Of Duplicity and Duplication

Of Duplicity and Duplication

Quest giver

Delion

Location

Radz-at-Han (X:11.4, Y:11.5)

Quest line

Somehow Further Hildibrand Adventures Quests

Level

90

Gil

 1,302

Previous quest

Not from Around Here

Next quest

Gentlemen at Heart

Patch

6.55

“

Delion is ready to embark on his latest investigation.

— In-game description

Steps

• Speak with Hildibrand in Yedlihmad.
• Gather information in Yedlihmad. 0/3
• Speak with Hildibrand.
• Speak with Hildibrand again.

Journal

• Delion is ready to embark on his latest investigation.
• Inspector's Log:
  • Once more did I set aside the Case of the Silent Correspondent to divert my inspectorial energies to more urgent matters─namely, the restoration of the ailing Master PuPu back to health. Laid low by a common cold, his unearthly physiology called for uncommon treatment, yet I, Hildibrand Helidor Maximilian Manderville, did not shy from the challenge! Our extraterrestrial comrade thus restored (and an ambush by the incorrigible villain Doctor Lugae soundly thwarted), I resolved to resume the investigation in the scholarly city of Sharlayan. There did we learn a most heartening thing: Master PuPu's comrade was alive and well, and in the company of a Hannish alchemist. Such news was almost overshadowed, however, by the stunning secret revealed by Father's sought-after relic: the progenitor of the Manderville line was, himself, a being of alien origin! Will this change how I, a gentlemanly agent of enquiry, approach my investigations? Decidedly not!
  • 　　　　　　　　　　　　*　*　*
  • Determined to implicate the friendly PuPu in the world-spanning conspiracy he is certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, most definitely exists, Delion would have you join him on a fact-finding expedition to Yedlihmad. It is there that Inspector Hildibrand and the others are continuing the investigation, their search now redirected to the Hannish alchemist thought to be accompanying PuPu's long-lost comrade.
• Just as Delion planned, you insert yourself into Inspector Hildibrand's efforts to interrogate the Yedlihmad locals. Surely someone among the port's populace knows the adventurous apothecary who risked all to peddle potions in the midst of Garlemald's civil war.
• A few well-placed questions have pointed you in the direction of a red-haired fisherman, said to be friends with the aforementioned alchemist. Hildibrand will wish to hear of this immediately.
• The clam-collecting fisherman shares with you the meteoric rise of his childhood friend, Baharasaf─now known as the merchant prince Vanhudi. After learning the alchemist's surprising identity, however, you are suddenly called to a disturbance on the outskirts of Yedlihmad where you encounter a strangely oblivious Doctor Lugae. Somehow, he is back in possession of his hulking body, and claims to be under Vanhudi's orders to cause trouble at the port. Godbert and Julyan appear during the ensuing battle, and assist you in defeating several more identical Lugaes who join the fray. PuPu then dematerializes the fallen brutes with his starship's vaporization beam, thereby proving that they were the result of matter replication technology.
• It seems evident now that Vanhudi has been using the vessel belonging to PuPu's friend to amass a fortune of duplicated gold. You are unsure if the long-lost alien is being deceived or coerced into helping the unscrupulous merchant, but Hildibrand is determined to mount a rescue either way...
• The time has come to confront Vanhudi. Wishing to reject the villain's latest business proposal in person, Godbert and Julyan suggest that you join them on the private airship being provided for their visit to the merchant's abode.

Dialogue

Talking to Delion:

Delion: Ah, Forename, you're just in time to assist with my latest fact-finding expedition.
Delion: Our recent foray into Sharlayan revealed that PuPu's friend was in the company of a Hannish alchemist, yes?
Delion: As such, I was inspired to do some preliminary legwork here in Thavnair. I contacted my usual sources for local sightings of alien phenomena, but alas...they had none to share.
Delion: I have thus switched tactics and decided to track down this alchemist fellow instead. Surely someone will have heard the tale of an apothecary bold enough to set up shop on a Garlean battlefield?
Delion: The inspector and the others have been pursuing a similar line of inquiry, yet have found no leads here in the city or at the Great Work.
Delion: I believe they've moved their investigation to Yedlihmad, so I suggest we hurry over and join them. I cannot have that little blue man muddying the waters when we're so close to grasping his master plan!

Optional Dialogue:

Nashumhakaracca: What else can you tell us about your long-lost comrade, Master PuPu?

Bradihilnd: This port town would be an excellent place to analyze global trading trends...

Koyokoyo: Oh, my friend is an exceptional individual, capable of astounding feats that I could never accomplish without the help of my starship's equipment.

Talking to Hildibrand (cutscene):

Hildibrand: I see the two of you are eager as ever to observe my inspectorial genius at work. Ah, the long-term fans are often the most ardent!

Brandihild: As a matter of fact, we were just about to continue our investigation into the alchemist we know to have been traveling with Master PuPu's comrade.
Brandihild: I-I mean...that is to say...I am merely following in the inspector's wake...

Hildibrand: You needn't be so modest, my dear Inspector Brandihild!

Brandihild: 'Tis wrong of me to comport myself as an equal to you all in any respect. For I am but a copy, and a flawed one at that...

Hildibrand: Stuff and nonsense! Clone or not, self-deprecation is unbecoming in a Manderville man!

Nashu Mhakaracca: Exactly! The things you can do are amazing

Brandihild: Oh, I don't know about that...

Hildibrand: 'Twas you who saved Forename from certain doom, was it not? While not quite as alacritous as mine, your rapid reasoning is nevertheless quite effective!!

Brandihild: 'Tis kind of you to accept me, rough edges and all. I only hope my meager contributions are of some small assistance.

Delion: Too modest by half. I'd say his mental faculties far surpass those of the original...

Hildibrand: That's enough chin-wagging amongst ourselves, I think. Let us spread out and learn what the locals know of this adventurous apothecary!

Gather information in Yehlihimad:

Yedlihmad Fishmonger: Do I know any apothecaries? In Radz-at-Han? Of course, more than I can count.
Yedlihmad Fishmonger: I've not heard tell of anyone peddling such goods in the heart of the Empire, though. Seems like a terrible idea to me, what with civil war raging and the world almost ending.
Yedlihmad Fishmonger: The situation's improved in recent days, but even so, the Radiant Host still has to provide security for cargo shipments. A lone merchant trading there alone? Impossible.

Yedlihmad Merchant: Hmmm. I know of many merchants who travel abroad to ply their wares, but none who have business in Garlemald.
Yedlihmad Merchant: You'd have to be mad or desperate indeed to consider setting up shop in that troubled land...
Yedlihmad Merchant: I mean, word is we've signed some kind of trade agreement with the Garleans, but it's still not the kind of place where one simply wanders in and opens a street stall.

Yedlihmad Fisherman: Yes, I know the one of whom you speak. A fellow fisherman told me of a friend of his─an apothecary─who set off for war-torn Garlemald to sell his medicines.
Yedlihmad Fisherman: A reckless fool, if you ask me. I've no interest in the affairs of such men. But you do, I take it?
Yedlihmad Fisherman: If so, I suggest you head to Ussaqeyiq and hear the tale for yourself. Look for a red-haired lad there gathering shellfish.

Optional Dialogue:

Hildibrand: If I may, are you perchance acquainted with any reckless alchemists...?

Nashu Mhakaracca: Zzz... Inspector Brandihild... A blocky man of quality...

Delion: Inspector Brandihild is possessed of a brilliant mind. If he were willing to work for The Thavnairian Truth, I'd employ him in a heartbeat.

Yedlihmad Fishmonger: Who would go gallivanting amidst the ruin of a fallen empire replete with unknown hazards for the sake of selling a few potions? No one I know, I'll tell you that much.

Yedlihmad Merchant: Sorry, I wish I could help you, but I think I'd remember if someone mentioned a trading venture in Garlemald.

Yedlihmad Fisherman: Are you familiar with Ussaqeyiq? It's a little island just outside town. Find the redheaded lad there and he'll have a story for you.

Talking to Hildibrand again:

Hildibrand: Ah, Forename. I hope your questioning has borne fresher fruit than mine...
Hildibrand: Oho, a good friend of the alchemist in question, you say? Then let us gather the troops and pay a visit to this felicitous fisherman.

Cutscene:

Red-haired Fisherman: ...The story of my apothecary friend? Oh, you must mean Baharasaf. Well, I was near enough to calling it a day anyway, so here's what I can tell you...
Red-haired Fisherman: Baharasaf comes from a very poor family and, growing up, never had much in the way of money or possessions. I suppose those experiences are what led to his lifelong obsession with gaining wealth.
Red-haired Fisherman: After trying his hand at a succession of trades, he decided alchemy would earn him the most gil...but his stock never sold as well as he hoped.
Red-haired Fisherman: So when he heard about the internal strife in Garlemald, he saw it as a golden opportunity. Surely the middle of a war was the best place to sell medicines!
Red-haired Fisherman: Heh. More like the best place for near-death experiences. He soon gave up on his Garlemald venture─but while one would have expected him to return lamenting his ill fortune, Baharasaf was practically euphoric when I saw him again. A “gods-given blessing” he'd found in the snowfields had given him much cause to celebrate.
Red-haired Fisherman: He said he'd learned how to create gold. I must admit, I laughed at first...
Red-haired Fisherman: But then he showed me a gleaming mountain of the stuff─enough to proclaim himself a merchant prince. He even changed his name to “Vanhudi,” a word which brings to mind the bounty of the divine.

Hildibrand: A name I have heard! He's the rising star in the markets, is he not? The one snapping up commercial ventures left and right?

Red-haired Fisherman: Yes, “Vanhudi” has certainly made his ambitions known here in Thavnair, especially when he attempted to purchase the entire port of Yedlihmad.
Red-haired Fisherman: The dockmasters declined to sell, of course, but when it comes to buying historic landmarks, a bottomless purse can open surprising doors. Last I heard, he'd converted the Gilded Araya into a private abode, and has been filling it with every rare treasure his gold can secure.
Red-haired Fisherman: He pays out particularly large sums for artworks depicting the goddess Asura... I remember him being a fervent worshiper of Hers, even as a child.

Brandihild: I've encountered much Manusya and Mrga lore in Radz-at-Han, yet I recall no mention of this “Asura.”

Red-haired Fisherman: Well, that's hardly surprising. As a deity of war, She is not well loved by the commonfolk.
Red-haired Fisherman: Baharasaf is different, though. He sees life as a constant battle to amass wealth, and it is to Asura whom he prays for victory.
Red-haired Fisherman: And damn me if She didn't listen! That once-poor boy became merchant royalty, a man far too rich and important now to afford more than a fleeting moment for simple fishermen─even those who were once dear friends...
Red-haired Fisherman: Ahem. If you'll excuse me, I really must leave it at that─these clams won't sell themselves, you know.

Hildibrand: How about that, eh! Our sought-after apothecary and the upstart merchant prince were one and the same.

Brandihild: Might we assume the “blessing” he stumbled upon in Garlemald was a certain alien craft and its occupant...?

Interrupting Arkasodara: Sorry to intrude, but aren't you the hero who helped us when folk were turning into beasts?
Interrupting Arkasodara: Well, some nasty-looking creature just showed up outside town. One of our guards went to confront it, but I don't like her odds against that...thing.

Hildibrand: This sounds like a case for Inspector Hildibrand! Come, friends, let us investigate forthwith!

Delion: I th-thought you destroyed that monster!

Radiant Host Guard: I have the situation under control, citizens! This individual bears a strong resemblance to a known fugitive, so I thought it prudent to investigate.

Radiant Host Guard: Regrettably, he has proven less than forthcoming with answers...

Hildibrand: How many times must we teach you the same lesson, shiny skull man!?

Suprae-Lugae: Lesson? What are you on about...?
Suprae-Lugae: Bah, cease this babbling and get out of my way! Lord Vanhudi's orders are to cause trouble at the port, and I'm running behind schedule!

Radiant Host Guard: Vanhudi!? The merchant who tried to buy Yedlihmad? So he put you up to this!

Suprae-Lugae: Curses! How did you manage to deduce our dastardly plan!?

Delion: You just...you blurted it out...

Suprae-Lugae: Silence! No one who learns of our scheme can be suffered to live! Prepare to be squashed, meddlesome worms!

Hildibrand: Three more sinister skull-men! Was the doctor a quadruplet...?
Hildibrand: M-Mother!?

Suprae-Lugae: Vexatious vermin! This will soften you up!
Suprae-Lugae: Bah! A lucky hit!
Suprae-Lugae: One last pitch!

UNLIMITED HEAVY HITTER SPECIAL

Suprae-Lugae: But that was my fastbaaaaaaaaaaaall!

Hildibrand: I've come to expect Father's sudden appearances, but what brings you here, Mother?

Julyan: A proposition from that merchant Vanhudi, as a matter of fact. I'm accompanying yer dad as a manager for Manderville & Manderville, and we were just on our way to the bloke's mansion.

Godbert: I've already refused Master Vanhudi once before when he tried to buy out our commercial empire.
Godbert: This time, however, the deal concerns off-loading a quantity of gold at wholesale prices. 'Tis quite an attractive offer considering fine jewelry is our stock-in-trade, and we thought to at least listen to his proposal.
Godbert: But if he would purposefully command his lackeys to disturb the peace of a public port...

Julyan: We can't do business with a thug like that. Absolutely not.

Delion: Where did all those lackeys come from in the first place? Is there a “hulking weaponized brute” manufactory around here somewhere?

PuPu: As I suspected. My ship's vaporization beam is configured to expunge only replicated matter.

Delion: So you can copy inorganic materials as well. How...interesting.

Brandihild: Once the matter duplication facility has analyzed an object's molecular structure, it can generate any number of copies.

Brandihild: Yet it cannot create matter from nothing─a requisite supply of aether must be on hand to facilitate the process.

Nashu Mhakaracca: Cor, you sure do know a lot about a lot, Inspector Brandihild! Even alien starships!

Brandihild: 'Tis no great achievement. As I've mentioned, the gaps in my knowledge were patched with data from the starship's own archives, which included the vessel's full schematics and functions...

Delion: Assuming I understand this correctly... Is it possible Vanhudi is using the repaired alien craft to replicate piles and piles of gold?

Brandihild: We share the same suspicion, Master Delion. To my knowledge, no other method exists that can reliably produce precious metals.

Hildibrand: O-Of course! 'Tis the obvious conclusion!

Hildibrand: That being the case, one might further assume that Vanhudi is either threatening or deceiving Master PuPu's comrade in order to gain access to the vessel's superior technology.

Hildibrand: Our course of action is clear! We march right up to this gold-spawner's front door and demand the release of his extraterrestrial hostage!

Optional Dialogue:

Delion: The inspector's mother is as monstrously strong as the Manderville men. Except...that doesn't make any sense...

PuPu: All this talk of threats and deceit has me worried...

Brandihild: I am given to understand that, while identical in appearance, the craft belonging to Master PuPu's comrade is equipped with more advanced technology.

Nashu Mhakaracca: That was a smashing hit, Forename!

Julyan: Good to see you, Forename. And good to see yer still keepin' company with our darlin' boy!
Julyan: That blocky lad a new friend of yers? Smooth off the edges and he'd be the spittin' image of our Hildy.

Godbert: I was hesitant to put stock in the unsavory rumors I'd heard, but this unprovoked attack on the port would seem to be incontrovertible proof of Vanhudi's villainy...

Talking to Hildibrand again:

Hildibrand: We must confront this malicious merchant at once!

Godbert: If your heart's set on confrontation, then you may as well come with us. Vanhudi's invitation included a private airship flight to his new estate.

Julyan: Aye, we still need to formally reject his deal anyways, and his pilot will be waitin'.