What is worth going to war for?

[Necrotica]

Answers for the beyond stupid question that the twins' father asked that they were too stupid to answer.

Not being enslaved and forced to fight wars for other nations.

Not having your wife and daughter enslaved and raped daily.

Not having your lands stripped of their natural resources and left a barren wasteland.

Not allowing a beastman god to drain on aether from the world killing it.

That is off the top of my head. How are the Sharlayans so insanely stupid as to think there is nothing worth fighting for?

[KariTheFox]

Not allowing a beastman god to drain on aether from the world killing it.

So the Garlean Empire was right to invade Eorzea and the other regions they invaded?

[Garnetiferous]

Not sure how far you've gotten in the MSQ, but no they're not that stupid, that's largely a nonsense story to cover up the fact that they're

making preparations to leave the planet via the moon in the case of the return of the Final Days. So they know quite well that there's stuff worth fighting for, but they view their duty to Hydaelyn as more important and everything else would take away from that.

[KariTheFox]

I don't think that's entirely true. The Sharlayans are still principled pacifists regardless of their other plans, it is pretty baked into their culture. But to be a little less flippant, the idea of what constitutes a "just war" is a pretty complicated one. And I don't think it can be solved just by listing off a couple of bullet points. (especially bullet points that frankly, sound more like propaganda than anything else)

It's a complicated and thorny issue, which is why Alphinaud had so much trouble answering his father at the time, despite normally being such a strong orator. The narrative does ultimately conclude that there are things worth fighting for, but that doesn't mean that the Sharlayan's principle of pacifism is "stupid".

[Necrotica]

It really is stupid. Garleans show up to take over, force your citizens to be soldiers or to be used for their own enjoyment as they have done everywhere else.

"BUT WE ARE PACIFISTS! We shall not fight! Here, have my daughter to use as you see fit!"

The Sharlayans are pacifists up until their own lands are threatened. Then they would quickly change their tune.

[Garnetiferous]

I don't think that's entirely true. The Sharlayans are still principled pacifists regardless of their other plans, it is pretty baked into their culture. But to be a little less flippant, the idea of what constitutes a "just war" is a pretty complicated one. And I don't think it can be solved just by listing off a couple of bullet points. (especially bullet points that frankly, sound more like propaganda than anything else)

It's a complicated and thorny issue, which is why Alphinaud had so much trouble answering his father at the time, despite normally being such a strong orator. The narrative does ultimately conclude that there are things worth fighting for, but that doesn't mean that the Sharlayan's principle of pacifism is "stupid".

While they were never like oh say Ala Mhigo, I recall a scene in Endwalker where G'raha

suggests that the Sharlayans used to be far more helpful to other societies like the rest of Eorzea and less isolationist UNTIL they met Hydaelyn at the Antitower and then abruptly switched gears to the rigid form of isolationism that we see today. Pure speculation I know, but I think the Sharlayans before they met Hydaelyn would have been far more likely to aid their fellow Eorzeans.

It really is stupid. Garleans show up to take over, force your citizens to be soldiers or to be used for their own enjoyment as they have done everywhere else.

"BUT WE ARE PACIFISTS! We shall not fight! Here, have my daughter to use as you see fit!"

The Sharlayans are pacifists up until their own lands are threatened. Then they would quickly change their tune.

Yeah... I think this did sort of happen? The Garleans invaded Eorzea for the first time and the Sharlayans were like NOPE, abandoned the outpost in Dravania, and went back to the Northern Empty.

[KariTheFox]

Actually, their lands were threatened in Idyllshire/New Sharlaya. And their tune did not change, rather than stay and fight for their colony, they simply left. Now sure, it is easier for them to hold that position because of their geological isolation and technological superiority, but they never did change their tune. (also are the constant references to r-pe really necessary?)

[ddwarbird]

I was all for the Garlean Empire. The people of Ezora were pretty much dumb hicks while the Garlean Empire had all the technology. If this was the real world and magic wasn't a thing, the Garlean Empire would have steamrolled all of the world, there is such a technology gap.

[Cilia]

The Sharlayans aren't exactly pacifists though - they're just neutral when it comes to international politics, preferring not to get involved in other countries' wars. However it's worth noting that the Sharlayan Forum isn't exactly a homogenous body; there are various political factions within it, some advocating for more intervention in the outside world and some staunchly refusing to do so. It just so happens that Fourchenault belongs to the latter, and he has understandable reasons for it.

Namely, being in the know about the moon evac plan in case of Final Days and wanting his children to be part of the exodus should it happen, even if it means they hate his guts.

Even Sharlayan still fights battles on some scale; Alphinaud's nouliths and SGE soul crystal were originally his father's, after all.

Garlemald... is a giant can of worms I don't feel like prying open, and would advise against anyone on this Forum from doing so.

[Necrotica]

Idlyshire was an embassy/off site campus. They abandoned it when their host nation was threatened by outside forces.

Seriously I do not understand why we even listened to them when they told us to do ANYTHING while we were in Sharlayan. What are you gonna do if I go read forbidden tomes and don't listen when you say to stop? Whine louder?