WESTERN LA NOSCEA

While Middle La Noscea's Descent shows the changes that the Calamity wrought to the landscape, nowhere shows more plainly the fear it struck into the hearts of men than Western La Noscea.

Farmers who once grew most of the crops for Limsa Lominsa, pulled up stakes and fled to the safety of the great city, and most have yet to return. Opportunistic sahagin have struck far into Halfstone as well, claiming the sunken lands as spawning and staging grounds for their raids.

Unlike most regions, Western La Noscea is typically "divided" into four sections rather than three: the wheaten fields of Quarterstone, the gruesomely-named Skull Valley, Halfstone in the west, and the Isles of Umbra, where stands the great lighthouse Pharos Sirius.

QUARTERSTONE

Quarterstone was once a testament to the delicate skill and tenacity of farmers. From fields that were the fourth part unyielding stone, wide and golden fields of wheat sprang every year, enough to feed not only the local population, but the very city-state herself. (1)

But where no kobold or sahagin raid, nor foul weather, nor drought could drive the hardy farmers out, the Seventh Umbral Calamity succeeded. Now, only a handful of the people have returned, and the fields and farmsteads stand empty. (1)

(1) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 109

SWIFTPERCH

Before the Calamity, a watchtower here served the Yellowjackets; however, it was reduced to smoking rubble in the blink of an eye. (1) (2)

Swiftperch itself is more than just a watering hole or guardsman's camp; it is part of the effort to reclaim the farms of Quarterstone, and many farmers stay here while striving to wrestle back their homes and fields from the wildlife that plague them. Many struggle to keep up their spirits in the face of the total loss, however, and some have grown as lifeless as the soil. (2) (3)

(1) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 109
(2) NPC Dialogue: Lyulf
(3) NPC Dialogue: Fraeloef

THE FLOCK

For five years and more, since the Seventh Umbral Calamity, the fields of Quarterstone have lain fallow and untended by human hands. Though farmers begin to return, they do so but slowly, and often find themselves ground down by the sheer weight of what needs to be done to reclaim the once fertile, though rocky, lands. (1) (3)

Meantime, the farms themselves are now the nesting places of dodos that once belonged to the father of Lyulf, the man spearheading the recovery effort. (2)

(1) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 109
(3) NPC Dialogue: Fraeloef
(2) NPC Dialogue: Lyulf

BREWER'S BEACON

The Brewer's Beacon is of recent construction. Meant to make up for the loss of Swiftperch Tower in the Calamity, it now stands guard over the coastline of Western La Noscea, guiding ships from the Indigo Deep into the safety of Aleport harbor. (1)

But this beacon, lit by the flame of a voidsent bomb, does not merely stand as a passive landmark; Khanswys, its keeper, also watches for tidal waves that would herald the return of the Sahagin's primal Leviathan. (1) (4)

(1) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 109
(4) Quest: Relighting the Torch

SKULL VALLEY

The name "Skull Valley" is necessarily a very exciting one, but it was not chosen lightly for this part of Western La Noscea. Nigh seven hundred years ago, the first kobold raids began, and a settlement here was razed to the ground, its inhabitants slaughtered--man, woman, and child. Limsa Lominsa dispatched its militia to respond and defend, and met the beastmen in heated battle. As a reminder and warning to the northerly tribe, the paths of the narrow valley were lined with the skulls of fallen kobolds. (5)

The area is no more welcoming than its name suggests: arid, barren hills where only brute beasts and goblins dare reside. Farther to the west, the valley divides into two passages into what was once Halfstone, each kept by a Tidegate against Sahagin incursions.

To the very south, Aleport makes up for the lack of welcome in the land.

(5) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 48

ALEPORT

The recipe for success includes malted barley fermented with yeast, and mixed with herbs and spices, to give it character--according to the people of Aleport, anyroad. Aleport is aptly named, a port in which brewed beers and ales are to be had for lower prices than anywhere else. (1) (6)

Such drinks are prized by sailors and travelers, for water can go stale and even toxic over time, but ale never does, and a bit of weaker ale mixed into water (to make grog) can purify the whole cup. Merchants buy up everything stronger. (7) (8)

The secret of these prices is, in fact, in taxation. Taxes upon Aleport liquors are far lower, and by design. Not only does it encourage captains to do more of their ordinary business in what would otherwise be a remote outpost, it also relieves some of the burden on the docks of Limsa Lominsa. (1)

But not all here is brew and revelry. Aleport is also strategically important to the Maelstrom, and its walls are lined with cannon, ready to fire upon the first threats--assuming that the cannoneers are not too well-supplied with local drink, that is. (9) (10)

Also a persistent trouble are smugglers and slavers, who have followed prosperity like flies following offal. The Yellowjackets labor long and hard to fight these criminals; those who visit Aleport would do well to remember that there is little tolerance for crime in this harbor! (11) (12)

(1) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 109
(6) NPC Dialogue: Q'ahnebb
(7) NPC Dialogue: Kaizo Poraizo
(8) NPC Dialogue: Pfarstym
(9) NPC Dialogue: Ururu Kogururu
(10) Quest: Mountains Out of Molehills
(11) NPC Dialogue: Skribyld
(12) NPC Dialogue: Alza Gamilza

CAMP SKULL VALLEY

Once only an aetheryte camp and watchpost to defend against kobolds, Camp Skull Valley has become a critical outpost against Sahagin incursions to Quarterstone. The Yellowjackets have since been replaced by a proper unit of Maelstrom soldiers, under the stern and watchful eye of Commander Falkbryda . (1) (13)

(1) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 109
(13) NPC Dialogue: Ahtmhas

THE FOUNDER'S CRYPT

Hard by the North Tidegate stands the Founder's Crypt. In true Lominsan fashion, this elegant memorial is to a simple farmer, one who proved himself a hero. When the Sahagin at last came to burn Halfstone to the ground, none were there to face them but the farmers who dwelt in the village. Aerghaemr, no warrior himself, bade his family and neighbors flee, keeping what arrows they could spare--and giving his boots to another, for as he said, his own journey would not be far. (14)

Alone he stood and alone he fell, but in so doing, saved the lives of everyone he loved, and is remembered as a hero to this day. (1)

(14) Quest: Flowers for Aerghaemr
(1) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 109

NORTH AND
SOUTH TIDEGATES

Good fences make good neighbors, the saying goes, and there are few finer fences than the Tidegates. Against these mighty Lominsan walls, the Sahagin tide breaks again and again. (1)

The Tidegates are each manned by two brothers, Storm Captains Sthalret and Nortmoen. Whoever stationed them is apparently aware that their rivalry drives them to outdo one another as often as possible--though each complains bitterly that the kelp is greener on his brother's end of the wall. (15)

(1) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 109
(15) Quest: Sibling Rivalry

HALFSTONE

The dry Lominsan sense of humor can be seen yet again in the name "Halfstone"; the soil was twice as rocky as that of Quarterstone. Yet the settlers would not give up on the land until, as the motto goes, the sea swallowed all.

The Sahagin summoned Leviathan soon after the Calamity, and the primal then sent the ocean itself in as the vanguard for their invasion. All of the good soil went back out to sea with the surge, and now, only the Sahagin and their marine beasts dwell on the bare, torn rock. (1)

(1) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 109

SAHAGIN LANDBASE

Coral and urchins have replaced the farmsteads and fields that once stood under the shadow of Pharos Sirius. Here, the Sahagin make Halfstone a stepping stone inland. (1)

Battles rage constantly at both Tidegates, and commanders such as Meww the Pusher and Mouu the Puller are frequently seen, leading attacks meant to breach the gates. (16) As well, Voll the Sharkskinned sometimes appears, supervising the digging-in process. (17)

(1) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 109
(16) FATEs: Breaching North Tidegate, Breaching South Tidegate
(17) FATE: Sharknado

NOVV'S NURSERY

Sahagin are a curious people; full nine out of ten of them are male. Those few women among them vie for the title of Indigo Matriarch--not merely queen of their city in the Indigo Deep, but mother of a generation of Sahagin. The males then seek to prove themselves worthy, and if she sees fit, they are granted a group of eggs and called "Clutchfather". The male so honored builds a nursery in the shallow waters, and there raises his children. (18)

Clutchfather Novv chose to build his nursery as nigh the "shorewalkers" as he could. Fifteen years after the slaughter of his first clutch in retaliation for his savagery against Lominsans, he has come to desire peace, and his nursery is a safe haven for land-dwellers; for he teaches his children to break the cycle of violence. (19)

(18) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 253
(19) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 252

SAPSA SPAWNING GROUNDS

Every storm has its heart, and the Sapsa Spawning Grounds are that for the Sahagin invasion. The aquatic tribesmen have labored to transform farmland into a coral paradise for their young--but make no mistake, even a young Sahagin with gills unformed is quite capable of fierce battle. And thus is this as much a mustering ground as a home. (1)(19)

Be that as it may, though, this place is no more friendly to Sahagin than to other men. In their enthusiasm for battle, the Sahagin have neglected to clear away the barnacles, which spew gases that can be deadly to eggs. (20)

Here too are brought captive "shorewalkers"--ordinary men and women captured from ships and patrols, soldiers and civilians alike. They are not kept as hostages, but to be offered to Leviathan for "drowning" (as they call "tempering"). (21)

If that were not enough, attempts are occasionally made from this place to summon Leviathan, "Lord of the Whorl" and god of the Sahagin. Priests such as Yarr the Wavefiend are sometimes seen by those who are brave or foolhardy enough to venture into the area. (22)

(1) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 109
(19) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 252
(20) Quest: Put a Shhhock in It
(21) Quests: Spawning Ground Salvation, A Nap Before Drowning, An Enthralling Engagement
(22) FATE: Making Waves

THE REEF OF SENDING

But in the end, Sahagin are not so different from shorewalking men. Deep within the Spawning Grounds, they keep a memorial to their fallen, hoping that from here, the wayward spirits of the slain will find their way back to the sea.

(1) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 109

THE SERPENT'S TONGUE

For every flag or cause that exists, no matter how abhorrent, there are always men who will pledge themselves to it, in return for plunder--or just being killed last. Among such men are the Serpent Reavers, rapacious pirates who have chosen to ally themselves with the Sahagin instead of their fellow men in Limsa Lominsa. (1)

Captain Aermswys the Stained makes her headquarters here, and her allegiance to the Sahagin is symbolized by the coral necklace she wears. (23)(24)

(1) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 109
(23) FATE: Watch Your Tongue
(24) Quest: Removing the Stain

REAVER'S HIDE

Deep in the Sapsa Spawning Grounds stands a pier, called the Reaver's Hide. It was in this place that, shortly after the advent of the Seventh Astral Era, Leviathan was summoned once more. (25)

(25) Quest: The Gift of Eternity

THE ISLES OF UMBRA

No coastline is smooth; indeed, many are the rocks and small islands that clutter the shores of Vylbrand.

Most notable, though are the Isles of Umbra, upon which stands Pharos Sirius. (1)

(1) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 109

PHAROS SIRIUS

Pharos Sirius has long been regarded as one of Naldiq & Vymelli's proudest achievements. A beacon meant to serve Aleport, its light is fed not by normal fire or even Voidsent bombs, but pure aether.

That is, until the Calamity. Flying debris struck the lighthouse, instantly crystallizing the aether and corrupting it. (1)

The smiths have made much progress in clearing up the mess, but twice have they been thwarted: once by a Siren seeking to claim it for her own, and once by kobolds who, trying to tunnel under Limsa Lominsa, took a wrong turn. (26)(27)

(1) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 109
(26) Dungeon description: Pharos Sirius
(27) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 149

THE SHIP GRAVEYARD

It is said that, for every wrecked hull one can see above the water, a full score lie below--a claim impossible to verify, between the permanent shroud of fog upon the beach and the ashkin walking in the briny foam. (1)

However, not all that wanders here is dead. In recent times, a group of mandragoras attempted to set up a garden on the beach from which to raise an army. (28) As well, the Serpent Reavers once attempted to take the Isles of Umbra as a foothold for a strike against Aleport. (29)

(1) Encyclopaedia Eorzea Vol. 1, p. 109
(28) Quest: Seeds of Rebellion
(29) Quest: Pirates of Shallow Water

MOONSHADE ISLE

Moonshade Isle is a favorite fishing ground for Novv's children. Of particular note are the whitecap clams that dwell there, which the Sahagin youth must fight predators to claim. (30)

However, it is not only uragnites that threaten; Serpent Reavers also make regular attempts to claim the beaches for their own nefarious purposes. (31)

(30) Quest: Violence of the Clams
(31) Quest: In the Shadow of the Moon