In the Central Shroud, take the aetheryte to Bentbranch meadows and head east to an area called “Greentear” to find the nodes that have ash logs. For the North Shroud, the mature trees can be found just outside of the Treespeak Stables; also due east from the Fallgourd Float aetheryte. Other means of obtaining ash logs include completing levequests, sending retainers out on ventures, desynthesis, or simply buying them from NPCs. While purchasing logs from NPC vendors is the easiest way to stock up on them, gathering them yourself will cost you practically nothing in terms of gil. Listed below is a table with every source of Ash Logs:
Asking for Ash Logs
Retainers can be asked to go out on ventures to collect items for the player. The types of items available for you to assign to them depends on your retainer’s class. As miners or botanists, your retainers can go out to collect items the player would normally get while gathering as the same class. As Disciples of War or Magic, retainers are able to go out and obtain items that are usually dropped by monsters. When you have a retainer set to being a botanist, they can harvest ash logs once they hit level 8. They can do this through botany exploration ventures. These ventures take an hour to complete and can yield 15 to 50 logs in one run depending on your NPC assistant’s perception stat. The time it takes to complete these types of ventures can be reduced by leveling your retainer past the minimum requirement. Retainers can also bring back ash logs from the Woodland Exploration II venture for level 5 botanists. However, this is not the best way to farm items since it takes 18 hours to complete and the items brought back are random. Keep in mind that the maximum level a retainer can achieve on any class is equal to the player’s current level on that same class.
Logging Through Levequests
Ash logs are also a potential reward for completing certain level 10 tradecraft levequests. Levequests are a great source of experience points in the game, especially for crafters and gatherers. There are a couple of NPCs that can give out these levequests – Gontrant in New Gridania (X:11.8, Y:13.4) and Tierney in the Central Shroud (X:22.6, Y:22.3). Here’s a list of the levequests they offer that might give you ash logs as a reward:
Gontrant Citizens’ Canes On the Move Raise the Roof Tierney Life’s a Stitch Say It with Spears Shielding Sales
Note that these are all level 10 tradecraft levequests for carpenters.
Ash Log Shopping
Ash logs are also available for purchase from a couple of NPCs – Ferreol in the Carpenters’ Guild of New Gridania (X:10.9, Y:12.1) and Esmenet of the Alchemists’ Guild in Ul’dah-the Steps of Thal (X:9.0, Y:13.6). Ash logs from these vendors cost 12 gil each. NPCs that are placed in player housing such as the Namazu Material Supplier and the Allagan resupply node sell ash logs as well. They also sell for 12 gil apiece.
Uses for Ash Logs
Ash logs can be requested of level 8 botanists for the daily Supply Mission from your Grand Company Personnel Officer. You’ll need 10 pieces to fulfill the request. There are also a handful of crafting recipes used by carpenters and alchemists that involve the use of ash logs. Here’s a list:
Ash Lumber (Level 10 Carpenter) Ash Picatrix (Level 13 Alchemist) Engraved Leather Grimoise (Level 10 Alchemist) Firewood (Level 12 Carpenter) Stump Stool (Level 13 Carpenter)
While the ash lumber is perhaps the most used out of these, you might want to take note that engraved leather grimoires and firewood have a chance at producing more ash logs when desynthesized. Ash lumber stands out from the rest of these items since it is used to craft even more items, from shoes to shields to house furnishings. One such item that can be made with ash lumber is the Glade Drawer Table (pictured above).
