Merilda may have stumbled upon a secret…

Merilda: You are an adventurer, are you not? I know this is sudden, but I have no one else to turn to.
Merilda: Last night, a gang of bandits from the Quiveron Manse were in their cups, and I overheard them discussing their plans…
Merilda: It seems they’ve come to collect gemstones stolen from Copperbell Mines. Nashachite, I think I heard one say. They are to meet with their co-conspirator soon, at the Footfalls─
Fufulupa: Wh-Wh-What did you say!?
Fufulupa: Illicit exchanges and shadowy dealings! The Brass Blades cannot abide such malfeasance!
Fufulupa: Forgive my eavesdropping, Marion─I came to Crescent Cove merely to thank you in person.
Fufulupa: I never imagined I’d uncover a criminal conspiracy right outside Horizon’s gates!
Fufulupa: We must act quickly if we are to apprehend these thieves! I will notify Captain Baldewyn at once!
Merilda: No, wait! You mustn’t! Oh, gods…
Merilda: You must stop him before it’s too late! Captain Baldewyn himself is working with the bandits!

Fufulupa: Captain Baldewyn, sir! I’ve discovered something shocking, something horrible!
Fufulupa: Someone has been stealing gemstones from Copperbell Mines and─
Fufulupa: Wait, those gauntlets, those boots─why, you’re one of Quiveron’s men! Sir, that man is a thief and a scoundrel!
Baldewyn: …And? What of it? His coin’s good, and that’s what counts.
Fufulupa: What!? Captain Baldewyn…are you working with these men!? It cannot be…
Baldewyn: I told you to stay in Horizon, Fufulupa. It didn’t have to be like this…
Baldewyn: They’d get their Nashachite, I’d get my gil, and none would be the wiser.
Fufulupa: B-B-But, sir, what if your crimes are uncovered!? What if Lord Lolorito finds out!?
Baldewyn: You godsdamned fool, don’t you see!?
Baldewyn: I am acting under the authority of Lord Lolorito himself!
Fufulupa: No… No! That can’t be true…
Baldewyn: Why do you think people join the Brass Blades, Fufulupa? To serve and protect? Hah!
Baldewyn: We’re not the bloody Flames here! We do this for the coin!
Ser Baron von Quiveron IV Esquire: You there, adventurer! Do you remember me? Well, I remember you!
Ser Baron von Quiveron IV Esquire: I am Ser Baron von Quiveron IV Esquire! You killed my brother, and now I’m going to return the favor!
Baldewyn: Well, that settles it! It’s clearly in everyone’s best interests that both of you die!
Leofric: That’s enough, Baldewyn!
Leofric: Your partner is dead and your plans are undone. You’ve no reason left to fight.
Baldewyn: Stay out of this, Leofric! I don’t take orders from you!
Baldewyn: I may have spared your life before, but if you interfere, I will not show you mercy!
Leofric: And what mercy will he show you, I wonder? You who have done so much in another man’s name.
Baldewyn: What are you blathering on about!?
Leofric: Every fisherman in Crescent Cove knew about your meeting, you arrogant fool. Quiveron’s men couldn’t keep their mouths shut.
Leofric: Imagine Lord Lolorito’s surprise when he learned that a rank-and-file Brass Blade was using his name to advance a personal agenda…
Baldewyn: He knows!? Seven hells! But I’m a captain, he wouldn’t─
Leofric: I was once a captain too, remember? And we both know what happened to me.
Leofric: Well fought, boy. You’ve done the Brass Blades of the Rose proud.
Fufulupa: Captain Leofric! Captain Baldewyn, he…he said that Lord Lolorito─
Leofric: Lord Lolorito wouldn’t waste his time on a small-scale smuggling operation. This is all Baldewyn’s doing.
Leofric: What else did he say? That all our brethren are no better, and that each and every one cares for naught but coin? Hah! Mere excuses to justify his schemes.
Leofric: Aye, we’ve no shortage of greedy sods, some who’d probably sell their own mothers into slavery if the price was right.
Leofric: But there are men like you, Fufulupa─men good and true, whom the smallfolk respect.
Leofric: Which is why I gave you the dagger. The Brass Blades of the Rose need a leader with honor, and you’re the most honorable man I know.
Fufulupa: (sniffle) (sob) Captaaaaaain!

Fufulupa: Thank you for all your help, Marion! The captain and I will escort Captain Baldewyn back to Horizon.
Fufulupa: Pray visit me in town when next you return!
Fufulupa: Welcome back, Marion! So much has happened!
Fufulupa: Captain─ahem, Baldewyn has been arrested and stripped of rank, which means the Brass Blades of the Rose no longer have a captain.
Fufulupa: Until a new one is designated, I’ve been ordered to serve as acting captain of the Horizon garrison.
Fufulupa: Though doubtless this is only a temporary arrangement, I will do my utmost to represent my brethren and protect the people of Horizon!
Fufulupa: Thank you, Marion, for your service to the sultanate. You are a true hero!

Ghimthota, a captain of the watch at the Moraby Drydocks, wishes your aid in dealing with potential intruders.

Ghimthota: I am concerned, Meredith. It appears that the pirates I had you investigate are on the move.
Ghimthota: They creep ever closer to the Drydocks, so I must assume they mean to target the Victory herself.
Ghimthota: That ship is the symbol of everything Limsa Lominsa strives to become, and I will not allow these base scoundrels to lay a single finger upon her hull.
Ghimthota: We must apprehend them before they put their plans into motion! And you, Meredith, are just the woman to do it.
Ghimthota: Without your capable assistance, I fear the security of the Drydocks cannot be guaranteed.
Ghimthota: Not moments ago, my guards submitted reports of suspicious activity in the area. Pray begin your efforts by listening to one of their accounts firsthand.
Ghimthota: It matters not whom you choose to speak with, but be sure to question either Urswyrst at the front gate or C’nangho at the rear.
Ghimthota: Any suspect saboteurs you encounter during the course of your investigation are to be interrogated. Report any and all findings directly to me.

C’nangho: Hail, adventurer. Glad to have another hand aboard to help shore up security.
C’nangho: The gods know our reports would sit on Ghimthota’s desk gathering dust if it weren’t for the assistance of those such as yourself.
C’nangho: Speaking of reports, though, I saw one of those mangy pirates lurking around the cliff near Empty Heart. I’d take a closer look before he has a chance to cover his tracks.

Shifty-eyed Sailor: Bah, spotted me, did ye? Well, yer too late─what’s to ‘appen is already ‘appenin’.

Ghimthota: So, you found me one of those pirates, did you?
Ghimthota: I knew you were the right adventurer to ask for aid.
Ghimthota: But what could these knaves be planning? “What’s to happen is already happening”…?
Storm Soldier: Captain! Ungh… Trouble…at the shipyard… (pant)
Ghimthota: Easy now, soldier. Who did this to you?
Storm Soldier: (pant) Pirates… Out of nowhere… (cough) Stuck me good…
Ghimthota: Gods below, we are not prepared for this!
Ghimthota: The pirates, soldier, how many do they number?
Storm Soldier: Not sure… More than I could quickly count… Seemed to be carrying…explosives…
Ghimthota: Explosives!? Then there is no time to lose!
Ghimthota: Meredith, you heard the situation. Make your way to the shipyard and engage these intruders!
Ghimthota: I will see to this man’s wounds, then follow after.
Ghimthota: Make haste, now!

Ahtzapfyn: Gahahaha! Never reckoned it’d be this easy! Still don’t trust those slimy bastards, but their plan worked like a charm!
Ahtbyrm: Da! What are you doing, you great bloody fool!?
Ahtzapfyn: Shut yer trap, boy.
Ahtzapfyn: This’ll all be over soon. All that’s left now is to blow this ugly pile o’ driftwood into splinters.
Ahtbyrm: Why would you do such a thing!? Have you any idea how important this ship is? What it represents?
Ahtzapfyn: Aye, an’ that’s what makes it all the sweeter! Whatever it takes to knock some sense into me treacherous, backstabbin’ son!
Ahtzapfyn: Imagine, a boy o’ mine givin’ up the pirate life to become a shipwright! An’ buildin’ a bleedin’ Maelstrom vessel at that! What under Llymlaen’s wide, green ocean made ye take up with these self-righteous shites!?
Ahtbyrm: You’re the one with no bloody sense, Da! Don’t you see? The pirates had their glory days, but that era is over!
Ghimthota: Ah! I wondered why Ahtbyrm never spoke of his father. I never would have thought…
Ahtzapfyn: This ship’s a symbol alright─of everythin’ what went wrong with the world. An’ I mean to shatter it into a hunnerd thousand pieces!
Ahtbyrm: Ghimthota! Meredith! Pray beat the tar out of this bloated sea slug, and make sure no harm comes to the Victory!

Ahtzapfyn: I…I must be gettin’ old, lettin’ some green ‘venturer get the best o’ me.
Ahtbyrm: Da…
Ahtzapfyn: (cough) That’s one big bloody ship. Big…an’ nasty lookin’. Ye made that, did ye…?

Ahtbyrm: My thanks, Meredith. I shudder to think what may have become of the Victory without your intervention.
Ahtbyrm: (sigh) The pirates have made a right mess of things─I’d best get to sorting out the docks.
Ahtbyrm: …And my thoughts could use some sorting out as well. Ever did my father have a way of turning my life upside down.
Ahtbyrm: Pray convey my thanks─and my apologies─to Ghimthota.

Ghimthota: How fare you, Meredith? I cannot begin to thank you for the role you played in preventing this madness.
Ghimthota: You defended more than a simple ship─you saved the budding hope of Limsa Lominsa from a violent demise. The day was yours.
Ghimthota: It seems our security regimen will require much in the way of improvement if we are to truly keep the Drydocks safe.
Ghimthota: …Ahtbyrm apologizes? Well, I suppose I can understand why he would feel responsible for his father’s actions. Of all those involved, this incident was hardest on him.
Ghimthota: But, in time, I believe he will come to a single conclusion: the most fitting way of moving past his anguish is to see the Victory completed and in the water.
Ghimthota: Ah, by the by, the pirates we defeated have been handed over to the Yellowjackets. Reyner’s men will be taking over the investigation.
Ghimthota: Before the Yellowjackets moved in, however, we recovered a most unusual object. Should you have the time to spare, I would ask of you another favor…

Luquelot at Bentbranch Meadows seeks your assistance in finding a lost chocobo egg.

Luquelot: No! Oh, please gods, no! Leia’s egg!
Luquelot: Mortimer, you must help me! I stepped out of the stables for but a moment, and when I returned it was gone!
Luquelot: I─ What was gone? An egg! Sorry? You are sure the chocobos will lay another!? Gah! You do not understand─the egg is extremely valuable! I must find it!
Luquelot: You will help me, won’t you, Mortimer? Oh, thank you, thank you!
Luquelot: Someone must have made off with it. There can be no other explanation. I shall scour every ilm of the stable once more just to be sure. While I do so, I should be very grateful if you would ask the others if they noticed anything unusual.

Ewmond: See anyone actin’ suspicious? I most certainly did, lad. A man, it was, runnin’ off towards the Tam-Tara Deepcroft.
Ewmond: Hm? You say an egg was took? Then I’d say that there was yer culprit.
Ewmond: But why would anyone pinch a chocobo egg? Without the proper learnin’, it’s damn near impossible to get one to hatch.

Leodaire: A chocobo egg has gone missing? Hm, well let me think.
Leodaire: Now that you mention it, the chocobos were making quite a racket earlier. So much so, in fact, that I ran over to check on them, almost flattening a passing peddler in my haste. I didn’t find anything out of the ordinary, though.
Leodaire: Hm? Could I describe the peddler? Oh…he was an Elezen fellow─didn’t recognize his face. Seemed awfully twitchy. Oh gods, you don’t think he…? Why in the hells didn’t I accost him!?

Bernard: Have I seen any odd characters about? Aside from yourself, you mean? Not that I recall.
Bernard: I did see someone calming the birds, but only from a distance. I assumed it was Luquelot…
Bernard: But if you say he was away from the stables at the time…then who was that with the chocobos?

Luquelot: There can be no mistake, then. The egg was indeed stolen.
Luquelot: And from what you have told me, this was no simple robbery.
Luquelot: That the culprit should take only Leia’s egg and disregard all the rest tells me we are dealing with someone well versed in chocobo breeding. I am sorry to say that the individual in question is like to be a citizen of my native Ishgard.
Luquelot: Leia, you see, is of the bloodline of Ouranos─one of the greatest birds ever to grace an Ishgardian stable.
Luquelot: Many a man in my homeland would give his right arm to possess one of Leia’s eggs… Gods, I should have foreseen this! We must give chase at once!
Keitha: Hold your chocobos, Luquelot! If this egg thief’s from Ishgard, like you say, why’d he go runnin’ off towards the Tam-Tara Deepcroft? Unless I’ve got me mental map upside down, that’s the opposite direction.
Luquelot: W-Well, yes, but…he may seek to lay a false trail, or…uh… Bah! The why of it is not important! Leia’s egg is all that matters! Adventurer, I beg of you, hunt the scoundrel down and take back what he stole!
Keitha: Well, at least you ain’t plannin’ on chasin’ after him yourself…wherever he’s from.
Keitha: We may work wonders with our birds, Mortimer, but acts of derrin’-do ain’t exactly our field. If you don’t mind, we’ll leave that end of things to you.
Luquelot: With luck, you may catch the thief on the road to the Tam-Tara Deepcroft, but do be careful─we cannot be certain he is working alone in this.

Janremi Blackheart: (pant) (wheeze) I have caught you at last, you spiteful imp! Now hand over the egg!
Kuplu Kopo: You can’t have it, kupo! This egg belongs to Luquelot!
Janremi Blackheart: Who in Halone’s bloody fury are you? Ah, those sops at Bentbranch hired themselves an adventurer, did they?
Janremi Blackheart: Yet another complication. This farce has gone on long enough. Kill the moogle and the farmers’ hireling, and bring me that damned egg!

Kuplu Kopo: Thank you, kupo.
Kuplu Kopo: What’s that, kupo? How did I come to be out here?
Kuplu Kopo: Ah, well, this egg here is Leia’s. Leia is a very special chocobo, in case you didn’t know. Anyway, I was having a nap in the stables when that nasty fellow crept in and tried to steal it, kupo!
Kuplu Kopo: So I snatched it up as quickly as I could and made a run for it. I was planning to take it back to Bentbranch Meadows myself, but it might be safer if you did it. I’m sure Luquelot will be very happy to see you, kupo!

Luquelot: Do you have the egg!? Is it safe!?
Luquelot: Yes, it has the right coloring, the right weight… It is most definitely Leia’s egg.
Luquelot: I know not how to thank you.
Keitha: You had me worried for a bit there, Mortimer. ‘Tis good to see you and the egg back safe and sound.
Luquelot: …So I was correct in my assumption that an Ishgardian was involved─albeit one who did not, in fact, make off with the egg. Well, I could hardly have anticipated the intervention of a moogle!
Keitha: Bugger me… It couldn’t be the same one…could it?
Luquelot: Might you have encountered our unlikely savior before, Keitha?
Keitha: Could be, aye. One of ’em saved my hide back when the Calamity struck.
Keitha: I was in a part of the woods what we now call the Standin’ Corses that day. Seemed like the whole bleedin’ forest was ablaze, and I couldn’t see a yalm in front of me for all the smoke. Well-nigh given up hope, I had.
Keitha: Then, all of a sudden, a moogle appears out of nowhere, tugs at me smolderin’ sleeve, and leads me straight to a bit of the wood where the fire hadn’t taken hold.
Keitha: And now you know why the business is named “Moogle’s Gift Mounts.” Seemed like the least I could do. I’d be dead if it weren’t for that plucky little bugger.
Luquelot: Incredible. It may well be that the moogle has stood vigil over us ever since that day…
Keitha: Ha! We’d better get back to work, then. Wouldn’t want to go lettin’ our guardian angel down, would we? Mortimer, you have our thanks. Oh, and I believe Luquelot wants to give you a little somethin’ for your troubles.
Luquelot: Leia’s egg is irreplaceable. I cannot well express to you the depth of my gratitude.
Luquelot: And yet, I find that I am still troubled… While this whole regrettable episode unfolded, I bore witness to a sight that greatly concerned me…