Future leader of Apa Mhigo

[Mysterysword]

Garlemald isn't a hive mind. Its going to have a lot of people with differing ideas and there are many paths to power.

So far, we have seen nothing to indicate that anyone who doesn't truly believe in absolute, crushing strength and power in the empire manages to climb their way to a position of power and influence. Are there such characters in Garlemald that don't believe in strength as the ideal? Sure, the Indolent Imperial comes to mind, but he's just a grunt.

Gaius perhaps could've been the moderate faction we needed, but he's dead, and even at the end, he still believed wholly in the empire's ideals. And between 2.0 and 3.2, we still haven't seen any signs that there is anyone like Gaius left in Garlemald. Even less likely since Varis has come to the throne, and while this is just an assumption, I don't think it's too far-fetched to say that Varis is the type to crush anyone who doesn't 100% agree with him, or at least strip them of their positions.

[Theodric]

Bear in mind a lot of what we've heard from Garlemald has been from biased sources. Refugees are prone to exaggerating the situation they were in if they feel it'll get them sympathy and/or wealth, food and a roof over their heads. Furthermore Ala Mhigo has been occupied for quite some time and is no doubt full of Garleans and Ala Mhigans - both of which may very well not want to be liberated. If they pull it off well then we'll be fighting the extremist elements of the Ala Mhigan Resistance simply because we shouldn't want to settle for kicking out Garleans simply for the fact that they're...well, Garlean.

Ala Mhigo hasn't been 'Ala Mhigo' for a while now. Therefore Ilberd's view is completely flawed. Then again we should be killing him for scheming against Nanamo and getting multiple Scions killed (including Wilred who was Ala Mhigan himself, incidentally).

I'm pretty confident that Garlemald is going to be much like Ishgard. Painted in a bad light when viewed by real world morality and biased accounts but...actually not all that bad for those who get to know and embrace it.

[Lauront]

I don't foresee 4.0 being anything other than a trek/escapade through Garlemald. If it is set in Othard, the live letter indicated one would have to get there through Ilsabard, which could mean a rush through. Also, I suspect Ala Mhigo will be an aspect of a future expansion but not the sole one, as it is a fairly small zone in and of itself. So perhaps we could see Ala Mhigo and Othard packed into one expansion, i.e. 4.0. After all, they have plenty of zones to get through. I foresee Garlemald proper being left until 5.0 or maybe 6.0, depending on whether they want to develop them as they have Ishgard and introduce new antagonists.

Ala Mhigo hasn't been 'Ala Mhigo' for a while now. Therefore Ilberd's view is completely flawed. Then again we should be killing him for scheming against Nanamo and getting multiple Scions killed (including Wilred who was Ala Mhigan himself, incidentally).

That, plus the fact that before being crushed by Garlemald, it had expansive plans of its own for Gridania. Hardly a sorry victim of circumstance.

[Rocl]

Ala Mhigo and Gyr Abania would be no smaller than Ishgard and Dravania imo, and I believe they've stated it's unlikely we'll ever get such a large expansion again? I'm no fan of Garlemald, but the rank-and-file does have potential for being pretty good characters. Think back on Ishgard: the archbishop and Heaven's Ward are pretty uniformly 'bad.' A little bad for the right reasons and a lot bad for the wrong reasons--I view Varis and most Legatus the same way. I have little love for the Halonic Orthodoxy and High Houses but things like Scholasticate quests and other sidequests help paint Ishgard in a much more complex and nuanced light. Garlemald deserves, at the very least, the same treatment.

Even the 'good guys' in XIV are presented as pretty flawed, though this has been lessened in our transition to "A Realm Reborn." Except Ul'dah. For some reason Ul'dah is allowed to stay flawed and corrupt while Limsa Lominsa's oathbreaking and Gridania's xenophobia is relegated to footnotes! And while on the subject of VIth Legion tribuni-- well, why not give us a Celes or a Leo? It fits the very strong nod toward Regula-Kefka and provides us with the beginnings of a sympathetic Garlemald.

Er.. right.. as for the leader of Ala Mhigo I oft assumed it would be Raubahn, especially after 2.55 when they introduced us to Pipin. Pipin Tarupin ran the Immortal Flames in Raubahn's absence, and I wholly expect should Raubahn ever leave his post as head of the Flames, Pipin would be the choice replacement.

[DroFrehter]

I think Pipin will step up to lead the Immortal Flames in Raubahn's place as he goes on to liberate Ala Mhigo.

[ADVSS]

I'll take Ilberd, but only after I get to kick his ass

[DamianFatale]

The only way I could see the Garlemeld approach working, is if the leader of the new Garlemeld had a change of heart, and pledged allegiance to Eorzea, therefore handing back the thrown. It would still be utter chaos though.

[DamianFatale]

throne* ughh no edit feature. ;-;

[Yuki_Tokita]

Ala Mhigo's in a pretty bad state right now. I suspect that even if we do liberate it there's probably no one competent enough to hold everyone in line. Wouldn't be unrealistic if a certain vulture in Ul'dah took advantage of this opportunity to make Ala Mhigo into his personal vassal state, with Omega enforcing his rule.

Queue patch 4.1

[Laili]

Ala Mhigo's in a pretty bad state right now. I suspect that even if we do liberate it there's probably no one competent enough to hold everyone in line. Wouldn't be unrealistic if a certain vulture in Ul'dah took advantage of this opportunity to make Ala Mhigo into his personal vassal state, with Omega enforcing his rule.

Queue patch 4.1

If it means actual closure for the Ul'Dah plot thread then I'm all for it.