A Sea of Brawn
Limsa Lominsa has been teeming with brawny types of late, and I speak neither of pirates nor dockhands. Nay, the strapping lads and lasses who have assembled are arrayed in the striking colors of the Order of the Twin Adder and the Immortal Flames. Lest readers wonder, the members of these outfits have come to the Navigator's Veil for no other purpose than to partake in joint military exercises alongside our own homegrown talent.
The exercises are set to be held upon Turtleback Island and Locke's Lie—two uninhabited isles belonging to the Cieldalaes. Even as I put quill to parchment, hordes of fell beasts are being transported to the two locations in order to produce actual combat conditions. As a matter of precaution, civilian access to the entire archipelago is forbidden until further notice.
With Turtleback Island and Locke's Lie serving as stopovers for open sea fishing expeditions, transforming them into battlefields will greatly inconvenience fisherfolk—if that camp were to raise objection, no one would bat an eyelid. As such, it rather came as a surprise when our fishery's leaders did the contrary and gave their blessings for the exercises to proceed. This reporter, for one, could not help but feel warmed to the core by this attitude of cooperation.
A Climate of Cooperation
Besides the fisherfolk who have vacated the isles, other civilian concerns have also stepped forward to proffer aid. Chief among them is the Brugaire Consortium, which recently announced that it will be supplying a large shipment of arms in support of the exercises—at no cost.
In response to recent fluctuations in the market, the consortium is sourcing these arms from the city-state of Radz-at-Han, far across the Jade Sea. I should note at this juncture that these are no ordinary weapons—they are fashioned from a peculiar stone called Giantsgall,* a material traditionally used in the making of Near Eastern arms. I caught glimpse of one such blade hanging on the hip of a Twin Adder officer returning from a drill, and humbly asked if I might examine it up close. Let it suffice to say that I was duly impressed by the craftsmanship.
With the conflict against the Garlean Empire anticipated to further intensify, a climate of cooperation is very much in evidence in Eorzea. If we all but do our part for the greater good—each man, woman, and child—victory will yet be ours.
Yumah Molkot
[Giantsgall]
A variety of stone found only on Thavnair, possessing exceptional hardness. Its name is derived from a legend that tells of a Far Eastern hero who voyaged to the selfsame island and there vanquished a savage giant. A nearby stone drank up the slain giant's blood and gall, thus receiving of its strength.