The problem with the "it's just fiction" justification is that it can be applied to just about every argument in the story, and runs the risk of rendering all discussion rather pointless. The world of FFXIV shares our morality (or thereabouts) and beliefs, and I'd rather the game acknowledge and deal with questionable scenarios when they arise rather than brushing off certain acts whilst condemning others because "it makes for a cool fantasy story."

Quote Originally Posted by KizuyaKatogami View Post
And we have a dictator who committed mass genocide against a group of creatures to steal their land, a “leader” who still allows slavery in her city to this day, and a “leader” who bends to the will of forest sprites and allows them to have their way and turns a blind eye to the mass racism happening to her people resulting in the rape and hanging and murder of many. The city state leaders are quite literally as bad as him yet he’s the only one to face repercussions despite in the end him just doing what’s best for his people and doing unto others what was done to him. Also…are we just going to ignore the fact uldah basically gassed an entire population and turned them into zombies?
I'll give you Sil'dih, though we are talking about a city state that existed hundreds of years ago and has little to do with Ul'dah in the present. But you're grossly exaggerating the reality of the other city states in an attempt to justify what the Garleans did. I can't really take you seriously when you're trying to make out the Eorzean Alliance are "just as bad" when Garlemald has continually sought the conquest and subjugation of other nations for its own glory and brought the racism, rape, genocide and slavery you mentioned to the countless provinces under its control.

Varis was dealt a rough hand when it came to his family, for sure, but after a certain point it cannot be used to justify the choices he made.