Grand Companies page update: The Garlean Empire (9/7/2011)

[miokomioko]

A little backstory on the two Garlean big-shots we have met so far and a little bit of Garlean history.

http://static.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl...any/img004.png

Interesting~ I love me some lore.

They couldn't possibly talk about their gunblades/gunhalberds and not eventually give something similar to players in the (distant) future... I wonder how they could work. (lol R1)

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The Garlean Empire

The Garlean Empire controls a majority of the Three Great Continents, the enormous landmass that encompasses Eorzea. Until some fifty years ago, Garlemald was a remote and sparsely populated nation which held little more than a fraction of the northlands. But with the arrival of a technological golden age and the concurrent emergence of a brilliant young legatus, now the reigning emperor, in the span of a single generation Garlemald established itself as one of the most formidable forces in all of Hudaelyn.

Garlemald is unsurpassed in the field of magitek, a technology which it exploits with devastating effectiveness in warfare. Unperturbed by their lesser numbers, the Garleans went forth upon gigantic flying warships, bearing powerful weaponry the likes of which the world had never seen. One nation after the next fell before their relentless onslaught, first those of the northlands, followed by the sovereign states of the eastern continent. Employing suppression and conciliation in equal measure, Garlemald indoctrinated the peoples it conquered, thus integrating them into its ever-expanding territory. So it was that the Garlean Empire came into existence.

In the year 1557 of the Sixth Astral Era, a mere thirty-six years from the Empire's founding, the Garleans brought their campaign of conquest to Eorzea, swiftly bringing the city-state of Ala Mhigo to its knees. Having secured a foothold in its bid to bring the last of the Three Great Continents under its dominion, the Empire now trains its sights upon the remaining nations...



The Black Wolf Gaius van Baelsar
"Unworthy is the ruler whose subjects seek the solace of false gods."

Legatus of the XIVth Legion, the imperial force currently occupying Ala Mhigo, van Baelsar is possessed of a natural flair for wartime command equaled perhaps only by his sensibilities as a governing administrator. Among his numerous accomplishments is the conquest of five enemy cities, the political conversion of which he also oversaw. In subjugating Ala Mhigo, van Baelsar employed subterfuge to stroke the fires of civil unrest, a masterstroke which led to the nation's capture without the need for a protracted siege. However, the unanticipated appearance of a primal shortly thereafter prompted the Empire to hald the legion's advance. The legatus has since remained in Ala Mhigo, where he rules as an imperial viceroy.

Motto: He who cannot preserve the sovereignty of his nation is unfit to rule it.
Weapon: Heirsbane—a gunblade said to have spilled the blood of nine aspirants to the crown.



The White Raven Nael van Darnus
"The hour of cleansing is at hand—by my searing light shall the world be purged of its taint."

Legatus of the VIIth Legion presently dispatched to the western front, van Darnus boasts distinguished parentage in his sire, a founding figure of the Garlean Empire. A ruthless man who has risen to infamy even among his own people, he draws no distinction betwixt friend and foe when met with dissent. Tales are oft told in hushed whispers of van Darnus's swift rise to power upon the abrupt death by illness of his sire, whose body had no sooner grown cold than his closest aides were put to death. Dark rumors notwithstanding, the battle prowess of the VIIth Legion is such that, despite its long years in active service, the Empire has deemed it too valuable to be pulled from the frontlines of conquest.

Motto: Opposition must needs be put down with fire and steel.
Weapon: Bradamante—a gunhalberd said to be named for a warrior maiden he slew.

[Kuya]

Ha, the judges.

[Sephiroth]

They'd be nice weapons for advanced jobs somewhere down the line.

[Cichy]

it's the type of weapons and armor I'd love to see accessible to us

[Lucavi]

SE has certainly loved judges since FFTA (I think FFTA pre-dated FFXII).

[Cichy]

As much as I like the pretty drawings and the lore I wish this was more present in the game. I guess we get introduced to the Black Wolf in the Mor Dhona mission and he's pretty badass but that's just a cutscene and the other guy I guess appears near camps?

[miokomioko]

Yeah, the White Raven is the Garlean that shows up at Tranquil/Horizon/Bloodshore with two subordinates.

[Niiro]

A lot of the XIV lore we've seen so far has gone quite a bit into other continents, have we seen anything of them as far as a map or something?

[dfdfpp]

A lot of the XIV lore we've seen so far has gone quite a bit into other continents, have we seen anything of them as far as a map or something?

I think the only ones we've been able to see have basically the 4 cities and then the Empire hanging all scary like over in the northeast.

Also, is it just me or is it pretty much impossible for these guys be any cooler? (Other than them actually doing stuff in-game hur hur hur.)

[miokomioko]

I'm pretty sure there hasn't been any visuals at all for any other regions/zones/cities outside of the existing world map. At most, there's some vague descriptions/mentions via NPC dialog.

[Niiro]

Expected as much. As with XI, the rest of the world is probably going to be little more than a massive cocktease that we never get to see.

Also, no, ToAU doesn't count. Aht Urghan was at war with the Far East, logically the next expansion would take us there.

But no, we got 4 years of lameass time travel and reskinned zones.

edit: Also, Ala Mhigo is going to be our Tavnazia, with even less reason why we can't go there.

[Hyan]

Even if the other continents were hinted at in XI, imo the focus was always on the vanilla continents and the surrounding regions (kuzotz etc).

It's totally different here, imo. We're supposed to go northeast from Eorzea. After that, who knows.

[Tomino]

Dunno why, but as I was reading about the two, I kept thinking about FF14 version of "Campaign" bosses.
The formula of having signature NPCs to both sides was a pretty nice addiction in FF11 and I hope they will rework it within the Grand Companies content (Hamlet defense maybe?)