Travelers at the Crossroads

Travelers at the Crossroads

Quest giver

Hythlodaeus

Location

Elpis (X:8.7, Y:31.5)

Quest line

Endwalker Main Scenario Quests

Level

87

Experience

 495,000

Gil

 1,152

Previous quest

Verdict and Execution

Next quest

A Past, Not Yet Come to Pass

Patch

6.0

“

Hythlodaeus wishes to discuss plans for the remainder of your visit.

— In-game description

Rewards

Unlocks

• 
  Poieten Oikos

Steps

• Speak with Hythlodaeus
• Speak with Hythlodaeus again.
• Speak with Venat.
• Search for the concept crystal.
• Deliver the concept crystal to Venat.

Dialogue

Hythlodaeus:

• Where to now? If there is anywhere you would like to visit before we leave, I should be glad to show you the way...

Emet-Selch:

• Hermes has not yet outright refused his position with the Convocation─merely postponed the decision.
• As such, I may as well resume my assessment. If we cannot accompany him, then I will content myself with questioning his colleagues.

Hythlodaeus:

• Ever the pragmatist. Then allow me to remain your humble guide.
• And what of you, Player? Will you continue along with us?
• Wonderful! Our fellowship travels on unbroken. I say we explore another part of Elpis, and see what new encounters there are to be had.
• If you would follow me, we will first head back towards Anagnorisis.
• From here, we follow the path northwards to Notoneus.
• There we will find one of the teleporters which facilitate travel between the islands of Elpis.
• First-time travelers must be accompanied by someone with the requisite permission─which I have previously been granted. We only need use the device together once, and henceforth you will have leave to use it freely.
• Shall we?
• Here we are: Notoneus. This teleporter will take us to Kallimelios Zephyros, the western island.
• That's it right there, looming large over us.
• Step this way, and we can soon admire the view from above!
• I present to you Kallimelios Zephyros.
• Here you will find a number of testing facilities as well as the observation hub of Poieten Oikos.
• Right, then. Let's begin by ─ ...Hm?
• Well, well, an oreias. How delightful.

Emet-Selch:

• And what, pray tell, is that...?

Hythlodaeus:

• Ah, that's a new species of shark. We approved the concept but a few days ago.
• Sharks are among the most popular sea creatures. Rare is the day when someone does not submit a new concept.

Familiar Woman:

• That was too close... Are you unharmed?
• Well now, if it isn't a pair of familiar faces...

Hythlodaeus:

• Venat! That we should meet you here!

Emet-Selch:

• As I mentioned earlier, the better part of the Convocation holds that when we retire is when we return to the star.
• Well, she is not among said majority. Even after stepping down, she carries on with her work.
• Venat is her name, and she is the previous Azem.

Venat:

• It has been a while, Hythlodaeus. You look well.
• Less so, Emet-Selch. I daresay the lines upon your brow have both deepened and doubled in number.
• A shame for one so young. You must make an effort to frown less often.

Emet-Selch:

• Easier said than done thanks to your unruly successor.

Venat:

• How is she, if I may ask?

Hythlodaeus:

• Incorrigible as ever. Rushed headlong into a volcano on the brink of eruption just the other day. I should be glad to share the tale in its entirety later, if you are so inclined.

Venat:

• You know I am!
• Now then, you are...?
• I say...have you perchance come from the future?
• I do not believe we have ever met, yet I sense my magick upon you.
• Therefore if I wove the enchantment, I could only have done so at a later point in time.

Hythlodaeus:

• What manner of magick is this, if I may ask?

Venat:

• A traveler's ward, of course. It prevents the corruption of one's aether.
• ...Primals, you say? I'm not familiar with such beings, but if they “enthrall” by warping the balance of aether, then yes─the magick would afford you a measure of protection.
• I gather from your question that you are not ignorant to its presence.

Emet-Selch:

• Hold on─from the future? That's absurd.

Venat:

• What is it? Are you unable to speak of the matter?
• So, your actions here will not change your history...but they may yet affect the course of ours...
• How very exciting. I'm quite fond of delving into the unknown─and there's naught more unknown than the future.
• Until a moment finally arrives, we cannot know for certain what will come to pass─regardless of our supposed foreknowledge. So you needn't worry for us.
• More importantly, that you should go to such great lengths as to travel unto the past bespeaks the gravity of your quest.
• Will you not reveal it to us? Mayhap we can be of aid to your cause.

Emet-Selch:

• If this is true, then you've been keeping quite the secret to yourself.
• As a representative of the Convocation, I will hear it all. Your identity, purpose─everything.

Venat:

• Why don't we move to a place more conducive to calm conversation.
• I've been working here for some days now at an old friend's behest.
• If it is agreeable, we may make use of my accommodation at Poieten Oikos.
• We were meant to meet, I am certain of it.
• Else I wouldn't have marked you so clearly and sent you unto myself in the past.
• It's precisely the sort of mischief I would get up to─and quite inspired, if I do say so myself.
• My apologies, but before we move along, a colleague has tasked me with a matter which I'd rather not leave unresolved.
• It involves finding a certain concept-engraved crystal...and the quick-fingered oreias which made off with it.

Hythlodaeus:

• An oreias, you say? I think we might have seen the culprit before being distracted by that business with the shark. Would you like us to follow its aetherial trail?
• That would, of course, lead us only to the oreias─there is no guarantee that it hasn't dropped or stashed away the crystal you seek.

Venat:

• Please! Even that much would be enormously helpful. While you are hunting down the thief, I can follow behind and scour the forest floor just in case.
• Could I ask you to join the search? I would appreciate another pair of eyes to cover the land to the west of here...
• Many thanks! There's a small bridge leading into Poieten Oikos─let us meet up there once we've exhausted our efforts.