Pure-blood Garleans and aether

[myahele]

In many places a 3rd eye is associated with seeing the immaterial, so maybe they can sense aether its just that there isn't anything they could do about pre-magitek. But this is all just speculation

[LystAP]

Garleans do seem to be vunerable to tempering which is why they have such an interest in the echo.

However, its often the case that necessity has created a scenario where their weakness is turned into a strength. Being unable to use Aether and driven them to develop Magitek which as given them a substantial edge.

The thing I'm most curious about is the third eye and what its properties are and if it has any connection to their inability to use aether.

Just because they are interested in the Echo doesn't mean that they can be tempered. However, given the extent of their empire and the dependence they have on conscripted forces, they have an interest in contesting the primals that can temper their citizens and 'subjects'.

Also thinking about the Garlean mentality of man over the divine; the very concept of primal-worship goes against the philosophy that they have been imposing on/educating into their citizens. I believe, it is also due to a honest, although often misguided, as seen with Gaius, belief, that they need to 'liberate' people from the threat of and dependency on, the 'gods'. Most Final Fantasy villains and 'bad' organizations these days aren't that morally one sided, at least from my limited experiences with the series.

[VargasVermillion]

Generally, this seems like a disadvantage; however, I wonder if there aren't advantages to being unable to directly access aether by themselves; it may go both ways. Perhaps, it keeps them from being affected by high concentrations of aether, such as aetheric corruption or primal tempering?

Gaius didn't seem all that concerned about the primals, when he was trying to provoke them to absorb into Ultima Weapon. Nael on the other hand, wasn't a pureblood Garlean.

I'm pretty sure nael was a pure blood, only reason people think otherwise is he shares the same animations with an elezen and garlean centurions are about as tall as elezen so we can assume that garleans can be quite tall.

[VargasVermillion]

The whole man over deity philosophy makes sense from their perspective, since they cannot use magic they had to develop something to compete with the other races, essentially they 'earned' their right to dominion since they didn't rely on gods giving them power. As for if they had any kinds of deities at any stage won't be found out for a while yet if it all.

[Belhi]

I only say that Garleans can be tempered because it is never mentioned that they cant be and when discussing the Galreans interest in the echo in the main scenario it is because they want the immunity from tempering that it provides. Frankly the Primals would be a far smaller threat to the Garleans if their troops were immune to tempering. In many cases it would defang the most dangerous aspect of fighting primals. In most cases, when fighting primals victory is won through simply attacking with more numbers than can be tempered at once. That's how the Company of Heroes fought apparently.

Considering the threat the Garleans see the Primals as it suggest they are as much a problem to fight for the Garleans as they are for everyone else.

[LineageRazor]

Frankly the Primals would be a far smaller threat to the Garleans if their troops were immune to tempering.

Well, bear in mind, too, that the vast, vast bulk of the Garlean forces are not purebred Garleans (with the third eye and whatever else sets purebreds apart), but rather conscripts from lands conquered by the Garleans. Even if purebreds are immune to tempering, a purebred commander is going to be in a bit of a tight spot when 95% of his forces suddenly turn into fanatical worshipers on the enemy's side.

The Primals would still be a considerable threat, even if the purebred Garleans themselves can't be directly converted. In the Garleans' minds, leaving the Primals alone means that eventually the entire world will be under their thrall except for them - and the Primals' logical next move would be to take out those few not under their thrall...

The purebred Garleans wish to wipe out the Beast Tribes (and anyone else who might be interested in summoning a Primal) as a precaution to protect themselves. That this also serves to protect non-purebreds from being enslaved they see as a happy side effect - and also as justification to conquer them for their own good.

[treuhavik]

I'm pretty sure nael was a pure blood, only reason people think otherwise is he shares the same animations with an elezen and garlean centurions are about as tall as elezen so we can assume that garleans can be quite tall.

The reason people think otherwise is because he claimed to be of Allagan blood in 1.0, even though his farther (now dead - assumed also part Allagan) was a founding figure of the empire. I suspect this may be brought back up in the expansion when/if it's answered why both forces of Garlemald and Allag share magitek technology.

I only say that Garleans can be tempered because it is never mentioned that they cant be and when discussing the Galreans interest in the echo in the main scenario it is because they want the immunity from tempering that it provides.

It's still possible that the Garleans are immune, but remember, the bulk of their armies are made up of conquered nations, not Garleans themselves. So, still, having the power to repel tempering in their war against Eikons would obviously be of great benefit.

EDIT: Razor beat me!

[RickiFake02]

Wasn't Nael tempered by Bahamut? So wouldn't that mean that Garleans are NOT immune to it? I see no reason why they would be, honestly.

[Alberel]

Garleans do seem to be vunerable to tempering which is why they have such an interest in the echo.

However, its often the case that necessity has created a scenario where their weakness is turned into a strength. Being unable to use Aether and driven them to develop Magitek which as given them a substantial edge.

The thing I'm most curious about is the third eye and what its properties are and if it has any connection to their inability to use aether.

I'm beginning to wonder if the Garleans might actually be the product of yet more Allagan genetic engineering. The 'pureblood' Garleans trace their ancestry to the Allagan Empire yet the Allagans did not have the third eye. Unei, Doga and Xande all had the regular Eorzean two eyes. The chances are that third eye has an engineered purpose of some kind and so far we've not seen what it actually does (beyond looking freaky on their forehead). I wouldn't be surprised if it somehow allowed them to survive the Earthquake that otherwise wiped out the entire empire... It's also possible that their inability to use aether was a safeguard of some kind.

[Belhi]

Even if the bulk of their forces aren't pure breed Garleans, they would have enough to have a special unit for anti primal duties. After all, its only the primal itself that needs to be beaten by people immune to the Tempering. The Tempering is the hardest obstacle they would face in taking one down.

I'd say there would be enough Pure blood Garleans out there to have a well equipped battalion that could curb stop the likes of Titan, Ifrit and Garuda. If we can counter their powers with corrupt crystals, the Garleans certainly would be able to.

I'd need to check again but I'm pretty sure that there is a cutscene where Alphinaud implies their interest in the echo is because they desire an immunity to tempering.

The reason I don't consider Nael to be a good example is that from the cutscene in T9 it sounds like there wasn't much of Nael left when Bahamut pulled him back and rebuilt him, which is why he is now a her. Still, there really isn't anything in game that suggests the Garleans are immune to tempering that I have seen.

Edit: Having just watched Ethys Asher's 1.x Retrospective, the footage from 1.x does seem to indicate that Nael was tempered prior to his death.