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I know there are lots of prospective Notorious Monster hunters out there. Let's see if this big bad buffalo is enough to whet your appetite for the time being.

Tarbh Uisge



One of the last great buffalo of Vylbrand, Tarbh Uisge was captured while still a calf by an ambitious mummer and trained to entertain audiences around Eorzea. Repeated application of stimulatory and suppressive magicks, however, have slowly eaten away at the beast's sanity, rendering it violent and unpredictable. After its capture nearly a decade ago, Tarbh Uisge was imprisoned on a remote island in the Rhotano Sea and soon forgotten by all...

Wanted: Tarbh Uisge

Not long ago, Mathistien of the Cloven Hoof and his traveling grotesquery was one of the realm's most popular exhibitions. People would flock from all around the countryside to see such spectacles as the two-headed nannygoat, the hairless phurble, and the show's main attraction—the colossal Tarbh Uisge. However, it was not until after the giant creature broke loose from its fetters and trampled through Limsa Lominsa, starting a fire that destroyed hundreds of buildings and killed countless innocent citizens, including two high-ranking thalassocratic officials, that it was revealed that Mathistien was actually an assassin for the Zer'maat Five. Needless to say, the mummer was promptly arrested and exiled to a lonely island prison in the Cieldalaes, where he has remained in solitude for the past ten years...or so we thought, for lately there have been rumors that the assassin has fled his island prison and is not only back on Vylbrand, but has brought with him his loyal pet, Tarbh Uisge. Azeyma's Shields is certain that this is the work of the Zer'maat Five, and will stop at nothing to recapture this dangerous criminal and bring him back to justice.

Those who are successful in slaying Tarbh Uisge will be rewarded with a special item known as an Allagan runestone. There are a dozen in all, each representing one of the twelve deities who watch over the peoples of Eorzea. Rumor has that in Ul'dah resides a young trader named Rowena who seeks these rare stones and is offering pieces of finely crafted equipment in exchange.

Check out the Lodestone Entry for all the cool Templar Armor.

The devs have just taken the time to answer all our questions about setting up actions in FFXIV. I know it is a painstaking process for beginners, so you should definitely check this out if you are still new to the game.

Q. I just learned a new action and want to use it right now. What do I have to do?
A. An action must be set to an action bar before it can be used. To do so, follow the procedure outlined below.

The Actions & Traits Screen



1. Action Slots
Set an action to one of these slots to make it available for use. The numbers 1, 2, and 3 to the left correspond to a player's three available action bars.

2. Trait Slots
Set a trait or special ability acquired with guild marks in this slot to begin receiving its effect automatically.

3. Ability Slots
Set a synthesis or gathering ability in this slot to make it available for use. For Disciples of the Land, abilities set here will have their effect triggered at random while gathering. In the case of Disciples of the Hand, set abilities are those that become available for selection at random times throughout the synthesis process.

4. Action/Trait/Ability Details
Detailed information on the highlighted action/trait/ability is displayed here.

5. Action/Trait/Ability List
Within this frame is a list of all actions/traits/abilities that can be set. The type displayed depends on the currently selected slot. Choosing a class from the pull-down menu at the top will display its available actions/traits/abilities.

Setting an Action

Step 1
Select a slot from one of the three available action bars.



Step 2
Select an action from the list of those available.



After selecting an action, the setting process is complete.



The cost of the set action is automatically applied to the appropriate point total.



Actions can be set freely until the point limit is reached.



Step 3
Set actions can be easily accessed from the action bar.



To navigate to bars 2 and 3, use the keyboard's up and down arrow keys, or the up and down directional buttons on a controller's D-pad.



Q. Can I set actions during battle? Because if so, I c—
A. Let us stop you right there. Although setting actions is impossible in active mode, it is possible to do so at any time in passive mode—even whilst being beat about the head and face by an enemy. Players should be aware, however, that setting an action incurs a full recast timer, so newly set actions are not immediately available.

Another version update is out today. It is a very small patch, and is far from likely to please any of the Goldsmiths out there.

A huge portion of the FFXIV community is highly confused about faction leves, so the devs have taken the time out of their seemingly busy schedule to answer a couple of our questions.

Faction Leves

Q.What are faction leves?
A.Faction leves are special types of guildleves that are obtained in exchange for a currency known as faction credits. Faction levequests are typically more difficult than their regional levequest counterparts, but offer greater rewards.

Q.How do I earn faction credits?
A.Faction credits are awarded upon successful completion of regional levequests. Players can learn which of the factions credits will be awarded by viewing a guildleve's details before accepting it.

Q.What are the prerequisite conditions for undertaking a faction leve?
A.A rank 20 faction leve, for example, can be purchased by a rank 10 player with at least 100 credits with any faction. Players should keep in mind, however, that faction leves are counted together with regional leves. This means that a player who has already ordered the maximum of 8 regional leves cannot obtain a faction leve until the next guildleve reset.

Q.I thirst for more faction leves. They will be mine, or I will see this Eorzea turned to ash! What must I do?
A.When ranks 10, 20, and 30 are attained, the number of faction leves recommended for ranks 20, 30, and 40 that are available to a player will increase, respectively. In addition, completion of these levequests serves to unlock still more faction leves.

November Version Update

Q. My regional levequest ended all of a sudden while I was in transit. Why did this happen to me?
A. In order to improve server load-balancing and alleviate lag, the November version update introduced a system that splits existing areas into several sub-areas. As a result, the effective "ranges" of regional guildleves have become smaller, and some players may be exiting a levequest's area without intending to do so. We apologize for any inconvenience this change has caused.

If you would like to see all of the Faction Levequest Maps, please refer to the Lodestone Entry.

Later today, there is going to be the standard weekly maintenance for FFXIV. Read on for details.

I'm not sure if a patch will be coming, but only time will tell. If and when it happens, I will definitely be here to report all the juicy details.