Garlean Empire

The Garlean Empire, also referred to as Garlemald, controls the majority of the northern and eastern regions of the enormous landmass of the three continents --of which Aldenard is a part of. Until some fifty years ago, Garlemald was a small, remove nation which held little more than a fraction of the northlands, but with revolutionary advancements in technology and dramatic restructuring of the military ushered in by an ambitious commanding Legatus who later ascended to the seat of Emperor, Garlemald soon established itself as one of the most formidable forces in all of Eos.

Thousands of years ago, the people of the island city of Goug were forced to abandon their home because of a massive cataract that opened in the ocean nearby. They traveled to the continent of Ilsabard and eventually became one of the ancestors of the Garlean people.
Until around fifty years ago, due to the Garleans' inability to use magic compared to the 'lesser races', the Garlemald Republic was a remote and sparsely populated nation occupying little more than a fraction of the northlands. A brilliant Legatus named Solus zos Galvus brought about a technological revolution with the discovery of ceruleum. Solus established Garlemald as a world power within a single generation with himself as emperor. He began a campaign of conquering other nations with his magitek forces under the pretense of exterminating the practice of Eikon-summoning while presenting the other races as barbarians.
In the year 1557 of the Sixth Astral Era, the Garleans launched an attack on the city-states of Aldenard, using powerful machinery far more advanced than those of their enemies. The Garleans' massive airships wreaked havok on the northern part of Aldenard and the most power of these city-states, Ala Mhigo, fell under the command of Legatus of the XIth Legion, Gaius van Baelsar. Though the remaining states were forced to put aside their differences to battle the new foe, the empire never attacked the southern nations to the emergence of Eikons in Aldenard following the battle at Lake Silvertear.
Peace slowly returned to Aldenard until 1572 of the Sixth Era, when the Garleans resumed their invasion. The Legatus of the VIIth Legion, Nael van Darnus, conceived a plan to eliminate the Eikons and beast tribes of Aldenard by calling down the moon Dalamud. This drew opposition from not only Aldenard's populace but even his fellow Legatus, Gaius van Baelsar, who felt that this was too extreme a solution. Wanting to conquer an intact Aldenard, rather than its ashes, he provided intel to the Aldenard Alliance about Lunar Transmitters housed in Castrum Novum. Despite their efforts at sabotaging the transmitters and killing van Darnus, Dalamud's descent continued undeterred.
During the Battle of Carteneau, where the Aldenard forces clashed with the VIIth Legion, the Seventh Calamity came to pass when Dalamud shattered upon entering Eos's atmosphere with the released Elder Eikon Tiamat, devastating Aldenard. Gaius and the remaining imperial forces retreated while the rest were consumed in flame. Solus has since decided to halt Aldenard's conquest to prepare for his final days as emperor. The Garleans continue to take residence in a few imperial outposts that endured the Calamity.