Of Defectors and Defenders

Of Defectors and Defenders

Quest giver

Radovan

Location

Foundation (X:12.3, Y:11.4)

Job

Gunbreaker

Level

68

Experience

 108,000

Gil

 1,261

Previous quest

Confessions of a Flaming Mongrel

Next quest

Steel against Steel

Patch

5.0

“

Radovan and Sophie's expressions are as somber as their surroundings.

— In-game description

Steps

• Speak with Reese.

• Speak with Reese at the Observatorium.

• Speak with Radovan outside the Observatorium.

• Survey the designated locations and defeat the Alaudae.

• Wait at the designated location.

• Survey the designated location.

• Speak with Sophie in Ishgard.

Journal

• Radovan and Sophie's expressions are as somber as their surroundings.

• Sophie and Radovan were recently confronted with the harsh realities of life in Ishgard when they witnessed the frozen corpse of a homeless man being carried past. Moved by the plight of those affected by such adverse conditions, your comrades asked the Temple Knights if they could provide assistance and were directed to speak with a man named Reese, a member of Garlond Ironworks. Radovan tells you that their founder, Cid, is regarded as a hero by many living under Garlean rule, and he sees it as a great honor to be associated with his organization.

• Reese reveals the plan to help a renowned Garlean scientist defect from the Empire. Upon his arrival in Ishgard, he is to oversee the installation of a ceruleum heating system to help alleviate the woes of the citizenry, particularly those most exposed to the cold. However, he is pursued by the Alaudae, imperial convicts who carry out missions to reduce their sentences. The leader, Vitus quo Messalla, was relegated from pilus prior for slaughtering civilians and assigned with handpicking conscripts for the Alaudae. Radovan was one such candidate, though he refused─and was summarily tortured for it. Now that Radovan is faced with the prospect of going toe to toe with his former tormentor, he tells Sophie not to participate in this mission, implying that she would be a burden to him. After she storms off, Radovan admits that this was a ploy to have her stay out of harm's way, as she is to the closest thing he has to family and he could not bear to lose her. You make your way to the Observatorium to commence the assignment, while Sophie remains in Ishgard.

• You reach the top of the Observatorium, where you are introduced to the Garlean scientist Cato nan Mammula. Although you and Reese notice Radovan react strangely upon hearing this name, you choose not to press him on the matter, as time is of the essence. Once the group has descended the tower, they prepare to make the first leg of the journey, with Camp Dragonhead as their next destination.

• Radovan and your clients have barely stepped foot outside the camp gates before being attacked by one of the Alaudae, who now lies at Radovan's feet, cut down by his gunblade. Now that they have discovered your location, they will stop at nothing to seize Mammula. Any number of pursuers may have hidden themselves in the snow between the Observatorium and Camp Dragonhead, so Radovan sends you ahead to lure them into the open.

• As Radovan predicted, the Alaudae had sent several units of ruthless killers to bar your way. One by one they fall to your gunblade until you finally reach Camp Dragonhead, where you await the arrival of Radovan, Reese, and Mammula.

• The remainder of your party finally reaches the safety of the camp, although not without incident, as Reese has been wounded by the Alaudae. Fearing that an encounter with Vitus quo Messalla is all but assured, Radovan opts to avoid combat altogether and take Mammula to the Gates of Judgement without being seen by the enemy, leaving you and Reese behind to reduce the risk of detection. Shortly after they depart, Sophie appears out of the blue, saying that she came looking for you and Radovan since you had been gone much longer than she had expected. When you apprise her of the situation, she is shocked to hear the name Cato nan Mammula, as he and Midas nan Garlond were responsible for the failed experiment that destroyed Bozja Citadel─Radovan's home. It dawns on her that Radovan may attempt to exact his vengeance on the Garlean scientist and she beseeches you to find her companion before he can execute his plan.

• Radovan is poised to slay Mammula, who appears to have accepted his fate. You implore the gunbreaker to lay down his weapon, reminding him that he gave his word to deliver the Garlean defector from harm. The rage that had threatened to consume Radovan subsides, and he turns to leave, seeking solitude so that he may contemplate his actions. By the time Sophie arrives, he is long gone, and she takes command of the mission, leading the way back to Ishgard.

• Reese and Mammula express their thanks for seeing the assignment through to the end, in spite of the numerous difficulties faced, both expected and otherwise. However, even within the walls of Ishgard, the threat of the Alaudae remains, necessitating Garlond Ironworks to keep Mammula in a secure location until they can be sure the danger has passed. Meanwhile, there is still no sign of Radovan, so Sophie decides to wait for him to come to his senses and return to Ishgard.

Dialogue

Optional

Sophie: I'll say one thing for Ishgardians: they certainly know how to dress. Not only do their clothes keep out the cold─well, most of it─they are surprisingly elegant.

Accepting the Quest

Radovan: We Hrothgar are quite used to snow and ice, so we sometimes forget the problems it poses for other races. This morning, a homeless Hyur lad was found lying stone cold in the street.

Sophie: When they came to carry him away, he was frozen solid, like a statue. The poor thing can't have been more than twenty summers old.

Radovan: We asked the Temple Knights if there was something we could do, and we were told that they had the perfect assignment for us. Our client this time is Reese of Garlond Ironworks.

Radovan: Their founder, Cid Garlond, is one of the few Garleans to have turned his back on the Empire and is a hero to many living under their rule. I wonder if I might have the honor of meeting him in person? At any rate, we must first head to the Skysteel Manufactory.

Optional at the Skysteel Manufactory

Radovan: So, this is one of Cid Garlond's workshops?

Sophie: Is it true that Cid is the one who introduced magitek to Eorzea?

Speak with Reese at the Skysteel Manufactory (Cutscene)

Reese: Good morning. I take it you're the bodyguards sent by the Temple Knights? There's someone I'd like you to protect. A recently defected Garlean engineer, as it happens.
Reese: I'll not bore you with the details, but he is to oversee the installation of a ceruleum heating system. We're hoping it would avert tragedies like the one that recently occurred in the Brume.

Radovan: Yes, we saw the body being carried away. Terrible sight, it was. If this engineer friend of yours needs safe passage here, we'd be glad to help.

Reese: Unfortunately, the Empire does not take kindly to desertion, especially when the man in question is one of its most highly esteemed scientists. We've received word that a group known as the “Alaudae” has been dispatched to see that he never reaches Ishgard.

Radovan: Gods be good!

Sophie: I've heard of them. Prisoners offered an “opportunity” to reduce their sentences through loyal service to Garlemald. By all accounts, they fight like men possessed, desperate to earn their freedom.

Radovan: Worst of all, they are led by Vitus quo Messalla, a man whose cruelty knows no bounds.
Radovan: As a soldier, he reached the rank of pilus prior but was relegated after butchering a village of innocent civilians, purely to sate his own bloodlust.
Radovan: Even his fellow Garleans were disgusted by these barbaric acts, yet that did naught to damage his reputation as a skilled warrior equal to Gaius van Baelsar himself.
Radovan: During my imprisonment, Vitus quo Messalla came to enlist me. I told him I'd sooner rot in gaol than serve under a rabid dog like him.
Radovan: As you can imagine, he was far from pleased with my refusal, and tried to “persuade” me by using my magitek collar to administer countless electric shocks. I'll never forget the look in his eyes as he pushed that button over and over.

Sophie: Of course, not everyone is as resilient as Radovan. Many who fight for the Alaudae do so against their will, though they are no less deadly for it.

Reese: By the Fury! If I'd known the dangers involved, I would have called the whole thing off.
Reese: It's too late now, though. The airship is already on its way to Coerthas! It should soon be arriving at the Observatorium. Sadly, we couldn't gain permission to have an imperial craft dock in the city for matters of security.
Reese: From the rendezvous point, we'll proceed the rest of the way on foot. Once we're safely inside the Gates of Judgement, we can consider the mission a success.

Radovan: Your friend is risking his life for the sake of others. Reese, I give my word that he will reach Ishgard safely.
Radovan: Listen, Sophie. You know as well as I do that the Alaudae are as ruthless as they are tenacious. For that reason, I want you to stay behind.

Sophie: You think you can take them on without me there to heal you?

Radovan: Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful to have you by my side. But against foes like that, [Forename] and I will struggle to protect you and the engineer.

Sophie: Protect me!? Look, Radovan, we protect each other, remember? Or perhaps you see me as nothing but a burden!? Fine! Have it your way!

Reese: Umm... Not to rush you or anything, but we should get going. I'll meet you at the airship landing on top of the tower.

Radovan: Before we leave, there's something I'd like to make clear. I didn't mean what I said to Sophie. I think she's an excellent conjurer and more than capable of taking care of herself.
Radovan: But this is Vitus quo Messalla we're dealing with, a monster who delights in toying with his prey. I can't let her face that kind of danger.
Radovan: You see, Sophie and I have been inseparable ever since we escaped our Garlean captors. When I discovered what had befallen my family, I came close to taking my own life, and I might have even gone through with it if Sophie hadn't stopped me.
Radovan: She's lost loved ones too, but has never given up hope. Sophie helped me realize there is still a place in this world for me. In fact, it was her idea that I become a bodyguard.
Radovan: Although no one will ever replace the family I lost, she helped fill that void in my life and gave me a reason to carry on.
Radovan: Hah! If she were here now, she would tell me to stop being such a sentimental old fool, or words to that effect. Anyway, the sooner we finish this assignment, the sooner I can get back here and apologize to her.

Optional at the Observatorium

Radovan: I get the impression they've been waiting for us. Perhaps I spoke overlong?

Speak with Reese at the Observatorium (Cutscene)

Reese: Now that you're here, allow me to introduce the man you will be escorting.

Cato Mammula: Cato nan Mammula, at your service. Or should that be Cato Mammula now that I am in Ishgard?

Reese: Is something the matter?

Radovan: No, it's nothing.

Reese: Well then, shall we begin?

Optional outside of the Observatorium

Reese: They've found us!

Cato Mammula: That's the way! Give them what for!

Speak with Radovan outside of the Observatorium

Radovan: The Alaudae knew we were coming. Hells' bells, they must've seen that airship from malms away!
Radovan: I'll stay with the engineer. You go on ahead and draw them out. We'll rendezvous at the camp to the north.
(Optional)
Radovan: There isn't much cover, but they could be hiding in the snow.

Wait at the designated location in Camp Dragonhead (Cutscene)

Radovan: Some of the Alaudae stayed in their hiding places until you'd passed. One of them got to Reese. He's hurt, but it could've been a lot worse.

Reese: I'm sorry... They caught me by surprise.

Radovan: We've made it this far, but Vitus is still out there.
Radovan: If this is just a taste of what the Alaudae have in store for us, our best option is to avoid confrontation altogether. Mammula and I will sneak past them while you and Reese stay behind. The two of us stand a better chance than a group of four.

What will you say?
> No, we should stick together!
> Take care of Mammula.

(No, we should stick together!)
Radovan: I know how you feel, but sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. You see the sense in this, don't you?

(Take care of Mammula.)
???

(Both)
Radovan: We'll meet back in Ishgard.

Reese: My colleagues will contact me via linkpearl once Master Mammula has arrived in Ishgard. In the meantime, we should lie low. We don't want to alert the Alaudae to our presence any more than we already have. Oh, and I'd better get these wounds looked at.

Sophie: Thank goodness you're all right! You'd been gone so long, I came looking for you. I met a few nasty characters on the way here, but I soon sent them packing.
Sophie: Wait─where's Radovan? And that engineer you're supposed to be escorting?
Sophie: Cato nan Mammula!?
Sophie: If the two of them are together, then...
Sophie: Radovan never talks to anyone about it, but he comes from a place called Bozja Citadel. It was utterly destroyed in a Garlean experiment gone wrong.
Sophie: In charge of the project were Midas nan Garlond and his right-hand man, Cato nan Mammula.
Sophie: Radovan's opposition to Bozja being used as a testing ground for potentially dangerous magitek led to his imprisonment, and his fears were proved correct when the city was obliterated.
Sophie: There's a strong chance that he's planning to exact his revenge.
Sophie: We have to stop him!
Sophie: They headed west towards Ishgard, yes? We should be able to follow their tracks. There's no time to lose!

Survey the designated location (Cutscene)

Radovan: For my homeland. For my family!

Cato Mammula: Bozja...

Radovan: [Forename]!?

Radovan: Stay back! This fiend robbed me of everything I held dear!
Radovan: Don't deny me my vengeance!

What will you say?
> But he's unarmed!
> You swore to protect him!

(Both)
Cato Mammula: I will not beg your forgiveness. However, I ask that you hear my final words.
Cato Mammula: Midas and I knew there were risks involved with the experiment, but we did not foresee that it could fail so catastrophically! I have lived with unending, agonizing guilt ever since.
Cato Mammula: From that day forth, I have sought redemption, a chance to somehow right the wrongs I have committed.
Cato Mammula: That is why I asked Midas's son, Cid, to aid in my defection from Garlemald, that my knowledge and expertise may be put to good use.
Cato Mammula: But I always knew that the sins of my past would return to haunt me. I submit myself to your judgment.

What will you say?
> Does the word of a gunbreaker mean nothing!?
> Have you forgetten abould Guldweitz!?

(Both) 
Radovan: What have I become?
Radovan: My honor as a gunbreaker...as a man. I've thrown it all away.
Radovan: You are the last of us now.

Trembling Soldier: Y-You want us to kill him now, sir?

Commanding Officer: No. The old goat can wait.
Commanding Officer: It's the prowling lion I want. Yes...your head will make a fine trophy.

Sophie: Is Mammula all right? And where's Radovan!?
Sophie: Wandered off!? But we've still got a job to do!
Sophie: And I dread to think what might've happened if you hadn't stopped him.
Sophie: Come on, [Forename]. With or without Radovan, we still have a job to do. Let's get Mammula to Ishgard.

Optional in Ishgard

Reese: I noticed that Radovan acted rather strangely when he first met Master Mammula, but I had no idea he'd try to kill him! Thank goodness for you and Sophie!

Cato Mammula: I shall not squander this second chance at life. You have my eternal gratitude.

Speak with Sophie in Ishgard

Sophie: After the trouble you had reaching Camp Dragonhead, I'm pleasantly surprised that the Alaudae kept away from us for the remainder of the journey.

Reese: Yes, fortunate indeed. All's well that ends well, as the saying goes.
Reese: One thing still troubles me, though. If that Vitus quo Messalla is as ruthless as you say, I doubt the walls of Ishgard will deter him from pursuing his target. As such, Master Mammula will be closely guarded until we can be certain it's safe.

Cato Mammula: Yes, it would be a shame if I were kept from fulfilling my obligations. I hope that the next time we meet, I shall have glad tidings to share.

Sophie: We managed to get Mammula here unharmed, but in doing so, we've lost sight of Radovan. He could be anywhere by now.
Sophie: But we've been through too much for me to turn my back on him now. If he decides to get his act together, he knows where to find me. Until then, we'd better be on the lookout for the Alaudae. I doubt we've seen the last of them.