The Hunter and the Hunted

The Hunter and the Hunted

Quest giver

Shashepya

Location

Tuliyollal (X:12.8, Y:14.9)

Quest line

Role Quests
┗ Melee DPS Role Quests (Dawntrail)

Level

90

Required quest

Uncouth Customers

Requirements

 Melee DPS

Experience

 994,560

Gil

 2,000

Previous quest

Uncouth Customers

Next quest

A Sea of Blood

Patch

7.0

Links

EDB GT TC

“

Shashepya seeks an adventurer who likes getting up close and personal.

— In-game description

Steps

• Gather information in Kugane.
• Speak with the I'toca-esque woman near the Sekiseigumi Barracks.
• Speak with I'toca and have her accompany you.
• Survey the designated location while I'toca is accompanying you.
• Speak with I'toca.

Journal

• Shashepya seeks an adventurer who likes getting up close and personal.
• Shashepya, a woman from a secluded village in the forests of Xak Tural, has been searching for one who can aid in the retrieval of her home's stolen treasure, the Dreamweave Cocoon. Those who possess it possess the power to mimic not only the form, but abilities of anyone they have seen. According to an eyewitness, the thief was headed towards Kugane, which is where the foremost hunter of her village, I'toca, has followed in pursuit. Yet with no word of I'toca's progress in days, Shashepya is worried the hunter may require the aid of one more familiar with the land, and suggests you may find her by inquiring at the local tavern.
• You encounter a patron in the Shiokaze Hostelry who happened to see a Viera woman matching I'toca's description near the Sekiseigumi Barracks. With any luck, she will still be there.
• I'toca quickly welcomes your assistance and explains that despite knowing the thief is a Hyuran male, the cocoon's power of mimicry makes him a difficult quarry to capture. The only lead she has are recent rumors of squabbles breaking out around the city which have no clear instigators. Find the source of these squabbles, and you will find the thief─or so I'toca believes.
• Two pairs of eyes and ears are better than one, and so I'toca petitions your aid in searching the Rakuza District.
  • ※You must be accompanied by I'toca to complete this task. Speak with her again should you become separated.
• You witness an altercation between a cowering clerk and a belligerent customer, with the behavior of the latter seeming to match that of the thief's presumed modus operandi. I'toca lobs the remedy at him without hesitation, unfortunately to no effect but to upset the man further. Shrugging off this faux pas, she suggests visiting Kogane Dori next.
• A dispute between two samurai nearly comes to blows, but thanks to a timely lobbed remedy, you and I'toca discover that the wife instigating the fight is actually the thief in disguise. Unperturbed at having his plan foiled, the thief uses the cocoon to transform into a hawk and takes flight. I'toca attempts to shoot him down without avail. For a blessing, no harm has come to those involved in the dispute, and the Sekiseigumi thank you for revealing the perpetrator, vowing to spread the story of the scoundrel's misdeeds among the populace and redouble their efforts at keeping them safe.
• Reiterating how grateful she is for your help, I'toca informs you she will remain in Kugane to follow up on leads regarding the thief's potential whereabouts. Given some time, she will no doubt have new insights to offer.
  • ※The next role quest will be available from I'toca upon reaching level 92 in any melee DPS class.

Dialogue

Shashepya: Hello there! I take it you've spoken with Br'uk Evu. Willing to lend a hand?
Shashepya: I am truly grateful! Then allow me to introduce myself: I am Shashepya, and I have traveled far from my village in the forests of Xak Tural in search of a brave soul to help us retrieve our stolen treasure.
Shashepya: For generations have my people watched over the Dreamweave Cocoon─the vessel in which the power of the swallowtail tural vidraal is sealed.
Shashepya: Before its ascension, the swallowtail warded off would-be predators by assuming the form of more threatening butterflies─poisonous ones and the like─through its skill at mimicry.
Shashepya: So it survived, day after day, summer after summer, until the dawn of its great new existence. It became capable of taking on the form of any creature which crossed its path.
Shashepya: This fearsome power was sealed within the cocoon, and any who possess it command the selfsame abilities. Indeed, the wielder, too, may assume the form of any manner of beast or man they've beheld.
Shashepya: Yet this mimicry is not limited to merely physical forms. No, the wielder may replicate the talents and abilities of their target─so long as such actions fall within their ken, that is.
Shashepya: In an instant, they may become a master of the hunt─a twin-blade-wielding viper. Or a savage br'aax, with claws and fangs to gut whomsoever they please.
Shashepya: It is this power which has protected my village from the predators of the forest. For though it grants many boons, the forest contains threats in equal measure. By donning the skins of its most formidable beasts, we've kept ourselves safe for generations.
Shashepya: Without the cocoon, my village's very survival is at risk. That is why we have sent our foremost hunter, I'toca, to ensure it is reclaimed.
Shashepya: She has never failed to capture her quarry, so I thought she would make short work of this ordeal...yet there has been no word from her. I fear this may be a hunt she cannot undertake alone.
Shashepya: It is for that reason I wish to enlist the aid of one familiar with the lay of the land beyond the great sea─and one whose prowess in close quarters would complement her expertise with the bow.
Shashepya: One of the villagers ran into the thief before he fled, and said he intended to use the cocoon's power in “Kugane,” which I understand is the name of a large settlement located far, far to the east.
Shashepya: Please, for the sake of my home, set out for this eastern habitation, and assist I'toca with retrieving the cocoon!
Shashepya: The situation here is dire, so I won't insist that you set out now─I ask only that you join I'toca in this eastern habitation, and assist her in retrieving the cocoon at your earliest convenience. My village's survival depends on it!

Q1: What will you say?

A1: Leave it to me.
Shashepya: Your willingness to aid is most reassuring! You have my heartfelt thanks.

A1: As long as you're willing to cover my teleportation expenses.
Shashepya: Forgive me, but... What is a teleportation?
Shashepya: Well, if it is a required expense, rest assured I'toca will compensate you for it. She's been entrusted with a fair sum of the village's combined reserves. Whatever she needs to track down this villain, she will have─and so shall you.

Shashepya: Upon arriving in the eastern land, search for a Viera woman carrying a bow and dressed in similar attire to myself.
Shashepya: If you visit a “tavern” like this one, I daresay you may find someone who has seen her.

Shitan: Welcome to the Shiokaze Hostelry. How may I serve you?
Shitan: You're searching for someone? As a matter of fact, I do distinctly remember seeing a Viera woman of that description earlier, but I'm afraid I could not tell you where she may be now.

Haboku: A lass from “Tural,” was it? Sorry, can't help you.
Haboku: That reminds me, though... I heard Tural has its own local variety of spirits called mezcal. Been meaning to taste it myself for an age now, but you've no idea how hard it is to get one's hands on a bottle of it here.

Hayataka: A Viera woman bearing a bow? Why yes, I do recall such a person. It was hard not to notice her, really, given how she was peering at every little thing.
Hayataka: If she came from the distant lands to the west, no doubt Kugane is quite the unusual sight for her. With any luck, she'll still be where I saw her: in the vicinity of the Sekiseigumi Barracks.

Shitan: My deepest apologies that I could not assist you further. I wish you the best of luck in finding her.

Haboku: Tell me, have you had a taste of mezcal yourself? Can you describe its flavor? Smell? Texture? Kami be merciful, I must have a cup!

Hayataka: No doubt she will be grateful to have someone familiar with our city and customs at her side. I only hope you can find her.

I'toca-esque woman: <sigh> This city is simply too large for me to cover alone... Perhaps it's time I returned home.

Q2: What will you say?

A2: I'toca?
I'toca: Y-Yes, I am she. And you are...?

A2: I've come to aid your search, I'toca.
I'toca: O-Oh, is that right? I'm grateful, but...why?

I'toca: I see... Shashepya always was a worrywart. Won't deny I appreciate the help, though. Ascertaining the whereabouts of the cocoon has been no easy task.
I'toca: I managed to secure room and board in this lodging after arriving in Kugane, and have been using it as a base to track down the thief ever since. I'll tell you all I know.
I'toca: According to an eyewitness from my village, the thief is a middle-aged Hyuran male. That's all we have to go on regarding his appearance.
I'toca: Yet so long as he possesses the cocoon, he can be anyone and anything─an elderly woman traipsing along the street, a child throwing a ball─mayhap even the dog chasing after it. Truth be told, I was nigh at wit's end trying to find him...
I'toca: That is, until I discovered that a series of unusual squabbles have been occurring around the city. After investigating these incidents, I found one commonality: the instigator in each case invariably had no recollection of the incident, let alone of inciting it.
I'toca: What's more, eerie accounts have begun to circulate amongst the residents. Some folk claim they've somehow been seen in two places at once.
I'toca: Based on all this, I believe the thief's been using the Dreamweave Cocoon to transform into innocents and spread discord throughout the city.
I'toca: Stands to reason we can find him by following the trail of chaos left in his wake, no? And yet, even should we apprehend him─in whatever form he's hidden himself within─there's nothing to stop him from feigning ignorance.
I'toca: ...Besides a secret remedy, of course. The recipe for an elixir which can forcibly remove the cocoon's enchantment has been passed down in my village for emergencies like this. I made sure to prepare a few vials before making the voyage here.
I'toca: I need simply throw the solution at the suspect and the cocoon's weave of mimicry will unfurl on the spot.
I'toca: That covers everything. Now, what say we see if there's any trouble afoot? The thief will undoubtedly not be far from it. Let me know when you're ready─we'll catch him together.

I'toca: Ready to set off, then? Perfect. I say we begin our search with the markets. I recall a great number of people gathering in the Rakuza District, I believe it was called.
System: I'toca is now accompanying you. Keep her at your side in order to proceed with quest objectives.
System: You can leave I'toca behind by entering a different area, or by speaking with her and selecting the option to part ways.
System: If you wish to have I'toca accompany you again, return and speak with her at the original location.

Q3: What will you do?

A3: Talk.
I'toca: Rare are the days my people leave the shelter and bounty found beneath the forests' boughs. I was speechless when I first laid eyes on Tuliyollal─a city with as many people as trees in the forest! And Kugane is no less dense...

A3: Part ways with I'toca.
System: Are you sure you wish to part ways with I'toca?
I'toca: An urgent matter, I take it? Very well, I'll be waiting for you at my lodging. Every moment we give this thousand-faced villain is a moment for him to sow more seeds of chaos throughout the city... So please try to return soon.

A3: Nothing.

I'toca: There you are! Ready to resume the search?

A4: Talk about cities.
I'toca: To think that all of this was wrought by mortal hands! Remarkable!
I'toca: My people have ever lived in harmony with nature, but that doesn't mean we condemn the ways of those who choose otherwise. In fact, in the brief time I've been exposed to settlements like this, I've come to see such places have their merits, too.

A5: Talk about the sea.
I'toca: I can't believe how impossibly vast it is! My jaw dropped when I first saw it─I could hardly fathom where the horizon ended and the sea began! Before arriving in Tuliyollal, I'd imagined the sea to be merely a larger, saltier body of water than the lake back home.
I'toca: There, we would race from shore to shore. To attempt the same here, I fear, would have fatal results.

System: You must be accompanied by I'toca and have her at your side in order to proceed with quest objectives.
System: I'toca has yet to arrive. Be sure she is at your side before attempting to continue.

Bellowing Man: Look, you thieving whoreson, I told you this isn't enough!

Cowering Clerk: B-But sir, that cannot be right. I am sure I gave you your change in full...

Bellowing Man: Enough! Hand over my money, or I'll take it by force!

Q6: What will you say?

A6: The customer is suspicious.
I'toca: My thoughts exactly!

A6: The clerk is suspicious.
I'toca: You think a thief with the power to mimic anyone would choose to play the victim? Not likely. No, the man we're after wants to exert his power over others─as a belligerent customer, no doubt!

A6: Let's keep watching.
I'toca: But isn't it obvious!? No one gets so worked up over a handful of coins unless they're looking for trouble!

I'toca: Reveal yourself, villain!

Bellowing Man: Wh-What in the blazes do you think you're doing!?

I'toca: Oh. Oh! S-Sorry! Very, very sorry!

Cowering Clerk: Ah! Oh dear...
Cowering Clerk: A thousand thousand apologies, sir! I gravely miscalculated your change!
Cowering Clerk: I will return what you are owed immediately, I beg your forgiveness!
Cowering Clerk: I apologize for the disturbance. <sigh> How dreadfully embarrassing...

I'toca: Uh... Well, a hunter doesn't quit after a single arrow misses its mark. Best not to dwell on what's done, and instead focus on our next course of action. Let's see how things fare on Kogane Dori.

Roaring Man: I'll cut you down where you stand, you lecherous lummox!

I'toca: What is going on here?

Onlooking Lass: The big bloke yonder allegedly laid his hands on that grizzled fella's woman. 'Fraid this may come to blows.

Burly Samurai: C-Calm yourself, man! I have not done what she claims!

Roaring Man: You dare add insult to injury by calling her a liar!?

Distressed Dame: Ignore him! I told you, that pig defiled me! Cut him down this instant!

Burly Samurai: There is no truth to her words! Wherefore does she spout such rubbish!?

Distressed Dame: Kami give me strength, cut the bloody brute down already!

Roaring Man: Yes... Naught less than your head shall serve as penance for your crimes!

Burly Samurai: Very well. Let my blade prove my innocence!

I'toca: I-It's her, right!?

Insidious Individual: Was that really necessary?
Insidious Individual: No matter, I was growing weary of this petty farce. It's time I moved on to bigger and better things.

I'toca: Oh no you don't!
I'toca: H-How odd... My bow is more out of tune than I realized.

Relieved Dame: Sweetheart!

Rugged Samurai: Is it really you? Oh thank the kami you're safe!

Sekiseigumi Samurai: I found her lying unconscious in a nearby alleyway. She could only vaguely recall being attacked from behind before losing consciousness.

I'toca: So the villain knocked her out before assuming her visage in a ploy to deceive her husband.

Rugged Samurai: I fell for the deception like a complete and utter fool. I do not even know how to begin to make amends...

Burly Samurai: There are no amends to be made. You simply acted as any husband would.

Sekiseigumi Samurai: Due to your involvement, this matter was resolved without bloodshed. The Sekiseigumi thank you.
Sekiseigumi Samurai: 'Tis regrettable, however, that the villain managed to escape. A criminal who can change their shape at will is exceedingly dangerous. Know that the Sekiseigumi will alert the populace to this menace, and remain vigilant for any suspicious activity in the city.

I'toca: Let's return to my lodgings. I'd like to go over where we stand with our elusive quarry.
I'toca: As predicted, the thief has been using the cocoon's power of mimicry to incite conflict around the city.
I'toca: What he hopes to accomplish by doing so, however, is still unclear...
I'toca: And, so long as he has this power, our sole means of tracking him remains the havoc left in his wake.
I'toca: A trying trail for any hunter, but I'm heartened to have a warrior like you beside me as I tread it. We'll catch him together, and when we do, we'll mete out the justice he deserves, [Forename]!