An endless stream of new adventurers aspires to the stature of the great defenders of our age. But the recent and sudden rise in novice adventurers has affected many aspects of life in Vana'diel. The most striking effect is the new makeup of the conquest maps. Tragically, many regions have fallen into the horrific grip of the beastmen. "I'm stunned. All of a sudden, the beastmen suddenly started taking control all over the place," said one adventurer. "We haven't seen beastman activity like this since the Great War," said another. The beastmen, aware of the newcomers' inexperience in the ways of war, believe they have found the perfect opportunity to launch a counterattack. Meanwhile, the growth in the number of adventurers has also had an impact on everyday life. One adventurer complained, "I have some fairly unusual equipment, so people are always checking me out. It's embarrassing." Many veteran adventurers remain puzzled by the inexplicable behavior of their younger brethren. Gutti, a longtime adventurer, had this to say: "It looks to me like they're running around without any idea of what they're really doing. They're not taking their own strengths and weaknesses into account when they choose their battles or their strategies. I think they need more guidance from experienced adventurers." Gutti might be right. But is there anything the veterans can do to help the rookies? Some veteran adventurers are making an effort to support and mentor the newcomers. Among them is Ppe, who provides advice for fledgling adventurers and answers their questions. Ppe is right at home in this role, though at first he was at a loss trying to teach even basic strategy. He said, "When I met them, they were marching around trying to kill whatever they happened to come across. The deepest they got into strategy was to know that the sharp end of the sword will kill the goblin. It was just shocking. I started by explaining to them that they need to divide up duties among themselves." Ppe even joined them on the battlefield, showing them how different tactics work. The improvement was apparent immediately. There are other veterans like Willtopower, who purchased a new linkshell and joined a young party in their adventures. Hoping to show them another way to earn money, Willtopower also gave fishing rods to the group. Such generosity is the hallmark of his teaching. Willtopower does not limit himself to passing on his knowledge of adventuring--he also freely gives food and equipment. In the end, he went so far as to present the group with the unopened linkshell so they might help each other in the future. "Some might say that I'm trying to do too much, but I'm only giving them an opportunity. Whether they make use of it is up to them." His pupils, now far from amateurs, expressed cheerful gratitude for his work. "When we first started out, nobody was willing to share their knowledge of the world. I was extremely lucky to meet someone as generous and helpful as Willtopower, " said one. Most of that group have found their own style and are now based in Jeuno. "I believe that, when you help a newcomer, he'll turn around and help someone else later. That's why it's so important for experienced adventurers to go out and help younger, less experienced people," said Willtopower. As Willtopower indicates, we need to think of the future and help adventurers who are still wet behind the ears. Someday, they will be experienced and, with proper mentoring, become stalwart allies in future battles. Contributor : Storm / Kujata