Waking Sands - Explain to me please (Spoilers)

[Lauront]

And ironically, Ala Mhigo still has even less lore than that.

[Theodric]

What lore again? Right now they're basically Roman-based Allagan copycats who can't use magic, have a sever hatred of religion and want to conquer the world.

They're very similar to the Archadian Empire of FFXII - a game which I adore quite a bit. FFXIV is heavily inspired by it in many ways so it is my hope that the Garlean Empire will have more depth to it than being stereo-typically evil. I also find the Allagan Empire to be very intriguing - and hope to see more of that in the future as well. As for 'conquering the world'? Perhaps they'd be better off ruling Eorzea given how hypocritical Eorzea's city states are. Squabbling over Allagan relics (something they're quick to criticise Garlemald for), scheming against each other and justifying atrocities in the name of 'Ala Mhigo'.

[Chewy2nd]

What lore again? Right now they're basically Roman-based Allagan copycats who can't use magic, have a sever hatred of religion and want to conquer the world.

They don't hate religeon itself, they hate the summoning of the false gods who suck aether out of the world, and temper their followers. It's also worth noting we have seen the Garleans making developments with their technology, given that those big tall gunships from 1.0's opening have been replaced by the gunships we first see in Keeper of the Lake. We've also seen Garleans breaking away from the Imperials, like Nero, Cid and

Lucia

[PArcher]

They don't hate religeon itself, they hate the summoning of the false gods who suck aether out of the world, and temper their followers.

Gaius specifically decries Eorzea's worship of the Twelve, calling us weak for relying on them for comfort and leadership. No reason to suggest that the rest of the Garleans don't share that (especially with them willing to commit genocide on those who would never summon, but still worship)

[Chewy2nd]

Gaius specifically decries Eorzea's worship of the Twelve, calling us weak for relying on them for comfort and leadership. No reason to suggest that the rest of the Garleans don't share that (especially with them willing to commit genocide on those who would never summon, but still worship)

He has a right to call us weak for relying on gods, but he's not interested on killing Eorzeans just because they worship the twelve, if he did, he'd have just sat back and let Nael drop Dalamud right on top of us, instead of making an effort to prevent it. Even the bloodthirsty Emperor Varis Zos Galvus opposed the meteor project. I think the public of Garlemald will think that they have the right of it, they will see it as the Garlean Empire uniting the world and crushing those who would suck the lifeforce out of the world, they wont see it the same way Eorzea does. Garlemald does have its fair share of crazed Legatus and soldiers. But who are Eorzeans to throw stones after recent events?

Who was it who tried to release the Warring Triad and declared themself a King of the world, again?

I'm not saying the Empire are right, but they're not totally evil, Gaius did have his redeeming qualities, as does Nero.

[Frederick22]

Evil with beast tribes, and yea, the empire always proposed an peafull union before going to war.

[Enkidoh]

Actually Garlemald's 'peaceful union' was in fact a demand to the Eorzean Alliance to surrender themselves to the Empire and become vassal states - effectively to become like Doma and Ala Mhigo, only without a a single shot being fired. Needless to say, this never happened (mostly due to the timely arrival of Minfilia, Alphinaud and the Warrior of Light ).

As for whether Garlemald is 'right' in their attitude of conquest, whatever moral high ground they may have had was eliminated the moment that they started allying with the Ascians, you know, the very beings who actually teach summoning.

[Rocl]

As for whether Garlemald is 'right' in their attitude of conquest, whatever moral high ground they may have had was eliminated the moment that they started allying with the Ascians, you know, the very beings who actually teach summoning.

Ah, but do we know that Garlemald proper is allied with the Ascians? We certainly know Gaius turned to them for help in the conquest of Eorzea sometime after the Fall of Dalamud, but I don't believe Varis has given us any reason to believe he consorts with the servants of Zodiark. It's important to remember that in the course of ARR's MSQ that the XIVth legion was about as rogue as Darnus' VIIth in the final days of 1.0.

That's an actual question, I can't remember if it was explicitly stated and I'm just forgetting. It's not as clear as Ascians whispering Allag secrets in their ears either, as we know Garlemald has long profited from unraveling Allaga's technology.

Though I guess that's a totally believable plot-twist. "HA! THE GARLEAN EMPIRE? SOLUS ZOS GALVUS' EMPIRE WAS CREATED BY ASCIAN WILL!" What better way to ensure Gods are summoned, aether is drained, and wars waged than giving a backwater nation the power to conquer and installing a right sociopath to helm the most technologically advanced military in over 5000 years?

[Belhi]

We know a few things. We know that Garlemald has a rigid class structure ranging from the Emperor right down to the people of the conquered territories don't aren't technically citizens and don't have a citizen's rights unless they prove themselves of value to the empire. We know the empire is ruthless in conquest and in enforcing its control. We know that it practices conscription. We know it has a genocidal policy towards the beast tribes which honestly might lead to a ban on religion once they discover that anyone can summon primals, not just beasttribes.

We know their leadership can be just as prone to hubris and arrogance as any other culture. We know that the Garlean's actively screw with highly dangerous technology with a sense of arrogance just asking for disaster. Its why Cid left Garlemald.

I wouldn't call Garlemald generic evil. I think they represent though an example of hubris and its dangers as well as the heights mortals can achieve. In many ways they share a lot of traits with the Allagans. Sadly, many of those traits are what led to their downfall and the terrible legacies the Allag left behind.

None of the villain races and groups are really particularly generic evil when you dig into their lore. Most however display traits that lead to suffering of others and destruction which is why we generally oppose them.

I certainly wouldn't claim the Eorzean states are as bad. They certainly have their serious flaws but nothing quite as destructive or as arrogant as the Garleans.

As for unity and peace, its worth pointing out Garlemald just had a civil war over succession.

[Frederick22]

comment.

Yes but what kind of civil war?
For what we know, the revolucionars. On what side of the of this war there were the ones that were the royals, I mean the ppl loyal to the last emperor and on the orther side the ones loyal to Varis ( rovolucionars )?
Of what we know, Varis despise his grand uncle, so he was not on his side, that is obious. But there was no side that wanted a republic, so far we know. Both sides had different opinions on how to continue the empire.

Maybe I wrong? maybe the orther side wanted to start a republic and the one of varis, continue the empire?