Morning in Vana'diel: The Enticement of the Treasure Chest.

Morning in Vana'diel is your daily dose of FFXI and all things Vana'diel. Give us your thoughts on the interesting topics of the day! They flourish in abundance as the mythical wardens of hard earned treasure and reward, the treasure chest is an Icon of Final Fantasy events.


Everyone is familiar with the treasure chest, its a concept that has existed from the very first Final Fantasy game. The sophistication behind it has evolved a great deal since then of course. No longer is it a specific item only in 1 place, but a reel of choices that can spawn, a lottery of goodies to either engender delight or despair.

When FFXI first came out chests were fairly limited in where you would find them, at the center of BC's awaiting your touch to give you the sphene you've been waiting for so much, or that ever elusive vial of mercury you just couldn't quite find to finish the stack.

Then Chains of Promathia came out and mimics suddenly became a menace to everyone, not just the fumble-fingered thief who failed to pick a lock or a random BC that no-one wants to do. I don't know about you but Mimics are EVIL, I can't stand that floor in Limbus Apollyon with oodles of them scattered around grinning at you in that toothy, trampled-by-cows-fence look.

With the introduction of Fields of Valor (FoV), the treasure chest evolved yet again with the tempting blue and brown bound chests that now drop from the gullets of creatures slain in battle, although how a chest that side came out from a Tunnel Worm, I am intrigued to know. Putting logic aside for a moment, I find these chests an intrigue.

When the blue ones appear, its always worth a quick rummage through them to see if there is anything decent to store up while you are running around in those lower levels exping on your own or in a smallish party. The BROWN ones however are the devilment themselves. They spawn and look so innocent and cryptic. You can chose to ignore them, or you can spend 3 mins trying to unlock it.

I have discovered that if I fail to unlock it, I am always out by 1 digit, as if it plans the key as I fail in a smug kind of condescension that says nearly but no cigar. If you DO manage to break into these secretive vaults, it doesn't matter what is contained there within, you TAKE it, as if to say HA! Mine now!" Of course, you then drop it on the floor because its a piece of dross 9times out of 10, but STILL, its the satisfaction that you managed to get in for a change rather than being 1 digit out.