Garlean

The Garlean name acts as both a demonym as well as a name for the peoples of northern Ilsabard distinguished by the trait of a third eye at the center of their foreheads and little natural ability to manipulate aether, thereby denying their advancement defined by magical means. This article focuses on the people specifically rather than the demonym placed on imperial citizens.

Civilization and Culture

History

Record of the Garleans

Although introduced principally as the "enemies from the North," throughout the ongoing series of events that eventually leads to the fall of the Garlean Empire, it is discovered that the Garleans have historical roots from several centuries of migrations and that the Empire is a result of the deep-seated resentment held by its people for these repeated exoduses. Primary sources for these historical editions to the Garlean timeline occur during the discovery of Ivalice as an actual archaeological culture and the discussions with Garleans after the arrival of the Ilsabardian Contingent.

Imperial Universal Common Ancestor

Clockwork Connections

After the liberation of Doma, the Resistance of Dalmasca made an attempt to secure their own independence, ultimately failing due to a concentrated fire issued against their capital city of Rabanastre. As a result of the bombardment, access to the ancient site of Lesalia was granted, and this discovery provided the realization that the places referred to in the Zodiac Brave Story were real-life locations and not constructs of legend.
Guided by pursuing the Duma to the site of the ancient lighthouse at Ridorana, Ramza concluded after examining the exposed foundation that the lighthouse was constructed upon the ruins of the Clockwork City of Goug. This city was revealed as both the same place mentioned in the story, accompanied by the theory that the people who once occupied this metropolis were one of the ancient ancestors of the Garleans.
The theory prevailed on the unique premise that both civilizations, modern Garlean and ancient Gougan, shared the capacity for mechanical creations and the inability to use magic.

...Come, Father─will you not tell them the rest? Of the possibility that we Garleans are descended in part from the displaced citizens of Goug? It would explain how the Empire was able to forge its armies of iron even before the discovery and application of Allagan technology. ~ Ramza Lexentale

Maintained as a theory by the Majestic Imperial Theater Company, the discovery ended up being transmitted to the IVth Imperial Legion by means of one of the thespians, who had begun to feel extreme guilt in the presence of known Dalmascan Resistance individuals and was spurred to leave the Company and provide the information of Goug's ancestral connection to Noah van Gabranth. The legatus secured the lighthouse and through a preliminary examination by the IV's field engineers, the Legion discovered that the technology housed at the Clockwork City did in fact bear striking similarities to Magitek. This technology was then brought into possession of the IVth Imperial Legion and restored by the senior engineer Sicinius mal Vellutus to become a new type of magitek that he immediately deployed at the battle of Castrum Lacus Litore of the Southern Bozjan Front.

The Exodus 

From the explosion that leveled Goug and forced the survivors to travel to the mainland, the theory prevails that they headed north and then west into Ilsabard. Stated as one of the seven tribes which formed the Garlean Republic, it is implied the Gougan identity lasted for a long period in history before being fully assimilated into the Garlean heritage.
The Encyclopedia Eorzea I highlights that these tribes were first gathered in Southern Ilsabard, in a place that would later be named by the Garleans as Locus Amoenus. This was the original name of the region now known as Corvos. These tribes lived here mainly as an agricultural civilization, taking advantage of the local climate's benefits on crop yield.
However, due to their inability to wield magic, the region they occupied continued to be invaded by nomadic tribes, forcing them to rely on their limited resources to rebuff the advances of these warring groups demanding their land. It was during this period that certain farmers chose to develop a combat style from farming implementations combined with a pact made with a voidsent for magical aptitude, giving rise to the Reaper.
Despite their consistent efforts to fight back, the magical prowess of the invaders proved to be the greater and the tribes were forced to travel past the Central Ilsabardian mountain range that divided the continent in twain and settle up north in the frozen landscape, to eventually form the Garlean Republic.