Category:Voidwalker Notorious Monsters



Voidwalker Notorious Monsters (VNM) encompass a new system of Notorious Monsters introduced in the March 2010 update.

The Quest
Speak with Assai Nybaem in Ru'Lude Gardens (G-10) to purchase a Clear Abyssite for 1,000 gil.

Voidwalkers appear in all zones with Cavernous Maws including their past and present versions. Additionally, Beaucedine Glacier/Beaucedine Glacier (S) and Xarcabard/Xarcabard (S) also house Voidwalkers though they do not have Cavernous Maws.

Head to one of the above mentioned zones and use the /heal command. If there is a Voidwalker within range, the Abyssite will signal in /echo a distance and direction. Head toward the potential spawn point and rest. Either the Abyssite will give you new directions or a VNM based on the current zone and Abyssite color will spawn.

The message, "The Abyssite quivers ever so slightly, but emits no light," indicates that all VNMs that can be spawned by that Abyssite color within 300 yalms of your current location are currently down. Tier I VNMs have multiple spawn points in each zone and tend to respawn within minutes. Tier II respawn one hour after their last Time of Death. Tier III and Tier IV minimum respawn times have not yet been determined. Since the same VNMs can spawn in multiple zones, it is generally safe to attempt to contact the Voidwalker elsewhere rather than to wait for it to respawn.

Defeating a Tier I VNM may cause your Clear Abyssite to change into Colorful Abyssite, used to track a Tier II VNM. The chance at which Abyssite changes colors appears to be random. Colorful Abyssite is the same across all Tier I NMs (e.g. a Tier I that changes the Abyssite in East Ronfaure (S) can be used to upgrade to Orange Abyssite, which involves NMs around present and past Bastok).

Defeating a Tier II VNM may cause your Colorful Abyssite to change into a specifically-colored Abyssite, used to track a Tier III VNM: Blue Abyssite (Krabkatoa), Yellow Abyssite (Verthandi), Purple Abyssite (Lord Ruthven), Orange Abyssite (Blobdingnag) or Brown Abyssite (Orcus). The color the Abyssite changes to depends on the zone in which you defeated the Tier II NM. Much like ZNM, there are specific paths based on the color of Abyssite. For example, a Yellow Abyssite will only contact Verthandi and cannot contact Orcus.

Contacting a Tier III NM will automatically cause the Abyssite to shatter. When you defeat the NM, there is a chance for the original holder of the Abyssite to obtain a Black Abyssite, used to track the Tier IV NM. Obtaining Black Abyssite is not 100%. Players who do not receive the Black Abyssite upon defeat will need to obtain a new Clear Abyssite and start the entire process from the beginning.

Contacting the Tier IV VNM, Yilbegan, will automatically cause the Black Abyssite to shatter. Currently, no higher tier Abyssite can be received by defeating Yilbegan.

It is possible to hold multiple Abyssite at the same time as long as they are of different colors. Higher tier Abyssite will take priority over lower tier Abyssite, such that a higher tier VNM is still contactable while attempting to track a lower tier.

Tips
Having Abyssite in your possession will allow you to make contact with Voidwalkers at any level, so exercise caution when unprepared to deal with these NMs. Abyssite may be discarded by speaking to Assai Nybaem in Ru'Lude Gardens to avoid inadvertently contacting Voidwalkers. It appears that while under the effect of Level Sync or Allied Tags, Voidwalkers will not aggro players in possession of Abyssite.

Tier I NMs will not drop anything and serve only to upgrade Abyssite. Having only one member of the party trying to change Clear Abyssite into Colored Abyssite at a time appears to greatly improve the success rate.

If your party fights a NM, only the person that initially contacted it may have their Abyssite change color. Each Abyssite-holding party member must make contact with and defeat a NM of the same tier to have their Abyssite change color.

It is generally not recommended to have more then one Abyssite at a time. Higher tier Abyssite will take priority, but you may accidentally spawn a lower tier Voidwalker. This is especially dangerous for mages, who generally rest more than other jobs; for example you may accidentally contact a Tier II by resting MP while your alliance is fighting a Tier III.

'''Note that if the Abyssite is resonating "feebly," it is a Tier I. If it resonates "softly," it is a Tier II. If it resonates "solidly," it is a Tier III. If it is resonating "strongly," it is Tier IV.'''

It is also highly recommended that players attempting to contact high-tier NMs apply as many defensive buffs as possible before spawning the NM. Tarutaru Mage-type players holding Abyssite are at high risk of getting one-shotted or rapidly defeated by higher level NMs such as Yilbegan or Orcus. It is also highly recommended that the main tank follow and immediately establish hate on the NM to avoid letting the Abyssite-holder die, causing the Abyssite to shatter and the NM to disappear.

If all hate is lost on a VNM, it will immediately turn invisible, but it will still be at the spot where it lost hate. It can then roam around, but VNMs do not despawn for any amount of time; they turn invisible and will immediately attack any appropriately-colored-Abyssite-holding player resting near them.

Many players have observed greatly varying difficulty and behavior among the same Voidwalkers. This has led some players to speculate that there are NQ and HQ versions of each Voidwalker. Tier II NMs or below appear to occasionally spawn without the ability to use 2-hour abilities or the altered behavior of their TP attacks, though this may be a bug rather than an intentional gameplay mechanic. Tier III or above have been observed to frequently spawn without a shadow beneath their in-game model, which indicates that players will not receive a title upon their defeat. Players have also observed and speculated that while these NMs will drop synthesis items and Magian trial materials, they cannot drop rings. Which version spawns appears to be completely random.

The terrain can be strategically used against these NMs. Players wishing to challenge Tier III or higher NMs can exploit the surrounding enemies in certain zones. In Conquest areas, magic-using Beastmen can serve as Aspir targets for mages. Other enemies can allow damage dealers to build TP to use weaponskills on the NM.