121
Presence of the Enemy
Main story quest #49, level 21. 121st of 173 in play order.
Quest giver: Komuxio, East Shroud (X 22.0, Y 25.7).
Steps
- Investigate the suspicious presence.
- Speak with Komuxio.
- Search for clues in the forest.
- Deliver the
quartermaster's log to Komuxio.
Journal
- Komuxio of Little Solace would entrust you with a task.
- Komuxio is troubled by sightings of unfamiliar walking ones in the forest. Speak to the residents of Little Solace and the Hawthorne Hut and uncover what information you can.
- Your investigation proved a fruitful one. Return to Little Solace and share your findings with Komuxio.
- Upon learning of the sightings of strange men clad in steel, Komuxio has bid you venture into the forest to investigate. Be on the lookout for signs of imperial incursion.
- Stumbling upon a stack of suspicious boxes, you are attacked by a group of imperial soldiers. After fending them off, you search the boxes to uncover a quartermaster's log detailing a list of imperial supplies for delivery. Return to Little Solace and share with Komuxio this troubling development.
- Komuxio deduces that the log must have been penned by someone with knowledge of the forest. Could there be a traitor in your midst?
Hidden
Spoiler about later in the story
Foreshadowing Remember Komuxio's fear: whoever wrote the log knows the forest well, so someone may be helping the Empire from the inside.
Quartermaster's Log item text says the goods are bound for 'a certain imperial stronghold'. So the Empire keeps a base that needs them. The dialogue speaks only of food and rocks.Characters 3
Monne is on patrol near the Hawthorne Hut.
What you know from earlier quests 1
- #116 Sylphic Studies: Monne calls the sylphs tricksters and troublemakers. They draw monster faces on the sentries' masks and have sent young sentries falling into a ravine. Rolfe
says they mean no harm, but Monne finds the pranks no laughing matter.
- #116 Sylphic Studies: Monne calls the sylphs tricksters and troublemakers. They draw monster faces on the sentries' masks and have sent young sentries falling into a ravine. Rolfe
Komuxio now trusts you and has a task for you.
What you know from earlier quests 2
- #118 First Contact: Komuxio distrusts strangers until you dance for him. He loves the
milkroot and agrees to pass on the 
letter. When Yda
and Papalymo
arrive as envoys from Gridania, he feels tricked, refuses, and says the elder has no words for Gridania. - #120 Forest Friend: Komuxio is pleased with the
brownie brushes, since he can dye thread again. He hates the biting, buzzing beasts you killed. He admits few visitors are this friendly and thinks he was wrong not to trust you.
- #118 First Contact: Komuxio distrusts strangers until you dance for him. He loves the
Pelixia is a sylph living in Little Solace.
What happens in this quest spoilers for this quest
- Monne recalls seeing suspicious people in strange armor gathering deep in the forest, and simply assumed they were adventurers.
- Komuxio fears steel-clad strangers from the Empire, who kill and burn forests. He sends you to ask around, marks their hideout on your map, and reads the log you find. Its supplies come from the sylphs' home, so he suspects a traitor.
- Pelixia has seen the steel-clad strangers carrying big boxes. Pelixia guesses they hunt for shiny treasure and admits to liking treasure.
Dialogue 21 lines
Accepting the quest
Komuxio
This one asks dancing one for forgiveness. These ones have many troubles since walking ones last came to our abode. This one must be careful. Always careful.
- FR Nous avons dû quitter notre mère patrie pour nous installer ici. ‘We had to leave our motherland to settle here.’ English dates the troubles from the last visit of walking ones; French dates them from leaving their homeland to settle here.
- JA ここにやってきてから、いろいろあったのでふっち。 ‘Since we came here, a lot has happened.’ English dates the troubles from the last visit of walking ones; Japanese dates them from the sylphs' arrival here.
But dancing one is not like other walking ones. This one can trust dancing one. This one would ask dancing one for help.
Strange walking ones with bodies of steel come to the home of these ones. This one thinks steel ones come from Empire.
Where Empire goes, many living ones become dead ones. Trees fall and bushes burn. These ones' home is in danger. Danger!
This one begs of dancing one to help this one know more. Dancing one is friends with these ones and walking ones, yes? Dancing one must speak to these ones here and walking ones in hut-house and find out more.
This one has bad feeling. This one fears steel ones are after something. But this one should speak no more. Go, dancing one. This one depends on kindness of dancing one.
- FR Ils pourraient mettre notre chef en danger ! ‘They could put our chief in danger!’ English only fears they are after something; French says outright they could endanger the chief.
- JA もしかちたら、ソイツらが長ちゃまを……。 ‘Maybe those guys... the elder...’ English only fears they are after something; Japanese hints they may be after the elder.
Investigate the suspicious presence.
Pelixia
Strange steel walking ones? Yes, this one has seen. Steel walking ones carry big boxes. Maybe walking ones hunt for shiny treasure? This one likes treasure!
Nathaxio
Shush! Shush, this one says! Steel walking ones are scary, like touched ones... This one hates scary! And scary ones have scary friends...
Monne
Men clad in strange armor? Why, now that you mention it, I did see some suspicious types of late. They were gathering deep in the forest. I simply assumed they were adventurers...
- JA ……まさか、帝国軍かしら。 ‘Men in strange armor... Could it be the imperial army?’ English says Monne assumed they were adventurers; Japanese has her suspect the imperial army.
Victor
Fearsome types clad head to toe in steel, you say? Imperial soldiers, no doubt. I couldn't tell you what they're plotting, but I'm sure it's nothing good.
Speak with Komuxio.
Komuxio
This one is happy to see dancing one return. What did dancing one learn?
This one sees. Steel walking ones come from Empire. Carry boxes, and go walking deep, deep through trees.
As this one thought! Steel walking ones are up to nasty, no-good things.
This one knows forest well. Steel walking ones try to hide, but this one will find them.
This one would borrow dancing one's map. This one makes mark─right here! This is where steel ones hide, this one knows. Dancing one will go looking for steel ones, yes?
Deliver the quartermaster's log to Komuxio.
Komuxio
Dancing one is back. This one breathes sigh of relief. This one was worried. Hm? Dancing one found something?
Dancing one found paper inside of box? This is a message from Empire?
This one can read walking ones' symbols. Message-paper has names of food and rocks. Food and rocks were inside boxes, this one knows.
But this one does not understand. Food and rocks mentioned all come from home of these ones. How do steel walking ones know to find them?
Is there sneaky one hiding behind this one's wings? Snooping one selling secrets to steel walking ones?
This one fears for this one's home. But dancing one has helped this one much today. Dancing one must promise to always be friend to these ones.