One Life for One World

One Life for One World

Quest giver

Alphinaud

Location

Southern Thanalan (X:19, Y:11)

Quest line

Post-Heavensward

Level

60

Experience

 5,000

Gil

 2,500

Previous quest

Honorable Heroes

Next quest

An Ending to Mark a New Beginning

Patch

3.4

“

Alphinaud would keep moving forward.

— In-game description

Walkthrough

After entering the Bowl of Embers, there will be a sequence of cutscenes and instanced fights. It is recommended that you set aside enough time (approximately 30 minutes, more if you're having trouble with the instanced fights) to complete them.

Upon speaking with Alphinaud, you will enter a solo duty.

• You will fight alongside Thancred, Alphinaud, and Alisaie against the Warriors of Darkness.
• The Warrior of Darkness (Warrior) cannot be damaged at first so focus on the Knight of Darkness (Paladin) or Ranger of Darkness (Bard) to limit outgoing damage. The Devout of Darkness (White Mage) can be safely ignored as she focuses only on healing herself and the Magus of Darkness (Black Mage).
• The Warrior of Darkness has two special moves you should look out for: Skydrive (indicated by a marker over your head) will leave a bleeding AoE field underneath you once it has been cast. Lure this attack away from enemies if you are a melee fighter, so that you do not have to worry about dodging around the puddle. Unlit Cyclone is a triple frontal AoE cleave that can be avoided by running behind him.
• Each time you defeat a Warrior of Darkness, they will be revived. Continue to defeat them regardless, as it is necessary to complete the duty. The Warrior of Darkness will eventually chain everyone, ending the first phase.
• Once Urianger joins the fray, you must place all your focus on giving Aether to Alisaie. To do this, interact with and charge the Blade of Light whenever it appears in front of her. Note that this is an interactable object - white text that says "Blade of Light" - immediately in front of Allisaie that you must click on, not on Alisaie directly. It can be hard to see in all the combat effects happening on screen. Once interacted with, it will disappear for a time as the other Scions contribute their Aether in turn, then reappear for you to click on once more.
• Do not recklessly attack anyone during this phase, as it draws unneeded enmity. Defeat the Warriors only when they are specifically focused on you or Alisaie; your allies will eventually defeat the others. Focus on enemies targeting Alisaie before focusing on those targeting yourself. Note, however, that you will not be able to successfully interact with the Blade of Light unless you're not currently under attack.
• The Knight of Darkness will occasionally link himself to his allies via a green line, protecting them from damage much like the Paladin ability Cover. Kill the Knight of Darkness before attacking the link's target.
• The duty will finish upon fully charging the Blade of Light (after three interactions).

Steps

• Speak with Alisaie.
• Speak with Alphinaud.
• Speak with Alphinaud.

Journal

• If the false Griffin is to be believed, the crystals you seek are somewhere within the stronghold of Zahar'ak, where the Amalj'aa are presumably preparing to summon Ifrit. Given the gravity of the threat, you have no choice but to gather your comrades and proceed there at once. Alisaie has been waiting for Thancred for some time; hopefully the bard has finally arrived.

• You tell Thancred and Alisaie of your recent reunion with Yda and Papalymo, and of your subsequent encounter with the false Griffin. At the mention of Ifrit's name, they agree without hesitation that you must make haste to the home of the Amalj'aa, for the Scions of the Seventh Dawn are duty-bound to combat the primal menace wheresoever it may arise.

• Strangely, there appear to be no signs of increased activity, or anything else which might indicate that the Amalj'aa are preparing to summon Ifrit. Could it be that the false Griffin has made a fool of you? And if so, to what end? Though you are sorely tempted to march directly back to the Masks' camp, you must first complete your search, for only by venturing into the Bowl of Embers can you know for certain whether or not a ritual is taking place.

• To your horror, you find the bodies of countless Amalj'aa waiting for you within the Bowl of Embers, and standing over them the Warriors of Darkness. This time, however, they are come not to slay a primal, but you, the Warrior of Light, in the belief that your death will plunge the realm into chaos and bring about another Umbral Calamity. They duly attack, but your allies are quick to rush to your defense -- not least Alisaie, who conjures an aetheric blade before joining the fray.

• The battle rages for a time, and eventually you feel the tide turning in your favor. But, in that instant, your counterpart unleashes a potent binding magic, and you and your allies suddenly find yourselves at the mercy of your opponents. Before they can administer the coup de grâce, however, Urianger appears from nowhere, and breaks the aetheric chains around you, revealing himself to have manipulated the Warriors of Darkness as a double agent. With the odds now even, the battle resumes, your enemies fighting with every ounce of their strength to take your life.

• When the dust finally settles, only you and yours remain standing. However, even in defeat, the Warriors of Darkness remain defiant, drawing forth Crystals of Light and proclaiming that you cannot defeat that which is eternal. It is then that Alphinaud realizes the horrible truth: these desperate men and women of the First are already dead. Bowing his head, their leader declares that they were humble adventurers chosen by the Mothercrystal to serve as Warriors of Light. They did everything that was asked of them, and yet, for all their efforts, and all their many triumphs, their world still fell to ruin. With naught left to say, they raise their crystals high, resolved to withdraw that they might one day return to carry on the fight. Seeing this, however, Urianger enjoins you to raise up your own Crystal of Light, and as it glows brighter and brighter in your hands, its radiance begins to blend with that of the others, until all is swallowed by incandescent, blinding white...

• You open your eyes to find yourself in the aetherial sea, a familiar voice echoing in your ears. As the others struggle to comprehend what has happened, Urianger raises his hands to the heavens and cries out to Mother Hydaelyn, beseeching Her to grant you an audience with Minfilia in exchange for this bounty of Light. In answer, the Word of the Mother appears and addresses the fallen heroes of the First, declaring that she will travel to their world and draw the abundant Light unto herself, thus redressing the balance. Driven mad by this seemingly impossible reversal of fortunes, their leader makes to strike her down, but she halts his charge with a gesture, assuring him that she speaks true, and that his world will not fall to Light.

• Turning to you and your allies, she then speaks as Minfilia once more, thanking Urianger for allowing her to see so many of her dearest friends one last time. His voice quavering, the Archon confesses to having orchestrated events to grant Minfilia her freedom, that she might then use her newfound powers to prevent the First from being lost to the void. Though this revelation prompts outrage in your allies, she reassures them that she is happy to have been given such an opportunity. As a final gesture, she entrusts to you Louisoix's broken staff, Tupsimati, praying that you will never have need of it.

• Their journey at an end, the broken Warriors of Light have a simple request for your departing friend: “Take us with you. Take us home.” And so you bid farewell to them, and to brave Minfilia, who promises that one day, when she has found a way to free this star of her sorrow, she will return, just as you have always returned from your many adventures.

• You cannot say when or how you all arrived back in Thanalan, but you are certain it was Minfilia's doing. While turning the day's events over in his mind, Alphinaud takes a moment to consider the fate of the Warriors of Darkness. If they were already dead, he reasons, a return to the First may very well mean their permanent demise... But perhaps, after all they had endured, that was their wish.