7.45 follow-up (#99)

* Update cn

* 7.45 follow-up
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xiashtra
2026-03-03 21:04:14 -06:00
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0,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_000","The road ahead of you is long and perilous, but should you reach the laboratory's thirtieth floor, you shall be as well versed in its workings as any of the researchers who once toiled within its halls."
1,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_001","I would be concerned if you were anyone else, but I have the utmost confidence that your valor will see you through. Of course, I expect─and very much look forward to─a full report of your findings."
2,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_010","Your expedition has given even this ancient soul a long-forgotten sense of purpose."
3,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_011","You deserve a reward, and I have ever considered knowledge to be the most precious resource of all. So, ask me aught of the creatures and experiments you have encountered in Eureka Orthos, and I shall furnish you with what I know of their workings."
4,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_012","Hoho! I understand you have been quite busy. The better part of Eureka Orthos's hidden hallways now bear the mark of your footsteps─a boast that not even I could make!"
5,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_013","However, I caution you to not let your better judgment be clouded by pride. Eureka Orthos is a tomb for the secrets of Allag, and I would hate to see you buried amongst that detritus."
6,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_014","Koh has withdrawn inside herself, seemingly content to listen rather than speak. I see little reason to gainsay her decision."
7,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_015","Such are the choices one must make when sharing a vessel. I have an obligation to fulfill to you, besides, so if there are any questions burning a hole in your mind, you have the full cooperation of Archmagus Noah."
8,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_Q1_000_020","What will you do?"
9,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A1_000_021","Ask about achievements."
10,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A1_000_022","Accept achievement reward."
11,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A1_000_023","Speak with Noah."
12,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A1_000_024","Nothing."
13,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_Q2_000_030","What will you ask about?"
14,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_031","Tell me about yourself."
15,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_032","Tell me about Doga and Unei."
16,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_033","Tell me about Amon."
17,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_034","Tell me about Gancanagh on floor 10."
18,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_035","Tell me about the cloning system on floor 20."
19,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_036","Tell me about the clone of Tiamat on floor 30."
20,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_037","Tell me about the clone of Twintania on floor 40."
21,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_038","Tell me about the servomechanical chimera 14X on floor 50."
22,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_039","Tell me about the servomechanical minotaur 16 on floor 60."
23,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_040","Tell me about the aeturna on floor 70."
24,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_041","Tell me about Proto-Kaliya on floor 80."
25,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_042","Tell me about the Administrator on floor 90."
26,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_043","Tell me about Excalibur on floor 99."
27,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_044","Nothing."
28,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_050","The tomestone inserted into Excalibur's storage unit contains detailed records on the weapon in question."
29,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_051","I realize that the adventurers of today care little for such dry records aside from where market value is concerned, but that is your own fault for not knowing how to use them."
30,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_052","Fortunately, it was a simple matter for me to program the synthesis node to import the design elements recorded therein, and the resulting Excalibur-themed accoutrements should suffice to pique your interest. The weapon was a true work of art, after all."
31,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_SYSTEM_000_053","You can exchange Orthos tomestones for four types of accessories by presenting them to the synthesis node."
32,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_SYSTEM_000_054","If you speak to Koh Rabntah with all four of these accessories equipped or in your inventory, you will earn an achievement and a rare item."
33,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_055","I have something to give you, but...gods, <If(PlayerParameter(4))>woman<Else/>man</If>, must you carry an entire arsenal in your pack? I would hate for your illustrious career to be cut short by a bad back."
34,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_SYSTEM_000_056","To collect your reward, ensure you have sufficient inventory space and speak with Koh Rabntah once more."
35,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_057","You are quite full of surprises, <Split(<Highlight>ObjectParameter(1)</Highlight>, ,1)/>. It was impressive enough that you conquered every corner of Eureka Orthos, but that you would brave those halls yet again is truly remarkable! Indeed you know naught of fear."
36,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_058","And you have benefited from your own bravery, it seems. The data from the tomestones you recovered proved sufficient to synthesize a complete set of breathtaking accessories."
37,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_059","Now, Excalibur's beauty is the proverbial feather in your cap! You deserve it, for scarcely in my long years have I seen such a passion for discovery."
38,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_060","Since you leapt into the jaws of danger at my behest, I feel it is my duty to reward you for your thoroughness."
39,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_061","Although the debt I owe cannot be paid by material goods, I hope this aeturna I came across in an experimental vat will provide some measure of satisfaction. It <Emphasis>appears</Emphasis> to be friendly."
40,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_062","If left in the facility, its fate would have been a short life of loneliness and drudgery. But now, with you, it has many long years of derring-do ahead of it!"
41,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_070","Myself? Surprisingly, 'tis not a question I hear often... Truth be told, I find it difficult to know where to begin."
42,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_071","Perhaps with the empire? When Allag was at the height of its prosperity─and indolence─I was hailed as the greatest magus that had ever lived. Wealth and fame came as easily to me as death and taxes come to the common lot."
43,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_072","I do not boast, you can be sure─I truly was the greatest. Even Amon's considerable talents were as a sputtering candle when placed next to my brilliance. When it came to magical aptitude, in any case."
44,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_073","As the empire's luminary, admirers and patrons alike vied for my attention. I was free to sate my boundless curiosity and pursue untold strength. In each and every way, I lived a full life."
45,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_074","Even the severance of my soul from my body was a natural consequence of these pursuits. By doing so, I thrust myself outside of time's creeping reach, escaping the ravages of age."
46,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_075","Alas, I could not do the same for Allag. As the years passed, cracks began to form in the empire's foundation."
47,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_076","As the rebels descended upon the empire to put their wounded prey out of its misery, I set my sights forward to the civilizations waiting in the years ahead."
48,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_077","Would chaos and disorder come crawling over the horizon? Or would peace and prosperity find purchase, banishing all strife from the world? I sought a place far below that would suit my reverie, and there did I seal myself away."
49,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_078","To think that it would be Amon's magicks that propelled me across the eons and into this era. Well, at least I shall never lack for stories of high adventure with which to bore my pupils."
50,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_080","Ah, I take it you found data concerning the siblings in your expedition."
51,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_081","I should not be surprised. The pair were extremely cooperative when it came to research on cloning technology, even offering themselves up as subjects."
52,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_082","The direct support of the royal family spurred progress by leaps and bounds. Xande's resurrection was a direct result of Unei and Doga's contributions. The feat could not have been achieved without his direct descendants."
53,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_083","And there was more. The control system that used royal blood as a key arose from the multitude of clones produced from the siblings."
54,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_084","Doubtless this solidified the emperor's role as the beacon of Allag, making his authority unassailable. It also must have put to rest any number of courtly intrigues and disputes over succession─the legitimacy of royal blood was easily tested, after all."
55,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_085","Still, it does beg several questions. Is it right to copy oneself like we would a parchment or a painting? Moreover, is it right to treat such a copy as a tool to hide one's most precious secrets?"
56,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_086","These are questions not easily answered, even by Doga and Unei. Even so, they had a duty to guide their empire through its waning twilight, so they swallowed their doubt and shouldered their fate."
57,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_087","Even I did not foresee that their clones would prove instrumental in cutting short Xande's wicked ambitions so far in the future. Ah, such a clever scheme as befits my most gifted pupils!"
58,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_090","Hah, Amon! What stories I have of him! So gravely did he treat his research that he never smiled. 'Twould waste precious energy, you see."
59,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_091","All hint of the dour was washed away, however, when he succeeded in resurrecting Xande. The bliss he felt seemed to pour from his mouth every time he spoke. “Yes, Your Majesty,” “Very good, Your Majesty,” he would chirp, over and over. I can hardly say which was worse."
60,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_092","He had hung all hopes upon a single man. An emperor, whose revival came at the cost of thousands of lives..."
61,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_093","I have heard tell that in your era, he called himself Fandaniel, the Ascian. Yet I know that regardless of who he pretended to be, he could never hide that nettling persistence of his."
62,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_094","Even should he suffer a thousand thousand deaths, his soul cleansed by the Lifestream again and again, he would cast aside his life in his search for answers. Such is his nature."
63,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_095","I never knew him to be any other way. His eyes burned like hot iron, casting about the rotten world before them for the chance to tear it all down and rebuild anew. There were few like him, and doubtless there have been few since."
64,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_100","Unfortunately, Gancanagh and pachypodium mines are two forms of weaponry that were never developed past the prototype stage before the empire collapsed."
65,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_101","The intended purpose of the mines was to lie in ambush beneath the soil and take unwary enemies by surprise. Individually they were quite ineffective, but with Gancanagh's leadership, they could be as terrifying as a legion of hardened troops."
66,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_102","Researchers determined that designing them to resemble plant life would best enable them to blend into their surroundings. Their sensors had to be calibrated as precisely as possible to enable accurate readings from deep underground."
67,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_103","Alas, they will ever be in a state of imperfection. As they are, they are far from the picture of well-oiled killing machines. One might even say they appear quite charming─until the explosions start, that is."
68,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_110","After protracted battle and innumerable losses on the southern continent, the empire sought a means by which to use the strength of dragons to aid their conquest. "
69,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_111","The cloning system you encountered was created to make this dream into reality."
70,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_112","Its genius lies in the unification of two technologies: dragon cloning and control mechanisms for biological organisms. It enabled the creation of winged soldiers whose obedience was absolute."
71,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_113","The woman in charge of researching and developing the system lost her husband in the southern campaign. It was said that a dragon bit his head clean off, and only his body was returned home for burial."
72,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_114","She threw herself into her work, so that no others would suffer as she did. “A claw for a claw, a fang for a fang...” Such was her mantra as she spent countless long nights perfecting the system."
73,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_120","If you include the devastation wrought by her summoning of Bahamut, no wyrm has claimed more Allagan lives than Tiamat."
74,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_121","The vast plains of the southern continent were so littered with corpses that one could walk for malms without setting foot on the ground. While some could be identified, many more were charred masses of bone and gristle."
75,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_122","The prospect of cloning such a fierce entity was a daunting one, and I remember hearing that the researchers even made efforts to tone down their subject's innate savagery."
76,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_123","Tiamat was gifted with considerable skill at manipulating aether. I found the nature of her breath most fascinating. She could concentrate dark aether so intensely that it created aetheric bodies similar to familiars and sprites─something observed in no other dragon."
77,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_124","It seems they opted not to engineer these talents out of the clones. Whether that was due to the difficulty of doing so or because they hoped to use it to their own advantage, I cannot say..."
78,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_130","Ah, yes, Twintania. The ancient wyvern who held dominion over the wind itself. If I recall, research on cloning the creature was being conducted on the fortieth floor."
79,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_131","The original Twintania was feared by even the mightiest generals of Allag, and as a child of Bahamut she wrought untold destruction upon her broodsire's enemies. Naturally, she became a subject of much interest after her capture."
80,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_132","Countless clones of her were produced, and the knowledge gleaned from the process became fundamental to the further development of technology for dragon duplication and control."
81,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_133","The specimen you encountered was doubtless one of these test subjects, kept there to tighten the shackles of Allag's mastery over dragonkin."
82,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_140","If a single marvel were to define Allag, it would be the advent of chimerical organisms. So versatile were these creations that researchers would often hold contests to show off their most recent contrivances."
83,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_141","The chimera as you know it was the culmination of this competitive spirit─a masterpiece that would endure beyond the empire itself. Each iteration brought it closer to perfection, until the third generation combined the strengths of three species of animal into one relentless predator."
84,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_142","The servomechanical chimera 14X used this deadly organism as its inspiration, and was meant to surpass it in every way─a perfect weapon."
85,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_143","But if you ask me, all that metal quite takes the art out of the thing! It may be deadly, yes, but there is an allure in organic life that can never be captured by machinery."
86,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_144","The joining of disparate mundane beasts to make an almost mythical creation was the source of the chimera's grotesque charm. You cannot deliberately forge every part without marring its inherent beauty."
87,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_150","Ah, I see you found the chimerical laboratory."
88,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_151","As you may already know, chimerical hybrids evolved over the course of four generations. The first was a blossoming of new life, its potential unrealized. By the fourth generation, chimerical hybrids had achieved a level of intelligence which placed them squarely at the top of the natural order."
89,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_152","The minotaur belonged to the second generation─simple in composition, yet gifted with the ability to reproduce. The latter characteristic was what set it apart from its more primitive forebears."
90,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_153","The advantages of a weapon that can multiply quickly and of its own volition are self-evident, I would hope. The minotaur you encountered was enhanced with Allag's most advanced technology, meant to minimize the cost of upkeep while maximizing its combat efficacy."
91,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_160","The conquest of the southern continent saw Allag contending with eikons, and naturally the researchers of Eureka Orthos were tasked with developing countermeasures in this conflict. "
92,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_161","Now I ask you, <Split(<Highlight>ObjectParameter(1)</Highlight>, ,1)/>─what do you think is the most effective way to combat an eikon? Your experience makes you singularly suited to answer such a question."
93,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_162","The correct answer, of course, is to keep them from being summoned in the first place. By siphoning away the aether that is their lifeblood, one can ensure that the eikons never set foot on solid earth."
94,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_163","Such was the aeturna's purpose─a beast captured by Xande during an excursion abroad, and possessed of an insatiable hunger for aether."
95,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_164","It uses that aether not only to feed its own fury, but also to aid its allies in battle. That, combined with the beauty of its form, makes it one of Allag's most elegant weapons─in my humble opinion, of course."
96,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_170","From the description of your foe, it could be none other than Proto-Kaliya you encountered on the eightieth floor. How curious..."
97,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_171","Work on Kaliya had already been completed, you see. I struggle to find a reason why a prototype would be housed so deep within Eureka Orthos."
98,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_172","My best guess would be that it served as a base from which to produce a new type of weapon─a divergent species of Kaliya, if you will."
99,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_173","Your experience seems to bolster that theory, in fact. No Kaliya I know could coordinate with drones and mechanical systems. Whatever its eventual use would have been, it seems Allag's collapse ensured that it will never come to fruition."
100,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_180","Hmm? A machine that summoned a steel legion of mechanized soldiers and drones?"
101,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_181","Hah hah hah, gods, you are impressive! That would be the Administrator, overseer of Eureka Orthos's defense systems."
102,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_182","It is no surprise it was housed within the deepmost floors of the facility, as those held its most precious secrets."
103,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_183","It was designed with the capabilities to fight back an entire enemy army on its own, yet it fell to the might of a single warrior! Hah!"
104,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_184","You are every bit as fierce as I was led to believe, <Split(<Highlight>ObjectParameter(1)</Highlight>, ,1)/>! If I am fortunate enough to meet the system's designers again when I return to the aetherial sea, I shall tell them of your triumph! Oh, to see the look on their faces would make this entire reawakening business worth it!"
105,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_190","You wish to hear the tale of Excalibur again? Very well, I see no reason to object─'tis only fitting that you and Koh should know the truth by heart."
106,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_191","Ahem. Eureka Orthos's supreme eikon created the sword Excalibur from a nigh-bottomless well of aether. The Allagans dubbed it a trigger weapon, which would allow its wielder to summon divine power at will."
107,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_192","However, it was not to be used for the benefit of Allag's military. It would pierce the heart of the traitor Artorius, breaking his spirit and turning him into the empire's puppet."
108,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_193","After you brought this broken king low, it appears the sword was separated from his body and placed in safekeeping."
109,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_194","In time, Eureka Orthos will cease to function, and breathe its final breath deep beneath the earth. When that happens, it shall live on as naught but a legend of a bygone age."
110,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_195","The name Excalibur appears in another legend, if I recall. Long after the empire was laid to rest, a story was woven of a king of eld who wielded a sword by the same name."
111,"TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_196","Was this an attempt to glorify the deeds of Artorius, who in the end became little more than a weapon himself? Or perhaps it was an attempt to paint the truth in more palatable shades, transforming atrocity into heroism through the filter of myth. They say that all things give way before time, after all."
0,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_000,"The road ahead of you is long and perilous, but should you reach the laboratory's thirtieth floor, you shall be as well versed in its workings as any of the researchers who once toiled within its halls."
1,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_001,"I would be concerned if you were anyone else, but I have the utmost confidence that your valor will see you through. Of course, I expect─and very much look forward to─a full report of your findings."
2,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_010,Your expedition has given even this ancient soul a long-forgotten sense of purpose.
3,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_011,"You deserve a reward, and I have ever considered knowledge to be the most precious resource of all. So, ask me aught of the creatures and experiments you have encountered in Eureka Orthos, and I shall furnish you with what I know of their workings."
4,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_012,Hoho! I understand you have been quite busy. The better part of Eureka Orthos's hidden hallways now bear the mark of your footsteps─a boast that not even I could make!
5,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_013,"However, I caution you to not let your better judgment be clouded by pride. Eureka Orthos is a tomb for the secrets of Allag, and I would hate to see you buried amongst that detritus."
6,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_014,"Koh has withdrawn inside herself, seemingly content to listen rather than speak. I see little reason to gainsay her decision."
7,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_015,"Such are the choices one must make when sharing a vessel. I have an obligation to fulfill to you, besides, so if there are any questions burning a hole in your mind, you have the full cooperation of Archmagus Noah."
8,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_Q1_000_020,What will you do?
9,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A1_000_021,Ask about achievements.
10,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A1_000_022,Accept achievement reward.
11,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A1_000_023,Speak with Noah.
12,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A1_000_024,Nothing.
13,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_Q2_000_030,What will you ask about?
14,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_031,Tell me about yourself.
15,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_032,Tell me about Doga and Unei.
16,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_033,Tell me about Amon.
17,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_034,Tell me about Gancanagh on floor 10.
18,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_035,Tell me about the cloning system on floor 20.
19,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_036,Tell me about the clone of Tiamat on floor 30.
20,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_037,Tell me about the clone of Twintania on floor 40.
21,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_038,Tell me about the servomechanical chimera 14X on floor 50.
22,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_039,Tell me about the servomechanical minotaur 16 on floor 60.
23,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_040,Tell me about the aeturna on floor 70.
24,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_041,Tell me about Proto-Kaliya on floor 80.
25,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_042,Tell me about the Administrator on floor 90.
26,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_043,Tell me about Excalibur on floor 99.
27,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_044,Nothing.
28,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_050,The tomestone inserted into Excalibur's storage unit contains detailed records on the weapon in question.
29,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_051,"I realize that the adventurers of today care little for such dry records aside from where market value is concerned, but that is your own fault for not knowing how to use them."
30,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_052,"Fortunately, it was a simple matter for me to program the synthesis node to import the design elements recorded therein, and the resulting Excalibur-themed accoutrements should suffice to pique your interest. The weapon was a true work of art, after all."
31,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_SYSTEM_000_053,You can exchange Orthos tomestones for four types of accessories by presenting them to the synthesis node.
32,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_SYSTEM_000_054,"If you speak to Koh Rabntah with all four of these accessories equipped or in your inventory, you will earn an achievement and a rare item."
33,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_055,"I have something to give you, but...gods, woman, must you carry an entire arsenal in your pack? I would hate for your illustrious career to be cut short by a bad back."
34,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_SYSTEM_000_056,"To collect your reward, ensure you have sufficient inventory space and speak with Koh Rabntah once more."
35,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_057,"You are quite full of surprises, Player. It was impressive enough that you conquered every corner of Eureka Orthos, but that you would brave those halls yet again is truly remarkable! Indeed you know naught of fear."
36,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_058,"And you have benefited from your own bravery, it seems. The data from the tomestones you recovered proved sufficient to synthesize a complete set of breathtaking accessories."
37,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_059,"Now, Excalibur's beauty is the proverbial feather in your cap! You deserve it, for scarcely in my long years have I seen such a passion for discovery."
38,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_060,"Since you leapt into the jaws of danger at my behest, I feel it is my duty to reward you for your thoroughness."
39,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_061,"Although the debt I owe cannot be paid by material goods, I hope this aeturna I came across in an experimental vat will provide some measure of satisfaction. It *appears* to be friendly."
40,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_062,"If left in the facility, its fate would have been a short life of loneliness and drudgery. But now, with you, it has many long years of derring-do ahead of it!"
41,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_070,"Myself? Surprisingly, 'tis not a question I hear often... Truth be told, I find it difficult to know where to begin."
42,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_071,Perhaps with the empire? When Allag was at the height of its prosperity─and indolence─I was hailed as the greatest magus that had ever lived. Wealth and fame came as easily to me as death and taxes come to the common lot.
43,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_072,"I do not boast, you can be sure─I truly was the greatest. Even Amon's considerable talents were as a sputtering candle when placed next to my brilliance. When it came to magical aptitude, in any case."
44,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_073,"As the empire's luminary, admirers and patrons alike vied for my attention. I was free to sate my boundless curiosity and pursue untold strength. In each and every way, I lived a full life."
45,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_074,"Even the severance of my soul from my body was a natural consequence of these pursuits. By doing so, I thrust myself outside of time's creeping reach, escaping the ravages of age."
46,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_075,"Alas, I could not do the same for Allag. As the years passed, cracks began to form in the empire's foundation."
47,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_076,"As the rebels descended upon the empire to put their wounded prey out of its misery, I set my sights forward to the civilizations waiting in the years ahead."
48,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_077,"Would chaos and disorder come crawling over the horizon? Or would peace and prosperity find purchase, banishing all strife from the world? I sought a place far below that would suit my reverie, and there did I seal myself away."
49,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_078,"To think that it would be Amon's magicks that propelled me across the eons and into this era. Well, at least I shall never lack for stories of high adventure with which to bore my pupils."
50,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_080,"Ah, I take it you found data concerning the siblings in your expedition."
51,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_081,"I should not be surprised. The pair were extremely cooperative when it came to research on cloning technology, even offering themselves up as subjects."
52,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_082,The direct support of the royal family spurred progress by leaps and bounds. Xande's resurrection was a direct result of Unei and Doga's contributions. The feat could not have been achieved without his direct descendants.
53,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_083,And there was more. The control system that used royal blood as a key arose from the multitude of clones produced from the siblings.
54,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_084,"Doubtless this solidified the emperor's role as the beacon of Allag, making his authority unassailable. It also must have put to rest any number of courtly intrigues and disputes over succession─the legitimacy of royal blood was easily tested, after all."
55,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_085,"Still, it does beg several questions. Is it right to copy oneself like we would a parchment or a painting? Moreover, is it right to treat such a copy as a tool to hide one's most precious secrets?"
56,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_086,"These are questions not easily answered, even by Doga and Unei. Even so, they had a duty to guide their empire through its waning twilight, so they swallowed their doubt and shouldered their fate."
57,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_087,"Even I did not foresee that their clones would prove instrumental in cutting short Xande's wicked ambitions so far in the future. Ah, such a clever scheme as befits my most gifted pupils!"
58,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_090,"Hah, Amon! What stories I have of him! So gravely did he treat his research that he never smiled. 'Twould waste precious energy, you see."
59,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_091,"All hint of the dour was washed away, however, when he succeeded in resurrecting Xande. The bliss he felt seemed to pour from his mouth every time he spoke. “Yes, Your Majesty,” “Very good, Your Majesty,” he would chirp, over and over. I can hardly say which was worse."
60,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_092,"He had hung all hopes upon a single man. An emperor, whose revival came at the cost of thousands of lives..."
61,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_093,"I have heard tell that in your era, he called himself Fandaniel, the Ascian. Yet I know that regardless of who he pretended to be, he could never hide that nettling persistence of his."
62,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_094,"Even should he suffer a thousand thousand deaths, his soul cleansed by the Lifestream again and again, he would cast aside his life in his search for answers. Such is his nature."
63,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_095,"I never knew him to be any other way. His eyes burned like hot iron, casting about the rotten world before them for the chance to tear it all down and rebuild anew. There were few like him, and doubtless there have been few since."
64,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_100,"Unfortunately, Gancanagh and pachypodium mines are two forms of weaponry that were never developed past the prototype stage before the empire collapsed."
65,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_101,"The intended purpose of the mines was to lie in ambush beneath the soil and take unwary enemies by surprise. Individually they were quite ineffective, but with Gancanagh's leadership, they could be as terrifying as a legion of hardened troops."
66,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_102,Researchers determined that designing them to resemble plant life would best enable them to blend into their surroundings. Their sensors had to be calibrated as precisely as possible to enable accurate readings from deep underground.
67,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_103,"Alas, they will ever be in a state of imperfection. As they are, they are far from the picture of well-oiled killing machines. One might even say they appear quite charming─until the explosions start, that is."
68,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_110,"After protracted battle and innumerable losses on the southern continent, the empire sought a means by which to use the strength of dragons to aid their conquest. "
69,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_111,The cloning system you encountered was created to make this dream into reality.
70,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_112,Its genius lies in the unification of two technologies: dragon cloning and control mechanisms for biological organisms. It enabled the creation of winged soldiers whose obedience was absolute.
71,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_113,"The woman in charge of researching and developing the system lost her husband in the southern campaign. It was said that a dragon bit his head clean off, and only his body was returned home for burial."
72,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_114,"She threw herself into her work, so that no others would suffer as she did. “A claw for a claw, a fang for a fang...” Such was her mantra as she spent countless long nights perfecting the system."
73,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_120,"If you include the devastation wrought by her summoning of Bahamut, no wyrm has claimed more Allagan lives than Tiamat."
74,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_121,"The vast plains of the southern continent were so littered with corpses that one could walk for malms without setting foot on the ground. While some could be identified, many more were charred masses of bone and gristle."
75,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_122,"The prospect of cloning such a fierce entity was a daunting one, and I remember hearing that the researchers even made efforts to tone down their subject's innate savagery."
76,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_123,Tiamat was gifted with considerable skill at manipulating aether. I found the nature of her breath most fascinating. She could concentrate dark aether so intensely that it created aetheric bodies similar to familiars and sprites─something observed in no other dragon.
77,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_124,"It seems they opted not to engineer these talents out of the clones. Whether that was due to the difficulty of doing so or because they hoped to use it to their own advantage, I cannot say..."
78,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_130,"Ah, yes, Twintania. The ancient wyvern who held dominion over the wind itself. If I recall, research on cloning the creature was being conducted on the fortieth floor."
79,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_131,"The original Twintania was feared by even the mightiest generals of Allag, and as a child of Bahamut she wrought untold destruction upon her broodsire's enemies. Naturally, she became a subject of much interest after her capture."
80,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_132,"Countless clones of her were produced, and the knowledge gleaned from the process became fundamental to the further development of technology for dragon duplication and control."
81,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_133,"The specimen you encountered was doubtless one of these test subjects, kept there to tighten the shackles of Allag's mastery over dragonkin."
82,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_140,"If a single marvel were to define Allag, it would be the advent of chimerical organisms. So versatile were these creations that researchers would often hold contests to show off their most recent contrivances."
83,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_141,"The chimera as you know it was the culmination of this competitive spirit─a masterpiece that would endure beyond the empire itself. Each iteration brought it closer to perfection, until the third generation combined the strengths of three species of animal into one relentless predator."
84,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_142,"The servomechanical chimera 14X used this deadly organism as its inspiration, and was meant to surpass it in every way─a perfect weapon."
85,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_143,"But if you ask me, all that metal quite takes the art out of the thing! It may be deadly, yes, but there is an allure in organic life that can never be captured by machinery."
86,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_144,The joining of disparate mundane beasts to make an almost mythical creation was the source of the chimera's grotesque charm. You cannot deliberately forge every part without marring its inherent beauty.
87,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_150,"Ah, I see you found the chimerical laboratory."
88,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_151,"As you may already know, chimerical hybrids evolved over the course of four generations. The first was a blossoming of new life, its potential unrealized. By the fourth generation, chimerical hybrids had achieved a level of intelligence which placed them squarely at the top of the natural order."
89,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_152,"The minotaur belonged to the second generation─simple in composition, yet gifted with the ability to reproduce. The latter characteristic was what set it apart from its more primitive forebears."
90,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_153,"The advantages of a weapon that can multiply quickly and of its own volition are self-evident, I would hope. The minotaur you encountered was enhanced with Allag's most advanced technology, meant to minimize the cost of upkeep while maximizing its combat efficacy."
91,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_160,"The conquest of the southern continent saw Allag contending with eikons, and naturally the researchers of Eureka Orthos were tasked with developing countermeasures in this conflict. "
92,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_161,"Now I ask you, Player─what do you think is the most effective way to combat an eikon? Your experience makes you singularly suited to answer such a question."
93,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_162,"The correct answer, of course, is to keep them from being summoned in the first place. By siphoning away the aether that is their lifeblood, one can ensure that the eikons never set foot on solid earth."
94,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_163,"Such was the aeturna's purpose─a beast captured by Xande during an excursion abroad, and possessed of an insatiable hunger for aether."
95,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_164,"It uses that aether not only to feed its own fury, but also to aid its allies in battle. That, combined with the beauty of its form, makes it one of Allag's most elegant weapons─in my humble opinion, of course."
96,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_170,"From the description of your foe, it could be none other than Proto-Kaliya you encountered on the eightieth floor. How curious..."
97,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_171,"Work on Kaliya had already been completed, you see. I struggle to find a reason why a prototype would be housed so deep within Eureka Orthos."
98,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_172,"My best guess would be that it served as a base from which to produce a new type of weapon─a divergent species of Kaliya, if you will."
99,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_173,"Your experience seems to bolster that theory, in fact. No Kaliya I know could coordinate with drones and mechanical systems. Whatever its eventual use would have been, it seems Allag's collapse ensured that it will never come to fruition."
100,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_180,Hmm? A machine that summoned a steel legion of mechanized soldiers and drones?
101,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_181,"Hah hah hah, gods, you are impressive! That would be the Administrator, overseer of Eureka Orthos's defense systems."
102,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_182,"It is no surprise it was housed within the deepmost floors of the facility, as those held its most precious secrets."
103,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_183,"It was designed with the capabilities to fight back an entire enemy army on its own, yet it fell to the might of a single warrior! Hah!"
104,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_184,"You are every bit as fierce as I was led to believe, Player! If I am fortunate enough to meet the system's designers again when I return to the aetherial sea, I shall tell them of your triumph! Oh, to see the look on their faces would make this entire reawakening business worth it!"
105,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_190,"You wish to hear the tale of Excalibur again? Very well, I see no reason to object─'tis only fitting that you and Koh should know the truth by heart."
106,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_191,"Ahem. Eureka Orthos's supreme eikon created the sword Excalibur from a nigh-bottomless well of aether. The Allagans dubbed it a trigger weapon, which would allow its wielder to summon divine power at will."
107,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_192,"However, it was not to be used for the benefit of Allag's military. It would pierce the heart of the traitor Artorius, breaking his spirit and turning him into the empire's puppet."
108,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_193,"After you brought this broken king low, it appears the sword was separated from his body and placed in safekeeping."
109,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_194,"In time, Eureka Orthos will cease to function, and breathe its final breath deep beneath the earth. When that happens, it shall live on as naught but a legend of a bygone age."
110,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_195,"The name Excalibur appears in another legend, if I recall. Long after the empire was laid to rest, a story was woven of a king of eld who wielded a sword by the same name."
111,TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_196,"Was this an attempt to glorify the deeds of Artorius, who in the end became little more than a weapon himself? Or perhaps it was an attempt to paint the truth in more palatable shades, transforming atrocity into heroism through the filter of myth. They say that all things give way before time, after all."
1 key 0 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_000 1 The road ahead of you is long and perilous, but should you reach the laboratory's thirtieth floor, you shall be as well versed in its workings as any of the researchers who once toiled within its halls.
2 # 1 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_001 I would be concerned if you were anyone else, but I have the utmost confidence that your valor will see you through. Of course, I expect─and very much look forward to─a full report of your findings.
3 int32 str 2 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_010 str Your expedition has given even this ancient soul a long-forgotten sense of purpose.
4 0 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_000 3 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_011 The road ahead of you is long and perilous, but should you reach the laboratory's thirtieth floor, you shall be as well versed in its workings as any of the researchers who once toiled within its halls. You deserve a reward, and I have ever considered knowledge to be the most precious resource of all. So, ask me aught of the creatures and experiments you have encountered in Eureka Orthos, and I shall furnish you with what I know of their workings.
5 1 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_001 4 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_012 I would be concerned if you were anyone else, but I have the utmost confidence that your valor will see you through. Of course, I expect─and very much look forward to─a full report of your findings. Hoho! I understand you have been quite busy. The better part of Eureka Orthos's hidden hallways now bear the mark of your footsteps─a boast that not even I could make!
6 2 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_010 5 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_013 Your expedition has given even this ancient soul a long-forgotten sense of purpose. However, I caution you to not let your better judgment be clouded by pride. Eureka Orthos is a tomb for the secrets of Allag, and I would hate to see you buried amongst that detritus.
7 3 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_011 6 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_014 You deserve a reward, and I have ever considered knowledge to be the most precious resource of all. So, ask me aught of the creatures and experiments you have encountered in Eureka Orthos, and I shall furnish you with what I know of their workings. Koh has withdrawn inside herself, seemingly content to listen rather than speak. I see little reason to gainsay her decision.
8 4 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_012 7 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_015 Hoho! I understand you have been quite busy. The better part of Eureka Orthos's hidden hallways now bear the mark of your footsteps─a boast that not even I could make! Such are the choices one must make when sharing a vessel. I have an obligation to fulfill to you, besides, so if there are any questions burning a hole in your mind, you have the full cooperation of Archmagus Noah.
9 5 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_013 8 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_Q1_000_020 However, I caution you to not let your better judgment be clouded by pride. Eureka Orthos is a tomb for the secrets of Allag, and I would hate to see you buried amongst that detritus. What will you do?
10 6 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_014 9 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A1_000_021 Koh has withdrawn inside herself, seemingly content to listen rather than speak. I see little reason to gainsay her decision. Ask about achievements.
11 7 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_015 10 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A1_000_022 Such are the choices one must make when sharing a vessel. I have an obligation to fulfill to you, besides, so if there are any questions burning a hole in your mind, you have the full cooperation of Archmagus Noah. Accept achievement reward.
12 8 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_Q1_000_020 11 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A1_000_023 What will you do? Speak with Noah.
13 9 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A1_000_021 12 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A1_000_024 Ask about achievements. Nothing.
14 10 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A1_000_022 13 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_Q2_000_030 Accept achievement reward. What will you ask about?
15 11 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A1_000_023 14 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_031 Speak with Noah. Tell me about yourself.
16 12 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A1_000_024 15 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_032 Nothing. Tell me about Doga and Unei.
17 13 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_Q2_000_030 16 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_033 What will you ask about? Tell me about Amon.
18 14 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_031 17 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_034 Tell me about yourself. Tell me about Gancanagh on floor 10.
19 15 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_032 18 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_035 Tell me about Doga and Unei. Tell me about the cloning system on floor 20.
20 16 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_033 19 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_036 Tell me about Amon. Tell me about the clone of Tiamat on floor 30.
21 17 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_034 20 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_037 Tell me about Gancanagh on floor 10. Tell me about the clone of Twintania on floor 40.
22 18 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_035 21 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_038 Tell me about the cloning system on floor 20. Tell me about the servomechanical chimera 14X on floor 50.
23 19 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_036 22 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_039 Tell me about the clone of Tiamat on floor 30. Tell me about the servomechanical minotaur 16 on floor 60.
24 20 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_037 23 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_040 Tell me about the clone of Twintania on floor 40. Tell me about the aeturna on floor 70.
25 21 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_038 24 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_041 Tell me about the servomechanical chimera 14X on floor 50. Tell me about Proto-Kaliya on floor 80.
26 22 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_039 25 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_042 Tell me about the servomechanical minotaur 16 on floor 60. Tell me about the Administrator on floor 90.
27 23 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_040 26 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_043 Tell me about the aeturna on floor 70. Tell me about Excalibur on floor 99.
28 24 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_041 27 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_044 Tell me about Proto-Kaliya on floor 80. Nothing.
29 25 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_042 28 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_050 Tell me about the Administrator on floor 90. The tomestone inserted into Excalibur's storage unit contains detailed records on the weapon in question.
30 26 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_043 29 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_051 Tell me about Excalibur on floor 99. I realize that the adventurers of today care little for such dry records aside from where market value is concerned, but that is your own fault for not knowing how to use them.
31 27 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_A2_000_044 30 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_052 Nothing. Fortunately, it was a simple matter for me to program the synthesis node to import the design elements recorded therein, and the resulting Excalibur-themed accoutrements should suffice to pique your interest. The weapon was a true work of art, after all.
32 28 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_050 31 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_SYSTEM_000_053 The tomestone inserted into Excalibur's storage unit contains detailed records on the weapon in question. You can exchange Orthos tomestones for four types of accessories by presenting them to the synthesis node.
33 29 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_051 32 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_SYSTEM_000_054 I realize that the adventurers of today care little for such dry records aside from where market value is concerned, but that is your own fault for not knowing how to use them. If you speak to Koh Rabntah with all four of these accessories equipped or in your inventory, you will earn an achievement and a rare item.
34 30 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_052 33 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_055 Fortunately, it was a simple matter for me to program the synthesis node to import the design elements recorded therein, and the resulting Excalibur-themed accoutrements should suffice to pique your interest. The weapon was a true work of art, after all. I have something to give you, but...gods, woman, must you carry an entire arsenal in your pack? I would hate for your illustrious career to be cut short by a bad back.
35 31 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_SYSTEM_000_053 34 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_SYSTEM_000_056 You can exchange Orthos tomestones for four types of accessories by presenting them to the synthesis node. To collect your reward, ensure you have sufficient inventory space and speak with Koh Rabntah once more.
36 32 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_SYSTEM_000_054 35 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_057 If you speak to Koh Rabntah with all four of these accessories equipped or in your inventory, you will earn an achievement and a rare item. You are quite full of surprises, Player. It was impressive enough that you conquered every corner of Eureka Orthos, but that you would brave those halls yet again is truly remarkable! Indeed you know naught of fear.
37 33 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_055 36 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_058 I have something to give you, but...gods, <If(PlayerParameter(4))>woman<Else/>man</If>, must you carry an entire arsenal in your pack? I would hate for your illustrious career to be cut short by a bad back. And you have benefited from your own bravery, it seems. The data from the tomestones you recovered proved sufficient to synthesize a complete set of breathtaking accessories.
38 34 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_SYSTEM_000_056 37 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_059 To collect your reward, ensure you have sufficient inventory space and speak with Koh Rabntah once more. Now, Excalibur's beauty is the proverbial feather in your cap! You deserve it, for scarcely in my long years have I seen such a passion for discovery.
39 35 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_057 38 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_060 You are quite full of surprises, <Split(<Highlight>ObjectParameter(1)</Highlight>, ,1)/>. It was impressive enough that you conquered every corner of Eureka Orthos, but that you would brave those halls yet again is truly remarkable! Indeed you know naught of fear. Since you leapt into the jaws of danger at my behest, I feel it is my duty to reward you for your thoroughness.
40 36 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_058 39 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_061 And you have benefited from your own bravery, it seems. The data from the tomestones you recovered proved sufficient to synthesize a complete set of breathtaking accessories. Although the debt I owe cannot be paid by material goods, I hope this aeturna I came across in an experimental vat will provide some measure of satisfaction. It *appears* to be friendly.
41 37 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_059 40 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_062 Now, Excalibur's beauty is the proverbial feather in your cap! You deserve it, for scarcely in my long years have I seen such a passion for discovery. If left in the facility, its fate would have been a short life of loneliness and drudgery. But now, with you, it has many long years of derring-do ahead of it!
42 38 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_060 41 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_070 Since you leapt into the jaws of danger at my behest, I feel it is my duty to reward you for your thoroughness. Myself? Surprisingly, 'tis not a question I hear often... Truth be told, I find it difficult to know where to begin.
43 39 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_061 42 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_071 Although the debt I owe cannot be paid by material goods, I hope this aeturna I came across in an experimental vat will provide some measure of satisfaction. It <Emphasis>appears</Emphasis> to be friendly. Perhaps with the empire? When Allag was at the height of its prosperity─and indolence─I was hailed as the greatest magus that had ever lived. Wealth and fame came as easily to me as death and taxes come to the common lot.
44 40 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_062 43 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_072 If left in the facility, its fate would have been a short life of loneliness and drudgery. But now, with you, it has many long years of derring-do ahead of it! I do not boast, you can be sure─I truly was the greatest. Even Amon's considerable talents were as a sputtering candle when placed next to my brilliance. When it came to magical aptitude, in any case.
45 41 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_070 44 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_073 Myself? Surprisingly, 'tis not a question I hear often... Truth be told, I find it difficult to know where to begin. As the empire's luminary, admirers and patrons alike vied for my attention. I was free to sate my boundless curiosity and pursue untold strength. In each and every way, I lived a full life.
46 42 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_071 45 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_074 Perhaps with the empire? When Allag was at the height of its prosperity─and indolence─I was hailed as the greatest magus that had ever lived. Wealth and fame came as easily to me as death and taxes come to the common lot. Even the severance of my soul from my body was a natural consequence of these pursuits. By doing so, I thrust myself outside of time's creeping reach, escaping the ravages of age.
47 43 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_072 46 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_075 I do not boast, you can be sure─I truly was the greatest. Even Amon's considerable talents were as a sputtering candle when placed next to my brilliance. When it came to magical aptitude, in any case. Alas, I could not do the same for Allag. As the years passed, cracks began to form in the empire's foundation.
48 44 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_073 47 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_076 As the empire's luminary, admirers and patrons alike vied for my attention. I was free to sate my boundless curiosity and pursue untold strength. In each and every way, I lived a full life. As the rebels descended upon the empire to put their wounded prey out of its misery, I set my sights forward to the civilizations waiting in the years ahead.
49 45 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_074 48 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_077 Even the severance of my soul from my body was a natural consequence of these pursuits. By doing so, I thrust myself outside of time's creeping reach, escaping the ravages of age. Would chaos and disorder come crawling over the horizon? Or would peace and prosperity find purchase, banishing all strife from the world? I sought a place far below that would suit my reverie, and there did I seal myself away.
50 46 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_075 49 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_078 Alas, I could not do the same for Allag. As the years passed, cracks began to form in the empire's foundation. To think that it would be Amon's magicks that propelled me across the eons and into this era. Well, at least I shall never lack for stories of high adventure with which to bore my pupils.
51 47 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_076 50 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_080 As the rebels descended upon the empire to put their wounded prey out of its misery, I set my sights forward to the civilizations waiting in the years ahead. Ah, I take it you found data concerning the siblings in your expedition.
52 48 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_077 51 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_081 Would chaos and disorder come crawling over the horizon? Or would peace and prosperity find purchase, banishing all strife from the world? I sought a place far below that would suit my reverie, and there did I seal myself away. I should not be surprised. The pair were extremely cooperative when it came to research on cloning technology, even offering themselves up as subjects.
53 49 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_078 52 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_082 To think that it would be Amon's magicks that propelled me across the eons and into this era. Well, at least I shall never lack for stories of high adventure with which to bore my pupils. The direct support of the royal family spurred progress by leaps and bounds. Xande's resurrection was a direct result of Unei and Doga's contributions. The feat could not have been achieved without his direct descendants.
54 50 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_080 53 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_083 Ah, I take it you found data concerning the siblings in your expedition. And there was more. The control system that used royal blood as a key arose from the multitude of clones produced from the siblings.
55 51 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_081 54 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_084 I should not be surprised. The pair were extremely cooperative when it came to research on cloning technology, even offering themselves up as subjects. Doubtless this solidified the emperor's role as the beacon of Allag, making his authority unassailable. It also must have put to rest any number of courtly intrigues and disputes over succession─the legitimacy of royal blood was easily tested, after all.
56 52 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_082 55 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_085 The direct support of the royal family spurred progress by leaps and bounds. Xande's resurrection was a direct result of Unei and Doga's contributions. The feat could not have been achieved without his direct descendants. Still, it does beg several questions. Is it right to copy oneself like we would a parchment or a painting? Moreover, is it right to treat such a copy as a tool to hide one's most precious secrets?
57 53 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_083 56 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_086 And there was more. The control system that used royal blood as a key arose from the multitude of clones produced from the siblings. These are questions not easily answered, even by Doga and Unei. Even so, they had a duty to guide their empire through its waning twilight, so they swallowed their doubt and shouldered their fate.
58 54 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_084 57 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_087 Doubtless this solidified the emperor's role as the beacon of Allag, making his authority unassailable. It also must have put to rest any number of courtly intrigues and disputes over succession─the legitimacy of royal blood was easily tested, after all. Even I did not foresee that their clones would prove instrumental in cutting short Xande's wicked ambitions so far in the future. Ah, such a clever scheme as befits my most gifted pupils!
59 55 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_085 58 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_090 Still, it does beg several questions. Is it right to copy oneself like we would a parchment or a painting? Moreover, is it right to treat such a copy as a tool to hide one's most precious secrets? Hah, Amon! What stories I have of him! So gravely did he treat his research that he never smiled. 'Twould waste precious energy, you see.
60 56 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_086 59 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_091 These are questions not easily answered, even by Doga and Unei. Even so, they had a duty to guide their empire through its waning twilight, so they swallowed their doubt and shouldered their fate. All hint of the dour was washed away, however, when he succeeded in resurrecting Xande. The bliss he felt seemed to pour from his mouth every time he spoke. “Yes, Your Majesty,” “Very good, Your Majesty,” he would chirp, over and over. I can hardly say which was worse.
61 57 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_087 60 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_092 Even I did not foresee that their clones would prove instrumental in cutting short Xande's wicked ambitions so far in the future. Ah, such a clever scheme as befits my most gifted pupils! He had hung all hopes upon a single man. An emperor, whose revival came at the cost of thousands of lives...
62 58 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_090 61 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_093 Hah, Amon! What stories I have of him! So gravely did he treat his research that he never smiled. 'Twould waste precious energy, you see. I have heard tell that in your era, he called himself Fandaniel, the Ascian. Yet I know that regardless of who he pretended to be, he could never hide that nettling persistence of his.
63 59 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_091 62 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_094 All hint of the dour was washed away, however, when he succeeded in resurrecting Xande. The bliss he felt seemed to pour from his mouth every time he spoke. “Yes, Your Majesty,” “Very good, Your Majesty,” he would chirp, over and over. I can hardly say which was worse. Even should he suffer a thousand thousand deaths, his soul cleansed by the Lifestream again and again, he would cast aside his life in his search for answers. Such is his nature.
64 60 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_092 63 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_095 He had hung all hopes upon a single man. An emperor, whose revival came at the cost of thousands of lives... I never knew him to be any other way. His eyes burned like hot iron, casting about the rotten world before them for the chance to tear it all down and rebuild anew. There were few like him, and doubtless there have been few since.
65 61 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_093 64 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_100 I have heard tell that in your era, he called himself Fandaniel, the Ascian. Yet I know that regardless of who he pretended to be, he could never hide that nettling persistence of his. Unfortunately, Gancanagh and pachypodium mines are two forms of weaponry that were never developed past the prototype stage before the empire collapsed.
66 62 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_094 65 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_101 Even should he suffer a thousand thousand deaths, his soul cleansed by the Lifestream again and again, he would cast aside his life in his search for answers. Such is his nature. The intended purpose of the mines was to lie in ambush beneath the soil and take unwary enemies by surprise. Individually they were quite ineffective, but with Gancanagh's leadership, they could be as terrifying as a legion of hardened troops.
67 63 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_095 66 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_102 I never knew him to be any other way. His eyes burned like hot iron, casting about the rotten world before them for the chance to tear it all down and rebuild anew. There were few like him, and doubtless there have been few since. Researchers determined that designing them to resemble plant life would best enable them to blend into their surroundings. Their sensors had to be calibrated as precisely as possible to enable accurate readings from deep underground.
68 64 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_100 67 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_103 Unfortunately, Gancanagh and pachypodium mines are two forms of weaponry that were never developed past the prototype stage before the empire collapsed. Alas, they will ever be in a state of imperfection. As they are, they are far from the picture of well-oiled killing machines. One might even say they appear quite charming─until the explosions start, that is.
69 65 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_101 68 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_110 The intended purpose of the mines was to lie in ambush beneath the soil and take unwary enemies by surprise. Individually they were quite ineffective, but with Gancanagh's leadership, they could be as terrifying as a legion of hardened troops. After protracted battle and innumerable losses on the southern continent, the empire sought a means by which to use the strength of dragons to aid their conquest.
70 66 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_102 69 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_111 Researchers determined that designing them to resemble plant life would best enable them to blend into their surroundings. Their sensors had to be calibrated as precisely as possible to enable accurate readings from deep underground. The cloning system you encountered was created to make this dream into reality.
71 67 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_103 70 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_112 Alas, they will ever be in a state of imperfection. As they are, they are far from the picture of well-oiled killing machines. One might even say they appear quite charming─until the explosions start, that is. Its genius lies in the unification of two technologies: dragon cloning and control mechanisms for biological organisms. It enabled the creation of winged soldiers whose obedience was absolute.
72 68 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_110 71 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_113 After protracted battle and innumerable losses on the southern continent, the empire sought a means by which to use the strength of dragons to aid their conquest. The woman in charge of researching and developing the system lost her husband in the southern campaign. It was said that a dragon bit his head clean off, and only his body was returned home for burial.
73 69 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_111 72 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_114 The cloning system you encountered was created to make this dream into reality. She threw herself into her work, so that no others would suffer as she did. “A claw for a claw, a fang for a fang...” Such was her mantra as she spent countless long nights perfecting the system.
74 70 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_112 73 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_120 Its genius lies in the unification of two technologies: dragon cloning and control mechanisms for biological organisms. It enabled the creation of winged soldiers whose obedience was absolute. If you include the devastation wrought by her summoning of Bahamut, no wyrm has claimed more Allagan lives than Tiamat.
75 71 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_113 74 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_121 The woman in charge of researching and developing the system lost her husband in the southern campaign. It was said that a dragon bit his head clean off, and only his body was returned home for burial. The vast plains of the southern continent were so littered with corpses that one could walk for malms without setting foot on the ground. While some could be identified, many more were charred masses of bone and gristle.
76 72 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_114 75 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_122 She threw herself into her work, so that no others would suffer as she did. “A claw for a claw, a fang for a fang...” Such was her mantra as she spent countless long nights perfecting the system. The prospect of cloning such a fierce entity was a daunting one, and I remember hearing that the researchers even made efforts to tone down their subject's innate savagery.
77 73 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_120 76 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_123 If you include the devastation wrought by her summoning of Bahamut, no wyrm has claimed more Allagan lives than Tiamat. Tiamat was gifted with considerable skill at manipulating aether. I found the nature of her breath most fascinating. She could concentrate dark aether so intensely that it created aetheric bodies similar to familiars and sprites─something observed in no other dragon.
78 74 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_121 77 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_124 The vast plains of the southern continent were so littered with corpses that one could walk for malms without setting foot on the ground. While some could be identified, many more were charred masses of bone and gristle. It seems they opted not to engineer these talents out of the clones. Whether that was due to the difficulty of doing so or because they hoped to use it to their own advantage, I cannot say...
79 75 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_122 78 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_130 The prospect of cloning such a fierce entity was a daunting one, and I remember hearing that the researchers even made efforts to tone down their subject's innate savagery. Ah, yes, Twintania. The ancient wyvern who held dominion over the wind itself. If I recall, research on cloning the creature was being conducted on the fortieth floor.
80 76 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_123 79 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_131 Tiamat was gifted with considerable skill at manipulating aether. I found the nature of her breath most fascinating. She could concentrate dark aether so intensely that it created aetheric bodies similar to familiars and sprites─something observed in no other dragon. The original Twintania was feared by even the mightiest generals of Allag, and as a child of Bahamut she wrought untold destruction upon her broodsire's enemies. Naturally, she became a subject of much interest after her capture.
81 77 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_124 80 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_132 It seems they opted not to engineer these talents out of the clones. Whether that was due to the difficulty of doing so or because they hoped to use it to their own advantage, I cannot say... Countless clones of her were produced, and the knowledge gleaned from the process became fundamental to the further development of technology for dragon duplication and control.
82 78 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_130 81 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_133 Ah, yes, Twintania. The ancient wyvern who held dominion over the wind itself. If I recall, research on cloning the creature was being conducted on the fortieth floor. The specimen you encountered was doubtless one of these test subjects, kept there to tighten the shackles of Allag's mastery over dragonkin.
83 79 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_131 82 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_140 The original Twintania was feared by even the mightiest generals of Allag, and as a child of Bahamut she wrought untold destruction upon her broodsire's enemies. Naturally, she became a subject of much interest after her capture. If a single marvel were to define Allag, it would be the advent of chimerical organisms. So versatile were these creations that researchers would often hold contests to show off their most recent contrivances.
84 80 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_132 83 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_141 Countless clones of her were produced, and the knowledge gleaned from the process became fundamental to the further development of technology for dragon duplication and control. The chimera as you know it was the culmination of this competitive spirit─a masterpiece that would endure beyond the empire itself. Each iteration brought it closer to perfection, until the third generation combined the strengths of three species of animal into one relentless predator.
85 81 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_133 84 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_142 The specimen you encountered was doubtless one of these test subjects, kept there to tighten the shackles of Allag's mastery over dragonkin. The servomechanical chimera 14X used this deadly organism as its inspiration, and was meant to surpass it in every way─a perfect weapon.
86 82 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_140 85 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_143 If a single marvel were to define Allag, it would be the advent of chimerical organisms. So versatile were these creations that researchers would often hold contests to show off their most recent contrivances. But if you ask me, all that metal quite takes the art out of the thing! It may be deadly, yes, but there is an allure in organic life that can never be captured by machinery.
87 83 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_141 86 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_144 The chimera as you know it was the culmination of this competitive spirit─a masterpiece that would endure beyond the empire itself. Each iteration brought it closer to perfection, until the third generation combined the strengths of three species of animal into one relentless predator. The joining of disparate mundane beasts to make an almost mythical creation was the source of the chimera's grotesque charm. You cannot deliberately forge every part without marring its inherent beauty.
88 84 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_142 87 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_150 The servomechanical chimera 14X used this deadly organism as its inspiration, and was meant to surpass it in every way─a perfect weapon. Ah, I see you found the chimerical laboratory.
89 85 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_143 88 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_151 But if you ask me, all that metal quite takes the art out of the thing! It may be deadly, yes, but there is an allure in organic life that can never be captured by machinery. As you may already know, chimerical hybrids evolved over the course of four generations. The first was a blossoming of new life, its potential unrealized. By the fourth generation, chimerical hybrids had achieved a level of intelligence which placed them squarely at the top of the natural order.
90 86 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_144 89 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_152 The joining of disparate mundane beasts to make an almost mythical creation was the source of the chimera's grotesque charm. You cannot deliberately forge every part without marring its inherent beauty. The minotaur belonged to the second generation─simple in composition, yet gifted with the ability to reproduce. The latter characteristic was what set it apart from its more primitive forebears.
91 87 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_150 90 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_153 Ah, I see you found the chimerical laboratory. The advantages of a weapon that can multiply quickly and of its own volition are self-evident, I would hope. The minotaur you encountered was enhanced with Allag's most advanced technology, meant to minimize the cost of upkeep while maximizing its combat efficacy.
92 88 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_151 91 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_160 As you may already know, chimerical hybrids evolved over the course of four generations. The first was a blossoming of new life, its potential unrealized. By the fourth generation, chimerical hybrids had achieved a level of intelligence which placed them squarely at the top of the natural order. The conquest of the southern continent saw Allag contending with eikons, and naturally the researchers of Eureka Orthos were tasked with developing countermeasures in this conflict.
93 89 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_152 92 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_161 The minotaur belonged to the second generation─simple in composition, yet gifted with the ability to reproduce. The latter characteristic was what set it apart from its more primitive forebears. Now I ask you, Player─what do you think is the most effective way to combat an eikon? Your experience makes you singularly suited to answer such a question.
94 90 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_153 93 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_162 The advantages of a weapon that can multiply quickly and of its own volition are self-evident, I would hope. The minotaur you encountered was enhanced with Allag's most advanced technology, meant to minimize the cost of upkeep while maximizing its combat efficacy. The correct answer, of course, is to keep them from being summoned in the first place. By siphoning away the aether that is their lifeblood, one can ensure that the eikons never set foot on solid earth.
95 91 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_160 94 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_163 The conquest of the southern continent saw Allag contending with eikons, and naturally the researchers of Eureka Orthos were tasked with developing countermeasures in this conflict. Such was the aeturna's purpose─a beast captured by Xande during an excursion abroad, and possessed of an insatiable hunger for aether.
96 92 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_161 95 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_164 Now I ask you, <Split(<Highlight>ObjectParameter(1)</Highlight>, ,1)/>─what do you think is the most effective way to combat an eikon? Your experience makes you singularly suited to answer such a question. It uses that aether not only to feed its own fury, but also to aid its allies in battle. That, combined with the beauty of its form, makes it one of Allag's most elegant weapons─in my humble opinion, of course.
97 93 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_162 96 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_170 The correct answer, of course, is to keep them from being summoned in the first place. By siphoning away the aether that is their lifeblood, one can ensure that the eikons never set foot on solid earth. From the description of your foe, it could be none other than Proto-Kaliya you encountered on the eightieth floor. How curious...
98 94 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_163 97 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_171 Such was the aeturna's purpose─a beast captured by Xande during an excursion abroad, and possessed of an insatiable hunger for aether. Work on Kaliya had already been completed, you see. I struggle to find a reason why a prototype would be housed so deep within Eureka Orthos.
99 95 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_164 98 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_172 It uses that aether not only to feed its own fury, but also to aid its allies in battle. That, combined with the beauty of its form, makes it one of Allag's most elegant weapons─in my humble opinion, of course. My best guess would be that it served as a base from which to produce a new type of weapon─a divergent species of Kaliya, if you will.
100 96 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_170 99 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_173 From the description of your foe, it could be none other than Proto-Kaliya you encountered on the eightieth floor. How curious... Your experience seems to bolster that theory, in fact. No Kaliya I know could coordinate with drones and mechanical systems. Whatever its eventual use would have been, it seems Allag's collapse ensured that it will never come to fruition.
101 97 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_171 100 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_180 Work on Kaliya had already been completed, you see. I struggle to find a reason why a prototype would be housed so deep within Eureka Orthos. Hmm? A machine that summoned a steel legion of mechanized soldiers and drones?
102 98 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_172 101 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_181 My best guess would be that it served as a base from which to produce a new type of weapon─a divergent species of Kaliya, if you will. Hah hah hah, gods, you are impressive! That would be the Administrator, overseer of Eureka Orthos's defense systems.
103 99 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_173 102 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_182 Your experience seems to bolster that theory, in fact. No Kaliya I know could coordinate with drones and mechanical systems. Whatever its eventual use would have been, it seems Allag's collapse ensured that it will never come to fruition. It is no surprise it was housed within the deepmost floors of the facility, as those held its most precious secrets.
104 100 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_180 103 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_183 Hmm? A machine that summoned a steel legion of mechanized soldiers and drones? It was designed with the capabilities to fight back an entire enemy army on its own, yet it fell to the might of a single warrior! Hah!
105 101 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_181 104 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_184 Hah hah hah, gods, you are impressive! That would be the Administrator, overseer of Eureka Orthos's defense systems. You are every bit as fierce as I was led to believe, Player! If I am fortunate enough to meet the system's designers again when I return to the aetherial sea, I shall tell them of your triumph! Oh, to see the look on their faces would make this entire reawakening business worth it!
106 102 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_182 105 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_190 It is no surprise it was housed within the deepmost floors of the facility, as those held its most precious secrets. You wish to hear the tale of Excalibur again? Very well, I see no reason to object─'tis only fitting that you and Koh should know the truth by heart.
107 103 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_183 106 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_191 It was designed with the capabilities to fight back an entire enemy army on its own, yet it fell to the might of a single warrior! Hah! Ahem. Eureka Orthos's supreme eikon created the sword Excalibur from a nigh-bottomless well of aether. The Allagans dubbed it a trigger weapon, which would allow its wielder to summon divine power at will.
108 104 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_184 107 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_192 You are every bit as fierce as I was led to believe, <Split(<Highlight>ObjectParameter(1)</Highlight>, ,1)/>! If I am fortunate enough to meet the system's designers again when I return to the aetherial sea, I shall tell them of your triumph! Oh, to see the look on their faces would make this entire reawakening business worth it! However, it was not to be used for the benefit of Allag's military. It would pierce the heart of the traitor Artorius, breaking his spirit and turning him into the empire's puppet.
109 105 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_190 108 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_193 You wish to hear the tale of Excalibur again? Very well, I see no reason to object─'tis only fitting that you and Koh should know the truth by heart. After you brought this broken king low, it appears the sword was separated from his body and placed in safekeeping.
110 106 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_191 109 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_194 Ahem. Eureka Orthos's supreme eikon created the sword Excalibur from a nigh-bottomless well of aether. The Allagans dubbed it a trigger weapon, which would allow its wielder to summon divine power at will. In time, Eureka Orthos will cease to function, and breathe its final breath deep beneath the earth. When that happens, it shall live on as naught but a legend of a bygone age.
111 107 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_192 110 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_195 However, it was not to be used for the benefit of Allag's military. It would pierce the heart of the traitor Artorius, breaking his spirit and turning him into the empire's puppet. The name Excalibur appears in another legend, if I recall. Long after the empire was laid to rest, a story was woven of a king of eld who wielded a sword by the same name.
112 108 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_193 111 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_196 After you brought this broken king low, it appears the sword was separated from his body and placed in safekeeping. Was this an attempt to glorify the deeds of Artorius, who in the end became little more than a weapon himself? Or perhaps it was an attempt to paint the truth in more palatable shades, transforming atrocity into heroism through the filter of myth. They say that all things give way before time, after all.
109 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_194 In time, Eureka Orthos will cease to function, and breathe its final breath deep beneath the earth. When that happens, it shall live on as naught but a legend of a bygone age.
110 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_195 The name Excalibur appears in another legend, if I recall. Long after the empire was laid to rest, a story was woven of a king of eld who wielded a sword by the same name.
111 TEXT_CTSDDD3NOAHTALK_00811_KOHRABNTAH_000_196 Was this an attempt to glorify the deeds of Artorius, who in the end became little more than a weapon himself? Or perhaps it was an attempt to paint the truth in more palatable shades, transforming atrocity into heroism through the filter of myth. They say that all things give way before time, after all.