The Royal City of Rabanastre (Final Fantasy XIV)

The Royal City of Rabanastre is a level 70 alliance raid in Final Fantasy XIV added in patch 4.1, and the first part of the raid series.
==Story==
Located in the Dalmasca Desert, the Royal City of Rabanastre was previously the capital of the Kingdom of Dalmasca before it was annexed by the Garlean Empire at around the same time as Doma. Like Doma, Rabanastre revolted several times, leading to a brutal repression from the Empire and its abandonment by its residents.
Seeking to light the truth on the event of the legendary War of the Lions, Jenomis cen Lexentale, a famous Garlean playwright, disappeared while leading an archaeological expedition to the ruins of the city, which he believed was built on top of the legendary Lesalia. Following an unsuccessful rescue attempt by his son Ramza, the Warrior of Light is asked by his daughter Alma to brave the mysterious beings that have overrun the city and shed light on what happened to Jenomis.
Ramza refers to Rabanastre as "antediluvian", which means "pre-flood", implying it has stood since before the Calamity of Water over 1500 years ago. According to Encyclopedia Eorzea II, without the help of the Bangaa and their skill in masonry, Rabanastre would never have been constructed.
==Objectives==
* Arrive at the Crumbling Bridge
* Defeat Mateus, the Corrupt
* Arrive in the Palace Square
* Defeat Hashmal, Bringer of Order
* Arrive in the Garamsythe Waterway
* Clear the Garamsythe Waterway
* Defeat Rofocale
* Arrive at the Lesalia Temple ruins
* Slay Argath Thadalfus
==Progression==
=== Dalmasca Estersand ===
After getting off the airship the party arrives in the Dalmasca Estersand, after traveling a few steps the party comes across a herd of red chocobos crossing the sands.
=== Crumbling Bridge ===
Mateus will use water and ice attacks against the players, and at the start of the battle, he will have five Ice Azers that will attack players and cast Blizzard. Once killed, the Ice Azers explode with Hypothermal Combustion.
*Unbind - Mateus releases the Goddess and she begins skating around the arena in a spiral to freeze water droplets and water spouts, players need to run into the small water droplets, and three players need to be on a water spout to deactivate it. Players will also need to defeat the Aqua spheres, and watch out for her path or she will freeze players affected with the Drowned debuff.
*Flash-Freeze - A conal attack that will occasionally hit the tank. 
*Rebind - all of the Unbind mechanics will be removed from the platform
*Blizzard IV -Mateus will summon Ice blocks that will deal proximity damage to players.
*Snowpierce - Column AoE that follows players.
In the next phase, Mateus will submerge the players in water by inflicting the Breathless debuff. Once it reaches ten stacks, the afflicted player will die. Afflicted players must defeat Flume Toads to obtain air bubbles; they are also followed by a column AoE that pops the bubbles on contact.
=== Muthru Bazaar ===
Moving across the crumbled bridge the alliance enters the city, and comes across Seeq bandits that are looting the deserted city. Not wanting to fight the seeq's have Black Chocobos fight for them and in the midst of the battle a Red Chocobo appears, and summons a choco meteor, knocking out the Seeq's and any player caught within proximity. The raided chests will then transform into Rabanastran Mimics.
=== Palace Square ===
Here the players face off against Hashmal, Bringer of Order, he will use earth based attacks against players.
*Quake IV - Raid wide damage.
*Jagged Edge - Large red circles will follow players.
*Control Tower - Hashmall will summon a large pillar out of the ground
*Sanction - Raid wide AoE damage that will also cut the pillar in a specific direction, players will need to move to avoid being crushed.
*Extreme Edge - Hashmal will leave and appear on one side of the platform to dash across the arena. Go to the opposite side of the glowing arm to avoid the high damage and Flesh Wound debuff.
*Rockcutter - heavy hitting tank buster.
*Earth Hammer - Hammers will appear above the platform, move out of its shadow to avoid death.
For the next phase of the fight Hashmal will move to the center of the arena and cast Command Tower which will summon a giant tower that needs to be destroyed before it reaches 100. During this Sand Spheres will spawn and need to be destroyed by each alliance, or everyone will die. Players need to stay with their alliances for Falling Boulder. after the destruction of the tower, Hashmal will use his ultimate attack Landwaster, dealing raid wide damage.
For the Third phase of the fight Golems will appear that need to be destroyed or they will get bigger and increase their damage. Hashmal will then move to the center again and use Submission Tower this summons three towers that will fall into the arena and divide the arena into three sections, and three Sand Spheres will appear again.
=== North End ===
Following the defeat of Hashmal the party moves onto the North End where they come across three seeq bandits huddled around a treasure chest. Once opened the chest reveals two Archeolions, and one Archeaodemon. The Archeolions will behave like Chimeras, and the Archeodemon will cast Unholy Darkness and Karma AoEs.
=== Garamsythe Waterway ===
Jumping into the depths the party finds themselves within the Garamsythe Waterway, each Alliance will be split up, and take different routes, route B will take players underwater and find hidden writing on the walls.
=== Lesalia Garden Ruins ===
After trekking through the Waterways, players will come across the forgotten Royal City of Lesalia. Traveling down into the Lesalia Garden ruins reveals the monster Rofocale, a Lucavi demon residing within the garden.
*Crush Helm - 4 physical vulnerability attacks, and a final attack on the tank.
*Chariot - will target a player and charge at them.
*Cry of Victory - An ability that will affect half of the arena, move behind to avoid.
*Crush Weapon - Will target random players with AoEs.
*Trample - Rofocale will move into a figure 8 pattern that will trample players.
*Maverick - Clones will spawn around the platform and rush in a straight line.
Eventually Rofocale will move to the center of the arena and begin charging his Aetherial Acceleration meter, during this he will summon three Archeaodemons that need to be defeated within a prison. Once defeated Rofocale will circle around the arena and use Heavenly Subjugation to avoid this players need to move to the opposite side of where he stopped. For the next phase of the fight Rofocale will use some new abilities.
*Embrace - circular traps that will bind players, that have walked over it.
*Pomp and Circumstance - Proximity based damage.
*Dark Geas - The arena will go dark and players will be affected with a bleed debuff, players will need to interact with all circles on the ground to survive.
=== Lesalia Temple Ruins ===
Further on into the ruins the party finds Jenomis unconscious on the far end of the area, A man appears and transforms into the Lucavi Demon Duma. He introduces himself as Argath Thadalfus and proclaims to be the rightful king of Ivalice. During this fight doing mechanics incorrectly or being hit by certain attacks,will give a stackable Unnerved debuff, at three stacks players will turn craven and run around aimlessly.
*Crippling Blow - Hard hitting tank buster.
*Crush Weapon - Will target random players with AoEs.
*Soulfix - Point blank AoE attack.
*Divine Commandments - Argath will summon masks, and whichever mask flashes you either have to obey or disobey the mechanic. White angel face is obey, and the Blue demon face is disobey.
*Trepidition - Meteors will fall down into the platform, that need to be stood in.
*Unrelenting - Frontal attack.
*Judgement Blade - 2 players will have blades over their heads that will drop long cross shaped AoE's.
*Coldblood - Boss disappears and a proximity marker will appear.
*Royal Blood - Multiple copies of Argath will appear as Shades and tether to players, these need to be defeated or they will use Unholy Sacrifice and unnerve players.
*Empty Soul - Argath will summon Shards of Emptiness that must be destroyed before the gauge is filled.
*Dark Ultima - Ability used after shards are destroyed or gauge is filled.
*Gnawing Dread - Confuse character and the arrow above your head will spin indicating the direction of where you're going.
*Fire IV - Raid wide damage.
==Enemies==
* Mateus, the Corrupt
** Ice Azer
** Ice Slave
** Blizzard III
** Azure Guard 
** Flume Toad
* Black Chocobo
* Rabanastran Mimic
* Hashmal, Bringer of Order
** Command Tower
** Sand Sphere
** Pennantstone Golem
* Stout Seeq Bandit
* Seasoned Seeq Bandit
* Staunch Seeq Bandit
* Archeaodemon
* Archeaolion
* Rofocale
* Argath Thadalfus
** Shade
** Shard of Emptiness
==Treasures==
==Maps==
Royal City of Rabanastre - Charred Ruins map from FFXIV.png|Charred Ruins.
Royal City of Rabanastre - Garamsythe Waterway map from FFXIV.png|Garamsythe Waterway.
Royal City of Rabanastre - The Royal City of Lesalia map from FFXIV.png|The Royal City of Lesalia.
==Musical themes==
The Royal City of Rabanastre features music from Final Fantasy Tactics. "Trisection" plays in all areas except during boss battles.
"Precipitous Combat" plays while fighting Mateus, Hashmal and Rofocale, while "Ultima's Transformation", plays during the battle with Argath Thadalfus. "Victory" plays upon completion of the duty.
==Behind the scenes==
Mateus and Hashmal are espers from Final Fantasy XII. Mateus is fought in the Stilshrine of Miriam and Hashmal is fought at the Pharos.
In Final Fantasy XII, Black Chocobo is an enemy found in the Ozmone Plain. Archaeodemons are servants to the Lucavi in Final Fantasy Tactics.
This is the first appearance of both Rofocale and Duma, Lucavi names that were shown in the background of the saving screen in Final Fantasy Tactics.
The writing in the tunnels of Route B in the Garamsythe Waterways dates back to the War of the Lions.
The lines Argath Thadalfus uses are phrases he says to other characters in Final Fantasy Tactics.
==Gallery==
;Artworks
FFXIV Rabanastre artwork.jpg|Rabanastre falls.
FFXIV Rabanastre and Prima Vista artwork.jpg|Prima Vista and the Rabanastre ruins.
;Screenshots
FFXIV Rabanastre 00.png
FFXIV Rabanastre 01.png
FFXIV Rabanastre 02.png
FFXIV Rabanastre 03.png
FFXIV Garamsythe Waterway.png|Garamsythe Waterway.
FFXIV Rabanastre Underground.png|Lesalia garden ruins.
FFXIV Argath Thadalfus.png|Argath holding auracite.
FFXIV Rofocale fight.jpg|Rofocale fight.
FFXIV Rabanastre gear.jpg|Gear dropped from Rabanastre
Category:Raids in Final Fantasy XIV
Category:Dalmasca locations in Final Fantasy XIV