Quote Originally Posted by Elmeron View Post
What? No. The Crystal Braves and Ul'dah don't even make up enough guards to take on both Gridania and Limsa Lominsa. I don't know if you somehow think that the Crystal Braves and Ul'dah guards are now everywhere in Eorzea, just ready to slay random civilians (which would be really obvious...), but they aren't. Or did you fail to see the stream of soldiers coming out of Ul'dah? That is where they are residing in since they aren't even allowed in Gridania or Limsa Lominsa (you learn this by talking to NPCs in both of those cities).

You also cannot explain away the utter abandonment of Raubahn by both Kan-E-Senna and Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn, just by saying "politics." They'd been working with Raubahn for years, he was someone they had experienced traumatic events with, and someone that they were friends with (probably Raubahn won't want anything to do with either of them if he is ever freed... I know I wouldn't, but knowing FFXIV's writing it'll all just somehow be glazed over). What they did was turn their backs on someone who obviously needed them. I can't even look at them with any respect now, and it's sad because I liked both of them before.
Here's the thing, Merlwyb and Kan-E-Senna were not at their home nations, and the Crystal Braves have just been shown to be compromised. They're not at home, so it's possible all it could easily take is 1 Linkshell call and the highest authorities outside of them in their city-states could be killed by people they aren't aware of could be assassins.

The best thing to do in this situation is to bow out and make it seem like you're not getting involved, else Limsa and Gridania could be lost in a matter of hours, long before the two leaders get back to them. They saw the cards dealt, and folded rather than continue into a losing situation. They made the right call, as much as it hurts me to say it.

But know that because they saw the Syndicate's hand and bowed out, they can now make countermeasures against the Crystal Braves without losing the City-States immediately, and thus start planning ahead to helping free Raubahn and prove the innocence of the Scions. Mark my words, sometime in Heavensward and its patches, they will help us prove our innocence and help us reclaim Ul'dah from the Syndicate.