FFXIV The Rising 2023 Guide: Quest, rewards, and extras

Screenshot by PC Invasion

The Rising is back for the 10th anniversary of FFXIV, with the interesting caveat that this time the event lasts until the release of patch 6.5. That means it’ll last double the usual seasonal event period. The Rising is the in-universe celebration of the anniversary of FFXIV, framed as a yearly remembrance about the Calamity. This year’s event is meatier than usual and even has a new minigame, so let’s fly into the very special The Rising 2023.

FFXIV Rising 2023 guide prerequisites

To pick up ‘Siblings Rising’, you must be level 15. No word of the usual requirements of the MSQ up to level 15. The quest is at  (10.1, 8.6) in Ul’dah near the main Aetheryte from Kipih Jakkya.

You may recognize her from the previous Make It Rain event this year. She’ll recognize you if you’ve done quests with her before and explain she’s looking for her brother. If you did last year’s Rising, you’ve the option to say you met him before, to which she says that’s an amazing coincidence.

Now you’ve three NPCs to talk to along the Ruby Road. There’s the Midlander Rising Attendant down at the stage (10.5, 8.3), the Highlander Adventurer in the middle of Ruby Road (10.5, 8.3) and Bran speaking to the Lift Attendant past Ruby Road (10.7, 9.5). Bran recognizes you if you did the 2014 or 2019 Rising event. Putting all their information together, you’re off to the Wandering Minstrel to figure out where he is.

Walk past the lift to the Gold Court and talk to the Wandering Minstrel on the other side of the fountain at (11.2, 11.4). He explains her brother, Nhagi’a, is escorting the Chocobo carriage collecting letters for his Forest of Letters exhibit, but the carriage should be back by now. Approach her at (11.1, 9.0). Tell her what you learned and teleport to Black Brush Station together. She’ll be right there forward at (21.1, 18.6).

A Midlander Merchant says bandits attacked a Chocobo carriage by the Clutch and the one guard is outnumbered.

A cutscene follows in which the bandits retreat at the mere sight of you (smart bandits right there) and you’re reunited with Nhagi’a, who’s happy to see you again if you guided him last year. Brendt from the Ul’dah route starter cutscene also makes a small cameo.

You’ll teleport back to the wandering minstrel post cutscene to talk to him and get into another cutscene. Watch the siblings get into a disagreement, then talk to her to complete the quest for 324 gil and 1440 EXP.

FFXIV The Rising 2023 part 2: ‘What Drives Us’

In the next quest, she explains her decision, but asks you to keep an eye on him while he thinks on her words. The Minstrel says he went off to Sapphire Avenue Exchange. Use the Gladiator’s Guild Aetheryte to Sapphire Avenue Exchange, then head east to spot him talking to the Independent Merchant (14,2, 11.0). He’ll tell you some family lore, then ask you who he can talk to about his dilemma who isn’t an adventurer in Ul’dah. The options given are:

• How about the face of the Adventurer’s Guild? Momodi, which is the correct answer.
• How about the local purveyor of information? Wymond, which he disagrees with you on.
• How about a business with extensive dealings with adventurers? House of Splendors, to which he remarks not to because of the horror stories of people indebting themselves to the house and becoming indentured servants. Comforting.

Picking an incorrect answer has him figure out Momodi by himself. Teleport to the Adventurer’s Guild and talk to him inside (11.4, 9.4) for another cutscene. During this cutscene you’re asked why you became an adventurer, and each gets a different response from Momodi.

• I wanted to see the world/It seemed exciting: “Hehe, how very like you. Keep that reason close to your heart now, you hear?”
• A friend recommended it to me: “Is that right? Hehe, how sweet. Keep that friend close now, you hear?”
• It’s a secret: Your character does the /shush emote. “If you’re disinclined to share, then I won’t pry. To look at you, though, it’s plain you’ve got a proper reason. Keep it close to your heart now, you hear?”

Afterwards you’re teleported outside to speak to him again. He wants to find a specific letter on the Forest of Letters, so run through the Gold Court back to the Minstrel. All of you are tasked with finding it, but you can also pick up other optional letters.

• Shield letter (11.1, 11,1): A soldier saying adventurers are a boon to the city.
• Quil drawing (10.8, 11.0): Someone thanking adventurers for helping rebuild post Calamity.
• Chocobo carriage (11.3, 11.4): A Chocobo carriage driver who enjoys hearing adventurers’ tales.

The target letter is hanging up between poles at (11.4, 10.8). Someone’s wanting to recruit adventurers to join them on an expedition. Bring it back to Nhagi’a and hand it over, then go to the Weaver’s Guild to meet up with him at (13.2, 12.5).

After the cutscene, return to Ruby Road next to the Lift Attendant and speak to the Wandering Minstrel for the yearly Naoki Yoshida cutscene. Unlike the usual cutscenes, this one takes place on an airship instead of in a void of some kind. You have to experience his message for yourself beyond that.

Rewards and extras

Completing the quest gives you the achievement A Decade of Adventure. You receive 458 gil, 1440 EXP, the Rising Phoenix Whistle, and 10 Nymeia Potpourri. You also get access to the Forest of Letters. The Letter Forest Tender at (11.3, 11.4) in the Gold Court allows you to read a bunch of letters from people of various occupations. These include whoever writes the Emote manuals and the person who arranges the Orchestrion Rolls for a nice touch.

There’s even more from FFXIV The Rising 2023. You can also play Kupo Kupo Adventure by the stage, a three stage 8-bit minigame where you play as a Moogle and fire bullets and magic at incoming enemies. There’s no reward for beating this minigame, it’s purely for fun.

From the Rising Vendor back at the base (10.5, 8.5) of Ruby Road (who has the same model as the original 1.0 Minfilia, so hi Minfilia!) you can also purchase:

• The Land Reborn Orchestrion Roll for 1000 gil. An 8-bit version of the ARR battle theme that plays during Kupo Kupo Adventure.
• Pom From The Heavens Orchestrion Roll for 1000 gil. Ditto for the other ARR battle theme.
• Rising Advertisement poster for 2000 gil.
• Various types of Confetti for 19 gil a piece.

Finally, there are two more optional quests about Louisoix to pick up. There’s ‘Remembering The Past’ from Nananji near the main Ul’dah Aetheryte at (8.9, 9.2), which turns into ‘Preserving the Future’, rewarding you with the End of an Era Framer’s Kit for your adventurer plate and the achievement The Man, The Myth, The Legend. However, you have to be level 50 for both.

That was a lot more than usual, but that’s it from FFXIV The Rising 2023 10th anniversary edition. That one certainly rose up from the ashes of the Moonfire Faire.