Difference between revisions of "Ala Mhigo"

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{{see also|Ala Mhigo (Duty)}}
{{see also|Ala Mhigo (Duty)}}
==Introduction==
==Introduction==

Revision as of 19:29, 15 March 2022

Template:Infobox location

The Lochs Loading Screen.jpg
See also: Ala Mhigo (Duty)

Introduction

"The highlands of Gyr Abania in the eastern reaches of Aldenard were once under the control of a martial nation known as Ala Mhigo. It was, perhaps, the historically conflicted nature of the territory that forged the country into a significant military power. Even as this aggressive nation sent its forces to conquer in the west, it repelled repeated attempts at invasion from the east. In the Year 1557 of the Sixth Astral Era, however, it finally fell to the incursions of the Garlean Empire. From that time onwards, the country became merely another imperial territory under the governance of its usurpers. Though the people of Ala Mhigo once revered Rhalgr, the Destroyer, as their patron deity, any such religious observance has since been forbidden by the controlling authorities." Game Description

"An occupied city-state located in a mountainous region of eastern Aldenard. The nation was plunged into chaos twenty years ago when its masses rose up in rebellion against the tyranny of the mad king Theodoric. However, unbeknownst to many, it was none other than the Garlean Empire that had been pulling the strings from the shadows the entire time. They quickly set about moving in to take control of Ala Mhigo as anarchy reigned, and have remained in control of the nation for the past twenty years." Game Description

Zones

The only player-accessible parts of Ala Mhigo are the Ala Mhigan Quarter in The Lochs and the dungeon version of the city.

Lore

Interesting bits:

The Ala Mhigan motto seems to shed a bit of light on the title of the next expansion, Stormblood Hyurs make up an overwhelming percentage of the population, highlanders alone making up 60%. Both Yda and Minfillia are highlanders, but no female highlander model existed in 1.0, which is why they look how they do today

Flag

The Ala Mhigan flag is a field of purple upon which stands a silver griffin with sword in talons. The winged creature is the sigil of the nation's royal house, and the blade signifies the force used to see all other clans bend the knee before them. Purple is the color of Rhalgr, the guardian deity of the nation, and is associated with his element of lightning. The hue's presence on the pennant also marks the bond betwixt the royalty and religious order of the Fist of Rhalgr.

Motto

Born from Blood

Government

Though Ala Mhigo has long been ruled by kings, the Garlean invasion two decades past has brought an end to the monarchy. The city-state is now a provisional imperial territory, and its people, the Emperor's albeit unwilling subjects. Under the Garlean viceroy's iron reign, not all Ala Mhigan's have earned citizenship and its privileges. Many live in squalid conditions, their lives little better than those of slaves

Leader

Displaced

Ruling Body

All matters of governance fall to the viceroy--dispatched from Garlemald--and his staff.

Racial Distribution

Highlander Hyur: 60% Hellsguard Roegadyn: 10% Midlander Hyur: 10% Seeker of the Sun Miqo'te: 10% Other: 10%

Religion

During the Sixth Umbral Calamity, the people fleeing the floods spied a blazing comet in the night sky. As Rhalgr's symbol is the streaking meteor, they took it as a sign of the breaker of worlds, and following it to a new home high in the mountains. Thus, worship of the destroyer took root in the lands of Gyr Abania. In time, one sect known as the Fist of Rhalgr grew in power and influence, and came to flourish as the state religion. However, King Theodric oppressed this faith with fire and sword, and the Garleans--finding no value in worship--have forbidden religion altogether.

Industries

Mercenary Work:

In the rocky terrain of Gyr Abania, few are the patches of arable soil. There were many disputes over the extant ones--jealously guarded by their owners and fiercely coveted by all others. Indeed, even after Ala Mhigo unified the region, little industry could grow from the lands. The men and women of the nation began to sell the only thing they could: their skill at arms. They found many buyers, particularly during the times of conflict betwixt the Eorzean city-states. Indeed, each nation is said to have had its own company of Ala Mhigan sellswords. Even today, many of those who fled the city-state eke out a living as mercenaries.

Magitek Manufacturing:

For many centuries, the mountain hamlets of Ala Mhigo were self-sufficient. Villagers coaxed crops to grow from small fields, and reared animals for their wool. However, the Garlean invasion brought an end to this way of life with magitek technology. Now, Ala Mhigans are forced to work for a pittance in great smoke-belching factories, while Garlemald reaps wealth and luxury from their labor.

Beliefs

To better know the Destroyer, seek strength of body and mind--such are the teachings of the Fist of Rhalgr. Over the ages, this idea has shaped all who call the mountains home. Ala Mhigo is also geographically vulnerable to invasion from Ilsabard, and this ever-present threat has given birth to a culture that greatly values martial prowess.

Diet

With so few crops, the Ala Mhigan diet is a rather stark affair. However, as a stop on the trade routes, the city-state has adopted some fare from the Near East and Ilsabard. The foreign influence is said to be particularly apparent in the usage of spices. For drinks, it is customary to brew medicinal teas, such as ones made by steeping the ground horns of beasts in boiling water.

Bonus: The Autum War

Though Ala Mhigo prospered from the trade route for a time, its fortune was to be short-lived. After 1190, Ul'dah gained control of Thanalan, and began to trade on the high seas. Despite the ever-present threat of pirates, Ul'dah's ships were large, and could carry far more goods than caravans. A single voyage was much more profitable than a train of men traversing the overland route. Moreover, no one charged a toll to sail over the waves. Though the change was gradual, trade with the Near East shifted to the seas. As the steady stream of coin from traveling merchants slowed to a trickle, Ala Mhigo's King Manfred sought survival through foreign conquest. In 1468, he laid claim to the East Shroud, and sent a great army against Gridania, sovereign of the Twelveswood. This conflict has since come to be known as the Autum War, and it was to prove a disastrous defeat for Ala Mhigo. Nevertheless, Manfred's host seemed unstoppable at the outset: it vanquished the Gridanian forces decisively in the First Battle of Tinolqa, and swept down deep into the Black Shroud. The tide shifted a year later, when the combined forces of Limsa Lominsa, Ul'dah, and Ishgard heeded Gridania's call for aid. At the Second Battle of Tinolqa, the Ala Mhigans suffered the loss of General Gylbarde, a brilliant tactician who had earlier led his nation to victory at the head of a regiment of griffin-backed soldiers. Manfred's army was broken, and his war lost.

See Also