Away with the Faerie

is a Quest in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.
==Journal==
* In the marketplace of Mord Souq, you are greeted by Yalfort, a member of the select few privy to the details surrounding the investigation being carried out in the Empty. After you are joined by Ryne and Urianger, Yalfort informs you that the girl who has been unconscious since leading the attack on Eden has awoken and is being escorted by Thancred to this very location. You learn that her name is Gaia and that she was originally a resident of Eulmore, although she has no memory of recent events. A short while later, she arrives with her newfound footman close behind, and it seems Thancred has been given the unenviable task of carrying her luggage. It soon becomes abundantly clear that she is incredibly impatient, and she demands that if the group insists on speaking at length, they should at least find somewhere to sit down first.
* Gaia reveals that she has no memory whatsoever of your previous encounter, while Urianger inquires as to the true nature of her arcane abilities. She attributes these powers to a voice inside her head that she refers to as “the faerie,” which bears an uncanny similarity to Ryne's relationship to Minfilia. Gaia comes to the conclusion that if it was the faerie's intention for her to make contact with Eden, that is where she must go, and in so doing find the answers to the questions surrounding her past. In spite of Ryne's and Urianger's warnings, Gaia rushes off into the desert, displaying a surprising turn of speed, prompting Thancred to lead the rest of the group in chasing after her.
* You race in the direction of a distant scream, where you discover Gaia staring down an enormous vilekin. As you dash to her rescue, she casts a seemingly potent spell, although the dark aura quickly dissipates, leaving the creature entirely unscathed. As it lunges to strike, it is suddenly enveloped in swirling magicks that leave nary a trace of the chitin-plated beast behind, while Gaia herself is thankfully unharmed.
* Shortly after arriving on the scene, Ryne tells Gaia that if she is determined to risk life and limb to see Eden, you should all travel together. Thancred and Urianger's attempts to talk her out of it are vehemently rebuffed, though her two mentors soon admit that it was merely a ploy to test her resolve. Once again, Gaia cuts the conversation short and leads the way to the Derrick, where your transportation to the Empty awaits.
* Thancred has finished preparing the skyslipper for the long journey ahead. Although the craft was apparently designed to only seat four people, the addition of the petite Gaia as the fifth member of your group is unlikely to cause any problems. As Thancred suggests, Urianger could always be made to sit with the camping supplies should you be in need of space inside the vessel.
* After arriving at the camp, you find Gaia gazing towards Eden as it floats silently above the lake. As she stands in quiet contemplation, your comrades prepare to restore the next element to the Empty.
==Objectives==
* Speak with Gaia.
* Search for Gaia at the designated location.
* Speak with Gaia.
* Speak with Thancred near the Derrick.
* Speak with Gaia in the Empty.
==Script==
script 	script
 	
Yalfort 	Ah, there you are. I'm part of the team helping with the Ede─I mean, “highly classified and very, very secret...thing.”
Yalfort 	The fact of the matter is, I've come to inform you of a rather interesting development. It's about the girl who was brought back from the Empty. She's finally woken up, you see.
Ryne 	Yalfort! And [Player Name], too!
Ryne 	We heard the news from Thancred. Is it true?
Yalfort 	Why yes, it most certainly is!
Yalfort 	Apparently, her name is Gaia. She claims to be a free citizen of Eulmore, although she remembers nothing of the events leading up to her attack on Eden.
Ryne 	She's lost her memory!?
Yalfort 	Parts of it, at the very least. We also cannot be sure whether she's telling the truth or if it's merely a ruse. She's yet to display any hostility, which is encouraging, I suppose.
Ryne 	And Thancred's with her now, is he?
Yalfort 	Yes. He's taken her to Eulmore, mainly to verify what she's told us so far. Quiz the locals, that sort of thing.
Yalfort 	After that, the plan is to come back here, though they're taking rather longer than I'd anticipated. I do hope nothing is amiss...
Gaia 	Good grief! Are you always this slow!?
Gaia 	At this rate, it'll be dark again before we know it! The night sky returning is all well and good, but it does make each day seem awfully short. And are you still dragging your heels back there!? At least act as if you've got a purpose, would you?
Thancred 	Now look here, I'm not one of your servants. Why don't you try carrying your own luggage for a change?
Ryne 	Thancred! You're back!
Thancred 	You lot are a sight for sore eyes. Yes, even you, Urianger. Gaia and I have just finished shipping her personal effects from Eulmore.
 	
Ryne 	I'm glad we could finally meet. Properly, I mean.
Ryne 	So, ah... Did you learn anything useful?
Thancred 	Other than where she lives, not an awful lot. Her supposed neighbors barely knew the first thing about her.
Thancred 	Hells, she barely knows the first thing about herself. Her recollection of her life in Eulmore is patchy at best.
Thancred 	But she seems convinced that she'll regain her memory if she accompanies us, and so she invited herself to join our merry band. And for her first act, she ordered me to carry her luggage.
Gaia 	If you insist on standing around talking, might I suggest finding a place to sit down first? My feet are killing me.
Thancred 	Then perhaps you should've chosen more sensible footwear. Still, it's not such a bad idea. Shall we?
Ryne 	I've got so many things I want to ask, but I probably shouldn't bombard her with questions.
Thancred 	Well, I've given you my early impression of Gaia, but I would be interested in hearing your opinion. Go on and talk to her and see what you make of her situation.
Urianger 	Amnesia... 'Tis troubling though not entirely unexpected.
Yalfort 	That Gaia person appears to be none the worse off for her long sleep. A little surly, perhaps, but one can hardly expect her to be in the cheeriest of moods, given the circumstances.
Ryne 	So you don't remember anything at all? Not attacking us, not falling unconscious?
Urianger 	Such selective amnesia would rightly raise suspicion within those of a cautious mind.
Urianger 	Yet if she doth speak the truth, it would lend credence to my current hypothesis, though admittedly some further─
Thancred 	Not now, Urianger, she's only just woken up. We don't want to bore her back to sleep.
Thancred 	In any case, I prefer to follow my instincts, and they're telling me that Gaia means us no harm. After much deliberation, I thought it only right to let her know about our work in the Empty, as a sign of goodwill. After all, trust works both ways.
Thancred 	Though, I would ask you, [Player Name], not to let your guard down just yet.
 	
Gaia 	So you're the one I'm supposed to have fought? Come to think of it, I recognize you from somewhere.
Gaia 	Or perhaps you just didn't make much of an impression? But to be honest, I do feel that since meeting you, those hazy memories are becoming slightly clearer.
 	
Gaia 	Well, if Thancred's version of events is anything to go by, you weren't exactly holding back yourself. Still, it seems I didn't give you much of a choice but to defend yourself, so let's call it even. Not that I have any recollection of it...
 	
Gaia 	...It's like remembering fragments of a dream, only to realize those things actually happened. <sigh> It's as though my whole life has been leading to this...
 	
Urianger 	Thou speakest as though thou didst expect these events.
Gaia 	I guess you could say that. It's what the faerie tells me.
 	
Gaia 	I can't see it, but it's as though there's someone else inside me. And I can hear its voice in my head.
Gaia 	It whispers to me and lets me use its power. “Magic,” I suppose you could call it, not that I know much about that sort of thing.
Urianger 	And this power alloweth thee to tear open the fabric betwixt realities, that thou mayest call forth the aether-starved denizens of what remaineth of the Thirteenth?
Gaia 	What!? Was that supposed to mean something or are you just spouting random words at me?
Gaia 	Honestly, I don't know how you all put up with this. I've only just met him and his insufferable prattle is already giving me a headache!
Gaia 	Gods, I still can't believe I'm having this conversation. And to think that I was flying about in a suit of armor, waving a sword. That doesn't sound like me at all.
 	
Ryne 	Someone else inside you...
Ryne 	...Like Minfilia was inside me!
Urianger 	Aye, the similarities cannot be ignored. Though it is too early to say with certainty, Gaia may well be the Oracle of Darkness.
Ryne 	The Oracle...of Darkness? What does this mean?
Thancred 	It means that you may have been right when you said she has something in common with Emet-Selch.
Thancred 	Those who have been used as a living host by an Ascian have no recollection of events that occurred during their possession. This I know from personal experience.
Thancred 	But Gaia seems to have some memories still, even if they're a little hazy. Moreover, she has remained in control of herself even when she heard the voice within. Much like you and Minfilia.
 	
Urianger 	And though Ryne was very much her own person, Minfilia's presence did exert a change upon her outward appearance, granting her hair and eyes a hue akin to that of our dear departed friend.
Urianger 	It is therefore not unthinkable that Gaia's raven locks may be a manifestation of the Darkness which hath come to reside within her.
Gaia 	But I was born like this. And my parents, they both had black hair, too.
Gaia 	Or at least I think they did. It's been so long since I saw them, I can't remember too well...
 	
Gaia 	But enough about me. You're Minfilia, aren't you? The Oracle of Light, who they were hosting in Eulmore?
Ryne 	That's right, though imprisoning is a better word. They kept me locked away, and I didn't know much about Eulmore and its people, or the rest of the world for that matter.
Gaia 	I see. And how exactly did the Oracle of Light come to run with the Warrior of Darkness?
Ryne 	Well, it all started when...
Gaia 	Yes, I still remember the day everyone went raving mad and Lord Vauthry fled. Everything after that is still a blur, though.
 	
Thancred 	From what Gaia's told me, she wasn't part of the mob that attacked us. But how was she able to resist Vauthry's control?
Urianger 	Mayhap 'twas the intervention of this “faerie” of whom she speaketh.
Thancred 	Hmm. As curious as that may be, we still don't know why she appeared out of nowhere as soon as Eden took flight.
Gaia 	This is just a guess, but I'd say that the faerie reacted to it in some way, and for whatever reason, made me go after it.
Ryne 	Yes, that seems like the only explanation.
 	
Gaia 	I don't know about you lot, but I've had enough nattering. I'm going back to Eden.
Ryne 	What!? But why!?
Gaia 	The faerie wanted something from Eden, and knowing what that is will bring me a step closer to discovering exactly what has been living in my head all these years.
 	
Gaia 	Besides, my memories aren't going to restore themselves, and certainly not through idle chitchat. So I'm going, and that's that!
Ryne 	Gaia, wait!
Thancred 	Insufferable. Utterly insufferable, and yet we can't well leave her to her own devices. Come on!
 	
Yalfort 	Was there some sort of disagreement with Miss Gaia?
Ryne 	She can't have gone far, especially not in those heels...
 	
Gaia 	Get away from me!
Ryne 	Gaia!
Gaia 	It seems I've no choice...
Gaia 	What...am I?
 	
Ryne 	I'm not entirely sure what I just witnessed, but I'm glad she's unharmed.
Thancred 	Powers befitting the Oracle of Darkness...
Thancred 	When you fought Gaia, she opened voidgates, yes?
Thancred 	Back in the Source, portals such as those were all too common, but tearing open the veil between the First and the Thirteenth is a different matter entirely.
Thancred 	We should be thankful that she's not of a mind to turn that power against us. For now.
Urianger 	A most fascinating application of aetherial manipulation. The destructive blast did manifest a significant span of time after the initial casting. With sufficient mastery of such a technique, a second spell could be made to smite the target at precisely the same moment.
Urianger 	While it would demand exceptional aetherial control, its tactical potential cannot be denied.
 	
Gaia 	What are you all gawping at?
Ryne 	I don't mean to stare, but it's not every day I see magic like that. So, this is the power of the faerie you spoke of?
Gaia 	Ever since I was a child, it has whispered to me, telling me what to do. That's how I came to use its power.
Gaia 	But there are things I can't even explain... Holes ripped in thin air, terrifying creatures crawling out, ghastly-looking blades and armor appearing out of nowhere. But worst of all is the dark energy that comes from inside.
Gaia 	This power...it feels as though it's only flowing through me, and never truly mine. And even when it answers my call, it always takes a few moments for the spells to work.
Thancred 	So in summary, you don't have control over the magic.
Gaia 	Well, it's not as if I ever tried to control it. I haven't made a habit of fighting wild beasts.
Ryne 	Unfortunately, it's part and parcel of traveling through Amh Araeng. And while I understand that you want answers, you're not going to find them unprepared as you are. But if your heart is set on this, then we'll help you.
Thancred 	Ryne, think about what you're saying. You're seriously considering taking Gaia to see Eden?
 	
Thancred 	There's no telling what might happen if she loses control again, so the safest option is for her to stay away until our work is done. Somewhere we can keep an eye on her. You must realize, it's for her own good.
Urianger 	I must concur with Thancred's assessment. At present, we know precious little of Gaia's origin and less still of her powers.
Urianger 	If she is indeed the Oracle of Darkness, her presence may complicate a task already fraught with peril, placing our mission and her own well-being in jeopardy. In full knowledge of the risks, dost thou still wish to pursue this course?
Ryne 	I do.
Ryne 	It wasn't so long ago that I was living in isolation, being held against my will. Maybe the people keeping an eye on me thought that was for my own good, too.
Ryne 	But if we shut Gaia away for our own convenience, we're no better than Vauthry and Ran'jit!
Ryne 	I've learned that when someone is in need, we must reach out a helping hand, not push them away. Now, it's my turn. To do for Gaia what you've all done for me.
Ryne 	Even knowing the danger that lies ahead, I won't choose the easy way out. This is the path I've chosen!
Ryne 	Is that good enough for you?
 	
Thancred 	Well, can't say fairer than that. How about you, Urianger?
Urianger 	The light of thy spirit doth burn bright.
 	
Urianger 	Mine apologies, my dear, but we felt it necessary to test thy resolve. Let it suffice it to say thou hast left no room for doubt.
 	
Thancred 	For what it's worth, Ryne, I never doubted you. But make no mistake, the danger that Urianger and I spoke of is all too real. If you're prepared to go through with this, we'll be right there beside you.
Ryne 	That means a lot to me. Thank you.
 	
Gaia 	I couldn't care less who I travel with, but if we're going to go, then let's get going already. There's supposed to be some sort of craft waiting at the southern watchtower, yes? Come along then, and don't fall behind.
 	
Ryne 	Of course I'm worried about what may happen when Gaia gets close to Eden. We'll keep a close eye on her, make sure she's all right.
Urianger 	Though our circumstance hath changed, our mission most assuredly hath not. Restoring life to the Empty remaineth our primary objective.
Gaia 	Why couldn't you leave this craft in Mord Souq instead of all the way out here? <sigh> Actually, don't bother explaining. Whatever the reason is, I'm sure it's something frightfully uninteresting. Let's be about it, shall we?
 	
Thancred 	It might be a bit of a tight squeeze with the five of us, but we'll manage. Perhaps Urianger can sit on top of our luggage?
Yesno 	Depart for the Empty?
 	
Ryne 	Everything seems fine here, as far as I can tell. As for Gaia, she hasn't started attacking anything yet, so I'll take that as a good sign.
Thancred 	As usual, we should keep our sojourn here as brief as possible. Let's tend to business quickly.
Urianger 	I had hoped that, during our absence, the rebalancing of ambient aether might work further change. Alas, 'twas not to be...
 	
Gaia 	So, there it is...
 	
Gaia 	Eden... Where I'll find the answers I seek.
Gaia 	The bringer of the Flood, the first sin eater. Would it lead me to my past, or my future?
Gaia 	What awaited on the path ahead, I couldn't say. But I had no choice but to take the first step...
Quest complete.	Quest complete.
Category:Chronicles of a New Era - Eden in Final Fantasy XIV