This week’s Translation Tuesday is to celebrate the release of Ys VIII with a special document translated from the Ys Perfect Data of I ~ VI book that was published in 2004. Though due to the publishing date, this information predates other Ys titles that have been released post Ark of Napishtim. They will not be addressed in this topic. This document is a timeline that addresses critical pieces of lore that have become crucial to the Ys series, especially with the introduction of emelas from Ys VI.
During the editing process for this, I have decided to split this article into two parts. The errata, next week, will feature extra information, and perhaps additional timelines and other random information out of the Ys Perfect Data book.
As a heads up, everything below the title header past the cut is 100% from the translation. Any additional notes that I’ve made are entirely in the footnotes. So as the translation seems to break prose from the game a bit here and there, this is from the original information. There are also things that are getting referred to for later parts of this document… due to the size of it as a whole, and the overwhelming scope of this translation, I’ve decided at the last minute to split it into two, and present the ‘errata’ section of the document for the next Translation Tuesday in two weeks.
Before I begin everything in this, I want to say that this translation was a long-time coming, and there are a lot of people that I’ve wanted to thank over the years of working on it, but most of them, I can’t really fully recall. However, outside of the usual suspects, I want to point out a dear friend of mine, Ayu Ohseki. She has been involved in song lyric translations that I’ve posted here before as well. When I first started on this years ago, she gave me so much help. I can’t start this article without a shoutout to her.
On top of my thanks to Ayu, I’m also giving my undying thanks to Guan and Yotaka who helped me when I got stuck on some parts of this.
Proofreading on this has been done by Firehawke, S_Tiger, Ribose, and Guan.
Special Reference Data: Ys VI Original Use Referential Timeline – The Ancient Civilization and Related Events
During the development of Ys VI, the scenario writing team compiled this timeline of events that took place across the series as a whole.
This important and confidential data details many of the mysteries of the Ys series, and this book1)This is referencing the Ys Perfect Data I ~ VI book published in 2003, after the release of Ys VI. is the first time it has been published!
Supplementary Information
1. With the Discovery of Emelas, an Advanced Civilization was Born
The winged beings establish the world’s first civilization.
All civilizations are believed to come from the first, known as the Eldeen Civilization, which was established by the winged beings of the Atlas Continent. Using an emerald green soil particular to the Atlas Continent, they were able to successfully purify five colors of emelas and form a very advanced civilization. This mysterious glass, emelas, possessed magical capabilities, and they created many emelas products that would greatly influence future lives. One such emelas product is believed to be the flame sword.
Examples of Emelas Items from the Games
(Black Emelas)Mask of the Sun
(Gold Emelas)Mask of the Moon
(Blue Emelas)Zeme Mirror
(White Emelas)
A magical amplifier created from black emelas. It possessed a human-like will, and was the origin to the birth of Darm. It is also believed to be an energy source to maintain the white emelas flesh of the winged beings.
A gold emelas product created for forest preservation and soil fertilization. It was taken to be used in the Celceta region, but its power went out of control. This is the reason why the Celceta region has changed into a dense forest.2)Editor’s Note: If you’ve played Memories of Celceta, this has been changed. 3)Editor’s Note pt 2: Yes, I know that’s the Mask of the Sun from Memories of Celceta. Finding a decent image of the mask from the earlier versions of Ys IV is harder than the Mask of Eyes situation!
A stone mask intended to be the control device for the Mask of the Sun. In ‘Ys IV (PC-Engine),’ it can also be considered the Mask of Eyes. Additionally, blue emelas can possess a control function over gold emelas.4)Editor’s note: Yes, I did use the Ys I icon for the Mask of Eyes. This is due to lack of clear icons from either version of Ys IV, excluding Memories of Celceta.
A mirror created from white emelas that has been passed down through generations of the Rehdan priestesses. White emelas can be used to suppress black emelas. Similarly, the winged beings also had flesh made of white emelas.2. Through the Blessing of White Emelas, the Winged Beings Gain Immortality
The Eldeen civilization reaches its peak.
The Eldeen civilization finds its golden age through the biological uses of white emelas. With the use of this technology, the winged beings were able to cast away their flesh bodies and replace them with bodies made of white emelas. Through this, they were able to achieve immortality. Also, those born from the spiritual mother were successfully born with wings and bodies made of white emelas, and as a result the general concept of reproduction vanished. As both humans and demi-humans would migrate to the continent, the civilization would reach its greatness.
Though they were immortal, they could pass away through the process of sublimation. Much like the way the flesh body perishes at death, sublimation will bring about the spiritual death, but this concept was greatly frowned upon.
The above is Ys III’s final boss, Galbalan. Furthermore, in early materials for Ys VI, humans attempted to create white emelas, but would continuously end up with an inferior ‘ash emelas.’ For this reason, only some of the Galbas would be self-aware.
3. The civilization is attacked by a crisis of the rising sea level. The fall of the Winged Beings’ world.
Many of the winged beings sublimated when the continent sank.
The Atlas continent was submerged when the sea level rose. At this time, the power source5)Editor’s Note: Power sources, perhaps. Plurality is unclear. necessary to maintain their bodies of white emelas disappeared. For this reason, many of the winged beings chose the path of sublimation.
Many humans and winged beings chose to share the remaining power sources, and the humans and demi-humans6)You will find this term used a lot in this timeline. The demi-humans are what become known as the Rehdans by Ys VI. immigrated to other continents.
This is how both Ys and Celceta rose from the remains of the Eldeen civilization.
In the setting of Ys V, spirits that protected sealing crystals, and other Emelas-like items appeared in the game. Additionally, Ys VI also utilized sword magic, which was similar to the alchemical magic introduced in Ys V.
4. Entrusted with the Black Pearl, Two Wings Beings, With Humans, Establish the Kingdom of Ys
Twin winged beings created a kingdom for humans.
After the Atlas continent sank, twin winged beings Feena and Reah traveled towards Esterior. Together with six humans known as the ‘six priests’ for their great magical abilities, used the great magical power of the Black Pearl to create the kingdom of Ys. However, as a byproduct of the purification process of cleria, Darm was born. Ys was raised into the heavens to escape the demons, and the goddesses personally sealed Darm away. Though it would return to the land in the future, Ys remained suspended in the sky for 700 years.
The demons were sealed deep underground. It is believed that the deepest part of Rastin Mine (in Ys I) is where Reah and Feena sealed Darm.
5. The Rise and Fall of the Celceta Dynasty Through the Use of the Mask of the Sun
Celceta was transformed into a great forest by the Mask of the Sun
At the point that the winged beings crossed into Celceta, they founded the great Celceta Dynasty, and through the power of the Mask of the Sun, it flourished.
According to [Ys IV (SFC)], a great war occurred due to the intention of the winged beings to dominate over the humans there. With Lefance’s assistance, the humans were able to triumph in the great war that happened as a result. It is believed that, as they were sealing the Mask of the Sun, its power ran wild, and transformed the Celceta region into the great forest.
Many ruins were left behind by the winged beings.
There are many ruins found throughout the Celceta region. Are these an remnant of the original civilization for the winged beings that crossed into the Celceta region?
While they were originally a gentle group, [Ys IV (SFC)] portrays the winged beings differently. They often treated humans as livestock and food, and held an antagonistic existence with them. Like other winged beings of Celceta, Eldeel had a great fixation over an ideology to demand power. Now, with Eldeel’s death, it is believed that the bloodline of the pure winged beings has come to an end.
In his quest for power, Eldeel schemed to throw the Celceta region into chaos. But before that time, the people of the town of Highland revered him as a god and he had a gracious and devout demeanor.
Eras
Material Text as it Appears: the material text is published as is. Any ‘???’ in the eras is data that has been omitted.
1. Colorless Age (Years Unknown)
The winged beings would be given this name by humans later on. During this era, it is unknown whether they actually had wings or not.
? Winged Beings
The people who settled the Atlas continent and later created bodies made of white emelas. As their white emelas bodies were perfect copies of flesh, they emulate growth, albeit very slowly, and are still capable of reproduction. (Their wings, and their general nature are also hereditary.) When the required magical power to preserve their bodies disappears, the capabilities of white emelas also disappears, and changes into a stone-like material. As they had flexible, magical wings, and a possessed a variety of mysterious powers, humans across the world worshiped them as divine messengers.
2. Dark Age (Years Unknown)
The fundamentals of purifying red, blue, green, yellow (gold), and black emelas were established. Many objects of emelas were produced, such as the Black Pearl, the Mask of the Sun, and the Ark of Napishtim.
? Emelas
The general name for a magical glass that will change between the colors of red, blue, green, yellow (gold), and black during its purification process. As it is made of fibers too small to see with the naked eye, it has a colored polish that bears a resemblance to silk.
? Black Emelas
Emelas that amplifies accompanying magical power. Many high level devices with this purpose were made with this emelas. Only items made from white emelas are capable of fully controlling (addressing) those made from black emelas.
3. White Age (1500 years ago?)
White emelas, which has many attributes like living creatures and power capabilities, is successfully purified.
Giving Up the Flesh
All of the winged beings cast away their bodies of flesh and blood, and transferred to ‘perfect bodies’ made of white emelas. This is when they took the form that gave them the name ‘winged beings.’
Magically Influenced Reproduction
At first, the children in the winged beings were born with perfect bodies made of white emelas through what was called the spiritual mother. With the notion of two parents ceasing to exist, the children are considered as the successors of the society as a whole.
The Winged Beings Achieve Immortality
The idea of sublimation (the complete release of all physical restraints) was born from the development of this concept. Before long, many winged beings would entertain the notion of sublimation.
? White Emelas
A ‘living emelas’ that has a similar appearance to white porcelain. The refining of white emelas is finally successful, which has attributes much like living creatures, and allowed for the use of black emelas, such as with the Black Pearl and other devices. Once bodies were created, and their minds were shifted to them, the winged beings were born.
Also, white emelas and black emelas are capable of direct communication between each other, (think of white emelas like software, and black emelas as hardware) and was often used as a controlling system.
Eventually, it reached the point when infants were born, they also had bodies of white emelas.
? Spiritual Mother
An artificial womb created from white emelas. Its name was given to it by the demi-humans, what the winged ones called it is unknown.
4. Age of Chaos (1) (900-1000 years ago)
With the rising sea level, many coastal areas in the Atlas ocean submerged. The Atlas continent also shrank slightly.
The Immigration of Humans and Demi-Humans
Demi-humans and humans who had lived on the coasts of other continents drifted onto the Atlas continent and they established villages. Though life was stable, the continent was a good stopover point, so many other assertive immigrants would begin to flourish. As these affairs developed, many rumors about the mysterious winged beings came together, and legends of the Atlas continent would spread across Europe.
The Relationship Between the Winged Beings and the Humans and Demi-Humans
For the most part, the winged beings, demi-humans, and humans were indifferent towards each other. However, some of the winged beings were enthusiastic in cultural exchanges. They requested to learn more about their knowledge, technology, arts, and civilization.
The Ark of Napishtim Changed for Anti-Flood Measures
With their new cultural exchanges with the humans and demi-humans, the winged beings chose to protect them, as they were wingless, from the sea level rising again. As such, they chose to remodel their old weather control unit, the ‘Ark of Napishtim’ to have a magical breakwater-like function.
The Human Advancements in Magical Arts
The winged beings felt that it would be too dangerous for humans to utilize high level black emelas devices with human-like consciousness, such as the Black Pearl, so there was dissatisfaction among the humans, as they misunderstood this to be the winged beings hiding technology from them.
? The Ark of Napishtim
An ancient weather control device built in the region of the Canaan Islands. After the migration of many humans (and demi-humans) the winged beings chose to modify it to prevent any future floods. Capable of standing firm against water and other unnatural disturbances, blades of high-strength emelas were used to seal off entry to the different sectors. To release the seal, either the sword of the corresponding color of emelas, or the master key, the black emelas sword, would need to be used.
The developed breakwater system would take in any water that originally just poured in, and drain it out in all directions. For this reason, after the Ark of Napishtim is submerged, it generates a massive vortex. Should the emergency discharge system be activated, all of the water is drained at once, which can cause both continents to be hit by a massive tsunami.
? Galba
Weapons produced using white emelas as the base material. These were developed by humans using their understanding of the technology of the winged beings, and used them to wage war in many places. (They used them in the attack on the Ark of Napishtim, as well.)
As humans didn’t have the technology to create white emelas, when the art of refining white emelas disappeared, so did the Galbas.
How many of these Galbas are still in Europe, waiting to be awakened?
? The Demi-Humans and Magic Arts
The demi-humans showed a great deal of interest in magical arts. They also showed a great interest in the culture of the winged beings, and studied many things such as music and dance. This is the reason why demi-humans today have many different ancient songs.
5. Age of Chaos (2)
When the sea level rises again, it causes the entirety of the Atlas continent to sink. (The correlation with the Ark of Napishtim and the rising sea level is unknown.)
The Winged Beings Return to Heaven
Most all of the winged beings chose sublimation at this point. (Cross to a spiritual existence only.)
The Ark of Napishtim Runs Wild
Humans and demi-humans tried to buy time so that they could escape, but because of the actions of one group of humans, the Ark went out of control. For this, humans and demi-humans cooperated to seal it, and succeeded to force the Ark to submerge. With the drainage system operating continuously, what would b later be called the Great Vortex of Canaan was formed.
The Humans and Demi-Humans Flee Back Home
While a small fraction of the winged beings (primarily the younger ones) chose not to sublimate, their current way of life had come to an end. Along with the demi-humans and humans, they fled to various parts of the Eresia continent.
Becoming the Natives of the Canaan Islands
The humans and demi-humans that did not escape, as well as the group that held back the Ark of Napishtim remained and later became the inhabitants of the Canaan Islands. (As a result, a complex lineage of mixed bloodlines from the humans, demi-humans, and winged beings can be found in the natives of the Canaan Islands.)
? The Outline of the Ark of Napishtim Running Out of Control
During the chaos from the rise of the sea level, humans took advantage to invade the Ark in an attempt to claim the secrets of creating emelas and the Ark of Napishtim.
?
Once the humans tampered with the central sector of the Ark, it went out of control.
?
The Eresia continent was struck by a massive tsunami due to its operation mode. (Emergency Discharge mode.)
?
To prevent this from happening, the winged beings and the demi-human sympathizers went to the Ark.
?
As a last resort, the Ark’s power levels were lowered (transformed), and its power was depleted.
?
The Ark’s normal gradual drainage returned.
?
The Great Vortex of Canaan was formed.
6. After the Winged Beings (800 years ago)
All together, a few winged beings crossed from one continent to the other. They went to various places with the demi-humans and humans.
The Old Winged Beings ‘Return to Heaven’
Many of the older winged beings, as they completed their missions, began to consider sublimation.
Afterwards for the Remaining Winged Beings
The remaining winged beings end up living with the humans.
7. The Beginnings of Ys
Two young winged beings arrived to the Ys region with the Black Pearl. It was after this that they began to be called ‘goddesses.’
The Six Priests
As the humans fled the Atlas continent (island), thanks to their profound knowledge of magic, six of them were selected to act as intermediaries between the people and the ‘goddesses.’ These humans became known as the six priests. The six priests acted as the rulers of Ys, while the goddesses helped shape the vision of it.
The Purification of Cleria
The Six Priests originally attempted to use the Black Pearl to try to create a magical material similar to emelas. Due to geological differences in the region, a magical metal called cleria was born instead, with characteristics and principles that were different from Emelas. As their control of the Black Pearl was imperfect, this also became the birth of demons and the root of their problems for the future.
? The Black Pearl
This is an extremely efficient magic amplifier made through a complex entanglement of black emelas fibers. It feels warm to the touch like something alive and possesses a human-style consciousness, including the potential to become confused or afraid. As it requires white emelas for perfect control, a human attempting to control the Black Pearl would end in catastrophe.
? Cleria
Though this magical metal was created using emelas as a benchmark, it still had a large difference due to its reliance on the magic of the Black Pearl.
Emelas possessed transcendental qualities of hardness, functionality like living creatures, and special properties based on its raw materials, but cleria was nothing more than special metal with magical power sealed within it. (More or less, it is said to have only somewhat exceeded steel’s toughness.)
However, as the extremely powerful magic of the Black Pearl flowed into cleria as the source of its power, it could destroy any kind of magical defenses. (The reverse could also happen- if the Black Pearl disappeared, it would become normal silver.)
Visually, it is difficult to distinguish the two, and after the knowledge of cleria was forgotten by the people over the ages, they mistakenly mined it, thinking it was plain silver.
8. The Beginnings of Celceta
Many winged beings crossed over into Celceta. Along with the humans they brought with them, and the population that was presently in place, they established a dynasty. (The ancient Celceta dynasty.)
“The Mask of the Sun”
Because of the power of the Mask of the Sun, Celceta developed a civilization with great agricultural influence.
? The Mask of the Sun
A magical amplifying device made from gold emelas. Like black emelas, gold emelas has the same amplification ability, without the consciousness aspect, but affects living beings.
This was one of several items made from gold emelas for forest preservation and soil improvement.
When the mask was brought over, the Celceta natives revered it and built a shrine for it.
? The Mask of the Moon
A device made from blue emelas to serve as a control unit for the Mask of the Sun. Blue emelas has an ability to control the magical power from gold emelas. When the Mask of the Sun went out of control, the Mask of the Moon was missing.
9. After Celceta (500 Years Ago?)
While particulars of this period of time are unknown, civil war broke out over disputes regarding accumulated wealth.
The Arrival of the Hero Lefance
Peace was once again returned to the chaos of this society with the arrival of an individual named Lefance. Lefance’s relationship with the winged beings is unknown.
The ‘Mask of the Sun’ Goes Out of Control
The power of the Mask of the Sun went out of control when Lefance and his assistants sealed it deep underground, and Celceta was soon covered in a dense forest.
? The Outline of the Mask of the Sun Running Out of Control
It is said that humans ended up attempting to utilize the mask after the Mask of the Moon disappeared.
The Mask of the Sun was sealed deep underground during this time.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | This is referencing the Ys Perfect Data I ~ VI book published in 2003, after the release of Ys VI. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | Editor’s Note: If you’ve played Memories of Celceta, this has been changed. |
| ↑3 | Editor’s Note pt 2: Yes, I know that’s the Mask of the Sun from Memories of Celceta. Finding a decent image of the mask from the earlier versions of Ys IV is harder than the Mask of Eyes situation! |
| ↑4 | Editor’s note: Yes, I did use the Ys I icon for the Mask of Eyes. This is due to lack of clear icons from either version of Ys IV, excluding Memories of Celceta. |
| ↑5 | Editor’s Note: Power sources, perhaps. Plurality is unclear. |
| ↑6 | You will find this term used a lot in this timeline. The demi-humans are what become known as the Rehdans by Ys VI. |
Excellent work translating this book, it really helps to fully understand Ys saga lore, thanks a lot, if it weren’t for you we would have hardly be able to read this!
Amazing. Thanks for doing this, very interesting read. Such rich history.
Wow!!