Oriental References

[Mjollnir]

So most probably thanks to Romans here on Earth, we refer to everything East of Ancient Rome as The Orient, hence Oriental.

At first, I thought the terminology was a bit out-of-place in Eorzea, and grudgingly suspended my disbelief slightly higher in order that the fantasy remain complete (yeah, looking at you Hollandaise Sauce).

But then it occurred to me that the Garlean Empire is heavily influenced by the Roman Empire, including the use of Latin. The opposite of 'Oriens' being 'Occidens' (West) being familiar nomenclature already.

So happily my immersion hasn't been ruined, as clearly Hydaelyn's Orient lies to the East of the Garlean Empire and hence these goods have come from there (plz insert Moose lore database character quotation below).

Of course that means that the Garleans regard Eorzea as one.. big.. occident!

Still not happy about that sauce though, which is clearly interdimensional in origin.

[WellFooled]

There will always be unavoidable cross contamination between the real world and any fictional world, particularly when the fictional places are rooted in real cultures (as is the case in FFXIV). A fictional world without any influence from ours would be so alien we wouldn't know what to make of it. I wouldn't worry too much about the sauce or references to The Orient.

That said, do we know the location of The Garlean Empire exact enough to know if your theory could be true?

[DarthSanguine]

That said, do we know the location of The Garlean Empire exact enough to know if your theory could be true?

Yes, the Garlean Empire controls the entirety of the continents of Ilsabard and Othard, as well as the region of Gyr Abania in Eorzea. Their capital, Garlemald, is located on the northern continent Ilsabard located across the Bloodbrine.

[ExKage]

Well we know that the Garleans originate from the Ilsabard (Northeast of Aldenard / Eorzea) and we've been told that Othard is the eastern-most continent. A lot of the Garlean titles and names seem connected to Roman Empire or latin origins. If not Latin it's, taken from an Anonymoose post, "pre-Latin Proto-Indo-European"

[DarthSanguine]

Well we know that the Garleans originate from the Ilsabard (Northeast of Aldenard / Eorzea) and we've been told that Othard is the eastern-most continent. A lot of the Garlean titles and names seem connected to Roman Empire or latin origins. If not Latin it's, taken from an Anonymoose post, "pre-Latin Proto-Indo-European"

Ilsabard is north of Eorzea, Othard is the one to the north-east (we can even see a part of it shrouded in clouds on the Eorzea map labeled "The Garlean Empire").

[ExKage]

Ilsabard is north of Eorzea, Othard is the one to the north-east (we can even see a part of it shrouded in clouds on the Eorzea map labeled "The Garlean Empire").

Both locations "Ilsabard being northeast of Aldenard" and Othard being the "easternmost continent" are taken from Gamerescape's pages http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Ilsabard and http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Othard. I see no reason not to believe that Ilsabard is being shown in the map as "The Garlean Empire" instead of Othard.

[VargasVermillion]

Aldenard is actually meant to be the smallest of the '3 great continents' so I imagine the world extends even farther out from the 'moon map'.

[Anonymoose]

I imagine the world extends even farther out from the 'moon map'.

Aye - quite a bit farther, too, by my estimations. Going by the way the general outline mirrors Earth, I'd wager that map is meant to represent just about exactly half of the planet. Some of Ilsabard is missing, all of Othard, and then you're probably still missing a ton of "Pacific Ocean".

[DarthSanguine]

Both locations "Ilsabard being northeast of Aldenard" and Othard being the "easternmost continent" are taken from Gamerescape's pages http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Ilsabard and http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Othard. I see no reason not to believe that Ilsabard is being shown in the map as "The Garlean Empire" instead of Othard.

http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Hydaelyn

[ExKage]

http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Hydaelyn

So if Ilsabard is -northwest- as this wiki editor claims, does this mean it is part of the New World continent to Aldenard's west as shown in the space map or is it not more likely that someone made a typo on the wiki you want to use?