[Lore Guys!] Garlean Race Question & Hidden Castrum in Coerthas

[lololink]

I guess it's just a mistake, like the cannon not being in the right direction to shoot in FF7 .

[Enkidoh]

Yeah, more and more that's what I'm thinking too, given the fact there are a few other (albeit more smaller and minor) examples of mistakes in the environment/field maps if you know where to loo.

Like the book buried in the mantlepiece timbers inside the tavern at the Observatorium, the infamous 'floating bottle of Pearl Lane' in Ul'dah, and the equally infamous 'stonework of unequal lengths' surrounding the aetheryte in Limsa, I'm just going to chalk up the mysterious Coerthas Garlean castrum up as simply one of these errors made by an overworked artist struggling to meet the launch deadline as well.

[Koti]

I don't know. I have a hard to believing its a mistake. Its the fact its up in the mountains like it is, and they do have the same design, but at the same time, they could have built there own pillar assembly to support it, given the bottom has a support brace which you can see in the non-silhouetted picture at the bottom.

My other reason for believing it is maybe actually /in/ Coerthas-- is because it seems a little strange that the Garleans are kinda roaming around like they do and they don't tend to roam around very far from home. :|a Given that one mission.

*shakes the lore mod* Your gonna make we wait till 3.0 for all the answers arn't you? *shaake*

[Anonymoose]

it seems a little strange that the Garleans are kinda roaming around like they do

Hold on, I'm going to need to brace myself for the physical pain of saying something this nerdy.

<shadowboxes for a few moments and takes a deep breath.> Whew, okay.

So, of the 93 varieties of Imperial troops and machina we've seen in the game so far, all of the ones in Coerthas have been from the 5th Cohort, and the 5th is garrisoned at Castrum Centri, implying they were dispatched from Mor Dhona.

EDIT: It turns out some of the ones we've seen in Coerthas were from the 3rd Cohort, usually seen in the Shroud from Castrum Oriens, except they turn up in a quest about Garleans coming from Mor Dhona, lol.

[Chewy2nd]

From the NPC Cailean in Monument Tower

It seems the fate of Monument Tower is to watch the watcher. 'Twas built to guard the Fury's Gaze, and the gem beyond price hidden in its depth... And now it keeps vigil against the Garlean outpost, for the jewel that is Ishgard must never fall into the Empire's unclean hands.

Source

[Anonymoose]

From the NPC Cailean in Monument Tower

Ready for this to get even weirder? It turns out there's a quest based around the guy who says that quote where he expands on it quite a bit. He doesn't seem to be talking about either Castrum Marinum or the hypothetical Coerthan fortress. He seems to be talking about Castrum Centri in Mor Dhona, which I don't think I can even see from up there, lol.

All three quotes from the quest Doubt Truth to Be a Liar

From high upon Monument Tower, we keep watch over the doings of the Garlean outpost. They have been far too active for our hearts' ease lately, and we must discourage these forays without resorting to outright hostility. Make a round of the three hot spots and look for any trace of the Garleans. Ser Pierremons awaits at the Aurum Vale for your report. The speed of the Fury to you, and Her ruth as well.

We'd espied them slipping over the border from Mor Dhona to survey something, but... These forays must be more frequent than we thought. We must increase patrols in the area. I bid you beware, adventurer, if your footloose ways lead you to Mor Dhona. Return safely, and be our eyes in the wilderness again.

• The Garlean Empire is making a long arm across the border from Mor Dhona, stirring the grass around Monument Tower. Seek traces of Garlemald in three locations, and drive away any Garleans you encounter
• Your vigilance has driven out all the Garleans in the area without a confrontation between the forces of Ishgard and Garlemald. Report to Ser Pierremons that the work is done.
• Ser Pierremons is aghast at how thick the Garleans are upon the ground. All evidence points to a Garlean outpost in Mor Dhona, a place in which even an adventurer may find it no easy task to escape deadly scrutiny...

Moreover, the enemies turn out to be from the 3rd cohort, implying the came from Castrum Oriens, originally, lol.

[StrangeBard]

I am not able to look at a map of Eorzea at the moment; however, since you said it was in a desert/mountainous area does that mean it is possible that it is a castrum located in Ala Mhigo? We do know that it is an area conquered by the Garlean Empire and also that there is a lot of pressure from certain people for the Warrior of Light to help the escaped people from there such as the Flame General reconquer it.

[Enkidoh]

Probably not, simply due to the fact it's the completely opposite direction - Ala Mhigo is situated in the far east of Aldenard, on the opposite side of the continent to Coerthas and that mysterious castrum. Not to mention it was repeatedly stated time and again (in both 1.0 and ARR), that Ala Mhigo itself was turned into one giant castrum anyway. But I'm just flapping my gums here.

[Toranja]

Seeing as the Castrum is visible in plain sight, I wouldn't call it hidden, but inaccessible.

That Castrum is not a mistake. There was one particular cutscene where they pointed at it during 2.4 about the dangers to come.

That Castrum is more than likely enough be dedicated to watch the Dragons. After their defeat ten years ago, it would be very wise of them to keep an eye on the Dravanian Horde's homeland.

After all, there is more to Eorzea than our city-states.

[VargasVermillion]

In relation to the third eye, if you look at the helmets the centurions wear as well as the tribunes and gaius's helm they seem to have a camera more or less where there third eye is, suggesting they can see through it to an extent.