The bones and carapaces of monsters are the base components used in the profession of bonecrafting. The light and sturdy equipment created by bonecrafters often have unique designs that incorporate the essence of the materials used. One of the biggest factors contributing to the attraction of this craft for synthesis beginners would have to be the ready availability of these materials. However, achieving the highest level of skill in bonecrafting requires extraordinary effort and ever-more fantastic ingredients. So, our question today is "What is a typical day in the life of an expert bonecrafter?" We talked to Ms. S for the scoop. --Thank you for joining us today, Ms. S. Tell me, what is your current skill in bonecrafting? "Well sir, I'm at the maximum one-oh-oh, 100. Besides weaving, the rrrest of my skills are at journeyman level." --So why did you decide to take up bonecrafting? "At first, I was just sharpenin' the bone chips I picked up about the place, but seeing as no one else in my linkshell had the inklin' to take up the bonecarvin' knife, I thought 'Heck, might as well be me.' That, and there's that purrrty scorpion harness everybody loves so much. I figured it would be a grrreat goal to be able to make one of those beauties for my very own self. Course, all my friends thought I was plum-crazy!" --Crazy, huh? Was this some obtuse reference to your skill as an adventurer? "I'll have you know that I'm level 75 in both white mage and thief, not to mention a fair distance along with all the other jobs. White mage was my main occupation, but thief abilities are perrrfect for gatherin' those pesky synthesis materials." --Would you say that advancing your skill in bonecraft would be impossible for a low-level adventurer? "Well, mostly you can't just mosey into some store and buy what you need. You gotta rrrip your materials rrright out of the monsters you beat up. I suppose you could find a large chunk of bonecraftin' supplies on the auction house, but I prefer to save my gil and find things for myself. It's also a good idea to rrraise your leathercraftin' skill. You'll rrreally need it later on. So if you're not tough enough to travel back and forth between the Boneworkers' and Tanners' Guild, you better get your behind back into rrraisin' your adventurin' level." --Are there other skills that complement bonecrafting? "You might need to dabble in alchemy, woodworkin', or even goldsmithin', dependin' on what you're tryin' to make, but generally you can get by without them. Leatherworkin' is the one you'll be usin' the most. Why, I even completed some of those guild contracts at the Tanner's guild. Got me some nice gloves that rrraise my leatherworkin' skill." --What's the most difficult material to obtain? "With a rrreasonably high level, you can gather most any of the materials you need for bonecraftin', but once you get past the rrrank of craftsman… I had all sorts of trrrouble gettin' my paws on demon horns. Can't rightly rrrecall the number of days I've spent demon-huntin' with friends in Castle Zvahl." --What bonecrafting products make you the most gil? "To tell the trruth, I was never in it for the money. Sure, I'd sell a few things here and there after a long spell of skill-rrraisin', but I've never sat down and thought 'I'm gonna make me a fortune with this here skill o' mine.'" --That certainly is a rare outlook for a professional craftsperson. Does this mean you've spent more gil than you've made in the process of raising your bonecrafting skill? "I may not be rrrich, but like I said, I've gathered most of my materials with my own two paws so I doubt I've lost much money. As long as I can make grrreat gear for me and my friends, I'll be one happy bonecrafter!" --Could you give us one example of a bonecrafting piece you've made that stands out from the rest? "That would have to be my scorpion harness +1! In my early days of wrenchin' the claws from the carcasses of venomous scorpions, I never drrreamed I could ever make a piece like that. I got the claw I needed from a battlefield scorpion, and, usin' a signature crystal, managed to synthesize the high quality version! Ever since then, my friends have been houndin' me with rrrequests, and shovin' scorpion claws in my mailbox, but I've never been able to duplicate that feat." --Is there anything else you wish you could make with bonecrafting? "It'd be great if there were more rrrecipes for mage equipment like the igqira weskit. I wouldn't say no to any more of them purrrty harness-type items neither!" --Any words of wisdom for aspiring bonecrafters, Ms. S? "Compared to those other craftin' skills, bonecraftin' can be a little less painful on the pocket. And there's nothin' like wearin' armor that you've made yourself!" --Thank you for your time. -Ms. S graced us with her presence wearing the boneworker's apron and protective spectacles that are the mark of the expert bonecrafter, and also modeled the scorpion harness +1 that bears her signature. This carefree boneworker was a far cry from some of the intense craftspeople we've met in the past, but Ms. S still radiated that same sense of achievement. This goes to show that even a person not focused on gil-making can still produce some of the most wondrous bonecraft equipment. text by Takashi and Asami Watanabe  Illustration by Mitsuhiro Arita