Raubhan Aldynn is the true leader of Ul'Dah?

[Anonymoose]

The balance of power between Nanamo and Raubahn is in itself a conspiracy of their own making, believe it or not. After Sasabal and Nanasha (Nanamo's parents) died (though I'm not sure how they died), Nanamo was a rather young inheritor of the crown. In such a situation, a wanna-be-oligarchy such as the Syndicate can either turn the child into a puppet or attempt to brush their power aside.

Nanamo is not a willing puppet, but she is predictable and thus easily out-maneuverable.

Raubahn was a refugee from Ala Mhigo that rose to fame on the Bloodsands of the Coliseum. It was during this time that he and Nanamo came to a secret arrangement - the details of which are still kind of murky. With her support and friendship, he won so many matches that he overtook the owner of the Coliseum in wealth, securing his place on the Syndicate.

When he won that match in 1570 Sixth Astral Era, before he'd even left the field, Nanamo raced out to confirm him (leaving her retainers in the dust and jumping into his arms, because teenage lalafell), and the first thing he did was whisper that he'd fulfilled his promise to her, publicly kneel and pledge his sword, and lift her up for all to see. From his place on the Syndicate, Raubahn was able to start pushing back against the erosion of her power by the Monetarist faction (Teledji, Lolorito, perhaps Fyrgeiss).

Precisely what Nanamo's end of the bargain is, though, I don't fully understand. You'd expect he would have asked for specific aid to the refugees or committal of military resources to the re-taking of Ala Mhigo, but, instead, Raubahn has become the very public face of Ul'dah's might and the Sultana's wishes.

You're right - he probably could ensure her downfall. But probably at the cost of his own. He's the linchpin of the turning tide.

Perhaps we'll learn more about it if we move to re-take Gyr Abania from the Garlean Empire...