Garkla

Garkla (ガークラ, Gākura), also known as the Fortified City of Garkla (城塞都市ガークラ, Jōsai Toshi Gākura), is a major city of the Sacred Vollachia Empire. It is located in the northern part of the nation, near the country's borders with Lugunica and Kararagi. It is one of the primary settings for the events of Arc 8.

Information[]

Situated at an integral position alongside Vollachia's borders with the Kingdom of Lugunica and the Kararagi City-States, the Fortified City of Garkla is designed around defense, having the neighboring Mount Gildray at the back of the city and a plethora forts within, as well as large protective ramparts that envelop the city.^[1] In addition to its numerous forts, the city also has various spacious shelters that are amply stocked in case of catastrophe.^[2] Despite having fully recovered from an incident leading to Garkla's destruction more than a decade before the events of the story, the completion of the reconstruction effort has intentionally not been publicized in the event of an enemy attacking on the assumption it was still being rebuilt,^[3] which Prime Minister Berstetz Fondalfon attributes to Vollachia's information control.^[4] While under assault from the undead army in the late stages of the Great Disaster, the city's ramparts, having sustained extensive damage, began undergoing repair work once the invasion had been repelled, spearheaded by army members and citizens alike.^[5]

In the time between its destruction at the hands of Regulus Corneas and its reconstruction, Garkla was subject to daily attacks by several allied factions of bandits.^[6] It gained a reputation for being a hazardous area due to this, even after the bandit alliance was vanquished, until around one or two years before the events of Arc 7.^[7]

History[]

The city of Garkla has been prominent for its solid defenses for many years. More than a decade prior to the events of Arc 5, the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishop of Greed, Regulus Corneas, conquered the Fortified City, single-handedly subjugating it despite the presence of thousands of stationed soldiers and the large defensive walls surrounding the city on all sides.^[8] The losses in the one-sided annihilation included several thousand soldiers, the destruction of several forts, and Vollachia's national hero, Kurgan,^[9]^[10] who is said to have given his life to buy time for the city's people to escape Regulus's rampage.^[11] Rumors in the aftermath of the event attributed the emergence meteor related to a Witch other than the Witch of Envy as a possible reason for the attack, though it is unknown if this is true.^[12] Unbeknownst to history, however, Kurgan would go on to be resurrected as a corpse soldier utilized by the Witch Cult.

Around six years before Arc 7, Jamal Aurélie and Todd Fang were active in Garkla.^[13] It was under constant assault by allied bandit forces following Regulus's decimation of the city, until Jamal acted to change the situation.^[14] He slew a bandit leader in exchange for losing his right eye, diminishing the bandit alliance's morale and paving the way for Imperial Soldiers to subdue them.^[15] In spite of his achievement, Jamal sought no prize for his work,^[16] as opposed to Todd, who had become one of the bandit alliance's leaders with the intent to betray them at the right moment and join the Imperial Army with a substantial accomplishment under his belt.^[17] Having his scheme foiled by Jamal, Todd decided to enlist in the Imperial Army anyways after the bandit invasion's resolution.

Following its reconstruction, the Fortified City became the primary refuge for those displaced by the undead army's devastation of the Lupugana in the midst of the Great Disaster. Muspel of the Four Great Spirits had been arranged by Chisha Gold to be within Garkla during its events, but the bearer of the disaster, Sphinx, had preemptively located and plundered the Stone to use as a conduit for reviving hordes of undead across the Empire. A unit dubbed the “Rescue the Vollachia Empire from Destruction Squad”, consisting of Emperor Vincent Vollachia, several formidable Vollachian fighters, several Emilia Camp members, Spica, and the Admirer of Kararagi, Halibel, was organized and ventured towards Lupugana to end the disaster, while the remainder of the combatants and non-combatants remained in the city to defend it from the advancing undead army led by Palladio Manesque. Facing total annihilation at numerous turns, Garkla ultimately managed to remain intact due to the combined efforts of the defenders. In the wake of Sphinx's demise, the remaining commander of the Garkla front, Palladio, attempted to levy a retreat, but was eradicated by Todd Fang, bringing about the total collapse of the undead army.

The sheer damage wrought to Lupugana during the Great Disaster, predominately throughout the Conquest of the Undead Capital, as well as the preceding Battle for the Imperial Capital, led Garkla to be selected as a substitute temporary command post. With Priscilla Barielle fading away before Natsuki Subaru and Al's eyes atop the city's ramparts, Vincent was left as the final surviving member of Vollachia's imperial family. After saying their farewells to their Vollachian acquaintances and allies, Anastasia and her companions returned to Kararagi to report on the disturbances, and the Emilia Camp departed with Al and Schult back to Lugunica, leaving behind Spica, who willingly chose to remain in the Empire to assist in chastening the lingering undead, and Heinkel Astrea, who had seemingly vanished following his failed request to join Emilia's faction.

Locations[]

Great Fortress: The largest fortress in Garkla, it is carved into the side of Mount Gildray, the mountain which neighbors the city.^[18] The fortress has multiple stories and is exceptionally spacious, with rooms such as a conference room, a command room, and an office room that Vincent has made into his primary workspace away from Lupugana.

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

In the web novel version of Arc 4, Otto states Regulus's attack on Garkla took place more than fifteen years prior, that some of his relatives were caught up in the incident when it occurred,^[19] and a speculated reason why he came to the city was as a result of rumors that Witch-related items had appeared on the market.^[20] These details were cut or changed the light novel, and the only official estimate for when the incursion took place is “more than a decade”.

References[]

↑ Garkla essentially resided alongside the national border of two countries, the neighboring being the Kingdom of Lugunica and the Kararagi City-States; with a large mountain at its back, with the numerous robust forts lining the insides of its defensive walls, the city had become an important location of mighty defenses. Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 36, Chapter 1, Section 1.
↑ The city had plenty of shelters that were amply stocked and sufficiently spacious, which now accommodated the soldiers and refugees who had barely escaped the Imperial Capital with their lives, finally allowing them to welcome the sensation of relief. Below, several forts erected during this lifetime were used to realize that scene, but not even a single one of those buildings were under construction. Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 36, Chapter 1, Section 1.
↑ Let alone citizens of other countries, the true state of affairs in the Fortified City was not even well known to the people of the Empire. If any country had taken action on the information that the Fortified City was incomplete, it would have been greeted by the perfect structure imposed by the Empire. As expected, the Empire utilized its own scandal for the sake of war; he was more impressed than he was initially surprised. Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 36, Chapter 1, Section 1.
↑ “If even the famous number one mage of the Kingdom was not aware, then it seems that our information control has functioned quite well.” Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 36, Chapter 1, Section 1.
↑ ――Presently, the place in which Subaru and Priscilla were walking together, was within the walls of the Fortified City of Garkla. The greatest fortress within the Empire, its ramparts had become extensively damaged by the advance of the undead hordes, with the citizenry and army unquestioningly working day and night to move forward the repair work. Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 38, Curtain's Close, Section 1.
↑ “The city that was destroyed by a Sin Archbishop, the place where the Eight Arms met his demise. It’s been completely rebuilt now, but it used to be under reconstruction back then, and bandits had joined forces across factions to attack it each day.” The Land of Wolves / Death unto the Weak, No Mercy 2, Section 2.
↑ And from then on, the Fortress City was deeply ravaged by the aftereffects of that. Its reconstruction began, but plodded along slowly, partially thanks to repeated assaults by bandits who were active in the vicinity. It was pretty much like Todd had stated, Garkla had only become seen as a city again in the past one or two years; they kept hearing about it as being a dangerous place that had not gotten any better for so long. The Land of Wolves / Death unto the Weak, No Mercy 2, Section 2.
↑ “The Fortified City of Garkla―― found in the south of the world map, it was known as the Vollachia Empire's most solidly defended large city along the border regions. It had thousands of standing soldiers, and multiple defensive walls enveloped the city. It was a place truly worthy of the name Fortified City, but… Greed conquered it. Single-handedly, no less.” Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 8, Chapter 1, Section 3.
↑ The damage to the Fortified City included the death of several thousands in the standing army, the death of the one who was considered the strongest warrior in the Vollachia Empire, Eight Arms Kurgan, and finally, the annihilation of several forts, leaving it as one of the worst losses in the history of the Empire. Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 36, Chapter 1, Section 1.
↑ “The Fortress City was manned by such soldiers, but it fell to a single Sin Archbishop who called himself Greed. It is said that even Eight Arms Kurgan, the hero of Vollachia, was slain in that battle.” Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 8, Chapter 1, Section 3.
↑ From what they stated, back then, a man of the multi-arm clan, who had been hailed as a hero some decades prior, had defended the Fortified City. The hero had bought enough time for the people of the city to escape, dying majestically in battle. The Land of Wolves / Death unto the Weak, No Mercy 2, Section 2.
↑ “In the Vollachia Empire to the south, rumors spread of the name of a Witch besides the Witch of Envy. A meteor supposedly related to the Witch emerged, but there is no telling whether it was true or false.” Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 10, Chapter, Chapter 3, Section 1.
↑ “It’s already been six years since I first met Jamal. It was around the time I took part in the campaign in the Fortified City of Garkla.” The Land of Wolves / Death unto the Weak, No Mercy 2, Section 2.
↑ “The city kept being attacked over and over again by bandits, there were many who thought about abandoning it. However, one of the key figures who broke the deadlock was Jamal.” The Land of Wolves / Death unto the Weak, No Mercy 2, Section 2.
↑ “He slew one of the leaders of the bandits, killing the enemy’s morale. After that, the Imperial Soldiers pressed in right away and wiped them out… He managed to get that victory at the cost of one of his eyes.” The Land of Wolves / Death unto the Weak, No Mercy 2, Section 2.
↑ “He seemed to think it was cool to not go around talking about it, even though what he accomplished was exceptional. And because of that, he didn’t covet any prizes for his work. To think that he could have been a General if he’d felt like it.” The Land of Wolves / Death unto the Weak, No Mercy 2, Section 2.
↑ However, Todd had not been part of the Imperial Army then, instead he had been one of the chiefs of the bandits, who had allied with each other. His plan had been to round up all of their leaders once the alliance had grown enough and join the Imperial Soldiers having performed that great deed. But, Jamal’s heroic actions had made it all come to naught. The Land of Wolves / Death unto the Weak, No Mercy 2, Section 3.
↑ In the deepest part of the city, a large fortress had been carved into the side of the adjacent Mount Gildray. Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 36, Chapter 1, Section 1.
↑ “…It is nothing worth mentioning. Just back then, some of my relatives were caught up in the city when it happened. It has been more than fifteen years now; I was just a child back then, so it did not have much to do with me.” Arc 4, Chapter 8, Section 1.
↑ “The details of what happened are excessively boorish and leave a thin impression, but the reason the Witch Cult did such a thing was terrifying. It was the single most flourishing city of business in the insular Volallchia, however… it appears some rumors came about that Witch-related items were appearing on the market.” Arc 4, Chapter 8, Section 1.

[1] Garkla essentially resided alongside the national border of two countries, the neighboring being the Kingdom of Lugunica and the Kararagi City-States; with a large mountain at its back, with the numerous robust forts lining the insides of its defensive walls, the city had become an important location of mighty defenses. Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 36, Chapter 1, Section 1.

[2] The city had plenty of shelters that were amply stocked and sufficiently spacious, which now accommodated the soldiers and refugees who had barely escaped the Imperial Capital with their lives, finally allowing them to welcome the sensation of relief. Below, several forts erected during this lifetime were used to realize that scene, but not even a single one of those buildings were under construction. Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 36, Chapter 1, Section 1.

[3] Let alone citizens of other countries, the true state of affairs in the Fortified City was not even well known to the people of the Empire. If any country had taken action on the information that the Fortified City was incomplete, it would have been greeted by the perfect structure imposed by the Empire. As expected, the Empire utilized its own scandal for the sake of war; he was more impressed than he was initially surprised. Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 36, Chapter 1, Section 1.

[4] “If even the famous number one mage of the Kingdom was not aware, then it seems that our information control has functioned quite well.” Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 36, Chapter 1, Section 1.

[5] ――Presently, the place in which Subaru and Priscilla were walking together, was within the walls of the Fortified City of Garkla. The greatest fortress within the Empire, its ramparts had become extensively damaged by the advance of the undead hordes, with the citizenry and army unquestioningly working day and night to move forward the repair work. Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 38, Curtain's Close, Section 1.

[6] “The city that was destroyed by a Sin Archbishop, the place where the Eight Arms met his demise. It’s been completely rebuilt now, but it used to be under reconstruction back then, and bandits had joined forces across factions to attack it each day.” The Land of Wolves / Death unto the Weak, No Mercy 2, Section 2.

[7] And from then on, the Fortress City was deeply ravaged by the aftereffects of that. Its reconstruction began, but plodded along slowly, partially thanks to repeated assaults by bandits who were active in the vicinity. It was pretty much like Todd had stated, Garkla had only become seen as a city again in the past one or two years; they kept hearing about it as being a dangerous place that had not gotten any better for so long. The Land of Wolves / Death unto the Weak, No Mercy 2, Section 2.

[8] “The Fortified City of Garkla―― found in the south of the world map, it was known as the Vollachia Empire's most solidly defended large city along the border regions. It had thousands of standing soldiers, and multiple defensive walls enveloped the city. It was a place truly worthy of the name Fortified City, but… Greed conquered it. Single-handedly, no less.” Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 8, Chapter 1, Section 3.

[9] The damage to the Fortified City included the death of several thousands in the standing army, the death of the one who was considered the strongest warrior in the Vollachia Empire, Eight Arms Kurgan, and finally, the annihilation of several forts, leaving it as one of the worst losses in the history of the Empire. Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 36, Chapter 1, Section 1.

[10] “The Fortress City was manned by such soldiers, but it fell to a single Sin Archbishop who called himself Greed. It is said that even Eight Arms Kurgan, the hero of Vollachia, was slain in that battle.” Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 8, Chapter 1, Section 3.

[11] From what they stated, back then, a man of the multi-arm clan, who had been hailed as a hero some decades prior, had defended the Fortified City. The hero had bought enough time for the people of the city to escape, dying majestically in battle. The Land of Wolves / Death unto the Weak, No Mercy 2, Section 2.

[12] “In the Vollachia Empire to the south, rumors spread of the name of a Witch besides the Witch of Envy. A meteor supposedly related to the Witch emerged, but there is no telling whether it was true or false.” Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 10, Chapter, Chapter 3, Section 1.

[13] “It’s already been six years since I first met Jamal. It was around the time I took part in the campaign in the Fortified City of Garkla.” The Land of Wolves / Death unto the Weak, No Mercy 2, Section 2.

[14] “The city kept being attacked over and over again by bandits, there were many who thought about abandoning it. However, one of the key figures who broke the deadlock was Jamal.” The Land of Wolves / Death unto the Weak, No Mercy 2, Section 2.

[15] “He slew one of the leaders of the bandits, killing the enemy’s morale. After that, the Imperial Soldiers pressed in right away and wiped them out… He managed to get that victory at the cost of one of his eyes.” The Land of Wolves / Death unto the Weak, No Mercy 2, Section 2.

[16] “He seemed to think it was cool to not go around talking about it, even though what he accomplished was exceptional. And because of that, he didn’t covet any prizes for his work. To think that he could have been a General if he’d felt like it.” The Land of Wolves / Death unto the Weak, No Mercy 2, Section 2.

[17] However, Todd had not been part of the Imperial Army then, instead he had been one of the chiefs of the bandits, who had allied with each other. His plan had been to round up all of their leaders once the alliance had grown enough and join the Imperial Soldiers having performed that great deed. But, Jamal’s heroic actions had made it all come to naught. The Land of Wolves / Death unto the Weak, No Mercy 2, Section 3.

[18] In the deepest part of the city, a large fortress had been carved into the side of the adjacent Mount Gildray. Re:Zero Light Novel Volume 36, Chapter 1, Section 1.

[19] “…It is nothing worth mentioning. Just back then, some of my relatives were caught up in the city when it happened. It has been more than fifteen years now; I was just a child back then, so it did not have much to do with me.” Arc 4, Chapter 8, Section 1.

[20] “The details of what happened are excessively boorish and leave a thin impression, but the reason the Witch Cult did such a thing was terrifying. It was the single most flourishing city of business in the insular Volallchia, however… it appears some rumors came about that Witch-related items were appearing on the market.” Arc 4, Chapter 8, Section 1.

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