Getting your Merciful Cape

Eo'Aerns are found in the Grand Palace of Hu'Xzoi, and while not a strict requirement, it is recommended that you be on CoP 8-3 before you start seriously looking into this.

Don't think about the solo xp/hr rate you'll be getting- there are far better places to solo for xp. Aerns are ultimately more dangerous than any other typical xp mob- they can reraise and link with one another.

So why kill these?
You want to kill Eo'Aerns for their organs- the N.Q. organs are used for Obis in the quest In the Name of Science, while the H.Q. organs are used to pop Ix'MNK, which in turn can drop a Merciful Cape.

There is a chance of the Aern reraising after the first time you kill it, although note that if it drops an item on the first kill, then it will not reraise.

Once you enter the Grand Palace of Hu'Xzoi, go farm Eo'Aerns on the western room- the Aerns there are RNG, BLM, DRK, WHM or WAR- 4/5 of the jobs either have low HP, or can be Aspired.

Here're some statistics that I've kept record of (TH0):
Total killed: 427

Reraises: 197
No reraise: 230

No drop: 327
Luminian Tissue: 21
NQ organ: 53
HQ organ 26

Lightning cluster: 1
Fire cluster: 1

2x double drop (NQ+HQ)
1x double drop (HQ + tissue)

Some prerequisites- you must have completed CoP 8-2 (A Fate Decided), and you will need some form of Auto-Refresh (this latter one, at least is easy).

You will also need to get at least one H.Q. Aern organ, dropped from Eo'Aerns in the Garden of Hu'Xzoi.

The ??? to pop Ix'MNK is in one of two spots in the basement of the Grand Palace of Hu'Xzoi. Because of the layout of the palace, as well as the numerous one-way portals/doors, it is easier to start with the western point first, since it's easier to go from west-to-east than it is to go from east-to-west.

Put on Reraise and buff up. Trade your HQ organ(s) to the ??? to spawn Ix'MNK. Make a dash for the Ebon Panel rooms, and make sure Ix'MNK follows you all the way, especially if you have Herald's Gaiters. Once inside the room, die in one of the far corners. When all the links have disappeared, activate reraise (Ix'MNK is not aggressive), buff up a little if you have time, and pull Ix'MNK. Note that if you have Gaiters, you can actually outrun all the links such that you will not need to suicide in the corner.

The trick to soloing Ix'MNK is to abuse FFXI's AI when it comes to mob pathing. More specifically, cut diagonally across the elevated portion of the Ebon Panel room to gain a little distance over Ix'MNK.


If you look at the picture, I'm in a pretty good casting position- the distance between me and Ix'MNK is 21 feet, so within range, and Ix'MNK still has the corner to navigate in order to get to me.