The end will begin on August 14.

[Munba]

We would like to take another moment to remind adventurers that the goobbue mount will become unobtainable upon the release of patch 1.23a. Barring any major setbacks, this patch will go live on Tuesday, August 14, 2012.

Prepare your backpack and pull off wet clothes from your balcony, yo.

[Akujin]

I may have to go log out near where that NPC is, just to see if something happens there, like a geographical alteration of some kind.. you know, like one of those Dalamud meteorites comes hurling down and annihilates that part of the landscape lol

[Dirkonis]

I started playing way to late lol. Leaving for vacation tomorrow, I will def not hit 30 in time. The consequences of waiting ladies and gents.

[neorei]

Maybe we might see the eventual destruction of the world. Like in the trailer.

[Laughlyn]

or maybe... we will just be unable to get that mount after the 1.23a patch

[Atoli]

Didn't some community rep translate a Yoshi post saying the wandering minstrel will just...walk away or something?
Maybe he heard about the danger Eorzea is in and decided to not die with all of us?

I doubt 1.23a is the end, we still have more lettered patches coming.

[Akujin]

Hence why he said the end will begin, not the end is nigh!

It has to start somewhere, at some time, now with this patch is as good as any time. Dalamud looms ever closer, those who have challanged and taken down Nael have done so, others who have yet to do it have a time yet to. But still, the destruction that is to come can still start happening now, I really dont forsee any grand scale alterations taking place on our current platform just due to its limitations anyways, but some sceneic adjustments could happen sure. Add files to certain landscapes, the meteorites for example, hurling down to crash on random places throughout the game world to kill whoever is unlucky enough to be caught in the path for instance.

And maybe the title 'Wandering Minstrel' will be taken literal and he will begin doing just that, start walking, singing a merry tune about the end of days being upon us.

I forsee my AFK-self auto walking behind him then. Lol

[Seif]

I hope 2.0 players will get something with at least the same gameplay purpose.

The ability to summon it cost free anywhere honestly improves the quality of the game and I wouldn't want it to be taken away from new players just because I was playing 2 years prior to actual release.

[bahley]

Maybe the NPC is the one who summoned Dalamud and he knows it's time to get the eff outta here...

hhmmm conspiracies...

[Xodus84]

like a chocobo?