Final Fantasy XIV Online Wiki - User contributions [en]

A Mother's Touch

2023-06-16T18:42:02Z

CatSidheSilvie: /* Dialogue */

{{Quest infobox
| title = A Mother's Touch
| description = Lahabrea would discuss the plan to bring about Athena's end.
| image = a mother's touch1.png
| quest-giver = Lahabrea
| location = The Dæmons' Nest
| location-x = 6.0
| location-y = 6.1
| type = feature
| quest-line = Pandæmonium Quests
| organization =
| class =
| job =
| level = 90
| requirements =
| req-items =
| exp = 0
| gil = 3000
| reward1 = 5 Piety Materia IX
| reward-opt1 = 3 Heavens' Eye Materia IX
| reward-opt2 = 3 Savage Aim Materia IX
| reward-opt3 = 3 Savage Might Materia IX
| unlocks = ra Anabaseios: The Twelfth Circle
| prev-quest = The Emissary's Judgment
| next-quest = Guided by the Past
| release = endwalker
| patch = 6.4
}}
==Steps==
*Enter Anabaseios: The Twelfth Circle.

*Speak with Themis.

==Journal==
*Lahabrea would discuss the plan to bring about Athena's end.

*It seems that Lahabrea has conjured a plan to free Claudien, though he is less than forthcoming with the details. For the time being, he tasks you with standing against his former lover, that she may be weak enough for his scheme to succeed. And so you steel your spirits for one final excursion into Athena's gate.

※Anabaseios: The Twelfth Circle can be accessed via the Duty Finder.

*As befits one who has laid many a god low and lived to tell of it, you remain unshaken by Athena's attempts to plunge you into the abyss. Despite her power to warp nature itself, you emerge triumphant and ready to see her evil experiments ended for good.

*Although defeated, Athena yet lives. She is more than happy to reveal that her grand design was to replace life upon Etheirys with superior beings of her creation, and confirms that Erichthonios was never more than a tool for this end. Her ambitions now denied, she attempts to purge the aetherial sea with a burst of powerful magicks, but is stymied by the sudden awakening of Claudien's will, roused from its slumber by Erichthonios's memories. Her control over the body lost, Athena's memories are expelled, leaving her a powerless phantom. As the space that was once Pandæmonium begins to collapse as the forces holding it together vanish, Themis teleports you and Lahabrea to safety, leaving no witness to Athena's final moments.

*While the loss of Erichthonios lies heavy in the hearts of all present, you rest assured that his sacrifice was not in vain. Peace is restored to the aetherial sea, but Claudien remains insensate. Themis says that he will stand vigil over the professor, and instructs you to rest until such time as you are needed.

==Dialogue==
* Lahabrea: Themis, you may have just handed us the key to rescuing Claudien.
* Erichthonios: What must we do? Lahabrea: First and foremost, we must confront Athena. She must be made vulnerable, as Elidibus was.
* Lahabrea: Yet our opponent stands on the verge of godhood. As we are now, she would unmake us in an instant.
* Lahabrea: [player], we have no choice but to place the burden of our fate─and the fate of many more besides─squarely upon your shoulders. I trust you have no objections.
What will you say?
> Objections, no. Concerns, yes...
* Themis: Though we know not what form Athena will take, I have faith that your skill will see us through this trial, as it has many times before.
* Erichthonios: And we all appreciate [player]'s willingness to fling herself at the unknown. However, we have yet to hear how this will liberate Claudien...
* Lahabrea: ...I have a plan. Do not trouble yourself over the details.
* Lahabrea: The same goes for you, [player]. You must focus the entirety of your attention on Athena. She will not be easily bested, even by one of your prowess.
* Themis: Then let us trust in Lahabrea, and prepare for the battle to come.
* Erichthonios: Before we face Athena, I must know...
* Erichthonios: If she had never discovered the auracite─had never fallen under its influence─would she have lived a normal life? Would she have been a mother to me?
* Lahabrea: I have asked myself the same questions. Questions with no answer, I fear.
* Lahabrea: But let us put them out of our mind. There is something we must discuss, and I would do so not as Lahabrea, but as a father to his son.
“A Mother's Touch” accepted.
* Themis: Athena maintains absolute control over this space. Beyond the gate, she has doubtless built herself an abode worthy of a god, and now awaits the arrival of her supplicants...
* Erichthonios: For now we place our trust in you. The rest must wait until we have Athena before us.
* Lahabrea: Right now, Athena must be the sole focus of your attention. She shall not hesitate to exploit any weakness she can sense.
* Nemjiji: Rest assured I do not intend to remain idle. I shall try to discern the nature of this sphere and ensure that no other similar phenomenon has appeared elsewhere.
* Ruissenaud: Professor Claudien is inside that? Oh, I do hope he's okay...
[fight]
* Athena: Show me your all, that I might become divinity manifest!
* Athena: From nothing, I mold life!
* Athena: These chains are forged from the fabric of creation! Athena: To silent vessels, I give voice!
* Athena: This is but a glimpse of a god's strength! Athena: Behold such power as you will never wield!
* Athena: From the deepest pit of the seven hells to the pinnacle of the heavens, the world shall tremble!
* Athena: Such a singularly resolute soul...
[after fight]
* Athena: Countless years I waited within that stifling crystal. And now, when my dream is finally within reach, you stand in my way.
* Erichthonios: Your “dream” is naught but selfish ambition. Its fulfillment would benefit only you.
* Erichthonios: And why, Athena? At the end of this road to godhood, what did you hope to find?
* Lahabrea: It matters not. The fact remains that she worked against the interests of the star.
* Erichthonios: Even so, I would hear her answer. I would know why my mother cast us aside.
* Athena: How unlike you, Erichthonios. You were never so inquisitive before.
* Athena: Having struck upon a hypothesis, there is but one thing the wise woman desires.
* Athena: Irrefutable proof. Athena: My theory was that any true god would see us as we are─imperfect. She would hammer out our flaws, and build something...greater.
* Athena: To prove this could not but benefit the star! I would give it the perfect stewards, that it might shine brighter than any other.
* Erichthonios: And you would destroy the lives already upon it!
* Athena: In that, I am no different from our peers. Over the course of eons, how many creations have we wrought? Such creatures cannot but usher their inferior predecessors into oblivion.
* Athena: Even without our meddling, nature would take the selfsame course.
* Athena: If the destination is the same, is it somehow worse to arrive there by the guidance of a god? I think not.
* Lahabrea: The auracite made such thoughts irresistible, perhaps. But it cannot have created them from whole cloth. This is Athena's truth.
* Athena: What right have you to pass judgment? You were but a vessel for my masterwork─your purpose ends there. My only mistake was leaving you possessed of a soul.
* Erichthonios: ...What are you saying?
* Athena: Poor Erichthonios. Always the last to arrive at the obvious conclusion...
* Athena: I gave birth to you for a single reason: that you might serve as my tool. And like any tool, I crafted you to suit my needs, that you might accept my essence when the time came.
* Athena: Of course, I also made you more amenable to my demands, and ensured that you would feel a cloying affection for your dear mother. However, it seems that my tinkering was insufficient...
* Erichthonios: My very feelings were of your design?
* Erichthonios: You created a boy unable to grasp even the simplest magic. Ever hopelessly clinging to his mother's robes, unable to do otherwise. I was doomed from the start...
* Themis: Yet here you are, standing in defiance of her design. You are more than what she made you!
* Erichthonios: I still feel the sting of it. But with pain comes clarity...
* Erichthonios: You ill deserve to wear the mantle of a god!
* Athena: As stubborn as you are witless. If this star will not be mine, then it serves no purpose!
* Themis: She aims to obliterate the aetherial sea and stem the flow of life!
* Erichthonios: ...She will do no such thing.
* Erichthonios: Before the battle, Lahabrea told me I was the key to finishing this.
* Erichthonios: Although I am but an illusion, my soul has crossed eons to find its home in another. One whose body Athena has seen fit to purloin as her own.
* Erichthonios: Much of what I once was now resides in him. Should my memories seize this chance to follow suit, they may resound enough to wake his mind.
* Themis: But Athena inhabits him still! What will become of you!?
* Erichthonios: I don't know, but if I can rouse his soul, perhaps it will disrupt Athena's hold. It's the best chance we have.
* Erichthonios: My whole life others have looked down upon me, but I've never given up searching for my purpose. Now I've found it.
* Lahabrea: This decision is yours to make, and yours alone.
* Lahabrea: Do as you will, my son. I know you shall make me proud.
* Athena: Erichthonios...do not dare.
* Athena: No! Stop this!
* Erichthonios: Your words hold sway over me no longer. My life is my own...
* Erichthonios: And I have found my true family!
* Athena: Ungh...
* Athena: My power...wanes... The vessel...rejects me!?
* Themis: What is happening? Athena's magicks should be impotent with no body to fuel them...
* Lahabrea: Precisely. Athena was the sole force holding the space around Pandæmonium together, and now it crumbles...
* Lahabrea: Although little would change if we were buried here, we cannot let this be [player]'s final resting place.
* Athena: Of all my miscalculations...to think that you would be my undoing. That you would even be capable of defying me...
* Athena: Ah, is there more you would say to me?
* Athena: Or have you decided to return to your dear mother's bosom? Have you brought Claudien back to me?
* Erichthonios: Apologies, but I am only the dregs of your own memory. I can do naught but watch as the evil you've wrought collapses, burying you under its weight.
* Athena: How disappointing... Truly, useless to the last.
* Erichthonios: And who made me that way?
“A Mother's Touch” objective fulfilled!
* Ruissenaud: Questions, questions, and more questions! Why did Claudien set out by himself? What did he see? Oh, I do hope he wakes up soon!
* Nemjiji: At least on the surface, Professor Claudien appears unharmed. We must wait for him to regain consciousness to judge anything beyond that, I fear...
* Lahabrea: ...
* Themis: Although Erichthonios was naught but a collection of memories, I know his absence pains you.
* Themis: But he acted with resolve, full aware of the potential consequences. Let us look back on this moment not with sorrow, but with pride.
* Themis: You both are the heroes of the day. Athena's ambitions would have swallowed the world had you not stemmed their advance.
* Themis: We shall stay here, both to look over Professor Claudien and ensure that there are no further disturbances in the aetherial sea. You should rest─and I will not take no for an answer.
“A Mother's Touch” complete!
* Themis: We shall stay here and wait for Claudien to regain his senses. Pray rest while you can.

The Emissary's Judgment

2023-06-16T18:34:59Z

CatSidheSilvie: /* Dialogue */

{{Quest infobox
| title = The Emissary's Judgment
| description = Lahabrea would discuss lingering questions concerning Athena.
| image = the emissary's judgment1.png
| quest-giver = Lahabrea
| location = The Dæmons' Nest
| location-x = 6.0
| location-y = 6.1
| type = feature
| quest-line = Pandæmonium Quests
| organization =
| class =
| job =
| level = 90
| requirements =
| req-items =
| exp = 0
| gil = 3000
| reward1 = 5 Battledance Materia IX
| reward-opt1 = 3 Heavens' Eye Materia IX
| reward-opt2 = 3 Savage Aim Materia IX
| reward-opt3 = 3 Savage Might Materia IX
| unlocks = ra Anabaseios: The Eleventh Circle
| prev-quest = Pandæmonium Awakens
| next-quest = A Mother's Touch
| release = endwalker
| patch = 6.4
}}
==Steps==
*Enter Anabaseios: The Eleventh Circle.

*Speak with Erichthonios.

==Journal==
*Lahabrea would discuss lingering questions concerning Athena.

*Given what you know so far, Lahabrea suggests that recent events likely began with Professor Claudien being lured to Azys Lla by the Heart of Sabik's aetherial signature, which led to Athena's awakening. Much remains unclear, however, and the only path to answers lies through Pandæmonium's final gate─and through Themis. While you do not relish facing your quondam ally in battle, you hold on to the hope that Athena's spell can be broken, and make ready to set forth to wherever he awaits.

※Anabaseios: The Eleventh Circle can be accessed via the Duty Finder.

*Themis proves to be an adversary worthy of his station, but you emerge victorious against the emissary. Although he is injured, his aether remains stable─for how long, however, is uncertain.

*By reinforcing Themis's dissipating aether with your own, you manage to grant him extra time in your own age. He is grateful for your efforts, and vows to judge Athena's actions as his position demands. You return to the entrance of Pandæmonium, where Erichthonios and Lahabrea stand eager to hear what the now-freed emissary has to say.

*Themis reveals that Athena's vessel, which will become her next stepping stone toward godhood, is none other than Professor Claudien. Although this ought to be impossible, Themis's time as Athena's puppet provided useful insight in how it works, as he observed her calling Claudien by a familiar name─Erichthonios. This revelation is a shock to all present, save Lahabrea, whose cryptic statement suggests he saw it coming for some time.

==Dialogue==
* Lahabrea: ...I have told you all I know of Athena and the many secrets she kept hidden from the world.
* Lahabrea: If she indeed stored her memories within the Heart of Sabik, we must ask ourselves how they were awakened in this age. When was the crystal last sighted?
What will you say?
> In the hands of the Ascians, presumably.
* Lahabrea: Based on the information your colleagues provided, I presume the same. If an Ascian was present during your defeat of the Ultima Weapon, it stands to reason that he recovered the Heart.
* Lahabrea: And this selfsame Ascian was later struck down at a location known as the “Aetherochemical Research Facility.”
* Erichthonios: I've heard that name...and recently! The site of Professor Claudien's disappearance.
* Lahabrea: Indeed. He was tracing an aetherial signature resembling that of the memory crystal in his possession─a signature that may well have belonged to the Heart of Sabik. In which case, it is no coincidence that Athena's awakening followed.
* Erichthonios: But what reason would he have to bring her back to life? Was his mind not his own?
* Lahabrea: ...Yet more questions without answers.
* Lahabrea: Although Athena's essence is that of memory, her magicks have not suffered for lack of a physical body. As the world is now, it should not be possible, but she must have found a suitable vessel.
* Lahabrea: If Elidibus is to be believed, she readies this vessel for godhood─and is perilously close to success.
* Lahabrea: It beggars belief. As you well know, you were the lynchpin of her ambition.
* Lahabrea: Yours was the only form that could contain the immense power Athena required, and it has long since turned to dust.
* Erichthonios: As pleasant as this discussion is, we require more information if we're to unravel this mystery.
* Erichthonios: You know who awaits you, [player]: Themis. I fear you won't find him so cooperative as we're accustomed to.
* Lahabrea: We know not how vast the space beyond these gates may be, but somewhere within lurks Athena, with Elidibus leashed at her side.
* Erichthonios: ...This may be a simplistic theory, but hear me out. If Themis arose from his memories intact, he will be eager to see reason. We need only break the magicks that bind him to regain our old ally.
* Erichthonios: When I had fallen under Hephaistos's influence, you didn't stop trying until I was freed. I would ask that you do the same for Themis.
* Erichthonios: Though none of us are real in the conventional sense, I feel it must be done. Themis would never have wished to be your enemy.
* Lahabrea: While Erichthonios's perspective is a sentimental one, Elidibus may possess privileged knowledge. To question him unimpeded by magicks would be ideal.
* Lahabrea: Agdistis broke free of her bonds in her final moments, suggesting that Athena's hold weakens under the weight of combat. You might use the same principle to unshackle Elidibus's mind.
* Lahabrea: But remember that our very nature is fragile. Even if he inhabits a vessel with which to meet you in battle, I am certain it is not meant to endure.
* Lahabrea: If left weakened for too long, his aether may dissipate back into the aetherial sea. You had best act quickly.
“The Emissary's Judgment” accepted.
* Erichthonios: We know not for how long we'll have free rein to go between here and the Aitiascope. We'll remain here for now unless absolutely necessary.
* Lahabrea: The crystal? I have returned it to the safekeeping of your colleagues. I could find nothing new amongst the memories stored within.
* Lahabrea: This space, on the other hand, is fascinating. Wrought by the same power the keywards wielded, perhaps.
* Nemjiji: Rest assured I do not intend to remain idle. I shall try to discern the nature of this sphere and ensure that no other similar phenomenon has appeared elsewhere.
* Ruissenaud: Professor Claudien is inside that? Oh, I do hope he's okay...

[fight]
* Themis: My heart quivers in anticipation!
* Themis: Will Light embrace, or Darkness consume?
* Themis: Submit to the emissary's judgment!
* Themis: The balance must needs be maintained...
* Themis: Will you be judged worthy to exist?
* Themis: These magicks are not for you to wield! Themis: Now to take your measure...
* Themis: Power from beyond!
* Themis: I am the emissary, and I shall never die!
* Themis: Warriors forged in my own image!
[after fight]
* Themis: The fog...has lifted. I knew that Athena's magicks magnified the desires of their victim at the expense of aught else, but I never guessed what desire of mine she could exploit...
* Themis: Since the moment we met, I have made plain my interest in you─my desire to understand your nature. I suppose that curiosity extended to how each of us would fare in a match of strength.
* Themis: What is this? Themis: Free... Then I am no longer needed.
* Themis: Do not look so crestfallen, my friend. These few moments of clarity are more than I could have asked for.
What will you say?
> We need you, Themis.
* Themis: This warmth... Your aether...
* Themis: You've grasped the fraying strands of my being and tied them together with your own...
* Themis: Nevertheless, I fear that I am here on borrowed time.
* Themis: I only hope that I can see you through the last of our battles. Until then, I will cherish every moment.
* Themis: I am Elidibus...the Emissary.
* Themis: As such, it falls upon me to judge Athena, who would disrupt our carefully maintained balance to fulfill her own desires. I swear I shall not waver in this duty.
* Themis: Let us return to Erichthonios and Lahabrea. There is much I would share with you before we embark upon our final ascent.
“The Emissary's Judgment” objective fulfilled!
* Lahabrea: As I surmised, Elidibus was constructed with the strength to see your battle done. Yet I fear his aether may not sustain him through another...
* Themis: The four of us are together once again. Although I may not have directly experienced our adventures, my memories make our bonds as real as any other.
* Erichthonios: Themis, it's good to see you. I knew [player] would guide you to our side once again.
* Themis: I am grateful she had the patience to tolerate my lapse in manners. Athena's hold upon me is broken, and I pledge every moment of my remaining time to seeing that she answer for her deeds.
* Lahabrea: Very good. To that end, I would have you share what you know of her plan.
* Themis: Of course. As I mentioned, Athena possesses a vessel that may serve in the creation of a god.
* Themis: It is someone [player] knows well─a man by the name of Claudien. By a twist of fate, his body proved to be ideal for Athena's purpose.
* Themis: The creation of a person requires not just body, soul, or memory, but rather all three.
* Themis: We are made from the memories of our ancient counterparts, etched upon drifting souls and given form through the infusion of aether. We lack a physical body, yet you can see and feel us all the same.
* Themis: Athena is different. She has carved her memories into Claudien's soul while it was still within its body, and thus made both her own.
* Themis: But even she is prone to error. After the sundering, beings became more fragile in both body and soul, and this difference prevents Athena from realizing the full extent of her desires.
* Erichthonios: So that's why she has turned her sights toward [player]... Her uncommon strength rivals even the mightiest of our age.
* Themis: By scrutinizing her feats in battle, Athena aims to deduce the secret of [player]'s prowess and use it to fortify her own vessel. Only then will the culmination of her research be at hand.
What will you say?
> Then to fight Athena, we must fight Claudien as well...
* Lahabrea: We need not hasten to the man's destruction.
* Lahabrea: Athena can inscribe herself upon another's soul, but she cannot erase its will. If we awaken Claudien's spirit to the reality of his bondage, he might be compelled to wrest his body from Athena's clutches.
* Erichthonios: We still don't know why she chose Claudien... What makes him more suited than anyone else?
* Themis: Although I have never spoken to Claudien, I did witness an incident that may prove revelatory.
* Themis: When instructing the vessel to do her bidding, she called it by a familiar name─Erichthonios.
* Erichthonios: What!? Why would she...?
* Lahabrea: It is as I thought...
“The Emissary's Judgment” complete!
* Themis: Our course of action is clear: we must lay Athena low and rescue Claudien. A difficult task, to be sure, but one which the present company is more than capable of achieving.
* Erichthonios: Why would Athena use my name? More questions, and few answers to go around.

Pandæmonium Awakens

2023-06-16T18:27:54Z

CatSidheSilvie: /* Journal */

{{Quest infobox
| title = Pandæmonium Awakens
| description = Lahabrea is eyeing the frightened researchers with a mix of curiosity and derision.
| image = pandæmonium awakens1.png
| quest-giver = Lahabrea
| location = The Aitiascope
| location-x = 11.7
| location-y = 11.3
| type = feature
| quest-line = Pandæmonium Quests
| organization =
| class =
| job =
| level = 90
| requirements =
| req-items =
| exp = 0
| gil = 3000
| reward1 = 5 Quicktongue Materia IX
| reward-opt1 = 3 Heavens' Eye Materia IX
| reward-opt2 = 3 Savage Aim Materia IX
| reward-opt3 = 3 Savage Might Materia IX
| unlocks = ra Anabaseios: The Tenth Circle
| prev-quest = Eater of Souls
| next-quest = The Emissary's Judgment
| release = endwalker
| patch = 6.4
}}
==Steps==
*Speak with Erichthonios.

*Speak with Erichthonios.

*Enter Anabaseios: The Tenth Circle.

*Speak with Lahabrea.

==Journal==
*Lahabrea is eyeing the frightened researchers with a mix of curiosity and derision.

*With some encouragement, Ruissenaud and Nemjiji overcome their initial fright and introduce themselves to your allies from the ancient age. Although both sides have countless questions they could ask the other, they focus their efforts on coming up with a plan to foil Athena. While they share knowledge of the present and memories of the past, you are to begin your advance into Pandæmonium.

*Erichthonios advises you to first secure the entrance to Pandæmonium, that he and Lahabrea might safely join your exploration of the facility. When you approach, you are greeted by a familiar face: Themis. Like Lahabrea and Erichthonios, he has been recreated by Athena's hand, though with more combat potential and less free will, if his words are to be believed. Not moments after this unsettling revelation, the spires of Pandæmonium twist into a monstrous foe─the better for Athena to test your scientifically improbable strength.

*With Themis having vanished, you are left to face Pandæmonium's wrath alone. You know not what sort of soul inhabits its monstrous facade, but it is certain to be unmerciful.

※Anabaseios: The Tenth Circle can be accessed via the Duty Finder.

*Though the dæmoniac dungeon attempts to ensnare you as it has so many ill-fated creatures, it is only a matter of time ere you cut clean through its web─precisely as Themis anticipated. As its walls crumble to the earth, one question echoes in the air: what, or <Emphasis>who</Emphasis>, shall be the next to face your blade?

*Themis reappears to congratulate you on your victory, as do Lahabrea and Erichthonios, having belatedly secured safe passage through the dark energy surrounding Pandæmonium. Before disappearing once more, Themis beckons you through the strange gate that has manifested where the prison once stood, leaving you and your companions with myriad questions.

*It seems that while you were battling Pandæmonium, Nemjiji and Ruissenaud apprised Lahabrea and Erichthonios of major events from the past several millennia. Armed with knowledge of the Ultima Weapon and beyond, the ancient pair theorize that Athena stored her memories within the Heart of Sabik, which it transpires was created by none other than the megalomaniacal chief keyward herself. The Heart magnified the desires of its users to a fanatical degree, but by the time its dangers became apparent, it was too late. Lahabrea was forced to kill his wife, and though he closely guarded the Heart of Sabik to prevent the spread of its influence, it was this very caution that allowed Athena's memory to survive. With but one path before you, you must press forward to where Themis─and Athena─await.

==Dialogue==
* Lahabrea: Why do your companions hesitate to approach? We may be unusual visitors, but time is of the essence. Bring them here.
* Nemjiji: Although you may be but a confluence of memory, it is an honor to meet the personages I have only read of in [player]'s reports. As a researcher, this is beyond exciting, but I admit to no small measure of fear as well.
* Ruissenaud: I know what you mean... I can scarcely stop my legs from shaking!
* Erichthonios: We're powerless to do aught but speak. I see no reason why you should be afraid.
* Nemjiji: It isn't my life I fear for─I only fear that I might not have the chance to ask you all the questions now burning a hole in my mind! We stand before two of the ancients, who hold priceless knowledge beyond the ken of any of our peers.
* Nemjiji: But what purpose does fear serve if not to be confronted and conquered? To that end, we shall share with you our records, and perhaps together we can find the thread which will lead us safely out of this conundrum.
* Lahabrea: Information shall be our most precious resource, for that is the only weapon we can wield in these forms. Our memories are at your complete disposal.
* Lahabrea: We can start with Athena, whose thirst for discovery would see all life consumed.
* Erichthonios: Her desires haven't changed. Still she seeks to transcend her mortal existence so that she might unravel the mysteries of life. She would become a god.
* Lahabrea: A nebulous concept, but Athena had her own ideas on what divinity entailed. In her mind, a god can create souls at will.
* Lahabrea: Thus she chose the Underworld─or the aetherial sea, as it is known in this age─as the staging ground for her final experiments. Here lies a practically bottomless well of aether.
* Erichthonios: Even if it means stemming the flow of life itself, she intends to continue her work. She thinks of nothing else...
* Erichthonios: We caught a glimpse of Athena as we came into this world. Her smile, her voice...they were just as I remember. Without even realizing it, I found myself feeling...an affection for her.
* Erichthonios: Don't look at me like I've gone mad! I'm not asking you to join her side─I know the true Erichthonios would never want that. But these emotions remain─in memory, if nowhere else.
* Lahabrea: We shall remain here to compile what information we can. You must infiltrate Pandæmonium and seek out Athena.
* Lahabrea: I would ask that you leave the memory crystal with us. It may hold secrets which have yet to be unveiled.
* Erichthonios: All that's left is to cross that menacing threshold. Shall we take a closer look?
* Lahabrea: I have one question for you.
* Lahabrea: Does the word “auracite” mean aught to you?
* Nemjiji: Auracite? Why, yes, there are a few records of its existence. It mainly makes appearances in the legends of Ivalice, and in tales concerning the Ascian Laha─
* Nemjiji: Ahem, well, in tales concerning an entity known as an Ascian. This personage is associated with black auracite known as the Heart of Sabik, a source of considerable power.
* Lahabrea: I see...so time has not buried it.
“Pandæmonium Awakens” accepted.
* Nemjiji: Lahabrea asked me about auracite and has yet to say a word since he heard the answer. Did I say something wrong? He is quite...intimidating in his silence.
* Ruissenaud: I've read that the ancients were much larger than the people of our era... Perhaps Athena endeavored to make them less imposing.
* Lahabrea: ...I must think. Leave me be while you attend to your task.
* Erichthonios: From the outside, Pandæmonium looks no different than it does in the past.
* Erichthonios: However, there is no guarantee that the inside will be familiar. You would do well to secure the area near the entrance first.
* Erichthonios: Once it has been cleared of threats, Lahabrea and I can approach, and we shall begin our exploration of the interior.
* Erichthonios: The portal should convey you to Pandæmonium's gates. I hardly need to tell you to keep your weapon at the ready!
* ???: I knew you would come.
* Themis: I never lost faith that we would meet again. I told you as much, did I not?
* Themis: I understand you may be confused. I was, too, at first.
* Themis: You see, I am not the true Themis. I was made by Athena, molded from one of the many souls at her disposal. I am only an illusion built from memory, no more real than Lahabrea or Erichthonios.
* Themis: Even so, I believe I have a grasp on the situation. This is the distant future.
* Themis: A future where Athena lives once more, although the means of her rebirth are yet beyond me. You are here to stop her. Have I the right of it so far?
* Themis: Very good. I would be disappointed if you did not rise to her challenge.
* Themis: ...Although I am sorry to say that I cannot aid you. My creator has tampered with my essence, and I am oddly inclined to act in her interests.
* Themis: I can do naught but offer you words of warning... We will fight, and it cannot be avoided.
* Themis: There is no need for that pained expression. Remember, I am but an illusion─nothing worth shedding tears over.
What will you say?
> We can free you, just as we freed Agdistis!
* Themis: I thank you for the sentiment, but I am afraid that is quite impossible. Athena's grip on my mind is unyielding...
* Themis: Still, I would ask that you listen carefully to the advice I offer you now.
* Themis: Athena has prepared a new vessel to replace Erichthonios, so that she may become a god. By gathering the souls readily available in this sea of aether, she tempers her own essence.
* Themis: Yet the souls are faint, diffuse. She doubts whether they are sufficient for her goals, so she has turned her gaze to you. Despite your thin aether, you managed to lay Hephaistos low, and Athena would know the secret of your strength.
* Themis: To that end, she has prepared an experiment for her observation. Fight for your life against Athena's creation, and in doing so give her the knowledge she desires.
* Nemjiji: What's happening!?
* Lahabrea: Athena has made her move. We must find a way to reach her, or all is lost.
* Erichthonios: We can do little but hope for [player]'s success...
* Themis: Pandæmonium. Once a mass of lifeless stone, now imbued with a soul...
* Themis: Athena has grown much since her death at Lahabrea's hand. Although the souls she creates are imperfect, they act with absolute obedience.
* Themis: I know you shall cut your way through this monster, as you have so many others. Then you shall come before me...
* Themis: Do not hesitate to do what you must, for that is the only way to stop Athena.
“Pandæmonium Awakens” objective fulfilled!
* Erichthonios: Well, it seems you can come and go from that dark space as you please. We still don't know if it's safe for us, but must find out quickly─there's no telling what else awaits you in there.
* Lahabrea: That she would give life to those pitiless stones... [player], you know what you must do. We will stay here and do what we can to decipher the nature of this space Athena has created.
* Nemjiji: This...cannot be real... Can it?
* Ruissenaud: I can't see a thing...

[fight]
* Pandæmonium: You will go no further!
* Pandæmonium: Like a spider, I spin my web...
* Pandæmonium: This prison offers no escape...
* Pandæmonium: I mustn't disappoint Lady Athena!
* Pandæmonium: Stay where you are!
* Pandæmonium: Webs like unto chains!
* Pandæmonium: A tangled morsel awaiting death...
* Pandæmonium: All paths lead back to me!
* Pandæmonium: I offer a glimpse of Lady Athena's power!
* Pandæmonium: These bars are unbreakable!
* Pandæmonium: I am Pandæmonium, and these cells are mine!
* Pandæmonium: Bare yourselves to me!
* Pandæmonium: Your punishment shall be unending!
* Pandæmonium: For Athena... For Mother!
* Pandæmonium: I'll give you special cells!
* Pandæmonium: Your soul screams!

[after fight]
* Themis: That was a beautiful display, as always. I stand enchanted by your grace in battle.
* Erichthonios: [player], is that...?
* Themis: Pandæmonium's final gate has been cast wide. I shall await your arrival beyond.
* Erichthonios: Apologies for not coming sooner─this space is enveloped by some fell energy, and we couldn't risk venturing through it before taking due precautions.
* Erichthonios: Were my eyes mistaken? Was that Themis?
* Lahabrea: Tell us what you know. We must consider our next course of action carefully.
“Pandæmonium Awakens” objective fulfilled!
* Erichthonios: That must have been Themis... But how?
* Lahabrea: I ought to have anticipated this.
* Lahabrea: If she bore witness to past events within Pandæmonium, Athena would have found Elidibus impossible to overlook. Few possess such a talent for magicks─to say naught of the emissary's discerning judgment.
* Lahabrea: And so she found his soul upon the tides of the aetherial sea, and used his memories to craft a puppet that would serve her whims.
* Erichthonios: But is what Themis said true? She imbued Pandæmonium itself with a soul?
* Erichthonios: To breathe life into that which should never live... Athena's research is fast approaching its culmination.
* Erichthonios: Fortunately, with the information shared with us by your friends, we've made some strides toward figuring out how to stop her.
* Erichthonios: A crystal called the Heart of Sabik may be the key.
* Erichthonios: The researchers related a quick but thorough history of events leading to the present. The sundering of the star, the emergence of the Ascians, and the calamities that they brought to bear upon the realm...
* Erichthonios: Tales that under other circumstances we would have considered childish fantasy, if not for a name that rang true to Lahabrea's memories.
* Lahabrea: The Heart of Sabik. To you, the secret of the Ultima Weapon's might─not least the spell known as “Ultima”─and a source of enduring mystery.
* Lahabrea: We are told that a general from the Garlean Empire was gifted this auracite by an “Ascian,” that the Ultima Weapon might be perfected.
* Lahabrea: The identity of this shadowy benefactor, however, remains a curious unknown.
* Lahabrea: You seem to be a veritable trove of uncommon knowledge. If there is aught you are withholding...
* Lahabrea: ...Very well. At present, the Heart of Sabik itself is of greater moment.
* Lahabrea: It is a creation of Athena's, made during her time with the Words of Lahabrea.
* Lahabrea: This predates even Pandæmonium's construction. She brought before us a crystal she claimed to have chanced upon, saying it contained immense power.
* Lahabrea: She dubbed it “auracite,” studying it with a fervor unusual even for her. The eventual fruit of her efforts was a stygian crystal unlike aught we had ever seen: the Heart of Sabik.
What will you say?
> How did she find this auracite?
* Lahabrea: Athena was never forthcoming as to how she found the crystal. We came to believe that it originated outside our star, but could deduce little else.
* Lahabrea: Much later, we discovered that auracite magnifies the desires of those who come into contact with it. This would do much to explain Athena's actions following her recovery of the crystal.
* Lahabrea: Alas, this realization came too late. By the time I moved to seal the auracite and its insidious influence away, Athena's plot had already been laid.
* Erichthonios: ...So what became of the Heart of Sabik?
* Lahabrea: I took it from Athena's laboratory after I ended her life.
* Lahabrea: The density of the aether within was unlike anything I had observed. I knew its capacity for destruction, but further analysis proved impossible. I elected to safeguard it myself.
* Lahabrea: It is possible that Athena herself obscured the crystal's contents. Even were her memories stored within, I would have remained in ignorance.
* Lahabrea: If she included some mechanism by which to give these memories form, as she did with our own...
* Erichthonios: ...She would be reborn.
* Lahabrea: Ironic, that I should have protected those very memories in the name of safeguarding the star. Fate is loath to see mistakes go unpunished.
“Pandæmonium Awakens” complete!
* Erichthonios: The monster unleashed Ultima? I can only guess that it was Athena's hand that placed such magic within the Heart of Sabik...if so, it's only natural she would gift her own creations with such terrible power.

Pandæmonium Awakens

2023-06-16T18:26:54Z

CatSidheSilvie: /* Dialogue */

{{Quest infobox
| title = Pandæmonium Awakens
| description = Lahabrea is eyeing the frightened researchers with a mix of curiosity and derision.
| image = pandæmonium awakens1.png
| quest-giver = Lahabrea
| location = The Aitiascope
| location-x = 11.7
| location-y = 11.3
| type = feature
| quest-line = Pandæmonium Quests
| organization =
| class =
| job =
| level = 90
| requirements =
| req-items =
| exp = 0
| gil = 3000
| reward1 = 5 Quicktongue Materia IX
| reward-opt1 = 3 Heavens' Eye Materia IX
| reward-opt2 = 3 Savage Aim Materia IX
| reward-opt3 = 3 Savage Might Materia IX
| unlocks = ra Anabaseios: The Tenth Circle
| prev-quest = Eater of Souls
| next-quest = The Emissary's Judgment
| release = endwalker
| patch = 6.4
}}
==Steps==
*Speak with Erichthonios.

*Speak with Erichthonios.

*Enter Anabaseios: The Tenth Circle.

*Speak with Lahabrea.

==Journal==
*Lahabrea is eyeing the frightened researchers with a mix of curiosity and derision.

*With some encouragement, Ruissenaud and Nemjiji overcome their initial fright and introduce themselves to your allies from the ancient age. Although both sides have countless questions they could ask the other, they focus their efforts on coming up with a plan to foil Athena. While they share knowledge of the present and memories of the past, you are to begin your advance into Pandæmonium.

*Erichthonios advises you to first secure the entrance to Pandæmonium, that he and Lahabrea might safely join your exploration of the facility. When you approach, you are greeted by a familiar face: Themis. Like Lahabrea and Erichthonios, he has been recreated by Athena's hand, though with more combat potential and less free will, if his words are to be believed. Not moments after this unsettling revelation, the spires of Pandæmonium twist into a monstrous foe─the better for Athena to test your scientifically improbable strength.

*With Themis having vanished, you are left to face Pandæmonium's wrath alone. You know not what sort of soul inhabits its monstrous facade, but it is certain to be unmerciful.

※Anabaseios: The Tenth Circle can be accessed via the Duty Finder.

*Though the dæmoniac dungeon attempts to ensnare you as it has so many ill-fated creatures, it is only a matter of time ere you cut clean through its web─precisely as Themis anticipated. As its walls crumble to the earth, one question echoes in the air: what, or <Emphasis>who</Emphasis>, shall be the next to face your blade?

*Themis reappears to congratulate you on your victory, as do Lahabrea and Erichthonios, having belatedly secured safe passage through the dark energy surrounding Pandæmonium. Before disappearing once more, Themis beckons you through the strange gate that has manifested where the prison once stood, leaving you and your companions with myriad questions.

*It seems that while you were battling Pandæmonium, Nemjiji and Ruissenaud apprised Lahabrea and Erichthonios of major events from the past several millennia. Armed with knowledge of the Ultima Weapon and beyond, the ancient pair theorize that Athena stored her memories within the Heart of Sabik, which it transpires was created by none other than the megalomaniacal chief keyward herself. The Heart magnified the desires of its users to a fanatical degree, but by the time its dangers became apparent, it was too late. Lahabrea was forced to kill his wife, and though he closely guarded the Heart of Sabik to prevent the spread of its influence, it was this very caution that allowed Athena's memory to survive. With but one path before you, you must press forward to where Themis─and Athena─await.

* Lahabrea: Why do your companions hesitate to approach? We may be unusual visitors, but time is of the essence. Bring them here.
* Nemjiji: Although you may be but a confluence of memory, it is an honor to meet the personages I have only read of in [player]'s reports. As a researcher, this is beyond exciting, but I admit to no small measure of fear as well.
* Ruissenaud: I know what you mean... I can scarcely stop my legs from shaking!
* Erichthonios: We're powerless to do aught but speak. I see no reason why you should be afraid.
* Nemjiji: It isn't my life I fear for─I only fear that I might not have the chance to ask you all the questions now burning a hole in my mind! We stand before two of the ancients, who hold priceless knowledge beyond the ken of any of our peers.
* Nemjiji: But what purpose does fear serve if not to be confronted and conquered? To that end, we shall share with you our records, and perhaps together we can find the thread which will lead us safely out of this conundrum.
* Lahabrea: Information shall be our most precious resource, for that is the only weapon we can wield in these forms. Our memories are at your complete disposal.
* Lahabrea: We can start with Athena, whose thirst for discovery would see all life consumed.
* Erichthonios: Her desires haven't changed. Still she seeks to transcend her mortal existence so that she might unravel the mysteries of life. She would become a god.
* Lahabrea: A nebulous concept, but Athena had her own ideas on what divinity entailed. In her mind, a god can create souls at will.
* Lahabrea: Thus she chose the Underworld─or the aetherial sea, as it is known in this age─as the staging ground for her final experiments. Here lies a practically bottomless well of aether.
* Erichthonios: Even if it means stemming the flow of life itself, she intends to continue her work. She thinks of nothing else...
* Erichthonios: We caught a glimpse of Athena as we came into this world. Her smile, her voice...they were just as I remember. Without even realizing it, I found myself feeling...an affection for her.
* Erichthonios: Don't look at me like I've gone mad! I'm not asking you to join her side─I know the true Erichthonios would never want that. But these emotions remain─in memory, if nowhere else.
* Lahabrea: We shall remain here to compile what information we can. You must infiltrate Pandæmonium and seek out Athena.
* Lahabrea: I would ask that you leave the memory crystal with us. It may hold secrets which have yet to be unveiled.
* Erichthonios: All that's left is to cross that menacing threshold. Shall we take a closer look?
* Lahabrea: I have one question for you.
* Lahabrea: Does the word “auracite” mean aught to you?
* Nemjiji: Auracite? Why, yes, there are a few records of its existence. It mainly makes appearances in the legends of Ivalice, and in tales concerning the Ascian Laha─
* Nemjiji: Ahem, well, in tales concerning an entity known as an Ascian. This personage is associated with black auracite known as the Heart of Sabik, a source of considerable power.
* Lahabrea: I see...so time has not buried it.
“Pandæmonium Awakens” accepted.
* Nemjiji: Lahabrea asked me about auracite and has yet to say a word since he heard the answer. Did I say something wrong? He is quite...intimidating in his silence.
* Ruissenaud: I've read that the ancients were much larger than the people of our era... Perhaps Athena endeavored to make them less imposing.
* Lahabrea: ...I must think. Leave me be while you attend to your task.
* Erichthonios: From the outside, Pandæmonium looks no different than it does in the past.
* Erichthonios: However, there is no guarantee that the inside will be familiar. You would do well to secure the area near the entrance first.
* Erichthonios: Once it has been cleared of threats, Lahabrea and I can approach, and we shall begin our exploration of the interior.
* Erichthonios: The portal should convey you to Pandæmonium's gates. I hardly need to tell you to keep your weapon at the ready!
* ???: I knew you would come.
* Themis: I never lost faith that we would meet again. I told you as much, did I not?
* Themis: I understand you may be confused. I was, too, at first.
* Themis: You see, I am not the true Themis. I was made by Athena, molded from one of the many souls at her disposal. I am only an illusion built from memory, no more real than Lahabrea or Erichthonios.
* Themis: Even so, I believe I have a grasp on the situation. This is the distant future.
* Themis: A future where Athena lives once more, although the means of her rebirth are yet beyond me. You are here to stop her. Have I the right of it so far?
* Themis: Very good. I would be disappointed if you did not rise to her challenge.
* Themis: ...Although I am sorry to say that I cannot aid you. My creator has tampered with my essence, and I am oddly inclined to act in her interests.
* Themis: I can do naught but offer you words of warning... We will fight, and it cannot be avoided.
* Themis: There is no need for that pained expression. Remember, I am but an illusion─nothing worth shedding tears over.
What will you say?
> We can free you, just as we freed Agdistis!
* Themis: I thank you for the sentiment, but I am afraid that is quite impossible. Athena's grip on my mind is unyielding...
* Themis: Still, I would ask that you listen carefully to the advice I offer you now.
* Themis: Athena has prepared a new vessel to replace Erichthonios, so that she may become a god. By gathering the souls readily available in this sea of aether, she tempers her own essence.
* Themis: Yet the souls are faint, diffuse. She doubts whether they are sufficient for her goals, so she has turned her gaze to you. Despite your thin aether, you managed to lay Hephaistos low, and Athena would know the secret of your strength.
* Themis: To that end, she has prepared an experiment for her observation. Fight for your life against Athena's creation, and in doing so give her the knowledge she desires.
* Nemjiji: What's happening!?
* Lahabrea: Athena has made her move. We must find a way to reach her, or all is lost.
* Erichthonios: We can do little but hope for [player]'s success...
* Themis: Pandæmonium. Once a mass of lifeless stone, now imbued with a soul...
* Themis: Athena has grown much since her death at Lahabrea's hand. Although the souls she creates are imperfect, they act with absolute obedience.
* Themis: I know you shall cut your way through this monster, as you have so many others. Then you shall come before me...
* Themis: Do not hesitate to do what you must, for that is the only way to stop Athena.
“Pandæmonium Awakens” objective fulfilled!
* Erichthonios: Well, it seems you can come and go from that dark space as you please. We still don't know if it's safe for us, but must find out quickly─there's no telling what else awaits you in there.
* Lahabrea: That she would give life to those pitiless stones... [player], you know what you must do. We will stay here and do what we can to decipher the nature of this space Athena has created.
* Nemjiji: This...cannot be real... Can it?
* Ruissenaud: I can't see a thing...

[fight]
* Pandæmonium: You will go no further!
* Pandæmonium: Like a spider, I spin my web...
* Pandæmonium: This prison offers no escape...
* Pandæmonium: I mustn't disappoint Lady Athena!
* Pandæmonium: Stay where you are!
* Pandæmonium: Webs like unto chains!
* Pandæmonium: A tangled morsel awaiting death...
* Pandæmonium: All paths lead back to me!
* Pandæmonium: I offer a glimpse of Lady Athena's power!
* Pandæmonium: These bars are unbreakable!
* Pandæmonium: I am Pandæmonium, and these cells are mine!
* Pandæmonium: Bare yourselves to me!
* Pandæmonium: Your punishment shall be unending!
* Pandæmonium: For Athena... For Mother!
* Pandæmonium: I'll give you special cells!
* Pandæmonium: Your soul screams!

[after fight]
* Themis: That was a beautiful display, as always. I stand enchanted by your grace in battle.
* Erichthonios: [player], is that...?
* Themis: Pandæmonium's final gate has been cast wide. I shall await your arrival beyond.
* Erichthonios: Apologies for not coming sooner─this space is enveloped by some fell energy, and we couldn't risk venturing through it before taking due precautions.
* Erichthonios: Were my eyes mistaken? Was that Themis?
* Lahabrea: Tell us what you know. We must consider our next course of action carefully.
“Pandæmonium Awakens” objective fulfilled!
* Erichthonios: That must have been Themis... But how?
* Lahabrea: I ought to have anticipated this.
* Lahabrea: If she bore witness to past events within Pandæmonium, Athena would have found Elidibus impossible to overlook. Few possess such a talent for magicks─to say naught of the emissary's discerning judgment.
* Lahabrea: And so she found his soul upon the tides of the aetherial sea, and used his memories to craft a puppet that would serve her whims.
* Erichthonios: But is what Themis said true? She imbued Pandæmonium itself with a soul?
* Erichthonios: To breathe life into that which should never live... Athena's research is fast approaching its culmination.
* Erichthonios: Fortunately, with the information shared with us by your friends, we've made some strides toward figuring out how to stop her.
* Erichthonios: A crystal called the Heart of Sabik may be the key.
* Erichthonios: The researchers related a quick but thorough history of events leading to the present. The sundering of the star, the emergence of the Ascians, and the calamities that they brought to bear upon the realm...
* Erichthonios: Tales that under other circumstances we would have considered childish fantasy, if not for a name that rang true to Lahabrea's memories.
* Lahabrea: The Heart of Sabik. To you, the secret of the Ultima Weapon's might─not least the spell known as “Ultima”─and a source of enduring mystery.
* Lahabrea: We are told that a general from the Garlean Empire was gifted this auracite by an “Ascian,” that the Ultima Weapon might be perfected.
* Lahabrea: The identity of this shadowy benefactor, however, remains a curious unknown.
* Lahabrea: You seem to be a veritable trove of uncommon knowledge. If there is aught you are withholding...
* Lahabrea: ...Very well. At present, the Heart of Sabik itself is of greater moment.
* Lahabrea: It is a creation of Athena's, made during her time with the Words of Lahabrea.
* Lahabrea: This predates even Pandæmonium's construction. She brought before us a crystal she claimed to have chanced upon, saying it contained immense power.
* Lahabrea: She dubbed it “auracite,” studying it with a fervor unusual even for her. The eventual fruit of her efforts was a stygian crystal unlike aught we had ever seen: the Heart of Sabik.
What will you say?
> How did she find this auracite?
* Lahabrea: Athena was never forthcoming as to how she found the crystal. We came to believe that it originated outside our star, but could deduce little else.
* Lahabrea: Much later, we discovered that auracite magnifies the desires of those who come into contact with it. This would do much to explain Athena's actions following her recovery of the crystal.
* Lahabrea: Alas, this realization came too late. By the time I moved to seal the auracite and its insidious influence away, Athena's plot had already been laid.
* Erichthonios: ...So what became of the Heart of Sabik?
* Lahabrea: I took it from Athena's laboratory after I ended her life.
* Lahabrea: The density of the aether within was unlike anything I had observed. I knew its capacity for destruction, but further analysis proved impossible. I elected to safeguard it myself.
* Lahabrea: It is possible that Athena herself obscured the crystal's contents. Even were her memories stored within, I would have remained in ignorance.
* Lahabrea: If she included some mechanism by which to give these memories form, as she did with our own...
* Erichthonios: ...She would be reborn.
* Lahabrea: Ironic, that I should have protected those very memories in the name of safeguarding the star. Fate is loath to see mistakes go unpunished.
“Pandæmonium Awakens” complete!
* Erichthonios: The monster unleashed Ultima? I can only guess that it was Athena's hand that placed such magic within the Heart of Sabik...if so, it's only natural she would gift her own creations with such terrible power.

Eater of Souls

2023-06-16T03:32:12Z

CatSidheSilvie: /* What will you say? */

{{Quest infobox
| title = Eater of Souls
| description = Ruissenaud breathes a sigh of relief at your arrival.
| image = eater of souls1.png
| quest-giver = Ruissenaud
| location = Labyrinthos
| location-x = 8.6
| location-y = 27.5
| type = feature
| quest-line = Pandæmonium Quests
| organization =
| class =
| job =
| level = 90
| requirements =
| req-items =
| exp = 0
| gil = 3000
| reward1 = 5 Quickarm Materia IX
| reward-opt1 = 3 Heavens' Eye Materia IX
| reward-opt2 = 3 Savage Aim Materia IX
| reward-opt3 = 3 Savage Might Materia IX
| unlocks = ra Anabaseios: The Ninth Circle
| prev-quest = Truth Imperfect
| next-quest = Pandæmonium Awakens
| release = endwalker
| patch = 6.4
}}
==Steps==
*Proceed to the Aetherial Lens and wait at the destination.

*Enter Anabaseios: The Ninth Circle.

*Speak with Erichthonios.

==Journal==
*Ruissenaud breathes a sigh of relief at your arrival.

*Ruissenaud is elated at your fortuitous arrival, for it seems that moments ago, Fourchenault sent word of information that could shed light upon the nature of Claudien's disappearance and the subsequent manifestation of Pandæmonium in the current age. The researcher instructs you to make your way to the Aetherial Lens, where Fourchenault awaits.

*Fourchenault informs you that an investigation of Azys Lla recovered Claudien's airship, but found no trace of the missing professor. Furthermore, reports indicate that part of Azys Lla is no longer there─to all appearances having been removed from the facility in its entirety. Fourchenault and his peers believe that this missing portion was somehow reformed into Pandæmonium, which now floats forebodingly on the currents of the aetherial sea. Ere you can brave its halls in search of the truth, however, you will need to dispatch an aether-hungry beast that has emerged from its gates. Equipped with the memory crystal that once so fascinated Claudien, you step forth to confront the ravening monstrosity.

※Anabaseios: The Ninth Circle can be accessed via the Duty Finder.

*With Kokytos slain, souls may now continue their journey through the Lifestream unimpeded. Still, the aetherial sea's safety cannot be assured so long as Pandæmonium looms in the distance, so you hasten to return to Fourchenault and initiate your investigation into the looming anachronism.

*Ere you can return to the Aitiascope, you receive an unexpected visit from none other than Athena. While she claims no ill intent, she confesses to kidnapping Claudien for use in her research, which she seems convinced will allow her to ascend to godhood. She would have you join her experiment, going so far as to create apparitions from crystallized memories and spare souls that can teach you of her ambitions. She then retreats to Pandæmonium, leaving you with the bewildered simulacra of Lahabrea and Erichthonios.

*The reconstructed Erichthonios and Lahabrea explain that while they have been given form of a sort, they are unable to wield magicks or affect the physical world. They remain adamant in their conviction to stop Athena's schemes, however, to which end Lahabrea suggests gathering information on the Pandæmonium now floating in the aetherial sea. The surprised researchers on the opposite end of the platform would be the perfect place to start, so it seems a strange meeting is in order...

==Dialogue==
* Ruissenaud: Ah, [player], I had a feeling you would arrive soon! Urgent tidings always seem to carry you in their wake, after all, and Master Fourchenault recently sent word regarding his investigation.
* Ruissenaud: It seems he's uncovered information regarding Professor Claudien's whereabouts and the sudden appearance of Pandæmonium in the aetherial sea. We would do well to meet with him at once.
* Ruissenaud: If you have no objections, I ask that you proceed to the Aitiascope forthwith. I shall make the necessary arrangements and join you shortly.
* Fourchenault: I thank you for answering my summons with haste. Let us forgo formalities and jump straight to the heart of the matter.
* Fourchenault: Namely, the whereabouts of Professor Claudien, who has not been seen since his ill-advised journey to Azys Lla.
* Fourchenault: A subsequent expedition discovered an airship in the vicinity of the Aetherochemical Research Facility. Although the vessel clearly belonged to the professor, he was nowhere to be found.
* Fourchenault: There were signs that someone─perhaps the man himself─had forced their way into the facility, so this trail was duly followed. However... Fourchenault: The trail led nowhere, in the most literal sense. 'Twas almost as if an entire sector of the facility had been wrested from existence. Fourchenault: Further investigation confirmed the expedition party's suspicions─nigh on an entire sector of Azys Lla has been teleported elsewhere.
* Nemjiji: Teleported? To where?
* Fourchenault: We believe that its destination was none other than the aetherial sea. Here were its Allagan facilities reconstituted as the halls of Pandæmonium─to great success, as you can see.
* Ruissenaud: So that means Professor Claudien is in there? In that monstrous fortress? Fourchenault: That is our leading theory. We are certain enough, at least, to risk sending you into its depths in search of the missing man.
* Fourchenault: Yet before we do, there is another pressing matter...
* Fourchenault: While Pandæmonium may appear firmly sealed, an unknown entity was recently spied crawling forth from its gates.
* Fourchenault: We observed its behavior with the Aitiascope, and to our horror, witnessed it gorging upon the surrounding aether like a ravenous beast.
* Nemjiji: What!? It must be stopped!
* Nemjiji: The aetherial sea harbors the souls of the departed─'tis the wellspring from which all creatures are born. If its flow were disturbed, life itself might cease to be!
* Fourchenault: Precisely. Its safety must be our first priority.
* Fourchenault: Rid us of this menace, [player]. Then we will be at liberty to investigate what wicked machinations are afoot.
* Fourchenault: This memory crystal was recovered from Claudien's airship. Take it with you─it may yet provide some insight into the enigma of Pandæmonium.
* Nemjiji: Without Themis, there will be no army of phantom warriors. I realize you are more than capable in combat, but are you certain you'll be all right?
===== What will you say? =====
* > Themis isn't the only one who can summon our illusory allies.
* Nemjiji: He...isn't? Wh-Why of course, I should have known someone of your talents would master even the ancients' arcane arts! Apologies for my failure of imagination.
* Nemjiji: Once we are freed of the looming specter of Pandæmonium, you must promise to share your knowledge─for the sake of thorough reports, of course. In the meanwhile, I shall focus my efforts on providing you with what information and support I can!
* Fourchenault: I shall gather researchers from the Confluence to construct a means to convey you to your destination. The rest is in your hands.

* Nemjiji: In truth, my days are stuffed to the brim, what with all the record-taking and document fetching─but worry not! The knowledge that the realm's survival hinges on my efforts sustains me. Ruissenaud: At this depth, the aetherial sea itself poses little real danger, but we know not what else awaits you! I shall monitor your health from a distance, that we might leap to your aid should a crisis be at hand.

[fight]
* Kokytos: Eat, fight... Eat, fight...
* Mage's Lament: Death brings me no peace... Such is my fate...
* Mage's Lament: My strength is without equal!
* Mage's Lament: Flames take you!
* Mage's Lament: My every breath is laced with magicks!
* Mage's Lament: Ice bind you!
* Mage's Lament: Few can wield such power as mine!
* Mage's Lament: This shouldn't kill you...
* Mage's Lament: Another...fleeting diversion...
* Martialist's Lament: Always more killin' to be done... And I'm always happy to oblige!
* Martialist's Lament: Make it fun for me, eh?
* Martialist's Lament: The first drops are always the sweetest!
* Martialist's Lament: I've had enough of you!
* Martialist's Lament: Ungh... Guess my time's up...
* Beast's Lament: GRAAAHHH!
* Kokytos: GrrrGGGHHH!
* Kokytos: Uraaagh!
* Kokytos: Graaagggh!
* Beast's Lament: GRRRHH!
* Mage's Lament: Disturbed once again...?
* Mage's Lament: Crumble and die!
* Mage's Lament: Entertain me, my darlings!
* Martialist's Lament: It ain't a fight till the dying begins!
* Martialist's Lament: I'll leave you bloody and battered!

[after fight]
* ???: Impressive work, [player]. Their memories of your tenacity were not embellished in the slightest.
* ???: Do not be alarmed. A proper introduction shall set your mind at ease.
* Athena: I am Athena, chief keyward of Pandæmonium. Wife to Lahabrea, and mother to Erichthonios. And it is I who made Pandæmonium anew in the Underworld.
* Athena: In a manner of speaking, I am the source of all your recent troubles.
* Athena: I must say, I did not imagine I would meet you in this age! A slight miscalculation, but perhaps a fortunate one. For your deeds in the past have left quite an impression on me.
* Athena: I understand you have reason to be wary, but I assure you there is no need.
* Athena: I know not what Lahabrea has told you of me, but all that I have done, I have done out of sincere scientific curiosity.
* Athena: That appetite yet remains, even after my rebirth. Conflict is the furthest thing from my mind, and I ask that you at least hear me out before brandishing your weapon.
===== What will you say? =====
* > So you have no intention of halting your “research”?
* Athena: I have not endured this long journey to let my dream of godhood go unrealized. The souls of the aetherial sea and the man you call Claudien are indispensable to my work.
* Athena: Worry not, for I treat all my tools with care. Especially those with which I will grasp godhood.
* Athena: You are as stubborn as Lahabrea, I see. Although I speak in earnest, you refuse to hear the meaning of my words. Perhaps you would be better served by a different teacher...
* Athena: Luckily, you already possess the tools I require to make one for you.
* Athena: Yes...that crystal teems with memories.
* Athena: Memories of two souls you know quite well─Lahabrea and Erichthonios.
* Athena: I shall stitch them into the fabric of two errant souls, that with their help, you may come to see clearly.
* Erichthonios: You... H-How? Where are we?
* Athena: Surely these two have much to tell you of me, and I would have you listen. Perhaps then you shall better understand me─my desire for godhood.
* Athena: There is another, but their soul has proven...difficult to work with. However, with these memories, I may very well manage to weave together something presentable.
* Athena: You have a place in my plans. I do hope that in time, you come to realize that cooperation is the best path forward.
* Lahabrea: I have little understanding of where we are, yet somehow, I am unsurprised to find you here.
* Lahabrea: At present I have more questions than answers─perhaps you can help me address this inequity. Is there somewhere we can speak without fear of interruption?

* Lahabrea: Some hints, I can glean from the surroundings, but I would prefer you simply cut through this knot of questions.

* Erichthonios: I don't know how long it's been, [player], but it's good as ever to see your face! Would that it were under more...conventional circumstances.
* Erichthonios: Just where are we? And what events have led to this unexpected reunion?
* Erichthonios: ...Ah, yes, I remember you telling us about this memory crystal.
* Erichthonios: To think that it contained our memories...
* Erichthonios: This is a lot to take in, not least of all the fact that you hail from the future. I searched for you after a time, but could find no trace. Now I know why.
* Erichthonios: Our age had its share of surprises, if my memories are to be believed. The supposedly world-ending Final Days came upon us...yet here we are, in a future where you, at least, exist. Erichthonios: Do we overcome the despair that befalls us? Do we find a way to live on?
* Lahabrea: Questions without simple answers, it seems. Let us take heart that life endured in some form─as but memories, we may never have the luxury of the larger picture.
* Lahabrea: Regardless, now that it has come to pass, this future must be protected from Athena's scheming. Let this conviction guide our every action.
* Erichthonios: Agreed. But as memories given fleeting form, we are bereft of any physical or magical talents. We cannot aid [player] in battle.
* Lahabrea: Nay. Athena meant us to speak, and nothing more.
* Lahabrea: But though we may be tools, we need not be slaves to her whims. We will tear ourselves from her grasp and shatter her ambitions.
* Erichthonios: I must wonder how she knew of our history with [player].
* Lahabrea: Likely she possessed some means by which to observe events within Pandæmonium, either while they were occurring or after the fact. Regardless, her knowledge far exceeds our own─a shortcoming we must remedy at once.
* Lahabrea: We would do well to learn more of the Pandæmonium now dominating the landscape of souls. [player]'s colleagues will doubtless prove to be of value in that respect.

* Erichthonios: Are those two over there researchers from this era? We must share what we know at once, that we might piece together this vexing puzzle.
* Nemjiji: H-How unexpected! I do hope we can consider them allies...?
* Ruissenaud: One with an aura of overwhelming authority, and another that seems uncomfortable in his own skin. I believe I understand just well enough to be thoroughly intimidated!

Eater of Souls

2023-06-16T03:29:46Z

CatSidheSilvie: /* Dialogue */