As they approach the end of the game, Final Fantasy 16 players will find themselves with a whole bunch of side quests to complete. Though some of these are fairly generic, they all tend to offer huge XP bonuses, which will no doubt come in pretty handy given the impending showdown with Ultima.
"Trial and Error" is one such side quest and sees Final Fantasy 16 players helping one of the Cursebreakers to blood a new recruit. It's a relatively simple side quest in the grand scheme of things, though does require players to make a seemingly difficult decision once the dust has settled.
How to Complete Trial and Error in Final Fantasy 16
The "Trial and Error" side quest first becomes available during the "Back to Their Origin" main story mission and can be triggered by speaking with Nazaire, a Cursebreaker who can be found hanging out at the hideaway at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the hunt board. He'll explain that he'll be administering a trial for a new initiate and will ask Clive to help out. Assuming they agree, players will then need to head to Northreach to continue.
After fast traveling to the Northreach Obelisk, players will be able to find Nazaire and the new recruit, Ember, near the settlement's south gate. Speaking with Nazaire again will trigger a short conversation in which Ember is asked to retrieve a logbook from a nearby Imperial lookout post, after which, he'll run off and players will be expected to follow him.
To reach the lookout, players should ride their Chocobo south through the gate that leads to the Dragon's Aery area and then take a left. Upon their arrival at the lookout, a dragon-like enemy called Tot Aevis will show up and Ember will flee, leaving Clive to deal with the creature all on his lonesome (or with Joshua and Jill, if players have already completed their respective side quests). Either way, it shouldn't prove to be a particularly difficult battle.
After slaying the Tot Aevis, players should make their way back to Nazaire near the Northreach gate. Not long after their arrival, Ember will show up with the logbook in hand, proud of himself for having accomplished his task. It turns out that he used Clive as bait, taking advantage of the Tot Aevis being distracted to complete his mission without putting himself in harm's way. Players will then need to return to the hideaway and speak with Nazaire again, at which point, they'll be asked to appraise Ember's performance.
Does Ember Deserve Passing Marks?
When asked to decide whether Ember deserves passing marks, some players may find themselves a little conflicted. On the one hand, he did exactly what was asked of him, yet, on the other, his decision to flee could have placed one of his comrades in real danger and he would likely have failed had it not been for Clive. Thankfully, however, it doesn't matter which option players choose. Whether they pick "yes" or "no," it will ultimately be decided that Ember deserves a second chance to prove himself and the quest will come to an end.
Trial and Error Side Quest Rewards
After completing the "Trial and Error" side quest, players will receive 7,200 XP, 800 Gil, and 40 Renown as a reward. They'll also get The Breath of Lightning (Pile Drive): a special accessory that reduces the cooldown time of Ramuh's Pile Drive Eikonic Ability by 4.2 seconds.
Final Fantasy 16 is available now exclusively for the PlayStation 5.
