Online:The Precursor (NPC)

thumb|right|The Precursor, assembled
The Precursor is Factotum discovered by Associate Zanon and has been stored within Zanon's workshop in the Brass Fortress while it is being restored. Initially it is just called the Factotum Head, for the head is initially the only piece present with Zanon. For a factotum the Precursor is rather odd, its appearance is much more Dwarven, it has a male voice and most of all it is much more talkative and emotive than the usual factotum. The Precursor's parts have been scattered across Tamriel and the Clockwork City and it and Zanon require your assistance to gather them all. He is soon revealed to be the first Factotum ever made by Sotha Sil, the Oscillating Son. Following his reconstruction, he is awarded as a training dummy furnishing.
 

Related Quests



Dialogue
The Precursor
When you first speak to the "Factotum Head":
:"By some words, I wind my gears.
:I am in need of my integral of memory. You can find it in sector grid cube 3Z-A of the Mnemonic Planisphere."

After getting the Integral of Memory, the head will yell out:
:"Integral of memory detected! Would you be so kind as to insert it into my forehead ridge?"

As you do as he asks, he'll remark:
:Factotum Head: "The farthest slot to the left, please. Your left, not mine."

When the memory is set up in the workshop:
:"Reflecting... reflecting...
:Oh, I feel positively spring-loaded now! What a kind, generous apostle you are. Which I recall is rather strange."
:Are you one of the first factotums?
:"Reflecting... reflecting...
:''I've come to the conclusion that I am. I have no memory stored of any of my kind who are older. So I conclude that I must be the first! How gleaming.
:I cannot recall my name, but you may call me Precursor."
::So, Precursor, do you know where the rest of your body is?
::"Of course. Let me check my integral of memory. Should be right―.
::Great Sotha Sil in the Sanctum! Someone's tampered with my crystalline memory matrix. But wait, something's burned in here. I seem to have left a note for myself."
:::What does it say?
:::"Ahem.
:::Salutations, me! By now you must be wondering what happened to our memory. Dark forces have conspired to corrupt our knowledge of the world. But do not fear! I, the past you, have stored our memory in our other parts."
::::But we don't have any other parts.
::::"A circumstance I have not accounted for. This is me now, not the message. I recall that my design includes both Dwemer and Clockwork parts. I also recall my blueprint, so I can guide my assembly once you find my parts.
::::Sotha Sil guide you, apostle!"
:I am  , and I'm not an apostle.
:"I don't quite understand. I function only to know my Lord Sotha Sil and his apostles. You are not my Lord, and thus you must be an apostle. Simple.
:Do you have an inquiry or perhaps a task for me, apostle?"

If you speak to him again, he will say:
:"Is there anything else I can help you with, apostle?"

When you complete the quest, he will yell out:
:"Apostle, I have remembered something! Come quickly, before it rusts!"''

Precursor Maker
While searching for the Precursor's parts, it can be spoken to learn hints of their locations.

:See Precursor Maker for the different dialogue associated with each part.
:''"Lost within the Radius. High upon a cliff. Shining pink petals above. I think the Ventral Terminus is nearby? I'm sure I'll understand the symbolism once you return my integral of introspection."
:Your memories are quite vivid.
:"Lord Sotha Sil deemed it uncouth to give my parts eyes, but each has a wide array of sensors. I can orient myself on Nirn by the air's smell and the earth's feel. Why, my pelvis even has gustatory sensors! I suspect that's Lord Vivec's contribution."
:Gustatory sensors... Lord Vivec ...?
:"I mean, of course I have no proof that he had a part in my creation, but I like to think so! My dramatic flair, my poetic soul. It helps set me apart from the rest of my siblings.
:To sense, to touch, to feel. What gifts I have been given!"''

You can speak to him to gain hints for the locations of his remaining parts:


Once all the pieces have been gathered.
:''"Tremendous! You've recovered all my parts. I cannot wait to be whole once more."''

The Oscillating Son
The Precursor is deactivated while Associate Zanon puts it back together. It is reactivated during Zanon's evalutation and contributes to the conversation. thumb|right|The Precursor, ready for inspection
:Associate Zanon: ''"Lector Trivura! Thank you for coming. It's been too long."
:Lector Trivura: "Perhaps. This auxiliary tells me you've reconstructed a factotum."
:Associate Zanon: "Yes, right here. It's almost emerged from liminality."
:Lector Trivura: "Fascinating. How did you manage to refactor the subjectivity lacework? Did you construct a locus amoenus to stabilize it?"
:Associate Zanon: "I, ah, the factotum has a record of all the operations I made. I'm afraid I was in something of a trance. Possibly divine inspiration!"
:Lector Trivura: "Possibly."
:Associate Zanon: "The reconditioning is complete. May I present my finest work, the Precursor."
:The Precursor: "What a relief to be in one piece again. And you've fixed my nagging elbow joint! Bravo, apostle, bravo."
:Lector Trivura: "Oh Divine Metronome, why do you test me so?"
:The Precursor: "Why, an addition to our party! Forgive my rudeness, apostle. You may call me the Precursor."
:Lector Trivura: "I know what you are, pendulate. The holy text calls you the Oscillating Son."
:The Precursor: "I'm afraid the texts are a tad inaccurate then. Sotha Sil did not create me with a gender in mind."
:Lector Trivura: "Silence, blasphemer! They speak of a fractured creation of Lord Seht, discarded in the First Era. Left with the knowledge to rebuild itself only to test his pupils."
:The Precursor: "Fractured? Discarded? I'm just a tad old is all! I'm sure this is just a mistake."
:Lector Trivura: "Your only purpose is to convince unworthy apostles to rebuild you. Any child could complete such a task."
:Associate Zanon: "But Lector, it's not as simple as you say! I learned much from working on this factotum. My research has been advanced tenfold."
:Lector Trivura: "If you developed the skill of contemplation instead of mere tinkering, perhaps you would know better, Zanon. Speak to me when you've done so. And dismantle that thing."
:The Precursor: "Excuse me? Dismantle? Why I never?"
:Associate Zanon: "Lector, please don't go! I still don't understand what you want from me!"
:The Precursor: "But apostle, what of me?"
:Associate Zanon: "You can go jump in a recycling furnace for all I care!"
:The Precursor: "How rude!"

After the disastrous evaluation, the Precursor gives his poor opinion on the matter.
:"I've never seen such a farce. What has happened to the state of intellectual curiosity in Clockwork City? I'm simply beside myself."''

When you leave the workshop and return, the Precursor will have disappeared.

Notes
On the completion of The Oscillating Son, you will now have ownership of him in the form of  .
According to Lector Trivura, the Precursor's true name is the Oscillating Son.
One of the memory stars featured in the Mnemonic Planisphere is of a prototype which sounds a lot like the Precursor, though its speech is much more stilted.