Tragedy of the Copperbell Mine
http://static2.finalfantasyxiv.com/a...Uxf5GvyTrA.jpg
Fifteen years ago, a group of bandits occupied Copperbell Mine after a series of robberies near Ul’dah. Ul’danian force traced the bandits down to the Copperbell Mine. I was one of the guards who joined the pursuit. At the entrance, we saw some small scale of fighting. It looked like the local miners tried to fight off the armed bandits. Of course, all we see were injured and dead miners.
Troops were separated into small groups to perform detail search for the bandits and survivors. My group was assigned to check the tool room at bottom layer. I’ve been to Copperbell Mine, but I never felt this “evil” feeling before that chilled me to the bone. We found no survivors, nor bandits, on the way, only bloods and acidic smell everywhere. Finally, we found tool room, also 2 miners inside. Similar caught by the Voodoo magic, miners just uncontrollably screaming with extremely low pitch as devils’. While failed to claim them down, we heard shouts nearby:
“Over Here!”
They found the trace of bandits. I was asked to take care of miners while the rest reinforcing others. Before they left, one of the senior guards tossed me a weird bottle.
http://static2.finalfantasyxiv.com/a...UxhVqeA9Ug.jpg
“My latest invention from Frondale’s Phrontistery….” guard said.
“It can make you stealth! “ Then, he ran with the rest.
As I started getting anxious from noisy miners, I started to hear some rattle sound and felt ground movement immediately after. It felt like hundreds of stuffs tried coming off the ground. Seconds later, I heard some shouting,
“We’re under attack!”
“Watch out!!”
The fighting noise outside was going on, but, shortly, all ended by an extremely high pitch screaming follow by many wail in pain. I felt the strong waves, through wall, shocked every nerve in my body. It was too strong, I fell a few steps back. Then, finally…blacked out…
Still dizzy, I woke up as sitting at the corner and lost track of time. I checked the miners. Looked like one of them was still screaming, but I can only hear humming sound inside my head. As I just about to stand up to check, I heard a clear whisper:
“Use~~potion~~”
It’s so clear like someone spoke next to my ears. Still puzzled, but I poured the potion all over myself. I saw my hands and legs started fading away. Shortly, I felt this THING suddenly teleported up to the doorway and staring at the miners. It was a half-transparent ghost with a pair of boned wings. It’s an Ascian!
http://static2.finalfantasyxiv.com/a...U03sJxZJm8.jpg
[stealthIV not photoshoped]
http://static2.finalfantasyxiv.com/a...Uxf5nZqgKo.jpg
The flaming eyes of the Ascian started to grow. Then, I saw both miners’ flesh started melting away in front of my eyes. They looked like screaming in pain, but I can’t hear any... I held my breath, held my shaking hands and held my mouth. Before I realized, the Ascian was already gone. The miners… only bones l can see…and that bloody acidic smell…
Slowly, I started hearing things around. The first caught my attention was the same rattling sounds outside. I pulled myself together and walked to the door. Shockingly, all I saw…ants…Countless ants… everywhere. They were walking over some pile of… metals and white bones! I recognized these armors. These belonged to our troops! I couldn’t control and gasped. Some of the ants discovered my existence and started to walk toward me. Next thing that caught my attention was cracking sounds behind me. The bones of the miners started to form… stood up…then walked toward me. Soon, I was surrounded by undeads and ants.
http://static2.finalfantasyxiv.com/a...Uxf4sOkMzc.jpg
When I woke up, I lied on the bed of Hourglass. Some told me a young Seedseer, Kan-E-Seena, saved me but no others. Horrible deaths of miners created lots negative energy and lured nearby Ascian.
The bandits were killed by the Ascian before we arrived… Our troops didn’t survive long after that either…
The bloods of victims lured the ants, and presence of Ascian converted the dead. The Cooperbell Mine is still occupied by some ants and undeads now. Maybe, I’ll recognize some of… them.
People say if the children are wailing too loud at night… Ascian will show up at their doorway next…
until…
bones left…
Sometimes They Don't Come Back
http://static2.finalfantasyxiv.com/a...U0-vSS9RFw.jpg
You young adventurers.... Fidgeting around camp, hounding me for stories about how the world used to be! Why, I’d wager you’d all still be coddling your dolls if you weren’t so eager for a bit of coin and infamy, scrambling to cozy up to Aldynn and his Flames.
How they used to be?! Well have a seat, and I’ll tell you how different this world was from when you were in your swaddling clothes.
In its heyday, Limsa was busting at the seams with traders. Folks poured in by the droves every day from Ul’dah, and The-Twelve-only-know where to hawk their wares, everyone out to fatten their pockets. I couldn’t have been much older than you when the rumors started flying about the disappearances…
What’s that? You’ve never heard of disappearances in Limsa? *snort!* Use your head, man! Do you really think that the Admiral would suffer that kind of scandalous talk openly?
Now as I was saying, the first rumor I recall was about this loud-mouthed drunkard who used to stomp around town shouting loads of nonsense. Well, one day the shouting just...stopped. Funny thing, I don’t think I noticed right off, but eventually the quiet just settled in. Depending on who you asked, he was either looking for new boots, or maybe a sword, or a bolt of cloth? Whichever it was, folks say he wandered his damn fool self into the Southern Island Wards.
Oh, don’t look so smug. The Wards back then certainly weren’t the same as today. Folks would go in, spend HOURS trying to find the things they needed with no help or direction from anyone there. After all, the longer those oily merchants had you in there, the fatter their pockets became. Why, I’d wager you peach-fuzzed adventurers wouldn’t last five minutes against one of those, silver-tongued merchants who would just as soon cut your throat as your purse! In any case,... no one ever heard from that fella again after that.
Most of the talk was the same: a nobleman disappeared while looking for a hat, or a sell-sword to get his mail fixed. Folks went into the Wards but they never came back.
Around that time I hired this sad-eyed, young Elezen to hawk my linen in the Wards. Oh, don’t look so concerned. The lass always had more steel hidden on her person than in Bodenholf has in his whole damn guild, and the last man tried to rob her found himself three fingers shorter for his trouble!
One day, I went into the Wards to collect my weekly profits. Walked around for awhile, and found the girl huddling in the corner. White as a sheet she was, babbling to herself and making pledges to The Twelve. She chucked my cloth at me and ran off without an apology or a backward glance.
That’s when I noticed the air was cold. Damn cold. Colder than summer in Limsa had any right to be.
http://static2.finalfantasyxiv.com/a...U0-VBe22GY.jpg
The air reeked foul, like blood and corruption. I felt eyes watching me but I never turned around. Ran myself out of the Wards fast as these short legs would take me. Ran all the way to the ferry docks, I did.. not feelin’ safe until we was out on the water.
HAR! Your eyes are bigger than a Ewe caught a whiff of a jackal upwind!
Anyways, been here in Thanalan ever since. Trade’s been good, despite the sand in everyone’s knickers. Though it’s right odd that trade has been dropping off so much as late. Last time I went to the Ward to collect, not a damn thing had sold. Wonder where all the buyers have run off to? I swear I got a chill in my bones, never mind that it’s summer in the damn desert.
...Now, be a dear and run to the Wards and fetch me some more yarn.