The Coeurl and the Colossus

is a Quest in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.
==Journal==
* As Mide tells it, she was thinking of Roundrox when she espied a coeurl kitten scampering through the brush. Struck by the creature's resemblance to Shanoa─feline companion to Quickthinx Allthoughts, Grand Master of the Illuminati─the treasure hunter suggests the two of you give chase, as where the cat goes, so too go the Illuminati.
* You quickly come upon the coeurl kitten, who indeed appears to be Shanoa. Moments later, you hear a sudden crash, and rush towards the source of the sound to find Cid and Y'shtola standing over the body of a fallen Illuminati agent. They explain that they were in Master Matoya's cave, making final preparations for a plan to cut off the primal Alexander's source of aether, when Shanoa appeared and led them straight to the goblin's hiding place. Cid relates the ramblings of the beastman in his final moments, including his claim that Quickthinx is an all-knowing prophet come to this time from the future. All are skeptical, but further insight provided by Backrix leads Y'shtola to conclude that there may indeed be some truth to these otherwise inconceivable claims. Fearing dire consequences if the Illuminati succeed in activating Alexander's third and final core─granting them the power to travel freely through time─Cid decides that you have no choice but to venture into the colossus once more. He leaves to begin his own preparations, and bids you go on ahead to the Makers' Quarter and rendezvous with Biggs and Wedge.
* Upon your arrival in the Makers' Quarter, Biggs briefs you on the mission at hand. The first step will be securing a suitable entry point through the barrier that surrounds the steel colossus─a barrier which, most inconveniently, also serves to hold the primal in check. There will be no margin for error─Wedge will lower the barrier, and the Excelsior will take you as close as possible to Alexander's head. It will be your task to infiltrate the colossus, secure a way in, and then make a swift escape so that the barrier can be raised before the primal stirs. Time is of the essence─godsspeed!※The Eyes of the Creator can be accessed via the Duty Finder.
* You have managed to secure a path through the colossus's cranial plate. Make haste and withdraw to the waiting Excelsior.
* The mission was a resounding success. Thanks to your efforts, a passage leading to the colossus's third and final core has been opened, and the barrier restored before any damage could be done. All too soon, however, the resultant mood of optimism is tempered by some troubling revelations. In response to Y'shtola's frustration over her failure to deprive Alexander of aether, Mide reveals a heretofore-untold twist in the tale of the summoning: specifically, the part played by an ancient horn entrusted to her by a strange man in her youth. Y'shtola quickly identifies the horn as the lost treasure of Seal Rock─the selfsame artifact that once eluded her grasp─and the stranger in Mide's story as an Ascian. She further surmises that Alexander's third core is somehow bound to the relic, and will thus continue to drink aether from its surroundings until the land is reduced to a barren waste. Though there is some concern that any attempt to destroy the core will be for naught if the Illuminati can turn back time, Cid reminds the party that this power is dependent on the goblin girl Roundrox─the only one with the ability to access the knowledge of the Enigma Codex. Your task is clear: you must infiltrate the colossus, find the third core, and rescue Roundrox before the Illuminati achieve historical domination.
* Though understandably overwhelmed by all the talk of a time-traveling instrument of mass destruction, Biggs remains resolute in the face of danger, determined to rescue Roundrox and thwart Quickthinx's maniacal machinations. He reveals that the coeurl you encountered earlier was not Shanoa, but her nigh-identical twin, Backrix having seen the real Shanoa standing alongside Quickthinx atop the colossus. It would also seem that Backrix has taken a liking to the kitten, bringing it back to the Shortstop and bestowing upon it the curious name of Schrödinger. Might the two kittens and the primal have more of a connection than meets the eye? As the gears of the colossus turn, the mystery ever deepens...
==Objectives==
* Speak with Mide.
* Rendezvous with Biggs.
* Use the Duty Finder to enter the Eyes of the Creator.
* Speak with Biggs.
==Script==
script 	script
 	
Mide 	...Ah, adventurer. You come at an opportune moment. It would seem we have a visitor.
Mide 	I was pacing about, thinking of Roundrox, when something in the shadows drew my eye.
Mide 	I caught only a brief glimpse, but it bore an uncanny resemblance to Quickthinx's constant companion─Shanoa, was it? If the coeurl's here, there's a good chance her Illuminati keepers are close by. We'd best track her down, and quickly. Follow me!
 	
Mide 	Just as I thought─it is Shanoa!
...Or is it? One coeurl kitten looks much the same as another, and she doesn't seem to have brought any of her friends.
Mide 	Over there!
Backrix 	Uplanders! What are all these snapcrashings and─ PSSSHKOH!
Cid 	...An Illuminati spy. Sent by Quickthinx to observe our movements, like as not. Given the sizable disadvantage at which we find ourselves, we thought it best to relieve him of duty.
Cid 	He spent his final moments babbling about all of the Illuminati's deranged schemes. Claimed that once the final core was activated, and Alexander fully operational, the fortress would gain the power to travel through time─taking them along with it!
Yshtola 	He seemed quite convinced that Quickthinx was a prophet of sorts─a traveler from the future come to the present to return history to its proper state.
Cid 	Aye, and that's not the half of it. According to him, the battle for history has already been won─and not by us. For the future is writ in the Enigma Codex, and we but play out our roles in it.
Mide 	Quickthinx, a traveler from the future? That would certainly explain how he was able to anticipate our every move, but...could it be that he has already conquered the world of tomorrow? Have all our efforts been in vain?
Backrix 	Bah! Tongueflaps of crazed Illuminati make braincase hurt. Backrix would speak of different subject. What brings uplanders back to Shortstop?
Yshtola 	Having settled upon a plan of action, Cid and I were in the process of making our final preparations with Master Matoya when this kitten scampered in, mewing as if to beckon us. We duly followed her, and she led us here...much to the dismay of the fellow at our feet.
Cid 	I'm not one to look a gift coeurl in the mouth, but something about all of this doesn't sit right with me. She has been at Quickthinx's side─make that on his bloody head─every step of the way, and now she decides to betray her keepers? If the cat could speak our tongue, I would have a question or two for her─mayhap even three.
Cid 	...Ugh. I can't believe I'm even considering this, but then it wouldn't be the strangest thing I've heard today.
You there! Cat! You're Shanoa, Quickthinx's little familiar, aren't you? Two mews for “yea,” one for “nay.”
Chatnoir 	Mew! Meeeeeew!
Mide 	Did she truly...?
Do you want to go...home?
Chatnoir 	Meeewww...
Cid 	Seven hells! I think the bloody furball might actually understand us. But that doesn't mean we can trust her. For all we know, she could be here to do her master's dirty work.
Backrix 	...A moment, uplanders! Tongueflaps of Roundrox come to Backrix's braincase. Three years ago, when Roundrox found codex splinterstone, Roundrox says black coeurlchild is there, onlooking. Backrix thinks nothing of this then, but now...
Mide 	You mean to imply that Shanoa here was present when we attempted the summoning? I very much doubt that. If she were a kitten three years ago, she would be a fully grown coeurl by now.
Yshtola 	...Unless, that is, she took a shortcut through time. An implausible theory, I grant you, but one we cannot well dismiss in light of recent events. If true, it would raise a still more troubling possibility: that Roundrox's discovery of the codex was no mere coincidence, but an event orchestrated by Quickthinx to further his own ends.
Cid 	Oh, this just gets better and better... Look, whatever is going on here, we're not like to find out by standing around talking. We need to delve deeper into that fortress.
Cid 	And as luck would have it, Wedge claims his latest invention will allow us to do just that. I've sent him and Biggs on ahead to the Makers' Quarter to perform their final tests. Meet them there when you are ready. I'll join you as soon as my own preparations are complete.
Yshtola 	To travel back in time, and set past wrongs aright... Who could resist such temptation? And how grievous the consequences of surrendering to it...?
Yshtola 	For in allowing the past to consume us─and making our every choice, our every action the correct one─would we not cease to live in the present, and in turn lose sight of the future? 'Tis a path not to redemption but to madness.
 	
Mide 	If Quickthinx truly has seen the future, we may very well be walking straight into a trap. And yet, what other choice do we have?
 	
Wedge 	I must apologize once again for my negligence last time, [Player Name]. Rest assured, I have done my utmost to make it up to you with my latest invention. Why, it may very well be my best yet! Yes, I have a good feeling about this mission. This time, we'll show that power-mad gobbie what for!
 	
Biggs 	Ah, [Player Name]! All fired up and ready to go, are we? Then I'd best hurry up and brief you on the task at hand!
Biggs 	In a nutshell, we'll be attacking the primal on two fronts. As we speak, Y'shtola's leading an attempt to cut off the primal's source of aether.
Biggs 	Our job, meanwhile, will be to head into the belly of the beast and rescue young Roundrox. Without her to view the Enigma Codex for 'em, the Illuminati won't be able to turn back time anymore─giving us a fighting chance of beating the bastards.
Biggs 	The chief reckons that the shortest path is through the giant's great fat noggin, the only problem being that it's inside the barrier. Not to worry, though! Wedge's latest wonder will take care of that. He's dubbed it the BBG-II, which he tells me is short for “Barrier-Be-Gone.”
Biggs 	'Course, the barrier doesn't just serve to keep folk out, it also keeps the primal in─that being why Mide and her mates raised the bleedin' thing in the first place. So the moment it goes down, there'll be nothing to stop the colossus from running rampant, if it has a mind to.
Biggs 	Which means we're going to need to move fast. The chief'll take the Excelsior in as close as he can to Alexander's head, where you'll jump off and secure us a way inside. Wasting no time, you'll then climb back aboard, and Wedge'll reengage the barrier─all before our metal friend even knows what's happening. Got it? Good, 'cause we've got our work cut out for us! Let's get going!
 	
Biggs 	We're ready when you are, [Player Name]. Just say the word!
 	
Cid 	All right! Time to deactivate the barrier!
Cid 	The smoke is too thick! Can't see a damn thing! You'll have to press on alone!
 	
Cid 	Fine work, old friend! Thanks to you, we have our way in. Stay where you are─we're coming.
Cid 	But first─now that you're clear─we had best get that barrier back up before the big fellow gets restless. Wedge, ready the BBG-II and reactivate the barrier on my mark...mark!
Cid 	Excellent timing, Y'shtola! [Player Name] has done it─we have a clear path into the heart of the beast!
Yshtola 	Good. 'Tis a relief to hear that at least one side of the operation proceeded according to plan.
Yshtola 	The same may not be said of the other. Our efforts to cut off the primal's source of aether proved wholly ineffective. Quite why, I cannot say─though I am hopeful that one among us can.
Cid 	What, Mide? On the basis that she summoned the damn thing, you mean? I think you'd better explain.
Yshtola 	Like all primals, Alexander constantly draws aether from its surroundings both to sustain itself and to gain in strength. Master Matoya and I believed we could disrupt or at the very least inhibit this process by means of arcanima.
Cid 	By creating a vast impassible aetheric membrane between the primal and the land from which it drinks, aye. Which is why the old witch had me place those infernal devices of hers in every nook and cranny of this place. Are you telling me they don't work?
Yshtola 	Yes and no. As far as we can tell, the arcanima are functioning precisely as intended. And yet─for reasons we have been unable to ascertain─they have had no measurable effect on the primal.
Cid 	All right, out with it, Mide. If there is anything you haven't told us, we need to hear it now. We are running out of options.
Mide 	I fear it will not avail us, but...very well. It all began with a curious encounter in my younger days. I was out playing on my own one day when a stranger appeared before me. He told me anything my heart wished for could be mine if I but heeded his words.
Mide 	In my youth, I did not fully comprehend what the man was proposing at the time. Nevertheless, his words seemed to burn themselves into my very soul. “Reunite the scattered shards of the Enigma Codex,” he said, “and perform the sacred rite before the ruins that yet stand strong against the river's flow. Then, and only then, shall your hopes and dreams become reality.”
Mide 	With that, he handed me a relic─a horn, with a tip of metal─which seemed so foreign as to hail from another world. It would serve as a catalyst for the “summoning,” he explained. “A gift from your friend Travanchet.” And then he was gone.
Yshtola 	Travanchet? I know the man. Our paths crossed during my time in Limsa, in the days before the Calamity. I might have guessed that the Ascians had a hand in this.
Yshtola 	The horn of which you speak was once rumored to reside on Seal Rock. It is a lost relic of the ancients with the power to manipulate the aetheric energy in the very air around us. The Scions have long pursued the horn, fearing the devastation that might ensue were an artifact of such power to fall into the wrong hands.
Yshtola 	Finally, I do begin to see...
If I have the right of it, Alexander's third core is using the horn to draw aether from far and wide. 'Tis little wonder our plan failed. Even without moving an ilm, the primal possesses the means to drain not just this land of aether, but our very star.
Cid 	Then our course is clear. If the old witch's magicks won't avail us, we shall just have to get inside and dismantle the core the old-fashioned way!
Yshtola 	Indeed. And yet we must be wary. We have seen the course of time reversed once before─we may well see it again. Even should we succeed in destroying our target, there is naught to prevent the Illuminati from simply returning the stricken core to its previous state.
Mide 	Aye. They are free to turn back the clock again and again, the primal growing stronger all the while...
Wedge 	S-So what do we do then!? We can't just give up!
Cid 	No. We press on. Lest we forget, controlling Alexander requires the codex, and the codex is but a useless piece of stone without the mind of the gobbie girl. If we can rescue Roundrox, Quickthinx will have no way to flip the hourglass.
Yshtola 	The Circle of Knowing once tasked me with recovering the horn, and 'twas through mine own negligence that Travanchet acquired it. That it now endangers our world is my responsibility. Even were I not a Scion, I should do all in my power to make amends. Whatever assistance I can offer, it is yours.
Cid 	...Then it begins! I'll send word to our friends in Idyllshire. Biggs, Wedge, ready the Excelsior! [Player Name], prepare for departure. Let Operation Rescue Roundrox commence!
 	
Mide 	Even if we succeed in freeing Roundrox, what will remain of the girl we once knew? To the Illuminati, she's little more than a cog in their divine machine. They need her alive, aye, but no more than that. And they will not have scrupled to use any means necessary to force her compliance...
 	
Wedge 	Backrix said he saw Shanoa standing on top of the colossus, at Quickthinx's side just as you'd expect her to be. Do you think Backrix's new pet is just a long-lost littermate? The resemblance is truly uncanny!
 	
Biggs 	Seven hells! It wasn't enough that those Illuminati lunatics had a bleedin' time machine, was it? No, it had to be a time machine with the power to destroy the whole bleedin' world!
Biggs 	I mean, I'm used to the future of Eorzea being at stake, but this is the future, past, and present all rolled into one! We have to get Roundrox out of there before those gobbies can put any more of their crazy schemes in motion!
Biggs 	Speaking of gobbies, have you talked to old Backrix lately? Turns out the kitten you met wasn't Shanoa after all─just a doppelganger. He's already taken the little furball back to the Shortstop and given it a name: “Shrew-dinger,” or however you pronounce it. Anyway, I'd best be heading back that way meself. See you there, [Player Name]!
Quest complete.	Quest complete.
Category:Chronicles of a New Era - Alexander in Final Fantasy XIV