Awfully weak story... or is it? [WARNING:SPOILERS]

[Felis]

Does not take hypnosis to brainwash. Garlemald in 1.0 was seen to use fear, intimidation, and misinformation to indoctrinate the children of Ala Mhigo (other places too) Indoctrination actually makes you believe what you are told, right or wrong, is the truth. Garleans don't need gods, because they are made to believe wholly in the Emperor. Not just as a man, as the one true voice of reason. The only law of humanity. The only true god. They're really not much better than tempered beastmen, their primal is just a man instead.

Exactly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU5N2...ailpage#t=7407

And don't forget, the empire want to do a genocide on all beast tribes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU5N2...ailpage#t=5859

[Enkidoh]

Exactly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU5N2...ailpage#t=7407

And don't forget, the empire want to do a genocide on all beast tribes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU5N2...ailpage#t=5859

Yup. As far as the beastmen go, that also extends to the player, as was mentioned in 1.0 (as shown in a cutscene in that above link), the Garleans regard anyone with the Echo as a 'beastman' due to it's ability to allow communication with the beast tribes. Thus, for those wishing they could be a part of the Empire, well, they'd soon find life in Garlemald very unpleasant, and I guarantee, would be very quickly regretting their decision.