The coming Garlean invasion

[Cilia]

A couple of counterpoints:

• Both Ishgard and Ala Mhigo, as of 4.4, are part of the Eorzean Alliance, even if players can't enlist in their Grand Companies (Temple Knights / ???).
• The Dravanians are largely apathetic to the conflicts of mortals; the only reason Hraesvelgr intervened to end the Dragonsong War was because it was important to him, and the only reason he saved the party at the end of Omega's storyline is because Midgardsormr asked him to. Their assistance is... unreliable, at best.
• Due to the distances involved, actually deployed a coherent fighting force from Eorzea to Othard (or vice versa) would be a logistical nightmare without modern travel. By the time any reinforcements arrived, the Empire would have steamrolled its opposition with their superior technology.
• Doma is forming an alliance of its own to help keep the Empire in check.

It's all but acknowledged by the Alliance that, if the Empire were to actually commit to a war with either Eorzea or Othard (leaning towards Eorzea - Elidibus suggests attacking Ala Mhigo verbatim) and go for the win, there's no way they'd be able to stop it. The only reason the XIVth was fended off is because it didn't have reinforcements, and even then it took a literal divine intervention to do so (albeit to counter another divine power, but that's neither here nor there). The XIIth only fell because its commander wasn't interested in victory, just prolonging the conflict because it entertained him.

The main host of the Imperial army won't be held back by either. If the Empire attacks Eorzea (specifically Ala Mhigo), they're done for. That's why Thancred suggested waging a shadow war - by spreading (ironically) the truth about Zenos' current condition, they hope to make the Empire too discordant to actually commit to the attack due to a civil war.

Is it the most honorable way to "win"? By no means. But the truth needs to be let out - down to the core truth that the Empire is meant to be nothing more than a tool of the Ascians, propped up on a bunch of meaningless lies everyone but Varis remains ignorant of. The Eorzeans can't win in a straight-out fight, so this is the only real option available to them other than surrender.

[Remedi]

We could say that we won Ala mhigo because of a deus ex machina of Hien with the Yols, otherwise their air force would've decimated the ground troops and the cannons in addition to Zenos being not interested in military victory.
Frankly after the castellum velodya victory, where we used strategy to win, the victory of the alliance relied on miracles which imho isn't that good for writing but w/e

[Bright-Flower]

We could say that we won Ala mhigo because of a deus ex machina of Hien with the Yols, otherwise their air force would've decimated the ground troops and the cannons in addition to Zenos being not interested in military victory.
Frankly after the castellum velodya victory, where we used strategy to win, the victory of the alliance relied on miracles which imho isn't that good for writing but w/e

I don't know that I'd call it a deus ex machina, it was just Hien repaying the favor after we wrapped up the Doma arc and he just couldn't come right away because a temporary government had to be set up before he left to aid us.

Ultimately though the story felt unsatisfying. We won for one reason: Zenos didn't care about winning. It was his war to lose, and he lost it because he was more interested in fighting the WOL. He could have ended things at Rhalgr's Reach. He could have killed the WoL, killed a few of the Scions, utterly crushed the resistance. But what does he do? He just up and leaves, LETTING US KEEP THE REACH. And on the doma side of things he leaves someone he admits is not qualified for the job in charge because he just wants to leave. Ultimately the war story was a big let down.

[Remedi]

I don't know that I'd call it a deus ex machina, it was just Hien repaying the favor after we wrapped up the Doma arc and he just couldn't come right away because a temporary government had to be set up before he left to aid us.

Ultimately though the story felt unsatisfying. We won for one reason: Zenos didn't care about winning. It was his war to lose, and he lost it because he was more interested in fighting the WOL. He could have ended things at Rhalgr's Reach. He could have killed the WoL, killed a few of the Scions, utterly crushed the resistance. But what does he do? He just up and leaves, LETTING US KEEP THE REACH. And on the doma side of things he leaves someone he admits is not qualified for the job in charge because he just wants to leave. Ultimately the war story was a big let down.

It is a deus ex machina, because no1 sent an emissary to Hien telling him we needed help, he literally appeared the moment we were getting rekt by the air force as such in writing terms it's a deus ex machina.
The same can be said for Estinien's actions, since he appeared at the right moment preventing the empire to blast Ala ghiri, in fact we even had a quest asking us to see why the empire didn't fire yet.
Imho you are not understanding what Zenos really wanted, he wants to hunts, that's why he left Yotsusyu in charge of Doma he wanted her to fester hate in the populace hoping that a worthy prey could rise, someone worthy to be killed, that is why he left us alive the second time, he wanted us to grow in power because he saw potential in us. But that aside it could've been anyone, the reason he doesn't kill everyone is exactly that to keep breeding hate and dissent so that ppl can raise again and be quashed in the hunt.

@Alleo what me and Ethys go for, is that he did sponsor the populares initiative afterall otherwise that couldn't have happened, Zenolidubus saw fit to ruin that for him though. The hint is that the exchange did happen and in-game even the scions says that it makes no sense for the royal guards to kill the populares envoy because Varis allowed the exchange and they do say that it's probably Zenos' doing, but concludes that while Varis might not have been behind the order to kill them he is surely in the known of this by now, which implies now their treaty is in tatter (especiaqlly for the primal summoning thing).
In short he tried to have his way and the ascians reminded him to shut up and do what he's supposed to do

[Bright-Flower]

It is a deus ex machina, because no1 sent an emissary to Hien telling him we needed help, he literally appeared the moment we were getting rekt by the air force as such in writing terms it's a deus ex machina.
The same can be said for Estinien's actions, since he appeared at the right moment preventing the empire to blast Ala ghiri, in fact we even had a quest asking us to see why the empire didn't fire yet.
Imho you are not understanding what Zenos really wanted, he wants to hunts, that's why he left Yotsusyu in charge of Doma he wanted her to fester hate in the populace hoping that a worthy prey could rise, someone worthy to be killed, that is why he left us alive the second time, he wanted us to grow in power because he saw potential in us. But that aside it could've been anyone, the reason he doesn't kill everyone is exactly that to keep breeding hate and dissent so that ppl can raise again and be quashed in the hunt.

@Alleo what me and Ethys go for, is that he did sponsor the populares initiative afterall otherwise that couldn't have happened, Zenolidubus saw fit to ruin that for him though. The hint is that the exchange did happen and in-game even the scions says that it makes no sense for the royal guards to kill the populares envoy because Varis allowed the exchange and they do say that it's probably Zenos' doing, but concludes that while Varis might not have been behind the order to kill them he is surely in the known of this by now, which implies now their treaty is in tatter (especiaqlly for the primal summoning thing).
In short he tried to have his way and the ascians reminded him to shut up and do what he's supposed to do

I get that Zenos wants to hunt, that doesn't really contradict what I said about us only winning the war because he didn't care about winning the war. A deus ex machina isn't just convenient timing, if there's a set up for it, it's not a deus ex. For Estinien, I forget if there was a setup with him beforehand or not, but while we didn't have a messenger sent directly to Hien to ask for help right that moment, it was set up that he was going to give aid once he could. I think Estinien was set up by showing him following on Shinryu's trail but I forget how much if any we saw of him before that point so he may qualify.

[Remedi]

I get that Zenos wants to hunt, that doesn't really contradict what I said about us only winning the war because he didn't care about winning the war. A deus ex machina isn't just convenient timing, if there's a set up for it, it's not a deus ex. For Estinien, I forget if there was a setup with him beforehand or not, but while we didn't have a messenger sent directly to Hien to ask for help right that moment, it was set up that he was going to give aid once he could. I think Estinien was set up by showing him following on Shinryu's trail but I forget how much if any we saw of him before that point so he may qualify.

There wasn't a good setup for it writing wise
Yes Hien wanted to repay his debt, but first of all he said he would've been busy with the rebuilt of Doma, second nobody in the alliance saw fit to call on him to help on the front, I'm adding also the fact that now we know it's not so easy to move in between eorzea and othard because of the burn and other imperial provinces.
Then we factor that we prsesented ourselves on the gate of ala mhigo with no plans on how to stop an aerial assault after we know that air superiority is a trait of garlemand?
That is a deus ex machina or bad writing if you will.

@alleo Anything about Garlemand atm can only be speculation, there are some facts said here and there that suggest that what Ethys said is the case as I said but until Varis comes and tells us so we can just speculate, even then even things we knew for certain have been revealed to be something more so we can only wait and see

[Lubu_Mykono]

Something is gonna get blown to bits in 4.5 You got to have some suspense and drama to get those pre-orders in.

[Bright-Flower]

Something is gonna get blown to bits in 4.5 You got to have some suspense and drama to get those pre-orders in.

Let's see.

1.0 ended with the Calamity. Hard to top that.

ARR ended with us fleeing Ul'dah, was a shocking moment at the time but the way it resolved in HW was a let down and was mostly a return to status quo minus one arm. But between 2.55 and 3.0 it left an impression.

HW had Baelsa'rs wall and the Omega vs Shinryu fight.

I think we can definitely expect something big to happen.

[Balipu]

Let's see.

1.0 ended with the Calamity. Hard to top that.

ARR ended with us fleeing Ul'dah, was a shocking moment at the time but the way it resolved in HW was a let down and was mostly a return to status quo minus one arm. But between 2.55 and 3.0 it left an impression.

HW had Baelsa'rs wall and the Omega vs Shinryu fight.

I think we can definitely expect something big to happen.

If we can believe the timetraveling voice dude, another calamity might come. Depending on Varis' resolve we might get a Garlean invasion.

[Bright-Flower]

If we can believe the timetraveling voice dude, another calamity might come. Depending on Varis' resolve we might get a Garlean invasion.

I don't think we'll get a full on calamity, but I am kind of hoping for an invasion for a big climactic battle in ala mhigo, and maybe wrap up some lingering plot threads there like Fordola and ilberd's two surviving lackeys.

I have a feeling Elf!Zenos is a wild card even Elidibus didn't plan for and may throw a wrench in things one way or another.