Gaius: Conquest without slaughter! Lahabrea: Ok i nuke Gaius: SUCH DEVESTATION!!! FREINDLY FIRE WAS ON YOU ASS!!! Lahabrea: eh

Now if you can only explain why Praetorium has a massive elevator leading down (Gaius fight) to another immediate elevator going up (Ultima Weapon).

It feels like only a year since my first run of Castrum Meridianum and the Praetorium. Truth is it’s really only been close to 4. Before the rework. Good memories. I do love the greater context of these locations and it really paints a tale of how close the XIVth was to conquering Eorzea than one might first realize. We really did pull off a miracle in saving the realm and pushing back the Empire that hard from invasion.

9:11 Insert typical "Such devastation" line here. =P

woo, Nerding time!

This was a great video. I actually had never considered to look at Castrum Meridianum and Praetorium in the same light as all of the dungeon history videos you've done before this one. If nothing else, you were able to remind me that while the Castrum and Praetorium were largely new and not some storied ruin that was occupied by hostiles like most other dungeons inevitably were, that doesn't mean it has no historic context to provide. Quite the contrary, since it's intrinsically linked to the XIVth Legion and Gaius himself. Which leads me to wonder if you were keen to consider a character study of the Black Wolf down the line. For one, it would be neat to know the lore they had for him in 1.0 and some behind-the-scenes stuff we're not privy to. Personally, I'm actually curious to know the context behind his obsession with being a mighty ruler. By your own reckoning in this lecture, he represents all that's honorable and noble in a Garlean soldier possessed of great integrity. Furthermore, XIV's narrative goes on to confirm that with how much his men loved him, from his tribunii (in varying degrees of devotion) down to the rank-and-file footsoldiers. It would be cool to know what instance in his own life potentially put him down the path of believing that "only a man of power could rightly steer the course of civilization" and that "the misguided elevate the frail, and the frail lead the people astray". Do these beliefs of his allude to a leader before Solus zos Galvus who indeed fit those descriptions? Or does it instead allude to Gaius' experiences under a legatus before him who fit the bill? So many burning questions about it

SUCH EDUCATION!

Definitely puts into perspective how much of a backfoot Eorzea was on during ARR, to say the victory at Castrum Meridianum was the miracle they needed is almost an understatement.

Greetings! I was hoping you might consider giving a lecture about the Ixal and Garuda or the Sylphs and Rahmuh! I currently don’t know much about the various tribes of Eorzea and I am deathly curious to learn more! :)

Just started this game a month or so ago. Thanks for putting out ARR content, it’s super fun to watch.

It should also be Mentioned that the 14th, also took considerable losses during the Calamity and lost the support of Nael's Legion. So it was not. As if Gaius and his Forces were in a complete one sided Victory streak. I mean sure if Gaius had asked for the other Legions, Eorzea would had fallen. But the Calamity was costly to both sides

I was in Northern Thanalan when the Castrum went up in a literal flash. I swear, I still see spots when I close my eyes to this day.

Great job on this!

I swear, your lore and retelling of history is amazing and so engaging!

I am loving this upload schedule: You’ve truly spoiled us and have outdone yourself! Stay safe my friend! ❤

"Tell me for whom do you fight!!!?" "Hm. How very glib, and do you believe in Eorzea!!?" "Eorzea's unity is forged of falsehoods. It's city states are built on deciet. And it's faith is an instrument of deception." "It is not but a cobweb of lies. To believe in Eorzea is to believe in nothing." "In Eorzea, the beast tribes summon gods to fight in their stead, though your comrades rarely respond in kind. Which is strange, is it not?" "Are the Twelve otherwise not engaged? I was given to understand they were your protectors. If you truley beleve them your guardians, why do you not repeat the trick that served you so well in Carteneau, and call them down?" "They will answer, so long as you lavish them with crystals and gorge them on ether." "Your gods are no different than those of the beasts, Eikons, everyone. Accept but this, and you'll see how Eorzea's faith is bleeding the land dry." "Nor is this unknown to your masters. Which prompts the question, 'why dothey cling to these false deities?' "What drives men of learning, even the great Louisoix, to grovel at their feet?'" "The answer. YOUR MASTERS LACK THE STRENGTH TO DO OTHERWISE!!!" "For the world of man to mean anything, man must own the world!!!" "To this end, he has fought ever to grow through conflict, to grow rich through conquest!" "And when the dust of battle settles, it is ever the strong who dictate the fate of the weak." "Knowing this, but a path is made by the impotent ruler. That of false worship. A path which leads to enervation and death." "Only a man of power can rightfully steer the course of civilization, and in this land of creeping mendacity, that one truth will prove it's salvation." "Come champion of Eorzea!!! Face me!!! Your defeat shall serve as proof of my readiness to rule!!!" "It is only right that I should take your realm, for none of you has the power to stop me!!!" (After his ass whooping) "Heed me!! The subjects of a weak ruler must needs look to a higher power for providence, and there dependence comes at a cost to the realm." "The misguided elevate the frail, and the frail lead the people astray." "Unless a (insert race of whichever character you made here) of power wrests control, the cycle will never be broken." "You. You of all people have seen the truth in this. You who have the strength to rule."

Great video!

Thanks for sharing; take care

I missed your videos soooo much

Ambition? Dominance? Cough cough, I don’t know why use such wording, but you gave me a stupid idea to try predicting what will happen in FF16 based on what happened to the battle between Eorzea and Garlemald during 1.0 and ARR. I don’t know if the FF16 creative director and original scenario writer worked on 1.0 and ARR, I only know he worked on HW 3.0. That aside, this is a nice video! I’m a sucker for magitek and my reaction to Garleans in the first few hours of ARR was “Imma beat you and claim your technology.” I didn’t like their ideology so I couldn’t say I like Garleans, but learning we have Garlean defectors on our side made me really happy. Well, there’s some bits in post SB, ShB and EW that continue to feature them as allies and adversaries both, sssooooooooo…!

You'd THINK that after this disaster, Garlemald would have learned. But apparently not. :(

I wonder what Gaius is doing now? Didn't he retire to a seaside town somewhere?

So you're saying that such devastation was not his intention.

Do you have plans for a Gaius Character Study?

Didn't Hydaelyn state that she never touched the aether of the mother crystal even once, no matter how dire the situation seemed?

Can you do a character review on the Vera and the Hrothgar please and thank you

RIP "How very glib" While I do agree Gaius himself proved to be one of things that led to the XIVth Legion's undoing, I don't think it was his nobler traits that served to be the chink in his armor, even though he did spare the Warrior of Light. Instead IMO I lay the blame at his atheist views that completely blindsided him to both the actions of the Acians and Hydlean. A primal may not be a true god in the conventional sense but you do well not to underestimate their power and impact they have on their followers.