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Final Fantasy XI
Promyvion / Emptiness FAQ
Version 2.14, 10/1/2004
by Brian Kern


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Table of Contents

1...Introduction
2...Getting the Mission
3...Fighting in Promyvion
3.1.....Fighting the Empty
4...Progressing in Promyvion
4.1.....Going up a level
4.2.....Going down a level
4.3.....Fake Memory Recepticles
4.4.....Combat data
4.5.....Best practices
4.6.....Maps and Memodrops
4.7.....Enemy attacks in Promyvion
5...Boss Fights
5.1.....Making Boss Fights easier
5.2.....Detailed Boss Notes
5.3.....Helping Others
5.4.....Best Practices
5.5.....Combat Reports
6...So what is it good for?
7...Post-Promyvion
8...Missing data

Appendix A - Revision history
Appendix B - Legal info (icky yucky ewwww)
Appendix C - Credits and Contact information


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1. Introduction
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Welcome to my Promyvion/Emptiness FAQ.

This FAQ owes it's life to a forum posting that I started -

http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=10&mid=1096059496417947752

That post is the source for all things Promyvion related and will provide
updates as new information is discovered.



Promyvion, also called The Emptiness, is a new section of Final Fantasy XI. It
was added with the Chains of Promathia expansion pack. The Emptiness is a
surreal realm, accessable through the shattered remains of the telepoint
crystals - the large blue crystals that adorn the Crags throughout Vana'diel.
At each of the three main crags one of the telepoints has broken. It is
through them that you will find the Emptiness.

Square's PlayOnline page describes the Emptiness as being a threat to the land
itself, though precisely how is not determined in the scope of the Promyvion
quests.

Promyvion acts as a bridge between the Vana'diel mainland and several of the
new Chains of Promathia areas - you must finish this section of the game to
have free access to the Tavnazian Archipelago.


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2. Getting the Mission
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You must have the Chains of Promathia expansion installed to access this
mission.

1) Hit Lower Delkfutt's Tower. Cutscene.
2) Hit Upper Jeuno. Cutscene.
3) Go to the Upper Jeuno infirmary (on the map), talk to Monberauxe. It's his
infirmary.
4) Go to Ru'Lude Gardens, head into the palace, hang a left at the main
stairwell and go through the door -- the guard room -- talk to the tall elf,
named Pherimociel.
5) Go visit a shattered crystal. It'll ask you twice if you're ready.
6) You'll spawn the Hall of Transference. To use one of the Large Apparatus
machines there. Short cutscene. Afterwards stroll up to the Cermet Gate and
get your game on.

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3. Fighting in Promyvion
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General details about the Emptiness:

* Level cap is 30.

* Experience will be earned here. Any XP you earn is at a reduced rate (see
the update notes for the pre-CoP patch, they detailed this change). Any XP
earned at the reduced rate will be applied to your main class. If you die,
you'll take a penalty at Level 30 rates, not at your main's level.

* Once you've entered an Emptiness realm, you cannot enter another until you
either finish it entirely, or have your memory erased by the Large Apparatus
at the front of the zone.

* There are ~4 floors in the Emptiness. The last area is the Spire, where a
BCNM fight awaits.


.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 3.1: Fighting the Empty |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'

Pay attention to the core of the Empties; by noting the color, you can tell
what it's elemental properties are -- and from that, you'll know what weakness
it has.

Fire ~ Red center, orange glow around
Earth ~ Brown/orange center with pieces of rock around
Water ~ Light blueish, bubbles like the elementals and synths
Wind ~ Green with whisps of air, easy one
Ice ~ Light blue, center looks like a solid rock, kinda dark
Lightning ~ Purple haze with a light center
Light ~ Whiteish, hard to tell from a distance really
Dark ~ Purple haze with a dark center


Empties of a certain element are more likely to drop the memories needed to
make the Anima for that element.


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4. Progressing in Promyvion
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.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 4.1: Going up a level |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'

Each Emptiness zone has something called a Memory Recepticle. There can be
more than one (some are fake). You have to hunt and destroy these things in
order to advance. When you kill the correct MR it opens a portal to a deeper
level of the Emptiness.


.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 4.2: Going down a level |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'

So you beat an MR and stepped through the Portal. Yay! But half of your team
didn't make it through. Damn! How do you get back down to the rest of the
players?

After you go through the portal, you'll be deposited very near a second portal
on the floor you've transferred to. This second portal will warp you back
downstairs.


.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 4.3: Fake Recepticles |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'

Sometimes you will kill a Memory Recepticle but you won't get a portal from
it. If you've killed one and found it to be a fake, feel free to camp it --
MRs will respawn after a short time and the respawned MR may trigger the
portal. This may be more convenient than hunting all around Promyvion.


.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 4.4: Combat Data |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'

When you get to a Memory Recepticle it'll be surrounded by mobs called Strays.
These have a fast respawn time and must be dealt with. They are not especially
difficult but will link to one another.

When the MR is engaged, it uses Empty Seed - this is an AOE attack with
knockback effects. The Empty Seed attack apparently has fantastic range -- if
you can hit the MR with spells or ranged attacks, you're definitely inside
*it's* range.

When an MR is destroyed it opens a temporary portal to the next level of the
Emptiness. The first level of the Emptiness has Easy Prey critters; higher up
you get Even Match and IT's. The portal will close after about 60 seconds, so
it's important to make sure people are alive and ready to move before the MR
is killed. You can go back down to lower levels easily, but you'll want to do
that infrequently if possible; it's no fun re-fighting battles you've already
won.

MR hitpoints increase in lower levels, as does the frequency with which it
will use Empty Seed.

You cannot call for help on a Memory Recepticle fight. However, there are
reports that all available players can engage and fight the MR once combat is
initiated. Confirmations are welcome.


.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 4.5: Best Practices |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'

Multiple MR fights have confirmed that the best way to handle them is to allow
ranged fighters to do the damage; all others should hang back, out of Empty
Seed range. RNG/NIN has been confirmed as being capable of solo'ing a Memory
Recepticle. Summoners and Beastmasters can send in their pets to do damage.
BLMs are also very popular for the MR fights.

Successes have been reported by advancing and using Bio and Poison to drop HP
over time, then slamming it for the win. This can reduce the overall damage to
the party by keeping fighters out of AOE range and keeping you away from
random combat with Strays.

Another viable strategy suggested below is to build up TP by fighting one of
the Strays, then send someone in to unleash a Weapon Skill on the MR. Have the
melee run back out of range and let the party deal with the other strays. Heal
him up, grab a stray when it respawns, build TP ... rinse, wash, repeat until
you have owned the MR.

Non-combatants are encouraged to stand near the edges of the ground to help
avoid random aggro from assorted ugly things.


.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 4.6: Maps and Memodrops |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'

If you find a rare/ex called a `Memodrop` (i.e., Indigo Memodrop), you can
trade it to a ???-point found inside the Emtpiness to receive a map.

At least one ???-point has been found on the final floor leading to the BCNM -
the memodrop-for-map trade has been confirmed.


Mea - Indigo Memodrop
Holla - Teal Memodrop
Dem - Beryl Memodrop


.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 4.7: Enemy attacks in Promyvion |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'

Promyvion-Dem

Seether
Lamentation - AOE Damage