Chocobo (Final Fantasy XI)

Chocobos are one of the faster forms of transportation in Final Fantasy XI. In the past, the Elvaan primarily used chocobos as mounts and general labor, but chocobos have now been raised all over the world and are a popular form of transportation. Great skill is required to ride them due to their wild nature.
These birds are very fond of Gysahl Greens. When given a Gysahl Green a chocobo will be able to dig for buried items. Although chocobos do love the greens, when they are housed in the stables they eat San d'Orian Carrots for their high nutritional value and Cupid Worms to build strong bones and muscles.
==Chocobo License==
To rent a chocobo from one of the stables the player must obtain a Chocobo License and pay a fee based on the player's level and the number of recently rented chocobos.
The license, issued to certified Chocobo Riders, have a qualification lasting until the end of time and allows players level 20 and above to rent from any city of Chocogal with a base riding limit of 30 minutes.
Players level 15-19 may only rent from stables in San d'Oria, Bastok or Windurst and only ride for 15 minutes. In addition the Chocobo will not receive equipment bonuses.
To obtain a license, the player must talk to Brutus in Jeuno and begin the "Chocobo Wounds" quest, where the player must nurse a sick chocobo back to health. The player will receive the title "Chocobo Trainer" and a license to ride chocobos upon completion of the quest.
==History==
A species native to the La Theine Plateau, the wild chocobos were once seen racing across the plains in great numbers. However, more and more chocobos were captured and domesticated by the people of Vana'diel for utility purposes. A truly wild chocobo is now a rare sight to behold.
The Elvaan had originally raised chocobos for use in farming, hunting, and general labor since before recorded history, but once the practice of riding bareback was 'civilized' with the invention of reins and saddles, the number of people using chocobo mounts suddenly increased. Merchants then preferred to use chocobos for long, overland journeys and the military adopted the creatures for use in highly mobile cavalry units. An example of their peak in military use was in the combat class known as Chocobo Knights; specialized knights riding armored chocobo, unique to the Kingdom of San d'Oria in the Crystal War.
Today they are raised by the Vana'diel Chocobo Society, who oversee their care and dispatch them to chocobo stables throughout Vana'diel. People have even begun selective breeding programs involving the species. Recently, Chocobo Racing, previously held at a local level, has been elevated to the world stage, garnering unprecedented attention.
==Quests==
*"Chocobo's Wounds" - The player has to help nurse a chocobo back to health by attempting to feed it Gausebit Wildgrass.
*"Chocobo on the Loose!" - After having let out a chocobo from its stables the player has to search for and capture it again. However, after its capture it begins acting rebellious, coercing the player into being tasked with finding out the problem and finding a way to pacify it.
===Chocobo types===
====Destrier====
These knightly mounts were bred in San d'Oria. They underwent training that allowed them to bear the weight of heavy armor and withstand the shock of cavalry charges. Destriers were characterized by their large, jet-black bodies and thick, powerful legs. With the decline of lance combat and improvements to ranged weaponry, Destriers lost their place in battle to the faster Courser chocobos. In the time of Final Fantasy XI there are no remaining purebred Destriers, but it is possible to see their proud bloodlines occasionally reemerge in the birth of rare, black chocobos.
====Rounsey====
With its huge population of adventurers, Jeuno boasts more frequent use of chocobos than any other nation. The main type of chocobo to be found in the duchy is the mid-sized Rounsey. The pride of the famous trainer Brutus and his family, the Rounsey is the result of a lengthy breeding program involving wild chocobos. This program has produced a robust mount of somewhat unpredictable temperament that is suited for long, punishing treks.
====Palfrey====
The mid-sized Palfreys were bred to withstand the searing air and blazing heat of the desert. They are mainly raised in the Republic of Bastok and on Zepwell Island. With a relatively gentle demeanor, these chocobos are suited for those who lack advanced riding skills. Palfreys are known to come in both blue and yellow.
====Jennet====
This breed of chocobo has been magically reduced in physical size to provide mounts for the diminutive Tarutaru. They have short legs when compared to other breeds, but like the Tarutaru themselves, Jennets are capable of maintaining a rapid pace. Due to a request from the southern-Mithra, wishing to blend into the jungle, there are some Jennets that can be found in a shade of green.
====Courser====
The Courser is a larger-than-average chocobo and is the most common breed found in the Kingdom of San d'Oria. They are characterized by their streamlined bodies and long, graceful legs. They were originally bred for scouting duties, but their adoption into the military was accompanied by a general acceptance of the Courser as an everyday mount. On extremely rare occasions, a red-colored Courser will be born.
==Chocobo Stables==
Much like horses, chocobos are kept, raised and looked-after in chocobo stables which are run by the Vana'diel Chocobo Society.
Generally speaking, there is one stable in each of the three nations, three chocobo stables in Jeuno, a chocobo stable in Al Zahbi (which may or may not be in business, depending on whether or not the person in charge has been taken prisoner during Besieged) and others scattered around telepoints and some of the smaller cities in the world.
===Personnel===
NPCs that offer players the option to ride a chocobo for an amount of gil are known as Chocobo Renters and are usually found in Chocobo Stables. Their price is based on the current number of chocobos that the player has rented out and how many are still out riding, this seems to be a 10% increase per chocobo that is out.
A Chocobo Ticket, a "free ride" ticket as part of a campaign by the chocobo stables to encourage more adventurers to utilize their services, can be handed in to a Chocobo Renter for a free chocobo ride, provided that the user has a minimum job level of 20 and a Chocobo License. Another ticket, known as a Chocopass, can be used by novice adventurers for a free ride; however, the ride only lasts for two minutes or until they enter a new area.
===Chocobo Raising===
Chocobo Raising was added as part of the Treasures of Aht Urhgan expansion. Players could raise their own chocobo from an egg to adulthood, breeding them to have different strengths and weaknesses. The appearance of the bird changes as well, from the feathers on their tails and heads to the overall color of the chocobos themselves.
===Chocobo racing===
Chocobo racing is a minigame that involves racing chocobos in the Chocobo Circuit.
===Chocobo Hot and Cold===
The Chocobo Hot and Cold game is an activity that lets the player use their Chocobo to hunt for buried treasure in certain zones. While this activity is not connected to Chocobo Digging, it does increase the Chocobo Digging skill.
==Gallery==
Maeda Hiroyuki FFXI Art 7.jpg|Promotional artwork by Maeda Hiroyuki.
Maeda Hiroyuki FFXI Art 1.jpg|Promotional artwork by Maeda Hiroyuki.
Chocobo Digging and Gardening3.jpg|Promotional artwork.
Chocobo Digging and Gardening2.jpg|Promotional artwork.
Final Fantasy XI Image (EGM Cover).jpg|Yoshitaka Amano artwork for the limited edition cover of Electronic Gaming Monthly.
Chocobo FFXI Art.jpg|Concept art.
FFXI Yellow Chocobo.png|Chocobo In game.
==Etymology==
One of the chocobo types is Destrier. 
==Trivia==
*Chocobo Raising first became available to the game's servers on June 1, 2006.
*Chocobo Hot and Cold first became available to the game's servers on December 7, 2006.
*Chocobo Racing first became available to the game's servers on March 29, 2007.
*The chocobo is also a large constellation in the Eastern sky. The arrangement of stars makes it easy to spot the chocobo from any region. However, some say the chocobo is Shiva's mount, Kanyawa, and some say it is Garuda's child, Upasha. It depends on what town you are viewing it from.
Category:Final Fantasy XI
Category:Chocobo