The way that Bearers are treated in Final Fantasy 16 is truly abhorrent. They're worked like slaves; forced to channel aether until their bodies turn into stone. Even the children of Valisthea treat Bearers like garbage, as evidenced by side quests like "All Bark" and "Playthings." Thankfully, however, there are still some compassionate people left in the world, as players will learn if they complete the "Friend of the People" side quest in Northreach.
"Friend of the People" sees Clive running into one of the settlement's officials, who asks him to hand out a few items to make the Bearers' lives just a bit more bearable. Granted, it's yet another Final Fantasy 16 side quest in which players are tasked with delivering items, but it at least serves as a nice reminder that not all of the people in Valisthea are quite as heartless as they first appear to be.
How to Complete Friend of the People in Final Fantasy 16
To trigger "Friend of the People", Final Fantasy 16 players will need to speak with Mathieu, an Oriflamme official who can be found up on the wooden walkway overlooking the Imperial Training Grounds in Northreach. It's worth noting that this quest doesn't become available until after players have started the "The Dame" subquest of the "Righting Wrongs" main story mission.
Mathieu will ask Clive to hand out some comestibles to three mistreated Bearers, all of whom can be found in the immediate area. Once they have the comestibles, players should head down into the courtyard and past the Bearer over by the weapon racks. They won't be able to speak to him just yet, so should instead carry on straight to the laundry area and speak with the Bearer who is drying fabric. Next, they should make their way to The Dragon's Armer forge and speak with the Bearer there. After that, players can return to the first Bearer, who'll now be free to receive his item.
Once all three comestibles have been handed out, players will be ready to turn in the quest. To do so, they'll simply need to head to The Veil and speak with the Veil Courtesan who can be found out in the yard. She'll thank Clive for helping out and will hand over 25 Magicked Ash as a reward. In addition to this, players will also receive 19 XP and 1,000 Gil for their troubles.
Final Fantasy 16 is available now exclusively for the PlayStation 5.
