3.1 MSQ Reaction [SPOILERS]

[Tenkuu]

Thoughtful questions apparently get thorough answers. Apologies for the novella.

Are you kidding? I'm flattered that you think my questions thoughtful. *bows* Nice to meet you btw.

In reality, though, I think it was Elidibus' doing. The two worked very closely in later patches, and Elidibus was often seen trying to keep him on-mission. I think he convinced him to think bigger and heed his guidance. Did you notice how every event from 2.2 to 2.55 looked like it was building to the Knights of the Round?

• [2.2] Elidibus grants the Sahagin elder the Echo.
  [...]
• [2.5] Unseen, Lahabrea and Elidibus grant Thordan and the Heavens' Ward the power to summon the deiform founder King and his Knights Twelve into themselves (a culmination of past experiments). Nidhogg senses their power and realizes that he might be defeated if he keeps holding back and waging a war only on their spirits. He rallies the whole of the Horde and moves on Ishgard before Thordan can move on him.

Are we actually certain that the Echo was given to the Sahagin elder rather than awoken in him? If so, that would make Elidibus pretty much equal to both Zodiark and Hydaelyn. And I have the same question regarding the knights and Thordan: doesn't the Echo have to be granted by either Hydaelyn or Zodiark? About Nidhogg, interesting that you put it that way, but is this your speculation or is it confirmed anywhere? I am not remembering any cutscenes being particularly specific about Nidhogg's intentions being anything other than waging a war of attrition.

More or less. Imagine you're Garlean leadership for a moment. You've heard tales of this sacred place and know there are tons of legends about it. You find that it is a conflux for at least the whole realm (if not the whole world)'s aetherial rivers.

If your empire's mission statement is essentially Primals Are Bad, M'kay, you definitely want that place locked down when your armies move in. The last thing you need is the beast tribes tapping into that massive confluence to power the summoning of their gods. No one can be allowed to learn how to harness that power.

That's not to say that the Garleans didn't realize something bigger was up with Silvertear Lake, though... especially while pulling away from the Battle of Silvertear Skies.

Fun Fact: Even after the invasion into the heart of Eorzea failed and the XIVth Legion retreated to Ala Mhigo, Gaius still held Mor Dhona (very loosely). Eorzea secured small camps around the aetherytes, but barely anyone dared venture outside of them because Gaius maintained supply camps and a troop presence. That's how Castrum Novum was raised there so fast with so few noticing.

So, in essence, they had no idea what they were actually getting into and that the place not only couldn't be held but was also already under protection by Midgarsormr. That's the long and short of what you're saying if I'm not misunderstanding?

The whole claim hinges on the parentheses, lol.

From Garlemald's point of view, following their principles, Gaius slew aspirant usurpers of the crown, held stability by ending rebellion and rooting out insurrection, refused to discriminate based on anything but merit, and gave chance after chance for his targets of conquest to lay down their arms and embrace Imperial rule. (Before the final invasion, he even air-dropped linkpearls on Eorzea promising the full resources of the Empire towards security and unity should they accept Imperial rule and take up arms against the tribes.)

From our point of view, he mercilessly annihilated anything and everything that didn't fit his worldview and offered a "choice" of death or enslavement in a misguided campaign to rid the world of symptoms of its illness while only exacerbating it.

In the gray - if you look closely, he made efforts to "save" everyone who might end up coming around to join him - to "bring glory to the Empire and stability to the world". He only gave up on people who embraced the primals and insurrection and strange powers that jeopardized the campaign (and then he brutally destroyed them).

Remember how furious Gaius was when Rhitahtyn fell and the only thing that made sense to him was that his soldiers just didn't fight their hardest because their commander was a Roegadyn from a conquered land? That's the kind of honor I point to. (Cut to Varis spitting on the casket of a member of his family.)

There's a word for all that, but I don't think it's honor. Loyalty would be one, and a blind loyalty to the Garlean empire at that. Also, your gray comment ignores the fact that the Garleans knew the Scions were fighting the Primals in their own way (and it was actually working), yet they still attacked them, and what's more, it was with the intention of using their "strange powers" the way that they wanted. If anything, the Garlean raid on the Waking Sands seems to have been motivated by pure jealousy. Also, the "death or enslavement" (though I'd say subjugation is a better term in this case) argument belongs in the gray because it was not an option offered only to Eorzea, but rather to everyone who opposed them. That is also a part of the "chance" you claim that the Garleans gave them, and really, that chance was as much of a choice as being stuck between a rock and a hard place. The Garleans have the right of it in only one area: the Primals need to stop existing, perhaps even including the Twelve. Their methods of achieving this, however, are heinous no matter how you look at it.

That's how I felt about it as well.
Not that I'm implying that Gaius cared very much, given their connection, the results, and the loyalties of the dead.

As I said in my response to Cilia, the main problem I have with that is that you're forgetting that Gaius is a man who feels that the ends justify the means. He may not be insane like Livia but his morals are just as loose as hers. Also, even assuming that his only aim was the capture of the Warrior of Light (and possibly some Archons as well), you would think he would send someone he actually knew could get the job done the way he wanted it to be done, otherwise it implies he's not a very good commander if he didn't even know one of his own men/women all that well. But yeah, I agree completely that it must have been more of a "oh well" moment for him to find out that several of his enemies died in that raid.