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Clarion Aster
"The only difference between a new face and an old friend is I haven't gotten to know them yet."
This affable old lalafell spent his youth learning the goldsmithing trade before becoming an explorer with the goal of discovering ever more beautiful gemstones to bring back home to Ul'dah. On these journeys he visited countless rivers and springs and developed a love of water and how it shaped the people of each land he visited. Now in his golden years he's hung up his explorers cap, stopped his grinding wheel and wishes to share the experiences he's had with others through food, drink and a few good stories.
Ti Wave
Born in the wintrous foothills beyond Ishghard, this friendly Lalafell spent his youth wandering remote mountains. A student of the black mage arts, he soon developed a love for homey monasteries and the hideaways of hermit-scholars on his adventures; anywhere to kick one's feet up and enjoy a hot drink and a good fireside song. No longer a stranger to the ways of cities, Ti enjoys a good cozy hole-in-the-wall, making fast friends, swapping tales, and good cuisine. While he may still pine for the mountains more often than not, he enjoys friendly faces, new and familiar, and tends to hold to a quieter, simpler pace.
Maeka Sakamoto
This young-at-heart viera made her way to Eorzea from the forests of the Skatay Range in Othard. While she only ever discloses bits and pieces of her mysterious past, MaeKa lets her heritage show in her mannerisms and odd speech patterns. She's always happy to greet everyone that comes into the Azure Oasis, new and old patrons alike, ever curious about their adventures.
Juniper Fourthelm
Juniper is a young astrologian studying under full-ride scholarship of the Conjurer's Guild, based in New Gridania. Empowered by her patron goddess - Nophica, the Matron - she bridges the gap between the stars and the Oasis for any and all willing patrons. Through single, double, and triple-card tarot readings, she wishes to help patrons view their respective situations in a different light.
Travelogue
We left the last vestiges of the Black Shroud behind us and crested a high hill. The vast expanse of Thanalan's eastern reaches greeted us on the other side and I knew our long expedition was coming to an end.
As I paused to take in the view I could hear a low rumble in the distance and memories of younger days came flooding back to me. I rushed off the road headlong into the wood and came upon Burgundy Falls where I spent most of my childhood playing.
Against Ti's protests and my better judgement I leapt onto the riverstones as I had done many times before and was met with a wondrous sight. Hidden in the wash of the waterfall were numerous ruby colored lights dancing like embers of an untended flame. They looked to be crystal fragments shaved off from a piece of the Burning Wall, that horrid crystalline scar of the Calamity. To think such a horrible event could lead to a moment of beauty, however small that it was.
I had heard of the wintry blight that had consumed Coerthas but seeing it in person rent my heart asunder. Long gone were the verdant green hills and calming meadows; replaced with snowy hills and endless tundra.
As we traversed the frozen land my apprehension grew until at last my fears were solidified. The beautiful cascades of what is now known as Snowcloak had frozen over entirely into a mass of ice.
Luckily, I always carry my trusty pick that's seen as many adventures as I have with me. As the ice broke the crystal-clear shards that flew past my head glittered like the icy blue Larimars that Ishgardian nobles wear to accent their often chilly demeanor. Here's hoping one day this cascade frozen in time will thaw and be able to flow again.
The ruins of the Sharlayan settlement held a silence about them that was a truly rare treat. Aside from the new residents of Idyllshire making all sorts of noise with their inventing and town building, the serene calm of the hinterlands is a far call from what most people would assume when they think of Dravania.
As we went down to the edge of the Thaliak river the rapids picked up and the silence was broken by a melody of motion. The deep blue of the river and the song of the rapids reminded me of the sapphire music boxes we made when I was back at the Goldsmith's Guild. The Twelve have truly blessed me to be able to have a front row seat to a concert in this forgotten part of the world.
We arrived at Ala Ghanna early in the morning hoping for a quick survey and supply of water from Mason's Falls. To our dismay the water at the base of the falls was beyond unusable; far too much silt picked up going down the falls. To salvage the trip we made the foolhardy decision to try the top of the waterfall instead. The peaks of Gyr Abania were not given their name lightly and what followed was a good half-a-days hike up and around to arrive above the falls.
A small temple lay beside the slow moving river and these old bones called out for a momentary rest. I awoke several hours later at sunset and what a sight that greeted me. The slow river had become a golden field in the evening sun. Like a singular radiant citrine the river glowed and I was awestruck that this land wracked by generations of war could hide such majesty so soon after being freed.