The Vana'diel Lobby

The Phomiuna Aqueducts

Provided by the staff at The Vana'diel Lobby
By Wingchild -- posted originally at Allakhazam

Started: 12/20/2004
Last edit: 01/21/2005 - Some minor updates added, map notes clarified from experience, extra note on Tres Duendes, etc. My wonderful shell, Kalm, has now managed to finish Riverne Site #A01, so expect a guide shortly!
 


Table of Contents

Area Notes
Enemy Notes
Mission Notes
    Obtain access to the Aqueducts
    Kill the Minotaur
    Find Nag'molada
    Find the lamp room
    Deal with the stupid puzzle
    Escape from Phomiuna
    Wrap it up
Next up: Riverne
Credits



Area Notes

* Level cap: 40
* Handy items: Antidote, Holy Water, Silent Oil
* The mission requires you to hunt the Minotaur. This is not a BCNM fight. You can take an alliance, making it far more entertaining than the Promyvions.

The Map
The map comes from a ???-point deep in the Aqueducts; specifically in the Library area. The Library is where the lamp room secret door is. The ???-point is said to be on a timer and repops randomly in any of the Library rooms.

There are four Library rooms. Two are west, two are east. When you're finishing off the Minotaur stuff you are accessing the west side only. As far as I'm aware, attempts to access the east side at this stage of CoP result in you finding a ladder you cannot climb -- the trapdoor above is locked.

I located my map on the middle jar in the northwest corner of the northern library room, on the west side of the map. Your mileage may vary. I wish you luck. ^^


Enemy Notes

Diremite Non-aggressive | Non-linking
These look like tektites from Zelda. A bit spider-like, no discernable face. I find these to be friendly and enjoy fighting them.

Filamented Hold - Slow, one target
Spinning Top - AOE damage
Grapple - Damage attack, one target
Double Claw - Double attack, one target

Drops: Spool of Bloodthread, Wind Crystal


Gloop (Oil Spill) Slime type | Sound aggro
Nothing special to report, just another type of Slime. Oil Spills are the IT version. All the standard slime attacks are represented.

Drops: Slime Oil


Fomor Jobs vary | Sound aggro, sound link | Be wary of teamed Fomor!
Fomor are undead that come in a variety of flavors. While Dark Stalker types on the mainland are only found in Elvaan, Fomor come in every race and every job configuration. Be wary when approaching a group of Fomor - watch them to see if they're partied. If they move as a team, if they cast buffs on one another, or if they're doing Sentinel duty somewhere, separating them may not be possible. If you pull one member of a four member team all four will come to fight you due to sound links. I've seen links even on Carby pulls.

The jobs will vary, so expect some variety in the fighting style and in job-related attacks. Fomor cannot use 2-hour abilities.

Barbed Crescent - Damage attack, one target
Foxfire - Damage attack, one target
Netherspikes - AOE damage attack.
Aegis Schism - Defense Down, one target
Carnal Nightmare - AOE, sets TP to 0
Dancing Chains - AOE Drown (-10sec HP Down, plus stat debuff)

Drops: Dark Crystal, JSE (Subligar), Shakudo Ingot (NIN and SAM), Balloon Cloth (THF), Bronze Key (rare/ex, for the Phomiuna mission).

A note on the JSE subligar: It's all Lv50. It's themed on the Zodiac. The Job the subligar is for is controlled by the type of Fomor you kill for it. (i.e., want RNG Subligar? Kill a Fomor Ranger.) The JSE Subligar can be used in a Bastok quest. Quest notes are here: http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/db/quests.html?fquest=546


A note on Fomor hate: Players report that the Fomor have a cumulative hate counter, sort of like how Tonberries do. As you kill Fomor, your Fomor Hate increases - it can be lowered by killing Giants and Orcs out in the fields around the Safehold. Resauchamet (K-7, east/upper section and north) in the Safehold gives a fame message. I'll detail these as I collect them.

Low Fomor hate means you can walk by them without aggro; High Fomor hate might let them see through sneak/invis.


* Tres Duendes * NM Tri-bat with a BLM pet
 

"Divisortheory" wrote:


On the first map at that link to alla at (E-4) there is an NM called Tres Duendes.  He is a BST with a pet called Duendes' Amoroso. The pet is a Fomor Black Mage just has a different name. Anyway this NM drops 3 items. Vampiric Claws, Niokiyotsuna, and the following dagger:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/divisortheory/Chiropetrastats.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/divisortheory/Chiropetra.jpg


For the curious, Tres Duendes translates from Spanish as `Three Charmers`. Amoroso is Spanish for `lover` (male).

Yes.

You are killing a Fomor with a beastiality fetish. (Or a group of bats with a Fomor fetish...) >.> Way to go, Squeenix. I'll never sleep right again.

Tres Duendes spawns in a room that has six Fomor. Four are a linked team, two are loose and wander. One of the loose Fomor is a BLM. The BLM is a placeholder for Tres Duendes. The NM is actually the bat cluster; the Fomor pet, Amoroso, is linked much in the same way a Wyvern is to a Dragoon.


Taurus (Stegotaur, Minotaur) | Sight Aggro | True Sight | Sight, Scent tracking
Kinda like a walking ox with wings. Tough to describe, easy to recognize. If you're Invisible and have aggro, you can run over water to lose them. Good luck pulling that off. Stegotaurs are IT, Minotaur is the NM Boss of Phomiuna.

Double Attack - natural feature of the race. All Taurus class beasts have the Double Attack job trait.

Mortal Ray - causes Doom (10 second countdown, after which you die). Gaze attack; can unlock and turn to avoid. Fix Doom with Holy Water or Cursna. Cursna can be resisted.
Mow - AOE Poison + Damage + Hate reset (like Promyvion Brume)
Frightful Roar - AOE Defense Down
Triclip - Triple Attack, one target
Back Swish - Tail strike for damage, one target
Unblest Armor - Shell

Draw In (Minotaur Only) - AOE and has an incredible range on it. You won't believe how far away it can steal you from! Don't advance on the Minotaur until you are ready to fight. This attack has no proper name; the Minotaur emotes when he's using it. Can't be dodged or avoided, just like any other Draw In.

Drops: Dark Crystal, Spruce Lumber (rare/ex), Taurus Horn


Hell Bat Solo bat type | Non-aggressive
Canal Bats Grouped bat type | Non-aggressive
Makara Pugil type | Non-aggressive



Mission Notes

Mission: Distant Beliefs
Allakhazam link

A better map, if it's still online
http://www58.tok2.com/home/lonelyff/d_images/phomiuna.jpg


Obtain access to the Aqueducts -
Talk to the Mayor in town; Top level, east side, upper section, south. He's behind a door that is next to the ??? you touch for the hairpin (for the Safehold map quest).

Talk to the guard at the door of the Aqueducts. That should be all you need.


Kill the Minotaur -
Suit up in your Lv40 gear. Bring handy items. Small groups have an easier time with stealth; large groups, an easier time with adds. I had a two-party alliance, 10 players total. Bring Holy Water and Antidote. If you have a Thief who's competent, bring Tools, Skelly keys, or Living keys for a lockpicking mission later on.

Find the Minotaur. Stealth required. You have two options. The first is to bring your team through; the second is for a dedicated Sneak Master to go through by himself, then stop at the K-3 intersection. Warn the team, walk near the Minotaur, let it use Draw In.

Draw In will slurp up all the members of the alliance, instantly teleporting all players to the Minotaur's room. Let the fun begin! By the way, it pays the Sneak Master to run around in a big circle after Draw In hits, as the Minotaur almost always follows up with Mortal Ray.


General directions:

Follow the path. Take the right turn (north, H-9). Take the left turn (west, H-8). You're facing a round, open room that has Taurus' in it.

Sneak across this room to the NW. Target the ladder, talk to it, hit Yes, climb up. Move into the hallway after you've climbed as the Taurus can see you if you're on the ledge.

Follow the path, hang a right. You'll wind up overlooking a round room with Stegotaurs in it. (K-10) Drop down and head north into the tunnel. The tunnel runs NW and empties into an ovular room that runs north and south, with a big pool in the middle (J-8).

In the northwest corner of the pool room is a ladder up (I-6). This room has Stegos and Fomor, so make your way carefully. Ascend the ladder.

From the top of this latter the path goes west and turns north. You'll be at an east/west intersection. *Remember this place.* Turn right to go to the Minotaur. There will be a Stegotaur in the hall; He fills up the entirety of the hallway so avoiding him is not easy. Either engage and defeat him, or wait for him to face the corner while he patrols back and forth. As soon as he looks in the corner and stops moving, you can sneak behind him. (Remember, Taurus-class enemies are Sight/True Sight only!)

As you follow to the right the path will turn south and lead to another drop into a circular room (K-5).

The circular room below has Stegs and Fomor in it. Drop down and head to the NW corner where a tunnel awaits. There is a wet path here with some fish in it. The fish are not aggressive, so once you make it to the water, stop and rest to full. The intersection to your north is (K-3).

After you're full, buff up, eat food, prepare yourselves psychologically, for it's time to fight the Minotaur. Draw In is the only extra attack I know of; in all other respects he's like any other Taurus-class with more HP, so if you've practiced on those you should be good to go. I recommend getting in some battles; learn to disengage/turn for Mortal Ray, learn not to panic when Mow hits, etc.

You can build TP on the fish but they're IT; your healers will have to rest again afterwards.

When you're ready, walk to the west. The intersection is (J-3). The Minotaur is due north at (J-2). As soon as he sees you he'll do his Draw In emote and suck your entire alliance into the room with him. Fight and win! Note: The Draw In attack can slurp you in from distances you would not believe. It's range is phenomenal.

A single party of talent might be able to take the Minotaur; I ran the fight with 10. Only losses were due to Mortal Ray.

Killing the Minotaur gives no title, no drop, and no cutscene.


Find Nag'molada -
See above where I tell you to remember an intersection? You need to go back there. You are going to need one of two things for this next part; a Bronze Key or a Thief with appropriate tools. The key drops occasionally from Fomor, and one key covers the alliance.

From the Minotaur (J-3):

Head back the way you came to the ladder at (K-5); follow the path from the ladder north, pwn the Steg, turn west to find the intersection I mentioned. South will lead back to the (I-6) ladder, but you aren't going there.

Keep heading west; the turn south is (G-5) and there's another Steg to kill. The overlook into the circular room is (G-6).

This is another pool room; though it looks the same, it is not. This one runs west to east. From the drop at (G-6) run due south into the SE facing tunnel. Go in but don't go too far south as an Oil Spill hides back there.

There is an Iron Gate at (G-8), facing west. If you go too far south you'll fall off the edge of the stone walkway and have to take a very long walk around. (I'm not describing the walk around because you shouldn't be falling off that walkway!) The gate is what you're after. Trade your Bronze Key to the Iron Gate. If you've no Bronze Key, have your Thief pick the gate. If you've no Key and no Thief, it's time to farm you some Fomor. Parties are entirely welcome to devise their own strategies for this. Mine sure had a fun time beating on them.

After you're through the gate keep moving west; keep an eye out for enemies. Avoid or engage at your discretion, you should know this place by now. There should be three sentinel Fomor on guard; use Sneak to cruise right by. There will be a targetable ladder. Climb it for a cutscene with Nag'molada, then re-climb it to actually ascend.


Find the lamp room -
From the top of the ladder:

This room is safe. Catch your breath.

You'll have a door to your left and a door to your right. Both eventually lead to the same location (mirrored paths); I'll give directions for the left door.

Open and proceed forward, but go slowly; there are two Stegotaurs loose in the hall. Pull them individually and destroy them. Follow the path as it turns to the right; it will dead end at another door.

Sneak before opening this door as the room has 10 Fomor in it - a party of six and a party of four.

With Sneak up, proceed into the room and hang a right to go around the tall shelves. Down at the dead-end there is a ??? you can touch. This forces a wall to open up behind you, on the right. Go touch the ??? and get into the room behind that secret door. This is the candle room.


Deal with the stupid puzzle -
This puzzle is stupid.

It's based on the elemental properties of the current day of the week. You must press the lamp that corresponds to Today, then the lamp that corresponds to the Element Weak to Today.

Firesday: Fire, then Ice.
Iceday: Ice, then Wind.
Windsday: Wind, then Earth.
Earthsday: Earth, then Thunder.
Lightningsday: Thunder, then Water.
Watersday: Water, then Fire.

Lightsday: Light, then Dark.
Darksday: Dark, then Light.

Once you've got the door open it's open for only a few seconds; be sure to get inside. There may be a switch inside that can be used to pop the secret passage repeatedly.

Note: This door is halfway down the candle room and is on the wall with all the lamps. DO NOT LEAVE THIS ROOM VIA EITHER END. The furthest lamps over should trigger the secret doors to either side (which you entered from), but leaving with Sneak off is going to bring a world of Fomor down upon you.

Inside the double-secret room here is an Ornate Gate. Open it. Behind that is a second Ornate Gate. Open that for another cutscene with Nag'molada.


Escape from Phomiuna -
You can either walk out the way you came, or death warp, or Escape, or Warp II, or Tele-Dem, or use a Warp Scroll, or NIN Suicide, or whatever. Use your best judgment. Don't leave people stuck here.

Another way out is to return to the north library room. On the east side of this room is a ???-point on a bookshelf. This switch opens a secret wall on the east side of the library with a small room behind it. The secret room has a hole in the floor.

Make sure you have Sneak up, then drop down the hole. You'll wind up in a room with a Foul Meat. You can now have all the fun of navigating your way out of the depths of Phomiuna on foot. If you know the place front to back (or have the map and good position codes) this is an entirely viable way to get out, and is even pretty fast.

If you don't know where you are, never go this way. ^^


Wrap it up -
Go back to the Tavnazian Safehold. Find and talk to Justinius. Get another cutscene and witness the return of Prishe. Ta da! You've finished this mission and are ready to do more.


Next up: Riverne
* Finish Justinius' cutscene.
* Go to Prishe's room (up the ramp from Justinius) for a cutscene.
* Go to Snowmint (SW I-11 in Mis. Coast) to the Dilapidated Gate for a cutscene.
* Back the Safehold for a cutscene as you near the bridge.
* Out to Riverne (NW Mis. Coast) to the Dilapidated Gate for a cutscene.
* Hop in the Spatial Distortion and away you go~!



Credits

Neocron, for the AK mission walkthrough.
Kalm, for being an awesome linkshell; Promy is down, Phomi is down, next is Riverne. To glory!
Mell and Kobain, for initial survey work, as well as excellent team participation.
Mandalorian, for deep survey work (found the minotaur) and excellent team participation.
The lovely and talented Zoey, for setting me straight on the stupid puzzle quest that I hate so very very much. ^^
Nakka, for solid info and confirmation on the method for obtaining the Phomiuna Aqueducts Map.
Divisortheory and Xizro, for Fomor Hate notes.
Divisortheory, for the NM drop data.
Vygun and Zoey, for helping me test out Brygid's quest.


Copyright � 2005 Wingchild. Posted on The Vana'diel Lobby with permission. To link to this guide, use the following URL:
http://www.vanadiellobby.com/guides/aqueducts/
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