New Year's Poem 2018

[Theodric]

-snip-

Elidibus does not usually take a hands on approach, certainly, though he presumably will when it comes to having to deal with him once and for all. Whether that will be the case for 5.0 or not remains to be seen. Still, one of the past questions for a lore related Q&A session implied that the Ascians weren't behind Garlemald and it could be something else. I guess the question is, does Elidibus count as that 'something else' as he isn't necessarily loyal to the other Ascians or will there be additional complications to consider? I suspect there may be huge revelations in regards to Pureblood Garleans and their origins, explaining how they came to be and why they cannot typically manipulate aether.

[Balipu]

why they cannot typically manipulate aether.

I have my headcanon about that.

Solus simply didn't like magic as it is a destructive force very much unlike the more predicatble and controlled magitech. So he made several laws that discriminate magic users. Ban from inheritance or marriage for example. Because of this there are no bloodlines with high magic potencial. Those who can use magic are either drafted into the military and sent off to the provinces to fight, or are relocated to a sort of reserve where they can freely practice and develop magic. The city of Mysida.

But this is 100% fan fiction.

[ObsidianFire]

The lore book specifically mentions that aether-users in the Garlean legions are highly valued (no matter where they come from/what race they are) and that the Garleans haven't been able to use aether since before they were driven to Northern Ilsabard in the first place. In fact, them not being able to use aether is why they're in Northern Ilsabard at all. Centuries ago, the Garleans used to be much further south and have been driven steadily north by aether-using races who wanted their territories. Once they got to Norther Isabard (FFXIV Siberia?) there was nowhere else for them to go and they've constantly been at war with the surrounding people to keep from being overrun. It was only with the invention of the curulium engine and magictech that they were able to get on an even footing with the other countries at all never mind take them over.

[YianKutku]

I'm actually curious if we'll ever see another black-robed Ascian Overlord. Elidibus seems to have taken over the role of the Ascian Influence, and his method of being all indirect and scheming has become the norm. Going back to the direct interventions of Lahabrea, Nabriales, and Igeyorhm would seem less interesting now.

It was only with the invention of the curulium engine and magictech that they were able to get on an even footing with the other countries at all never mind take them over.

To be fair, with almost six hundred years between the foundation of Garlemald as a nation and the invention of the ceruleum engine, I think Garlemald counts as having survived perfectly fine without it. Possibly not as well as they deserve, but it's hard to picture a nation just barely holding onto existence over six hundred years.

[Belhi]

I'm actually curious if we'll ever see another black-robed Ascian Overlord. Elidibus seems to have taken over the role of the Ascian Influence, and his method of being all indirect and scheming has become the norm. Going back to the direct interventions of Lahabrea, Nabriales, and Igeyorhm would seem less interesting now.

To be fair, with almost six hundred years between the foundation of Garlemald as a nation and the invention of the ceruleum engine, I think Garlemald counts as having survived perfectly fine without it. Possibly not as well as they deserve, but it's hard to picture a nation just barely holding onto existence over six hundred years.

They relied on very strong unified defence and Hellsguard mercenaries who Garlemald has had long historical ties to. Hellsguard are naturally magically talented and so provided some measure of counter to the Garleans weakness. That, and the fact that the lands the Garleans held weren't particularly desirable, meant that most of their southern neighbours found it just not worth the cost in actually conquering them.

However yes, the Garleans have been a people who have struggled against stronger neighbours for a long time. It is somewhat ironic considering how their foreign policy developed but perhaps that is a result of their historic treatment.

[Theodric]

It's definitely something that needs to be addressed. I'm surprised the Warrior of Light and Scions do not appear to be in the know regarding Garlemald's history and the suffering of their people. Especially when they went to great efforts to uncover the truth behind Nidhogg's actions. Garlemald's foreign policy needs to change, yet it is a result of persecution they themselves have suffered...and in a world heavily riddled with magic to not have access to it leaves them open to exploitation. Magitek gives them an advantage and a niche of their own - in addition to the unique benefit of their 'Third Eye'.

So solving the situation with Garlemald isn't about putting down a threat, it's about a need to compromise and find a way to convince Garlemald to adjust their foreign policy. Slaughtering them isn't going to work, because it isn't realistic for the Warrior of Light and his allies to go and do that...and the plot conveniences involved for such a thing to happen would be pretty dull to see play out. We can't see every Imperial slain, either - since then Garlemald itself would be left largely defenceless and it would prove to add more weight to their concerns.

[Remedi]

Not all Roman Emperors were ex-generals. For a time after Julius Caesar, the Emperor was chosen by birthright or appointed by the previous Emperor. This is how they got nutcases like Caligula and Nero as Emperors. (Historians debate whether Caligula was just that crazy because he was crazy or because he was mocking the idea of giving one man so much power, and whether Nero really was the incompetent despot history paints him as... but I digress.) It was only after the Empire began to decline that most Emperors became as such through military might and coups.

Tecnically speaking The empire formally started with Tiberius, Augustus considered himself princeps not yet imperator and Julius Caesar was a dictator, besides even in the first dinasty military coups and assasinations happened let's not forget that between the 2 mayor dinasty there was a civil war that only sorted out once Vespasian defeated Vitellio and could claim the throne and he had a military carrer so It's not really something that started just in the worst end of the roman empire.
Let's not forget that the republic fell because Julius Caesar could march with his troops against Pompeus the fact that the troops pledged loyalty to the general and not to the emperor/republic senate remained a real problem for Rome

Sry for the OT anyway

[Cilia]

They relied on very strong unified defence and Hellsguard mercenaries who Garlemald has had long historical ties to. Hellsguard are naturally magically talented and so provided some measure of counter to the Garleans weakness. That, and the fact that the lands the Garleans held weren't particularly desirable, meant that most of their southern neighbours found it just not worth the cost in actually conquering them.

935 - The Republic forges an alliance with the Roegadyn mountain clans, enlisting Roegadyn battle mages as mercenaries to fortify defenses around the perimeter of the capital.

937 - Bolstered by the strength of the Roegadyn battle mages, the Garlean Republic succeeds in repelling the nomads.

945 - The Roegadyn mountain clans demand compensation from Garlemald for the services of their people in driving off the Hyur. After months of negotiations, talks break down and the mercenaries withdraw from the capital.

I wouldn't call ten years (of seemingly unpaid services) "long historical ties." This also means that, from 6 AE 945 - ca. 6 AE 1500 (when magitek was invented), the Garlean Republic survived without Roegadyn battle mages or magitek. Was it because the Republic's lands weren't desirable? Possible. Point is... this makes it highly doubtful the Republic's people were under daily threat of extinction.

[Apoptomon]

Do we know much/anything about the Garlean homeland in southern Ilsabard? Considering the way the continents are arranged, it'd be likely we'd have to go through there to get to Garlemald, right?

[Theodric]

I'm very eager to learn more about the territory that the Garleans originally hail from and which races/nations, precisely, were involved in driving them out of it.