Garlemald's situation. (Spoilers 6.55)

[Hasrat]

But in Endwalker, we are shown nothing but undyingly loyal emperor cultists who are hopelessly ignorant and superstitious despite their world-class education. What happened to the rest? Died off-screen? How convenient. If we couldn't get the full Optimates vs Populares showdown that they set up in Stormblood, we could at least have gotten some imperial citizens that weren't constantly adversarial.

I might also pitch that we're presented with the exact group of people most likely to be huddled around the radio as the world falls apart around them. "The rest" were the tempered.

[Vallavia]

I might also pitch that we're presented with the exact group of people most likely to be huddled around the radio as the world falls apart around them. "The rest" were the tempered.

I'd buy that as an explanation; I'm just idly lamenting lost potential more than anything.

I think the Garleans will go through a rough patch for sure, and some will remain in Ul'dah (Lemures), Sharlayan, and the Moon in diaspora, but Garlemald will lurch on and eventually carve their own niche in a more peaceful global community. Ishgard is near-ish by and would probably be on more friendly terms since Ishgard wasn't directly assaulted by Garlemald (though they might have things to say about the Calamity caused by them that ended their summers) and they have similar histories of being pushed out of their original lands to live in places otherwise undesirable and both are technologically minded.

Cid was still held in high regard even after defecting to the west and Nero is still around too. But I don't know if either will rejoin Garlemald.

I think Garlemald would also find allies among a handful of their former provinces, too, as we've seen the Empire afforded a not-insignificant number of people a much better quality of life than they'd had prior, and some of them might already be missing the luxuries that Garlean industry provided. This is what makes me believe this arc would be better realized if they kicked it down the road awhile to the Ilsabard expansion.
Based on his brief appearance in the Role Master quest, I'd say Nero is a possibility solely predicated on his desire to conduct arcane research, but I have firm doubts Cid would ever associate with Garlemald again. Lucia's too tied down to Ishgard but I could see Maxima having some involvement as well.

[thegreatonemal]

I'd buy that as an explanation; I'm just idly lamenting lost potential more than anything.



I think Garlemald would also find allies among a handful of their former provinces, too, as we've seen the Empire afforded a not-insignificant number of people a much better quality of life than they'd had prior, and some of them might already be missing the luxuries that Garlean industry provided. This is what makes me believe this arc would be better realized if they kicked it down the road awhile to the Ilsabard expansion.
Based on his brief appearance in the Role Master quest, I'd say Nero is a possibility solely predicated on his desire to conduct arcane research, but I have firm doubts Cid would ever associate with Garlemald again. Lucia's too tied down to Ishgard but I could see Maxima having some involvement as well.

I rather doubt that. The only instance we have of that is the 4th legion, which doesn't have anything to do with Garleans, as its entirely run by non Garleans who intend to shake off the yoke of Garlean rule and have just been waiting for the right time to.

[Vallavia]

I rather doubt that. The only instance we have of that is the 4th legion, which doesn't have anything to do with Garleans, as its entirely run by non Garleans who intend to shake off the yoke of Garlean rule and have just been waiting for the right time to.

I would count Landis as at least one:

While he had many a memorable moment during his wanderings, nothing is so close to his heart as his visit to the industrial city of Abdella in Garlean-occupied Landis.

As he strolled through the streets, he came upon a play being performed by a troupe of Eschvan nomads, who were known as much as a source of foreign rumors as they were for their song and dance. The play was a whimsical affair depicting the love lives of ordinary folk, but to Bwagi, who had lived his entire life under a grim pall of conflict, it was anything but ordinary. Even as he was moved by the tale, he was struck by the jovial mood of the city, which had since regained normality following its conquest. This was his first experience of peace, and it proved heady. Taken by a sudden longing, he begged to join the troupe...only to be politely rejected.

That aside, there's so much of Ilsabard left unseen that it's hardly inconceivable in my opinion.

[YianKutku]

I had a few more thoughts to share regarding the Populares and Optimates, but I'd need to dig up exact quotes about them to confirm the in-universe definitions vs the RL definitions, so I'll leave that for a bit later when I have more energy. In the meantime:

I might also pitch that we're presented with the exact group of people most likely to be huddled around the radio as the world falls apart around them. "The rest" were the tempered.

This is confirmed, yes. When we first venture into Garlemald in Endwalker, we fight a number of "random Garlean enemies", and subdue them. Later, Maxima identifies them as fellow members of the Populares, all tempered, and eventually safely cured by the Ilsabard Contingent. So the idea that the people sympathetic to the Populares have all been tempered, while the people sympathetic to the Optimates are safe due to the radio, is confirmed in-game.