if you don't do this quest and the one that follows, you can't see Steve in Obol plains to finish the gathering obsession line. this leads directly to it.
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Success comes when preparation meets opportunity -- and EQ is no exception.
There is a note on the quest "The Captain's Lament" that the Cobalt Scar crafting quests may be a prerequisite for this quest. I can confirm that they are not required.
Captain Ethan In this screenshot, Merribell has clearly not even done the introductory quest for Cobalt Scar, let alone any other TS quest from that zone, but she is able to access Captain's Lament.