Maws

{ credit:Demtress @ffxizone.co.uk From here }
Just some of my experiences with the Maws (so far, 9 positions of Maws are known, I have them all unlocked).


Maws are the transportation points to switch from present day Vana'diel to the exact same spot in Vana'diel, only 20 years before present (in the Crystal War era)

To start you can use any Maw you like (found in the present day areas) to be the first one you try. You will get a CS and at the same time you will have finished the first mission of WotG. I suggest starting with the Maw in Rolanberry Fields as this one is the easiest to get to (close to Jeuno) and the one giving access to the areas you need to go for quests in the past. However, picking another Maw is perfectly fine to and will not compromize your possibilities in the expansion.

When you have selected your first Maw to go from the present time to the past, use it again immediatly to return to present. Do not enter the past and warp out, teleport or home point after death!
Jumping back from past to present will unlock the Maw (see below) and make it (permanently) available for later use. If you do warp out, teleport or homepoint without first 'unlocking' the Maw you can only enter the past world again from the same Maw you used first. All other Maws will become 'unavailable' (message 'Nothing Happens' when you click on it).

Maws kinda work like portal sites. You have to 'unlock' them for future use. Unlocking a Maw can only be done from the past time, just by using it to return to the present. Once you have used a Maw to go from the past to the present, it will be available for later use. So, I highly suggest, whenever you find a 'new' Maw in your past time journes, to always use it to hop back and forth to unlock it.

So, in order to unlock a Maw you have not yet gained access to from the present world, you need to use a Maw you do have access to from the present world (one you previously unlocked) to go to the past time. Then you have to walk to the location of the Maw you want to gain access to in the past world and use that Maw to return to the present. Once you have done that, that Maw will remain available for use to go from present to past.

All Maws found in the past world can always be used to go to the present world, regardless if you had it unlocked before.

You can unlock several Maws in one journey by just traveling from Maw to Maw in the past world, using them to go to present (thus unlocking the Maw), then returning to the past again to continue your journey through the past again. There is no need to return to some NPC to report or wait one RL day or whatever.



These are the positions of the nine known Maws (and a description of how to get there, where to find them):


Rolanberry Fields (H-6)

Behind a hill on the north wall of the zone, west side of the H-6 quadrant, only a short walk from Jeuno. Suggested to do this first. (suggested next stop: Battalia Downs [S]).
Can easily be soloed. I didn't need Sneak or Invisible for this.

Sauromugue Champaign (K-9)

On the west end of the ledge outside the Garlaige Citadel exit. You can see this one if you hug the left wall as you zone from Meriphataud Mountains. To get there, enter Garlaige Citadel [S] (past time world) through the normal entrance. Do not try to use the Banishing Gates (they are not operational). Make your way to the NE corner of quadrant H-7 of your present day map (you will find that there are no longer 'holes' you can fall down in). There is a hidden corridor (not on your map), leading to the East. Follow it to J-6/7 to reach the second map. Keep following the corridor to exit to Sauromugue Champain [S] at I-5. Once outside, turn right, hugging the wall, and make your way to the NE corner of quadrant J-10 on your map. Do not drop down the ledge! Enter the Maw to unlock it. Return if you want to continue your journey (suggested next stop: Meriphataud Mountains).
Can easily be soloed. I didn't need Sneak or Invisible for this. 

Batallia Downs (H-5)

Against the mountainside on the north side of the zone. NE corner of H-5 quadrant.
You will probably enter from the Rolanberry Fields Maw and be on map position K-10. Make your way to the gate at I-8/9 (as far as I could tell, no aggro mobs here, just some Mandies and Pixies). Go through the gate and head North to H-5. Tigers will not aggro (at least not at lvl75). Gnoles and Goblin will (EP to lvl75, probably Sight aggro) as will the Djinn (sight and magic aggro).
Can easily be soloed. Sneak or Invisible is not really needed for this (provided you can avoid the Goblins and Gnole that aggro) but are recommended. 

Pashhow Marshlands ( K-8 )

East of the main path near the center of the zone, just as you cross a bridge with a bend in it. SE corner of quadrant K-8.
You will enter from the Rolanberry Fields Maw and be on map position K-4. Make your way (following the path) to K-8. Be careful here. All Quadav are EP/DC to lvl75 and will aggro. New mobs that will aggro to: Lou Carcohl (kind of a huge escargot or snail) and Peiste (green dragon). Lou was EP/DC to lvl75 and can be charmed. Peiste was T and cannot be charmed. Both are sight aggro (I think). (recommended next Maw: Grauberg).
Can be soloed. Sneak and Invisible are highly recommended for this. Especially if you continue your journey to Grauberg.

Meriphataud Mountains (K-6)

On the east side of the path heading to Zi'Tah. Just to the east of the hill in the middle of the path (SE corner of quadrant K-6).
You will probably enter from Sauromugue Champain and be on map position D-4. Hug the left wall all the way and make your way, going East, to I-5. Then turn South and go to I-7 (still hugging the wall). Then East, North-east to K-6. You will encounter the regular mobs for this area (Beetle, Mayfly) and a new one: Lynx. If my memory serves me right, the Lynxes were TW for a lvl75. Be careful when you enter the past world from this Maw again: close to it to the south are some new mobs: Gnats (conned T to me). Dunno if they aggro. Also Axe Beaks (EP/DC) and Yaguda are close by. (next suggested Maw: Sarutabaruta [S] through Fort Karugo-Narugo).
Can easily be soloed. Sneak or Invisible is not really needed for this (provided you take the route described and stay out of aggro from the mobs mentioned). If you continue your way to Fort Karugo-Narugo, Sneak and Invisible are highly recommended.

Jugner Forest (H-11)

This Maw is a regular pain in the *ss to get. It will take you some time and requires to travel a long distance in highly dangerous territory. The Maw can be found against the wall on the west side of the river near the south end of the zone (SW corner of quadrant H-11). It's in a little nook on the right as you head south.
Best way to get there is to start from the Maw in Battalia downs. Travel to South-Southwest from that Maw at H-5 to the exit to Jugner Forest at F-9. Not too difficult. Gnoles and Goblin aggro sight. Djinn aggro sight and magic. Smilodon do not aggro (at least not to lvl75).
You enter Jugner Forest [S] at L-4/5. Make your way to L-6 hugging the left wall. You will need to go through a gate midway (around K-6 if I remember correctly) and find a tunnel entrance at L-6 to zone into Vunkerl Inlet [S]. Orcs you might encounter con EP/DC to lvl75 and aggro. It is strongly suggested you get the map of this new area first!
You will enter Vunkerl Inlet [S] at F-4. You need the exit at D-10 to zone into Jugner Forest again. To do this, first move Southeast/East to a bridge at H-6. You will encounter several aggro mobs that are anywhere from EP/DC/T to a lvl 75. Bugard, Djinn, War Smilodons, Orcs, Trees, ... all aggro. The Crabs, Birds en Pugils we encountered did not aggro.
From the bridge, head south (crossing the bridge) then SW to G-9. Once you reach the open place with the giant lake, hug the right wall and find the way West at F-10. Continue to the next open place, then turn West (hugging the right wall) and find the exit to Jugner Forest [S] at D-10. There are some T Orcs and other mobs (Gigas if my memory is right) roaming around here.
Careful when you zone to Jugner Forest again. You will now be at J-12 in front of a gate. Do not enter this gate without Sneak and Invis! Also be careful when casting Sneak and Invis as there are Djinn right outside the gate that aggro magic and might be in range. You will need both Sneak and Invisible here!
Once passed the gate, head North following the west bank of the river all the way to the Y-section where the two rivers meet each other at I-9. Cross the river using the two trees lying over it. Continue to head North, following the west bank of the river, to I-8. Turn West, hugging the hill side to the left and go around the hill (first go West to F/G-7, then South to G-8, then Southeast to H-9. Careful, there are a lot of T Orcs here. Also Biddybugs (EP to lvl75, aggro sight).
Now make your way south, following the west bank of the river again, to H-11 (SW corner of map quadrant). Congratulations! You made it. If you can unlock this Maw, you can do pretty much everything in WotG
Next suggested Maw: Ronfaure [S].
Can be soloed. Sneak and Invisible are required for this (Don't leave home without!!! If you can't cast, bring at least two stacks of each oils and powders. Even as a mage you might consider bringing a stack of each). Having the map of Vunkerl Inlet [S] is highly recommended.

West Sarutabaruta (H-9)

Northwest of the fork in the path, up against the mountains. Not far from the Port Windurst zone, due west across the road from the small pond.
Take the Maw from Meriphataud Mountains or Souromugue Champain and make your way to the NE corner of quadrant D-8 on the map. Find a tunnel in the rock wall there (in the little western most nook). Zone into Fort Karugo-Narugo. It is strongly suggested to get the map of the fort first.
You will enter the Fort map at I-5/6 (possible other entrances are at I-4 and I-7). Head west to H-5. There are some Rafflesia (DC and up?) that might aggro (unknown to me atm). So Sneak/Invis up. They are pretty hard to avoid, since some of them patrol the narrow corridors of the map.
Continue SW to G-6, then South to G-7, then SE to the open spot at G-7. Hug the left wall going in SE direction, all the way to I-9. Upon entering the open space in I-9, hug the right wall to find a (closed?) passage at H/I-9 (Phosphorous Ward). Click on the Ward to open it and go through. Continu to the W until you find your self in the second part of the map (the actual Fort).
Continue though the tunnel to find the Painted wooden door at the end. Open it and enter the Fort.
Continue SW to F/G-11. You might need to open more Painted Wooden doors to get there. In the SW corner of the map quadrant G-11, find another painted door. Open it and enter the tunnel. Exit the tunnel to find yourself in the open again at F-10.
Continue SE to F-11 to find another tunnel (not on the map). Follow the tunnel to E-11 (bends to the West).
Continue all the way South to D-14 and zone into West Sarutabaruta [S].
Follow the way South to the mountains at H-9. The Maw is located about in the center of the H-9 quadrant, at the Southeast side of the mountains.
Can be soloed. Sneak and Invisible are highly recommended for this (only for the part in the Fort area though). Having the map of Fort Karugo-Narugo [S] is highly recommended.

East Ronfaure (H-5)

In a nook on the north end of the zone. A short run northeast from the Southern San d'Oria zone, just past the Cheval River.
Take the Maw from Jugner Forest at H-11. Go North (following the west bank of the river) to H-9. Then turn W to G-8 (following the Mountain wall to the right). Then North to G-7. I'm pretty sure I continued North to G-5 to the lake, and find the exit to East Ronfaure [S] at F-5. However, most guides send you around the central mountains from G-7 to I-8, cross the river there at I/J-8 then turn N following the east bank of the river to H/I-6 (close to the lake), cross the river again going W, hugging the lake at your right side to finally reach G-5 (as I did) and the F-5 exit. Need confirmation on this.
Can be soloed. Sneak and Invisible are highly recommended for this (first part through Orc camps from Maw to mountains).

North Gustaberg (K-7)

A short walk northwest from the Port Bastok exit. In a nook into the east side of Zegham hill.
Take the Pashow Marshlands Maw at K-8. Continue South (following the road) to F-10. Look at the map, in the NW corner of quadrant F-11 you will see a small nook protruding. There should be a cave/tunnel entrance to zone to Grauberg [S]. I think there is a similar entrance at G-10. It is strongly suggested to get the map of Grauberg [S] first.
You will enter Grauberg either at J-3 or L-3, all the way up North. Make your way south to I-8 (Guntower emplacement). You will find various mobs (old and new) on your way. The Copper Caps (funguar), did not aggro. The Wivren did not aggro either. The Quadav and Djinn there, however, do aggro. Take your time to see around the Guntower.
Then continue South to the large open spot at J-11. Continue SW to H-13 and find the small passage leading to F13-14. Follow it. Cross the river you find at the end of it.
Continue (hugging the left wall) to C-14/15 and zone into North Gustaberg.
You will enter North Gustaberg at F-7. Make your way to the bridge at F-7/8 and cross the river. Find the steep slope going uphill at F-9 and follow it to the top. There is a tower with a few goblins (EP to lvl75) that aggro but can easily be avoided.
Follow the road East all the way to the bridge at J-9. Cross the river and continue East to find the Maw in the little nook at J/K-7 (west side of quadrant).
The entrance to Bastok (there is only one) is at J-9.
Can be soloed. Sneak and Invisible are highly recommended for this (only for the part in Pashow Marshlands). Having the map of Grauberg [S] is highly recommended.