The Case of the Fiendish Fugitives

The Case of the Fiendish Fugitives

Quest giver

Hardiboiled

Location

Yuweyawata (Zone) (X:11.3, Y:17.3)

Quest line

Hildibrand Sidequests
┗ Inconceivably Further Hildibrand Adventures Quests

Level

100

Experience

 0

Gil

 1,235

Previous quest

Wizened Testimony

Next quest

A Vandal in the Wild

Patch

7.25

Links

EDB GT TC

“

Detective Hardiboiled's veteran nose has picked up the scent of a new case.

— In-game description

Steps

• Speak with Hardiboiled in Solution Nine.
• Speak with the electrope miner at Electrope Strike.
• Speak with Hildibrand.
• Search for the thieving eyeclops.
• Speak with Nashu.
• Speak with Hildibrand in Solution Nine.

Journal

• Detective Hardiboiled's veteran nose has picked up the scent of a new case.
• Inspector's Log:
  To what far-flung shores have I found myself flung this time? Well, irregardless of inexplicable intergalactic travel (or rather more local jaunts), I, Hildibrand, agent of enquiry, inspector extraordinaire, have made my triumphant return! After emerging from a slumber of thirty some-odd years, I have made the acquaintance of a man purported to be my twin from another world─an assertion I am inclined to push back against, given the man's somewhat surly disposition. However, like yours truly, he appears possessed of a sincere desire to solve mysteries and redress the wrongs of the world, so for now, let us see if a partnership may yet be forged!
  

　　　　　　　　　　　　*　*　*

Detective Hardiboiled shares the details of the new mystery he stumbled across: an ominous tale of ghoulish experiments and suspiciously empty specimen cages. A researcher who survived the zombification of his peers has continued their work in secret, imbuing monsters with the souls of criminals marked for “rehabilitation.” Hoping to recover more data from the battered storage device he discovered, Hardiboiled invites you to his domicile in the Recreation Zone of Solution Nine. The Case of the Fiendish Fugitives has begun...

• Although the device was more damaged than anticipated, Hardiboiled was able to piece together a partial file on one of the criminal subjects. It seems a habitual thief now inhabits the body of an eyeclops and, judging by past tendencies, is likely engaging in acts of larceny primarily to inconvenience and infuriate. The detective reasons that as electrope is Alexandria's most critical resource, then the quarry in Heritage Found would be too tempting a target to ignore. Perhaps someone at Electrope Strike knows something that could help with your investigation.
• A helpful quarry worker confirms that someone has indeed been stealing raw electrope shipments and happily agrees to provide bait to snare the thief. All appears to be proceeding to plan, but upon spotting you lurking with intent to ambush, the wary eyeclops flees before the trap can be sprung.
• Despite giving immediate chase, you lose the thief in a field dominated by towering eyeclopes. Eyeclopses. Eyeclopsi...? Detective Hardiboiled─firmly in the “eyeclopes” camp─suggests you split up and approach the brutes, noting that the criminal in question has a cowardly reputation. Find the one that does not attempt to squish you on sight, and you will have surely found your man-in-a-monster.
• You locate the thief masquerading as a wild eyeclops, but are once again left choking in the dust kicked up by his impressive escape velocity. Did Nashu see which way he went? Only one way to find out.
• Hardiboiled and Hildibrand corner the eyeclops thief. Following a tense standoff during which the detective and the inspector display their very different approaches to apprehending criminals, the eyeclops is convinced to surrender. He also volunteers what little information he knows of the researcher who not only transferred his soul into his monstrous body, but also coerced him into stealing the electrope. Satisfied that you have learned all there is to learn, Hardiboiled bids you wait for him at his place, then leaves to deliver the thief to the authorities.
• Back in Solution Nine, Hardiboiled muses over the researcher mastermind's possible motivations and the other monsters undoubtedly in his employ. These fugitive flunkies will be trying to avoid detection, possibly even operating outside the dome's confines. Admitting his unfamiliarity with the outside world, the detective asks for your continued assistance with the case─a request which Hildibrand is only too pleased to answer. Hardiboiled also alludes to a former nemesis known as the “Crime King,” who may very well have been part of the researcher's ersatz rehabilitation program. Eager to return to pulling data from the storage device, the hard-bitten gumshoe bids you drop in the next time you are in the neighborhood...

Dialogue

Accepting the quest (cutscene)

Hardiboiled: As I was saying, I got a whiff of a new case in the making, so listen up while I explain the particulars.
Hardiboiled: You said you scoured this place top to bottom, and learned they were trying to stuff people's souls into monstrous hosts. But the facility was forced to close down before they managed any real success... Sound about right?
Hardiboiled: I'm guessing whatever incident turned the staff into walking corpses happened not long after.
Hardiboiled: Here's where it gets interesting: according to the notes I found, one of the researchers survived, and continued to work independently even after the project was mothballed.
Hardiboiled: Apparently he dismissed the tural vidraal as impossible to control and instead chose to pursue his research using less ornery beasts.

Hildibrand: Are you suggesting this mad scientist transferred his own soul into some slavering fiend!?

Hardiboiled: Nothing so mad as all that. No, he saved that honor for convicted criminals.
Hardiboiled: Seems he set up a fake rehabilitation program, had the prisoners transferred, then yanked out their souls for use in his experiments.

Nashu Mhakaracca: How awful! And what became of these now criminally minded creatures?

Hardiboiled: That's the million-credit question. I tracked down the containment cell mentioned in the notes, but found the cages inside emptier than a bar fly's tumbler.
Hardiboiled: A little digging into the operations log showed the cage locks were opened only recently. Which means...

Hildibrand: ...We find ourselves on the Case of the Fiendish Fugitives! We must seek out and apprehend these dastardly evil-doers on the double!

Hardiboiled: ...Yes, there's a chance they're out there causing trouble. And as a detective, I can't turn a blind eye when I suspect wrongdoing is afoot.
Hardiboiled: Luckily, I also found a storage device that I figure belonged to the author of those research notes. It's pretty banged up, but I think the data might still be intact.
Hardiboiled: Let's head back to Solution Nine. I'll take this thing to my place in the Recreation Zone and see what I can recover.

Optional Dialogue

Hildibrand: Illusion Shine is a most impressive metropolis!

Nashu Mhakaracca: Cor, I never noticed how far down it went!

Speak with Hardiboiled in Solution Nine

Hardiboiled: Right, I'll take a crack at this storage device. You're better off waiting outside─I'm not the kind of guy who makes his bed every morning, to say the least.

Cutscene

Hardiboiled: Well, the bad news is the device was in even worse shape than I expected. It'll be a while yet before I can recover all its contents.
Hardiboiled: A quick pass netted me some scraps, though─enough to piece together a partial file on one of the experimental subjects. It states our surviving researcher stuck the soul of a career thief into the body of an eyeclops.
Hardiboiled: This light-fingered fella didn't steal outta greed, but for the joy of pissing off his victims. Twisted guy like that ain't likely to change his stripes just 'cause he switched bodies...

Hildibrand: Yes, 'tis all becoming clear to me...
Hildibrand: His intentions are obvious! Our impish escapee will burgle the most prestigious jewelry store in the city!

Hardiboiled: Hmph, as soft-boiled a guess as any I've ever heard. Your instincts are way off, pal.
Hardiboiled: Never seen an eyeclops before, have you? If one of those big brutes was lumbering through the streets, all we'd have to do is follow the screams.
Hardiboiled: No, if he's plotting a heist, it'll involve a target outside Everkeep. And he won't be aiming to pilfer any old supply crate, neither, but something that'd really cause a nuisance...
Hardiboiled: Electrope. Alexandria's got a habit only that miraculous ore can satisfy. We need to hustle to the quarry outside, and I mean now.

Optional Dialogue

Hardiboiled: This guy should be able to answer some questions.

Hildibrand: I say, the weather here is rather unruly. How I pine for the crystal-clear skies of Ul'dah.

Nashu Mhakaracca: <sniff> <sniff> ...Is it just me, or is someone frying a block of cheese with a steady current of lightning energy?

Speak with the electrope miner at Electrope Strike

Electrope Miner: Yes, I work here. Was there something you needed?
Electrope Miner: ...Have we had any thefts? Funny you should ask, actually. We've had several shipments of raw electrope go missing in recent days.
Electrope Miner: The strangest part is that our guards didn't see a damn thing. You'd need a hover cargo to move those heavy blocks, and surely someone would've noticed it coming and going...

Hardiboiled: There, what'd I tell you? A sneaky eyeclops could've run off with those blocks without breaking a sweat.

Electrope Miner: You know who the culprit is, then? If there's anything I can do to help catch them, just say the word.

Hardiboiled: That's mighty kind of you, friend. Then let's have you bait the trap with a stack of electrope, placed conveniently out of sight of your patrols. We'll do the rest.

Electrope Miner: One tempting stack of electrope, coming up!

Cutscene

Electrope Miner: There, that should do the trick. Collar that thief for me, will you?
Electrope Miner: Oh, and...do be careful while you're at it.

Hardiboiled: The trap is set. Now we wait...

Larcenous Eyeclops: Oho, this is perfect...
Larcenous Eyeclops: Hm. Maybe a little too perfect...
Larcenous Eyeclops: Not good! Not good!

Hardiboiled: That's our thief. After him!

Optional Dialogue

Nashu Mhakaracca: Oooh, so many eyeclopes! Or is it eyesclopses?

Hardiboiled: Hmph. Who would've thought a creature that big could run that fast...

Speak with Hildibrand

Hildibrand: We've lost sight of our quarry!

Hardiboiled: And he's gone to ground in the middle of a field of eyeclopes. We got us a wise guy.
Hardiboiled: Not a tough guy, though, according to his file. Says he's got no stomach for fighting, so we just need to split up and find the one that doesn't try to squish us on sight.

Hardiboiled: 'Course, even if he is a coward, he's a big boy now, so he might still try to go down swinging. Shout out if you hit pay dirt, and we'll take him together!

Search for the thieving eyeclops

Lv98 Eyeclops: Uh... M-Me not bad eyeclops.

What will you say?
> Eyeclopes don't talk.
> No? So why are you stealing?

Lv98 Eyeclops: I─ Aaaaaahhhhhh!

Speak with Nashu

Nashu Mhakaracca: The inspector and the detective set off in pursuit of that screaming eyeclops!
Nashu Mhakaracca: Come on! Let's not get left behind!

Cutscene

Larcenous Eyeclops: D-Dammit all!

Hildibrand: We have you now, fiend! There's nowhere left to─

Larcenous Eyeclops: Gahgahgahgahgahgah!
Larcenous Eyeclops: Ow-ow-ow! It's like being stabbed by a thousand tiny needles!

Hardiboiled: Out with it, punk. Where did you stash the goods? Who set you free?

Larcenous Eyeclops: A-As if I'd tell the likes of you...

Hardiboiled: Have it your way. I hear this stings worse than chili sauce in your eye.

Larcenous Eyeclops: Nooo!

Hildibrand: Now, now, Detective. Threats and intimidation do not become a gentleman.

Hardiboiled: Move, dammit─move! Give a criminal a chance and they'll make you wish you hadn't!

Larcenous Eyeclops: My turn!

Nashu Mhakaracca: Oooh, he really is a big boy.

Larcenous Eyeclops: This is my show now! Lose the gun, or the girl gets it!
Larcenous Eyeclops: You too! Weapons on the ground!
Larcenous Eyeclops: Ew, is he twitching!?
Larcenous Eyeclops: Ahgahgahgah! My eye! My eeeyyyeee!!!

Hardiboiled: You had your chance to come quietly. Say goodnight, sunshine.

Larcenous Eyeclops: Gaaaaaahhh!
Larcenous Eyeclops: Aaahhh...uh? That didn't hurt at all.

Hildibrand: I, H-H-Hildibrand, agent of-of-of enquiry, ab-ab-abhor acts of v-v-violence!

Nashu Mhakaracca: Cor, the inspector's all lit up!

Hardiboiled: You gotta be kidding me. That shot had enough juice to take down a gomphotherium...

Larcenous Eyeclops: So bright... Too bright for me to bear!

Hildibrand: Ah... The pain is akin to stepping barefoot on a coblyn's back.
Hildibrand: Master Thief. Are you certain you aren't willing to speak with us?

Larcenous Eyeclops: You...you shone like a precious jewel. I yield. I'll tell you everything.

Hardiboiled: Soft-boiled and cracked...

Larcenous Eyeclops: I never wanted the electrope. The researcher who freed us commanded me to steal it, and I handed over every block I took.

Hardiboiled: So you weren't just being your usual thieving self...? Alright. So what's this researcher's name?

Larcenous Eyeclops: He never told me his name, I swear! I know him only as the man who made us into monsters!
Larcenous Eyeclops: He already had some scary-looking bruiser working for him, so I didn't dare refuse his orders.

Hardiboiled: No idea where we might find him, then...?

Larcenous Eyeclops: None. I was supposed to meet him out here with my latest haul, but you can bet he slipped away after realizing I wasn't alone.
Larcenous Eyeclops: That's it. That's all I can give you.

Hardiboiled: Alright, I believe you. This case has taken a fishy turn...
Hardiboiled: But even if you were an unwilling subject in all this, you still have crimes to answer for. I'm handing you over to the tin men authorities.
Hardiboiled: Don't worry: I'll explain how you're a crook in monster's clothing so they don't just send you to the Arcadion for slaughter.
Hardiboiled: As for the rest of you, meet me back at my place in Solution Nine.

Optional Dialogue

Nashu Mhakaracca: Wasn't Inspector Hildibrand incredible?

Speak with Hildibrand in Solution Nine (cutscene)

Hildibrand: Surely Detective Hardiboiled must now acknowledge my dazzling investigative skills.

Hardiboiled: In your dreams, pal...
Hardiboiled: I handed the eyeclops over to the authorities and gave them the lowdown on our case.
Hardiboiled: You can bet your last bean that researcher fella has other monsters doing his dirty work. I can't figure his angle yet, but he's up to no good, that's for sure.
Hardiboiled: Whatever those criminals are now, they're also fugitives. They'll be operating as far away from our mechanical sentries as possible─maybe even beyond the confines of the dome.
Hardiboiled: And that's a whole world I ain't familiar with. If you're keen to stay on the case, then I could use your help out there.

Hildibrand: You shall have it, of course! Inspector Hildibrand is at your service!

Hardiboiled: Got my trench coat in a twist when your pal started dancing in front of my gun, and it's only fair I tell you why. Has to do with a man who had his fingers in every illegal pie in Alexandria. The Crime King, they called him.
Hardiboiled: It was me who caught His Royal Rogueness and sent him to rot in a prison cell. But after being transferred elsewhere under the auspices of some “rehabilitation program,” I haven't heard a peep...
Hardiboiled: I see you've connected the dots. Could be that elsewhere was Yuweyawata, yeah. Me and him have got a history, so if he's running free out there somewhere in a new monster skin...
Hardiboiled: I want to be the one to bring him in.

Hildibrand: Your unwavering commitment is commendable, Detective Hardiboiled!
Hildibrand: I, Hildibrand, agent of enquiry, inspector extraordinaire, hereby swear to remain steadfastly by your side until we have brought this case to its resolution!

Hardiboiled: I don't recall asking that soft-boiled dope to do a damn thing...
Hardiboiled: Anyhow, I'll get back to pulling scraps of data from that box. Drop by next time you're in the neighborhood─maybe I'll have a new lead for us to follow.

System: Meanwhile, somewhere in Heritage Found...

Scheming Researcher: I was hoping to see our hulking eyeclops squish those curious rats... The craven fool surrendered with barely a struggle.
Scheming Researcher: But no matter. I have more than enough electrope now to proceed with my plans.
Scheming Researcher: Given the right direction, you outlaws have proven most useful. Especially with the aid of your new...monstrous talents.

Hardiboiled: When making hard-boiled eggs, you wanna boil for the same length of time, every time.
Hardiboiled: Twelve minutes exactly. Any less, they're too soft. Any more, they're overcooked.
Hardiboiled: We're outta time today, so here are some I prepared earlier...

Nashu Mhakaracca: The manufacture of my egg-shaped medicine is a closely guarded trade secret─so don't try to make your own at home!
Nashu Mhakaracca: Keep safe and stay tuned for the next episode of Inconceivably Further Hildibrand Adventures!

Optional Dialogue

Hardiboiled: You still here? Like I said, retrieving that data takes time.
Hardiboiled: So why am I hanging around out here like a bad smell, you ask? I just figured you'd miss this handsome mug too much if I stayed cooped up inside.