Era: The Seventh Astral Era (Current)
Capital: The Imperial City of Garlemald, Ilsabard
Head of State: His Radiance, Emperor Solus zos Galvus
To the people of Eorzea, the Garlean Empire is a looming monolith of iron and fire. Spanning the entirety of the northern continent of Ilsabard and the eastern continent of Othard, Garlemald is the largest, most technologically advanced, and most aggressive superpower on Hydaelyn. Driven by an unwavering belief in their own superiority and a zealous mandate to rid the star of false gods, the Empire currently stands at Eorzea’s doorstep, its XIVth Legion firmly entrenched within the realm.
The colossal Empire of today is a relatively recent phenomenon. Just over half a century ago, the Garleans were a marginalized people. A small, embattled republic situated in the bitter, unforgiving northern wastes of Ilsabard, they were driven there centuries ago by magically gifted races who easily overpowered them in the fertile southern lands.
The turning point in Garlean history was the discovery of ceruleum—a highly volatile, aether-rich liquid found in massive subterranean deposits beneath their icy home. A brilliant young Legatus named Solus Galvus recognized the potential of this resource. He spearheaded the development of magitek, a revolutionary branch of engineering that used ceruleum to power machinery, effectively replicating and even surpassing the destructive power of magic.
With magitek at their disposal, the playing field was leveled. Solus transformed the republic into an autocratic empire, crowning himself Emperor Solus zos Galvus. In a rapid and brutal series of campaigns, the newly mechanized Imperial Army conquered the entirety of Ilsabard, followed swiftly by the eastern continent of Othard, absorbing their nations and resources into the Imperial war machine.
True-blooded Garleans are biologically distinct from the other races of Hydaelyn.
The Third Eye: All pureblood Garleans possess a pearl-like third eye in the center of their forehead. This grants them exceptional spatial recognition and awareness, making them unparalleled pilots and marksmen.
Aetherial Ineptitude: A defining trait of the Garlean race is their innate inability to manipulate aether. Because they cannot cast magic naturally, they were historically subjugated by magic-wielding races. This historical trauma forms the bedrock of Garlemald's hyper-militaristic, survivalist culture.
To bridge this gap, Garleans rely entirely on magitek. Elite soldiers utilize gunblades—weapons that fire ceruleum rounds to enhance striking power—while wearing heavy, mechanized armor that enhances their physical strength and shields them from aetheric attacks.
Garlean culture is stark, utilitarian, and heavily driven by a sense of manifest destiny.
The Empire operates as a strict military meritocracy. A citizen's worth is largely determined by their contribution to the state, specifically through military service or technological innovation.
Garlemald heavily utilizes conscription, particularly among conquered nations. Those born in subjugated territories are designated as peregrines. While they are treated as second-class citizens, the Empire offers a brutal but clear path to social mobility: twenty years of exemplary military service can earn a peregrine full Imperial citizenship. This system simultaneously swells the ranks of the Imperial Army and systematically strips conquered nations of their fighting-age populace, preventing rebellion.
Religion is strictly outlawed within the Garlean Empire. The state demands absolute loyalty to the Emperor and views spiritual worship as a dangerous catalyst for the summoning of Eikons (the Garlean term for Primals).
The Garleans correctly recognize that Eikons drain the land of its life-giving aether. Thus, their wars of conquest are often framed not as mere land grabs, but as holy crusades of logic and order. The Empire's stated goal in invading Eorzea is to pacify the "savage" beast tribes, subjugate the unruly city-states, and cleanse the land of Eikons before they can bleed the star dry.
Garlean names follow a strict structure that denotes social class, military rank, or political standing. The middle name serves as a title, and changing one's rank immediately changes their name.
zos: The Emperor (e.g., Solus zos Galvus)
yae: Royalty / Succession candidates
van: Legatus (Commander of an entire Imperial Legion; e.g., Gaius van Baelsar)
tol: Tribunus (High-ranking military officers)
sas: Praefectus (Cohort commanders)
pyr: Centurion (Mid-level officers)
oen: Veteran soldiers
lux: Chief Engineers or leading medical staff
nan: Engineers and technical staff
aan: Conquered subjects lacking citizenship
For example, a conquered Ala Mhigan stripped of their rights would bear the title aan. If they joined the military and achieved the rank of Centurion, their middle name would be changed to pyr.
To the Garleans, Eorzea is a chaotic, savage land teeming with rogue magic users and terrifying Eikons. Their initial attempt to conquer Eorzea occurred twenty years ago. The Empire successfully breached the continent's eastern borders and subjugated the mighty highlander city-state of Ala Mhigo, transforming it into an Imperial territory.
However, their advance was halted in the skies above Mor Dhona at the Battle of Silvertear Skies, where the XIVth Legion's flagship, the Agrius, was destroyed by the great dragon Midgardsormr.
Five years ago, the VIIth Legion under Nael van Darnus attempted to purge Eorzea by dropping the lesser moon, Dalamud, onto the continent. This triggered the Seventh Umbral Calamity.
The Present Threat
Today, the invasion is led by Legatus Gaius van Baelsar, the "Black Wolf." Under his command, the XIVth Legion has established massive, heavily fortified strongholds across Eorzea, known as Castrums (such as Castrum Meridianum and Castrum Centri).
Gaius views the Eorzean Alliance as weak, corrupt, and overly reliant on the very false gods that threaten the world. As Imperial juggernauts patrol the skies and magitek vanguards march across the land, the Garlean Empire stands poised to finish what it started, determined to bring Eorzea under the iron heel of Imperial rule—by any means necessary.