MrRageQuit said:

My guess: Island Dwelling Devoted = Church of Yevon.

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Kingster said:

The Cradle of Mankind is the Cocoon from Final Fantasy XIII, isn't it?

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Brightflame said:

As for the nation guessing...I am going to guess that The Rebellious Desert Kingdom = The Kingdom of Dalmasca from Final Fantasy XII. Sure, it ain't really a 'great' nation in canon, but it was the place where the Resistance was founded in the game.

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MagewyrmMira said:

I agree with Cradle of Mankind being Cocoon, but as for the other nations... Hm... "Island Dwelling Devoted" sounds familiar, but nowhere specific is coming to mind. Putting my bets on Shinra from FF7 for "Personification of Greed" and... Well, I'm going to go with the out there choice for "Empire from Star Wars" and say the Palamacia Empire from FF2.

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MagewyrmMira said:

Oh, I see... Hm... "Empire from Star Wars" might also be the Gestahlian Empire from FFVI? Though I'm not too familiar with the Empire from Star Wars. The Palamacian Empire came to mind because I've heard someone else draw a direct comparison between them in the past. ^^;

Speaking of. I think the mystery character might be Aqua; I think the hesitance in the description fits her reaction if she was wandering in the Realm of Darkness when she was displaced.

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All of you are correct! You have successfully figured out all 5 of the Great Nations! I admit my initial plan was 1 QP (In other quests it's EXP. But I thought it would get confusing if I had a metanarrative resource be EXP, and an in-game resource be EXP) for each correct guess, but I was under the assumption that everyone would be throwing out guesses all day every day. You did this with so much more precision than I expected, and outside of a couple of brainstorming sessions, you got them right the first time almost every time. So for everyone who got a correct guess, I'll give you 5 QP!

5 QP to Brightflame, MrRageQuit, Kingster, and MagewyrmMira!

(Oh you were also correct about the mystery character being Aqua. So good job on that too)

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[X] An Unknown Artifact
[X] A Piece of High-Quality Equipment
[Master Staff and Unknown Crystal added to Inventory]

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[X] Chaos (FF1)

Memorize the face of your foe, Aerith Gainsborough.

This.

Is​

CHAOS​

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Turn 1

When you woke up the next morning, still in the Rabanstre inn, you spent the first hour just lying in bed, thinking.

It's not like you were new to the concept of saving the world. That was more or less your plan when it came to Sephiroth, especially once it became clear what his plans were. The problem is…

You had a team, and now you don't. No Cloud to make the tough decisions, no Barret to check and double-check supplies, no Tifa making sure everyone was okay. You're not even sure if they made it to this new world or if they got… lost.

You are alone. And the silence is deafening.

Once you're done having a private pity party, you push yourself to your feet and give yourself a light mental slap. Sitting here worrying won't change anything. The best thing you can do right now is take it one day at a time, and build yourself up. When the time comes, you'll be ready.

... Hopefully.

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Preparations for Princess Ashelia Coronation

Tying in with the celebration of Rabanastre and the kingdom of Dalmasca's newfound freedom is the preparations for their runaway princess to finally assume the throne.

The people of Rabanastre seem generally supportive of their soon-to-be Queen, who according to rumor has spent many years leading a resistance against the Empire which previously held a boot to Rabanastre's throat. As last of the Raithwall's bloodline, she has much to live up to.

If there's any nervousness about such a young and untested ruler on the throne, it's being completely overshadowed by the joy of independence.

[Princess Ashe will assume control of Dalmasca starting from Turn 2.]

The Maps Are Wrong!

Whatever rearranged the world like a jigsaw puzzle wasn't nice enough to change the maps to match. So everyone's maps are wrong.

The cartographer's guild are working overtime to try and fix this so they can sell quality maps again, but redrawing all their maps from scratch is a daunting, maybe even herculean task. The moogles running the cartographer's guild refuse to back down in spite of the challenge.

[At the beginning of the quest, all landmarks and locations other than Rabanastre are hidden. They will be discovered over time depending on your actions and the actions of others.]

Clan Rumors

Rabanstre has something called "Hunter Clans" which are organized groups of monster hunters that… well. Hunt monsters. But apparently, these clans value their privacy and secrecy. There are 'rumored' locations of clan halls, and muttered whispers that certain people are or aren't members.

But no one seems to know for sure…

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We're Not Alone…

The Kingdom of Dalmasca used to be placed firmly between several other nations, many of whom had an impact and influence on the world Dalmascans lived in.

The key word is 'used to'

Dalmasca's neighbors seem to have mysteriously vanished when the world was shattered, leaving the Kingdom under its own power for the first time in years.

But that doesn't mean they're alone. Just that they have new neighbors.

[???]

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Turn 1 Actions

Current Funds: 3
Note: Aerith doesn't have control of a faction. At the moment all of her actions are done personally, and as such she has no personal actions.
After gaining control of a faction, or at least a few close allies, she will regain the use of personal actions.

Note: Aerith is living out of an Inn at the moment, costing 1 Fund per turn. Finding a new place to stay may reduce the Fund drain, and give you more space to work with.

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Martial

[ ] Go Monster Hunting: Dalmasca seems to respect the art of monster hunting, between the Hunter Clans and the bounty boards full of monsters. Even the craftsmen use monster parts sometimes. Cloud was always more of a hunter than you, but if it brings in some money and sharpens your skills... [DC: None. Triggers Automatic Battle with random monster type.]

[ ] Explore the desert around Dalmasca: You're not too keen on the idea of traveling alone, but poking the desert around Dalmasca seems safe enough. If you get into trouble you can run for the gates. [DC: 50]

[ ] Explore the Garamsythe Waterway: Underneath Rabanastre proper is a sprawling set of tunnels which the locals call the Garamsythe Waterways. Normal citizens don't seem to visit much, but according to rumor many newbie Hunters sharpen their skills in those caverns. [DC: 50]

[ ] Go on an Adventure: Adventuring alone seems dangerous and... where would you even go right now?

Diplomacy

[ ] Meet People: What is there to say? You're a social creature and you're going to get lonely without your friends. So go say hi to people, strike up conversations, make some friends, and keep an eye out for anything interesting. [DC: 0/30/60/90]

[ ] Visit the Cartographer's Guild: The Cartographer's Guild is something you're interested in. Shinra had a map of the world which was geographically correct if a little lacking in detail sometimes. The idea of an army of moogles trying to do it by themselves is… really cute honestly. Maybe you can help somehow? [DC: ???]

[ ] Indulge In Gossip: One of the best ways to keep an ear out for news is just to talk and listen. It won't always be totally true, but even the smallest rumors had to start somewhere… [DC: 40/80]

Stewardship

[ ] Grow and Sell Flowers: You made flowers grow in the ring of decay under the Sector 5 plate, using polluted water, with artificial light instead of natural sunlight. Growing flowers in the desert should be Easy. But you don't have anywhere to grow them at… [Locked: Where do you grow flowers in a walled in desert city?]

[ ] Odd Jobs: This is something you're used to in Midgar, doing odd jobs around town to help people. You probably won't make much money, but it'll give you something productive to do and build some friendships. [DC: 30/60]

[ ] Go Shopping: Dalmasca seems a lot more open to the idea of adventurers and monster hunters than Midgar ever was. You've seen signs for shops selling medicine, traveling gear, weapons, and even a shop claiming it sold 'magick.' [DC: 0/50/100]

[ ] Sell The Crystal: If the crystal is something you don't know how to use, selling it is an option. It's clearly magical and would sell well. But then you would never solve it's mystery. [DC: 30/70]

[ ] Look For A Place to Stay: There's no way you're buying a house, but maybe you can find something a little cheaper than staying at an inn. Does Rabanstre have apartments? [DC: 40/80]

Intrigue

[ ] Investigate the Hunter Clans: The Hunter Clans are near mythical figures in Dalmasca, something few people see but almost everyone respects. You're beyond curious about them, but it seems like it's not easy to meet with a Clan Head. [DC: 40/80]

[ ] Investigate the Lower City: Dalmasca has a lower city, which honestly reminds you a lot of living under the plate back in Midgar. It has a bit of a mixed reputation, apparently a lot of criminals live down there, but so did the lower plate in Midgar. Just… keep an eye on your stuff. [DC: 30/60]

[ ] Look For 'Free Real Estate': It's not the most honest way to go about things but… you need a place to stay, and Rabanstre has more houses than it needs, especially in the Lower City if the locals are to be believed. If you can find an empty room somewhere, you won't have to pay for a room at the inn… [DC: 70]

Learning

[ ] Study The Crystal: This crystal is clearly magical, but not in the same way as materia. It feels pleasantly cool to the touch, and there's energy inside of it. But how to draw it out? [DC: 90] (Note: Uses Magic)

[ ] Study The Staff: Your new staff feels like it has a healing materia in it, but different somehow. You don't know how to draw that power out, but maybe if you tinker with it long enough you can figure it out? [DC: 60] (Note: Uses Magic)

[ ] Consult a Magick Shop: Some shops in Dalmasca advertise themselves as 'selling' magic. Maybe one of them knows what's up with the staff and crystal? Probably won't be free though. [DC: Auto Pass. Costs 1 Funds]

[ ] Research Dalmasca Itself: You don't know much about Dalmasca, other than what you can see in front of you. You don't know about its history, struggles, or the 'world' it previously inhabited. People keep using words and referencing things that you don't understand. It's a bit frustrating honestly... [DC: 40]

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I used to put a one day long halt on voting. But, I've come around to the idea that doing that is not really necessary. So..

Voting will be open until Thursday the 26th

Oh also, I'll be adding information on the Staff and Crystal to the Items and Bonuses post in a moment, along with posting the (hopefully spoiler free) World Map to the Settings post