The Five Best Sidequests in Dawntrail - Final Fantasy XIV Guide - IGN (2024)

In every Final Fantasy XIV expansion, there are a plethora of quests added in each zone and in the cities to expand on the lore and characters of the region. Dawntrail is no different, and players have been completing all of the quests in each zone to find some of the best.

Not every quest in FFXIV is going to be interesting enough to pay close attention to. Some are just fetch quests which will expand a little on the lore, or will send you to areas of the map you might not have visited. But among all of the quick errands and pesty beasts the characters of the region need help with, there are some stories that might interest most players.

Here are the top five side quests FFXIV players should pay attention to in Dawntrail, ranked from least interesting to most interesting.

• When The Bill Comes Due
• Warrior of Light, Wrangler of Cats
• Once A Riddler Now A Ruler
• Hands For Hire
• Corn of Necessity
• Honorable Mention

When the Bill Comes Due

Although this quest starts out as a barrier to getting all of the Aether Currents you need to be able to fly in the zone, the When the Bill Comes Due quest line is actually pretty wholesome and interesting. A grandfather is convinced that his grandson is into some shady business, or some trouble at the very least. Toanzohe asks you to intervene.

However, it turns out that his grandson, Zitekkwa isn't quite the man his grandfather thinks he is. You'll need to follow him to figure out whether he really is as his grandfather sees him, or if there's some other explanation.

Warrior of Light, Wrangler of Cats

This is a short yet adorable quest where the great, mighty, unstoppable Warrior of Light is tasked with... catching a cat. That's it. That's the quest.

It sounds boring, but the tone of the quest and the amusing nature of it makes it one of the best little side quests. Make sure you take a peek at the item that is added to your inventory once you catch the speedy furball if you want a chuckle. You also get an ilvl 645 ring as a reward, should you have a need for it.

Once A Riddler Now A Ruler

The Nostalgic Attendant has a fun task for you, and it's going to send you on a hunt for clues around the city of Tuliyollal. This quest gives away some spoilers for the MSQ, so be sure to only pick it up after you've completed it.

If you're a fan of Koana, you'll get to learn a little tidbit about him by doing this quest. Unlike typical quests that give you some kind of indication on the map where you're going next, this one has no such markers. You'll need to figure out the location based on the clues and find the sparkling spot that contains the next note. If you're a fan of that kind of thing, it can be incredibly rewarding to find the locations without any help.

If you're not the kind to care much for the satisfaction of figuring things out for yourself or you're a little stuck, take a peek at the Once A Riddler Now A Ruler answers.

Hands for Hire

Mad at Square Enix that you didn't get your Viera lore? Well, you did, but it's not where you expected it to be. Many FFXIV fans were hoping for some very needed Viera lore, and while it wasn't really prevalent in the MSQ aside from the confines of Erenville's experience, there is some hiding away behind a gatherer quest.

Most of the history we've heard so far is about the Viera who hail from the Golmore Jungle, however you'll gain a lot of insight into Viera who aren't from there. Not only that, but the story between the characters is interesting in its own right.

The only downside to this quest line is that it's part of the Wachumeqimeqi Custom Deliveries, so you'll only get a tidbit of information as you level your gatherers, but there is a not insignificant amount of Viera lore hidden in these quests. This is a great quest line to pay attention to if you are a roleplayer and either want to understand more about Viera or play as one.

In order to access these deliveries, you'll need to complete the quest "Wrought in Wachumeqimeqi", which is also in Tuliyollal (X:16.1, Y: 11.1), and you'll need a level 90 Miner or Botanist.

Corn of Necessity

Do you have a person in your life that tells the worst dad jokes? Welcome to the Cornservant questline, where someone's dad definitely wrote the text for this grand adventure. This little ear of corn will hit you with so many corn puns you'll have an odd, insatiable hunger for the juicy kernels by the end of it.

This quest line has been one of the most celebrated since Dawntrail launched. Starting in Tuliyollal, you'll be whisked away to the hungry bellies of Tural. Cornservant shows up in every zone until the quest's conclusion in Solution 9.

It's recommended to do these quests as you go through MSQ, since the content is best experienced once yellow quests start appearing throughout the zones in Tural. You might find yourself tossing Wuk Lamat to the side to help a vegetable. By the end of it, you'll be wishing Cornservant was the promise you've been helping.

The end of the quest awards the Cornservant minion, even if you don't enjoy the journey to fill hungry bellies with all manner of corn, you'll at least experience a kernel of joy when you unlock the minion.

Honorable mention

There are plenty of interesting side quests in Dawntrail with interesting stories and lore tidbits, but unless you're very intensely ingrained into the FFXIV community, you might have missed a little easter egg in Solution 9.

Sitting on a bench in the high-tech city is a Miqo'te NPC that has no name and simply says "What a view..." Players can't interact with her, but some keen-eyed Warriors of Light recognized the character model. This NPC looks like one called Maidy, who was a character in a blog called Dad of Light. The player behind the character was friends with FFXIV's director and producer Naoki "Yoshi-P" Yoshida.

Unfortunately, Maidy died in 2020 after a battle with cancer. Yoshi-P detailed his relationship with Maidy and his sorrow in an official blog post shortly after his death. Now, three and a half years later, Maidy has been immortalized by the NPC in Solution 9. You can pay your respects in the city at X: 17.0, Y:13.5.

After you've completed all of the side quests and explored all there is to see in Tural, it might be time to dip your toe into mount collecting, leveling alts, or trying out the new Pictomancer or Viper jobs. With upcoming patches introducing new content every few weeks, players won't find any shortage of fun and interesting things to do in Dawntrail.