You’ve finally made it to the Tural highlands. The music shifts, the canopy thickens, and the scale of the world in Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail hits you all at once. It’s gorgeous. It’s also a total nightmare to navigate on foot. If you're like me, the first thing you want to do in Yak T'el is get into the air. But square-one reality check: the Yak T'el aether currents are some of the most vertically frustrating points to find in the entire expansion.
It’s a vertical puzzle.
The zone is basically split into two distinct layers—the upper forest and the deep, glowing cenotes below. If you're looking at your compass and it says the current is 50 yalms away but you’re staring at a solid rock wall, you're probably on the wrong floor. It happens to everyone. Honestly, the map design here is a deliberate test of your patience and your ability to read a 2D map in a 3D space.
Why Yak T'el Aether Currents Feel So Different
Most zones in FFXIV follow a predictable flow. You walk into a field, you click a glowing green orb, and you move on. Yak T'el doesn't play by those rules. The "Upper Acahuana" and "The Glimmering Basin" are connected by specific tunnels and elevators that aren't always obvious when you first arrive at Iq Br'aax.
You can't just beeline for the icons.
Because of the dense foliage, the green glow of the currents often blends into the environment. I've spent twenty minutes circling a tree only to realize the current was actually inside a hollowed-out log or perched on a ledge that required a long detour to reach. It’s not just about finding them; it’s about the pathing. Square Enix designers clearly wanted players to experience the "jungle trek" vibe before giving us the luxury of flight.
The struggle is real.
The Split Map Problem
Yak T'el is functionally two maps stacked on top of each other. Most of the field currents are scattered across the upper canopy, but a few crucial ones are tucked away in the Mamool Ja territories and the subterranean depths.
One of the most common mistakes is trying to find the currents in the Glimmering Basin before the MSQ actually takes you there. You’ll see them on your tracker, but the path is literally gated by story progress. Don't waste your time trying to wall-jump down into the pits early. The game will let you down there when it’s ready, and not a second sooner.
Field Current Locations: A Walkthrough of the Tricky Ones
Let's get specific. You need ten field currents and five quest-based currents. The quest ones are easy—just follow the "plus sign" blue icons on your map as you level up. It's the field ones that cause the headaches.
The Ja Tika Overlook Current
This one is a classic bait. You’ll see it on a high ridge near the X:25, Y:21 area. If you try to climb straight up from the path, you'll hit invisible walls. You actually have to loop around the northern side of the ridge, following a narrow dirt path that looks like it’s going the wrong way. It’s a recurring theme in Yak T'el: if you want to go up, start by going far to the left or right.
The Cenote Drop
Down in the lower levels, specifically around X:32, Y:14, there’s a current that sits on a tiny ledge. If you fall off the main path into the water, you have to run all the way back around to the spirit-glass elevators to get back up. It’s tedious. Precision jumping isn't exactly FFXIV’s strongest suit, but you’ll need a bit of it here.
The Iq Br'aax Outskirts
Right near the starting village, there is a current tucked behind a massive root system (X:15, Y:11). It's incredibly easy to walk right past it because the lighting in the upper forest creates these heavy shadows. Crank your character lighting up in the settings if you're having trouble seeing the green particles against the moss.
The Role of the Aether Compass
Use the compass. Bind it to your hotbar. Spam it every ten steps.
I know it sounds basic, but the compass in Dawntrail is more precise than it used to be. It tells you the distance and the altitude. If it says "below," stop looking at the trees. The verticality of Yak T'el means the compass is your only true friend.
The Quest-Gated Reality
You cannot fly in Yak T'el the moment you arrive. Period. Even if you find all ten field currents in the first hour, you are still locked behind the Main Scenario Quest (MSQ).
The final aether current is almost always tied to the level 95 or 96 MSQ climax for the zone. In Yak T'el, you'll be doing a lot of running back and forth between the Mamool Ja settlements and the Hanu Hanu areas. My advice? Don't go out of your way to hunt field currents until you've unlocked the second half of the map via the story.
It’s much more efficient to grab them as you move between quest hubs.
- The MSQ Quest: "Road to the Stars" (or the equivalent level-cap quest for the zone).
- Side Quests: Look for the blue quest markers in Iq Br'aax and Mamook.
- Aether Current 1: Usually comes from the first major settlement hub.
- Aether Current 2-4: Scattered across mid-zone NPC tasks.
- Aether Current 5: The final MSQ reward for the region.
Nuance and Community Tips
There’s a bit of a debate in the community about whether Yak T'el is "bad" design or just "complex" design. Veterans of Heavensward remember the nightmare that was the original Western Coerthas or the Sea of Clouds. Compared to those, Yak T'el is actually quite small. The problem is the visual density.
Some players suggest using a mount with a smaller profile—like a chocobo or a smaller beast—so you can see the ground better. Large mounts like the Lunar Whale make it impossible to see the small green swirls of the aether currents when you're navigating tight jungle paths.
Another tip? Join an "Aether Current Train" if you see one in Party Finder. Occasionally, players with multi-seater flying mounts will ferry newcomers around. It’s rare in the first few weeks of an expansion, but by now, there are plenty of bored veterans willing to help out for the sake of social interaction.
What to Do Once You Unlock Flight
Once that message pops up—"You have attuned to all aether currents in Yak T'el"—the game changes.
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The zone goes from being a claustrophobic maze to one of the most breathtaking vistas in the game. Flying above the canopy lets you see the massive craters and the way the light hits the blue water in the Basin. It also makes Fate farming and hunts significantly easier.
Yak T'el is a major hub for high-level Fates that drop Tural Vidra gemstones. You’ll want flight to hop between these quickly, as the terrain makes it impossible to reach most Fates on foot before they're cleared by the "blue mage" squads or early-bird players.
Actionable Steps for Your Journey
If you're staring at your map right now feeling overwhelmed, stop. Do this instead:
- Prioritize the MSQ. Do not hunt currents until you have reached the second major settlement in the lower half of the map. You’ll naturally pass 60% of the field currents just by following the story path.
- Watch the Z-Axis. When the compass gives you a distance, look at the elevation indicator. If it shows a downward arrow, look for a cave entrance or a ramp nearby.
- Check the Side-Quests Early. Two of the quest-based currents are locked behind side chains that start very early in the zone. Don't leave them for the very end, or you'll find yourself backtracking across the entire jungle when you're ready to leave.
- Use the "Set Home Point" Feature. Keep your home point in Iq Br'aax or Mamook while hunting. If you fall off a cliff or get stuck in a geometry hole—which can happen in the denser parts of the Basin—it’s faster to teleport back than to find a way up.
- Look Behind Roots. Several currents are hidden specifically behind large environmental objects like fallen logs or stone pillars. If your compass says you're on top of it but you see nothing, rotate your camera 360 degrees. It's likely tucked in a crevice.
Flying in Yak T'el isn't just a convenience; it's a reward for mastering one of the most complex topographical maps Square Enix has ever built. Take your time, enjoy the music, and stop trying to climb the mountains that aren't meant to be climbed. Follow the paths, and the currents will reveal themselves.