The Super Miner Brothers

A week has passed since I first triumphed over the Primal Ifrit. Unfortunately, it would not be our last battle as the Amaalj'a have the means to continue to summon Ifrit again and again - fortunately he is easier nearly every time we gather at his doorstep with our Inferno Lamps to take him down and so I am not losing any sleep (or any blood) over it any more, but allowing Ifrit to continue to exist in our world is an ever-present danger to us as the beast tribes edge ever closer to all out war on Eorzea. Added to the fact that the Imperials have been much more aggressive and the Grand Companies constantly rising to defeat them at every attempt to gain footholds on our lands, Eorzea has become quite a difficult place to live in peacefully.

I have however turned to mining when I have some moments to myself. Much like fishing I find the time alone refreshing and without constant worry of being burned alive by Ifrit or summoned to battle the Garleans on the front lines (though Linkshells working the way they do, it could still be a possibility). I don't have as much love for the stone and ore as I did for baiting and luring fish, but I still find the past time rewarding as a collector and as a businessman. There is great demand for all ores these days and the prices of synthesis have changed with the coming of materia. Weapons, armor and of course the raw materials that create them are being consumed at an alarming rate - which is good for business if you're crafting or gathering, and I'm always looking for new ways to turn over a coin of gil so I have taken to the picking and scraping of metals and gemstones.

I knew that if I wanted to get anywhere in the world of mining I would have to register with Amajina & Sons Mineral Concerns which regulate all mining in the Thanalan region which would allow me access to Nanawa Mines lower levels where the veins were still fresh with riches. I had a few drinks at the guild's bar if I recall some time ago, but hadn't thought much about mining back then. I was struck by how muscular and rowdy the mining crew really is when I walked into Amajina & Sons. I introduced myself to Linette who told me a bit about mining and how I could get access to the more prosperous sites if I was accepted as a member. She then sent me off to check out Nanawa which is where the guild was currently hard at work and headquartered.

Nice Goggles!

I hailed Z'ssapa who stood watch at the mine's entrance and she told me she was there to monitor for over-capacity and I'd simply have to wait if I wanted any access to the more desirable levels of Nanawa, so I waited but before long I got introduced to the rough & tumble brothers, Popokkuli and Seserukka, the heir apparents to Amajina & Sons (the & Sons in the flesh). When they saw I was interested in mining they teased me about my small size and apparent strength, but after a quick game of who looks tougher (I chose Popokkuli cause I like his name, to be honest, not his muscles) we laughed and were becoming fast friends. I remember seeing them at Raubahn's speech a few weeks ago. The boisterous Lalafell brothers had amused me even then when I didn't know them.

Popokkuli told me that he'd pull some strings for me if I could come up with some rare treasures from excavating and mining around Thanalan and so I set out to find some peculiar oddities around Drybone, Black Brush and Horizon. It took me the better part of the day, but I finally returned with a sheeps-eye, a piece of petrified wood and an odd shard that I couldn't identify. I also had a damn pack full of copper ore and alumen, but no one was interested in the mundane - well, at least not until I bring it back to the Market Wards of Ul'dah for profit.

When I turned them over to Z'ssapa she seemed pretty uninterested in my rare finds, but a young Lalafell woman came up at that moment and announced the shard to be some kind of ancient stone from a place called Sil'dihn. I had never heard of Sil'dihn and I was truly fascinated so she elaborated to tell me that it was once a tremendous city like Ul'dah and not far from it! The great city fell to its enemies during a war and was lost other than relics and artifacts dug up around the outskirts of Ul'dah. She introduced herself as Nenekko and I admired her zest for history and lore which was perhaps more passionate even than my own. We sat and spoke of Sil'dihn and its fate for a short while before we were rudely interrupted by Nenekko's brothers - Popokkuli and Seserukka!

Let's Be Friends Again!

They shoved me away from Nenekko violently and threatened me if I ever touched her again! Didn't they know I'm happily married? I fear our new-found friendship was already at disaster's edge, but Nenekko intervened and said we were simply discussing Sil'dihn and nothing more. They doted on her every word. They truly adored their sister and were mindful of her needs. We managed to leave them to their work as she asked me to escort her back to Ul'dah - but then after getting out of their sight bid me farewell. What an interesting trio these siblings make. It was certainly an interesting day of lively characters. An apology from the brothers would have been nice, but they were simply protecting their sister after all - perhaps I could just let it go and we could all be friends again.

I returned to Linette who assured me the fastest way to go nowhere in the guild was to get caught up in Nenekko's affairs which would upset the brothers. I was ultimately not given any access to any mines and sent on my way with a small reward for the treasures I had uncovered for the guild. Perhaps I will try again another day to impress Seserukka and Popokkul.