I got some fire shards from a quest, but now I can't seem to find them. Where do I see them and how many I have and what can I do with them? Can I use them for crafting, when I eventually find where they are?
You find them in your inventory by clicking to the far right on a little symbol that looks like a crystal next to the 4th slot. You find them by doing botnist I believe, because I am a botnist but not that far along to get them. You can use them for crafting and you will need them depending on what you are crafting. Culinary uses them and I think Alchemy. I am a weaver, alchemist and I do culinary. If you have to money and I mean a lot of money you can get them from the market place in limisa on the market board or any board in a major area. People sell them by the bulk loads. If you get them and don't need them anymore just sell them on the market place. Yes they are used for crafting.
You can actually get them through mining and botany! You can find the in both La Noscea and Thanalan. Here are some more specific locations Mining: Hammerlea (Western Thanalan) Drybone (Eastern Thanalan) Wellwick Wood (Eastern Thanalan) Three Malm Bend (Middle La Noscea) Botany: Three Malm Bend (Middle La Noscea) Summeford (Middle La Noscea) Sandgate (Eastern Thanalan) Drybone (Eastern Thanalan) I hope this helps!
Also, if you are trying to use them for crafting you don't really need to know where they are to use them. When you pull up the recipe, it will tell you right there if you have enough to complete the recipe or not. You don't need to select them to complete the recipe either, they will just automatically be selected and used.