Black Shroud The Black Shroud is a region in " Final Fantasy XIV " . It is the forest region surrounding the city - state of Gridania . The forest itself is known to take the lives of anyone who does not heed the Elementals , a danger often referred to as the " woodwrath " . This makes it a natural filter against those would would bear arms against Gridania , though that hasn ' t stopped the Ixal , Ala Mhigo , or Garlemald from trying . It is connected to Thanalan to the south , Mor Dhona to the south west , and Coerthas to the north west . A large wall currently blocks off neighboring Gyr Abania in the east . Geography . Gridania . One of the great City - States of Eorzea . The cityscape is a mosaic of labyrinthine waterways and great wooden structures , so gracefully constructed they seem a part of the surrounding environment . Central Shroud . Woodland in the center of the forest . North Shroud . Outskirts of the forest nearest to the highlands of Coerthas . East Shroud . An area of dense woodland and tangled groves . The sylph beast - tribe make their domain in the deepest reaches of the forest . South Shroud . Wetlands extending southward from the edge of the Twelveswood . Lavender Beds . A series of lakeside estates set aside by the Order of the Twin Adder for adventurers . " Version 1 . 0 " . The Black Shroud saw moderate use , although often not by choice . The addition of the Primal Good King Moggle Mog XII made Crimson Bark ( or rather its related gate , Turning Leaf ) a gathering place for primal hunters . Because of the narrow , restrictive , and maze - like passages , activities like Behest , Guildleves , and Chocobo Caravans , which could be done in the other regions as well , were usually not pursued in the Black Shroud . Many quests led to the Black Shroud at some point , likely due to Gridania ' s expertise in all things aetherial , and also that its winding trenches and spooky atmosphere lent to a sense of utter waywardness and unease . The area ' s battle theme is titled " Pulse of the Forest " , which aptly describes the sense of being surrounded by life , and subject to the tension between man and Elemental . It was certainly a much less welcome place before the Calamity . Also worthy of note , while all regions had areas populated by over - leveled creatures ( some of which exceeded level 90 ) , the Black Shroud in particular was very unkind to anyone wandering off the beaten path . The final quest for White Mage led players to the great tree in Sorrel Haven , which was once guarded by high level raptors and malboros . Development . Due to the area ' s poor reception in the original version , Square Enix expressed interest in redesigning the Black Shroud region to allow for more open roaming , as opposed to the narrow and cramped pathways of the original forest . Shown in early screenshots , the Black Shroud region was the location chosen for the Alpha Test . Videos of the Alpha version were presented by Square Enix to show off gameplay in the Black Shroud , as well as the scenery itself . Gone are the winding trenches and ramps , replaced by a forest populated predominately by vast trees , with ample space between them for relatively unrestricted movement .