The Steps of Faith

This article is about the updated A Realm Reborn Main Scenario Quest. For the duty removed in Patch 6.2, see The Steps of Faith (Duty).

The Steps of Faith

Quest giver

Marcelain

Location

Coerthas Central Highlands (X:18.1, Y:14.9)

Quest line

Seventh Astral Era

Level

50

Experience

 2,340

Gil

 3,306

Previous quest

An Allied Perspective

Next quest

Administrative Decision

Patch

2.55

Links

EDB GT

“

Ser Marcelain wishes to prepare you for the siege of Ishgard.

— In-game description

Rewards

Choose one of the following options:

• 1   Quickarm Materia IV
• 1   Quicktongue Materia IV

Unlocks

•   Broken Bridges

Walkthrough

Vishap

Patch 6.2 removed  The Steps of Faith and converted the encounter with Vishap into a solo instanced duty. The duty is vastly different from the trial, but it's still much longer than most solo duties done at this point in the game. The fight essentially functions as a long DPS race, but now ends at the Third and last Ward. Each ward will have a Barrier Strength Gauge; when at 0, the ward will break.

First Ward

When the duty begins, Lucia the Radiant, Y'shtola, and Thancred will be fighting at your side alongside numerous other NPCs against Vishap's horde. Approach Vishap to begin the duty, and he will summon many dragon adds. Vishap remains untargettable, so focus your attention on the adds. While you are fighting them, Vishap will cast twice Flame Breath, an initially untelegraphed AoE down the middle, to weaken the First Ward. Get out of the middle or risk taking massive damage.

Soon, a Horde Armored Dragon will appear, but has no noteable abilities other than a damaging Dragon Stomp. Once it is defeated, Vishap stuns everyone and prepares Cauterize, an extremely long line AoE that kills anyone caught in it. Once the stun wears off, follow your allies as they retreat in front of the First Ward. Once that is done, a knockback AoE appears to indicate Vishap landing and becoming targettable for the first time. The abilities he uses here are:

• Fireball: A purple marker will appear on every single NPC to indicate Vishap launching fireballs on everyone. Make sure you do not overlap with anyone to minimize damage.
• Seismic Shriek: Moderate unavoidable damage attack.
• Body Slam: A knockback AoE that is at the same time being cast with Fireball, now a bunch of AoE circles on the ground. Make sure you are not standing in front of any AoEs before the knockback occurs.
• Sidewise Slice: Vishap will rear his head forward and slice it around the arena. Get underneath Vishap or huddle against the Ward to get out of range of Vishap's bashing head.

Eventually, Vishap will use Flame Breath to completely destroy the First Ward, beginning the next phase.

Second Ward

When Vishap becomes untargettable and he and the Horde charge ahead, that's the cue to retreat. Vishap will be launching untelegraphed fireballs, Blazing Fireballs at the party in random locations as they retreat. Thancred and Y'shtola will stay to hold back Vishap while you and Lucia retreat to the Second Ward to protect it, where Yda and Papalymo are also helping. This add wave ends with a Horde Transcendent, which Yda will kill with a Limit Break. Vishap then returns to the arena, indicated by a knockback. Abilities in the first phase are retained, but new ones are present as well.

• Earth Shaker: A frontal cone AoE. Move to the left or right walls to avoid being hit.
• Earthrising: This will be the first time players will ever encounter this kind of mechanic, consisting of two Exaflares. Exaflares are red circles with yellow arrows that indicate numerous untelegraphed circle AoEs going ahead in a straight line, so don't be in front of them when they cast.
• Flame Breath: Just like in the first phase, Vishap uses this to destroy the first ward, forcing Lucia to order a retreat to the next and final Ward.

Third Ward

Once again, watch out for Blazing Fireballs as you retreat and let Yda and Papalymo hold back Vishap while you help Estinien Wyrmblood and the other defenders keep the Horde away from the Final Ward. Watch out for AoE circles caused by the untargettable Vishap casting Fireball. Once the adds are defeated, Vishap returns to the battlefield for the last time, beginning the party's last stand. He retains the mechanics from the previous two encounters, and severely weakens the final ward with Flame Breath before showing new mechanics.

• Earth Shaker: This now spawns three cone AoEs that cover the entire arena. Go the spot where the AoE covered the ground last and stay there until the other two are cast to reveal a safe spot.
• Scorching Breath: Vishap prepares a final attack to destroy the last barrier; however, Lucia and her knights form a shield and take the brunt of Vishap's relentless flames to protect the Ward. A Knights' Resolve gauge will appear to indicate how long the player has before Lucia and her knights are killed; defeat Vishap before the gauge reaches 0 and the duty will be over.

Steps

• Speak with Marcelain.
• Speak with Alphinaud at the Gates of Judgement.
• Speak with Minfilia at the Rising Stones.

Journal

• Ser Marcelain wishes to prepare you for the siege of Ishgard.

• Ser Marcelain explains that the damage Iceheart inflicted on Ishgard's arcane barrier has allowed the dragons to land directly upon the Steps of Faith─the bridge which spans the Sea of Clouds between the Gates of Judgement and the city proper. You are to take up position on the Steps of Faith, and aid the Temple Knights in defending the vital structure against the Dravanian Horde.

• You have succeeded in driving the Dravanian Horde from the Steps of Faith. Return in triumph to the Gates of Judgement.

• As the remnants of the Dravanian Horde take to the skies in disarray, Ishgard's weary defenders breathe a sigh of relief. The siege is ended. Speak with Alphinaud at the Gates of Judgement and find out how your allies fared in the battle at the Steel Vigil.

• Moments after greeting Alphinaud, you are joined by a grateful Ser Aymeric, who humbly thanks you for your service. When the lord commander subsequently takes his leave, Alphinaud triumphantly declares that the stage has been set for Ishgard's return to the Eorzean Alliance. Make your way back to Revenant's Toll, and report your success to Minfilia.

• Minfilia greets your return with a mixture of triumph and relief. Having snuffed out the Dravanian threat, it is time to enjoy a well-earned rest.

Dialogue

Accepting the Quest (Cutscene)

Marcelain: Ere you commit yourself to the siege, you should know what it is you are tasked with defending. Beyond the Gates of Judgement lie the Steps of Faith─a great bridge of stone that leads directly to the city of Ishgard.
Marcelain: More than simply a means to cross the Sea of Clouds, the bridge serves as a foundation for the arcane wards that form the barrier we call Daniffen's Collar.
Marcelain: Alas, in dispelling the barrier's outermost layer, that thrice-damned witch Iceheart stripped the bridge of its protection, and thus are the dragons now able to land unhindered upon the Steps of Faith.
Marcelain: Should the Dravanians succeed in destroying the remainder of the wards, the winged devils will be free to swarm within the city itself.
Marcelain: Needless to say, we cannot suffer that to happen. It shall be our task as defenders to prevent any harm from coming to those parts of the bridge wherein the wards are sealed.
Marcelain: Three yet remain, and we have dispatched our forces accordingly. I would ask you and your comrades to accompany our defenders at the outermost ward.

???: I should hope that includes us as well, yes?

Marcelain: The Scions of the Seventh Dawn!?

Y'shtola: We could not well stand idly by while the Horde threatens the good people of Ishgard.

Papalymo: Indeed. To do otherwise would go against all that Master Louisoix has taught us.
Papalymo: As for where we may be of most assistance, I think it prudent we divide into two groups. Yda and I will join the rearguard.

Yda: Right! If the dragons should reach us, we'll be sure to give them what for.

Marcelain: Thank you. All of you. Pray speak with me again when your preparations are complete, and together we shall stand against the Horde!

Optional Dialogue

Thancred: I'm told the first commander of the Temple Knights, Lucia, will be leading their forces. By all accounts, it would seem we're in quite capable hands.

Y'shtola: The dragons may never again have such an opportunity to strike at the Holy See. You can be certain they will not squander it, so we must be vigilant.

Papalymo: Would that we could say with certainty that none of the wards will be breached, but our enemy is resourceful.

Yda: No matter what happens, we cannot let them cross this bridge.

Speaking with Marcelain

Marcelain: I trust you are ready, then? Good. Come, let us make for the battlefield!

Steps of Faith Duty Dialogue

Lucia the Radiant: We claim victory this day, or Ishgard falls! 
Lucia the Radiant: Accept the Fury into your heart, and defend this bridge with your life's blood! 

Y'shtola: Steady now! 

Seasoned Adventurer: We fight to protect our home! To protect Ishgard! 

Plucky Adventurer: Reinforcements! 

Lucia the Radiant: They mean to destroy the wards of Daniffen's Collar. Let not a single dragon pass! 

Thancred: Let's finish this quickly, shall we? 

Devoted Dragoon: Down with you!

Y'shtola: I shall make it quick! 

Devoted Dragoon: Leave the skies to us! 

Lucia the Radiant: Have the rear guard ready the cannons! Vishap makes ready to breathe fire. 

Devoted Dragoon: Do not lose heart! 
Devoted Dragoon: We too can ride the wind! 

 Vishap makes ready to breathe fire.

Lucia the Radiant: It readies to strike! 

Y'shtola: 'Tis like unto an inferno. 
Thancred: There'd be no walking away from a blast like that. 

Vishap's flames have damaged the first ward of Daniffen's Collar. 
Vishap makes ready to breathe fire.
Vishap's flames have severely damaged the first ward of Daniffen's Collar. 

Lucia the Radiant: Focus your attacks on the armored dragon! 

Thancred: They'll need more than thick hides to prevail over us. 

Lucia the Radiant: Urgh! 

Thancred: Argh! 

Y'shtola: Such terrible strength... 

Vishap makes ready to strike with a powerful attack... 

Lucia the Radiant: What in the...? 
Lucia the Radiant: Everyone, fall back! Fall back now! 
Lucia the Radiant: On your feet! 

Thancred: Fall back! 

Temple Banneret: Ahhh! 
Temple Banneret: Gods, please no! 

Y'shtola: Back, ere we burn to ashes! 
Plucky Adventurer: Run! 
Lucia the Radiant: Pull back the artillery! Their champion advances! 

Temple Knight: What is that!? 
Temple Knight: Out of the way! 

Stalwart Adventurer: We're no good to the Holy See dead. 

Y'shtola: Aether, to me! 

Lucia the Radiant: We will not yield quite so easily! 

Thancred: That'll leave a mark. 

Y'shtola: Our foe is formidable. Have care. 

Lucia the Radiant: Do not let it reach the barrier! Hold your ground! 

Seasoned Adventurer: Remember what it is we fight for! 

Earnest Adventurer: We've come too far to lose now! 

Stalwart Adventurer: No... 

Temple Banneret: But how... 

Vishap makes ready to breathe fire. 

Seasoned Adventurer: The warding! 

Lucia the Radiant: By the Fury! 

Vishap's flames have destroyed the first ward of Daniffen's Collar. 

Lucia the Radiant: The first ward has been breached! 
Lucia the Radiant: Fall back, and regroup! The battle is not yet lost! 

Thancred: We must find Papalymo and regroup! 

Y'shtola: Of course it could never be so easy. 

Plucky Adventurer: Bah! Damned dragons! 

Earnest Adventurer: A full retreat seems unlikely... 

Y'shtola: We must hold them here! 

Thancred: We will see to things here, [Forename]. Fall back and help the others guard the ward. 

Lucia the Radiant: We are in your debt. 

Papalymo: They mean to defeat us with sheer numbers, then? 

Yda: Well, it's a good thing I can't count! 

Papalymo: We must bring our all to bear! 

Yda: No holding back! 

Papalymo: Take heart, [Forename]. We will prevail! 

Temple Banneret: It can't end...like this... 

Stalwart Adventurer: Dammit... 

Yda: This one'll sting! 

Lucia the Radiant: Brace yourselves! 

Papalymo: On your guard, Yda! 

Yda: I know, I know! 

Lucia the Radiant: Let us end this here and now! 

Papalymo: Now the battle begins in earnest. 

Yda: We can't give up! 

Lucia the Radiant: We must defeat their champion at all costs! 

Temple Knight: Mother... 

Stalwart Adventurer: Gah! 

Vishap makes ready to breathe fire. 

Lucia the Radiant: Dammit! The second ward! 

Yda: Brace yourselves! 

Papalymo: This bodes ill... 

Vishap's flames have destroyed the second ward of Daniffen's Collar. 

Lucia the Radiant: The second ward has fallen! 
Lucia the Radiant: Fall back! There's nothing left to be done here. 

Papalymo: We must retreat─now! 

Yda: We have to protect the last ward! 

Carefree Adventurer: Dammit all! 

Adventurous Frontier Hand: We mustn't lose heart! 

Yda: We can't outrun them all. 

Papalymo: Yda and I have matters here well in hand. [Forename], you must go and see to the final ward. 

Lucia the Radiant: Thank you, Scions. We will not fail! 

Knight Dragoon: Dragoons, to arms! Give the enemy no quarter! 

Estinien Wyrmblood: They will know the wrath of the Azure Dragoon! 

Lucia the Radiant: Hold your ground! Should this barrier fall, Ishgard will be awash in flame! 

Knight Dragoon: I will see this through to the end. Upon my lance, I swear it! 

Estinien Wyrmblood: Know your folly! 

Stalwart Adventurer: Is this...the end...? 

Temple Knight: I...I don't want to...

Lucia the Radiant: Their champion approaches! Make ready!

Estinien Wyrmblood: If he would taste my lance again, so be it. 

Lucia the Radiant: Hold nothing back! 

Knight Dragoon: Our enemy is not without weakness! Keep it up! 

Estinien Wyrmblood: Fall! 

Knight Dragoon: The true battle begins here! 

Vishap makes ready to breathe fire. 

Lucia the Radiant: Come what may, we must hold on! 

Knight Dragoon: Stand clear! 

Estinien Wyrmblood: Look out! 

Stalwart Adventurer: No... 

Temple Knight: But how... 

Vishap's flames have severely damaged the final ward of Daniffen's Collar. 

Lucia the Radiant: The final ward is weakened. Hurry, we must end this now! 

Vishap prepares to unleash the full force of his fiery fury. 

Lucia the Radiant: The barrier cannot suffer such an attack... 
Lucia the Radiant: We are the shield that keeps the Holy See! Even if it should cost us everything, they cannot be suffered to pass! 

Knight Dragoon: Let us show them the strength of Ishgard's finest! 

Estinien Wyrmblood: It's now or nothing! 

Temple Knight: Commander! 
Temple Knight: We stand as one! 
Temple Knight: Urgh! 
Temple Knight: Graaaaaah! 

Lucia the Radiant: Damn this infernal heat! 

Temple Knight: Halone, I beg you─grant us strength! 

The knights' resolve begins to wane... 

Lucia the Radiant: Ishgard will not fall. Not today! 

Temple Knight: We...must not...falter...! 
Temple Knight: We must hold on! We must! 

Post-duty Cutscene

Ishgardian Knight: The dragons─ They are withdrawing! Victory is ours! 

Estinien: One of Nidhogg's greatest champions...slain. The Horde will not soon recover from this blow. 
Estinien: But what of you, Nidhogg? Why did you not join your minions and make of this battle a slaughter? Have you grown so fond of the stench of your lair? 
Estinien: Mayhap you prefer to have your allies fight your battles for you... You have a girl to do your bidding now, do you not? No matter. I shall slay Iceheart, and all the rest... 
Estinien: ...But I yearn to spill the blood of a great wyrm, Nidhogg, and only your death will sate my lance.

Optional Dialogue

Marcelain: By the Fury... You have driven the Horde from the Steps of Faith! You! A stranger to our land! I confess, I did not think you capable of such a feat...
Marcelain: Yet you yielded not an ilm in the face of dragons that would turn my brother knights' blood to ice. The Fury Herself must walk at your side!

Chaunollet: Nay, I'll not deny it: without your skill and fortitude, the city would now be ash. Would that more of your adventuring brethren possessed such qualities.

Loanne: You have served us well, adventurer─the Temple Knights would have been hard-pressed indeed to turn back the Horde alone. Mayhap 'tis time I returned to the practice yard...

Thancred: It was a close victory, but a victory nonetheless. I think we have earned a brief respite.

Y'shtola: 'Tis a rare opportunity to find onself confronted with so terrible a foe. Rarer still to emerge victorious. I should hope we need not contend with more of Nidhogg's champions.

Papalymo: The famed dragoons of Ishgard commanding the skies of battle was truly a sight to behold.

Yda: Phew, that was exhausting...

Speaking with Alphinaud at the Gates of Judgement (Cutscene)

Alphinaud: [Forename]! The dragons are routed! Lest you wonder, the fighting at the Steel Vigil was also fierce, but my Crystal Braves were not found wanting!

Aymeric: Commander Leveilleur, [Forename]... True to your word, you arrived to aid us in our hour of need.
Aymeric: On behalf of the Holy See and the people of Ishgard, I offer you my humble thanks.
Aymeric: Though I would stay and lavish you with well-deserved praise, I fear I must away to oversee the aftermath of the siege. Not all the dragons are fled, and there are yet wounded to be carried from the field. Pray let us meet anon that I might express my thanks with the proper courtesy.

Alphinaud: We have indeed achieved a victory of singular importance.
Alphinaud: With the Dravanian Horde thus weakened and scattered, the threat to Ishgard has been greatly diminished.
Alphinaud: And, mayhap equally significant, the Holy See must now recognize the necessity of cooperation with foreign powers.
Alphinaud: Long have they barred their gates against the outside world, but I am confident that the day will soon come when Ishgard proclaims itself a member of the Eorzean Alliance once more.
Alphinaud: Much have we sacrificed in our struggles against dragons and primals, the Ascians and the Empire. But, step by unfaltering step, we march ever nearer to our goal.
Alphinaud: And, as ever, the journey is made with you in the van.
Alphinaud: The victory you have won this day gives us greater hope for the morrow.
Alphinaud: 'Tis a hope that shall sustain us in the days to come, and bear us past the many evils that yet seek to hinder our progress.
Yes, we have done well, my friend, and I, for one, would take a moment to savor the enormity of our achievement!
Alphinaud: ...The demands of duty, however, allow me little time for levity. I must accompany Captain Ilberd back to Ul'dah, and reassign those Braves whose squads suffered heavy losses.
Alphinaud: You, my friend, have earned a rest at the Rising Stones. Pray return to Revenant's Toll, and share your tale with Minfilia in person.

Thancred: We will see to informing the other nations of what took place here. Do be sure to give our regards to Minfilia.

Speaking with Minfilia at the Rising Stones

Minfilia: [Forename]! Welcome back!
Minfilia: Alphinaud sent word of the siege. And, of course, of the role you played in ending it.
Minfilia: Your deeds never cease to amaze me, [Forename]... Thank you.