The Ultimate Weapon

Quest giver: Raubahn
Location: Northern Thanalan (X:15.5, Y:16.9)
Quest line: Seventh Umbral Era
Level: 50

Experience: 2,340
Gil: 15,000
Previous quest: Rock the Castrum
Next quest: The Price of Principles
A Recurring Problem
Fear and Odin in the Shroud
Legacy of Allag
The Rise and Fall of Gentlemen
The Ultimate Ballad
Of Errant Epistles
Sirius Business
One Night in Amdapor
Corpse Groom
The Greatest Story Never Told
The Weaponsmith of Legend
Ghosts of Amdapor
Magiteknical Difficulties
Maniac Manor
Out of Sight, Out of Mine
This Time's for Fun
Curds and Slay
Blood for Stone
King of the Hull
It's Definitely Pirates
The Wrath of Qarn
For Keep's Sake
Not Easy Being Green
Out of the Blue
Remembering the Past
Patch: 2.0
Links: EDB GT

“

Raubahn has some parting words for you ahead of the final phase of Operation Archon.

— In-game description

Rewards

1 Armor Identification Key
1 Fantasia

Unlocks

Walkthrough

Tactics for the duel with Lahabrea

Patch 6.1 removed the battle with Lahabrea from The Praetorium and overhauled it into a solo quest battle. Unlike the original fight, Lahabrea's encounter is now a lengthy fight with actual mechanics and dangerous abilities that should be watched carefully.

Phase 1

Ancient Fire III: Lahabrea starts by casting this high damage ability and creating a ring of fire around the edge. If you walk onto the fire, you will be inflicted with a temporary Burns debuff.
Dark Thunder: Lahabrea creates small circle AOEs, which will grow and leave circular puddles of darkness. Avoid stepping in these puddles.
End of Days: A large line AOE, get out of the way to avoid damage.
Nightburn: This will inflict unavoidable moderate damage
- Devouring Dark: Nightburn will add this debuff, which reduces your health and damage dealt.
Firesphere: Creates flames around the area, which will soon each have point-blank circle AoEs. There will be one safe area where the flames are farther apart. Go to that safe spot to avoid the AoEs.
Ancient Eruption: Lahabrea uses a series of circle AoEs to appear under you, one after the other. This is accompanied by Fluid Flare, which creates four cone AoEs from the center. Try to drop each circle AoE near the edge of a Fluid Flare cone to give yourself more room
Ancient Cross: This causes four large circle AoEs to cover the middle of the area, followed by another set of large circle AoEs moving outward from the first set. The areas between the two lines of circle AoEs are safe at first, but then another set of circle AoEs appears in the center, eventually covering the safe areas. Move carefully to the small safe spots left behind by the first set of circle AoEs.
Burst Flare: Knocks you back from the center of the area. Move close to Lahabrea or use a knockback-prevention move such as Surecast or Arm's Length to avoid being knocked into the flames around the edge.
Grip of Night: This is a very large cone AoE. Run behind Lahabrea to avoid getting hit.
Illusory Creation: Lahabrea causes Phantom Lahabreas to appear around the edge. They all cast large line AoEs toward the center. Move into one of the safe spaces between the lines. Lahabrea will then cast End of Days, a large line AoE at you. Quickly move to a safe area to avoid getting hit by it.

※ When Lahabrea finishes cycling through the above abilities, he will cast Double and then Nightburn, giving you two stacks of the Devouring Dark debuff. Lahabrea then becomes untargettable and casts Arcane Revelation, spawning four Arcane Spheres. You will be unable to kill the spears before Lahabrea's gauge reaches 100%, and Lahabrea will trap you in chains and cast Dark Meltdown, which is accompanied by an unskippable cutscene.

Phase 2

After the cutscene, you will receive a Blessing of Light Buff that increases your damage and health, making survival easier. Lahabrea will continue to fight with modified abilities until his defeat:

Nightburn: Lahabrea immediately casts Triple and strikes you with this spell three times, but Devouring Dark will no longer impact your health or damage.
Firespheres: The flames will spawn round the edge, so go to the center.
- Illusory Creation: The Phantom Lahabreas will then cover the middle of the area with their line AoEs. You will need to move to the edge as soon as the Firesphere AoEs have disappeared, to avoid getting hit by the line AoEs.
Dark Thunder: This will still create temporary puddles on the floor
- Illusory Creation: You will not only have to avoid stepping in the puddles, but you will also have to find a safe spot between the line AoEs cast by the Phantom Lahabreas. Lahabrea will then cast the line AoE, End of Days, so you will need to quickly find a safe spot away from this line AoE as soon as the Phantom Lahabreas' line AoEs have disappeared.
Ancient Cross: This will make large circle AoEs that move in lines outward from the center.
- Grip of Night: Lahabrea will cast this from far away, so you will need to quickly move behind him as soon as there is a safe spot after the Ancient Cross circle AoEs.

※ He will cast Firesphere, accompanied by the Burst Flare knockback, so make sure to be knocked back to the safe spot between the flames. This is also accompanied by Grip of Night, the large cone AoE, so you will need to quickly move behind him as soon as the Firesphere AoEs have disappeared.

Notes

Completion of this quest unlocks an increase to mount speed in Northern Thanalan and the Residential Districts: Mist, Lavender Beds, and The Goblet.

The Fantasia was added to this quest in patch 4.1, when Veteran Rewards were overhauled. Additionally, as of patch 5.3, upon quest completion flight is unlocked in all A Realm Reborn zones and with it the ability to purchase the Flyer Shaffron at Jonathas.

Also unlocked are Sundry Splendors vendors in Limsa Lominsa, Gridania, and Ul'dah.

Steps

Speak with Cid at the Ceruleum Processing Plant.
Enter the Praetorium.
Confront the Ultima Weapon at the Porta Decumana.
Confront Lahabrea on the Porta Decumana.
Speak with Minfilia.

Journal

Raubahn has some parting words for you ahead of the final phase of Operation Archon.

The Enterprise stands ready to bear you to the Praetorium─the fortress within a fortress wherein the Ultima Weapon sleeps. Prepare for the fight of your life, and report to Cid at the Ceruleum Processing Plant.

You are ready to depart for the Praetorium, the stage upon which the fate of the realm shall soon be decided. Fight your way into the depths of the structure, in search of the Ultima Weapon, and when you find the Allagan relic...send a piece of it to each of the seven hells.
- ※Challenge the Praetorium with other players via the Duty Finder, or with a party of NPCs via Duty Support. Both systems are accessible from the main menu as well as the dungeon's entrance point.

Having swept aside all enemies in your path, you finally come face-to-face with Gaius van Baelsar himself. The confrontation concludes with the man's retreat, and you chase him to the Ultima Weapon's chamber.

Taking control of the fearsome weapon, the Black Wolf sets upon you once more. Do what you have come to do, and see that the magitek monstrosity never threatens Eorzea again.
- ※Challenge the Porta Decumana with other players via the Duty Finder, or with a party of NPCs via Duty Support. Both systems are accessible from the main menu as well as the trial's entrance point.

Shielded by Light, you weather the Ultima Weapon's relentless onslaught and succeed in laying it low. But your struggles are not yet over, for Lahabrea now intends to eliminate you himself, that none may prevent his god's rebirth.

As the Praetorium collapses around you, the Ascian descends to extinguish your flame. Strike down the servant of Darkness, and free your comrade Thancred from his enthrallment.

With Gaius van Baelsar slain, and the Ultima Weapon destroyed, it would seem that Eorzea may finally look forward to an era of peace. Yet even as the people of the three city–states gather to celebrate their deliverance, a deafening roar reverberates throughout every corner of the realm...

A dread primal has awakened.

What fearsome primal is this that has been roused? Perhaps Minfilia will be able to shed some light on the mystery.

In troubled tones, Minfilia reveals to you that shortly after the roar was heard around the land, an aetheric disturbance was observed, bearing a disquieting similarity to a phenomenon recorded five years ago. It would seem that your struggles are far from over. Steel your resolve anew, and set forth to shine the Crystal's light upon the realm.

Dialogue

Raubahn: For the final phase of the operation, my Flames will storm Castrum Meridianum and suppress what is left of the imperial garrison. If all goes well, this will allow you to reach the Praetorium unopposed─fit and ready for your encounter with the Ultima Weapon.
Raubahn: Yours is the most dangerous mission of all, but the best must bear the heaviest burden, and you're the best we have. There's not another soul in this realm that could see this deed done, and Merlwyb and Kan–E are of the same mind as me.
Raubahn: Though all hangs on your success, you must not let our plight make you desperate. Victory belongs to the bold, not the reckless. Bards are wont to sing of heroes who valued their life at naught next to honor, love, and liberty, but I tell you now: that which men value at naught, they sell cheap. Risk no more than you must, you hear me?
Raubahn: Now, best you were off─we have work to do, the both of us. See that your preparations are in order, then report to Cid. He awaits you with the Enterprise at the Ceruleum Processing Plant. May Rhalgr grant you strength.

Cid: The Enterprise is at your disposal. When you're ready to head for the Praetorium, you need only say the word.
Cid: If we succeed in destroying the Ultima Weapon, it will deal a crippling blow to the Empire's hopes of conquest. After that, the XIVth Legion would not dare to move against us─barring the discovery of further Allagan doomsday devices, that is...
Cid: Let's be on our way, [Forename]! Gaius and his plaything await!

Q1: Proceed inside the Praetorium?
System: You must be a Disciple of War or Magic of level 50 or above to proceed.

Minfilia: The Archons have conducted a preliminary investigation into the origin of the roar that rang out during the celebration. Their findings strongly suggest that a new primal has appeared.
Minfilia: The roar generated a distinctive wave pattern in the aether, a pattern observed only once before in history─five years ago, to be precise. I should like to think it mere coincidence, yet we cannot discount that possibility... Well, I trust I need say no more.
Minfilia: At great sacrifice, we have delivered Eorzea from the threat posed by the Empire and the primals, and thereby secured peace. We cannot well allow the realm to be plunged into chaos once more.
Minfilia: You have given your all for our cause, risking life and limb on I know not how many occasions, yet our struggle continues, and we need you now no less than before.
Minfilia: Please continue to stand with us, and together we shall safeguard the future of the realm─of this very star!

System: You can now fly while mounted in La Noscea, Thanalan, the Black Shroud, Coerthas central highlands, and Mor Dhona.
System: To take flight, simply jump while mounted.