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

[Koti]

So, I've been pondering over this and trying to think of the best way to ask, because no matter how much I hunt around-- I can't seem to find the answer. So let us start with the first question - Garlean's Third Eye

My speculation by the equipment the Scions wear and Cid's "idle" joke to you, is that the Third eye can "see", but see in the way not like we "see". That said, the speculation is that Garlean's third eye allows them to maybe see the aetheric flow itself and that is why Gaius makes the comments he does in 1.0 when you and the scions faced him.

Maybe this is also why they can't use the aether, because somehow the gift in seeing it, prevents them from using it. However, I could be /way/ off and that is why I am /really/ curious as to what is up with the Third Eye.

(See next post for the Castrum, cause 1000 word limit is a pain)

[Koti]

Now the second one is really simply. What is what that Castrum in Coerthas? More importantly-- what is its name? If you have really good settings and its a clear day, you can see it off in the distance from that one tower where the npc says, "No one could survive that fall.." (or something like that). I think I have a screenshot of it, but I really love to know what that Castrum is called.

Thanks!

[Anonymoose]

1000 word limit is a pain

You can circumvent it by typing everything you want to and copying it, then posting EDIT INCOMING, and then editing your post and pasting. Just make sure you don't accidentally copy over the copy or you're screwed, lol.

Garlean's Third Eye

We know next to nothing about the third eye, really. It's only even been mentioned two or three times, that I know of, and neither referred to its actual effects. Cid says that perhaps his own third eye helped him realize who you are, but it sounds more like a sentiment than a theory. Likewise, an Eorzean claims that Garleans implant magitek into their bodies and have a third eye that sees in all directions at once. Either could be true, or they could be tales of boogeymen spread by laymen among the invaded. Who knows!

What is what that Castrum in Coerthas?

The model is an exact match for Castrum Marinum, which lies in the sea between Thanalan (where Ul'dah is) and Vylbrand (where Limsa is), but if you look at where you're standing and what way you're looking, it really doesn't seem to be in the right direction or at the right distance. It's possible that there's a second base that looks just like Marinum in every way except lies in the Coerthas Western Highlands. There's no evidence either way, so pick whichever theory you like better and call it a guess, for now, lol.

[Koti]

Oh, I know. My friend asked me about the Castrum and he said it looks like the same as you said. I told him to check his map, pointing out that exact same deal regarding the directions. Which is why I keep staring at my map, at it, and squinting at Ishgard with their new Magitek weaponry that they DID NOT HAVE back in 1.0. They are not helping my under the table theory in, haha.

Though for both however, its kinda why I was hoping to get the Lore Mod's attention, cause I know the man has the answer-- even if its just "Stay tuned for 3.0!".

[Anonymoose]

I told him to check his map, pointing out that exact same deal regarding the directions.

You piqued my curiosity, so I decided to go back up there and take a better look at it with fresh eyes. Using the region maps instead of the zone maps, you can tell that you're looking towards the silhouette southwest across the Yafaem Saltmoor and into the Straight of Merlthor. The angle lands a bit north of where I remembered Marinum being, so I went back down to Cape Westwind - turns out facing Marinum from there requires more of a northwest angle than I remembered. Funny enough, trying to look back at Coerthas, the open sea goes on a lot farther east than I'd expect.

It's all well within the range of "Eh, close enough," though. The silhouette is definitely bigger than you'd expect it to be, given the distance, but trying to maintain the points of view inside of several discrete zones any better than they are now sounds like kind of a nightmare. It'd be impossible to scale the points of view in a way that convincingly reflects the truths that Aldenard is a continent and the zone you just chocobo'd across in 5 minutes was a sizeable chunk of a visible region of that continent. Given all that, I think the zone artist was just trying to show you that the Coerthas Highlands are high enough that you can see over all the mountains to the sea from there. All the parts of the shape are the same - the teleport ring, the airship dock on the right, even the pattern of docked juggernauts spiraling up the left side of the silhouette. Gonna throw my lot in with the Marinum theorists.

Third eye, though? I still got nothin'.

[Enkidoh]

Although I'm going to also throw my support behind that mysterious Garlean castrum being just Castrum Marinium with bad depth of field, but then I remembered this piece of concept art from before launch:



Which looks suspiciously like Castrum Marinium (complete with the teleporter to Cape Westwind where you fight Rhiatayn!), yet it's clearly in a desert/mountainous area. Of course concept art is just that, a concept that is still in planning and development, but it does start to make one wonder about the mysterious castrum seen from Coerthas.

[Chewy2nd]

The castrum in Coerthas looks way too high up to be Marinium, it's likely that Marinium isn't a unique structure, and that a lot of Castrum outposts look similar. The only other Castrum's we've seen have basically been thrown together with bits of magitek walls and walkways.

[Wolfandre]

The castrum in Coerthas looks way too high up to be Marinium, it's likely that Marinium isn't a unique structure, and that a lot of Castrum outposts look similar. The only other Castrum's we've seen have basically been thrown together with bits of magitek walls and walkways.

Went on a little adventure to finally check this out for myself. I agree; Castrum Marinum is at sea level and the Castrum in the picture is on top of a mountain so they cannot possibly be the same. And, while I can understand *some* depth of field errors/exaggerations, the map designers have been pretty good about keeping it close. That one looks like if Coerthas West was open then we'd be able to walk there.

Throwing my lot in with "3.0: Please look forward to it."

[kyrios91]

They're two different Castrums. Almost all Castrums are designed like that - some of just don't noticed because we've only ever been to Castrum Meridianum and The Praetorium which is basically the main fortress of the Empire thus it looks different and fitted by walls and force fields.

[Endemerrin]

Almost all Castrums are designed like that - some of just don't noticed because we've only ever been to Castrum Meridianum and The Praetorium which is basically the main fortress of the Empire thus it looks different and fitted by walls and force fields.

There's really no evidence for this, to be completely honest. We've been to many, many Castrums.

First, there was Castrum Novum back during 1.0, the ruins of which they built Castrum Centri both around and through. Both of those were/are large sprawling complexes. Then you have Castrum Oriens, which is located in the shroud. We don't exactly know what the Castrum looks like beyond the massive wall they've constructed, but I'd be willing to bet that it's another large fortress situated on the ground. Of course, there's Castrum Meridianum, which is the largest Castrum we've seen to date and also home to the Praetorium.

Castrum Marinum is the only castrum we've seen of it's kind outside of the suppoed one in Coerthas, so claiming they almost all are designed that way is a huge shot in the dark. That's one (possibly two) Castrums out of six total in-game. It's far from the majority.

Also, something to take note of is the fact that the shape of Castrum Marinum isn't entirely man-made. It's built into and around a naturally existing rock spire that was sitting out in the ocean.


In line with that, it makes you ponder what the Castrum in Coerthas is built around if it is in fact it's own separate castrum, because it also has the same un-even spire poking out the top. Seems very strange to have a pillar-like rock formation randomly sticking out of the top of some mountain.