116
Sylphic Studies
Main story quest #44, level 20. 116th of 173 in play order.
Quest giver: Rolfe Hawthorne, East Shroud (X 16.7, Y 27.1).
Steps
- Speak with Ysabel
. - Speak with Blaisette
. - Speak with Monne
. - Report to Rolfe Hawthorne.
Journal
- Rolfe Hawthorne, patriarch of the beekeeping Hawthorne family, is said to be well versed in sylphic customs.
- Rolfe's memory is not what it used to be, but it turns out that he has previously shared his stories with those around the hut. Check in with his daughter Ysabel and a couple of the patrolling sentries, Blaisette and Monne. They may remember what the old storyteller has forgotten.
- You have gleaned that the sylphs are known for their mischievous and capricious nature, as they show little regard for Gridanian propriety or etiquette. Share your rediscovered tales with Rolfe Hawthorne.
- Your findings have served to stir Rolfe's memory, and he recalls that dancing is the traditional greeting among the sylphs. It would seem they are a most curious tribe, indeed.
Hidden
'chocobo scratches' twists 'chicken scratch', a saying for messy, hard to read handwriting. Here the scribbles end up on your face. twists the saying 'the way to a man's heart is through his stomach', which means good cooking wins love. The joke: sylphs need no food at all.Characters 4
Rolfe Hawthorne is at the Hawthorne Hut. You hope he can teach you about sylph customs.
What you know from earlier quests 1
- #115 We Come in Peace: Amelain
names Rolfe as the master of the Hawthorne Hut. Amelain says Rolfe knows much more about the sylphs and should have the answers you seek.
- #115 We Come in Peace: Amelain
Ysabel is Rolfe's
daughter at the Hawthorne Hut. She has heard her father's stories many times.Blaisette is a sentry patrolling near the Hawthorne Hut.
Monne is a sentry patrolling near the Hawthorne Hut.
What happens in this quest spoilers for this quest
- Rolfe Hawthorne: Rolfe is the head of the Hawthorne family of beekeepers and a former adventurer. His memory fails him, so he sends you to people who heard his stories. Your retold tales bring it back: dancing is how sylphs greet.
- Ysabel Hawthorne: Ysabel says sylph manners are almost completely alien to ours. She warns you not to judge them by their childlike looks, or your face may end up covered in scribbles.
- Blaisette remembers Rolfe saying that sylphs feed simply by bathing in the sun. So you should never push food on a sylph.
- 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.
Dialogue 9 lines
Accepting the quest
Rolfe
Come to learn a thing or two about the sylphs, have you? I'll tell you one thing, they're a peculiar folk. How peculiar, you ask? Well, just let me tell you!
- FR Dans ce cas, essayez de récolter des témoignages auprès de la population locale. ‘In that case, try to gather accounts from the local people.’ English has Rolfe offer to tell you himself; French has him send you to question the locals.
They're... They're... Er... Beg pardon, friend. My memory's just not what it used to be. I've seen much and more in my adventuring days, and it's all a clutter in my noggin now. Though, I've shared my stories with those around the hut before. You might have more luck with them.
- FR Tous les gens qui vivent par ici savent comment s'y prendre avec les Sylphes, et ont l'habitude d'avoir affaire à eux. ‘All the people who live around here know how to handle the sylphs, and are used to dealing with them.’ English has Rolfe admit his memory fails him; French says everyone nearby knows how to handle sylphs.
- DE Ich bin zu sehr mit Bienen und der Imkerei beschäftigt. ‘I am too busy with bees and beekeeping.’ English blames years of adventuring for his cluttered memory; German blames being too busy with beekeeping.
- JA この辺りの者は皆、シルフ族との付き合い方は承知済みさ。 ‘Everyone around here knows how to get along with the sylphs.’ English has Rolfe admit his memory fails him; Japanese says everyone nearby knows how to deal with sylphs.
Speak with Ysabel.
Ysabel
The sylphs? Yes, Father's told me his stories plenty of times. What I've always found most captivating is how their concept of etiquette is almost completely alien to our own.
You'd do best not to underestimate them on account of their childlike looks, lest your face end up a mess of glyphs, squiggles, and chocobo scratches. Tee hee!
Speak with Blaisette.
Blaisette
The quickest way to a Quiverwoman's heart might be through her stomach, but don't even think of trying to foist your foodstuffs on a sylph. They sustain themselves simply by bathing in the sun, or so Rolfe once told me.
Speak with Monne.
Monne
The sylphs? Inveterate tricksters and troublemakers, that's what they are! One day they're drawing morbol faces on our masks, the next they're sending our young sentries falling to the bottom of a ravine!
- FR Cela peut aller de gribouillages sur nos masques, à des trous dissimulés sur le chemin de ronde de nos sentinelles... ‘It can range from scribbles on our masks to hidden holes on our sentries' patrol path...’ English says sylphs send young sentries falling into a ravine; French speaks of hidden holes on the sentries' patrol path.
Tell them to stop and they just laugh at you. Rolfe claims they harbor no ill will, but I daresay such pranks are no laughing matter.
- FR Ils n'arrivent pas à comprendre que leurs victimes pourraient se blesser ou s'énerver... ‘They cannot understand that their victims might get hurt or angry...’ English rejects Rolfe's excuse and calls the pranks no laughing matter; French accepts they mean no harm and just cannot grasp it.
- JA 危険なことはやめてくれって彼らに伝えても、シルフ族にはそもそも悪気がないから、全然わかってくれないのよね。 ‘Even if we tell them to stop the dangerous stuff, the sylphs have no malice to begin with, so they just don't understand at all.’ English rejects Rolfe's excuse and calls the pranks no laughing matter; Japanese accepts they mean no harm but simply do not understand.
Report to Rolfe Hawthorne.
Rolfe
Oh, of course, of course! Hearing your stories─well, my stories─has brought the memories flooding back to me. I feel...I feel like dancing!
- FR Alors, vous avez appris des choses ? ‘So, did you learn anything?’ English has Rolfe's memories come flooding back; French has him ask whether you learned something.
- JA どうだ、皆に聞いてわかっただろう？ ‘Well, now that you've asked everyone, you understand, don't you?’ English has Rolfe's memories come flooding back; Japanese has him ask whether asking around taught you something.
Yes, nothing brings people together quite like a little toe-tapping. A sylph told me long ago that dancing is a time-honored greeting among their kind. You'd do well to remember this─it just may help win the favor of our forest friends.