Ruby Doomsday

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The Resistance and Alliance forces prepare in earnest as a new threat looms on the horizon.

— In-game description

Rewards

The Resistance and Alliance forces prepare in earnest as a new threat looms on the horizon.

Upon receiving word of a fresh menace approaching the Eorzean front, you make your way to Ala Mhigo, where you are given the briefest of briefings. You are asked to meet with the Resistance troops at Porta Praetoria, where you will receive further instructions.

A member of the Resistance forces escorts you to Alliance Headquarters, where the tension in the air is palpable. While each and every soldier stationed there has a similar bleak expression etched on their face, one man in particular is even grimmer than the rest: Gaius Baelsar.

Gaius provides a detailed explanation of the encroaching Ruby Weapon and his failed attempt to destroy it. He and his loyal follower, Severa, tried to preemptively attack the gigantic machina using explosives, only for it to escape largely unscathed before turning to retaliate. Gaius was wounded protecting Severa, resigning the veteran combatant to the role of spectator until he has recovered. He reluctantly petitions your aid in eliminating the Ruby Weapon before it can reach Eorzea, warning you that its near-impenetrable armor plating and whip-like claws are most likely abilities stolen from absorbed primals. Once your preparations are complete, you are to speak with the Resistance soldier assigned as your escort to the battlefield.

The Resistance soldier is to take you to the expected point of contact with the Ruby Weapon before withdrawing to a safe distance. It is clear that this is a foe far beyond the capabilities of rank-and-file troops, and even you, conqueror of the original Ultima Weapon, may be pushed to your limits.

The climactic battle finally draws to a close, and the Ruby Weapon falls silent. Though there are many mysteries surrounding the warmachina's connection with Nael van Darnus, the former legatus of the VIIth Legion whose apparition appeared during the encounter, it seems the answers must wait for the time being. Leaving the wreckage of the gargantuan machine behind, you head towards Alliance Headquarters.

As you turn to leave the battlefield, you are joined by Gaius, who has been observing the encounter from afar. Your conversation is interrupted by the arrival of imperial troops sent to salvage the wreckage of the Ruby Weapon. Strangely, it appears that not only are they acquaintances of Gaius's, but they address him as Father, even going so far as to ask him to return to Garlemald. Unwavering, he states that his days serving the Empire are over, though he soon loses his composure upon discovering that the pilot of the Ruby Weapon was a soldier named Milisandia. He angrily accuses the young imperials of failing to protect their sibling, to which the leader among them replies by stating that they only wished to finish what Gaius had started. They then withdraw, leaving you and the man once known as the Black Wolf to consider your next move.

Shortly after returning to Alliance Headquarters, Gaius is, for better or worse, reunited with his former ward, Cid Garlond, who has been sent to investigate the remains of the Ruby Weapon. Although the two Garleans share a troubled history, they decide to attend to the matters at hand rather than dwell on the past. Their exchange of words is remarkably brief, and you are soon left alone with Cid, who explains that he was one of several children that Gaius had taken into his care, which apparently also included Milisandia, pilot of the Ruby Weapon, though it seems that Cid was unfamiliar with her name until now. He then returns to the task of gathering information on your fallen foe and leaves for the battlefield.

Cid returns somewhat sooner than expected from his investigation with urgent news for Gaius. It seems that not only did Milisandia perish inside the Ruby Weapon's cockpit, as was feared, but her physical form was fused with its core, a horrific spectacle that has left Cid visibly shaken. The Empire, not content to stop at using its pilots as disposable commodities, appears to be dabbling in implanting combat data from elite soldiers such as the deceased Nael van Darnus into living hosts, though the exact methods are as yet unclear. While the immediate threat of the Ruby Weapon has been eliminated, the possibility of ever more dangerous foes cannot be ignored, so Cid, Gaius, and the other members of the group set about learning what they can of the Weapon project. You, on the other hand, are advised to rest in preparation for the struggles that lie ahead, though it would seem prudent to first inform the Resistance troops in Ala Mhigo of the outcome of the battle.

You return to Porta Praetoria to share the events surrounding your encounter with the Ruby Weapon. The details are quickly compiled into a written report to be conveyed to the higher ranks of the Resistance and Alliance, while a copy will be retained at the camp for you to peruse at your leisure, should you feel so inclined. The information you have provided may prove to be invaluable in the days to come, as it is clear the danger posed by the Weapon project is far from over.