Guide:Faroda's Guide to an Early Gem Shield

You can get a Gem Shield before you ever leave Jarvonia. You will need the following by the end, but several of these will build up your skills as you go:

• 200 Adventurer Tokens (bypassable but you will have to leave Jarvonia via Syrenthia or 4,500 gold to get to GDTE and Wallisia)
• Fishing Level 5 (bypassable by Trinketry Chests)
• Trinketry Level 34
• Agility Level 50 (bypassable by Trinketry Chests, but not worth it)
• Mining Level 50
• Smithing Level 59

200 Adventurer Tokens

• 100 Tokens (for a Black Eye Beak Wilderness Permit) (can be bypassed by getting Farganite Ore from Mining or Smithing Chests, but you will still need access to a Trinketry Bench and Winter’s End requires the Permit)
• 100 Tokens (for a Mysterious Northern Map) (can by bypassed but you will have to travel to Wraithwater in Wallisia, and this will require a Jarvonian Letter of Passage which costs 4,500 gold)

Skills:

• Fishing Level 5 / Mining Level 15 (for Activity: Gold Panning to get Gold Nuggets (can be bypassed by drops from Trinketry Chests))
• Mining Level 30 (for Activity: Mine Coal) (can be bypassed by drops from Mining and Smithing Chests))
• Mining Level 50 (for Activity: Mine Farganite Ore to get Farganite Ore (can be bypassed by drops from *Mining and Smithing Chests))
• Mining Level 50 / Agility Level 50 (for Activity: Spelunking to get Gem Pouches (can be bypassed by drops from Trinketry Chests))
• Trinketry Level 34 (to Shape a Sun Stone; other gems are shaped at lower levels)
• Smithing Level 15 (to Smelt a Gold Bar from Gold Nuggets at any Smithing Forge (can be bypassed by drops from Trinketry Chests))
• Smithing Level 50 (to Smelt a Farganite Bar from two Coal and one Farganite Ore)
• Smithing Level 59 (to Smith a Gem Shield)

You will also need one of each of the following Gems, which can be acquired either by Gem Pouches (Activity: Spelunking) or Trinketry Chests.

• Wrentmarine (Shape a Wrentmarine requires a Trinketry Bench and Trinketry Level 15)
• Topaz (Shape a Topaz requires a Trinketry Bench and Trinketry Level 21)
• Jade (Shape a Jade requires a Trinketry Bench and Trinketry Level 26)
• Ruby (Shape a Ruby requires a Trinketry Bench and Trinketry Level 30)
• Sun Stone (Shape a Sun Stone requires a Trinketry Bench and Trinketry Level 34)

The benefit is that a Gem Shield counts as a Light Source and increases Work Efficiency while doing Agility activities; this will open up Tool, Ring, or Helmet slots when doing several activities in the future, particularly as some require multiple Light Sources. Also, no other shield provides a bonus, so there is no competition for this gear slot.