The release date is April 18, 2006!
Learn about the exciting new Corsair job, and check out the additional entries for gruesome and dangerous monsters in the Adversaries section. You can also find information on the locations that will become the stage for your adventures in the Near East--the Empire of Aht Urhgan and the Imperial City of Al Zahbi.
http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/ahturhgan/index.html
Corsair
Descendants of the dauntless pirates that once scourged the seas of the Near East, corsairs rely on the “Hexagun,” a multi-barreled revolver, and elaborate luck-based abilities to alter the stakes of battle
The Empire of Aht Urhgan
The Empire of Aht Urhgan dominates the Aradjiah Continent, a landmass found east of Mindartia. This massive nation lies between the Gugru Blue and the countries of the Far East, and is governed by the Divine Empress--a ruler who wields absolute religious and secular authority.
During the time of the Crystal War, the allied forces of Altana—including Tavnazia, one of the Empire’s largest trading partners—petitioned for the aid of the Aht Urhgan armies. Despite repeated requests for help, the Empire remained steadfast in her isolation and dispatched not a single soldier. These actions led to the continuing diplomatic distance between the Western nations and the Near East. The Empire is currently at war with her Far Eastern neighbors.
Protected by tall ramparts, the impregnable fortress city of Al Zahbi serves as the capital of the western half of the vast Empire of Aht Urhgan. The city resembles a labyrinth, with the roofs of stone buildings joining to form paths around structures built on a higher level. The serpentine designs seen throughout the city represent the two-headed snake king Zahak, a symbol of the Empire.
Al Zahbi
Al Zahbi is divided into three wards:
Commoner’s Ward
This fairly new ward houses residents who have either not been granted or have been stripped of citizenship. Beastman attacks are a constant threat due to the district’s location on the outskirts of town.
Merchant’s Ward
This diverse ward is home to merchants and craftsmen who provide their services to the area’s throngs of traders, mercenaries, and adventurers from foreign lands. The district also features two ports, one facing the inland sea to the north and another facing the open sea to the south. The Merchant’s Ward also serves as a western gate to the Empire.
Imperial Ward
The Imperial Ward lies behind a colossal white wall that separates the district from the rest of the city. The magnificent imperial palace, military facilities, and residences of the imperial family line the streets inside, but noncitizens are strictly forbidden to enter.
Chigoe
These small parasitic insects are the cause of an endemic disease in the Near East known as Chigoe Fever. Chigoes, or sand fleas, remain concealed beneath the sand until some unfortunate animal wanders past. The chigoe leaps an incredible distance to attach itself to the victim’s body, and then burrows under the skin to feed. The welts raised by these insidious pests are so painful, even a large animal can suffer a slow, wasting death when infested by enough parasites. According to the latest research by the Alchemists’ Guild, a virulent illness that once swept through Bastok is thought to have been the result of an invisible toxin transmitted through these deadly parasites.
Marid
The marid is an enormous animal that lives in the forests of the Near East, though few actually remain in the wild. Its fearsome natural weaponry consists of a long, flexible trunk, and two great tusks used to scythe through its enemies. Despite being a herbivore, the marid possesses burning eyes that reveal its violent temperament, and nothing can slow one of these massive beasts’ ground-shaking charges. Before their numbers were decimated by the growing plague of chigoes, battle-trained war marids were the centerpiece in the Aht Urhgan army. Now these ultimate shock troops are kept in reserve within the grounds of the Imperial Palace, rarely seen by those outside its walls.
Qutrub
These corpse-eating ghouls wrap themselves in bandages to slow the decomposition of their rotting bodies. Unlike the shambling undead that are afflicted with a curse after dying, the qutrub are beings that have succumbed to the charms of the Lamiae while still alive. Through dark rituals, they willfully attain an undead existence in order to serve their foul mistresses for eternity. Seemingly still afflicted by the desires of the living, the qutrub hoard valuable trinkets, and feast on the dead to maintain the traces of flesh and blood remaining to them. It is said that the blade carried by each qutrub is infused with their discarded life essence.