Songs in the Key of Kugane
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- See also: Wandering Minstrel Quests
Songs in the Key of Kugane
- Quest giver
- Wandering Minstrel
- Location
- Kugane (X:11.6, Y:12.6)
- Level
- 70
- Required quest
Stormblood- Patch
- 4.0
“Whenever you can spare a moment, I ask that you regale unto me your recent adventures, and I shall see to it they are immortalized within these halls!
— In-game description
Songs in the Key of Kugane is a level 70 quasi-quest that serves as an unlock method for most extreme-difficulty trials and ultimate-difficulty raids in Stormblood, and The Epic of Alexander (Ultimate) released in Shadowbringers. There are no steps to this quest: talking to the questgiver both accepts and completes the quest.
Though the quest is "completed" upon talking to the Wandering Minstrel, players must go back and talk to him again each time they complete the necessary prerequisites in order to unlock the associated extreme- or ultimate-difficulty encounter.
Unlocks
- The Pool of Tribute (Extreme)
- Emanation (Extreme)
- The Minstrel's Ballad: Shinryu's Domain
- The Jade Stoa (Extreme)
- The Minstrel's Ballad: Tsukuyomi's Pain
- Hells' Kier (Extreme)
- The Wreath of Snakes (Extreme)
- The Unending Coil of Bahamut (Ultimate)
- The Weapon's Refrain (Ultimate)
- The Epic of Alexander (Ultimate)
Dialogue
Accepting the Quest
Wandering Minstrel: Ah, who should stand before me but the hero who shattered the shackles of oppression in Doma and Ala Mhigo both! In spite of your burgeoning fame, I am honored that you should willingly share your precious time with this humble minstrel. Wandering Minstrel: If I may ask, how are you enjoying the Far East? With its many charms, it is an easy place to like. Indeed, it holds a special place in my heart; you might even say it is a second home to me, often as I find myself here on my endless quest for verse. Wandering Minstrel: And on this particular visit, the proprietor of this theater chanced to hear me perform and took a shine to my work. One thing led to another, and a number of my songs were adapted for the stage! Wandering Minstrel: Such are the crowds they have drawn, I have since been commissioned to write pieces for a new production. Wandering Minstrel: That is not to brag, mind you─nay, far from it. For though I am glad for the approval, the truth is I have been struggling to summon forth the inspiration with which to fuel my creativity. Wandering Minstrel: ...But of course! Your recent exploits could well provide me with the inspiration I need! Wandering Minstrel: Such events you must have witnessed, such emotions experienced, in your struggle to liberate Doma and Ala Mhigo from the clutches of the Empire. Though the tales have been doing their rounds, there is no substituting a firsthand account. Nay, I would see from the eyes of she who stood in the thick of it and know the depths of her heart. Wandering Minstrel: I shall remain in Kugane while I compose my pieces for the Mujikoza. Whenever you can spare a moment, I ask that you regale unto me your recent adventures, and I shall see to it they are immortalized within these halls!
Unlocking each individual trial
Wandering Minstrel: Ah, something heroic this way comes! How fare you, [Forename]? As ever, I am seeking inspiration to draw upon for my work. If you have any new experiences to share, I should very much like to hear them.
Talking about Lakshmi (Cutscene)
Wandering Minstrel: Oh, what stirring story have you for me today? Wandering Minstrel: To lose her beloved daughter not once, but twice—first to the Empire and then to the primal's false promise... 'Tis all I can do to imagine the Qalyana elder's grief. Wandering Minstrel: And as if she had not lost enough, unable to bear the reality, she chooses to flee from it—by making an offering of her soul to the primal. 'Tis a tragedy to rend hearts... Wandering Minstrel: My apologies, [Forename]. I know full well that I asked you for a tale, but so private and intense a sorrow should not be made the subject of amusement. However, I would honor the memory of the departed with a verse. Wandering Minstrel: For her daughter's life, a mother mourned, ♪ But from the flesh her soul was torn. ♪ Wandering Minstrel: For her daughter's smile, a mother yearned, ♪ Now from a dream she may ne'er return. ♪ Wandering Minstrel: Forgive me if I have awakened unpleasant memories. Wandering Minstrel: Liberties may be taken in a tale's telling, but if cannot wipe away such sorrow that has taken root in one's heart. Nay, no more than abiding in a dream will change reality. Wandering Minstrel: Even so, we may pray for wounds to heal and scars to fade. And so pray I shall, for the Qalyana, for all those who grieve, that they may one day know peace.
Talking about Susano (Cutscene)
Wandering Minstrel: Ah, you have a new tale for me? Wonderful! Wandering Minstrel: A clash against a kami of legend... The words fairly write themselves! Yes, this would adapt very well indeed for the stage, and I daresay even the Kojin would come to watch. Wandering Minstrel: As this song is about you, however, 'tis only meet that you are the first to hear it. Lend your ears, then, to the tale of your furious encounter with Susano, the Lord of Revel! Wandering Minstrel: Upon eastern seas, three treasures join to birth a kami great, ♪ Whose sacred blade strikes awe in hearts and cleaves the land in straits. ♪ Wandering Minstrel: From western lands, a challenger comes—a hero from afar. ♪ Whose radiant blade sets souls ablaze and outshines the very stars. ♪ Wandering Minstrel: So, was I able to capture Susano's stormy grandeur? I drew upon my imagination to create more evocative imagery, but it should more of less line up with your experience. Wandering Minstrel: ...Somewhat stormier than you recall? Well, then, that makes it just right! Upon the stage, storytelling takes on a different dynamic, you see, and it is common practice to favor the grandiose. Wandering Minstrel: But with your rousing tale at its heart, I have no doubt that the play will be received with no less than a standing ovation!
Talking about Shinryu (Cutscene)
Wandering Minstrel: Well then, pray do not keep me in suspense! Wandering Minstrel: Shinryu, a being of pure violence, born of the torment of they who died for their homeland... Those souls had longed for the power to smite the Empire. Little would they have imagined that this power would assume such a form. Wandering Minstrel: Nor that it would fall into the enemy's hands to become the ultimate obstacle to freedom, bound to the will of Zenos yae Galvus. A pitiable man who feels naught save when at the edge of death. Wandering Minstrel: The power to smite, the power to save, A desperate man did direly crave. ♪ High though the price, in full he did pay, Crating a god where his dead body lay. ♪ Wandering Minstrel: The power to rise, the power to vie, A lonely man did madly desire. ♪ Forsook his flesh, for such was the roll, Binding a god to his insatiable soul. ♪ Wandering Minstrel: Here we have two men sought power, but for different reason. One wished to deliver his homeland from tyranny. The other wished to fill the void of his solitude. Yet, even should they achieve this goal, would they truly find peace? I suspect that only they would know the answer... Wandering Minstrel: Now, you my friend—you will continue your fight, will you not? I pray that you will again regale me with such accounts of your experiences. Wandering Minstrel: For as brightly as a hero's tale shines, it is not without its shadows. It is my duty, I feel to share both with the world—the stirring and the sorrowful.
Talking about Tsukuyomi (Cutscene)
Wandering Minstrel: And what manner of triumphant tale do you have for me today? Wandering Minstrel: Tsukuyomi, Lady of the Moon... Thus in the mortal form of Yotsuyu, vengeful daughter of the Naeuri, did this primal find a willing host... Wandering Minstrel: I had heard stories of the acting viceroy's merciless rule, yet none ever mentioned the terrible childhood she endured. The outward face of history surrenders little of the turmoil which rages beneath its surface. Wandering Minstrel: She had but one chance to be reborn, only to have it snatched away. And in the void left behind, her cruelty bloomed anew. Yes, this has all the makings of a tragic tanka... Wandering Minstrel: Ah, forgive me. A form of classical Hingan poetry I was but recently taught by the actors here. It goes without saying I have yet to master it, so I will thank you for not laughing at my fumbling attempt! Wandering Minstrel: 'Neath the half-moon's glow, lily-white petals unfurl, Rooted in malice, The bloom drinks in the darkness, And is swallowed by the night. Wandering Minstrel: The flower Yotsuyu planted was doomed to last but a single evening before its petals were scattered. Mayhap she wished only for a pretty bloom to adorn her final resting place. Wandering Minstrel: I do not mean to excuse her atrocities, but very few of us are born villains. Circumstances conspired to break her spirit even as she made her misguided choices. Wandering Minstrel: I only hope that in death, her soul has shed the maddening shackles of vengeance.
Talking about Byakko
If first four lord trial discussed with him
Wandering Minstrel: Byakko, you say? As in Byakko of the Four Lords? He and his comrades feature prominently in the Tale of Tenzen, one of the three great plays that are performed regularly at the Mujikoza. Wandering Minstrel: It so happens I know the story quite well. As a student of the fine arts, it was my duty to study it closely. Wandering Minstrel: I expect what you are about to tell me will be most enlightening indeed... Wandering Minstrel: Hidden beneath Hells' Lid... A sanctuary for some, a prison for one. You spoke with the auspices of Reisen Temple? And their leader was none other than Genbu of the Four Lords? A veritable character from the play, come to life... Wandering Minstrel: Not that I would question the veracity of your account, of course. I merely comment on the incredible life you lead.
Both
Wandering Minstrel: And so it fell to you to quell the raging aramitama of a legendary auspice...in battle? Wandering Minstrel: My word, to think you faced the legendary white tiger in battle! The western guardian, the bosom friend of the hero Tenzen! Yes, yes...I feel a tanka coming on. Wandering Minstrel: Ah, forgive me. A form of classical Hingan poetry I was but recently taught by the actors here. It goes without saying I have yet to master it, so I will thank you for not laughing at my fumbling attempt! Wandering Minstrel: Feared and forsaken, seeking death in solitude, Saved by fellowship─ Snow white harbinger of doom, Become beloved legend. Wandering Minstrel: You know, in the Tale of Tenzen, Byakko was likened to a god of war with near-limitless powers of destruction... Wandering Minstrel: Not to say that the Byakko you faced was a weakling, but the picture you paint is of a rather less intimidating auspice, don't you think? The sort some might even be willing to cuddle─or at least reach out and rub the belly. Wandering Minstrel: But perhaps he has grown more reserved in his old age. Perhaps, in his troubled youth, he more closely resembled his portrayal in the legends. Wandering Minstrel: Come to think of it, you're not altogether different, you and him. Blessed─or cursed─with exceptional powers. Defined by them in the eyes of many. Brave souls that rose to the occasion...
Talking about Suzaku (Cutscene)
If first four lord discussed with him
Wandering Minstrel: Suzaku, you say? As in Suzaku of the Four Lords? She and her comrades feature prominently in the Tale of Tenzen, one of the three great plays that are performed regularly at the Mujikoza. Wandering Minstrel: It so happens I know the story quite well. As a student of the fine arts, it was my duty to study it closely. Wandering Minstrel: I expect what you are about to tell me will be most enlightening indeed... Wandering Minstrel: Hidden beneath Hells' Lid... A sanctuary for some, a prison for one. You spoke with the auspices of Reisen Temple? And their leader was none other than Genbu of the Four Lords? A veritable character from the play, come to life... Wandering Minstrel: Not that I would question the veracity of your account, of course. I merely comment on the incredible life you lead.
Both
Wandering Minstrel: And so it fell to you to quell the raging aramitama of a legendary auspice...in battle? Wandering Minstrel: Ah, Suzaku, the auspice whose fiery plumage was only eclipsed by her passion for her comrade, Tenzen. Yes, yes...I feel a tanka coming on. Wandering Minstrel: Ah, forgive me. A form of classical Hingan poetry I was but recently taught by the actors here. It goes without saying I have yet to master it, so I will thank you for not laughing at my fumbling attempt! Wandering Minstrel: As the setting sun, the fire of my broken heart, Casts shadows of you─ A thousand years of moments We shared in a fleeting dream. Wandering Minstrel: No matter the culture or the era, tales of love and longing never cease to resonate with the soul, do they not? Wandering Minstrel: And in Suzaku's case, there is the added element of tragic irony. A being misjudged by all save one singular man... Wandering Minstrel: ...A man she could have saved if only he was wrong, and the world right. A man whose fate she could have averted had she then the tremendous powers she only later came to possess. Wandering Minstrel: As moving a tale as it is, I weep to know that every word of it is true...
Talking about Seiryu (Cutscene)
If first four lord discussed with him
Wandering Minstrel: Seiryu, you say? As in Seiryu of the Four Lords? He and his comrades feature prominently in the Tale of Tenzen, one of the three great plays that are performed regularly at the Mujikoza. Wandering Minstrel: It so happens I know the story quite well. As a student of the fine arts, it was my duty to study it closely. Wandering Minstrel: I expect what you are about to tell me will be most enlightening indeed... Wandering Minstrel: Hidden beneath Hells' Lid... A sanctuary for some, a prison for one. You spoke with the auspices of Reisen Temple? And their leader was none other than Genbu of the Four Lords? A veritable character from the play, come to life... Wandering Minstrel: Not that I would question the veracity of your account, of course. I merely comment on the incredible life you lead.
Both
Wandering Minstrel: And so it fell to you to quell the raging aramitama of a legendary auspice...in battle? Wandering Minstrel: That he nearly succumbed to his primal rage willingly, out of a misguided desire to fulfill an ancient vow. Truly, this is the stuff of poetry. Worthy material for a magnificent tanka! Wandering Minstrel: Ah, forgive me. A form of classical Hingan poetry I was but recently taught by the actors here. It goes without saying I have yet to master it, so I will thank you for not laughing at my fumbling attempt! Wandering Minstrel: Corruption embraced, into my heart flow and fill─ Indigo river, Crimson black with blood and ash, Promises kept, vows fulfilled. Wandering Minstrel: I have heard many tales concerning Seiryu before, but your experience calls much of what I assumed true into question. Wandering Minstrel: Although his unrivaled powers as a sorcerer are as expected, he is generally described as a massive majestic dragon, rather unlike the serpentine being with which you claim to have treated. Wandering Minstrel: And this tale of him in his youth, this fledgling auspice mistaken for a guardian kami... it is the sort of story one might expect as a cautionary parable, not a tragic and unfortunate truth. Wandering Minstrel: It is not at all hard for me to imagine how he grew frustrated and angry following Tenzen's death. For not only was he deprived of a dear comrade, he was robbed of a chance to fulfill a sacred vow. Wandering Minstrel: It is good that you helped him to reclaim himself, for a tortured soul such as his could have easily trod the same path as the mad auspice Koryu...