How the Forlorn and Forlorn Maiden work in FFXIV FATEs

Whether you’re taking part in the Final Fantasy XIV Shared FATEs grind, trying to level up your Jobs, or otherwise just farming for Bicolor Gemstones, you should definitely pay attention to the Forlorn. 

The Forlorn, and its less buffy cousin, the Forlorn Maiden, have been around since Stormblood and have a chance to appear during FATEs. They’re drawn to the battlefield by the smell of death, and while it’s easy to ignore them and focus on the task at hand, killing the Forlorn will reward you with some really useful perks. 

The buffs provided by both the Forlorn Maiden and the Forlorn will stack on top of bonuses provided by FATEs with a bonus arrow marked on the map. 

What is a Forlorn Maiden in Final Fantasy XIV?

The Forlorn Maiden is the smaller of the two varieties that can show up during a FATE, and they’re usually pretty easy to take down – even more so if you have a large group of players tackling FATEs.  They can appear during any FATE, from Accompanying to Notorious Monsters.

If you see one of these, you should drop what you’re doing and tackle the Maiden first. Why? Because killing a Forlorn Maiden will not only slightly increase the amount of EXP, Gil and Bicolor Gemstones earned from the FATE that you’re currently doing, but it also grants the Twist of Fate buff once the current FATE is complete. 

The Twist of Fate buff applies to the FATE you complete directly after the one in which the Maiden appeared, and will boost rewards by 50%. That boost applies to not only EXP, but also Gil and Bicolor Gemstones, so it’s definitely worth taking the Maiden down if you see her. 

What is a Forlorn in Final Fantasy XIV?

If you appreciate that 50% buff from the Forlorn Maiden, then you’ll love what the Forlorn provides. Sadly, the Forlorn is much rarer than the Forlorn Maiden, but it’s also much larger so you’re more likely to notice it floating around.

If the Forlorn appears during a FATE, to be blunt, kill it quickly. While they are significantly harder to defeat than Maidens, they also provide a huge increase in all FATE rewards – 250%, to be exact. 

While the current FATE will only be slightly boosted by the Forlorn’s death, you’ll also be granted the Twist of Fate buff and the next FATE completed will reward this 250% boost to EXP, Gil, and Bicolor Gemstones.