I'm Anna Luna, a nomadic artist!

I travel around Eorzea and paint the beautiful surroundings I find myself in.

I also get to meet a bunch of new faces! Being a wandering painter allows me to meet a ton of interesting folk alongside my adventures. Maybe I'll run into you someday!

One's destination is never a place, but always a new way of seeing things.

Long ago...

I grew up deep in the forests of the Black Shroud; by Urth's Gift. That's all I'll share though. On behalf of their request, I must keep a tight lip when talking about my former tribe's location! They want to maintain their privacy and wished to be left alone from outsiders. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause..

Growing up, I was a very clumsy hunter; unlike my other tribe members. I often found myself adventuring around our surroundings instead of hunting the local wildlife due to my poor huntsman skills. I still know my way around a pair of knives though! So I'm not completely helpless when I'm traveling alone.

As I matured it became more and more clear that I was unable produce any offspring. As a female Keeper of the Moon, this news might be extremely upsetting to hear. We were raised to believe that motherhood is a great right of passage and something to look forward to as we became of age.

I, on the other hand, felt a little relieved when I realized this! I always dreamed about traveling outside of the Black Shroud and visiting some of the places traders would share stories about. A bustling city littered with pirates; built in the middle of the ocean. A cutthroat oasis hidden in desert sandstorms..it all sounds so exciting! That's a little difficult to do if you're to become one of the next mothers for the tribe..

During the meeting to discuss my future role with the tribe I made a big request to the elders. I asked if I could leave the tribe and begin an adventure of my own. After a few days of consideration, the tribe allowed to let me leave; with one condition.

I take on an alias to protect the tribe's identity and privacy. This was no issue to me, if anything it made my adventure ahead more exciting! The only difficult part was choosing a name to take on, but I finally decided on a name during my first stop on my adventure; Gridania!

With a new name, and my tribe's approval I was ready to embark on my travels.

As of today I've traveled through a lot of interesting and unique places. Some make great stories to tell around a campfire...others are unfond memories that I rather not speak of. I took up painting early on in my travels to record the beautiful landscapes I've traversed. I often sell them at local towns or communities as a means to obtain gil. Traveling alone is surprisingly costly!

Although, I'm not traveling entirely alone. A rather odd companion has decided to join me. An animated book! I was rather shocked at first sight, but the book isn't hostile towards me at all. For some strange reason it has taken a liking to me and decided to tag along.

Special paintings I've done while traveling

We were told eerie stories of Urth’s Gift when we were growing up. Tales of voidsent and feral beasts plagued our nightmares to keep us out of that dangerous place. Now that I’m older it feels endearing to me... a sign of maturity. These are the first pair of paintings on my journey and they now reside with my tribe as a parting gift.

A merchant once told me that if I ever found myself in Limsa Lominsa to be sure to see Pharos Polaris at night. I'm glad I took her advice, the view of the structure was breathtaking. I wonder...how does the spire light up so magnificently?

The Salt Strand is quite the marvel! The ominous yet intriguing structure and layout of the crystallized salt water is so peculiar. It's erected in such a way that it feels like Dalamud itself wanted to leave a piece of art behind for all of us to remember it by..

The Forbidden Land of Eureka was quite an experience... The lush and beautiful Isle I sailed to was all a ruse. Beneath the extravagant sights was a treacherous land filled to the brim with ravenous mobs and life threatening weather conditions that changed within mere moments. This adventure was one I'll truly never forget. Not just because of the Island itself, but also because of the company alongside me. If it weren't for their help I probably never would have had the opportunity to go in the first place.

More tales to come...

Arriving at Limsa Lominsa at night was a very riveting experience! I was a bit weary from the airship ride but feeling the cold and damp sea breeze brush against my face woke me right up. The city at night was calm and barren as were the waves. This was mildly disappointing. From all the tales I've heard of this city, I expected it to be bustling and filled to the brim with pirates. The quiet sleeping Limsa Lominsa before me was a little short of expectations. I followed the signs to The Drowning Wench and stayed at the inn inside.

The following day was quite the opposite! The slumbering Limsa Lominsa I arrived in was no more, and instead the bustling sea city I expected had finally shown herself to me. I spent the next few days being lost in the sea of adventurers and traders. Getting acquainted with new people, hearing tales of their accomplishments, and learning more about La Noscea. I even met a group of pirates dressed all in red. They were also a women only crew! Rhoswen, their leader, seemed extremely fierce and brave. She ordered me to try and intimidate her and when I obliged they all laughed at me.. I admit I was a little embarrassed but I laughed along too.

Overall my time in Limsa Lominsa was exhilarating, draining, and humbling all at the same time. Coming from the quiet and tranquil Black Shroud to the loud and rambunctious La Noscea is a culture shock I'll never forget. I'll certainly never forget the Limsa residents' unique way of dialect. It was a little difficult to understand at times but I managed my best!

Leaving the Black Shroud was a bittersweet experience for me. This was the place I had been protected by my whole life. The overgrown trees sheltered me from the rain, heat, and the outside world. The fireflies helped light my way back to my tribe at night when I was lost. The herbs helped cure ailments and pains. As ready as I was to began my journey, I couldn't help but feel as though the forest felt sad to see one of her young ones leave its embrace.

After I completed my paintings in Urth's Gift, I offered a prayer to the Black Shroud and to the goddess Menphina in hopes that they would bless my adventure and welcome me back with open arms when I decide it's time for my return. I visited my tribe one last time and left my paintings with them. I thanked the elders for their approval of my adventure, and wanted to give them a gift to show my appreciation as well as something to remind them of me. With blessings in hand and tears in eyes, I made my way to Gridania so that I could stock up on supplies before embarking out of the Black Shroud.

My melancholic mood was soon forgotten as I walked through Gridania's gates. Excitement once again stirred in me. I've been to Gridania before, but only a couple of times. After I triple checked my supplies, I made my way to the airship landing below the Adventurer's Guild. I already decided where my first destination outside of the Black Shroud would be. The city state known none other than Limsa Lominsa. As I boarded the airship I said my final goodbyes to the Black Shroud, and braced myself for a world unseen.

After I got my bearings in Limsa Lominsa I ventured out into the lower regions of La Noscea and eventually wandered upon the Moraby Drydocks. When I first approached this place I had thought it was just an ordinary small settlement. When I entered the gates I was taken aback when I saw all the ship workers, and the massive vessel they were working on! I've never seen such a settlement before, a whole area dedicated to ship building. It makes sense considering La Noscea is such a coastal region. After bumbling my way about the place while trying to ignore a few odd stares I found myself at the aetheryte. From there I eventually acquired assistance and information about the land around me from local workers. It was fascinating to learn about the Salt Strand and how the previous calamity had caused such a big impact. Learning about their ambitions with the Victory, the massive vessel I first saw when I entered the Drydocks, it filled me with such vigor!

By the time I was done gawking at the Victory the day had disappeared and night had approached. A shipwright by the name of Ahtbyrm found my enthusiasm and bewilderment about their work so amusing that he offered me shelter for the night. I'm glad he did too! The Moraby Drydocks makes an amazing place to gaze at the stars above. The sound of the sea below us provided a soothing ambiance to accompany the stars.. it was a tranquil experience I hadn't experienced before. When it was time to head in I bunked with other workers and got to hear about their day! Being a ship worker sounds really tiring but rewarding! The following morning I said my goodbyes and thanked them for a wonderful experience.

You'd think after all my traveling the new sights might slowly start to lose their charm.. but it's places like Kugane that make everything feel as fresh and exciting as the very first day I left home. It's not just the city that's new and interesting- but the people too! A lot of individuals I saw were dressed in beautiful and eloquent robes. Their pristine fashion made me really feel out of place in the beginning but I quickly got over that.

After a couple of days of staying within Kugane I began to hear local gossip of adventurers all gathering near the local piers and sailing off to a far away Isle known as The Forbidden Land of Eureka... I wanted to see if this was true and checked out the piers for myself. Sure enough there was a whole mass of colorful individuals that all looked to be adventurers. My tail swayed with excitement as I had just found my next travel destination: Eureka.

There was only one tiny problem... how can I, a mere painter, travel safely in Eureka while trying to paint my surroundings at the same time? If the rumors are true then this place is not one to take lightly... I wandered away from the piers lost in my own thoughts and found myself in the Kugane Markets. It was there that two male miqo'te caught my curious ears' attention.

Their inquiries about weapons at a merchant stall along with a familiar demeanor helped me identify what their occupation was. If there’s one thing I’ve learned to do while traveling... it’s how to spot adventurers, and these two are most definitely adventurers. Not only that, but they’re also my gateway into Eureka! What self-respecting adventurer would pass up the opportunity to explore uncharted territories!?

Smart ones that know their worth... and unfortunately for me I wasn’t in a position to meet any demands for gil. I had dipped into a majority of my funds to afford safe passage from Limsa Lominsa to these new lands. It wasn’t even an official sanctioned trip! I had to stow away on a merchants ship... it made for a very uncomfortable trip. After contemplating for a few moments I decided to take my chance. Hopefully they’ll be more inclined to help a fellow miqo’te...?

I nervously approached them. I might have got a bit ahead of myself because I accidentally cut off the male miqo’te with blue hair while he was in mid conversation with the merchant as I tried to introduce myself. First impressions are everything and here I am already messing that up! Both him and his red headed companion were staring puzzled at me after my sloppy introduction. I quickly explained who I was and what I do. They both politely greeted me and the blue hair miqo’te introduced himself as Argun. After courtesies were done and over with I told them about the forbidden lands and my desires to travel there for a few days so I can paint the scenery around me... and in order to do that I’ll need protection from two experienced adventurers that were disciplined in the ways of combat.

If things were to go my way this would of been the part in conversation where they’d jump at the chance to travel to Eureka. Sadly, these two were a bit more apprehensive than I had hoped for. I don’t blame them though... I’m essentially asking them to be my personal bodyguards for free of charge. I rummaged through my bags to spare a measly 20,000 gil each. Argun scoffed at the offer and stated that his battle-ax was worth more than that. His red headed companion chimed in and mumbled that their lives were worth more than that. While I don’t disagree with that... I’m not about to let my chance to get into Eureka slip between my fingers.

I quickly came up with a better hook... better than 20,000 gil at least. I offered them one of my paintings of Eureka and told them that with how dangerous and exclusive Eureka is right now it’d fetch for a pretty amount of gil at any market... assuming they find a good buyer at least. It made sense to me at the time but looking back I really should of came up with a more compelling argument. To my dismay, the two miqo'te adventurers both looked even more skeptical and said that they couldn't buy food with a painting! They weren't seeing the bigger picture here! I was about to protest when the red headed miqo'te busted out laughing and told me that I didn't have to give them any gil or paintings. They'd join me in my trip. Argun assured me that they were good enough to protect me as he flexed his muscles. His red headed companion rolled his eyes in disgust and embarrassment as he then glanced at me with an apologetic look. Whether it was my enthusiasm that convinced them or they were down to join from the start and wanted to play a trick on me I'm unsure of... but it doesn't matter. I have my group for Eureka! We agreed to meet back at the markets the following day. I departed to the inn that night with a skip in my step already daydreaming about the next day.

That morning we met up at the markets and finished breakfast. Argun's red headed companion finally introduced himself to me as well, his name is Kagi'ir. I guess I had been too caught up in trying to convince them to go to Eureka with me that I didn't even realize I never knew his name. I felt so ashamed of myself and apologized for my hastiness and he just shrugged it off. After checking our equipment and making sure everything was squared away we departed to the pier. Just like yesterday, a plethora of adventurers crowded the piers as they awaited departure for Eureka. Argun wasn't very happy with our travel by boat. Who'd have thought that a strong and handsome adventurer such as himself could be so distraught over something so simple?

I could hardly contain myself when I saw the island approaching from the distance. The moment we breached the shore I pressed my way through the wave of adventurers unloading off the boat. Argun and Kagi'ir didn't really appreciate me leaving them behind but I just couldn't control myself! I sulked back with my tail between my legs and apologized as I helped unload our traveling gear. After triple checking our equipment we finally set off on our exploration of the forbidden land.

The adventure there wasn't as dangerous as I was expecting either! The rumors were true - there were foes scattered all over the place but we were able to quietly slip by a good majority of them. There were occasional times though that I got to see Argun and Kagi'ir demonstrate their strengths in combat. Argun's confident and ferocious ways around a massive battleaxe were bone-chilling. Kagi'ir's approach was more nimble and quiet compared to Argun's. He wielded a long, thin sword similar to what I'd expect a gladiator to wield...but different at the same time. I've never seen this style of combat before. One thing is for sure from witnessing these two in battle. They were no ordinary adventurers, but I didn't dare poke my nose into their personal lives. Overstepping my boundaries with two strong individuals in a secluded island was one of the last things I wanted to do…

After a few hours of our wanderlust taking over, we all quickly realized just how strange this land truly was. The weather was constantly changing from extreme heat to sudden snowfall. There was no way we could of prepared ourselves for an experience so bizarre. There were even small tornadoes formed around certain areas. The tornadoes never really were a threat though... they didn't move around that much outside of the small area we found them in. It was almost as if they were patrolling around it…

The weather eventually cleared from its thunderstorms and it became a pleasant clear skies. We took this opportunity to gain some serious coverage and eventually came to an area free of trees cluttering around us. That's when we saw it in the horizon... a massive castle-like structure with some strange barrier like magic surrounding it. My jaw gaped open upon seeing this marvelous sight. I, once again, let my legs get the better of me and ran on ahead excitedly. Kagi'ir and Argun scolded me from this, but I couldn't care less at this point. This discovery was too shocking to care. An actual civilization was - or maybe even is here. I wanted to go there. I wanted to walk right up to the castle's walls and feel the cold stone on my hands. Unfortunately, that strange barrier surrounding its beauty suggested otherwise. As long as that was activated I, along with any other adventurer here, would most likely never find a way inside. Just as we were about done taking in the remarkable discovery a thick fog suddenly started to envelop our surrounding view. Another one of Eureka’s quirky sudden weather effects. The fog slowly engulfed the entire structure until it was gone from our vision. That brief moment of bewilderment alone was enough to make my journey here worth it.

The rest of our days spent here consisted of more exploring, more sneaking around, taking shelter from the extreme weather, and more getting to know each other. Camping with these two was a fun experience for me. They seemed very close to each other, and made a rather entertaining duo. Argun often made jokes or did something to stir Kagi'ir into an eyeroll. There truly was never a dull moment with them.

As we returned to the main camp we quickly realized things were astray. The whole camp seemed to be in a panicked frenzy of sorts. Apparently an enormous beast never before scene was spotted near the camp, and all capable adventurers were asked to aid in taking such a foe down. Argun and Kagi'ir looked at each other with a fire in their eyes, and they knew from the look in mine that this is where we parted ways. I gave them a polite bow and a wave goodbye, and they gave me the same in return. They quickly left my sight as they were swept away in the mob of adventurers rushing to this notorious new monster. As I loaded my things onto the boats, I turned back around for one last time to take in the beauty that was Eureka, and the beauty of a newly formed friendship between two passionate adventurers and a wandering artist.

Captivating people I've met during my travels

Argun Haragin - An outgoing and humerous male Keeper of the Moon I came across during my time in Kugane. His unique heterochromia gives him a certain allure. He, along with his red headed traveling companion, helped keep me safe during my journey in Eureka. I pity anyone who finds themselves on the bad end of his battleaxe.

Kagi'ir Veithara - Quiet and distant at first, this miqo'te hides a warmer and softer side underneath. His striking red hair makes him stand out, complemented by his emerald green eyes. His swift and precise blade maneuvers helped me stay safe during my time in Eureka, along with the aid from his partner - Argun.

More tales to come...