New Year's Poem 2018

[Apoptomon]

Between the Ironworks, Lucia, and the Lexentales, I'm struggling to think of an 'in' into Garlemald (the Lexentales seem the best positioned to be allies on the inside, but they're relegated to side-story). I'll just have to hold out hope that if more city-states slip through Galvus' fingers thanks to the Scions actions in Gyr Abania and Doma, the frontier unrest inspires a well-positioned figure to embark on a "diplomatic mission" to Aldenard

[ObsidianFire]

The lore book specifically mentions that aether-users in the Garlean legions are highly valued (no matter where they come from/what race they are) and that the Garleans haven't been able to use aether since before they were driven to Northern Ilsabard in the first place. In fact, them not being able to use aether is why they're in Northern Ilsabard at all. Centuries ago, the Garleans used to be much further south and have been driven steadily north by aether-using races who wanted their territories. Once they got to Norther Isabard (FFXIV Siberia?) there was nowhere else for them to go and they've constantly been at war with the surrounding people to keep from being overrun. It was only with the invention of the curulium engine and magictech that they were able to get on an even footing with the other countries at all never mind take them over.

[YianKutku]

I'm actually curious if we'll ever see another black-robed Ascian Overlord. Elidibus seems to have taken over the role of the Ascian Influence, and his method of being all indirect and scheming has become the norm. Going back to the direct interventions of Lahabrea, Nabriales, and Igeyorhm would seem less interesting now.

It was only with the invention of the curulium engine and magictech that they were able to get on an even footing with the other countries at all never mind take them over.

To be fair, with almost six hundred years between the foundation of Garlemald as a nation and the invention of the ceruleum engine, I think Garlemald counts as having survived perfectly fine without it. Possibly not as well as they deserve, but it's hard to picture a nation just barely holding onto existence over six hundred years.

[Belhi]

I'm actually curious if we'll ever see another black-robed Ascian Overlord. Elidibus seems to have taken over the role of the Ascian Influence, and his method of being all indirect and scheming has become the norm. Going back to the direct interventions of Lahabrea, Nabriales, and Igeyorhm would seem less interesting now.

To be fair, with almost six hundred years between the foundation of Garlemald as a nation and the invention of the ceruleum engine, I think Garlemald counts as having survived perfectly fine without it. Possibly not as well as they deserve, but it's hard to picture a nation just barely holding onto existence over six hundred years.

They relied on very strong unified defence and Hellsguard mercenaries who Garlemald has had long historical ties to. Hellsguard are naturally magically talented and so provided some measure of counter to the Garleans weakness. That, and the fact that the lands the Garleans held weren't particularly desirable, meant that most of their southern neighbours found it just not worth the cost in actually conquering them.

However yes, the Garleans have been a people who have struggled against stronger neighbours for a long time. It is somewhat ironic considering how their foreign policy developed but perhaps that is a result of their historic treatment.

[Theodric]

It's definitely something that needs to be addressed. I'm surprised the Warrior of Light and Scions do not appear to be in the know regarding Garlemald's history and the suffering of their people. Especially when they went to great efforts to uncover the truth behind Nidhogg's actions. Garlemald's foreign policy needs to change, yet it is a result of persecution they themselves have suffered...and in a world heavily riddled with magic to not have access to it leaves them open to exploitation. Magitek gives them an advantage and a niche of their own - in addition to the unique benefit of their 'Third Eye'.

So solving the situation with Garlemald isn't about putting down a threat, it's about a need to compromise and find a way to convince Garlemald to adjust their foreign policy. Slaughtering them isn't going to work, because it isn't realistic for the Warrior of Light and his allies to go and do that...and the plot conveniences involved for such a thing to happen would be pretty dull to see play out. We can't see every Imperial slain, either - since then Garlemald itself would be left largely defenceless and it would prove to add more weight to their concerns.

[Cilia]

They relied on very strong unified defence and Hellsguard mercenaries who Garlemald has had long historical ties to. Hellsguard are naturally magically talented and so provided some measure of counter to the Garleans weakness. That, and the fact that the lands the Garleans held weren't particularly desirable, meant that most of their southern neighbours found it just not worth the cost in actually conquering them.

935 - The Republic forges an alliance with the Roegadyn mountain clans, enlisting Roegadyn battle mages as mercenaries to fortify defenses around the perimeter of the capital.

937 - Bolstered by the strength of the Roegadyn battle mages, the Garlean Republic succeeds in repelling the nomads.

945 - The Roegadyn mountain clans demand compensation from Garlemald for the services of their people in driving off the Hyur. After months of negotiations, talks break down and the mercenaries withdraw from the capital.

I wouldn't call ten years (of seemingly unpaid services) "long historical ties." This also means that, from 6 AE 945 - ca. 6 AE 1500 (when magitek was invented), the Garlean Republic survived without Roegadyn battle mages or magitek. Was it because the Republic's lands weren't desirable? Possible. Point is... this makes it highly doubtful the Republic's people were under daily threat of extinction.

[Apoptomon]

Do we know much/anything about the Garlean homeland in southern Ilsabard? Considering the way the continents are arranged, it'd be likely we'd have to go through there to get to Garlemald, right?

[Theodric]

I'm very eager to learn more about the territory that the Garleans originally hail from and which races/nations, precisely, were involved in driving them out of it.

[Cilia]

The only bit of information I can find even close to that is the Sightseeing Log entry for Ala Mhigo, which states that it was built in 6 AE 1335 to "repel invaders from Ilsabard." This suggests Ilsabardian nations, pre-Empire, weren't civil or were nonexistent and southern (or at least southwestern) Ilsabard was populated by nomad tribes and the like. The Garlean ancestral homelands are also temperate in comparison to the harsh northlands; beyond that, no information is available.

Given Ala Mhigo was built in 6 AE 1335 and the Garleans were pushed to northern Ilsabard ca. 6 AE 800, it's very unlikely the Eorzean nations were responsible. The few Othardian nations cannot be accounted for, but given how far removed they are from southern Ilsabard the likelihood of guilt on their part is also low. Ilsabard's geography remains unknown.

[Belhi]

The lorebook says that the tribes in Ala Mhigo were unified in around 1100 of the 6th AE so about 200 years after the Garleans became a unified people. The Ala Mhigans also had a steady number of attempts at invasion from the north as it was the only land route into the more wealthy inner reaches of Eorzea. Ala Mhigo was build to keep out invaders. The Ala Mhigans did build up into Islibard but only as a watchtower system along the major trade route to the east to protect traders traveling the route.

Honestly the nations that caused the Garleans so much strife during its existence sound like they were among the first to fall. Most of those countries would be almost fully assimilated at this point. Only the oldest of natives would remember life before Garlean rule.