Ul'dah + Thanalan
Location: Southern Aldenard in the desert
Guardian Deity: Nald'thal, duality of twins who represent life and death, overseer of the underworld and god of commerce.
Political Structure: Oligarchy
Leaders: The Sovereign Sultana, who is a figurehead. The Syndicate, a council of the six most elite and influential citizens (who essentially control things). The Order of Nald'thal, who creates the laws.
Economy: The Colisium, abundance of minerals, clothcrafting industry, gambling, and acting as a trade hub, make up the main sources of their profit.
Military: ?

-Ul'dah originally was a Lalafell city, and gil attracted the other races
source: Neymumu

-The Arrzaneth Ossuary (thaumaturges) has a waiting list for people seeking their help. But those who pay better and in advance... seem to advance up the list hehehehe
source: Eleanor, "A Knock in the Night' quest

-Slumber nuts work as a sleeping pill. Nutgrabber marmots like to carry them around.
source: Kukusi, 'Sleepless in Eorzea' quest

-Ul'dah has an environmental action group called the Desert Shade which tries to plant plants in the desert. Sadly dodos like to eat anything green that they see, so this doesn't work to well (which should be quite obvious if you take a step out of Ul'dah)
source: U'bokhen, 'An Inconvenient Dodo' quest

-The Arrzaneth Ossuary uses clasps (or "novice's clasps") to send messages if they are in need of help.
source: Prelate Totono, 'Clasping to Hope' quest

-Nanawa Mines are property of Amajina & Sons Mineral Concern.
source: Z'ssapa

-Minium, Latex, Black Pepper, and Dragon Pepper, are all exotic and from the far east
source: Gugudi

-The Merchant's ward has education and religious centers.
source: Kokobi

-Ul'dah's laws are created by the thaumaturges of the Order of Nald'thal
source: Lettice

-Sylphs were driven from Ul'dah so that the residents could profit more from the crystal trade. However this opened them up to Garlean danger somehow.
source: Lettice

-Ul'dah lacks resources compared to other nations, but makes up for it in trading. However since the Garleans blocked trade routes, the merchant population has diminished significantly
source : Styrmoeya

-Te Syndicate is a small council of the richest merchants in ul'dah who oversee most of the cities events and affairs.
source: Bertram

-For the past year there have been talks about the Amal'jaa gathering forces to attack Ul'dah (may be wrong about the timing on this one, the grammar was a bit confusing)
source: Vavaki

-People who wear products from Sunsilk (weavers guild) smell divine even when naked >__> or at least certain fashion elitists think
source: Dylise

-Sunsilk Tapestries has a massive sphere of influence across Eorzea since almost everyone purchases clothes and they are the best at them.
source: Aspipi

-The Milvaneth Sacrarium in Ul'dah is a temple to Nald (one of the twins of Nald'Thal of the twelve) who represents the aspect of life (passions and possessions)
source: Anthoinette, Totono

-The quick influx of Ala Mhigans to Ul'dah has resulted in numerous problems such as increasing the amount of filth in the city and leading to increased scams
source: Wyznguld

-Can change the laws of Ul'dah if you have enough gil
source: Peneli Zuneli

-Arrzaneth Ossuary is the temple of Thal
source: Fyrilsunn

-Many poor and underprivileged worship at the Arrzaneth Ossuary (temple of Thal) in hopes that they will have a better afterlife than the life they are currently experiencing.
source: Fyrilsunn

-The wealthy and privileged tend to worship at the Milvaneth Sacrarium (temple of Nald) since they are grateful for what they have in life.
source: Totono

-Ul'dah was split into 2 sections at one point in history to mirror the duality of Nald and Thal. However they merged the parts and prospered as a result.
source: Sinette

-The guild master of Amajina & Sons (Miners' guild) has a reputation for only employing girls he can sleep with
source: C'rhabye

-You can't feel up the dancers in the Miners' guild... but maybe some guys may get around that by gifting a necklace and putting it on the dancer, accidently letting their hand slip?
source: Pierriquet

-Ul'dahns are taught at a young age to read peoples character and are thus the best judges of character in Eorzea. This has a lot to do with avoiding getting scammed and knowing who you can scam.
source: Bouchard

-Lord Lolorito owns Eshtaime's Lapidaries (Goldsmithing guild) but lets the guildmaster yuyune run it.
source: Sungi Kelungi

-Coliseum is called the Bloodsands
source: Lulutsu

-Gambling over the gladiator fights is a norm. And some have gambling problems. (Kinda like irl)
source: X'dhilogo, Vannes

-Criminals are allowed to fight in the Coliseum but they aren't released if they win. Rather they get released if their fight makes enough profit for them to buy their freedom.
source: Galeren

-Ishgard used to ship beasts to fight Gladiators in the Coliseum but that trade has diminished
source: Fineco Romanecco

-There used to be no rails by the Coliseum and spectators would occasionally fall to their death
source: Abylgo Hamylgo

-Tickets to view the Coliseum "games" are only sold to the wealthy
source: Papawa

-Regardless of the feelings of many Ul'dahns towards immigrants, there hasn't been any violence or hatred directed to Ala Mihgan refugees and there is little fighting in the city.
source: Shamani Lohmani

-Many Ul'dahns are inherently racist towards Ala Mihgans and some even suggest that if you were one, you should not tell anyone
source: Berthar

-Ul'dah tends to have -very- high interest rates on loans.
source: Gunulf

-Lominsans originally mapped and developed the cross-sea route and the landing port in Thanalan(at Vesper Bay)but the Ul'dahns quickly took control and now charge tariffs on all goods passing through.
source: Taylor

-The Silver Bazaar was once a major waypoint on a trade route from across the seas to Ul'dah, but has since lost that role
source: Iudprost

-The Silver Bazaar has turned into a refuge for Ala Mihgans
source: D'arimbeh

-Clear racial tensions in the Silver Bazaar. Ala Mihgan's feel as if they are looked down upon by Ul'dahns.
source: Agzu Rungu, D'arimbeh

-Clear racial tensions in the Golden Bazaar, Ul'dahns unwilling to buy from Ala Mihgan merchants.
source: Bernier

-Temple to thal just east of the Golden Bazaar in a cave (43-19)... for some reason ghosts and moles spawn here, even though apparently people come here to worship often.
source: Bernier

Ishgard + Coerthas
Location: Center-West Aldenard
Guardian Deity: Halone, the fury, mover of glaciers and goddess of war
Political Structure: Theocracy / Holy See (Ermiance)
Leaders: His Holiness, The Archbishop
Economy: Trade with various regions, used to trade a lot more and in various goods including beasts for Ul'dah's Coliseum
Military: Holy Knights

-The Archbishop has closed off Ishgard and is only allowing holy knights to go in and out
source: Odeve

-The gates to the city of Ishgard are called the Gates of Judgement
source: Odeve

-No single person can defeat a dragon by themselves
source: Emerissel

-Citizens believe that those are killed by dragons are granted a special place in Halone's heaven
source: Elde

-Those who do not believe in the fury are not welcome in the Arshibishop's lands
source: Janlenoux

-The waters of Ashpool and Banepool are tainted by the dragons and thus poison man and beast if they drink it
source: Patrick

-Dragons tend to attack airships that pass by
source: Heat of the Moment Faction Leve

-Those living in Falcon's nest do not like outsiders or unbelievers
source: Armantel

-The Archbishop summons those from Falcon's Nest to fight the dragons, and they end up dying doing so
source: Quenburga

-It is the Archbishop's law that you can't look in a dragons eyes, you can't listen to the words of a dragon, and you can't touch the flesh or blood of a dragon.
source: Hubairtien

-Poachers defy the Archbishops edicts and have laid many hunters traps throughout the mountains which have been forgotten about
source: Rickeman

-Ishgardian nobles often go hunting for fox or deer on their chocobos
source: Gaetelle

-The airship landing between the Coerthas and Swiftrun rivers is a favourite target of the dragons from Dravania. Knights were sent to defend it but it didn't help much, so less and less pilots have been willing to land there
source: Ermiance

- The imperials believe that the fury disapproves of those who won't fight the dragons for her. They say she would deem them "as traitorous as the First Dragons"
source: Loloma

-The empire established two temporary bases of operation in the Dzemael Darkhold and the Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak
source: engineering victory

-Quiliane in Owl's Nest believes that magitek dowsing rods are devices used to locate crystals, and that the Empire is actively searching for crystallized aether in order to summon a primal
source: Quiliane, Into the Dark: Limsa Lominsa

-A draconian rosary is the mark of a heretic, a traitor to the See who pledged himself to the dragons. Some garleans come from Ishgard.
source: Into the Dark: Gridania

-Ishgard and the see have the greatest military force in Eorzea, and while they were part of the old alliance between the 4 nations, they quickly pulled out
source: Kan-E-Senna, In for Garuda Wakening: Gridania


The Empire / Imperials

-Imperial's are known to attack whoever they like and "re-educate" anyone that thinks differently from them.
source: Baderon, limsa opening inn scene

-Empires airships create tremors in the Twelveswood as the fly above
source: Khuma Moshroca, 'Seeing the Seers' quest

-Imperials have committed unprovoked attacks on Ul'dah's passenger airships bringing one down (shooting it with a battle cruiser) in Thanalan. Garlean operatives may then have scavenged the wreckage.
source: 'Quid Pro Quo' quest + Blandhem
-further, the Ul'dah soldiers at camp Black Brush hurried to ships wreckage but there were no survivors
source: Chechedoba

-Imperials have been damaging the twelveswood, defiling trees and such. They don't seem to have much care about destroying the forest and don't really seem to get the woodsin thing.
source: 'Scrubbing the Soul' quest

-Imperial operatives have been chilling in the La Noscea region

-The Empire has a keen interest in preventing the best engineers, machinists and technologists from leaving their lands. Many of these born in Garlemald flee to Eorzea through Ala Mihgo seeking asylm.
source: Mestonnaux, 'Scrubbing the Soul' quest

-Garlemald trading vessels do visit cities like Limsa Lominsa
source: Lilina

-Rumors that the Empire is planning an attack on the primals which they call eikons and which they believe to be nothing more than lesser demons posing as false gods
source: Lauda

-Imperials have attacked and killed people within the Twelveswood
source: Tseh Panipahr

-Legati is plural of Legatus

-The Emperor of Garlemald is the one who decided he wanted to use meteor on Eorzea
source: Two Vans are Better than One

-Bozja Citadel was destroyed by the emperor when they learned they couldn't control where Dalamud fell. Approx ten years prior to game time. It led to meteor being abandoned.
source: Two Vans are Better than One

-The empire has houses. For example "House Darnus". So the Legatus are probably not hired into it but born into the role.
source: Two Vans are Better than One

-House Darnus apparently has the key to the ressurection and mastery of Dalamud
source: Two Vans are Better than One

-The technology of Allag (an ancient civilization from 1000s of years ago) surpasses what Garlemald currently has
source: Two Vans are Better than One

-Van Darnus does -not- have the tomestones. The empire is searching for them, which possibly explains their presence in Mor Dhona
source: Two Vans are Better than One

-The forest elementals don't distinguish between Gridanians and Garleans, and thus the Garlean empire hopes that by burning the twelveswood they will invoke the wrath of the elementals on the Gridanians, resulting in a win without any real fighting
source: Shadow of the Raven

-Nael van Darnus claims the gods are dead to them, and they have no need for gods. This may mean the empire has no actual gods, and has abandoned them for technology
source: In for Garuda Wakening: Gridania

-Castrum Novum in Mor Dhona, is an Empire base where they are keeping the lunar transmitter, a device designed to control the red moon Dalamud.
source: Cid Garlond, Don't Hate the Messenger: Gridania

-Gaius van Baelsar claims that the only reason for meteor being summoned is to eliminate the primals. However he also believes that Nael van Darnus has ambitions of his own, that may be contrary to that of the empire
source: Gaius van Baelsar, Don't Hate the Messenger: Gridania

-Primals are the reason that the empire was unable to invade Eorzea, and Nael van Darnus is using Dalamud to break the stalemate
source: Gaius van Baelsar, Don't Hate the Messenger: Gridania

-The Allagan empire once flourished in an area southeast of Camp Glory in the Coerthas
source: To Kill a Raven: Gridania

-Dalamud can send down small meteorites like missiles
source: To Kill a Raven: Gridania