TDS Progression #20: Free Us From Ourselves  

Quest Started By:Description:
Where:
Who:
Rating:
*****
Information:
Level:105
Maximum Level:125
Monster Mission:No
Repeatable:Yes
Can Be Shrouded?:No
Quest Type:Task
Quest Goal:
  • Advancement
  • Experience
  • Money
Success Lockout Timer: 06:00:00
Quest Items:
Related Creatures:
Related Quests:
Era:The Darkened Sea
Recommended:
Group Size:Solo
Min. # of Players:1
Max. # of Players:1
Appropriate Classes:
  • All
Appropriate Races:
  • All
Entered: Sun Oct 26 02:59:37 2014
Modified: Tue Dec 5 05:21:04 2023


The Darkened Sea Info & Guides: Overview | Progression & Task List | Raiding | Visible Armor



This solo task begins with Firiona Vie (click for map image) in Arx Mentis, located at the zone-in.

Pre-Requisites for Requesting:
- Completion of "A Rising Storm" (Tempest Temple)
- Completion of "Gathering Clouds" (Tempest Temple)
- Completion of "Clearer Skies" (Tempest Temple)
- Completion of "The Edge of Balance" (Katta Castrum: Deluge)
- Completion of "The Abscent Scholar" (Katta Castrum: Deluge)
- Completion of "Just Recompense" (Brother Island)
- Completion of "The Cover of Night" (Brother Island)
- Completion of "Loyal is the Heart" (Caverns of Endless Song)
- Completion of "Leave No Brother Behind" (Caverns of Endless Song)
- Completion of "Two Sides of the Shield" (Caverns of Endless Song)
- Completion of "The Sacred Profaned" (Degmar, the Lost Castle)
- Completion of "Crying for the Dead" (Degmar, the Lost Castle)
- Completion of "Burden of the Past" (Degmar, the Lost Castle)
- Completion of "An Endless Cycle" (Thuliasaur Island)
- Completion of "To Remake Eden" (Thuliasaur Island)
- Completion of "Fit for the New World" (Thuliasaur Island)
- Completion of "A Fickle Wind Blows" (Combine Dredge)
- Completion of "What Hate Begets" (Combine Dredge)
- Completion of "Deep Lies the Snow" (Combine Dredge)

Say "speak" to request the task.

You say, 'Hail, Firiona Vie'

Firiona Vie looks up at the massive Arx Mentis citadel. The glowing lights glitter in her eyes. 'The ship... why didn't I protect the [ship]?'

You say, 'What about the ship?'

Firiona Vie says 'As we fought for our lives, so did they... Lanys knew. She knew exactly where to [strike].'

You say, 'How did they strike?'

Firiona Vie says 'The vermin crowded the dock and swarmed the ship. They were injured, [unprepared]--' Firiona looks away. 'As was I...'

You say, 'Why were you unprepared?'

Firiona Vie clenches her jaw. 'I had forgotten how it feels to see those you love [injured] and ripped away from you -- the crashing waves of helplessness, sorrow, and rage. And to know the current upon which they are [carried]... I would sail after them to the ends of Norrath... to where the stars meet the sea.' Firiona gazes at the citadel.

You say, 'How were they injured?'

Firiona Vie says 'When Al`Kabor and I arrived at the Swift Fin, we found the deck smoking and splintered, the hatch smashed. I never wanted to see what waited in the hold, below the water line, beneath the sunlight, in my darkest [fears].'

You say, 'Where were they carried?'

Firiona Vie's eyes burn as she stares at the citadel. 'They are in that monstrosity, trapped in the skies at the end of the seas. But when we arrived, we did not find what we [expected] in the city below.'

You say, 'What are your fears?'

Firiona Vie says 'The stars you have known, those by which you have navigated the darkened seas... were they extinguished you would be lost. We descended below. The hold was vast, dark, empty, filled with smoke and shadows. And there stood [Ognit], smeared in blood and soot.'

You say, 'What was expected in the city?'

Firiona Vie says 'Companies standing at the ready, waiting to destroy us; citizens as bloodthirsty as their armies; regimented lives and minds as straight as these walls and spires -- we found [none] of these things.'

You say, 'None of those things?'

Firiona Vie says 'The people toil beneath the citadel, knowing little of the machinations of their rulers that hover high above them, out of reach but never out of sight. What more do the people know than how to stay fed, sheltered, and supplied with diversions and [promises] from the skies of ever brighter futures?'

You say, 'What promises?'

Firiona Vie says 'Al`Kabor, Ognit, and I have been speaking with the citizens, looking for a way into the citadel. The citizens are agitated. They talk of disappearances and strange events in the citadel: its initial closure from all traffic and then the movements of researchers and troops through the portals -- and the sightings of a dark elf woman accompanied by mutilated figures. And there is also the [Servus Libertas].'

You say, 'Ognit was hurt?'

Firiona Vie says 'He wiped the blood from his eyes. 'They're gone,' he told us. He dropped to his knees and placed his hand on [Sedgethwait]'s chest. It did not rise.'

You say, 'What about Captain Sedgethwait?'

Firiona Vie looks at her hands. 'This was not how I had hoped he would be repaid for all he has done for us... He had been pierced by three swords as he rushed to block the hatch when they burst inside the hold. The [others] could do little...'

You say, 'What about the others?'

Firiona Vie says 'How could they fight? Dagda still lay abed, feverish. Dabner would not leave her side as she was carried away. Galeth's legs were still detached. Thubr could not be awakened. Lyirae was struck by the hatch as it broke inward. Ognit fought [alone].'

You say, 'How did he do alone?'

Firiona Vie says, 'He did all he could... he struck out with his staff and what magic he could recall. As he was beset on all sides, the enemy carried our friends away... Ognit lit his staff aflame and kept swinging. Still more attacked. There was no one left to defend. He said the words, and fire burst around him, consuming his attackers and blazing through the hull. It [burned], as now we do...' Firiona makes a fist.

You say, 'Burned?'

Firiona Vie says 'He spoke the words of ice, and the flame died, leaving only darkness and death. He found Sedgethwait, pierced dead, with the [note] pinned to his chest by a dagger.'

You say, 'What was on the note?'

Firiona Vie's eyes are steel as she recites the message from memory. 'Firiona, we are twins being born in a beautiful act of creation. You create me. I create you. Side by side, from the forests of Kithicor to the womb of Discord, we create each other. My sister, you have created in me the wonderful gift of hatred. Now I shall create that [gift] in you.'

You say, 'What gift?'

Firiona Vie continues reciting the message. 'Your friends have come with me, eager to join the act of creation. And Calix will guide them. He also quests for purity and creation. He and I will forge your friends anew and bestow upon your heart the purity of hatred.' Firiona is quiet for a moment. 'My companions were [carried] away, and we followed.'

You say, 'What about the Servus Libertas?'

Firiona Vie says 'Apparently they are an underground group of citizens that have been advocating for change in the city. It would be wise to [speak] with them, as well as Ognit and Al`Kabor, to see what they have discovered.'

You say, 'I will speak with them...'

Firiona Vie nods. 'This is not easy, planning and plotting calmly while you imagine all the horrible things being done to those you care about... After all we have been through, all we have suffered, all Lanys has done to us -- this must end. Soon.'

You have been assigned the task 'Free Us From Ourselves'.

Lanys has captured many of Firiona's friends, and Firiona has asked you to talk with Al'Kabor, Ognit, and the locals in order to find out more about the Citadel and where Lanys might have taken Firiona's friends.







Speak with Al'Kabor 0/4 (Arx Mentis)

Al`Kabor stands with his arms behind his back, gazing at the architecture of the city, the multitudinous lines of magic, and the glowing citadel in the sky. 'Magnificent... I can feel the power emanating from the citadel. The flow of magic -- it is like nothing I have felt before.'

Al`Kabor says 'It must be the culmination of centuries of Combine talent and practice, the ultimate summation of their magical knowledge -- everything I have desired to learn through my studies of their civilization.'

Al`Kabor says 'Citizens speak of the citadel's leader, Calix. Some say he is great man, possessed of the vision that will lead the Combine into a new age upon Norrath. Others say he has gone mad and tries to destroy his own people with abductions and experiments. Others say he is dead, not having seen him outside the citadel in years.'

Al`Kabor says 'I say he is a man to whom I must speak. To control the greatest society of magic that has ever lived upon Norrath -- he must have knowledge worth my knowing. It is a shame he keeps company with Lanys. And it would be a greater shame to dismantle this beautiful city searching for our companions.'



Speak with Ognit 0/6 (Arx Mentis)

Ognit Eznertob holds out his hand. A segmented metal snake flips around and lifts up its head, looking at you with glowing eyes of magic. 'They sell these as though they were loaves of bread...' Ognit shakes his head. 'If this city weren't tarnished by Lanys' dark presence and my own stormy thoughts, I would call it wondrous.'

Ognit Eznertob says 'I had never imagined that such advanced levels of tinkering and magic could coexist, let alone exist. It took all my skills to fashion Galeth's body, and you've seen how well that has fared...'

Ognit Eznertob looks ruefully at a burn mark on his wrist, a remnant of his battle aboard the Swift Fin. 'Magic? Tinkering? How can I call myself a wizard or a tinkerer if everything I touch burns and crumbles? Al`Kabor might not be fit as a mentor, but he has been right about me so far...'

Ognit Eznertob shakes his head. 'We are not the only ones to lose our loved ones to the citadel. I spoke with a woman who said her brother once worked as a mechanic within the citadel, repairing contraptions that route magical energy. Though he used to visit the lower city often, she has not seen him in almost a year. This story is similar to ones we have heard from many people.

Ognit Eznertob says 'Perhaps that's why the Servus Libertas exists. The sister of the mechanic spoke of them, as have others. It is said they fight for the freedom and equality of all people in Arx Mentis. Through them we just might achieve the freedom of our companions...'

Ognit Eznertob says 'From what I've gathered, I think those cloaked figures in the corner to the east of here have ties to the Servus Libertas.'



Speak with a Servus Libertas Member 0/5 (Arx Mentis)

a Servus Libertas member says 'My _____ brethren, I have heard the questions you ask. I have heard the questions in your heart. Do you believe in the liberty of the subjugated? Do you believe in the right of a people to share in the bounty and the rule of an empire? Do you believe in the equality of all races, not merely the equality of their overlords?'

a Servus Libertas member says 'Then in your heart you wish to join the Servus Libertas. You see the ghosts of the missing: the empty chairs at the tables, the unopened stalls at the markets, the unoccupied sides of the beds. People enter the citadel, never to return.'

a Servus Libertas member says 'See the past clearly, and you shall see what the future can be. See Tsaph Katta walking among his people, commiserating with all races, acknowledging all stations. See the future of the Combine shining brightly for all people of Norrath.'

a Servus Libertas member says 'Now see the citadel floating above us, blocking out the sun and stars, shining only for Calix and those who call themselves our superiors. Then imagine the clear skies, the citadel trembling and crashing into the sea. Do you share in our imagination, in our wish?'

a Servus Libertas member says 'Then prove it to us. Praetor Janelus watches us, trying to discover our identities, trying to dismantle the Servus Libertas. We would prefer that he were the one to be dismantled. The Servus Libertas surely has a place for those who share in our wishes.



Kill Praetor Janelus 0/1 (Arx Mentis)

Praetor Janelus circles the zone-in area. He hits for a max ~20,000 (no rampage; no flurry). Every 25 seconds, he casts "Deft Slash" (frontal AE for 57,000 dmg).

Praetor Janelus has been slain by _____!
Praetor Janelus's corpse falls to the ground, an anguished expression twisting into a grin, 'Ethernere, I'm coming.'



Speak with a Servus Libertas Member 0/1 (Arx Mentis)

You say, 'Hail, a Servus Libertas member'

a Servus Libertas member nods. 'You have acted where many people would not. Already our brethren walk more freely with Janelus dead. You have done a great deed for the Servus Libertas, and now you are one of us. You are ready for the greater mysteries, the greater knowledge. The Helper shall lead the way.'

Movement catches your eye: a tall, cloaked figure waving at you near the central pyramid.



Speak with the Unseen, Unheard Helper 0/3 (Arx Mentis)

The Unseen, Unheard Helper barely acknowledges your presence. He does not speak; he merely turns toward you. Dark folds of cloth recede into his hood, and you cannot see his face. You can smell him, as though he has not bathed in weeks: blood, smoke, and sweat.

The Unseen, Unheard Helper gives you a note. You unfold the note and read it. 'Remove your darkened hood. Open your eyes. See in the light that all things have flaws. See that true strength lies in the purity of purpose. See that in this purity all flaws and considerations burn away in the blinding light. What five things shall move you to purity? Soon you shall know. And when you are ready, inside the citadel the Unseen, Unheard Helper shall show you the true meaning of purity.'

The Unseen, Unheard Helper hands you a package.



Speak with Firiona 0/1 (Arx Mentis)

Firiona Vie reads the note you received from the Unseen, Unheard Helper. She frowns. 'I do not like how this sounds... The five guides to purity?' She looks at what you are carrying. 'I heard a commotion in the square, and you carry a package...'

Give the Helper's package to Firiona Vie 0/1 (Arx Mentis)

Firiona Vie opens the package hesitantly. 'Dabner's necklace, Dagda's ring, Thubr's cracked breastplate, Lyirae's broken bow... and Galeth's foot...'



Speak with Firiona 0/3 (Arx Mentis)

Firiona Vie's hands tremble. 'Lanys' gifts... when I find her the only gift she will receive from me is a swift death...'

Firiona Vie closes her eyes. Her hands stop shaking. 'We must find them. We must know what is happening in the citadel and where they are. I do not trust this helper, but we must see where he leads. I will not leave my friends to the fate I suffered at the hands of Discord... or worse...'

Firiona Vie says 'Our [path] lies ever higher, above the seas and into the sky. You should speak with the nearby noctis viratum. He claims to know how to enter the citadel unharmed.'


Rewards:
Experience
75 platinum

This task is repeatable with a 6-hour lockout from the time of request.
Rewards:
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Post Comment
silly simple
# Mar 10 2015 at 10:10 AM Rating: Good
Sage
***
3,017 posts
Simple task... basically they stripped the "kill 37 trash mobs" out of the standard formula for earlier progression missions, leaving only "hail 323 times, then kill a not-so-boss boss mob."

They made it stupid easy also by having the boss wander to the zone-in well out of range of trash adds.

I think this is a setup for the NEXT mission, which doesn't sound easy at all!

Edited, Mar 10th 2015 12:11pm by Sippin
____________________________
Sippin 115 DRU **** Firiona Vie ****Agnarr
FV: 115 WAR ENC CLE MAG WIZ SHD SHM Master Alchemist ROG Master Tinkerer & Poison-Maker
Master Artisan (300+) * Baker * Brewer * Fletcher * Jeweler * Potter * Researcher * Smith * Tailor
Agnarr: 65 DRU ENC SHD MAG CLE ROG WIZ BRD WAR
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