Choices and Paths

is a Quest in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.
==Journal==
* Widargelt still needs time to process his recent defeat and the revelations about his past. But in spite of his own woes, he manages to show concern for his disciples, and asks that you speak with them and lift their spirits.
* You look in on D'zentsa and O'tchakha, who in turn express their concern for their master. Uncertain what to do, they decide to turn to the ever-insightful Erik. While they keep an eye on the despairing Widargelt, they bid you fetch the professor from Rhalgr's Reach, home of the Resistance, where he is making his inquiries.
* You find Erik just as he finishes asking Resistance soldiers about the mysterious Theobald. After sharing with you his findings, he agrees to accompany you back to Ala Gannha to have a stern word with Widargelt.
* Widargelt has largely come to terms with his defeat; rather, the revelation of his true identity as the nephew of the King of Ruin has made him question his fitness to revive the Fist of Rhalgr. Through a tale about his departed son, Erik teaches Widargelt that a man is defined not by his blood, but by the choices he makes. His vigor and purpose thus restored, Widargelt turns his attention to what must be done. He reveals his suspicion that Theobald is in fact someone known to him: a brother from the Temple of the Fist named Adri, whom he had long believed dead. If it comes to it, Widargelt stands ready to strike him down, and he asks that you train him and his disciples in the way of the pugilist, that they might defeat the Corpse Brigade. Make your way to the old training grounds and begin their training.
* Widargelt and his disciples prove eager students, and they quickly grasp the fundamentals of pugilism. As you train, a man named Hewerald arrives bearing the news that Erik has made a momentous discovery pertaining to Theobald. While your students continue their training, you decide to follow the messenger to East End, where the professor awaits.
* The meeting with Erik turns out to be a trap, and you are forced to defend yourself. As you gain the upper hand, however, the battle transforms into a hostage situation. Just when it seems you must surrender, Widargelt and his disciples come to the rescue, having used their newfound fighting skills to overwhelm the sentries posted around the forest.
* With the enemy thus routed, you may turn your attention to the liberated Erik.
* Erik is well considering his ordeal, and your friends set out for Ala Gannha. Join them back at the village and speak with Widargelt to learn of his plans.
* Widargelt declares his intent to challenge Theobald and put an end to his tyrannical ambitions. As your brother monk prepares for the encounter, see to it that you hone your own fists and feet.
※The next monk quest will be available from Widargelt upon reaching level 70.
==Objectives==
* Speak with O'tchakha.
* Speak with Erik at Rhalgr's Reach.
* Speak with Widargelt in Ala Gannha.
* Speak with Widargelt at Gyr Kehim.
* Speak with Hewerald in East End.
* Speak with Erik.
* Speak with Widargelt in Ala Gannha.
==Script==
script 	script
 	
Widargelt 	It's you again, sister/brother.
Widargelt 	My new pupils. They have lost faith in me. And so I have lost them.
Widargelt 	But perhaps it is just as well. For I am unfit to teach. I am the mad king's kin. It would be an affront.
Widargelt 	Forgive me... I should not burden you. But to you, I feel I can speak my heart. Reveal things I would not to others. Not even my closest disciples. Speaking of whom...
Widargelt 	D'zentsa and O'tchakha. Their bodies may have healed. But their pride will yet be raw. They would be heartened for your visit.
 	
O'tchakha 	Ah, [Player Name]. How good of you to come and see us.
O'tchakha 	Both Zentsa and I are well now, never you fear. 'Tis Master Widargelt that worries us. He will not soon recover from the emotional blow.
D'zentsa 	Given all that's happened, you can hardly blame him. <sigh> We were supposed to support Master, but in the end we were just dead weight...
O'tchakha 	Lessons have been suspended since the incident. Not that it matters, though─the villagers have ceased attending. It is a big setback to our mission, but the biggest setback of all is Master's melancholy.
D'zentsa 	Professor Erik would know what to do, I'd wager. Let's go and consult him. ...But, ugh, I don't want to leave Master by himself.
O'tchakha 	Nor do I. [Player Name], might we trouble you to find the professor and bring him back?
O'tchakha 	I believe he took his investigation of the man named Theobald to the Resistance, at Rhalgr's Reach.
 	
Widargelt 	I have not the right to revive the Fist...
 	
D'zentsa 	If only I was stronger, dammit!
 	
Erik 	Ah, [Player Name], you come at a good time. I've just finished inquiring after our friend, His Aspiring Majesty Theobald, and you are doubtless eager to hear my findings. Ahem!
Erik 	By all accounts, 'twas but recently that the man surfaced. None can quite say whence he came, but no sooner did he appear than he declared himself Theodoric's heir and proceeded to recruit people to his cause.
Erik 	But the prevailing sentiment around the fellow is one of uncertainty. It should come as no surprise, but folk are not exactly keen on the Griffin's return. And lest we forget, few have fond memories of the King of Ruin's reign, nor do they have any reason to love his heir.
Erik 	That is all. Now then, what brings you here?
Erik 	Still sulking into his cyclas, you say? <sigh> Utterly hopeless...
Erik 	Very well, I shall go and slap some sense into the fool. Come, [Player Name].
 	
D'zentsa 	This won't do. I need to get stronger, else I can't protect anyone. Else I can't protect...
 	
O'tchakha 	Rain, hail, or shine, Master Widargelt has never skipped training. It must be a veritable storm inside.
 	
Erik 	Widargelt. A thrashing though it was, how long will you let a single defeat keep you down? As I hear it, you've been neglecting your training─haven't so much as lifted a finger. You would let all that muscle go to fat?
Widargelt 	Defeat is painful. This is true. But I am no stranger to its sting. In time, the sensation fades. But this... It is no mere sensation. It is my very existence.
Widargelt 	The man who destroyed the Fist of Rhalgr. His blood courses through my veins. That I should seek to revive the order... It is an affront to the dead. I have not the right.
Erik 	...So that is the way of it. I will tell you a story. I once had a son. In many ways he took after me, and 'twas my hope that he would one day follow in my footsteps.
Erik 	But the boy had grander dreams. Wanting to change the world, he took off and joined the Resistance. And then he died.
Erik 	His unit was hopelessly surrounded by imperial forces. In order to save his comrades, he swept up a sack of explosives and─
...But the details are irrelevant.
Erik 	For long years I lived with regret. If only my son had walked the path of science, I lamented, he might still be here.
Erik 	But eventually I came to a realization: it was his choice to make, and make it he did. He chose to be a soldier and died a hero. In acknowledging this, I was able to attain a semblance of peace.
Erik 	We are defined not by our blood, Widargelt, but by our choices. So your uncle is the mad king. What of it? You are not him. You are you, by whatever name, and there is no limit to what path you may walk. That path may be fraught with hardship, but you mustn't give up.
Erik 	Behold the soldiers of the Resistance. Even now, they fight tirelessly against the might of the Empire, ever ready to render up their lives for their cause.
Erik 	Behold the soldiers of the Resistance. Even after their great victory, they continue their vigil, ever ready to render up their lives for their cause.
Erik 	These men and women bear a great burden, one beneath which they could buckle at any moment. Yet they stand firm to the very last. I used to wonder, why do they not give up? My son taught me the answer: they believe that the moment you give up on something is the moment you lose it.
Erik 	When first we met, you were hells-bent on retribution. Mule-headed though you were, you came to see the folly of your path. But there comes a time when a man must fight. For you, that time is now.
Erik 	So find your inner mule, Widargelt, and fight. Fight for that which you believe in.
Widargelt 	You are right, Professor. I see now what is truly important. Theobald desires absolute rule. If he has his way, the people will suffer. This cannot be borne. It flies in the face of the new Fist.
Widargelt 	I would restore hope to the people. But to do this, I must transcend him. I will become stronger. And I will protect that which I hold dear.
Erik 	Full glad am I to hear it. Suffice it to say I shall aid in whatever way I can.
Widargelt 	Something else has been bothering me, Professor. About Theobald. His polearm techniques are distinct. I have seen them before. But when? Where?
Widargelt 	'Twas a long time ago. When the Temple of the Fist still stood.
Widargelt 	<gasp> No... It couldn't possibly be...Adri?
Erik 	Who is this Adri?
Widargelt 	A brother at the Temple of the Fist. And the closest thing I had to family. I had thought him dead. Slain when the temple was razed.
Erik 	But now you believe that he may still be alive, and is the one who seeks to prevent your reviving the Fist of Rhalgr?
Widargelt 	I looked upon Adri as a true brother. I do not wish for us to fight.
Widargelt 	I looked upon Adri as a true brother. I do not wish for it to end that way.
Widargelt 	But neither can I yield in my purpose. I seek to restore hope to the people. Adri seeks to deprive them of it. If we must stand opposed...
Widargelt 	Then I stand ready to strike him down!
Erik 	But remember, Adri is not alone. He has rallied the Corpse Brigade to his cause, and against them the Fist of Rhalgr is ineffectual. How do you intend to overcome this disadvantage?
Widargelt 	If our fighting style will not serve, we will master another. One that is free and unshackled by form.
Widargelt 	[Player Name], I would ask a favor of you. All you learned as a pugilist, we would learn also. Will you teach us?
Widargelt 	Give us your worst, sister/brother! We will take it all in our stride!
Widargelt 	If you are ready, I would begin at once. Let us train at Gyr Kehim. As the monks of old once did. I shall summon the girls. Pray meet us there.
Erik 	Well, it would seem that the storm has blown over. With that, I shall return to Ul'dah to tend to a task of mine own. I trust you will see to the rest here.
 	
Widargelt 	Theobald leads the Corpse Brigade. Soldiers trained to suppress the Fist of Rhalgr. Against them, our style is ineffective.
Widargelt 	If we are to triumph, we must broaden our horizons. And [Player Name] will help us.
D'zentsa 	Alright! Let's do it!
O'tchakha 	I shall give it my all!
Widargelt 	You well know how we fight. Our strengths and our weaknesses. Tell us what we must improve. From the eyes of a pugilist.
Widargelt 	I see... Above all, a pugilist is swift. For each blow he receives, he delivers a dozen.
Widargelt 	D'zentsa, O'tchakha! Our combinations must be seamless! Ten thousand Bootshines!
Widargelt 	I see... Beside the pugilist, we want for endurance. No number of blows must stop us.
Widargelt 	D'zentsa, O'tchakha! Our endurance must be unyielding! Fists of Earth ten thousand times!
Widargelt 	I see... Beside the pugilist, we want for power. Every blow must be telling.
Widargelt 	D'zentsa, O'tchakha! Our strikes must be harder than stone! Arm of the Destroyer for ten hours!
Widargelt 	<pant> So this is how you trained... <pant> It is eye-opening...
Widargelt 	But it is not enough. We must learn more. Or we cannot defeat the enemy. Please, [Player Name]! Teach us more!
Widargelt 	So our speed is yet lacking? Very well.
Widargelt 	So our endurance is yet lacking? Very well.
Widargelt 	So our power is yet lacking? Very well.
Widargelt 	<huff> Such brutal training... <gasp> Small wonder you are strong...
Widargelt 	But we are not finished yet! Again, [Player Name]!
 	
Hewerald 	Pray forgive me my interruption. My name is Hewerald, and I am come at Professor Erik's behest.
Widargelt 	The professor? Has something happened?
Hewerald 	Nothing untoward, I assure you. He has made a momentous discovery pertaining to the man called Theobald.
Widargelt 	Truly!? We must go to him at once!
Hewerald 	Ah, beg your pardons, but the professor bade me bring Mistress/Master [Player Name] alone. He believes that you and the ladies should focus upon your training first and foremost.
Widargelt 	I suppose he is right. Very well.
Widargelt 	Go on, sister/brother. You have taught us all we need to know. All that remains is to practice. Make it second nature.
Hewerald 	My thanks for your understanding. Then without further ado, please follow me.
 	
D'zentsa 	No way I'm gettin' thrashed like that again. I'm gonna train harder than I've ever trained before!
 	
O'tchakha 	It wouldn't do to always rely on you and Master Widargelt. Nay, we must grow strong and become able to fend for ourselves.
 	
Hewerald 	Not far now. The professor awaits beyond.
Hewerald 	Hehehehe...
Hewerald 	Hahahaha! I can't believe you fell for it!
Hewerald 	Ah, but to be fair, I spoke no lies. The professor did call for you.
Hewerald 	“Help me, [Player Name],” he said! Ahahaha!
 	
Hewerald 	Surrender now or he's a dead man!
Erik 	Can't even finish a fight you started!? Cravens, the whole lot of you!
Hewerald 	Call me what you will, but no one stands between the king and his throne!
Widargelt 	You were slow to return. So we followed. It was right that we did.
O'tchakha 	Thank Rhalgr we were not too late.
Hewerald 	You... How the hells did you get past the sentries?
D'zentsa 	We trampled right over them, how else?
Hewerald 	Damn it... Your ilk was supposed to be easy pickings...
Hewerald 	The day's yours, but it isn't over. Mark my words.
 	
Widargelt 	Worry not about us, sister/brother. Go to the professor.
D'zentsa 	<pant> And there I thought you were a demon in battle...
O'tchakha 	The training is arduous, but we will persevere─for Master Widargelt.
Erik 	My thanks, [Player Name]. I was on my way back from Ul'dah when they set upon me, and none too gently, the bloody brutes.
Widargelt 	I am sorry, Professor. It is my fault. You were put in danger because of me.
Erik 	Haven't you learned anything, you dolt? I am part of this cause of my own volition. For better or worse, I alone bear responsibility for my actions. At any rate, I have done what I needed to do, and you may resume training safe in that knowledge.
O'tchakha 	Begging your pardons, but may I suggest we leave this place? The enemy may still be lurking nearby.
Erik 	The wisest thing said all day. Come, let us return to Ala Gannha.
Widargelt 	We are stronger thanks to your teachings. Strong enough to face the Corpse Brigade.
D'zentsa 	We're still nowhere near your level, but I reckon we've improved some!
O'tchakha 	<pant> From the training...to our rushing here...to the battle itself... <pant> It has been a day...of exertion...
 	
Widargelt 	I thank you again, [Player Name]. For your teachings. Owing to them, we could save the professor.
Widargelt 	He sustained some injuries. But for a blessing, they are minor. The village healer tends to him.
Widargelt 	When he is recovered, I mean to challenge Theobald. For that day, I will train hard. And I will put an end to his tyrannical ambitions. Witness me, sister/brother.
 	
D'zentsa 	We got the better of the Corpse Brigade this time, and it's all thanks to you, [Player Name]. You and your...ungh...brutal training.
 	
O'tchakha 	Your lessons have allowed us to transcend the limits of our style, [Player Name]. All you have taught us, we shall practice without cease.
Quest complete.	Quest complete.
Category:Disciple of War Job Quests in Final Fantasy XIV
Category:Quest battles in Final Fantasy XIV