We forgot the Warp Wires!
An Ariadne Thread, formerly known as Warp Wire, is by far the most important item in the game. It is a normal-looking thread that you can buy at a low price on your local shop. If you are planning to explore uncharted or dangerous areas, you absolutely need to have at least one, as they will warp you back to town no matter how far within the labyrinth you are. Only qualified explorers are allowed to buy these, possibly to keep greenhorn explorers close to town.
They are especially useful for escaping pinches related to FOEs, as they will instantly return you to safety even if you were cornered by one or more of them. They can't be used once you enter the fight, though.
What a cute squirrel, let's pet it...
These threads are consumed after a single use (except on Picnic Mode in some games, where they are reusable). One common and deadly mistake is to warp back to town but forget to replace the used thread, only to remember when you need them the most (most likely when cornered by FOEs or in when in bad condition).
Hazards and Alternatives[]
A hazard can be found in Etrian Odyssey II and its remake in the form of cute squirrels living all around Yggdrasil. They are not hostile, but for some reason like threads a lot and will swiftly steal yours if you give them the chance, so NEVER PET THE SQUIRRELS. Otherwise you might find yourself stranded and return the hard way. Also, sometimes there is a shady guard not too far from the squirrels ready to sell you a warp wire... at 1000en each!
In Etrian Odyssey IV, there also is a guard in Lush Woodlands B1F, the first Stratum, who is willing to sell you an Ariadne Thread, but for 250en, which is more expensive than the shop's price, so only use it if you have run out of threads, and are in dire need of one. However, if you haggle with him two or three times in a row, he will drop the price to 25en for the Thread, and 100en for the sword. Which makes both items less than in the store. It's worth noting that you can only buy one item from him before he leaves, not returning to the spot, so once you buy from him, don't think you can rely on him being there. There is also a similar item called the Silver Whistle that warps you to the entrance of that dungeon, but not back to Tharsis, and a Pole Stone that takes you back to the last Geomagnetic Pole.
In Etrian Odyssey V, the Fire Squirrels that live in a certain hidden area can use the skill Burning Thread if it's the last living enemy, which burns an Ariadne Thread. A squirrel who steals a thread also makes a return within the depths of the forest.
Alchemists and Farmers can learn skills that accomplish the same effect, provided you have the TP to spare; you still should carry one as insurance though, just in case something happens to the skill users, since their defense is low and they might get wiped out, leaving you stranded.
Trivia[]
- The name of the Ariadne Thread is a reference to Ariadne's Thread, a type of logic that can be used to solve many problems from ethical dilemmas to physical mazes, hence their use of escaping the Labyrinth.
- It's also literally a physical thread.
- It's simply Ariadne's Thread, which Ariadne gave to Theseus in Greek mythology so that he could retrace his way out of the labyrinth of the minotaur.