List of terms in Xenosaga
The following is a list of other items from the
PS2 series
Xenosaga that do not fit the current lists.
Abel's Ark
Abel's Ark is perceived to be a
Gnosis the size of an entire star system. The Ark is one of
Wilhelm's interests, as well as the latest problem facing Shion and friends as of the end of
Episode II. At the end of
Episode II, the
Original Zohar was sucked into the
black hole located at the rear end of the Ark. There are several
Solar system-esque
planets fused into the structure, including an Earth-like planet at the very tip.
Abyss
The
Abyss was a binary pair of massive
black holes located near the space that
Old Miltia once occupied. In reality, Old Miltia was sucked into the black holes immediately after the
Miltian Conflict, due to Joachim Mizrahi's activation of the Original Zohar. In order to reach Old Miltia, the
Y-Data was needed to find the path through the Abyss. In
Episode II, the U.M.N. gate to Old Miltia is unlocked by Albedo after he retrieves the codes from MOMO's Y-Data. After Old Miltia emerges from the Abyss, the two black holes vanish and do not reappear again.
Episode I's
U.M.N. Database makes mention of the fact that the term "Abyss" can also be used to refer to
Hell.
A.G.W.S.
|
Lt. Virgil (center) coordinates a defensive against the Gnosis |
A.G.W.S. (Anti-Gnosis Weapon System, pronounced "eggs" or "aggs" for short) mechs are significantly downscaled models of
A.M.W.S. and are normally stationed onboard starships and other cramped places that could not fit a full-scale mech. Due to their size, Anima Relics may not be installed; therefore, there is no possible way of increasing output to the extent of A.M.W.S. units. A.G.W.S. were designed to respond quickly to Gnosis attacks, which tend to occur with very little warning. A.G.W.S. are powered by a Transmit Generator which draws energy from the powerplant of the
starship the A.G.W.S. is stationed on. The mech uses no physical fuel, nor does it produce its own energy. It is constantly being fed energy by its mothership or home base. Therefore, as long as the A.G.W.S. does not stray from the Transmit Generator's area of influence it can remain operational indefinitely so long as the starship or base is still operating as well.
A.G.W.S come in various forms, which are dictated by their functions. The Federation military's standard issue A.G.W.S. are all fitted with standardized chassis which can be interchanged and customized with armaments and equipment depending the uniqueness of the situation. Military A.G.W.S. are normally built by the enigmatic
Hyams Group.
Vector Industries' A.G.W.S. are not mass produced and are only available to select buyers. Only certain government Special Ops. units, certain divisions of the military, and wealthy companies or organizations like the
Kukai Foundation have access to these models. People like
1st Lieutenant Virgil,
Shelly and Mary, and
Jr. are seen piloting A.G.W.S. several times over the course of the game. Main character
Shion Uzuki and others also have A.G.W.S. available to them in battle but are not seen piloting them in the actual storyline sections of
Episode I. A.G.W.S. are not used by the player in
Episode II.
In
Episode III, some A.G.W.S. have been shown in trailers battling Gnosis in orbit around a planet and guarding space cruisers.
Although A.G.W.S. units are similar to the Gears from
Xenogears, they are used in a fashion more similar to summoning
Aeons from
Final Fantasy X. Certain characters may summon customizable personal A.G.W.S. units which are teleported to their current location which may then be piloted and used as significantly more powerful incarnations of the characters at any point in the game.
A.M.W.S.
 |
Jin Uzuki's A.M.W.S. |
A.M.W.S. (Assault Maneuver Weapon System, pronounced "aims") mechs are larger than
A.G.W.S. but not as powerful as
E.S. units. The major difference between an A.M.W.S. and an
E.S. is that the
E.S. are equipped with
Anima Relics. Two popular A.M.W.S. are the
Scutum and
Pilum, piloted by
Ormus/
U-TIC officers
Herman and Richard respectively. Another popular A.M.W.S. was a machine piloted by
Jin Uzuki during the
Miltian Conflict. The green, agile mech closely resembled the gear
Heimdal which was piloted by suspiciously familiar
Citan Uzuki of
Xenogears. Jin's A.M.W.S. was capable of slicing other mechs literally in two with its signature weapon, a massive sword. The unit is abandoned after sustaining heavy damage during a battle with multiple rogue
Federation A.M.W.S.s and is not seen again.Some other A.M.W.S. use melee weapons, but many units are equipped with projectile or energy weapons.
A.M.W.S. units are similar to the "Gears" from
Xenogears. In
Xenogears, "Gears" received energy from the Zohar; however, in
Xenosaga, only some A.M.W.S. units appear to use it as their source of power (i.e., chaos's statement in the opening of
Episode II: "The U.R.T.Vs were sent in to sever the link between the U-TIC mobile weapons fleet and their source of power, the Zohar."). In
Xenosaga Episode I, most of the mechs were merely of the A.G.W.S. variety. In
Episode II, many antagonist factions used A.M.W.S. units to counter the E.S. robots piloted by the main characters.
Anima Relics
Anima Relics, or
Vessels of Anima, are mysterious artifacts, shaped like enormous human spines, that were uncovered along with the
Zohar during the excavation at
Lake Turkana in 20XX AD. They are introduced in
Xenosaga Episode II as being primary components of the
E.S. series of battle robots, where they heighten the response rate between the E.S. and the pilots. At the start menu of
Episode II, E.S. Asher can be seen being assemble and in mid-game Zebulun, technicians assemble various components around the spine shaped Vessel of Anima in an anti-gravity chamber. Technically, a mech becomes an E.S. only when a Vessel of Anima is equipped. Despite their origin and true purpose not being explained, the Anima Relics feature as a prominent symbol throughout
Episode II, appearing in the game's logo and in the title 'attract' screen, where one is seen being fused with the E.S. Asher. They are first mentioned in a conversation between U-TIC and Ormus officials Pellegri and Margulis, where we learn the bulk of the known information on the relics.
A related set of Anima Relics also appear in
Xenogears and greatly influenced the mechs/Gears, presenting extraordinary strength compared to the average Gear. While A.M.W.S mechs turn into E.S. upon installation, the gears in
Xenogears morph into the infamous Omnigears when exposed to the power of Anima.
The Vessel of Anima serves as the logo for
Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse.
Auto-Techs
Auto-Techs are automatons used for a variety of tasks. They are considered to be intelligent tools and generally have a nonhuman appearance. Examples include a UTIC attack vessel that infiltrates the Elsa in
Episode I and a humanoid combat model used by
May Magus in
Episode III.
Bormeo University
Bormeo is a commended
college that many of Vector Industries' employees have attended, including
Allen Ridgely and
Kevin Winnicott (at age 14, no less).
It is revealed in
Episode II during a side game that the Professor also attended this university and graduated at the top of his class, before he supposedly disappeared (this is from the account that the lesser known Other Professor made). The Other Professor and the Dark Professor were his known colleages.
Cathedral Ship
Cathedral Ship was a large
Gnosis roughly ten thousand kilometers in diameter. It is believed that this Gnosis swallowed the planet Ariadne, which vanished during an experiment with a
Zohar Emulator. In reality, it actually transformed the entire planet into a Gnosis, as found in
Xenosaga's
Perfect Works. The reasoning behind this was that
Ariadne contained one of the Zohar Emulators. Remnants of the planet are also found inside the Cathedral Ship when exploring it in
Episode I. Gnosis are attracted to the
Zohar as well as to its emulators, so, when the
Woglinde attempted to leave with the
Zohar Emulator, the Cathedral ship sent legions of Gnosis to collect it. The Zohar Emulator remained inside of the Cahedral Ship until
Shion and friends were drawn into its core.
Commander Cherenkov, sent to retrieve the Emulator for
Margulis, was turned into a Gnosis right in front of the protagonists, just before its disappearance. The Zohar Emulator then fell into the hands of the
Kukai Foundation.
Given
KOS-MOS prior knowledge of Cathedral Ship there may have been another Gnosis of similar size in the past and that this is a new
Gnosis created recently.
|
The Compass of Order (background) |
Compass of Order
The
Compass Of Order is an artifact that
Wilhelm can look into and see the order in phenomena happening before it occurs. It is the artifact found in the very beginning of
Xenosaga Episode I, a glyph with a small silver colored
Zohar that was put in the middle by Dr. Masuda during early 20XX AD.
In the game a mysterious girl named
Nephilim quotes that Phenomena occures in waves created by little ripples in time, or peoples actions, that are always changing. Obviously Wilhelm can see past this and tell what happens no matter what.
In the epilogue of
Episode I, the Compass of Order goes haywire, glowing brightly and wildly changing directions when chaos's hands begin to glow, possibly suggesting that it can't predict chaos's intervention. However, Wilhelm seems hardly put off by this; instead, he appears fascinated.
The Compass of Order also serves as the logo for the title of
Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra.
Designer Children
Mentioned in passing by Canaan in
Episode II, the term "Designer Children" refers to children who have been genetically enhanced early in life. These children have been literally designed by their parents or creators to conform to a specific template. Designer Children are typically more intelligent, more athletic, better looking, more charismatic or even have special abillities not found in normal human beings. In
Episode II Cannan refers to the
U.R.T.V.s as "Designer Children" because of their nature as genetically modified and weaponized humans.
Xenosaga: Pied Piper deals heavily in the issue of Designer Children and the legacy of Dr. Dimitri Yuriev. The
Salvator Faction is a group within the Galaxy Federation government comprised entirely of grown-up Designer Children and is devoted to maintaining the affairs of Dr. Yuriev. They can be compared to the Coordinators of
Gundam SEED and
Gundam SEED Destiny.
See also: eugenicsDME Addiction
DME Addiction is a physical and mental illness caused by the consumption of
Realian flesh. Realian skin and nerological (brain) tissue is extremely addictive, almost like a drug. Furthermore, like a
drug, the
Realian skin and nero tissue causes physical
mutation and complete emotional addiction, primarily due to the tissue chemical being absorbed into the bloodstream, while the small, solid particles collect around the veins.
Lieutenant Virgil had a severe case of DME Addiction. His skin was completely hardened, and a majority of his veins were clearly visible as long bumps on the surface. This is one of many examples of obvious
Realian mistreatment.
Dock Colony
The
Dock Colony featured in
Episode I is a space station located near Second Miltia. The
Elsa briefly stops at Dock Colony prior to its encounter with the Cathedral Ship. During the stay, Cherenkov is attacked by a local gang.
Encephalon
The
Encephalon is a massive, virtual reality world normally accessed through the assistance of special goggles. Furthermore, the Encephalon can recreate locations in absolute detail. However, in some cases, this may have an effect on the brain; whatever happens in virtual space can still affect the body's state in the real world (which is very similar to
The Matrix). The Encephalon is extremely realistic and complex, almost as if it is another
dimension on its own.
Shion Uzuki and friends encounter many strange people and events in the Encephalon. The Encephalon could be compared to the online world of
.hack; both worlds seem to have divine beings and phenomena throughout their structure.
Nephilim,
Febronia, and many other enigmatic figures seem to exist in the Encephalon, as seen through the minds of
KOS-MOS and
MOMO. It should also be noted that these figures seen in the Encephalon have some sort of connection to the
Zohar.
Erde Kaiser
Erde Kaiser is a giant mech which the Professor creates for the party in
Episode I. It is the most powerful summon spell in Xenosaga. Furthermore,
Episode II features a "Dark Erde Kaiser", a central figure on one of the game's sidequests.
Each of its four components has a separate attack corresponding to an order of angels, (Thrones, Seraphs, Cherubs, Dominions).
The name "Erde Kaiser" is German for "Earth Emperor."
E.S.
|
E.S. Zebulun (Xenosaga II) |
E.S. are massive mechs similar to A.M.W.S., equipped with
Vessels of Anima. E.S. are primarily used by
U-TIC and
Vector Industries. Additionally, every E.S. is named after a child of Jacob in the book of Genesis. These mechs are similar to the Omnigears from
Xenogears (see
Xenogears terms), and their names correspond to the Anima Relics, which powered those units. It has been officially announced that E.S. stands for
Ein Sof. Each E.S. is at least above the achievable speed, strength and power of the A.M.W.S., several E.S. have been noted with teleportation abilities. The following are the twelve E.S. units:
*
E.S. Asher " An E.S. Unit piloted by Canaan during the Miltian Conflict and Jr. during the events of
Episode II. chaos co-piloted E.S. Asher during the Miltian Conflict. Equipped with a Shield Lancer system on one arm and a gatling cannon on the other. It can optionally equip a flight booster and a powerful energy cannon capable of destroying several AMWS units in one shot. It is however considered one of the weaker E.S. outside of in-game battles.
*
E.S. Dan " The black disc-shaped mech piloted by Voyager, the Black Testament in
Episode II and
Episode III. Of all twelve E.S., Dan with its moveable shield chassis is the largest and heaviest. It has large fanned wings, and is accompanied by a series of black cannon drones.
*
E.S. Dinah " A complex, high tech E.S. unit capable of transforming between a more traditional-looking craft and a more humanoid form that was constructed to work with
KOS-MOS' systems. It is the only known craft in the
Xenosaga universe capable of entering and exiting
hyperspace without having to interact with the
U.M.N. first. E.S. Dinah is capable of flying to anywhere in space from anywhere else in space without having to go to specific U.M.N. Column areas to initiate hyperspace gate-ins. Designed specifically for KOS-MOS, it interlinks with her space bike and uses primarily beam weapons. It can still perform the X-buster attack and utilize the D.S.S.S. sensory system. It is considered the strongest playable E.S. outside of in-game battles. In
Episode III the frame is altered, sporting a larger set of wings and without the transformation system.
*
E.S. Gad " It is revealed in
Xenosaga I&II that E.S. Gad is a U-TIC Ein Sof that is undergoing restoration along with E.S. Joseph. While Gad is out of commission, its Anima Vessel is partially aligned with Richard's AMWS Pillum and codenamed
P.S. Gad. In
Episode III Gad's Anima Vessel is fully aligned with Pillum and it becomes E.S. Gad. Gad looks remarkably similar to Pillum, although has a taller headplate reminiscent of a Bishop's miter, and can summon a rifle nearly three times its height.
*
E.S. Issachar " An older E.S. Unit piloted by
U-TIC Commander
Pellegri under direct orders from
Margulis. Uses the weapon system Aird, similar to the
Vierge's Aerods and the
Crescens Claw which bears the name of the gear
Crescens from
Xenogears (see
Xenogears terms). Issachar also appears in the anime adaptation of
Episode I,
Xenosaga: The Animation. In the anime, Pellegri had been following Ziggy and MOMO since they left Pleroma. When the Kukai Foundation is surrounded by the Federation Fleet before arriving at Second Miltia, Margulis authorizes her to use Issachar to covertly break the blockade (which the U-TIC Organization orchestrated in the first place). Her mission is to destroy the evidence clearing the Foundation of guilt in the sinking of the Woglinde by hacking into KOS-MOS' Encephalon and corrupting the data. She is stopped when chaos and Jin Uzuki break into her Encephalon Dive and prevent her from accomplishing her mission.
*
E.S. Joseph " It is revealed in
Xenosaga I&II that E.S. Joseph is a U-TIC Ein Sof that is undergoing restoration like E.S. Gad was. While Joseph is out of commission, its Anima Vessel is partially aligned with Hermann's AMWS Scutum and codenamed
P.S. Joseph. In
Episode III Joseph's Anima Vessel is fully aligned with Scutum and it becomes E.S. Joseph. Joseph looks remarkably similar to Scutum.
*
E.S. Judah " The machine piloted by Kevin Winnicot, the Red Testament. Kevin's mech is red, much like his cloak and appears to be a humanoid mech similar in configuration to E.S. Dinah with spiky wings instead of solid ones and blades attached to its arms. It has appeared twice in
Episode II, once on the Ω System and once in the epilogue and also appears in
Episode III extensively. Its flat horns are reminiscent of the villain Grahf from
Xenogears, and its wings are similar to those of the Weltall-Id.
*
E.S. Levi " The black mech piloted by Margulis in
Episode III. Margulis' E.S. is quite similar to Pellegri's E.S. Issachar; a very dark black and orange mech that carries a giant-sized sword with two floating wing-like attachments similar to Issachar's
Crescens Claw.
*
E.S. Naphtali " The blue machine piloted by Louis Virgil, the Blue Testament. Seen at the end of Episode II and playing a larger role in Episode III, it also appeared as a boss battle in
Xenosaga I-II. Possesses a scorpion-like body with numerous built-in guns and a large rifle that can be teleported in.
*
E.S. Reuben " Reuben appears for the first time in
Episode III. E.S. Reuben is
Jin Uzuki's new E.S. unit and in keeping with the tradition surrounding his character it is an agile mech wielding two katana swords and is painted dark green.
*
E.S. Simeon "
Albedo's E.S. Unit. Like the E.S. Issachar and E.S. Zebulun, Simeon uses the weapon system known as Aird. Along with Albedo, it dematerialized half-way through
Episode II and while Albedo later reappeared, E.S. Simeon did not. E.S. Simeon's system is known as the Relic Drive. This drive fuels the E.S. by absorbing the 'Will' of living beings. In the
Xenosaga: the Animation it directly absorbs a Kirschwasser seen bound to its Vessel of Anima and transforms into a giant bio-organic monster with hundreds of tentacles and a gaping maw. It is reduced to a pool of molten flesh and comments from chaos and Jr. suggest that it didn't have a proper Vessel to begin with. E.S. Simeon is later seen in the anime's epilogue restored to its original mechanical form. The mech seen piloted by Albedo as the White Testament at the end of
Episode II and in
Episode III is indeed E.S. Simeon, or more precisely Simeon's Vessel of Anima aligned to a new mech chassis. The new frame has no legs and a series of claw-like extensions rising from the shoulders. These extensions may be meant to resemble the many heads of the
Hydra, which would be fitting considering the inborn ability of the pilot.
*
E.S. Zebulun " An E.S. provided by
Vector Industries constructed especially for use by
MOMO as it is the only playable E.S. Unit capable of using
Ether in
Episode II. Like Issachar and Simeon, this unit makes use of the Aird system, a set of remote-controlled gun drones. Like Dinah, Simeon and to a lesser extent Issachar, Zebulun undergoes a remodling for
Episode III. The bashing blades that encompass its arms and the blades on its heels (see above picture) are removed, its arms are connected to its shoulders instead of its head and a pair of small wings are attached to its hips.
Ether
|
chaos performing an Ether skill |
Ether is short for
Especial Theory of Rudimentary. It consists of a very wide range of abilities which are similar to
magic but based upon purely scientific reasoning. It refers to
nanomachine abilities that many
Xenosaga characters have the ability to tap into ("Open Ether Circuit") for various purposes. Some Ether abilities include the Medica series (uses nanomachines to heal), attack Ethers (similar to Magic in other RPGs), and support effects.
Ether is also used as a general term for many varied abilities. While most characters and NPCs use nanomachine based Ether (even recovery items appear to be nano-med kits) some characters rely on different sources. Several characters exhibit psychic powers such as energy emission, mind manipulation,
psychokinesis, and other physiological abilities beyond the human norm, some of which can either be explained by contact with U-DO, mutation, genetic manipulation, or archaic skills. A few characters prominently exhibit the ability to summon equipment via teleportation. This is done through the U.M.N. however biological beings are noted as being unable to cross space this way without detrimental effects.
In
Episode II, characters could combine their Ether powers for a greater effect. MOMO's craft, the E.S. Zebulun was specially made to channel her Ether ability through the mech for use during battle.
Notably,
Episode I featured unique character Ether based upon their professions or
species. Gnosis are also known to use similar effects. Although U.R.T.V. units like Albedo and Rubedo can regenerate or 'preserve' themselves in that order, this may or may not fall within the Ether classification. However, chaos and Jr are among few who have powers based on more traditional notions of magic, although this is also referred to as Ether. These powers are more like the
Force, such as in
Star Wars, or powerfully psychic otherworldly powers.
Ether could also come from the word "
aether," which is the Greek personification of the sky/heaven, from
Aether, the substance that supposedly fills all of space and was often considered a fifth element in science and philosophy. Aether was also the substance which was breathed by the Olympian gods (as opposed to the
aer, or air, breathed by humans).
Executive Committee Director
The
Executive Committee Director is much like the
President or
Prime Minister of the
Xenosaga universe. This person chairs the Executive Committee and is the most powerful person (politically) in the entire Universe. Because of the enormous influence this person has over federal policy making, he or she must be elected into office by a majority vote from the entire
Federation Government, all 500,000 representative members. The Executive Committee Director runs the government from
Fifth Jerusalem, the Federation's capital planet.
Wilhelm, the
CEO of
Vector Industries was once Executive Committee Director but stepped down from the office several years before the start of
Episode I. It is unknown whether he took a leave of absence from Vector while he chaired the Committee or not. It is hard to imagine that a sitting government would allow a corporate president to sit in an elected office while still running his corporation.
FAE
FAE is the acronym for Fuel Air Explosion. It is seen in
Episode I on the
Woglinde. Lt. Virgil survived because he was in an A.G.W.S., but Shion was completely unprotected; it is unknown how she survived the attack, though the
M.W.S. entry does state that it contains spatial-phase shielding. It's possible she may have been just far enough away to avoid the brunt of the explosion.
FTL
FTL is the acronym for
Faster Than Light travel. For more information, see the
FTL article.
Gnosis
Gnosis are entities shrouded in mystery with a definite hostility toward mankind. The Gnosis exist in a unique dimension separate from the physical plane called the
Imaginary Numbers Realm; therefore, it is normally impossible to come into contact with them. Strangly, despite their destructive powers and obvious sentience, they are mostly comprised of
sodium chloride (pure salt), when translucent they are composed of water and
sodium hydroxide. If someone is touched by a Gnosis, they either die by breaking down into salt, or become Gnosis themselves. The latter of which occurs if one is touched but survives. However, Shion Uzuki was touched by a gnosis and failed to either break down into sodium choride or turn into a Gnosis. This most likely comes from the Gnostic belief that in the quest for
enlightenment, three things can happen: One can be unworthy, and one just dies (turning into salt.) One's soul can be considered worthy, but one's material body is still impure (turning into a Gnosis.) Or one can be of the few who reach enlightenment without losing one's body (Shion surviving being attacked by a Gnosis.) It is speculated that chaos and/or Wilhelm have gained their powers through similar means.
According to Jr., Gnosis have been reported throughout history, albeit in very few sightings and nothing near the scale at which they currently appear. But it was during the Miltian Conflict that the Gnosis came into our dimension en masse, due to activation of the
Song of Nephilim system.
By activating the
Hilbert Effect, Gnosis within the radius of the effect are drawn into the same physical plane as humans, allowing them to be affected by
conventional weapons. Due to the variations in their external appearance, the standard practice is to categorize and name Gnosis after
mythical, legendary and folkloric creatures.
Gnosis also appear to have the ability to possess machinery and integrate it into their body, thus giving themselves extra abilities based on the machinery they possess. A Gnosis possessed an
A.G.W.S. unit and was able to use its weapons.
Gnosis is the
Greek word for "knowledge." The games are referring to
Gnosticism, a system of beliefs which teaches that the material world is evil, and only through the pursuit of the knowledge of the true nature of the world can man return to the spiritual realm after death.
Hilbert Effect
The
Hilbert Effect is an anti-
Gnosis system used to draw the Gnosis into our plane of reality, allowing us to come into contact with them, instead of them being able to interact with our plane's matter at will. Using Hilbert waves is proven to be one of the few ways to even attempt to attack a Gnosis. The Hilbert Effect is usually only operated on spacecraft, with the purpose of dragging an entire army of Gnosis out of "limbo." Using advanced amplifers, the waves can be spread very far, though no spacecraft has ever matched the incredible range of
KOS-MOS, who can generate these waves from her person. The
100-Series Realians are also capable of generating these waves, but at very short ranges. Hilbert waves can also be used to disable many high-end sensors using cross-interference. This means it also affects local systems as well. Most ships have buffering which helps to prevent this in open spaces. However, when the Hilbert Effect is used without amplifiers in an enclosed spaces, all sensor systems are affected, and Ether based weaponry is rendered useless. Concentrated Hilbert waves can interfere with Realian systems as well. They don't seem to have any effect on humans.
Joshua
Joshua is the machine
Wilhelm is seen with at the end of
Episode II and which plays a more prominent role in
Episode III. Joshua is described as being of an entirely different category than the E.S. and is far more powerful. In addition to being Wilhelm's personal machine, it serves as the power core of the
Dämmerung.
Labyrinthos
Labyrinthos, located on
Old Miltia, was the main headquarters of the
U-TIC Organization during the
Miltian Conflict. It also housed the
Original Zohar and the
Song of Nephilim. During the
Miltian Conflict,
Dr. Mizrahi used Labyrinthos as a lab for his Zohar experiments. Furthermore, a mysterious shadow radiated from the building and supposedly engulfed
Canaan, thus knocking out his recollections of the final hours of the
Miltian Conflict. Also located within the Labyrinthos complex was the station where the
U.R.T.V.s confronted
U-DO at. At the end of the
Miltian Conflict, the large tower and the rest of
Old Miltia disappeared into the
Abyss, the double
black hole that appeared in the Miltian system as a result of U-DO going berzerk. However, during
Xenosaga Episode II,
Old Miltia and Labyrinthos reappeared for
Ormus and
Albedo. After Labyrinthos was infiltrated by
Shion's party, they noticed that the building was intact, except for weblike substances that seemed to be some sort of
U-DO residue. However, after the appearance of
Proto Ω from deep within Labyrinthos, and the detachment of the Original Zohar from the link (
Cecily and Cathe), Labyrinthos became ground zero for a planet wide transformation into the
Ω System.
Labyrinthos is a reference to an ancient
Greek myth about a maze on the island of
Crete, which housed the infamous
Minotaur.
Lake Turkana
Lake Turkana (also known as Lake Rudolph) is a large body of water located at the northern tip of
Kenya which covers an area of 7000 km². Its maximum depth is 73 m. Many ancient hominid (human) fossil discoveries were made at this site. In the
Xenosaga series it was the site of an excavation operation in
A.D. 20XX. The team, led by one Dr. Masuda, discovered the Original Zohar along with the Anima Relics here.
Logic Drive System
The
Logic Drive System is a new type of propulsion system, which replaced traditional reactionary propulsion systems. It works by reconfiguring the spatial phase around itsdirection of travel. Substantial amounts of energy are need to power this system, but since the energy source is relatively easy to compact, the system is being considered for use in fleets with transfer type generators as well as A.G.W.S. units. Given its use in-game this may refer to a new type of direct kinetic energy emission or conversion without the use of chemical fuels.
M.W.S.
The
M.W.S., or
Multiple Weapon System, was designed and built by
Vector Industries First R&D Division machinist
Miyuki Itsumi and given to First Division Chief Engineer
Shion Uzuki to test out before submitting the design to the
Federation Patent Office.
The first advent of this design, the
Mark I was about the size of a
medieval shield and stretched the length of a person's entire arm. As seen in
Xenosaga: Episode I it was big, boxy, brightly coloured and was clearly a prototype piece still in development. The Mark I was equipped with fighting knuckles,
taser rods and anti-Gnosis beam launchers. Also housed within the unit were spatial-phase shielding, which acted like an inertial dampener to lessen the impact of otherwise serious injuries, and a make-shift
Logical Drive unit which helped to counterbalance the otherwise clumsy unit and enhanced the power of physical attacks. In theory, even the weakest possible person equipped with an M.W.S. Mark I could go head-to-head against an armored tactical weapon like an A.G.W.S. or a robot tank. The Mark I makes a reappearance in
Episode III being used by Miyuki in battle.
The second advent of the M.W.S. was seen in
Xenosaga Episode II and was presumably given to Shion by Miyuki while she was still on
Second Miltia at the start of the game. The M.W.S. Mark II was a much smaller and streamlined version of the previous design. Sleeker and colored in a metallic silver and black paint job, this new M.W.S. fit nicely on a person's forearm. The knuckle assembly was removed and more emphasis was placed on the system's other two weapons, the long-range beam launcher and taser rods. The Mark II limits the amount of fighting one can do at close range but greatly improves the way a person can fight at long distances. It is assumable that the M.W.S. Mark II has the same Logical Drive stabilizer and spatial-phase shielding as its predecessor too. This device is used by Shion early in
Episode III.
The third advent of the M.W.S. seen in
Episode III is more shield-like than the previous model. It is blue and purple in color and has a more angular and sharp shape than the M.W.S. Mark II. The M.W.S. Mark III covers the users' whole arm and appears to have many of the same features as the M.W.S. Mark II.
Miltian Conflict
The
Miltian Conflict is a catastrophic event that occurred on
Old Miltia in the year T.C. 4753 (fourteen years prior to
Xenosaga), with origins in the mysterious
Zoar Incident. When the Federation Military was called in to settle the conflict, Sellers activated the Song of Nephilim system, which drove most military and civilian Realians insane, along with some regular humans. This was presumably a smokescreen to confuse and weaken the Federation forces, although other events may be related.
U.R.T.V.s were sent in to eliminate the threat of U-DO (ostensibly to stop the Zohar from supplying power to the U-TIC A.M.W.S. units, but in reality because of machinations by Dmitri Yuriev, stemming from his obsession with U-DO) using their anti-existence waves. The U.R.T.V.s gathered around U-DO and prepared to destroy it. Just before they did, their leader,
U.R.T.V. 666 "Rubedo" (a.k.a.
Jr.), realized that use of the U.R.T.V.'s multiple anti-existence waves, which were designed to neutralize U-DO but not to neutralize each other, would result in a waveform collision which would release enormous amounts of thermal energy, destroying the entire planet. Fearing for the lives of his brothers and companions, Rubedo decided to cut the psychic bond that was used to create the anti-existence waves, which left all of the other U.R.T.V.s unprotected against U-DO. The U.R.T.V.s were then either killed or driven insane by U-DO save for Rubedo and
U.R.T.V. 669 "Nigredo," who had been badly wounded. But probably the worst outcome of all this was when
U.R.T.V. 667 "Albedo" made partial contact with U-DO which drove him insane. Amidst all this, the final blow was something, even among all the plotting and manuevering in this war, no one expected: the arrival of the Gnosis into our universe. In order to slow the inevitable march of the Gnosis across the galaxy, Joachim Mizrahi used the Zohar to create the
Abyss, enormous binary black holes which sealed off the entire Miltian System.
After the conflict, the Ormus society, fronted by U-TIC, searched for the
Y-Data. This package held the secrets behind the conflict as well as the ability to retrieve Old Miltia and the Original Zohar that was stored within the Labyrinthos base.
Original Zohar
See "Zohar."Ormus Stronghold
The
Ormus Stronghold was a massive space facility controlled by the
Ormus organization.
Orgulla,
Herman and Richard were stationed in the base, as well as several
U-TIC officials. During the
Galactic Federation/
Ormus struggle for Old Miltia, the Ormus Stronghold appeared before the
Abyss, blocking the way to the planet.
Shion and company eventually destroyed the station.
Phase Transfer Weaponry
Phase Transition is the change from one physical state to another. Given the scientific explanations given in-game such as the reference to Planck Scale and that Phase Transition Weaponry seems to be a very powerful form of energy emission in the form of powerful plasma beams this likely refers to the direct conversion of mass to energy according to Einstein theory which eventually led to atomic weaponry. This would be therefore similar to what happens when anti-matter comes into collision with its corresponding matter resulting in the release of massive amounts of energy hence Shion's comment "You could vaporize a whole star with this." How this is achieved is not said. Joachim Mizrahi's superweapon (
Proto Ω) is equipped with a U.M.N.
Phase Transfer Cannon.
Proto Dora
Proto Dora is a giant green tank-like A.M.W.S. fought in
Proto Merkabah near the end of
Episode I. Proto Dora shares a name with the Dora from Xenogears. The name Dora is a shortened mistranslation of the Greek word ""ωροθεος" (Dorotheos), which means "gift of God."
Proto Merkabah
Proto Merkabah was a large space station created by scientist
Joachim Mizrahi. Its surfact function was to research and develop
Realians, among other things.
MOMO, the 100-series observational Realian, was also created in the heart of the facility by Dr. Mizrahi, but it was not the primary function of the facility. However, as Juli Mizrahi clearly explained, the
Song of Nephilim was designed to dock with Proto Merkabah and the Zohar. The Song of Nephilim summoned the Gnosis, which were collected by Proto Merkabah (seemingly using the same technology employed by KOS-MOS when she performs X-Buster), then used as a medium to collect the waves from the Zohar as an energy source. Juli states that the original purpose of the facility was to "discover the true form of the universe; the form we ourselves were meant to have". The rogue
URTV,
Albedo, discovered that it could thus be used as a superweapon, and summoned Proto Merkabah as part of a three-pronged strategy. First, by establishing his power with the Song of Nephilim, summoning the station would draw
Shion Uzuki and friends to the station. However, the incident would also harass the
Second Miltian Government, and destroy the remaining
Federation forces around
Second Miltia. It was part of a grand plan to divert attention from the
Immigrant Fleet and to the
U-TIC Organization.
Proto Merkabah was destroyed when
Shion Uzuki and friends entered the massive facility in a bold attempt to stop
Albedo. Using MOMO's schematic records of the station, the party quickly made it to the core, after facing powerful defenders like Proto Dora and hoards of powerful
Gnosis on the reactor elevator. Unfortunately, after
Albedo was defeated, he fused a massive
Gnosis with the main reactor, spawning the deadly
Sophie Peithos. During the confusion, he escaped. However, the facility was on course to crash into the capital of
Second Miltia. In a calculated gamble,
KOS-MOS offered to stay behind and break Proto Merkabah into tens of thousands of compartments, thus allowing the bulk of the station to disintergrate in the atmosphere. KOS-MOS narrowly made it back to the Elsa while it was escaping the space station. The plan succeeded, and Proto Merkabah was destroyed and the compartments burned harmlessly into the atmosphere of Second Miltia.
In some of the promotional trailers for
Episode III a massive space station closely resembling Proto Merkabah can be seen. However, this station appears to have a much sharper and smoother base, which may be a different station entirely.
"
Merkabah" is a term used by
Kabbalists to refer to a mystical inner journey undertaken through which one could see the full glory of
God. Merkabah is also known as the "Chariot of God" and an allusion to
Deus' transportational system in the game
Xenogears, which is in line with the many references established between the games.
Proto Ω
Proto Ω (spoken as "Proto Omega") was a superweapon originally created to destroy the
Gnosis. However, the
Patriarch of
Ormus saw the weapon as a tool in galactic domination. Its creator is unknown, but since it was found in
Labyrinthos, it is assumed that it was a
U-TIC project. Proto Ω's power source is the
Original Zohar. The only way Proto Ω can be activated is if the Original Zohar's control system were destroyed. Furthermore, Proto Ω's true fortress is not Labyrinthos, but the
Ω System: the massive facility that
Old Miltia transformed into. The Patriarch planned to use Proto Ω's
U.M.N. Phase Transfer Cannon, which could strike any target in known space, for galactic domination. However,
Wilhelm and
Heinlein had other plans. Heinlein and
Margulis abandoned the Patriarch with Proto Ω in the Ω System, and Wilhelm sent the
Testaments to destroy it and the elderly leader of the Ormus society.
In several promotional trailers a new Proto Ω or perhaps the same Proto Ω is seen being confronted by KOS-MOS, close observation of screenshots reveal what appears to be a large silver Zohar with a blue gem at the center mounted in its chest. This is presumed to be the rumored 13th Zohar Emulator, its appearance may denote inferiority to the other Emulators as it is believed to have been built by the
Hyams Group and U-TIC either by Sellers or Heinlein who claim that Mizrahi was the superior mind. The additional text that came with screenshots saying that a new Proto Ω was built and tested against KOS-MOS, why her has not been revealed.
P.S.
A mech somewhere between an AMWS and an E.S. In
Xenosaga I&II for the Nintendo DS, it is revealed that Hermann's and Richard's AMWS, Scutum and Pillum, are "borrowing" the Vessels of Anima from the U-TIC mechs, E.S. Joseph and E.S. Gad, respectively. As such, these new mechs, neither A.M.W.S. nor E.S., are now dubbed P.S. Joseph and P.S. Gad. The concept of a P.S. mech was hinted at in
Episode II when Hermann rescues Margulis after he is defeated by Jin, Shion, and their friends. When Margulis jumps on Scutum, a close up shot of its chest plate reveals the writing "PS Joseph - ORMUS" on it.
Realian
Realians are a race of artificial humans. A wonder of molecular bioengineering, their biological composition comes in various forms based on need, from carbon based duplicates of real humans to those based on silicon or liquid metal. Many of the Realians onboard the
Woglinde were made by
Vector Industries, and they are hybrid models with a carbon/silicon base. One of
Xenosaga's lead characters,
MOMO, is a specially designed Realian. Since the
Miltian Conflict, the alteration of a Realian's emotions is no longer allowed. The only exceptions are for Realians in the military or other dangerous occupations, such as terraforming. Their basic rights equal those of humans and are recognized by law. However, due to the fact that their minds are initialized with a slight bias, all Realians tend to display similar personality traits. This bias is applied not only for the purpose of preventing criminal behavior by Realians, but also in consideration of humans who may feel threatened by their "superiority" (albeit only in certain specialized skills).
Several companies manufacture Realians, but Vector makes the basic program (in other words the central nervous system) of all Realians. The program is essentially a black box, and any modification beyond regular maintenance and adjustments can be performed only by Vector personnel. Apparently the materials used to create Realian nervous tissues also act like some kind of intoxicant drug, and people like
1st Lieutenant Virgil have been known to murder Realians and consume their flesh. Consuming Realian tissue causes
DME Addiction, which results in considerable mental instability, hardening and cornification of the skin and in some worse cases, death.
Various types of Realians are produced to suit various needs. Observational Realians, like MOMO and the
100 Series units, seen in operation onboard the
Kukai Foundation's flagship
Durandal, are designed to interact with the systems of a
starship and scan for
Gnosis. These models were originally constructed by Dr.
Joachim Mizrahi and modeled after his young daughter
Sakura Mizrahi, who died tragically many years before the start of
Episode I. "Weapons Grade" Realians are manufactured by Vector and sold to the
Federation military and normally stationed onboard Federation starships. Civilian models also appear to be manufactured as several Realians looking like 20-something versions of the child-like Observational units have been seen assisting government officials like
Representative Helmer of
Second Miltia and other GFG delegates. These units are most likely manufactured to be secretaries or other types of personal assistants.
Rennes-le-Château
Rennes-le-Château is a large landmass floating in space that appears in
Episode III, which Shion and her friends are asked to investigate at the behest of Juli Mizrahi. Resembling a valley of mountains and forests, with a hemispherical bottom half, it appears as if it had been scooped out of a planet. Despite its abnormal location, there is breathable air on the surface, as well as a set of ancient ruins. Deeper underground lie a labyrinth of caves, stone passageways, an elaborate ancient temple, and abundant
Gnosis. In the depths of this subterranean temple is a cross and burial site which looks exactly like the resting place of KOS-MOS' consciousness in the encephalon dive from
Episode I.
Rhine Maiden
The
Rhine Maiden is a massive anti-
Gnosis sonic weapon developed by
Vector Industries and constructed on its three main flagships,
Woglinde II, Wellgunde and Floβhilde as well as its corporate headquarters, the massive space colony
Dämmerung. The weapon is capable of clearing large swarms of Gnosis by firing a pulsating sonic beam of some sort that breaks the Gnosis' physical forms down into their base element;
salt. The Rhine Maiden appears to be harmless to humans but is fatal to all types of Gnosis. The weapon apparently can be fired from
hyperspace and affect targets in real space, as a blast was observed clearing out a swarm of Gnosis that were attacking the
Kukai Foundation long before the Dämmerung and her escort vessels had gated out of hyperspace. It apparently takes all four ships concentrating their fire in a triangular pattern in order to successfully produce the Rhine Maiden's effect. This may or may not be true, as we have only seen the Rhine Maiden used once so far in the series and it was done by using four vessels firing in unison. (NOTE: In
Xenosaga: The Animation, the
Dämmerung was shown firing the Rhine Maiden without any firing effect from the
Woglinde II, Wellgunde and Floßhilde. It may have been a special effects mistake overlooked.)
The names come from the
Ring of the Nibelung in which the Rhinemaidens are three
naiads who guard the magic Rhinegold lying at the bottom of the
Rhine River.
Song of Nephilim
The
Song of Nephilim was a pyramid-shaped space station that was one of the major causes of the Miltian Conflict. When activated, it generated a wavelength that was not truly audio in nature, but psychic. Only a very few special people, usually powerful psychics, are capable of hearing the "song," which is perceived by them to be the haunting singing of a female voice. However, it does not need to be heard to affect those within its range. Realians are most affected, however even humans can fall into madness upon prolonged exposure to it. The song also summons Gnosis, which is perhaps the worst effect. It was used during the Miltian Conflict as well as the Kukai Foundation incident in
Episode I; Gnosis swarmed the space between Kukai and Second Miltia. Albedo used the Song and its power to lure MOMO and, ultimately, Rubedo. Furthermore, the Song of Nephilim was a key component of Proto Merkabah (the Song was the power source for Merkabah; therefore, when the two space stations merged, a superweapon was created), as well as another Joachim Mizrahi invention. However, the Song is apparently destroyed, for it was docked with Proto Merkabah during the latter's destruction.
According to the web digest "Missing Year" (available at the official Japanese Xeno website, translations available at Labyrinthos.org), Joachim Mizrahi developed the Song of Nephilim system based on the work of another scientist during the Lost Jerusalem era. A man named Grimoire Verum was researching the newly-discovered Zohar and its connection with the Gnosis. He developed a "program" (what is meant by program is unknown) called "Lemegeton" that influenced the behavior of the Gnosis, but his experiments failed, resulting in the local matter shift (space-time anomaly) that caused the disappearance of Earth.
Sophie Peithos
A large Gnosis about the size of an
A.M.W.S.. It was created when
Albedo fused a large number of
Gnosis with
Proto Merkabah's reactor core. This was just one step in a grand scheme designed simply to cause havok and torment his twin brother and fellow
U.R.T.V.,
Jr. aka Rubedo. Sophie Peithos served as the
final boss of
Episode I, but the original draft of
Episode I called for it to only be a mid-boss. The name "Sophie Peithos" originated from
Gnosticism and stories from the Gnostic Doctrine. According to Gnosticism,
Sophia Pistos was the lowest ranking of all the
Aeons which made up
Pleroma. The bastardization of the name which Xenosaga uses translates from Greek to mean "Enticing Wisdom."
T.C.
T.C. is the acronym for
Transcend Christ. In the year
A.D. 2510, the world-wide central management organization responsible for the space emigration plan changed the current calendar from A.D. to Transcend Christ (T.C.). This calendar system is also used in the
Xenogears story arc. This appears to be a surmised third step in the Gregorian dating calendar; B.C. -
Before Christ, A.D. -
Anno Domini (In the Year of Our Lord / During Christ), and T.C. - Transcend Christ (After Christ).
U-DO
U-DO is a
wave existence that is directly connected to the
Miltian Conflict and the
Zohar.
Ormus used U-DO as part of a Zohar-powered control system for
Proto Ω. It is unknown whether or not this existence contains any bit of sentience or if it is even a living thing. It is known to produce the
Song of Nephilim (the actual song, not the space station), which is responsible for driving
Realians and
Albedo mad. U-DO surrounds the
Old Miltian star system and greatly warps the physics and properties of matter and space. It is also contained within the Zohar and is the source of its ability to create
space-time anomalies. Albedo links with U-DO during the events of
Episode II, allowing him to glean something of the true nature of the universe and giving him god-like powers.
U-DO is an acronym that stands for the Unus-Mundus Drive Operation system. Dmitri Yuriev, father of the
U.R.T.V. units, and others who were studying U-DO told the government that U-DO was an artificial consciousness or
A.I. linked to the
U.M.N. that was carrying some kind of dangerous waves. That was a complete lie, told in order to hide the fact that U-DO was something Dmitri Yuriev did not entirely understand. U-DO is actually an energy from a higher dimension (probably the so-called
Imaginary Numbers Realm where the
Gnosis are said to hail from) which, according to Junior, is an entity humans could not possibly control. It appears as a huge cloud of reddish-colored gas with long tendrils and can create space-time anomalies.
The U.R.T.V.s are specially designed to combat U-DO; they are U-DO's anti-existence. U.R.T.V.s can produce anti-waves designed to resist U-DO, but these anti-waves will not neutralize each other. The waveform collision between these anti-waves will release enormous amounts of thermal energy, resulting in the destruction of anything near them, including the U.R.T.V.s. A moment before the U.R.T.V.s were to destroy U-DO,
Rubedo had a vision of the Old Miltian planet being destroyed in an enormous explosion. Rubedo, fearing for the lives of his companions, broke the psychic bond that would produce the anti-waves. Unfortunately, this left them with no protection against U-DO. U-DO slew or drove mad all of the standard U.R.T.V.s. It then infected Albedo and drove him mad as well. The only documented surviving U.R.T.V.s were
Nigredo and Rubedo, though Albedo survived as well.
When Albedo made partial contact with U-DO fourteen years prior to
Xenosaga's setting (when he was infected by U-DO), it caused a medium-scale space-time anomaly alteration that produced two
black holes. The planet of Old Miltia (back then, simply called
Miltia) was sucked into those black holes and into a place called the
Abyss (possibly just an empty vacuum within the black holes). Since then, U-DO had been obstructed by the two black holes. Fourteen years after Old Miltia's disappearance, Albedo obtained the
Y-Data by hacking into
MOMO's systems and used it to bring Old Miltia back from the Abyss, sacrificing himself in the process. After this occurred, the two black holes vanished.
U.M.N.
|
U.M.N. Control Center on Second Miltia |
U.M.N., short for
Unus Mundus Network, is an informational network that spans the entire universe. Its non-locality is a large factor in its use in space warps and
FTL (faster than light) communications. The U.M.N. Control Center is located on
Second Miltia. This includes all facilities associated with the U.M.N. including the
U.M.N. Transportation Gate management facility. The U.M.N. is under the jurisdiction of the
U.M.N. Management Agency, meaning the U.M.N. Management Agency virtually controls all information within the
Galaxy Federation Government, making it a very influential agency within the central government. The agency relies on
Vector Industries to provide 98% of its facilities and resources. The
Zohar-powered superweapon,
Proto Ω, used the UMN as a weapon. Using a UMN Phase Transfer Cannon, Proto Ω could strike virtually any target in civilized space and completely obliterate it.
Certain points on the U.M.N. represented by actual points in space are known as Column Areas. These are specially designated areas of space normally marked by beacons where ships can gate in and gate out of
hyperspace. A vessel must first interact with the U.M.N. in the Column Area, transmit a flight plan and a usage fee to the U.M.N. Transportation Gate management facility then receive clearance to gate into hyperspace. The space between recognized Column Areas is small on a galactic scale, but with the increasing number of
Gnosis attacks on ships out in deep space the sometimes day-long layovers where ships have to travel in normal space between Column Areas can prove fatal. Such a fate befell the
Federation cruiser
Woglinde and her escort fleet from the 171st Marine Division. So far there has been only one known craft in the
Xenosaga universe that is capable by-passing all known U.M.N. checkpoints and entering hyperspace without interacting with the U.M.N. That craft is the
E.S. Dinah created by Vector industries for the
KOS-MOS Project.
From the Xenosaga: A Missing Year, it is explained that despite its widespread usage, no official data on the development or nature of the U.M.N. is recorded, and any details are kept solely by Vector. Adding to the fact that most Gnosis incursions use the U.M.N. to appear, and that Vector is headed by the enigmatic Wilhelm, implies that someone is deliberately using and directing the Gnosis.
The term unus mundus, literally "one world," was used by psychiatrist
Carl Jung to describe a state beyond this world where every contradiction in physics, like
synchronicity and the
EPR Paradox, can be explained. A place where every relationship, such as that of the mind to mind, or mind to matter, can also make sense.
The symbol of the U.M.N. is a snake biting its own tail, also known as the
Ouroboros.
U.R.T.V.
U.R.T.V. units, or "U-DO Retro Virus" units, are a series of biological weapons whose life energy wavelength cancels that of
U-DO. They are the biological children of Dr.
Dmitri Yuriev, head of the
Yuriev Institute. U.R.T.V's were genetically engineered from the egg of anonymous female donors. U.R.T.V. units 666 - 669 originated from the same embryonic culture as the others, but were then subjected to an induced mutation to develop their unique gifts. This accounts for the differences in hair and eye color despite their shared embryonic origins. These four mutants are known as the Variants. The blond, standard U.R.T.V. Units 001 - 665 share one collective consciousness, and regard units 666 - 669 as "monsters" due to being mutants with individual minds. Most female U.R.T.V.s are unstable and usually die.
Unit # 666 is nicknamed "
Rubedo" and is the leader of the male U.R.T.V.s. His special power is that he can control the rate of growth of his cells. Unit # 667 is nicknamed "
Albedo". His special power is "the infinite
telomerase" - the ability to regenerate his cells very quickly and without limit on the times done so. Unit # 668 is nicknamed "
Citrine" and is the leader of the female U.R.T.V.s. Unit # 669 is nicknamed "
Nigredo". His special power is the ability to hypnotically manipulate people. Units #666 and #667 were conjoined twins who were connected at their backs around their right sides until the 28th Week after conception. Given the nature of
conjoined twins this was either natural or part of some advanced form of medicine.
chaos made an allusion in
Xenosaga: Episode II, insinuating that the four variant U.R.T.V.s are the
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in the Xenosaga universe. Albedo is the white rider "Pestilence", Rubedo is the red rider "War" and Nigredo is the black rider "Famine". However it is not known who Death is. Most assume that Citrine is the pale rider, Death, as she is the fourth U.R.T.V. variant. This comment is believed to be completely symbolic, as none of the U.R.T.V variants have displayed characteristics in line with the
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Y-Data
The
Y-Data is information described as the "Root of the Miltian Conflict". It is said to be the entire log of Joachim Mizrahi which comprised his entire research especially regarding the Zohar among many integral events and components in the series including the Gnosis phenomenon and the location of Lost Jerusalem (Earth). It also includes the access codes to the UMN transfer column for the Old Miltia sector, which have been lost since the conflict. During the Miltian Conflict Jin Uzuki stole a copy of the Y-data from U-TIC likely from Margulis and downloaded it into Canaan. However the data was encrypted and could only be accessed within Labyrinthos. For 14 years the Miltian government worked endlessly to decode it to no avail. Another copy was hidden within MOMO. Several people, including Juli Mizrahi, had no knowledge that the copy existed within her. MOMO's copy of the Y-data features a safeguard that the Ormus cult (namely Albedo) had to bypass in
Episode II in order to extract the information he needed to locate the Abyss. According to Wilhelm, the data extracted from MOMO by Albedo was incomplete.
Zoar Incident
The
Zoar Incident was a mysterious interplanetary conflict which ultimately led to the events of the
Miltian Conflict. According to Xenosaga I&II, it started when the autonomous planet,
Zoar, began invading the autonomous planets of the Miltian System. There was never an official declaration of war, and the entire truth of what really happened was lost due to the space/time anomaly which engulfed the region afterwards.
Among the rumored causes, were that extremists among the people of the Immigrant Fleet who lived chiefly among the planets of the Miltian System and Zoar, had feared Miltia joining the Galaxy Federation. Another rumor was that the Federation's
Salvator Faction had orchestrated events by posing as extremists, for the sake of taking control of the Miltian System by occupation. In any event, the conflict erupted into a power struggle between the Federation's forces and the Immigrant Fleet's military arm, U-TIC.
Zoar is yet another Biblical reference. In the story of
Lot, after escaping the destruction of Sodom, his family rested in the city of Zoar.
Zohar
|
The Original Zohar at Lake Turkana |
The
Zohar (also called the
Original Zohar in order to not confuse it with the Zohar Emulators) is a source of power believed to be unrivaled in the
Xenosaga universe. It was believed to be first discovered on the floor of
Lake Turkana in
Kenya in 20XX, an event which directly led to
Earth being abandoned. However, the
Ormus Society claims that they have been the people bound to the Zohar for eternity. Ormus is not the only known faction after the powers of the Zohar.
Visually distinguished by a green jewel, the Original Zohar is not to be mistaken for a Zohar Emulator, which are not as powerful. Zohar Emulators have red Hebrew letters instead of a jewel. The Hyams Zohar Emulator appears to have a blue letter.
The Original Zohar is called "Marienkind," which means "Child of Mary" in
German. According to the Original Design Materials, this name represents Jesus Christ. However, the
U.M.N. database in
Episode I gives yet another reference, saying that this also refers to a
fairytale by the
Brothers Grimm (
Jacob and
Wilhelm) about a girl who receives the keys to the 13 doors of heaven from
Mary, the mother of
Jesus.
The Original Zohar also serves as the logo for
Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht.
The name
Zohar (the Hebrew word for "splendor" or "radiance") is a reference to an important book in Jewish mysticism. The Zohar also is similar in appearance and usage to the Monolith from Arthur C. Clarke's
2001: A Space Odyssey.
The Zohar was also based off the Zohar from
Xenosaga's spiritual predecessor
Xenogears. In
Xenogears, the Zohar appears as a simple golden monolith with a turquoise eye rather than Xenosaga's ornately designed monolith and jewel. The
Xenogears monolith also lacked the "arms" of the
Xenosaga monolith which give it the appearance of a cross.
Zohar Emulator
|
One of the thirteen known Zohar Emulators |
The
Zohar Emulators were created from the
Original Zohar by
Joachim Mizrahi. Most of the Emulators, including the one that resulted in the disappearance of
Ariadne and the
Woglinde tragedy, are now in the hands of the
Kukai Foundation. There were twelve Emulators created by Dr. Mizrahi, and a thirteenth inferior emulator created by the
Hyams Group and their elite scientist,
Sellers. This thirteenth emulator is the only one still unrecovered by the Kukai Foundation, and it's unknown whether or not they are aware of its existence. The name of the Hyams Emulator is unknown.
All of the Mizrahi emulators are named after one of
Jesus's twelve disciples from the
Bible. The names are
Andrew,
Bartholomew,
Boanerges,
James,
John,
Judas,
Matthew,
Peter,
Philip,
Simon,
Thaddeus, and
Thomas. Zohar Emulators each have a red Hebrew letter instead of the Original Zohar's blue jewel. The Hyams Zohar Emulator appears to be silver and black and has a blue letter.
Zohar Link Experiment
The
Zohar Link Experiment was a mysterious test performed by the
U-TIC Organization on the planet
Ariadne. The experiment was overseen by U-TIC Lieutenant Commander
Andrew Cherenkov and involved "linking" one of the twelve
Zohar Emulators to something. The experiment was an abysmal failure, and it resulted in the Emulator going haywire and causing the entire planet to disappear into the realm of
imaginary numbers where the
Gnosis hail from. The only survivors of the incident were Commander Cherenkov and his team, who were witnessing the incident from orbit above the planet. The only physical object left after the planet disappeared was the Emulator itself. Ariadne later returned to real space in the form of a massive type of Gnosis known as a
Cathedral Ship. In spite of the colossal failure of the experiment U-TIC was still interested in performing more tests in the hopes of achieving different results.
Sellers, the U-TIC and
Hyams group scientist spearheading the study of the Zohar Emulators believes that the experiment would produce successful results if the
Original Zohar was used in the place of an Emulator. U-TIC Commander
Margulis seems to echo that sentiment, along with most of the
Ormus society. Zohar Emulators can be distinguished from the original because the emulators have letters from the
Hebrew alphabet emblazoned in red. It is currently unknown what the precise function of the Emulators are, but it is presumed that they produce energy similar to the
Original Zohar.
Ω Res Novae
The name of the re-built Proto Ω in
Episode III.
Ω System
|
The Ω System emerging. Fragments of Old Miltia and remnants of the planetary core also shown. |
The
Ω System (spoken as "
Omega System") was a massive space fortress housing
Proto Ω and the
Original Zohar. Apparently, Ω System is an incarnated version of
Old Miltia, for the planet was ripped apart from the inside out as the Ω System emerged. The Ω System has been fitted with many puzzles and locks to keep unwanted visitors out, as well as a pair of large guardian mechs (one of them taking the form of a full scale Cathedral). Proto Ω and the Original Zohar are housed in the core of the Ω System.
Shion Uzuki and her allies entered the Ω System to stop the
Patriarch and his plot. However, after a stalemate battle (and a brief alliance with
Albedo to take down the Patriarch),
Testament arrived to destroy the Patriarch. After this chain of events, Albedo morphed Ω System into a
space-time anomaly for his own motives. Many say that the Ω System resembles a larger, space-oriented version of Merkava, the structural part of Deus that served as the final dungeon of
Xenogears.
