Tales from the Dawn #4: "A Question of Death" (Jullus)

[Theodric]

You'll notice the last recorded raid on the capital was in 937 (by nomadic raiders, I might add, like I had been saying), and the magitech revolution in 1513.

That is a period of over 500 years where the Garleans were apparently constantly on the brink of death and starvation - but could also field a standing military and be involved in numerous conflicts. Something isn't adding up.

I'm really not sure what, exactly, you're struggling to grasp. Garlemald is repeatedly described as an inhospitable wasteland. It's cold. Even colder than Coerthas after freezing over in the aftermath of the Calamity. There are a great many references to the fact that the Garleans have been forced on the defensive at every turn both before and after becoming an Empire. They're not obligated to roll over and allow themselves to be wiped out - and their distrust of outsiders is completely understandable given all they've been through across multiple generations.



The Ishgardians were locked in a bitter war with the Dravanians over the course of a thousand years so I'm wondering why it's apparently such a stretch to accept that the displaced Garleans were locked in similar bitter struggles after already being actively persecuted...?