One thing I love about the Shadowbringers sidequests--besides the jokes at the WoL’s expense, anyway--are how they’re used to further tertiary characters and bring people together through the WoL’s actions.
These are usually done via the aether current quest chains, so if you’re only doing the first to open up flight, you’re missing out! Once you complete two of the chains--one low level, one higher level--a new quest opens up uniting the people of the zone in question.
The lovely thing about them is how they really reinforce the feeling of hope so present in this expansion--the people of Norvrandt are on the edge, but haven’t quite given up, not when shown a little kindness and given a start by an overly-helpful adventurer.
Also, emphasizing how the WoL’s kindness, helpfulness, and ability to make changes on even a smaller scale is so very important, I think, especially as one goes into the dark, epic final story arc that begins after the Crown of the Immaculate. When the Warrior is at their lowest, the reminders of the very real changes wrought across the realm is a comfort. It’s not the first time, either, thinking back to certain job quests--in particular, the level 50 DRK quest, where the people of Whitebrim, and their faith and trust, make all the difference.
Brief summaries of the combined quests below the cut for the curious!
In Lakeland, the physician of Fort Jobb is killed, leaving behind his adolescent daughter. Your help turns her into a replacement healer for the soldiers. After the sin eater assault, an elven officer struggles with his trauma, but learns to fight to protect his friends and comrades again. Introducing him to the young doctor leads to new ways to gather the supplies she needs to help soldiers across Lakeland.
In Ahm Araeng, you help a young mord take an interest in Nabaath’s history. Later, helping a mystel miner rediscover the secrets of a Nabaath alloy leads to them meeting up to build a better future for both Twine and Mord Souq.
In Il Mheg, a pixie wants to become the most popular, while a newly awakened amaro struggles to fit into his new community. Eventually Wolekdorf needs an envoy to Lydha Lran, and you know just the pixie to work with your amaro pal (with only a few pranks).
In Rak’tika, after helping two young men of the Night’s Blessed and the Great Serpent of Ronka save the woods, you help twin viis sisters resolve their different views of the changes the Scions have brought to Fanow’s mission. Straighten things out between the girls, and then the Night’s Blessed and the viis work together to protect the forest they call home. This is also the quest that gets you the Great Serpent as a minion!
In Kholusia, the young interim mayor of Wright wants to give the job to her father’s old friend, but the man’s lost in his own grief and guilt. Help them out, and later, when you meet the dwarves and teach an anxious young man to Lali-Ho properly, he helps the folks of Wright find fertilizer for their ruined fields, opening trade between the dwarves and Kholusians again.
