Azury Ariella's FFXIV Exploration Guide -- Discover the Secrets of Eorzea

[Azurymber]

Hi, I'm Azury Ariella of Wutai.

Since open beta I have been exploring the world on and off, trying to find interesting areas and new zones. This -incomplete- guide is intended to help you find some of the secrets and un-opened zones in Eorzea. I hope you help complete it.

Tips for exploring: Half of this can be done with a rank 1 job and good timing. You will eventually figure out what mobs agro to sight and what agro to sound.
For sight mobs, you can essentially run past them when they aren't looking.
With patience, even in tight corridors, mobs often eventually move to a position where you can run by them along the opposite wall avoiding both sight or sound agro.
If you touch a mob's tail it will notice you
For those with rank 50, abilities that increase your defense and quickstride (rank 22 archer) will help greatly. Some areas are -very- difficult to reach and require that you run past dragons that can 1 or 2 shot you. My suggestion is you use defence up, have good armor on that isn't damaged, and then use quickstride. Try to run -behind- the mobs even if they are sound agro. By the time they turn around you may only end up with 1 hit. Don't stop running until you see the message that they have returned.

Everything is X-Y when i talk about coords.

Black Shroud:

Near: Turning Leaf
13/14 - 42: Rank 73 Redwing Keds (gnats) + Rank 84 Creeping Ivys (marlboros)
16-42 - NPC Iolaine - Unopened Zone
Iolaine script - "I apologize, but orders have been given. None are to pass beyond this point"
17-39 - NPC Dadaneja - Unopened Zone
Dadaneja script - "You'll not pass as long as I draw breath. Best just go back the way you came."
19-39 - Goblin Headman Rank99 + Creeping Ivys
18-43 - Cave - Fallen Captain Rank 75 + Smolenkos (ahrimen) Rank 82
16-40 - closed off well

Near: Humblehearth
25-30 - closed off well

Near: Nine Ivies
55-21 - Forest temple (anima's name for it is temple of the twelve) (thank you anima)
53-22 - look over the edge for a small hut in a tree (thank you anima)
53-20 - blocked off sylph village, 53-22 allows you to take a peek in (thank you anima)

Near: Lasthold
21-8,7,6,5,4 - Ruins of a stone platform which has a hole/circle thing in the middle (thank you Ruac and Taruna-Aeon). If you go past it there is a waterfall with numerous qiquern mercenaries.
25-7 - NPC Rimomo - Unopened Zone
Rimomo script - " If it were up to me, I would let you pass. But my orders are to let none through. Please go, before there's trouble".


Thanalan:

Near: Halatali
43-25 - NPC Chamberlain - Unopened Zone
Chamberlain script - "None shall pass. Begone."
45-29 - NPC Vhaso Tayuun - Unopened Zone
Chaso Tayuun script - "Royal order - none are to pass beyond this point. Now make your way back from whence you came"

Near: Sandgate
45-35 - NPC Zirnbyrt - Unopened Zone: Note to get to the closed doors you run down into a cave and go off the map for a bit.
Zirnbyrt Script - "I cannot permit you to enter here. Please, seek your adventures elsewhere"

Near: Zanr'ak
52-48 - Amalj'aa Grapplers Rank 92-97
2 caves. Northern and Southern cave both have fallen captains R75-77 and Puroboros (black bomb) R77

Near: The Red Labyrinth
41-52 - Amalj'aa Pugilist Rank 57ish
2 caves east and wst with 57-59 bandicoots (moles)
47-53 - just 55ish sphene doblyns BUT: if you move your camera around at the most south point the entire rock and landscape turns red. Im guessing its a glitch but its pretty awesome

Near: Cutter's Pass
19-9 - Right by cutter's pass is a closed gate to one of those generator things you see around the area.
20-6 - closed off well
20-6 - higher elevation - gate to a platform across a narrow rock bridge that has a hut and one of those generator things
21-7 - Closed gate to the back of one of the generator things. Interesting thing about all these closed gates is that there are mobs behind them but there is no way to get to them.

Near: Burnt Lizard Creek
41-43 - glowing purple atheryte crystal (thank you Endemerrin)


Coerthas

Near: Weeping Vale
53-23,34 - NPC Wowotazi - Unopened Area called the Fesse
Wowotazi script - "I've been given specific orders to prohibit all access to the Fesse.... using all necessary force. If you value your life, unbeliever, I suggest you withdraw at once."

Near: Fellwood
26-45 and 26-46 - Lumber camps. Like little shed with a wood platform and lumber, as well as a roof over the lumber. Surrounded by 75ish redwing keds (gnats).

Near: Clearwater
59-30 - closed off well thing
63-35 inside owls nest village - closed off well thing

Near: Feathergorge
48-18 - get there from a cave at the south of it or at the top of 48-19 - Glowing Purple Atheryte
When you examine it you get "The aetheryte emits a dull light...."

Near: Camp Crooked Fork
43-7 - This open area has no mobs and is home to a series of piles of stones in a circle. There is also a nice view of Ishgard from here
52-1 - NPC Ladislas - unopened zone called Hengr's Crucible
Ladislas script - "You have no business in Hengr's Crucible. Begone!"

Near: The Lance
11-10 - NPC Hersande - unopened zone
Hersande Script - something about dragon activity lessening recently leading them to believe the dragons are "contriving something ill, hoping that we grow complacent in the meanwhile."

La Noscea

Near: Isle of Umbra
6-21 - NPC Aimiliens - unopened zone
Aimiliens script - "This area is off limits."

Near: Camp Iron Lake
26-2 NPC - Norman - unopened zone
Norman Script - "Away with you, scrag! No one is allowed past this point!"

Mor Dhona

Near: Fogfens
6-15 - Entrance to the Crystal Chamber(Tentative Name by anima) (thank you anima)

[gifthorse]

pictures or it didnt happen

[Azurymber]

pictures of what? i've got pics of some of the more "cool" stuff. What would you like to see?

[gifthorse]

pictures of what? i've got pics of some of the more "cool" stuff. What would you like to see?

I know it ruins the sense of exploration, but you should add pictures beneath each area like any good tourist guide.

[Sonic_the_Hedgehog]

Now be a good girl and listen to gifthorse. He's pretty gifted if you know what I mean.

[Azurymber]

I am purposely not doing that because I designed this guide as a method for bored people to have fun exploring. I actually have data on numerous other areas and visited many other areas. And I have chosen the most "unique" and "hard to get to" things to mention. But there are many other very cool things, like a temple type cave in thanalan near the gridania zone, and a garuda-esque statue with wind elementals near humblehearth. there is also a bright white tree near emerald moss. I could go on.

I think its important that people try to explore the world and find things for themselves. Someday I might decide to make an actual tourist guide with pics and all that, but for now im hoping i help some bored people find something new to do. This guide cuts out all the frustrating hours of exploring and dying to find nothing.

[Kilta_Firelotus]

pics you please so I know what I'm looking for.

[Azurymber]

I am not uploading a pic of every spot.... what in particular is confusing you that requires a pic?

[Chardrizard]

Thank you very much for your effort, but description just doesn't do justice for me.
you don't see tourist guides with only descriptions, they comes with pictures to pick people's interest.

[Azurymber]

Thank you very much for your effort, but description just doesn't do justice for me.
you don't see tourist guides with only descriptions, they comes with pictures to pick people's interest.

then help complete the guide go take pictures of everything :]