 'Well, surely you figured it out on your own from the cloying stench! It comes from the aurochs' lair, of all places!'
FR «Ceci dit, ce n'est pas difficile à deviner. Cette consistance légèrement humide... cette puanteur tenace... Oui, tu as bien compris, c'est de la bouse d'aurochs !», 'That said, it's not hard to guess. This slightly damp texture... this stubborn stench... Yes, you got it right, it's aurochs dung!'
Pfrewahl says it outright, where the English only hints at it.
German
EN Loam Maintenance
DE „Naturdünger“, 'natural fertiliser'
The title gives the secret away: the soil from the aurochs' lair is manure.
EN 'Well, surely you figured it out on your own from the cloying stench! It comes from the aurochs' lair, of all places!'
DE „Aber die weiche Konsistenz und die nährreichen Inhaltsstoffe sind einfach perfekt. Es geht doch nichts über Auerochsendu... äh ...“, 'But the soft texture and the rich nutrients are just perfect. Nothing beats aurochs du-... er...'
Pfrewahl breaks off in the middle of Auerochsendung, 'aurochs dung', when the word is all but said.
Dialogue 11 lines
Accepting the quest
Gurcant
Blast! At this rate, the crops will never be ready for harvest.
If only we had blackloam... Just a bit could send our stalks soaring!
I'll bet Rhotwyda knows where you might find some. Perhaps you might pay her a visit in the orchard?
Speak with Rhotwyda
Rhotwyda
That Gurcant's got a head of cabbage if he thinks I'm fetchin' him any blackloam!
- FR Aaah, tu veux dire de l'humus frais ! ‘Aaah, you mean fresh humus!’ English: Gurcant has a head of cabbage; French: she mocks Gurcant's lisp, «humuch» for «humus».
- DE Ja, die können wir gut gebrauchen. ‘Yes, we can certainly use it.’ English: Gurcant has a head of cabbage if he thinks she'll fetch any; German: they can certainly use the soil.
- JA それは気の毒に……まあ、あなたが気にしないなら、こっちは大歓迎よ。 ‘That's a pity for you...’ English: Gurcant has a head of cabbage if he thinks she'll fetch any; Japanese: she pities you for being asked.
- FR Tu en as de la veine de te coltiner ce travail, toi. ‘Aren't you the lucky one, getting saddled with that job.’ French has her mock your "luck" in getting the job; English has her refuse to fetch it herself.
- DE Wenn du dir nicht zu fein dafür bist, deine Hände schmutzig zu machen, nur zu! ‘If you're not too refined to get your hands dirty, go right ahead!’ German has her welcome your help if you don't mind dirty hands; no refusal or cabbage insult.
But if you dare to pinch some from the Cookpot, then be my guest. Just mind you don't get trampled upon by the aurochs that dwell there.
Once you've three bushels' worth, take the blackloam to Pfrewahl at Tiller's Rest. He'll know what to do.
Take the blackloam to Pfrewahl at Tiller's Rest
Pfrewahl
Argh, even the weeds wither and die in this desolate dirt.
But a bit of this blackloam ought to change all that! I haven't seen any in ages. Gathering blackloam's not for the weak of will...nor the weak of stomach, eh? Hahaha!
...Oh, don't tell me Gurcant and Rhotwyda neglected to mention where blackloam comes from.
- DE Wer könnte es ihnen auch übel nehmen? ‘Who could hold it against them, really?’ English: Gurcant and Rhotwyda never said where blackloam comes from; German: who could blame them, given the strong stench.
Well, surely you figured it out on your own from the cloying stench! It comes from the aurochs' lair, of all places!
- JA このずっしり湿り気を帯びた塊、そして、ねっとり粘り着くような臭気……そう、これはオーロックスの…… ‘This heavy, damp lump, and this sticky, clinging stench... yes, this is the aurochs'...’ Pfrewahl stops just before he names the soil, while the English says where it comes from. He thanks you for your self-sacrifice, not just your efforts.
- FR Ceci dit, ce n'est pas difficile à deviner. Cette consistance légèrement humide... cette puanteur tenace... Oui, tu as bien compris, c'est de la bouse d'aurochs ! ‘That said, it's not hard to guess. This slightly damp texture... this stubborn stench... Yes, you got it right, it's aurochs dung!’ Pfrewahl says it outright, where the English only hints at it.
- DE Aber die weiche Konsistenz und die nährreichen Inhaltsstoffe sind einfach perfekt. Es geht doch nichts über Auerochsendu... äh ... ‘But the soft texture and the rich nutrients are just perfect. Nothing beats aurochs du-... er...’ Pfrewahl breaks off in the middle of Auerochsendung, 'aurochs dung', when the word is all but said.
- DE Es geht doch nichts über Auerochsendu... äh ... ‘Nothing beats aurochs du... er ...’ English says it comes from the aurochs' lair; German breaks off mid-word, nearly saying aurochs dung.
Ahem, well, why dwell on who misled whom about what? What matters is that your efforts have brought us the blackloam, and we can expect a bountiful harvest as a result. Thank you!
- JA とにかく、あんたの自己犠牲の精神に感謝するよ！ ‘Anyway, thank you for your spirit of self-sacrifice!’
- DE Ignorant lebt es sich häufig besser. ‘The ignorant often live better.’ English: why dwell on who misled whom; German: ignorance often makes for a better life.
- JA いや、世の中には、知らない方が幸せなこともある。 ‘No, in this world there are things it's happier not to know.’ English: why dwell on who misled whom; Japanese: some things are better left unknown.