Ramuh (Server)

This is one of the many worlds of FFXI. It was one of 20 servers activated upon the original release of FFXI in Japan.
ID Number: 03
Activation Date: May 16, 2002 
== History in the FF Series ==
Ramuh (all but FF4US), Indra (FF4US)
Ramuh has always been depicted in the Final Fantasy series as a sage old man with a long beard in robes, the classic archetype of wisdom in the collective human memory. He has appeared in Final Fantasy III, IV, V, VI, VII, IX, XI. Like Titan, he has often been replaced by an alternate Thunder-element Summon, Quetzalcoatl in FFVIII and Ixion in FFX. His lightning has always been associated with force of judgment. While he has always worn robes, their color has varied across the series. They have usually been a light color, like beige (FFIV,IX), white (FFVII), or light gray (FFV), though have occasionally been green (FFIII) or a dark blue-green color (FFVI). For his appearance in FFXI, see Ramuh. Ramuh was also a Summon in Final Fantasy Tactics & Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. There he dealt Thunder-element damage as usual.
Ramuh has usually been a part of the set of elemental summons (e.g. Shiva, Ifrit, Titan) obtained early on. Only very rarely has he needed to be fought to gain his services. He usually is among the earliest to join the party or sometimes is even the first to do so. He had to be fought in FFV. He was never much of a challenge.
* In FFIII, he could be purchased at a magic shop in Leprit or Dorga's Village for 1500 Gil. He was classified as Level 3 Summon Magic.
* In FFIV, he was one of many Summons obtained when Rydia matured in the Town of Summoned Monsters deep underground. There, we learned he was reputed to be slow to anger, but when he was angered, his wrath was unmatchable. 
* In FFV, he roamed the forests near the Town of Istory in the far northwest of World One. He was classified as Level 2 Summon Magic. 
* In FFVI, he was the leader of a group of Esper refugees who set up camp in a suite high up one of the skyscrapers in the city of Zozo. He informed the Returners of the Espers' dilemma and what the Empire was doing to them. He was the first to convert himself into Magicite (the remains of an Esper) and managed to persuade those with him to make a similar sacrifice to assist the cause of all Espers.
* In FFVII, his red Materia had the undignified location of the conference room for the Chocobo racers in Gold Saucer. Where it was originally from was unknown. 
* In FFIX, Ramuh was a mysterious figure at Pinnacle Rocks located high on the Mist Continent where he told a story to Garnet (actually events from the early part of Final Fantasy II). If she pieces together the story in the right order and discusses it with Ramuh, he gives her a Peridot (the gemstone he is associated with) and joins her. 
* In FFXI, Ramuh is a Celestial Avatar, obtained from the Cloister of Storms located in Boyahda Tree on the Li'Telor Peninsula of the Mindartia Continent. For his background, see the story listed on Ramuh. 
In all roles where he had a speaking part, he always appeared to be a wise counsel for the heroes. 
Moves: 
"Judgment Bolt" (FF4,5,7,9,11), "Heaven's Rage" (FF3), "Bolt Fist" (FF6), "Ramuh" (FFT)- Thunder-element attack on all enemies (FF3,4,5,6,7,9,11, FFT)
"God's Thunder"- Thunder-element attack on 1 enemy (FF3)
"Thunderspark"- Thunder-element damage and Paralyze status on all enemies (FF11)
"Shock Strike"- inflicts Stun status on 1 enemy (FF11)
"Mindblast"- inflicts Stun status on all enemies (FF3)
"Rolling Thunder"- endows all allies with Enthunder status (FF11)
"Lightning Armor"- endows all allies with Shock Spikes status (FF11)
"Chaotic Strike"- deals a 3-hit physical attack on 1 enemy that also inflicts Stun status (FF11)
Thunder II (FF11)
Thunder IV (FF11)
Attributes:
Final Fantasy VI
Offers Stamina+1 Level Up Bonus
 
Teaches Bolt, Bolt 2, Poison 
Final Fantasy VII
Magic Power +1, HP Max -2%, MP Max +2%
[★]- 0AP (allows 1 use per battle)
[★★]- 10,000AP (allows 2 uses per battle)
[★★★]- 25,000AP (allows 3 uses per battle)
[★★★★]- 50,000AP (allows 4 uses per battle)
[★★★★★]- 70,000AP (allows 5 uses per battle)
* In FF7, gives Lightning-element to weapon/armor when linked with Elemental materia
* In FF9, his attack strength was related to the number of Peridots in the cast's inventory. The Peridot also taught Vivi the Black Magic spell Thundara.
== Historical Background ==
Ramuh is believed to be based on the figure from Hindu belief, Rama. Rama is the 7th Avatar of Vishnu (the Preserver/Maintainer in the Hindu Trimurti). Unlike most of Vishnu's other Avatars, Rama was mortal. He experienced several tests and challenges in his life, but he has remained devoted to the principle of dharma. Though a prince, he abandoned claim to the throne and went to contemplation in a forest. When he wife was kidnapped by Ravana, 10-headed demon king of Lanka, he undertook a quest which tested his strength. He managed to slay Ravana and rescue his wife. Returning, he claimed his role as king and also ruler of the world. His reign lasted 11,000 years, an era of peace and prosperity. He is considered the embodiment of perfect manhood, having great strength matched only by his level of virtue and dedication to principles. His weapon of choice was Vishnu's Bow. Rama was often depicted with bluish skin. Rama means "dark" or "black". However, there is no connection to Thunder/lightning or weather as well as being an old sage. 
Rama doesn't have many associations with the classic Ramuh, so it is believed there may be another inspiration. Lahmu is a god from Mesopotamian mythology, one of a pair of twins (his twin sister was Lahamu). Lahmu and Lahamu were the first 2 gods to be created from the primordial waters, spawned from Tiamat and Apsu. Lahmu was described as "the bearded one" or "the hairy one" and was depicted usually as a bearded man wearing a red triple-sash and having curly hair, though sometimes he was shown as a snake. Lahmu and Lahamu were said to embody silt forming the first patches of land which emerged from the watery Chaos. That silt would be the silt of a river delta as it meets the sea, something very important to Mesopotamia, especially in the southern part of the Euphrates-Tigris River Valley. The associated with a bearded figure who was the first god to emerge, well before all of the other well known Mespotomian gods are points in favor of Lahmu, not to mention in Japanese, Ramuh is spelled Ramu, and Lahmu (sometimes spelled Lamu) would phonetically be the same as Ramu. The weak point is there is no connection to lightning or weather.
Another possibility is Ramu/ Ra Mu, who in 19th-20th Century occultism was believed to be the Emperor of either Mu or Lemuria (older translations have him as the ruler of Mu, modern occult/conspiracy works have him as the ruler of Lemuria). Lemuria is a theoretical lost, sunken continent which had an advanced civilization located somewhere in the Indian Ocean. Mu is a theoretical lost, sunken continent which had an advanced civilization located in the Pacific Ocean. Both are Eastern equivalents of Atlantis. Both were shown not to exist (Lemuria was devised by a geologist in 1864 trying to explain why Madagascar and India had similar creatures [the reason is plate tectonics, not devised til the early 20th Century and not widely accepted until the 1960s]. Mu was created by a 19th Century archaeologist who studied the Mayan civilization, but was found to make most of his findings up. Both are disproven by plate tectonics). The name is obviously a derivative of the Egyptian Sun God Ra with Mu, the name of the place attached (the Ra of Mu). The story of Mu is the lost continent developed a flourishing civilization tens of thousands of years ago, but eventually sunk and civilization had to re-develop from more primitive humans (all the civilizations of recorded world history). The points in support for this is the name Ra Mu/Ramu fits Ramuh's Japanese rendering and the association with being the sage leader of an ancient advanced civilization, which would give access to a vast array of arcane knowledge. The weak point is there is no connection to lightning or weather. 
Given some elements from the background of Treasures of Aht Urhgan, namely the prevalence of some ruins from the Olduum Civilization, which sank beneath the waves some time ago (just like Atlantis, Mu, Lemuria), it would seem somewhat more likely Ramuh derives from Ramu/Ra Mu. Each of the Celestial Avatars has a constellation named after them and the brightest star in that constellation (which is always the same color as their element's color is) is the only star that is named. Ramuh's brightest star is named Olduum. It is a second-hand connection, but it's a connection nonetheless. Ramuh's backstory in Vana'diel Tribune issue 11 (April 3, 2003) states he was an inventor for the city of Olduum. 
category:Servers