FFXIV The Greatest Story Never Told quest: Riddle answers & locations

August 2024 · 7 minute read

Final Fantasy XIV Online has swathes of different quests to complete, but the riddle-based The Greatest Story Never Told is easily one of FFXIV’s hardest challenges. Here’s how to complete this perplexing series of events.

Just as with any MMORPG, Final Fantasy XIV Online is packed to bursting with swathes of quests that are designed to test not just your mettle, but your wit and intelligence.

One of these is FFXIV’s ‘The Greatest Story Never Told,’ a riddle-based quest that will send your Warrior of Light on a fun-filled adventure across Eorzea. Characterized by its linguistic and mathematical puzzles, this fiendish test has bested thousands of champions: until now.

Here’s our full breakdown of FFXIV’s The Greatest Story Never told quest, and how to complete each of the game‘s riddles.

Contents

Final Fantasy XIV’s Eorzea is an ever-expanding universe filled to the brim with quests for players to undertake.

FFXIV The Greatest Story Never Told: Start location

This mind-boggling adventure begins in Western Thanalan (coordinates 18,17) at the behest of Valiant Hart. 

While it is a Level 1 quest, you will need to have completed The Ultimate Weapon in order to undertake it, so if you’re looking around and can’t quite find it; that’s why!

FFXIV The Greatest Story Never Told: Riddles & locations

The Greatest Story Never Told is a mission characterized by its secrecy. Tasking players to solve a collection of particularly nasty brain teasers, you’ll be sent back and forth across Eorzea’s vast expanses in search of a multitude of long-lost secrets.

It’s important to remember that there are no location markers for this quest; you will have to work out the locations by completing the riddles and ciphers. Additionally, there are multiple different riddle/cipher combinations, but players only receive one. Don’t worry, we’ve got them all below for you in different steps.

Step 1

Upon chatting to Valiant Hart, he will send you outside to have a look at The Silent King statue, where there are some seemingly random words engraved. These are Winebaud’s Message.

  • Interact with the text
    • It will be random scrambled letters (in the form a / b / c / d / e / f), followed by FIRE / LIGHTNING / WATER / EARTH / ICE / WIND. You must remember the order of the elements.
  • Return to Valiant Hart, who will direct you to Yayaroku in Ul’dah
  • Meet Yayaroku outside of the Thaumaturge’s guild
  • Yayaroku will state that the elements are from Essences and Permutations but the sequence is wrong; it should be LIGHTNING / FIRE / EARTH / ICE / WATER / WIND
  • Rearrange the scrambled letters to this to receive the first waypoint (see table below)
  • Speak to the Novice Explorer at whichever location you have received
  • Return to Valiant Hart to start phase two
    • Scrambled LettersUnscrambled Waypoint
    REN / FLO / SPI / TEL / ‘S / REFlorentel’s SpireCoerthas Central Highlands (North Shroud )
    HO / OSC / BRA / N’S / EM / CEOschon’s EmbraceNorth of Moraby Drydocks (Lower La Noscea)
    AL / TH / SPI / ‘S / RE / TEThal’s RespiteNorthmost part of Eastern Thanalan near the South Shroud exit (Eastern Thanalan)

    Step 2

    Your next adventure begins back at The Silent King statue once more, where you’ll be given another riddle to solve. Again, there is a selection of three, so you’ll only get one.

  • Return to The Silent King statue and interact once more
  • You will be given one of the following clues:
    •  “Memenugu knows the steps” (literacy puzzle)
    • “Jahelle knows her sums” (numeracy puzzle)
    • “Isouda knows the truth” (riddle)

    • Memenugu (Fesca’s Wash, Central Thanalan)

    Memenugu’s puzzle is a literacy one, where you’ll need to use the next letter (so ‘A’ translates to ‘B’) in order to solve the cipher.

    Scrambled LettersUnscrambled Waypoint
    GNMKNXDC IDZWDMTOHMKZS AQJCFFHollowed Heavenspilar BridgeNorth Shroud entrance
    AQPMYF KZLD GPS RQQHOFRBronze Lake Hot SpringsOn the upper level of Camp Bronze Lake (Upper La Noscea)
    GNND NG SGF BNFTQMBKBVHome Of The CoeurlclawTakers’ Rot cave (South Shroud)

    Jahelle (Fallgourd Float, North Shroud)

    Jahelle’s is probably the most difficult code to crack. In order to do so, every two numbers equal one letter (’01’ is ‘A’, or ’12’ is ‘L’).

    Scrambled LettersUnscrambled Waypoint
    260516082518 0418090620Zephyr DriftMiddle La Noscea (23,26)
    08051212190218151504 0815120519Hellsbrood HolesNear Cutter’s Cry dungeon (Central Thanalan)
    180504 130114200919 0601121219Red Mantis FallsEastern Las Noscea (16,27)

    Isouda (Candlekeep Quay, Lower La Noscea)

    In order to solve this riddle, you’ll be given more scrambled letters and have to switch them around to make sense. Don’t worry, though; we’ve done it for you. Head to these locations are interact with the ‘???’ to obtain the next clue.

    Scrambled LettersUnscrambled Waypoint
    ETAG FLOW ETHWWhite Wolf GateNew Gridania
    SCITEHTSEA S’EMIATHSEEshtaime’s AestheticsSteps of Thal (Ul’dah)
    SEMALF FO LLAH EHTThe Hall of FlamesSteps of Thal (Ul’dah)
    From Ul’dah to Gridania; this journey will take you everywhere.

    Step 3

    Don’t worry! You’re almost there, we promise. As per usual, head back to The Silent King to receive the third piece of this perplexing puzzle.

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  • Your next clue reads “the members of the Marauders’ Guild understand the importance of etiquette,” with some letters capitalized.
  • Head to the Marauders’ Guild in Limsa Lominsa Upper Decks
  • Interact with the ‘???‘ to obtain another phrase with capitalized letters
  • From the phrase, you can then determine the emote to use, and where to use it (see below)
  • Once you’ve done this, runes will appear in the air signaling you have completed this segment of the quest
  • As per usual, return to Valiant Hart
    • Scrambled LettersUnscrambled Waypoint
    HylLfyr’s cUtthroAts and briGandsLaughThe tip of the bow of The Astalicia (Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks)
    All foR fen-YLLRallyBelow the Leatherworker’s Guild (Old Gridania)
    rope ANd wooD aCross thE gullyDanceThe second bridge to the south of Wineport (Eastern La Noscea)
    Under tRanqUilIty’s FoOtpathSFuriousBeneath the bridge leading south from Camp Tranquil (The Black Shroud)
    cOncealed belah’dian maJestYJoyThe Invisible City (Eastern Thanalan)
    PulPy, NuTritiOus, And decIDedly DElicious cItruSDisappointedNear Summerford Farms (Middle La Noscea)
    sappHires and peaRls, fortUnes Great and SmallShrugStairs between Pearl Lane and Sapphire Exchange (Ul’dah)
    CherIsh the sPinniNg wAter lullabyPanicWatermilll in Hyrstmill (North Shroud)
    red ligHt amidst the blUe HazeHuhOn a torch near the top of the castle wall ( Northern Thanalan)

    Step 4

    Did we say you were nearly done? Really, we mean it, we’re getting there. This is the last step on your seemingly endless journey and, of course, it begins with The Silent King.

  • Return to The Silent King for your next clue
  • The clue reads “If SWORD + SWORD=DAGGER, then return to me with ? of ?. The master of the markets has my list.”
    • The ‘?’ and ‘?’ will be two different letters; note these down
  • Go to your home nation’s respective market and speak to the merchant in question
    • Gridania – Parsemontret (Old Gridania)
    • Limsa Lominsa – Swozblaet (Lower Decks)
    • Ul’dah – Seseroga (Steps of Thal)
  • They will give you Winebaud’s list, which you can then use to solve the riddle
    • A full breakdown of the mathematical side is here, but the answer is SWORD + SWORD = DAGGER; 78321 + 78321 = 156642
  • From here, using the letters you noted down and the equation, you know what item to equip (see below)
  • Return to the statue with the item equipped
  • Speak to Valiant Hart
  • He will read you the 6 lines of poetry from the riddles, with the first letters of each line spelling ‘Copper,’ and the last ‘Gorget.’
  • Equip a Copper Gorget and check the ‘???’ on the statue next to Hard to finally complete the quest
    • CodeItem
    G of RFluorite Earrings
    G of OMalachite Earrings
    G of ASunstone Earrings
    S of RFluorite Ring
    S of OMalachite Ring
    S of ASunstone Ring
    W of RFluorite Bracelet
    W of OMalachite Bracelet
    W of ASunstone Bracelet

    So that’s how to complete FFXIV’s most convoluted quest: The Greatest Story Never Told. Looking to etch your name into Eorzea’s history (after that you’ve earned it)? Check out our other FFXIV guides.

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