Alexander (Final Fantasy XIV)



Alexander is a primal and a location from Final Fantasy XIV, made its debut in the game's first expansion, Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward. It's an enormous, long-abandoned mechanical fortress into which the Goblins have summoned a primal essence. Unlike the other primals the adventurers must fight directly, Alexander needs to be defeated from within.

Alexander serves as a raid available after the Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward main storyline is completed with two difficulty levels: normal and savage.

Story
Ages ago, Alexander was designed by the author of the Enigma Codex be a haven for scientists and philosophers to research the mysteries of life. Two years after the start of the Seventh Umbral Era, the Illuminati's leader Quickthinx Allthoughts learned of Alexander's location in Thaliak River in the Dravanian Hinterlands and repurposed it by infusing the structure's core, the Gordian Knot, with aether so that it would serve as a primal.

Though the initial summoning failed, causing a mild earthquake, the Illuminati attempt to summon Alexander again some time after Ishgard joined the Eorzean Alliance. Cid nan Garlond and Y'shtola, the former knowing the Illuminati were the cause, witness Alexander partially emerging from the Thaliak River and entering stand-by mode while siphoning the area's aether. While Y'shtola seeks the aid of Matoya to contain it from draining aether, Garlond Ironworks secure the area around Alexander while investigating the apparent opening in Alexander's exposed hand with the assistance of Mide, who is after the Enigma Codex. After braving Alexander's defenses, the group shuts down the Gordian Knot. However, the Illuminati do not appear to be deterred at all by this, suggesting they have something up their sleeve.

Gordias
The right arm of Alexander, which upon emerging from the Tipped Ewer grasped a nearby riverbank on the edge of the Maker's Quarter. The immense hand emerged through the force field surrounding Alexander, allowing entry through a portal in the "fist" of the machine arm.

This sector contains four raid instances:


 * Fist of the Father
 * Cuff of the Father
 * Arm of the Father
 * Burden of the Father

Enemies
Fist=
 * Oppressor (Boss)
 * Oppressor 0.5
 * Alarum
 * Faust
 * Sturm Doll
 * -|Cuff=
 * Boomtype Magitek Gobwalker V-VII
 * Gordian Footman
 * Gordian Hardhelm
 * Gordian Hardmind
 * Gordian Sniper
 * Gordian Soldier
 * Jagd Doll
 * Magitek Gobwalker G-IX
 * -|Arm=
 * Living Liquid (Boss)
 * Liquid Limb
 * Liquid Gaol (Savage Only)
 * Embolus (Savage Only)
 * Gear Lubricant
 * Piston Lubricant
 * Clay Claw
 * Echioceras
 * Ogrebon
 * -|Burden=
 * The Manipulator (Boss)
 * Left Foreleg
 * Right Foreleg
 * Left Hindleg (Savage Only)
 * Right Hindleg (Savage Only)
 * Jagd Doll
 * Panzer Doll
 * Straf Doll (Savage Only)

Treasures
Fist (Normal)=
 * Tarnished Gordian Chain
 * Tarnished Gordian Pedal
 * Tarnished Gordian Bolt
 * -|Cuff (Normal)=
 * Tarnished Gordian Lens
 * Tarnished Gordian Pedal
 * Tarnished Gordian Bolt
 * -|Arm (Normal)=
 * Tarnished Gordian Lens
 * Tarnished Gordian Crank
 * Tarnished Gordian Spring
 * -|Burden (Normal)=
 * Tarnished Gordian Shaft
 * Tarnished Gordian Crank
 * Tarnished Gordian Spring
 * Gobwalker Shielding
 * Gordian Gear
 * -|Fist (Savage)=
 * Gordian Manifesto - Page 1
 * Gordian Necklaces
 * Gordian Earrings
 * Gordian Bracelets
 * Gordian Rings
 * -|Cuff (Savage)=
 * Gordian Manifesto - Page 2
 * Gordian Gobcoat
 * Gordian Gloves
 * Gordian Boots
 * Gordian Belts
 * -|Arm (Savage)=
 * Gordian Manifesto - Page 3
 * Gordian Gobtwine
 * Gordian Helmets
 * Gordian Legs
 * -|Burden (Savage)=
 * Gordian Manifesto - Page 4
 * Gordian Gobdip
 * Gordian Weapons
 * Gordian Bodies
 * Gobwalker Gear

Musical themes
"Sins of the Father, Sins of the Son" is the ambient theme inside Alexander.

"Locus" is the theme that plays during boss battles.

"Metal - Alexander Awakens" is the theme that plays during the battle against the Manipulator in The Burden of the Father. "Locus" and "Metal" are remixed into a jazz theme that plays during the battle against Brute Justice in The Burden of the Son.

Locus

 * Seeking the peace of reason
 * Sheep in a peaceless season
 * Reason to keep believing
 * Waken the beast who's sleeping


 * Let go this destiny, you're caught in a trance
 * Ever marking time inside a dream, no sign of advance,
 * You see, the mortal coil we serve is taut like a spring
 * Step back! Two-step, two-step, two-step, one two three


 * Our world's a fantasy, no more than a test
 * Ever feeding off the fallacy creating this mess
 * Deep down inside this bleak machine with all of the rest
 * Break free! Two-phase, two-phase electricity


 * Time turning up the volume
 * Time turning on us always
 * No time enough tomorrow
 * For turning back to where we began


 * Twenty-two sectors tested
 * Fragments in one direction
 * Celestial noise detected
 * Delirium unsuspected


 * Static tuned in to reason
 * Time in the aether deepens
 * Transmissions blink uncompleted
 * Seven two three two three...&lt;send&gt;


 * Arrested destiny, alone in a trance
 * No escaping from this waking dream, no hope of advance,
 * You see, the mortal coil we serve is naught but a spring
 * Unwind! Too slow, too quick, too much to believe


 * Your world's a fantasy, you've failed the test
 * Ever forging all new fallacies creating more mess
 * Directly through this bleak machine, with all of the rest
 * DC! Dying, dying electricity


 * Falling back right into the system of
 * Falling back on all that's erased
 * When fighting back right out of this system
 * Means falling back right into this space
 * Yes, falling back right in with the system
 * Who'll see you falling back to the end
 * When falling back is better than simply
 * Falling back into pieces again


 * Silent steel breathing, breathing
 * Memory writing, reading
 * Error! Repeat deleting
 * Radicals flowing free and
 * Energy slowly seeping
 * Suspending all disbelief in
 * Synergy with our being
 * Synapses fire in three, then...

Metal - Alexander Awakes

 * Snap click crank wirr whizz wham boom!
 * Wheels humsing uplander doom!
 * Crack thoom snap bam bim bangy zoom!
 * Ah, nearsoon firebloom, crimson FOOM!
 * Stop dizzyheels of the wicked.
 * Defuse, pop! Debone, slup! Deflate...
 * No busydeals for the wicked.
 * Too late, far too late, far too late!
 * Wake the metal! (boom gobbiedoom!)
 * Create the Metal! (doom gobbieboom!)
 * Enfold the Metal! (boom gobbiedoom!)
 * Control the Metal! (doom gobbieboom!)
 * Embrace the Metal! (boom gobbiedoom!)
 * Reraise the Metal! (doom gobbieboom!)
 * Restore the Metal! (boom gobbiedoom!)
 * Live for the Metal! (doom gobbieboom!)
 * Slap tick clank purr kizz blam crash!
 * Bluehand back, uplander bash!
 * Whack vroom clap salm sing spinny splash!
 * Not farsoon we smash heads, we dash!
 * Boom! gobbie-bombs gobbie-neckbreaks
 * Again and again and again!
 * Doom! gobbie-hands gobbie-endmakes
 * The end! Oh, the end! Yes, the end!
 * Wake the Metal! (Metal!)
 * Create the Metal! (Metal!)
 * Enfold the Metal! (Metal!)
 * Control the Metal! (Metal!)
 * Embrace the Metal! (Metal!)
 * Reraise the Metal! (Metal!)
 * Restore the Metal! (Metal!)
 * Live for the Metal! (Metal!)

Trivia

 * In the Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward Official Benchmark, Alexander is shown emerging from a lake in Dravania as a convoy of flying mounts pass by.
 * The Living Liquid boss is a reference to Liquid Flame from Final Fantasy V, alternative between a humanoid form, a giant hand, and a tornado.