Fool Me Once

Side quest, level 4. 22nd of 102 in play order.

Quest giver: Niniya, Limsa Lominsa Upper Decks (X 11.4, Y 11.3).

Next: Cry Me a Liver ›

Steps

Speak with Ancreta at the Eyes.

Journal

Niniya has information that, unlike last time, is sure to be of interest to you.
According to Niniya, the sentries stationed at the Eyes in lower La Noscea often turn to adventurers when they have too much work. Venture outside the city and speak with Ancreta to learn more.
Once again, it appears Niniya was playing a prank on you, as Ancreta is forbidden from officially offering you work. If you are willing to assist in an unofficial capacity, though, the Yellowjacket might have something for you...

Hidden

Lore Ancreta

can't hire you because the Yellowjackets must go through the Adventurers' Guild, which means Baderon

. That is how adventurers get official work in Limsa.

Lore The Eyes, where the guards stand, is a very tall rock with 'two hollows cut clean through'. These holes seem to watch people passing by, with a hidden purpose.

Lore Ancreta

explains her job here. The Red Rooster Stead lies to the north. So she and the other guards defend the main road that leads to it.

In-game text Encyclopaedia Eorzea explains the name Madman Bridge. Kobolds and monsters hide on the far side. So only a man who has lost his mind would cross it unprepared.

Title reference The title quotes the saying 'fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me'. It fits, because this is Niniya's

second prank on you, after Making a Name.

Characters 3

Baderon
Baderon is not in this quest in person.
What you know from earlier quests 5
- #1 Coming to Limsa Lominsa: Baderon registers you at the Adventurers' Guild. He says the Calamity, a disaster, blurred everyone's memories, even of the heroes called Warriors of Light. He shields you from a suspicious Yellowjacket. He is the only son of Lodewicus, the guild's founder, and left home young.
- #10 Close to Home: Baderon sends you to touch the aetheryte, a travel crystal, to see Swozblaet with an old octant, and to visit the Arcanists' Guild. He blames the Calamity, or the ale, for his poor memory. He urges you to help people in need.
- #11 Glory Days: Baderon laughs at the gift: he has hated aurelia umbrellas since his days as a sellsword, a fighter for hire, when even salt and a campfire did not help. Few sellswords keep all their fingers, so he earned the respected nickname "Tenfingers".
- #15 The Rats in the Wharf: Baderon pays you from a huge sack left by a stranger, who said the rats' scurrying noise was driving him mad. Baderon thinks the man was already a bit unwell in the head and doubts he can ever find peace.
- #19 On to Summerford: Staelwyrn, the farm's owner, is Baderon's old mate. He runs it with mostly reformed pirates, trying to bring life back to soil the Calamity ruined. Baderon gave you a glowing recommendation and tells you to work hard and impress 'the old bastard'.
Niniya
Niniya, who tricked you earlier, claims this new tip is truly useful to you.
What you know from earlier quests 2
- #2 Making a Name: Niniya sends you to collect herbs that might be illegal "dream flowers" and hand them in. They are only common lavender: Niniya was playing a joke on you. Niniya says adventurers have met at this place for almost twenty years.
- #10 Close to Home: Baderon points Niniya out and suggests you hear what she has to say. Small errands like hers, he says, build your name as someone folk can trust, and then the jobs get harder and pay better.
Ancreta
Ancreta is a Yellowjacket sentry at the Eyes, a tall rock outside the Tempest Gate past Madman Bridge, where guards watch the road.

What happens in this quest spoilers for this quest

Baderon: Ancreta says the Yellowjackets hire adventurers only through the Adventurers' Guild. The panel notes add that this means Baderon: official work for adventurers in Limsa goes through him.
Niniya says the key lesson for new adventurers is to question everyone's motives. Niniya sends you to Ancreta at the Eyes for work, but it is a second prank, after the quest Making a Name: Ancreta cannot hire you directly.
Ancreta says you were tricked: the Yellowjackets hire adventurers only through the Adventurers' Guild, and the rules forbid her to give work directly. Still, she has a personal request if you help unofficially. She guards the main road north to the Red Rooster Stead.

What the Japanese, French and German versions say 8

Japanese

EN 'Tell me, have you visited the Eyes, outside the Tempest Gate and past Madman Bridge?'

JA 『低地ラノシアの「迷子橋」は、リムサ・ロミンサの重要な輸送路らしくてね。』, 'They say Lost Child Bridge in Lower La Noscea is a key transport route for Limsa Lominsa.'

Maigo-bashi holds 迷子 (maigo), a child who has lost the way. The English swaps the lost child for a madman.

Name origin

EN 'According to Niniya, the sentries stationed at the Eyes in lower La Noscea often turn to adventurers when they have too much work.'

JA 「ベテラン冒険者ニニヤによると、重要な輸送路である迷子橋の周辺には、おいしい仕事があるという。」, 'According to the veteran adventurer Niniya, there is good work around Lost Child Bridge, a key transport route.'

FR «Niniya vous a expliqué qu'il y avait une bonne opportunité de travail aux alentours du pont des Égarés.», 'Niniya explained that there was a good job opportunity around the Bridge of the Lost.'

The French Pont des Égarés keeps the Japanese lost ones. The English madman has its own reason: no sane man crosses it unprepared.

EN 'Oh, you've returned. I hope you do not harbor any ill will towards me for my earlier deception.'

JA 「やあ、ちょっぴり貫禄が出てきたね？人は騙されて、成長するものだからね。あははは。」, 'Hey, you've gained a little gravitas, huh? After all, people grow by being fooled. Ahahaha.'

Niniya doesn't apologise. She teases that you have grown.

EN 'Even if I wanted to assign ye duties, Yellowjacket regulations prohibit me from doin' so directly.'

JA 「何より私のような新米には、見ず知らずの君に直接組織の仕事を依頼するような権限はないのさ。」, 'Above all, a rookie like me has no authority to give our outfit's work straight to a stranger like you.'

Ancreta has a second reason not to hire you: she is a 新米 (shinmai) herself. The English gives only the rules.

French

Wordplay

EN 'I hope you do not harbor any ill will towards me for my earlier deception.'

FR «En tout cas, j'espère que tu ne m'en veux pas pour mon petit canular. Il n'avait pour objectif que de t'aider à faire tes premiers pas d'aventurière/er en te “faisant marcher”.», 'Anyway, I hope you're not angry with me for my little prank. Its only aim was to help you take your first steps as an adventurer by “pulling your leg”.'

Here «faisant marcher» is literally 'making you walk', but means 'pulling your leg'. So Niniya says her prank helped your first steps.

Idiom

EN 'Oh, you've returned.'

FR «Tu as l'air d'avoir pris de la bouteille depuis la dernière fois.», 'You look like you've aged like a fine wine since last time.'

Here too, Niniya teases you: «tu as l'air d'avoir pris de la bouteille» means you gained experience, like an aged wine.

Name

EN 'Tell me, have you visited the Eyes, outside the Tempest Gate and past Madman Bridge?'

FR «Tu sais sûrement que le pont des Égarés est un important point de circulation entre notre cité et la Basse-Noscea.», 'You surely know that the Bridge of the Lost is a key crossing between our city and Lower La Noscea.'

The bridge is named for those who stray from their way, not for a madman.

German

Different

EN 'If you wish to make a name for yourself as a trustworthy adventurer, you should speak with Ancreta at the Eyes and offer your assistance.'

DE „Frag die Wachsoldatin Alcreta an den Augen, ob sie nicht etwas für dich zu tun hat. Die Augen? Das ist der Name einer Felsformation.“, 'Ask the sentry Alcreta at the Eyes if she has something for you to do. The Eyes? That is the name of a rock formation.'

Niniya explains what the Eyes are. The English never says what kind of place it is.

Dialogue 8 lines

Accepting the quest

Niniya

Oh, you've returned. I hope you do not harbor any ill will towards me for my earlier deception. You see, I believe the most important lesson for a green adventurer to learn is that she/he should always question the motives of everyone she/he meets.

JA やあ、ちょっぴり貫禄が出てきたね？人は騙されて、成長するものだからね。あははは。 ‘Hey, you've gained a little gravitas, huh? After all, people grow by being fooled. Ahahaha.’ Niniya doesn't apologise. She teases that you have grown.
FR En tout cas, j'espère que tu ne m'en veux pas pour mon petit canular. Il n'avait pour objectif que de t'aider à faire tes premiers pas d'aventurière/er en te “faisant marcher”. ‘Anyway, I hope you're not angry with me for my little prank. Its only aim was to help you take your first steps as an adventurer by “pulling your leg”.’ Here «faisant marcher» is literally 'making you walk', but means 'pulling your leg'. So Niniya says her prank helped your first steps.
FR Tu as l'air d'avoir pris de la bouteille depuis la dernière fois. ‘You look like you've aged like a fine wine since last time.’ Here too, Niniya teases you: «tu as l'air d'avoir pris de la bouteille» means you gained experience, like an aged wine.
FR Il n'avait pour objectif que de t'aider à faire tes premiers pas d'aventurière/er en te “faisant marcher”. ‘Its only aim was to help you take your first steps as an adventurer by "making you walk".’ English says the lesson is to question everyone's motives; French puns that fooling you ("making you walk") helped your first steps.
DE Jaja, man lernt eben aus seinen Fehlern ... ‘Yes, yes, one learns from one's mistakes... Ahaha!’ English says the lesson is to question everyone's motives; German says one learns from one's mistakes.
JA 人は騙されて、成長するものだからね。 ‘After all, people grow by being fooled.’ Japanese lesson: being fooled makes you grow, no apology. English lesson: question everyone's motives.

If I have given offense, allow me to make it up to you with some advice. Tell me, have you visited the Eyes, outside the Tempest Gate and past Madman Bridge?

JA 低地ラノシアの「迷子橋」は、リムサ・ロミンサの重要な輸送路らしくてね。 ‘They say Lost Child Bridge in Lower La Noscea is a key transport route for Limsa Lominsa.’ Maigo-bashi holds 迷子 (maigo), a child who has lost the way. The English swaps the lost child for a madman.
FR Tu sais sûrement que le pont des Égarés est un important point de circulation entre notre cité et la Basse-Noscea. ‘You surely know that the Bridge of the Lost is a key crossing between our city and Lower La Noscea.’ The bridge is named for those who stray from their way, not for a madman.
DE Die Verrückte Brücke im unteren La Noscea ist eine Hauptverkehrsader Limsa Lominsas. ‘The Crazy Bridge in Lower La Noscea is a main artery of Limsa Lominsa.’ English asks if you've visited the Eyes; German stresses the bridge is a main artery of Limsa Lominsa.

The sentries stationed there keep watch over the road, and when trouble arises they sometimes turn to outside help.

FR Cela en fait donc l'endroit rêvé pour tout aventurier qui cherche du travail. ‘So that makes it the ideal spot for any adventurer looking for work.’ French oversells it as the dream spot for job-seekers; English only says sentries sometimes hire help.

If you wish to make a name for yourself as a trustworthy adventurer, you should speak with Ancreta at the Eyes and offer your assistance.

DE Frag die Wachsoldatin Alcreta an den Augen, ob sie nicht etwas für dich zu tun hat. Die Augen? Das ist der Name einer Felsformation. ‘Ask the sentry Alcreta at the Eyes if she has something for you to do. The Eyes? That is the name of a rock formation.’ Niniya explains what the Eyes are. The English never says what kind of place it is.

Speak with Ancreta at the Eyes

Ancreta

Ye say someone told ye to come to me for work, lass/lad? I'm afraid ye've been had.

We're known to hire adventurers, 'tis true, but we always go through the Adventurers' Guild.

DE Es stimmt, dass hier immer viel los ist. ‘It's true that there's always a lot going on here.’ English admits they do hire adventurers; German admits there is always a lot going on here.
JA ここは、確かに重要な輸送路だ。 ‘This is certainly an important transport route.’ English admits they do hire adventurers; Japanese admits this is an important transport route.

Even if I wanted to assign ye duties, Yellowjacket regulations prohibit me from doin' so directly.

JA 何より私のような新米には、見ず知らずの君に直接組織の仕事を依頼するような権限はないのさ。 ‘Above all, a rookie like me has no authority to give our outfit's work straight to a stranger like you.’ Ancreta has a second reason not to hire you: she is a 新米 (shinmai) herself. The English gives only the rules.
DE Ich bin nur eine einfache Wachsoldatin. ‘I'm only a simple guard.’ English cites Yellowjacket regulations; German says she is only a simple guard.
FR Mais malheureusement, je ne suis pas vraiment bien placée pour vous confier une tâche officielle, d'une part parce que je suis encore nouvelle, et d'autre part parce que ce n'est pas la procédure que de s'adresser directement à un(e) aventurière/er comme vous. ‘But unfortunately, I'm not really well placed to give you an official task, on the one hand because I'm still new, and on the other because it isn't procedure to approach an adventurer like you directly.’ French adds a second reason: she is still a new recruit.

Now, if ye don't mind workin' in an unofficial capacity, I've a personal request I could make of ye...