Garlean Playable Race (?)

[Vyrerus]

How about handwaving.

That singular passage is leaving room for its author to be wrong, and that is pretty much it. Name one notable pureblooded Garlean that is capable of using magic. I won't wait, because you cannot. They have yet to show even a single one that wasn't possessed by an Ascian or treated to a special procedure.

That same book also says,

"The Empire has banned religion, seeing it as a barbarian practice that all too often results in the summoning of primals. Many of the inhabitants of Garlemald proper are atheists, a fact attributable to their biological and spiritual inability to harbor and wield aether-based magicks. As theologians believe that religion can only truly develop alongside magic, it is little wonder that the Garleans are disinclined to keep any faith."

Something that is integral to the WoL is that we all believe in a patron deity from The Twelve. As a Garlean pureblood it wouldn't make any sense for us to believe in one of The Twelve. That would have to be removed from character creation, specifically for Garleans. Then Garlean players would feel left out.

Also note that the WoL's age is rather young, mid 20s to late 30s. This means that a pureblooded Garlean WoL would have been born after the introduction of Magitek to their society, and would have even less of a reason to leave Garlemald, to learn arcane arts, and to come be a hero in Eorzea.

As for the Echo, we've been shown half-blooded Garleans can have it through Arenvald. Never a pureblood, though. I'd posit that since the Echo is tied to a being's aetheric waveform, yes, it would be entirely possible for Garleans to have the Echo, but in my opinion it would lay dormant until they learned how to manipulate aether. If their body even could. Of course, even that wouldn't be enough to know they had the Echo. They'd have to encounter an event that let them know they had it. Considering the Echo lies dormant even in individuals who can readily manipulate aether, who's to say that a pureblooded Garlean would ever meet the right condition short of artificial means to precipitate the activation of their Echo? Further still, if Garleans could have the Echo, then why would it be a surprise to them to learn about such a thing from their warring with Eorzea?

To let us play Garleans would be to make the lore bend over backwards to accommodate the possibility. It would break too much while giving so little while also injecting dissonance into nearly every sidequest and cutscene. No thanks.

[Theodric]

That singular passage is leaving room for its author to be wrong, and that is pretty much it. Name one notable pureblooded Garlean that is capable of using magic. I won't wait, because you cannot. They have yet to show even a single one that wasn't possessed by an Ascian or treated to a special procedure.

Lucia. She casts healing spells during The Steps of Faith.

[Vyrerus]

Lucia. She casts healing spells during The Steps of Faith.

I went and did some looking. Perhaps she did at one point in time, but now she just stays on the sideline the whole time, untargetable, issuing orders, never participating in combat. Conjurer Temple Knights spawn on top of her a lot though, and they do sometimes start out casting cure on other temple knights.

In the Grand Melee when she becomes the target of The Fury's Gaze or whatever, she uses an Aqua Vitae, and then runs off, shouts, "Fury Protect Me!" and then uses Rampart.

[myahele]

That singular passage is leaving room for its author to be wrong, and that is pretty much it. Name one notable pureblooded Garlean that is capable of using magic.

The only one that I can think of was Lucia casting cure back in Heavensward. Many assumed it was just an oversight since Cid used "Aqua Vitae" to heal, but then there was that passage in the lore book that came later on.

That said, I rather they focus on more character creation options.

[Vyrerus]

The only one that I can think of was Lucia casting cure back in Heavensward. Many assumed it was just an oversight since Cid used "Aqua Vitae" to heal, but then there was that passage in the lore book that came later on.

That said, I rather they focus on more character creation options.

Oh, so there is one. And she happens to be one of my favorite characters. Neat.

There's a couple of ways we can go with this.

1) Who are Livia and Lucia's parents? We haven't been given a concrete on that, have we? However, recently in the Werlyt storyline it was brought up that even mixed blood Garleans can manifest a third eye through Gaius's associate, Severa. It's entirely possible, door's open, that Lucia's parentage isn't pureblood Garlean.

2) Perhaps purposely done to try and throw cheeky players who looked under her tiara earlier off the scent for the small twist in mid-late Heavensward where it's brought out that she's Garlean explicitly.

3) Lucia is a "goe" or an espionage agent, tasked with infiltrating a highly religious society as an acolyte to steal into their holy treasure vault. Given how long Garlemald has been fighting and conquering places like Bozja, who readily wield items that give anyone who know what they are the ability to cast "lost" spells and skills... I wouldn't put it past Garlemald's espionage branch to have some Lost Actions on stock, ready to give to those tasked with impersonating peoples capable of wielding magicks. Likely taken off of dead Bozjans.

4) Lucia was moved to being faithful and spiritual by Ser Aymeric. Upon becoming truly faithful, this allowed her part of what is essential to manipulate aether in the current age. This lets her cast basic spells. (this would be my preferred thing, but they haven't told us anything about it, have they? Unless you're talking about an EE article I'm unaware of?)