Fire and Brimstone

Map quest, level 8 (you can take it from level 4). 44th of 102 in play order.

Quest giver: Broenruht, Lower La Noscea (X 27.7, Y 15.3).

Next: Loam Maintenance ›

Steps

Use clear earth crystals on the gas plumes.
Report to Broenruht.

Journal

Brimstone has blocked Broenruht out of Blind Iron Mines.
Digging stoppages may endanger the miners' livelihoods, but a surfeit of sulphurous gas endangers their very lives. Only clear earth crystals can plug the gas plumes and decontaminate the shafts.
The clear earth crystals worked like a charm on the gas plumes. Let Broenruht know that the mines are no longer brimming with brimstone.
The demand for ore has risen sharply due to rebuilding efforts in the wake of the Calamity. Many miners would not think twice about risking their health for the healthy profits in store, but owing to your deeds, none will have to.

Hidden

Spoiler about later in the story

Lore The rebuilding after the Calamity five years ago keeps ore and Skylift cargo in demand. The main story explains the Calamity at the Admiral's banquet and the meeting after it (MSQ #21-#22).

Lore In the ancient Roegadyn language, Broenruht

means 'Brown Smoke'. It is a fitting name for the boss of a mine full of gas.

Lore In idle talk, Broenruht

says the mine has given up all its ore. Naldiq & Vymelli's has signed a deal for all of it. Broenruht says it 'should make for some sturdy ships'.

In-game text The Encyclopaedia Eorzea explains the name Blind Iron Mines. In their busiest days, the air inside was so full of dust that it could 'rob men of their sight'.

In-game text The item text of the

Clear Earth Crystal describes pure earth aether. It has 'not a single trace' of any of the other five elements.

Title reference The title borrows 'fire and brimstone' from the Bible. Brimstone is an old word for sulphur. But here the brimstone is real: it is the gas in the mines.

Characters 1

Broenruht
Broenruht is shut out of Blind Iron Mines: the miners struck brimstone (sulphur), and its rotten-egg gas fills the shafts.
What you know from earlier quests 1
- #29 Kobolds Ahoy: Broenruht says most creatures of the dark mines leave you be if you leave them be, but kobolds can be more aggressive. The route is fairly safe, and Broenruht trusts an adventurer like you to handle it.

What happens in this quest spoilers for this quest

Broenruht: Some miners shrug off the gas, but Broenruht writes the letters home when one chokes to death. Since the Calamity, a disaster five years ago, metal prices are high enough to make them rich or dead. Broenruht means 'Brown Smoke' in old Roegadyn.

What the Japanese, French and German versions say 3

Japanese

EN 'For many of the miners, a bit of brimstone is nothing to write home about, but I'm the one who has to write the letters when the gluttons choke to death down there.'

JA 「この坑道で掘ってると、ちょくちょく硫黄ガスが発生するんだが、ビビってちゃ、稼げやしねえ。」, 'Dig in this tunnel and you hit sulphur gas every so often, but if you get spooked, you'll never make any money.'

Broenruht is a daredevil who shrugs off gas leaks and means to dig the mine dry. The English Broenruht fears for his miners.

French

Title

EN Fire and Brimstone

FR «Une quête qui sent le soufre», 'A quest that smells of brimstone'

«sentir le soufre», 'to smell of sulphur', is also a saying for 'risky'. This quest both reeks of sulphur gas and is risky.

German

Different

EN 'Struck brimstone while shoveling through the mines, and now the rocks are rife with the reek of rotten eggs. The gas grew to be too much to bear.' · 'For many of the miners, a bit of brimstone is nothing to write home about, but I'm the one who has to write the letters when the gluttons choke to death down there.'

DE „Das Schwefelgas ist nicht giftig, aber es stinkt so ungeheuerlich, dass die Arbeiten eingestellt werden mussten.“, 'The sulphur gas is not poisonous, but it stinks so monstrously that work had to stop.'

So Broenruht says the smell alone stopped the work. In English the gas endangers the miners' lives.

Dialogue 7 lines

Accepting the quest

Broenruht

Well, this time we've dug ourselves into a hole well and truly!

FR Tu comptes entrer dans les mines ? ‘Are you planning to go into the mines?’ English punningly groans they have dug themselves into a hole; French asks if you are going into the mines.
DE Bist du auf dem Weg in die Mine? ‘Are you on your way into the mine?’ English punningly groans they have dug themselves into a hole; German asks if you are headed into the mine.
JA あんた、坑道の中へ行くつもりか？ ‘You there, planning to go into the mine?’ English punningly groans they have dug themselves into a hole; Japanese asks if you are going into the mine.

Struck brimstone while shoveling through the mines, and now the rocks are rife with the reek of rotten eggs. The gas grew to be too much to bear.

You'll need this clear earth crystal if you're to restore the earth and plug the leak properly.

DE Am effektivsten wäre es, dem Stollen die durch die Grabung verloren gegangene Erdessenz zurückzuführen. ‘The most effective thing would be to return to the tunnel the earth essence that was lost through the digging.’ German explains the cause: digging drained the tunnel's earth essence. English only says to restore the earth.
JA 原因は、おそらく土属性の力が失われてるせいだ。 ‘The cause is probably that the earth-aspected power has been lost.’ Japanese names the likely cause, a loss of earth-element power; English only says to restore the earth.

Just mind the syrphid clouds brought on by the brimstone.

Report to Broenruht.

Broenruht

Now that's a breath of fresh air!

For many of the miners, a bit of brimstone is nothing to write home about, but I'm the one who has to write the letters when the gluttons choke to death down there.

JA この坑道で掘ってると、ちょくちょく硫黄ガスが発生するんだが、ビビってちゃ、稼げやしねえ。 ‘Dig in this tunnel and you hit sulphur gas every so often, but if you get spooked, you'll never make any money.’ Broenruht is a daredevil who shrugs off gas leaks and means to dig the mine dry. The English Broenruht fears for his miners.
FR Ça me fait perdre du temps et de l'argent. ‘It makes me lose time and money.’ English says he writes the letters when miners choke to death; French says the gas costs him time and money.
DE Dort unten kann es ab und zu schon mal schlecht riechen, aber wer sich davon abschrecken lässt, ist für die Arbeit unter Tage nicht geschaffen. ‘Down there it can smell bad now and then, but whoever lets that scare them off isn't cut out for working underground.’ English says miners choke to death down there; German says anyone put off by the smell is not cut out for mining.

The prices metals command in the wake of the Calamity will make us either rich or dead.

FR C'est que la demande en minerai de fer a beaucoup augmenté depuis le septième fléau, une belle aubaine pour gagner des gils. ‘The thing is, demand for iron ore has risen a lot since the seventh scourge, a fine windfall for earning gil.’ English says metal prices will make them rich or dead; French calls the demand a fine chance to earn gil.
DE Egal was kommt, ich werde die Mine weiter betreiben, bis sie keinen einzigen Klumpen Erz mehr preisgibt. ‘Whatever comes, I will keep working the mine until it gives up not a single lump of ore more.’ English says metal prices will make them rich or dead; German vows to mine until no ore is left.
JA 俺は、何があろうと、この坑道が枯れるまで掘りつくすつもりさ。 ‘Whatever happens, I mean to dig this mine out until it runs dry.’ English says metal prices will make them rich or dead; Japanese vows to dig until the mine runs dry.
FR En tout cas, moi, j'ai bien l'intention d'exploiter ce filon jusqu'à la dernière pépite. ‘In any case, I fully intend to work this vein down to the last nugget.’ French has him vow to mine the vein to the last nugget; English jokes they will end up rich or dead.