Bloody Banquet
The Bloody Banquet is an event taking place at the End of post A Realm Reborn. It is happening during the Mainscenario quest The Parting Glass. It's the cumulation of the past A Realm Reborn questline and leads directly into Heavensward.
Background
Though Ul'dah is officially a Sultanate ruled by Nanamo Ul Namo, the leading faction in the the Syndicate has been the Monetarists. The Sultana was largely powerless against those, creating tension and making the people, especially the smallfolk, suffer.
With the occupation of Ala Mhigo, many refugees has come to Ul'dah, or made their camp in Thanalan (like Little Ala Mhigo in Southern Thanalan). Furthermore, Ul'dah was still trying to rebuilt after the Calamity - which unearth the dormant Allagan superweapon Omega.
After the attempt to house the Doman refugees in Ul'dah, riots started to flare up among the city-state refugees. Growing unrest would mean that refugees would flee elsewhere, like into the Twelveswood. Alreafy agitated Sylphs could then summon their primal Ramuh - and lead to Alphinauds decision to found a new grand company: the Crystal Braves.
However, he missed to see that a large amount of those he recruited were financed by the Monetarists, especially Teledji Adeledji, making them easy to bribe. It was also found out later that he supplied the city-state refugees with weapons to enable unrest. He wanted to apply pressure onto the Syndicate to pass the "Carteneau Reclamation Bill": a bill that should give refugees a place to built permanent homes - but in truth he wanted to claim Omega for himself[1]
After further tension, Nanamo Ul Namo was considering stepping down, and give way for Ul'dah to become a republic. Teledji Adeledji got notice of this plan.
To celebrate Ishgards win over the dravanian horde [2] and to strengthen the ties between Ul'dah, Gridania and Limsa Lominsa, Lord Commander Aymeric de Borel along with the respective city-state leaders, as well as the Scions of the Seventh Dawn were invited to a celebratory banquet in Ul'dah[3].
Timeline of the Event
The whole event takes place during the Mainscenario quest The Parting Glass.
Before the Warrior of Light should join the festivites, Nanamo Ul Namo asked them for a private audience, revealing to them that she is planning to step down and will announce this during the banquet. When drinking from the goblet that her lady in waiting Meriel gave her, Nanamo collapsed on the floor. It appears that the wine was poisoned. Soon after, Teledji comes into the chamber, and accuses the Warrior of Light of regicide.
Shortly after, Aymeric and Lucia are informed that the Dravanians are renewing their assault, and they leave the banquet.
Teledji stays in the banquet hall with armed men, and announces to everyone present that the Warrior of Light as assassinated the Sultana. Ilberd escorts them into the banquet hall, where Teledji also accuses the Scions of conspirancy - the vial with the poison found in their possession.
Grieving and agitated by Nanamo's death, General Raubahn attacks Teledji gravely. Lolorito then condemns Raubahn's actions and accuse him to be in league with the Scions. Charging towards Lolorito, Raubahn is attacked by Ilberd who cuts of his arm.
Guests still present at the banquet have left by this point. Raubahn, the Warrior of Light and the Scions are detained in the banquet hall. Ilberd continues to agitate Raubahn, he then breakes free, and severs the ties of the Warrior of Light. He ushers them and the Scions to flee, believing that the plot runs deeper.
Thancred - who was not present at the banquet - was confronted by Brass Blades outside of the royal promenade. He rejoins the Scions as they left the banquet hall, and together they plan to escape through the sultana's chambers. Yda and Papalymo stay behind to give the other Scions a chance to flee, before finding their own way into hiding.
The remaining Scions - Minfilia, Y'shtola, Thancred and the Warrior of Light - flee through the Sil'dih Aqueducts, but are closely followed by Soldiers of the Brass Blades and Crystal Braves. The ensure their escape, Y'shtola and Thancred stay behind to give Minfilia and the Warrior of Light the chance to flee. Y'shtola will cast the spell Flow to escape with Thancred via the lifestream.
While running through the Aqueducts, Minfilia receives a message from Hydaelyn, and she ushers the Warrior of Light to continue fleeing, while declaring that she needs to stay behind.
The Aqueduct leads towards the Sil'dih ruins in Central Thanalan. There, the Warrior of Light encounters Vice Marshal Pipin Tarupin, who has had rescued Alphinaud prior already. Together with the aid of Cid Garlond and Brennan/Bremondt/Brendt (depending on your starting city-state), we make our way to Coerthas Western Highlands.
Aftermath
The remaining Scions - Alphinaud, Tataru and the Warrior of Light - stay at Camp Dragonhead under the hospitality of Haurchefant Greystone. They will be granted Asylum in Ishgard as wards of House Fortemps. From there, they will make efforts to find and rescue their missing comrades.
In this time, the atmosphere in Ul'dah is tense, with Crystal Braves patrolling the streets. The people are not aware of the full happenings of the event, though rumours and uncertainty are present within the city.
During this, it is revealed that Nanamo was not killed by poison, but was put into a death like slumber. Lord Lolorito learned of Adeledji's plan of murdering the Sultana, and tasked Meriel, who was one of his spies, to substitute the deadly poison was his concoction. He hoped by this to get rid of Adeledji, and also Raubahn. Merlwyb and Kan-E-Senna convinced Lolorito to not charge against the Scions and to cover up the Sultana's poisoning by saying she is ill. With this steps they want to avoid a potential civil war emerging. Pipin was instigated as the Flame's General, and was working to prove his father's innocence.
After the Scions rescued Raubahn from the Crystal Braves[4], Dewlala and Lolorito revealed the true nature of Nanamo's fate[5], and Raubahn received the antidote to wake the Sultana[6]. Raubahn was then reinstigated as the General of the Immortal Flames. All claims against the Scions are also reverted.
Y'shtola was found within the lifestream, while Thancred emerged from the lifestream in the Dravanian Forelands[7].
Minfilia was still missing. Krile and Thancred could trace her aetheric signature within the Sil'dih acqueducts, where she was last seen before Hydaelyn called her. Instead of two bodies, three bodies made it into the lifestream with Y'shtola's cast of Flow. However, Minfilia has not emerged from there, concluding that she was called to the Aetherial Sea. To investigate, the Scions decide to use the Antitower and search for Minfilia. They find her, but she has transcended to become "The Word of the Mother"[8].
She will emerge again after the fight with the Warriors of Darkness, announcing that she will travel to the First as an emissary of Hydaelyn, hoping to forestall the Calamity.[9].
Yda and Papalymo were rescued by members of the Ala Mhigan resistance. They helped them slipping out of the city, and sheltered them in Little Ala Mhigo[10]. Shortly afterwards they rejoined the Scions, and this ultimately lead to the liberation attempt of Ala Mhigo in Stormblood.