A small quest series in the Shadowbringers expansion of Final Fantasy XIV has received an astounding amount of attention from fans. The star of it was a small companion.
It is no secret that popular quests and items of FFXIV players are often associated with a lot of nonsense, such as the Hildibrand quests or the mount Fat Cat. Another object of player attention is “The Great Serpent of Ronka.”
What are the quests about? Actually, the quests about the Great Serpent of Ronka, which is of highest sanctity, are just a small series of side quests in the Shadowbringers addon.
Players encounter the NPC Valan and his minimally insane-looking friend Quinfort. He constantly talks about visions of a catastrophe and the Great Serpent of Ronka, which has been protecting the Rak’Tika forest for centuries.
She is supposed to descend from the heavens to ward off great calamity.
Unfortunately, the Great Serpent turned out to be a small, chubby worm whose only means of communication are the sound “Screee!” and biting.
Yet Quinfort remains steadfast in his belief in the Great Serpent, holy protector of Rak’Tika. Thus begins a quest series that quickly became one of the favorites in Shadowbringers.
How players react: The somewhat absurd story of the quest series has been well-received by FFXIV players. Fans enjoyed the laid-back and humorous storytelling, which stood in stark contrast to the very serious narrative of Shadowbringers.
A cult quickly formed around the Great Serpent of Ronka, whose sanctity eclipses the sun. Players did what people on the internet can often do best: they created countless memes and fan art.
Especially with fan art, players have been particularly creative. There are of the Great Serpent of Ronka, whose voice makes the earth tremble, namely:
- Drawings
- Buttons and pins
- Handmade plush toys
- T-shirts and clothing
- Discord emotes
- Mini statues
Here are some examples of the honors to the Great Serpent, the scourge of evil:
By @xshylily on Twitter 
By theawkgiraffe on Tumblr 
By helia on Teepublic 
By @CrystAAHHl on Twitter 
By @BemusedBehemoth on Twitter 
By pervasivescariness on Tumblr
How the quest came to be: There was a risk that the FFXIV players might never experience this quest series. In an interview with the colleagues from Gamer Escape, scenario writer Natsuko Ishikawa explained:
It was a small side project of one person from the scenario team. […] One of our new employees had this idea and pitched it multiple times. They worked on various drafts after the proposal was repeatedly rejected. […]
But the employee remained steadfast and in the end, the quest series made it into Shadowbringers.
Your own Serpent of Ronka
How to get the companion: If you want the Great Serpent of Ronka to accompany you on your adventures, you must complete two short quest series.
The first begins with the Aether source quest “The Guardian of the Forest” from NPC Valan in Rak’Tika (X: 20.9 / Y: 27.8). Most of you will have already completed it because it is necessary for flying. The follow-up quest can be found here:
- Name: The Descent of the Serpent
- NPC: Quinfort
- Location: Rak’Tika (X: 11 / Y: 26)
The second quest series starts with the quest “All Doubled” from Lanille in Rak’Tika (X: 31.3 / Y: 16.9). This quest is also necessary for flying. The follow-up quest is as follows:
- Name: Different Intentions
- NPC: Lanille
- Location: Rak’Tika (X: 31.3 / Y: 16.9)
Once both quest series are completed, you will gain access to the final quest that grants you the companion.
- Name: Under the Protection of Two Clans
- NPC: Phyna
- Location: Rak’Tika (X: 30.7 / Y: 20.2)
In this sense: May the Great Serpent of Ronka protect you!
