The Flame in the Abyss

is a Quest in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.
==Journal==
* House Caulignont has long held strong ties with the Ishgardian Orthodox Church, allowing many of her sons and daughters to rise to great prominence within the clergy. Countess Ystride de Caulignont was poised to do the same, until she learned of her husband's heresy. When confronted, he proudly confessed to having consumed dragon blood for decades before draining a vial to complete his transformation and murder his wife. Though he was slain before he could do so, he nevertheless succeeded in tearing his family apart, for when the countess realized that his tainted blood had been passed on to their daughter, Rielle, she chose to confine her to a cell for fear of what the girl might become.
Now fully aware of his foes' fanatical nature, Sidurgu would seize upon any advantage for the coming battle. Recalling the ancient dragon's words, he thinks to seek out the “tiny beings” who know a better way. He has no idea who they might be, but you have a sneaking suspicion that you do...
* You summon Sidurgu and Rielle to Moghome and introduce them to Moggie, the second-most well-informed moogle in the village. However, rather than engaging the moogle, the normally reserved Rielle erupts, berating Sidurgu for his obsession with the darkness and his treatment of her. Moggie, believing that she has insight into the “flame in the abyss,” bids you and Sidurgu gather pomwort, while she and the other moogles look after Rielle.
* Though the purpose is hardly clear to you, you gather pomwort as Moggie requested. Return to the moogle and present to her your bounty.
* Having completed your first “trial,” Moggie bids you undertake a second. You and Sidurgu are to cull tulihands on the road to Asah. A curious trial, to be sure, but surely there is a method to the moogle's madness...
* As you slay tulihand after tulihand, you begin to wonder if this is all simply pointless busywork. Join Sidurgu in Asah and see if he shares your suspicions.
* In a shocking and altogether baffling turn of events, the moogles of Moghome reveal that they have kidnapped Rielle. Sidurgu predictably flies into a rage, and together you set about beating the moogles senseless. Afterwards, your comrade demands the return of his charge once more, only for the moogles to ask why. Sidurgu cites his oath as a dark knight, prompting the gathered moogles to burst into song, extolling the virtues of love. Speechless, the dark knight turns away, only to find Rielle safe and sound in the company of Moggie. At the moogle's behest, Rielle voices her feelings and accuses Sidurgu of helping her only to further his own quest for vengeance against the Temple Knights. After a moment, he acknowledges that she speaks true, but reminds her that they will not survive the coming trial without each other's aid. He states that what happens afterwards will be her decision, and his words seem to mollify the young girl.
* Declaring your time spent in Moghome to have been an utter waste of time, Sidurgu returns to Ishgard together with Rielle. As you watch them depart, however, you are not entirely certain that you agree...
* In the Forgotten Knight, Sidurgu reveals to you that he was among those first refugees to Ishgard, and that he watched helplessly as Temple Knights executed his parents without cause. He too would have died that day, were it not for the intervention of a dark knight, who would then become his mentor. Though he claimed to embrace noble ideals, he confesses that it was likely nothing more than an excuse to indulge in vengeance. Though he now believes himself unworthy to defend Rielle, he knows that she has no one else but you and him. For one last battle, at least, he will stand at her side...
※The next dark knight quest will be available from Sidurgu upon reaching level 60.
==Objectives==
* Speak with Moggie at Moghome.
* Gather pomwort.
* Deliver the pomwort to Moggie.
* Keep watch for tulihands in the Landlord Colony.
* Speak with Sidurgu in Asah.
* Speak with Sidurgu.
* Speak with Sidurgu in Ishgard.
==Script==
script 	script
 	
Sidurgu 	It took considerable effort, but at last I have learned the whole truth. Attend me, [Player Name]. You have a right to know.
Sidurgu 	For countless generations, the sons and daughters of House Caulignont have pledged themselves to the church, so devoted to the faith they are.
Sidurgu 	Many rose to positions of great prominence within the clergy, and for a time, Countess Ystride de Caulignont was poised to do the same. And when she and her husband celebrated the birth of their firstborn, the futures of the house seemed brighter than ever.
Sidurgu 	That is, until years later, when the inquisitors came. Information gleaned during an interrogation had implicated her husband as a heretic.
Sidurgu 	When the countess confronted him with these allegations, he brought a vial to his lips and completed his transformation─one he proudly declared was decades in the making.
Sidurgu 	...The Temple Knights slew him as he tried to rip out her throat.
Sidurgu 	Afterwards, she had Rielle locked away in the deepest cell she could find.
Sidurgu 	Madness. What monster thinks to find absolution in her daughter's death!?
Rielle 	You mustn't go! She'll kill you!
Sidurgu 	She'll kill us anyway if we don't! I...I know what I'm doing, Rielle. I have a plan...
Sidurgu 	[Player Name], recall you the dragon's words when we told her of our dark arts? She said that there were “tiny beings” who know a better way.
Sidurgu 	If they can teach us how to harness the abyss, mayhap we can stand against Lady Ystride and her minions. Unfortunately, I haven't the foggiest who these “tiny beings” might be...
 	
Sidurgu 	I shall make inquiries, but I do not expect to learn much. If you uncover aught of interest, pray send word.
 	
Rielle 	Right, then. A plan.
 	
Moggie 	Well, if it isn't one of the new visitors from below! Are you searching for something? If so, just ask! I pride myself on being the second-most well-informed moogle here, kupo!
Moggie 	...My, that's a rather grim way of living, isn't it? I can't say I've ever heard of knights so infatuated with “darkness”!
Moggie 	However, I think I might know why she bade you visit us. Go ahead and fetch your friends. We have an awful lot to talk about, kupo!
Moggie 	Welcome to Moghome, kupo! The little one must be Rielle, which makes the big one Sid, right?
Sidurgu 	...Yes. I presume you are one of the “tiny beings” of whom the dragon spoke.
Rielle 	...
Sidurgu 	Rielle, say something to the moogle.
Sidurgu 	Rielle.
Rielle 	...
Sidurgu 	Rielle!
Rielle 	...I'm sick of this charade.
Rielle 	You tell me to talk, but then you refuse to listen. You tell me you're doing this for me, but then you go on about the “darkness” and the “abyss”!
Rielle 	Am I supposed to be grateful when you come back covered in blood? When I put you back together so you can do it again!?
Rielle 	You drag me to halfway across the world so you can discover a new way to kill yourself, and you tell me it's for my sake!?
Rielle 	Why are we here, Sidurgu!? Tell me the real reason!
Sidurgu 	Rielle, I...of course it's for your sake!
Rielle 	Well, you've certainly had a lot of practice saying it, haven't you.
Rielle 	I'm sure the next fair maiden will appreciate it!
Sidurgu 	What are you saying!? It's not like that, Rielle!
Sidurgu 	And you! Say something, damn you!
Moggie 	Ahhh, I think I'm beginning to understand this whole “darkness” concept, kupo!
Moggie 	Harnessing the power of your emotions or some such, yes? I'm reminded of an ancient legend about a moogle named Mog─rather simple name, I know, but those were simpler times, kupo! Anyway, Mog had a penchant for dancing, and─
Sidurgu 	Wait, wait. What does dancing have to do with the dark arts?
Moggie 	Everything, kupo! Everything!
Moggie 	The point is, your master was absolutely right when he told you to “submit to the flame.” You just never figured out what he meant by it.
Moggie 	But better late than never, kupo! Master Moggie will show you the way! First, you two dark knights will need to pull four sprigs of pomwort each. Hop to it, kupo!
Sidurgu 	I fail to see what purpose this serves, but fine. You will have your precious pomwort.
Moggie 	Oh, and Rielle can stay here with us while you're away!
Sidurgu 	...Let's go, [Player Name].
 	
Moggie 	No one will be harnessing the darkness or the abyss or whatever else unless you bring me plenty of pomwort first, kupo!
 	
Rielle 	...Look after him, will you?
 	
Sidurgu 	Strength is pain. Strength is suffering. Strength is sacrifice... Gah! Sod this!
 	
Sidurgu 	...Remind me again why we came back?
 	
Rielle 	This doesn't feel right...
 	
Moggie 	There you are, darkest dark one of the dark! Have you brought my pomwort?
Moggie 	Very nice, very nice, kupo! That must've kept you busy for a while!
Moggie 	For your next trial, you must, er...you must cull tulihands, kupo!
Moggie 	Rather a lot of them have been sighted on the road to Asah. If you wait there long enough, they're sure to show up, kupo!
Moggie 	Rielle? Oh, you needn't worry about her! She's off playing with some friends of mine, kupo!
Moggie 	Just focus on the trial, and wait for me in Asah when you're finished!
 	
Moggie 	When you and Sid have finished culling those tulihands, meet me in Asah, and I'll give you your next trial, kupo!
Sidurgu 	...What in the hells are we doing, [Player Name]?
Sidurgu 	What could moogles possibly know about mastering the dark arts?
Tankmoogle02063 	Mwahaha! Foolish fools!
Sidurgu 	...Right, then. What's all this?
Tankmoogle02063 	While you two were busy gathering pomwort and slaying tulihands, we kidnapped Rielle, kupo! Mwahaha!
Healermoogle02063 	Oh yeeesss, kupo! We've had so much fun playing together! So much fun indeed, kupo!
Tankmoogle02063 	So much fun that we thought we might keep her here forever! Mwahaha!
Sidurgu 	You wouldn't dare.
Healermoogle02063 	If you don't believe us, go and look! You'll never find her, kupo! Not in a million years!
Tankmoogle02063 	Mwahaha! She's ours, kupo! You'll never see her again! Mwahaha!
Sidurgu 	You...you furry little shites!
Sidurgu 	Give her back to me, now! Or I swear, I will kill every last one of you and burn your village to cinders!
 	
Tankmoogle02063 	Yeowch! Y-You could really hurt someone, carrying on like that, kupo!
Sidurgu 	That's the bloody point! Now tell me where she is if you want to live!
Tankmoogle02063 	W-Wait, wait!
Healermoogle02063 	Why do you want her back so badly, kupo!?
Sidurgu 	What kind of question is that!? You kidnapped her!
Healermoogle02063 	But you don't seem to like having her around that much anyway, right? She's just a burden to you. So why do you care what happens to her?
Sidurgu 	I...I swore an oath. To protect her. That's what we dark knights do...
Attackermoogle02063	You think that will give you strength enough to protect her!? Duty and honor? I'll tell you what you need, kupo!
Buffermoogle02063 	Whence comes true strength to defend the meek?♪
Is it honor? Is it justice? How blaaand!♪
Buffermoogle02063 	Could it be that the darkness is born of a light?♪
A flame burning for another? How graaand!♪
Buffermoogle02063 	'Tis love! 'Tis love!♪
All-powerful, shining loooooove!♪
Moggie 	...Rather blunt, I'll admit, but subtlety doesn't seem to be your strong suit, kupo.
Sidurgu 	Rielle!
Moggie 	Well, here we are. Go on, Rielle. Say your piece.
Rielle 	...I know you and Fray were trying to do right by your master─that you came to my defense because you believed that's what he would've wanted. And I know you only did that because you believed it would make you stronger, because all you truly care about is killing more Temple Knights!
Rielle 	I've seen how you look at them─how you curse them under your breath. How you relish every opportunity to cut them down. So don't tell me that it's all been for me! Don't tell me that Fray died for me!
Sidurgu 	...Everything I have done, I have done for my mother and my father. For my master, and yes...most of all, for me.
Sidurgu 	I haven't been honest with you, nor with myself...and for that I am sorry. I will stand for you in this coming trial, but after... What happens after will be your decision.
Rielle 	Good. That's a promise.
 	
Rielle 	For what it's worth, I'm sorry it had to come to this.
 	
Sidurgu 	...Furry little bastards had us fooled, eh?
Sidurgu 	Shame their wisdom is bollocks. I mean really now, love? That's what you need to harness the abyss?
Sidurgu 	I mean, I suppose there's something to be said for caring deeply for your charge, but... No. No, I will not give those cretins even a sliver of credit. This was an utter waste of time, and that's that.
Sidurgu 	Still...I am glad to have come to an understanding with Rielle.
Sidurgu 	We should return to Ishgard. The hour of the trial draws close.
Sidurgu 	Come along, Rielle.
 	
Rielle 	...It needed to be said.
 	
Sidurgu 	...I was about Rielle's age when I came to Ishgard. My parents, they...they said we would find a better life here.
Sidurgu 	When the Temple Knights we had shown mercy returned, they let us choose the order in which we would die. That would be their mercy to us, they declared.
Sidurgu 	I watched my parents kneel in the dirt. “Look away,” they said. But I could not.
Sidurgu 	At last, when it was my turn, I knelt and prepared to follow them into death. I closed my eyes...but when I opened them, a man in black stood before me, hand outstretched. And so I took it.
Sidurgu 	“Defend the meek.” “Punish the wicked.”
...Mayhap it was all but a convenient excuse to indulge in vengeance.
Sidurgu 	She deserves better than me. But there is no one else...
Sidurgu 	One more battle, [Player Name]. Let's see it done.
Sidurgu 	Mayhap in this final battle I can serve as my master intended...
Quest complete. 	Quest complete.
Category:Disciple of War Job Quests in Final Fantasy XIV
Category:Quest battles in Final Fantasy XIV