To get to the area with these logging points, you’ll want to:
Take the aetheryte to Bentbranch Meadows in the Central Shroud From there, it’s just a short walk north to (X:20.3, Y:20.2)
Players can also get elm logs from ventures, desynthesis, and certain level 15 levequests. Of these options, heading out to gather elm logs yourself would be the most consistent way of obtaining them.
Becoming a Botanist
Before you can become a botanist, you must first have a Disciple of War or Magic class that’s at least level 10. At that point you can head to the botanist’s guild to join their ranks. The botanist guild is in Gridania, so if you started the game in either of the other two starting cities, you’ll need to progress the Main Scenario Quest line up to the level 15 quest, “The Lominsan/Ul’dahn Envoy”. After these prerequisites are met, you can then head to the guild to unlock the botanist class with the quest “Way of the Botanist”. The NPC that gives this quest is Leonceault in Old Gridania (X:6, Y:8)
Getting Elm Logs Through Ventures
Your retainers aren’t just a means for putting things up for sale on the market board or extra storage space. They can also be sent out on their own little adventures to gather items for you. If you set your retainer’s class to botanist, you’ll have the option of sending them out on Botany Exploration Ventures to go and collect specific items for you. The option for elm logs is available when your retainer becomes a level 12 botanist. Keep in mind, for your retainer to be set as a certain class, the player must also have that class unlocked. Additionally, the maximum level a retainer can achieve is the player’s current level on the corresponding class. So if you have only achieved level 9 in botany, that means your retainer will cap out at level 9. These ventures can take between 40 and 60 minutes to complete, depending on your retainer’s level. A higher level means being able to complete the venture quicker. And the number of logs your companion brings back can range from 15-50 total. The total amount you get depends on their perception stat. Having a perception of at least 70 will guarantee that your retainer brings back 50 logs.
Rewards From Levequests
There are some level 15 levequests that can potentially reward you with elm logs after completing them. While levequests are a great way to level up your Disciple of the Land classes, they aren’t a very efficient method of farming items. That being said, there are a couple of NPC’s that give out level 15 levequests:
Qina Lyehga in the East Shroud (X:17.2, Y:27.2) Gontrant in New Gridania (X:11.8, Y: 13.4)
Here’s a list of the different levequests that might provide you with some elm logs: Qina Lyehga
Bowing to Necessity Nothing to Hide What You Need
Gontrant
Driving Up the Wall Nightmare on My Street Re-crating the Scene
Crafting With Elm Logs
Elm logs are used to craft a few things:
Blank Grade 1 Orchestrion Rolls Elm lumber Hard leather grimoires
The grimoires actually have a chance of producing more elm logs when desynthesized by an alchemist. But out of these three items, elm lumber is perhaps the most notable, since it’s used to craft a wide variety of other items. Some of these items include tools, weapons, house furnishings, and even the Highland Barding for your Chocobo companion.
