Dalmasca (Final Fantasy XIV)

Dalmasca is a kingdom in Final Fantasy XIV, located on the southern reaches of the far eastern continent of Othard. Historically ruled by the B'nargin dynasty, it was conquered by the Garlean Empire thirty years ago and has since served as the base of operations for the IVth Imperial Legion led by Noah van Gabranth.
==Profile==
Prior to the Garlean invasion, Dalmasca was prosperous from international trade owing to it being the only viable land route between the continents of Othard and Ilsabard. In addition to the capital city Rabanastre being a hub of land trade, the port city Valnain was a hub for sea trade. The B'nargin line ruled Dalmasca for over a thousand years, and Ramza bas Lexentale refers to Rabanastre as "antediluvian", meaning pre-flood, implying it has existed since before the Calamity of Water over 1500 years ago.
The kingdom's religion was the Light of Kiltia, a polytheistic faith centered on Faram the Father, God of Light, which had significant influence on Dalmascan society since ancient times but took a hands-off approach to interfering with secular matters of government. However the Garlean empire banned worship and its holy places were either destroyed or repurposed for the Garlean military.
Dalmasca's population is 40% Hyur, 20% Bangaa, 10% Seeq, 5% Viera, and 25% Other. As a nation of diverse peoples, Dalmasca adopted a philosophy of ‘live and let live’ to avoid senseless conflicts. Each race, clan, and tribe held themselves to different ethical and moral standards, but as long as no laws were broken, the questionable actions of other races were largely ignored. After many an ugly and violent dispute motivated by racial differences, it seems that Dalmascans learned the benefits of keeping their thoughts to themselves.
As well as spices and foodstuffs from across the world, Dalmasca’s vibrant trade brought with it foreign recipes, and thus did ancient Dalmascans partake in all manner of culinary fare. Of particular note is the unusual dish the locals would prepare using wild cactus from the desert. The vineyards of Leá Monde were also famed for producing ‘Valens,’ an exquisite red wine of complex and delicate flavor, yet its scarcity now is such that even a single bottle would command a small fortune.
The B'nargin royal family's coat of arms, known colloquially as the "Suncrest", served as Dalmasca's flag. In addition to the King of Dalmasca, the last of whom was Raminas B'nargin Dalmasca, the nation was ruled by an assembly of officials known as the Blue Council which governed under the king's authority. The name originates from the blue-tiled floor of their council chambers.
==History==
===Before Final Fantasy XIV===
Before Dalmasca was founded, the region where it is now used to be known as Ivalice. In the present day Ivalice is thought to be merely a legend.
The B'nargin line ruled Dalmasca for a thousand years, although Ramza bas Lexentale's description of Rabanastre as antediluvian puts it at at least 1577 years old, and so the B'nargin were seemingly not the first Dalmascan rulers.
The majority of the populace were adherents of Kiltia, also known as the Church of Iocus or the Priesthood of St. Iocus, the state religion tracing its origins to Saint Ajora. Other faiths were tolerated as acknowledgment of Dalmasca's diversity, yet the followers of the Sect of Germonique alone were branded heretics, and were exiled if not executed. Whereas the church taught that Germonique was a betrayer who slew Ajora, the Sect considered him the true savior. And where the church taught that Ultima, the High Seraph was a servant of god, the sect considered her to be god, who gifted them auracite, miraculous stones to solve all of mankind's woes. Yet auracite brought disaster wherever it was used and was regarded in fear by the populace, which turned to violence toward the Sect of Germonique. And so it was that the Sect was designated an extremist cult.
In times past the Light of Kiltia once involved itself in secular affairs of the government, but following public outcry there was a forced separation of church and state.
When Garlemald's IVth Imperial Legion led by Noah van Gabranth invaded Dalmasca 30 years ago, King Raminas B'nargin Dalmasca and his council refused to pledge fealty. Garlemald swiftly conquered many cities by force. During the war 70,000 Dalmascan soldiers died, as well as Dalmasca's prince Rasler B'nargin Dalmasca after a six-month last stand at Nalbina Fortress, which was the turning point in the imperial campaign and marked the beginning of the kingdom's end. Rasler's twin sister Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca attempted to flee the fortress with Ba'Gamnan, but she died right before she reached freedom. The death of his children took the fight out of Dalmasca's king; he surrendered to the Garleans and passed away soon after. The official reports say he died of illness, but rumors of suicide or assassination persist. In the present day the leader of Dalmasca's resistance Lente's Tears is a young woman claiming to be Ashe, but her age does not match up with Princess Ashe who would be in her fifties by now.
The Garleans repressed several Dalmascan uprisings over the decades, but after the Barheim Incident a few years ago which resulted in the deaths of many imperial colonists, Noah van Gabranth called in the help of the XIVth Imperial Legion. Livia sas Junius hunted down and slaughtered suspected rebels without trial, earning her the title "the Witch of Dalmasca".
===Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood===
Thirty years after being conquered, after the successful liberation of Doma and Ala Mhigo, the Dalmascans also tried to rise up against the Garleans. In response Garlemald publicly executed many resistance leaders and reduced Rabanastre to rubble with an airship fleet led by the Dalriada, but in the process exposed the ruins of a long-lost civilization. In the Return to Ivalice storyline it is discovered that the ancient kingdom of Ivalice once stood where Dalmasca is now.
At the behest of Hien Rijin, leader of Doma, Dalmasca's rebellion entered into an alliance with the other nations of Othard against Garlemald. However after the destruction of Rabanastre much of Dalmasca's resistance was splintered, and before fully committing themselves to the Eastern Alliance they had to gather the scattered pockets of resistance back under a single banner again.
===Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers===
30 years after Dalmasca's fall, at the same time that the Bozjan Resistance was fighting on the Bozjan Southern Front, the Dalmascan resistance successfully reclaimed Nalbina Fortress after a hard-fought battle. When the Bozjans' fight against the IVth moved to Zadnor near the Dalmasca/Bozja border, the Dalmascan resistance arrived to help them. The fighting concluded with the destruction of the great imperial airship the Dalriada and the death of Menenius sas Lanatus, Gabranth's second-in-commanded.
Six months after the IVth's defeat in Bozja, Noah van Gabranth blamed Lyon rem Helsos for their failure. Enraged, Lyon would commit mutiny against Noah and try to kill him. Castrum Valnaini in Valnain was set aflame, and the Dalmascan resistance would later find the charred remains of Gabranth among the ruins. After three decades of fighting, Dalmasca was finally free. With the IVth Legion's officers having gone into hiding, the Dalmascans established the Rumta-Zaraam (meaning “the spear in the dark”) to hunt down escaped war criminals. And yet, there are those who believe Gabranth faked his death, that the corpse found belonged to someone else, and is still at large. And so it is that Dalmascans fear the "ghost of Gabranth." Moreover, Menenius had, before his death, come to believe that Gabranth had deployed a pawn to guide Dalmasca in his desired direction.
Unknown to all but a select few within the Dalmascan resistance, the Princess Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca yet lives. Her death thirty years ago was faked by the Saraab, an elite and secretive unit of servants of the Dalmascan royal family, in order to spirit her away so she could live in safety until the fallen nation could be reborn. When the princess awoke years later she had memory problems but still recalled her identity and purpose. Fran Eruyt, the leader of the resistance, was a part of the Saraab back then and now keeps Ashelia's survival a secret. For those few who have met her, they believe her to be a descendant of the royal family rather than the self-same princess who was thought to have died thirty years ago.
===Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker===
Soldiers from Lente's Tears participated in an operation from nations all across the Three Great Continents to assault the Telophoroi in Garlemald.
==Locations==
When Garlemald conquered Dalmasca it divided the kingdom into two regions: Dalmasca Superior and Dalmasca Inferior.
When both Superior and Inferior are counted together, Dalmasca has the second largest land area of any country on the Three Great Continents, behind only the Garlean Empire.4Gamer.net Interview with Banri Oda
===Dalmasca Superior===
*Dalmasca Desert: A vast desert comprising most of Dalmasca Superior, so large it must be divided into the eastern Estersand and western Westersand.
*Nalbina Fortess: The location of Dalmasca's final stand against the empire. Under Garlean rule it was known as Castrum Amicitia. The Dalmascan resistance has recently retaken it.
*Rabanastre: The former capital of the kingdom of Dalmasca, and capital of Dalmasca Superior under Garlean occupation. It has recently been destroyed by the empire as a show of force against the resistance.
**Lesalia: Underground ruins of the ancient capital of Ivalice accessible from tunnels beneath Rabanastre.
*Skatay Range: The mountain range that makes up the northern border of Dalmasca and divides it from the rest of Othard. Home of the Veena Viera.
===Dalmasca Inferior===
*Golmore Jungle: A dense jungle that makes up half of Dalmasca Inferior. Home to the Rava Viera.
**Orbonne Monastery: An ancient monastery located deep within Golmore along the River Zeirchele.
*Greylic's Bend: A cape of jagged cliffs that makes up one half of Dalmasca Inferior.
*Leá Monde: The capital of Dalmasca Inferior under Garlean occupation.
*Valnain: A port city used as the base of operations for Garlemald's IVth Legion.
**Castrum Valnaini: The imperial castrum at Valnain, destroyed in a fire by Lyon rem Helsos.
===Valnard Sea===
*Ridorana Lighthouse: A lighthouse used by the kingdom of Dalmasca, located on the edge of a massive hole in the sea known as the Ridorana Cataract. The ancient structure was once known as Goug before being repurposed as a lighthouse.
===Location unknown===
*Neimrahava Woods: A forest that was burned down by the Garleans to drive out Dalmascan rebels.
*Revenia: Mentioned only as the birthplace of Dyunbu pyr Potitus.
*Sal Ghidos: Mentioned only as the birthplace of Gilbrisbert quo Buteo.
==Behind the scenes==
Dalmasca is heavily based on the country of the same name from Final Fantasy XII, with other aspects, primarily the ancient history, based on Ivalice from Final Fantasy Tactics. The cities of Valnain and Leá Monde originate from Vagrant Story.
Dalmasca was mentioned several times during A Realm Reborn before making its proper debut in Stormblood.
It was originally stated in the Encyclopædia Eorzea that Dalmasca was located on the continent of Ilsabard and was the first country that Garlemald ever conquered. However the Encyclopædia Eorzea II retconned this so that Dalmasca was on Othard and was conquered 30 years ago, while the first country that Garlemald conquered 60 years ago was changed to Nhalmasque.
==Gallery==
FFXIV Rabanastre 03.png|The Dalmasca Desert and gates of Rabanastre.
Valnain FFXIV.png|Valnain, a port city used by the IVth Legion during Garlean occupation.
FFXIV Golmore Jungle.png|Golmore Jungle comprises most of Dalmasca Inferior.
FFXIV Ridorana Cataract.png|The Ridorana Cataract and Lighthouse in the Valnard Sea.
==Citations==
Category:Othard locations in Final Fantasy XIV
Category:Nations in Final Fantasy XIV