The Greatest Story Never Told

is a Quest in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.
==Journal==
* Valiant Hart has asked you to help him locate the secret treasure of Lalafuto III, who ruled the nation of Belah'dia over seven hundred years ago. To that end, you must solve a riddle hidden in an encoded message, which was written by the famed explorer Winebaud. Valiant Hart also makes mention of a man named Yayaroku, who may be able to offer assistance.
* Your investigation leads you to a disciple of Winebaud, who entrusts you with the journal of his deceased master. Return to the statue of the Silent King and share your findings with Valiant Hart.
* In your absence, Valiant Hart has made further progress in deciphering the encoded message. However, his efforts have yielded yet another riddle, one which you must solve if you wish to locate the treasure you seek.
* Through methods mysterious and unknown, you receive a message from the late Winebaud. He praises your efforts to seek out the truth and shares with you a verse of poetry for reasons unknown. Valiant Hart will doubtless wish to hear of these developments.
* Valiant Hart is pleased with your progress, but disappointed that Winebaud did not provide any clues as to the whereabouts of Lalafuto III's secret treasure. Having no other leads, he bids you solve the latest riddle he has deciphered.
* Once again, the late Winebaud imparts to you a verse of poetry as a reward, albeit one of questionable value. Report your success to Valiant Hart at the statue of the Silent King.
* Valiant Hart is bemused by the increasing complexity of Winebaud's riddles, as well as his penchant for rewarding you with poetic verses. Brushing aside that curiosity for the time being, he directs you to his most recent translation, which contains yet another riddle.
* Your jewelry triggers an enchantment woven into Winebaud's engravings, allowing you to receive another message from the late explorer. To your chagrin, it contains little more than another verse of poetry. Valiant Hart does not appear to have seen the message, so perhaps you should tell him what you witnessed.
* Bemoaning Winebaud's refusal to offer clear and concise directions, Valiant Hart tells you he has finished deciphering the encoded message. However, unlike previous sections, this one does not appear to contain a riddle. But where is the treasure of Lalafuto III, and what must be done to claim it?
* With the aid of your copper gorget, you lay claim to the secret treasure purported to be worth one hundred million gil. Valiant Hart snatches it from your hand, his eyes wild with greed, but his expression soon changes to one of disbelief. The “treasure” Winebaud spoke of was a collection of love poems written by Lalafuto III to his paramour, with whom the sultan wished to elope. His quest for phenomenal wealth having ended in utter failure, Valiant Hart cries out to the heavens in rage, cursing the explorer who valued true love above all else.
==Objectives==
* Solve the explorer's riddle.
* Speak with Valiant Hart.
* Solve the explorer's riddle.
* Speak with Valiant Hart.
* Solve the explorer's riddle.
* Speak with Valiant Hart.
* Solve the explorer's riddle.
* Speak with Valiant Hart.
* Claim the treasure of Lalafuto III.
==Script==
script 	script
 	
Valiant Hart 	Elements? Wheels? Bah, it's gibberish! Utter gibberish!
Valiant Hart 	<gasp> As I live and breathe, a Warrior of Light! I haven't seen your like in years─not since bloody Carteneau, certainly.
Valiant Hart 	...I see you refuse to confirm or deny my assessment. Keeping a low profile, are we? Very well─I shall speak of this to no one. By the by, my name is Valiant Hart. A pleasure to meet you, my lady/sir.
Valiant Hart 	Ahhh, look at us! Two veterans, burdened with experiences beyond the common man's ken. I say, we should be friends, you and I! To that end, I shall share with you my reason for being here, and in so doing deepen our bond.
Valiant Hart 	Tell me, have you heard of Winebaud? He was an explorer of some renown ten years ago, though he regrettably retired and passed on not long ago. It is said that he discovered a treasure worth one hundred million gil.
Valiant Hart 	That's right─one hundred million gil! Winebaud called it the most precious secret of Lalafuto III, who was sultan of Belah'dia some seven hundred years ago.
Valiant Hart 	Just think what we might do with such a treasure! Aye, I say we, for should you aid me in my search, I would gladly share the spoils. What say you?
 	
Valiant Hart 	Of course you will. Only a great fool would turn her/his back on phenomenal wealth and everlasting glory! Now then, to the task at hand!
Valiant Hart 	Upon this statue of the Silent King is writ a message, left to us by Winebaud himself, which I believe will lead us to the treasure. Alas, it is encoded, and deciphering it is no small feat. See for yourself─I have only finished the first passage.
Valiant Hart 	What is worse, the contents are nigh unintelligible! It appears to be a riddle, but beyond that I cannot say. And so I would turn to you.
Valiant Hart 	If you solve the riddles I decipher, then together we can claim the treasure of Lalafuto III. A simple arrangement, yes? Then let us begin at once! Look to the statue for the first riddle.
 	
Valiant Hart 	Beg your pardon, did you just say no to one hundred million gil? Well, that is your decision to make─and regret.
Valiant Hart 	The thaumaturges summoned one of their own from the Ossuary to inspect this message when it was first found. He came and went in less than a bell, having determined at a glance that it wasn't Belah'dian in origin.
Valiant Hart 	Yet the treasure we seek belonged to a Belah'dian sultan...and there must be a reason why Winebaud chose to mark this statue. That fellow─Yayaroku was his name, I believe─may have insight into this riddle.
 	
Explorer's Riddle	HO / OSC / BRA / N'S / EM / CE
FIRE / LIGHTNING / WATER / EARTH / ICE / WIND
The wheel must turn anew.
Explorer's Riddle	AL / TH / SPI / 'S / RE / TE
FIRE / LIGHTNING / WATER / EARTH / ICE / WIND
The wheel must turn anew.
Explorer's Riddle	REN / FLO / SPI / TEL / 'S / RE
FIRE / LIGHTNING / WATER / EARTH / ICE / WIND
The wheel must turn anew.
 	
Yayaroku 	You wish to speak of ancient Belah'dia? It would be my pleasure to converse with a fellow student of history. I─ Wait, this isn't about Winebaud's message, is it?
Yayaroku 	Then you must be another wide-eyed treasure hunter searching for the lost treasure of Lalafuto III. <sigh> Winebaud was a skilled storyteller, and you would be forgiven for thinking his tales were all true. Even now, I cannot say if he was lying to us or himself.
Yayaroku 	Hm? You say you deciphered his message? Very well, let us hear it.
Yayaroku 	“Fire, lightning, water, earth, ice, wind. The wheel must turn anew.”
The six elements...but the order is wrong.
Yayaroku 	“The spark of Lightning ignites when it strikes, and thus Fire is born.
The heat of Fire renders to ash all that it touches, and thus Earth is born.
The density of Earth shuns sun and harbors cold, and thus Ice is born.
The armor of Ice melts away, and thus Water is born.
”The moistness of Water mists and rises, and thus Wind is born.
The gusts and sighs of Wind gather the clouds, and thus Lightning is born.“
Yayaroku 	A passage from Essences & Permutations, in case you were unaware. Anyway, I have no idea what Winebaud meant to say.
 	
Novice Explorer 	At long last...does the wheel turn anew? Are you the one for whom I have waited?
Novice Explorer 	Praise the Twelve! Master Winebaud told me it might be years, even decades, until one came─if someone came, but I swore an oath, so I couldn't─
Novice Explorer 	You don't understand; this is all so exciting! But you're not here for that, or for me. You're here for the treasure, aren't you?
Novice Explorer 	This is Master Winebaud's journal, and it belongs to you now.
Novice Explorer 	No, no, that's not true. It was always yours─you had yet to claim it, is all. Keep it close, fellow explorer! This is only the beginning!
Novice Explorer 	He never told us what it was. The treasure. I think he thought just knowing was enough to put us at risk.
Novice Explorer 	So he hid it, and left his clues so that only an explorer worthy of the prize could ever hope to succeed.
Novice Explorer 	They call him a charlatan, but I know he spoke the truth! It's real, and you'll find it! And then...you'll show it to me, won't you?
Novice Explorer 	Are you...? No, no. Leave me be, traveler.
 	
Valiant Hart 	[Player Name], you've returned! Tell me, have you solved Winebaud's riddle? Where did it lead you?
Valiant Hart 	The journal of the explorer himself! I knew I was right to trust in you.
Valiant Hart 	I have news to share as well, though it is not quite as uplifting. I have deciphered another passage, only to find myself confronted with yet another inscrutable riddle.
Valiant Hart 	But I'm sure you'll have no trouble with it, given how quickly you deduced the answer to the first one!
Valiant Hart 	You'll find my translation next to the message as before. I'm counting on you, my puzzle aficionado!
Valiant Hart 	The next riddle is waiting for you, my friend. Go and do what you do best!
 	
Explorer's Riddle	GNND NG SGF BNFTQMBKBV
Memenugu knows the steps.
Explorer's Riddle	GNMKNXDC IDZWDMTOHMKZS AQJCFF
Memenugu knows the steps.
Explorer's Riddle	AQPMYF KZLD GPS RQQHOFR
Memenugu knows the steps.
 	
Explorer's Riddle	08051212190218151504 0815120519
Jahelle knows her sums.
Explorer's Riddle	180504 130114200919 0601121219
Jahelle knows her sums.
Explorer's Riddle	260516082518 0418090620
Jahelle knows her sums.
 	
Explorer's Riddle	ETAG FLOW ETIHW
Isouda knows the truth.
Explorer's Riddle	SEMALF FO LLAH EHT
Isouda knows the truth.
Explorer's Riddle	SCITEHTSEA S'EMIATHSE
Isouda knows the truth.
 	
Memenugu 	...So if I understand you correctly, a riddle on a statue said I know “the steps”? A riddle written by Winebaud? I'm sorry, but I haven't the foggiest what that could mean.
Memenugu 	I swear, famed explorer or not, that old man was a bloody fool when it came to combat. This “step” nonsense reminds me of the time he tried to critique the form of my Elezen associate.
Memenugu 	“Two steps forward, one step back. Over and over again, until the end.”
Gods, he said it so many times it's been stuck in my head ever since!
Memenugu 	Looking to hire a few adventurers? No? Well, if you know anyone who is, send them our way.
 	
Jahelle 	Hah! Winebaud carved a riddle on a statue...and included my name along with it? I ought to be flattered, but I'm just confused.
Jahelle 	This “sums” nonsense reminds me of all the times he argued with me over his bill. Time and time again I would have to show him the calculations, and when I was finished, he would always apologize in the same queer way:
Jahelle 	“I learned the letters of mathematics, but alas, not the grammar.”
I don't know why; a simple sorry would have sufficed.
Jahelle 	Welcome, lass/lad. Feel free to take any open table.
 	
Isouda 	I know “the truth?” That does not sound like something the Winebaud I knew would write.
Isouda 	He was cantankerous and contrary to a fault. No matter the subject, he would, without fail, hold the exact opposite opinion. Whenever I pointed this out, he would offer the same insufferable retort:
Isouda 	“The opposite of nonsense is sense.”
I have never been a violent person, but that old man nearly made me one.
Isouda 	Whatever it is, it can wait. My research demands my undivided attention.
 	
Explorer's Riddle	Seeker of treasure and truth, I congratulate and bid you welcome.
Explorer's Riddle	Who are you, I wonder, and why have you come this far? What drives you to solve my riddles, and what do you expect to find?
Explorer's Riddle	You must wonder what kind of man I was as well. Doubtless you have heard stories─some more flattering than others.
Explorer's Riddle	But I have rambled enough, and you must be rewarded! Allow me to share with you a verse written by my favorite poet:
Explorer's Riddle	Clandestine rendezvous leave me breathless and wanting
Obsession consumes me, a thirst for the taboo
 	
Valiant Hart 	A message written in magicked runes? Amazing! Though the content was rather disappointing, now that I think on it. I was expecting a clue to the treasure's location.
Valiant Hart 	Oh, I almost forgot! I've finished translating another riddle. Why don't you go and take a look?
Valiant Hart 	This one looks to be even harder than the last...
 	
Explorer's Riddle	All foR fen-YLL
The members of the Marauders' Guild understand the importance of etiquette.
Explorer's Riddle	HylLfyr's cUtthroAts and briGands
The members of the Marauders' Guild understand the importance of etiquette.
Explorer's Riddle	PulPy, NuTritiOus, And decIDedly DElicious cItruS
The members of the Marauders' Guild understand the importance of etiquette.
Explorer's Riddle	rope ANd wooD aCross thE gully
The members of the Marauders' Guild understand the importance of etiquette.
Explorer's Riddle	Under tRanqUilIty's FoOtpathS
The members of the Marauders' Guild understand the importance of etiquette.
Explorer's Riddle	sappHires and peaRls, fortUnes Great and Small
The members of the Marauders' Guild understand the importance of etiquette.
Explorer's Riddle	cOncealed belah'dian maJestY
The members of the Marauders' Guild understand the importance of etiquette.
Explorer's Riddle	red ligHt amidst the blUe Haze
The members of the Marauders' Guild understand the importance of etiquette.
Explorer's Riddle	CherIsh the sPinniNg wAter lullaby
The members of the Marauders' Guild understand the importance of etiquette.
 	
Explorer's Riddle	Seeker of treasure and truth, I must congratulate you once more! Let us celebrate your latest accomplishment with another verse from my favorite poet:
Explorer's Riddle	Perchance we meet in public, be not a beguiler
Ply me not with honeyed words, and spare me glances alluring
 	
Valiant Hart 	Eh!? You had to do what to trigger the message? I know Winebaud had some skill with magicks, but that beggars belief!
Valiant Hart 	That curiosity aside, why is he continuing to spout poetry? Bah, never mind. For now, let us focus on the next riddle, which I've just finished translating. It's waiting for you, [Player Name]!
Valiant Hart 	I may not be the most educated man, but even I know arithmetic uses numbers, not letters...
 	
Explorer's Riddle	If SWORD+SWORD=DAGGER, then return to me with G of A.
The master of the markets has my list.
Explorer's Riddle	If SWORD+SWORD=DAGGER, then return to me with a W of A.
The master of the markets has my list.
Explorer's Riddle	If SWORD+SWORD=DAGGER, then return to me with a S of A.
The master of the markets has my list.
Explorer's Riddle	If SWORD+SWORD=DAGGER, then return to me with G of O.
The master of the markets has my list.
Explorer's Riddle	If SWORD+SWORD=DAGGER, then return to me with a W of O.
The master of the markets has my list.
Explorer's Riddle	If SWORD+SWORD=DAGGER, then return to me with a S of O.
The master of the markets has my list.
Explorer's Riddle	If SWORD+SWORD=DAGGER, then return to me with G of R.
The master of the markets has my list.
Explorer's Riddle	If SWORD+SWORD=DAGGER, then return to me with a W of R.
The master of the markets has my list.
Explorer's Riddle	If SWORD+SWORD=DAGGER, then return to me with a S of R.
The master of the markets has my list.
Seseroga 	The adventurer returns, asking after a...Winebaud? Yes, I remember now. He requested my assistance in locating a number of items many years ago.
Seseroga 	However, his list lacked sufficient information, and I was unable to proceed. Fortunately for you, I am loath to dispose of any documents related to business. Now where did I...? Ah, here we are.
Seseroga 	1 = Pearl
2 = Fluorite
3 = Malachite
4 = Choker
5 = Sunstone
6 = Earrings
7 = Ring
8 = Bracelet
Seseroga 	To be fair, it matters not if it were more detailed. A dead man cannot pay a finder's fee, after all.
 	
Seseroga 	This Winebaud gave a list to the master of the markets? 'Twas not I, adventurer. Mayhap he meant my counterpart in Gridania or Limsa Lominsa?
 	
Parsemontret 	You are come to ask another favor, sans eel pie? Hmph! Very well, out with it.
Parsemontret 	...The deceased explorer? We met years ago, as I recall. He wished to procure a number of items, though his list was lacking in details. There should still be a record...
Parsemontret 	1 = Pearl
2 = Fluorite
3 = Malachite
4 = Choker
5 = Sunstone
6 = Earrings
7 = Ring
8 = Bracelet
Parsemontret 	Useless, as you can see. He never returned, so I could not ask for clarification.
Parsemontret 	Hm? I hold no such list. Mayhap this Winebaud meant the master of the markets in Limsa Lominsa or Ul'dah?
 	
Swozblaet 	A fine [time of day] to you, madam/sir! Hm? Winebaud's list? Pray let me think a moment...
Swozblaet 	It has been several years, unless I have been mistaken, but there was a man by that name who begged assistance in procuring some supplies. With luck, his list may still be... Ah hah!
Swozblaet 	1 = Pearl
2 = Fluorite
3 = Malachite
4 = Choker
5 = Sunstone
6 = Earrings
7 = Ring
8 = Bracelet
Swozblaet 	Rather vague, to say the least. I would have requested more information, but I haven't seen him since that day.
Swozblaet 	Winebaud's list? Forgive me, madam/sir, but if this Winebaud claims to have entrusted a list to a master of the markets, he must have meant the one in either Gridania or Ul'dah.
 	
Explorer's Riddle	Seeker of treasure and truth, you are clever indeed. I pray you appreciate this next verse as much as I:
Explorer's Riddle	Ere long this torment must end; together we must be
Renounce it all I would, but we must be more discreet
 	
Valiant Hart 	You saw something, didn't you? Tell me everything─everything!
Valiant Hart 	...Eh? Again he includes a verse of poetry? Gods, why must he be so obtuse? Why can he not just tell us where it is!?
Valiant Hart 	I know not what to do, [Player Name]. I finished deciphering the remaining portion of his message, and... <sigh> Just read it.
 	
Explorer's Riddle	Irrespective of the lives we lead, we are often defined by our beginnings and endings.
Explorer's Riddle	The poet understood this. So do I, and so must you.
Explorer's Riddle	Seeker of treasure and truth, I have given you the key.
Explorer's Riddle	The lock lies before you, behind my obfuscations.
Explorer's Riddle	It's a story, you see...
Explorer's Riddle	But not the one we were told.
 	
Explorer's Riddle	Irrespective of the lives we lead, we are often defined by our beginnings and endings.
Explorer's Riddle	The poet understood this. So do I, and so must you.
Explorer's Riddle	Seeker of treasure and truth, I have given you the key. The lock lies before you, behind my obfuscations.
Explorer's Riddle	It's a story, you see...but not the one we were told.
 	
Valiant Hart 	He mentioned the poet, so perhaps his verses contain a clue? I keep turning them over in my head, but to no avail...
 	
Valiant Hart 	“Clandestine rendezvous leave me breathless and wanting
Obsession consumes me, a thirst for the taboo”
Valiant Hart 	“Perchance we meet in public, be not a beguiler
Ply me not with honeyed words, and spare me glances alluring”
Valiant Hart 	“Ere long this torment must end; together we must be
Renounce it all I would, but we must be more discreet”
Valiant Hart 	Let's just say that during my enlistment in the Flames, I picked up a few bad habits. Expensive habits.
Valiant Hart 	Really, though, what does it matter? If we find it, we'll both be richer than Lord Lolorito!
 	
Explorer's Riddle	Seeker of treasure and truth, I can deny you no longer.
Explorer's Riddle	The most precious secret of Lalafuto III, priceless beyond measure, is yours.
Explorer's Riddle	Reach within and claim your prize.
 	
Valiant Hart 	What was that─ <gasp> The statue! That hole wasn't there before!
Valiant Hart 	Y-You solved it, didn't you? The final riddle! Then you know where the treasure is!
Valiant Hart 	That there, in your hands─that is the sultan's secret treasure? Give it to me, give it to me!
Valiant Hart 	The gods may condemn me, my people forsake me, history judge me a fool
Power and prestige, fortune and fineries─all I would forsake for you
My kingdom may crumble─
Valiant Hart 	And it goes on like this. Line after line of...love poetry?
Valiant Hart 	These are naught more than the words of some lovesick buffoon to his beloved! Over and over he repeats the same hackneyed phrases, and his desire to “renounce,” to “forsake,” to “abdicate─”
Valiant Hart 	“Abdicate the throne...” Wait. Could it be that this was written by Lalafuto III!?
Valiant Hart 	Many believed that the sultan's wife had him assassinated so that she could claim the throne for herself. Though that would seem the most likely explanation, his sudden disappearance remains a mystery to this day.
Valiant Hart 	Yet if these poems are to be believed, Lalafuto III was madly in love with his paramour, and wished to be free of his royal responsibilities. He was plotting to flee the capital in secret─and may very well have succeeded.
Valiant Hart 	An ambitious courtier could have used these poems to gain favor with the sultana or her enemies. On one hand, they are arguably evidence that Lalafuto III still lived. On the other hand, one could assert that Memeto the Meek had him murdered for this ultimate betrayal...
Valiant Hart 	But why did Winebaud claim the treasure was worth one hundred million gil? Seven hundred years ago he would have been right, but the nation of Belah'dia is no more.
Valiant Hart 	Hm? There's something written here in a different script.
Valiant Hart 	A love that will echo through the ages. Truly, there is naught more precious in all creation.
Valiant Hart 	All those riddles, all those clues─all for this!?
Valiant Hart 	Winebaud! You thrice-damned son of a whore! I can't pay off my debts with swiving poetry!
Quest complete. 	Quest complete.
Category:Ul'dahn Sidequests in Final Fantasy XIV