Final Fantasy XII - 3 - Rabanastre After the Parade

Overview: Warning! Lowtown contains a forbidden chest, just outside of Old Dalan's Place. It contains nothing of value, and opening it will cost you the strongest weapon in the game. After the parade, you will gain control of Vaan in Rabanastre/ North End. You now have full run of the city, Lowtown, and the areas outside both gates. However, the Westersand is a good deal more powerful than the other two areas, and I don't recommend going there just yet. There's a number of things you should do before seeing Old Dalan or heading out of the city.

Rabanastre/ North End

Enemies: N/A

Guide: You'll start just outside a building with a green sign in front of it. I recommend going inside and talking to everyone, especially Montblanc. There is little else to do in the North End.

Rabanastre/ Muthru Bazaar

Enemies: N/A

Guide: This bustling little street is home to a very important shop: The Clan Store. Here, based on your rank, you can buy certain items, some of which can be purchased in no other place. I recommend selling all the loot you acquired in the Estersand. You should make a pretty sum, but your minimum goal should be six hundred gil.

Rabanastre/ East End

Enemies: N/A

Guide: Now, your purse should be heavy with gil. I strongly recommend buying the three remaining spells in Yugri's Magicks and the Libra Technick from Batahn's Technicks.Also, an item under the Bazaar option called Unassuming Surcoat probably became available when you sold your loot. I recommend purchasing it, as it is a Chromed Leather armor, better than what you can buy at the armor store. Outfitted with your new spells and arms, you should head to the Sandsea for your reward. You should also stop by the Mark Board and pick up the bill for Thextera, the mutant wolf. The petitioner is just a few feet to the right of the board. Accept the mark, then head out of the East End and make for South Gate.

Rabanastre/ South Gate

Enemies: N/A

Guide: South Gate is altogether more interesting than the other gates. There's an orange save crystal, for one, that will later allow you to teleport once you find another. There's a place to rent chocobos, though the price is a bit rich this early in the game, and there's little need. And there's an entrance to Lowtown here. Also, if you look south, you'll see an image of the Giza Plains. This will let you know at a glance whether the plains are in a Wet, or Dry. For the moment, they'll be in a Dry until you progress further in the story. Later though, you can talk to a Seeq with the title Adventurer, and he'll tell you if the Plains are in Wet or Dry, and how long until they change. For now, head down into Lowtown.

Lowtown/ South Sprawl

Enemies: N/A

Guide: When entering Lowtown from the South Gate, you will see directly in front of you a chest. DO NOT OPEN IT. Opening it causes the most powerful weapon in the game to disappear, and there's nothing valuable in it. Now that you've been warned, head past the chest and to the left, the first door you can enter leads to Old Dalan's Place. Go on in and have a chat with him. Old Dalan is a hoot, by the way, and I enjoy every cutscene he shows up in. After you get your instruction, explore the rest of Lowtown if you feel like it. There are a few merchants with limited wares, but mostly it's poverty. Lots of poverty. Once you're done slumming, head up to South Gate, then out onto the Giza Plains.