ARM Backup/Settei book translations/Encyclopedia section
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Glossary:
The Encyclopedia of Ar tonelico
Here, we will give detailed explanations for several of the phenomena that occur in the Sol Ciel of the Third Era.
The Humans
Due to the reconstruction that took place after [Mir's Rebellion] ended the Second Era, the humans of Sol Ciel were separated into two groups. One part of them are the [Apostles of Elemia] who climbed the Tower to build the city of Platina right under the Blastline, created the [Covenant of Elemia] alongside the Teru, and based on said Covenant, now administrate the [Symphonic Reactor]. The other part are the [People of Horus]: humans who don't form part of the Apostles of Elemia and instead live either on the floating continent around the lower areas of the Tower, the [Wings of Horus] or in the floating city [Firefly Alley]. The People of Horus regard the Apostles of Elemia as the people that are the closest to the Goddess, and thus they fear and respect them.
Back when people still lived on the surface, there were two distinct races among the humans: the [Cielans] and the [Clusterians]. Cielans were an ethnic group that used horizontally-written alphabet-based languages, which is the reason for them having names written in alphabetical characters. On the other hand, the Clusterians were an ethnic group that employed vertically-written ideographic-based languages, which makes it common for them to have names written in Kanji. As for the character each of these races had, the Clusterians were industrious while the Cielans were laid-back. The Clusterians were also ambitious and energetic. Sol Ciel's current population breakdown is roughly 30% Cielan and 10% Clusterian, with the remaining 60% being people of mixed race (though if we do the breakdown according to the way they use to write their names, 70% people have alphabet-based names while 30% have Kanji-based names). Clusterians also have mostly black and straight hair, with the people considering a virtue having their hair as long as they can. Their clothes are also mainly modernized versions of their representative kimonos. As for the Cielans, they have mostly brown and wavy hair, and their clothes are mainly western-styled folk clothes. Of course, the hair's color and styles all have differences depending on the individual, so these are just the most observed trends in both races.
Covenant of Elemia
A document that was agreed upon and written by the humans and Teru that worked together to seal Mir, which describes the limits that were imposed upon the usage of the Tower of Ar tonelico's resources: all possible uses for this high-energy facility were banned so events such as the [Grathnode Inferia] catastrophe that brought the First Era to an end, or the [Mir's Rebellion] calamity that closed the Second Era would never be repeated.
The Apostles of Elemia, serving as the human's representatives, had the role of monitoring and administrating the [Symphonic Reactor] in order to make it easier to eliminate the viruses. The role of the Teru was monitoring the [Crescent Chronicle] and protecting the [Star Singer]. Additionally, they were charged with the task of making sure that none of the Wing of Horus' inhabitants approached the most important facilities of the Tower without authorization, reason why they stick to the Covenant's rules to the point they are willing to attack any humans who disregard their warnings. While this has caused nothing but constant conflicts between the humans and Teru, they purposely continue doing it because they feel it is a necessary evil.
The Terus
A separate race from the humans that long ago, developed Ar tonelico by sharing their technology with them. As they have a draconic apeparance, they have horns and a tail, and have a linen-colored skin. They are capable of using a unique kind of magic, and if they didn't have these powers, Ar tonelico's completion would have been impossible. However, they greatly regret the fact that Ar tonelico was the cause for the surface and the sky disappearing from this world, so now they watch over the Tower's resources to make sure that the humans will never repeat these same mistakes. Therefore, they live an unexpectedly primitive life despite possessing very advanced knowledge and technologies. They also keep watch over the [Crescent Chronicle], which serves as the lifeline of this world.
The 12 Teru Families
| School Name | Familiar | Signature Ability |
|---|---|---|
| Munoph | (none) | Clairvoyance |
| Plune | Gnome | Translation (transportation) |
| Nino | Owl | Listening to Voices (from the Heavens) |
| Zeppen | Cat | Transformation |
| Jemina | Falcon | Teleportation |
| Sarra | Lilim | Superpower (explosions) |
| Ougus | Banshee | Rain Prayer (Ability to change the weather) |
| Alca | Flying Dragon | Wish Fulfillment |
| Oca | Pixie | Puppet Manipulation |
| Noraph | Kuroppokuru | Telepathy |
| Deenel | Dryad | Growth Acceleration |
| Plarla | Doppelganger | Reincarnation |
Flag of the Jemina
This is the flag of the [Jemina], one of the schools of the Teru Tribe.
The Teru Tribe and their Familiars
The Terus are a race that can live approximately for 200 years, and they are divided into twelve different School depending on the shape taken by the techniques they can use. When they come of age, they must go and bring back home a small fairy, with the type of fairy they must search for varying depending on which School they belong to. A Teru and a fairy that have acknowledged each other will become lifelong partners, and starting that point the fairy will become their [Familiar]. Incidentally, the techniques used by the Teru are far stronger than those used by groups such as the Moon Chanters. [Magic] pushed forward the evolution of [Science] due to the technical collaboration between the Teru and the humans, which ultimately led to the realization of Ar tonelico.
Tastiella has a flying dragon as her Familiar, which means she belongs to the Alca School, which has Wish Fulfillment as their specialty.
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Reyvateils
The Reyvateils are artificial lifeforms that were created through the leading edge in Sound Science technologies, and they are living beings that are constructed from the same organic elements that give form to the proteins found in the human body. They possess the following abilities, which no human can use:
1) By singing Songs, they can draw great power directly from the Tower (use Song Magic).
2) By absorbing Grathnode Crystals in their bodies, they can greatly boost the power of their Song Magic.
3) They can directly control the Tower (only the ones that have Hymn Codes).
But on the other hand, they also have the following weaknesses:
4) The Symphonic Power emitted by the Grathnode Crystals reduces their life spans.
5) This life reduction becomes especially remarkable when they have absorbed Grathnode into their bodies.
Almost all the Reyvateils found in the Third Era are Third Generations, which means they don't have the Hymn Codes that they require to be linked to the Tower. But physically speaking, they are still connected to the Tower in a way similar to that of a house having the power lines installed but the provider not sending energy due to an expired contract. Therefore, it is possible for them to use Song Magic as well. (The Reyvateil shown in the picture is Maya, a friend of Misha's that also appears in her Drama CD).
Origins
Reyvateils created from zero, which we could call beings similar to a homunculus if we speaking in alchemical terms. Their life preservation is managed by the Tower, which means they possess an endless life span as long as their Towers don't get destroyed. Only three Origins were made to administrate the amplification Towers, so all the Pureblooded Beta-Types and Third Generations are direct descendants of them. The [Standard Spiritual Frequency] each Origin possesses is almost identical to that of the Tower they are assigned to, so they are capable of controlling the Tower as if it were their own hands and feet. Aside of Shurelia (Eoria), the other two Origins (Frelia, Tyria) were sent each to one of the other two Towers before the Grathnode Inferia, which were still under construction at the time, but what became of them afterwards is something no one knows.
Pureblooded Beta-Types
Clones created by using the Origins as a basis. While they were developed during the First Era, Shurelia disclosed their creation methods during the Second Era for the sake of her people. While their life spans are longer than those of the Third Generations, they are still uncomparably short when put next to those of the Origins. While they only live for about 150 years, they won't age until the time of their deaths. The Origins and Pureblooded Beta-Types were Reyvateils created during the time the Tower was actively functioning, which is why they have a strong link to the Tower. Each Pureblooded Beta-Type is assigned an ID by the Tower that allows it to identify her and to record the configuration of her Cosmosphere. Said ID is called the [Hymn Code].
Third Generations
Children born from a Reyvateil and a human. While generally the Reyvateil qualities are completely lost, there are still some children that are born having their unique traits. These children are called Third Generations. Their life spans become very short upon become Third Generations, meaning they won't live past twenty years. Before it was known that is was because of the Reyvateil qualities, this condition was feared to be a hereditary and incurable disease called [Tatoolist] (due to the appearance of a tatoo somewhere on their body). But nowadays, it is possible to make them live as long as the humans do by periodically administering them doses of a medicine called [Diquility]. Additionally, Third Generations at their best are capable of demonstrating powers that match those of the Pureblooded Beta-Types.
The Lifestyle of the Third Generation Reyvateils
The girls that are born as Third Generation Reyvateils consider it either to be a blessing, or a curse. This guarantees their future livelihoods, as even their potential is valued far higher than that of the humans. But given their short life spans if they can't manage to secure their livelihood, there are many girls who don't even make it to adulthood. In order to discover which girls are born as Reyvateils, their aptitude for the Reyvateil qualities is tested by carrying out a [Hexagonal Plate Test] on newborn babies. If the Hexagonal Plate is absorbed by the baby's body after being pressed against her, she is positive, but if it shows no reaction, she is negative. And depending on how much of the plate was absorbed, the girl will be determined to be one of four possible classes: Class A, Class B, Class C or Class D, with Class A girls having the strongest Reyvateil qualities but also having the highest probabilities of having short lives.
There are three ways in which one can obtain Diquility: the first one is periodically buying the Tenba-produced Diquility and having prescriptions emitted for it everytime is is needed, the second is making the best of one's abilities as a Reyvateil and working for Tenba. And the third one is entering religious life by becoming a Priestess at the El Elemia Church. The girls who enroll at Tenba will have different lives depending on which Class they belong to, with Class As having their whole livelihoods guranteed by Tenba. On the other hand, while the El Elemia Church also has the A to D Class system, all the Priestesses are revered on the same level. However, living at the Church is quite harsh, and once they have entered religious life, they won't be allowed to go back to their parents any more. While some still decide to join the Church despite these conditions, the majority of parents encourage their daughters to join Tenba. As for orphans, the majority of them are given the test at Tenba-managed public institutions, and if the test shows them as positive, Tenba automatically takes them in regardless of their personal feelings on the matter.
The so-feared [Tattolist Disease] stopped being known as a disease because it became clear that its cause was the special traits unique to the Third Generation Reyvateils.
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Cosmosphere
While the physical body of the Reyvateils is made from organic components, spiritually they are made out from sounds. And due to the waves that fill the entirety of the world, all the Reyvateils are [subconsciously] connected to each other and to the Tower. Each Reyvateil possesses a unique frequency called the [Standard Spiritual Frequency], with individuals that have close frequencies having the greatest ease to sympathize with each other. Additionally, they each possess a spectrum that uses this [Standard Spiritual Frequency] as its basis, serving as the Logic for each Reyvateil, ruling over their consciousness and thoughts, and giving shape to their individual selves. Said [Reyvateil's Logic] is what receives the name of [Cosmosphere], which commonly receives the name of [Soulspace] in the Third Era. In summary, no matter how far or nearby she is from other Reyvateils or the Tower, the Cosmosphere means she will always be connected to them.
The Reyvateils sing the Songs that were born inside their own hearts (Cosmosphere). By using their [feelings] and [emotions] as their basis, they can incarnate these feelings into a Song, and gather Symphonic Power from the Tower through their Cosmospheres to change these Songs into power.
Dive
The [Crafting of a Song] is a considerably hard experience for any Reyvateil that is on her own. Due to this, a human enters into a Reyvateil's Cosmosphere and by experiencing together all sorts of fantastical experiences, they will craft Songs together. That is what the act known as [Dive] is about. These fantastical experiences have the same meaning as real-word experiences to the Reyvateil, which by becoming [Songs] allows her to give shape to her magic.
Mind Guardian
Mind Guardians is the name given to lifeforms that inhabit the Cosmospheres of the Reyvateils. Generally, they are shaped after something that each Reyvateil holds precious. The Mind Guardians' purpose is to serve as guides in the Soulspace, but they also have the task of keeping close watch over the Diver to make sure that they won't recklessly bring harm to their master's Soulspace. Incidentally, Origins such as Shurelia don't have Mind Guardians.
World for "Fun"
If a Diver does enough Diving to reach the Cosmosphere's deepest level, the Reyvateil will carry out a synchronization with Ar tonelico and she will be able to learn how to use the ultimate Song Magic. And in Aurica and Misha's case, if Lyner Dives once more into the one that has learned that new Song Magic, he will be offered a chance to go to a world for [fun] that has nothing to do with their minds. In other words, he will be invited to take part in a game accessible through Ar tonelico in which Aurica and Misha will take on a role: Aurica will be Marlone, and Misha will be Elfir in worlds that serve as parodies to the [Atelier Series]. As for Shurelia, Diving into her Cosmosphere will make her offer Lyner to pull out a game program of those that used to be played long ago from the Tower. While there were many virtual worlds available for this purpose, the world she played through with Lyner was one where she [lived a normal lfie].
In the worlds of the Atelier Series, Aurica and Misha each take on a role: Aurica appears in a Marlone costume while Misha appears in an Elfir one.
Shurelia's Cosmosphere is directly connected to the Tower's Binary Field. As it was a world where nothing existed, she suggested playing a game in it.
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Structure of the Cosmospheres
Conscious Self ^
|
|
Imaginary World Flow
of
Symphonic
Memory World Power
^
|
True Nature World |
|
Boundary Gate |
|
Memory Bus Inside the Tower |
Subconscious Self
Imaginary World
A world of delusions, so to speak. To explain it in simpler terms, this is a tabletop RPG world in which the Reyvateil acts as the Game Master. Within this delusional world she made up, she is capable of carrying out false experiences. If a particularly powerful Reyvateil trains hard enough, she could even be capable of constructing worlds such as haunted houses in order to threaten the Diver and force them away from her Cosmosphere.
If we were to consider this akin to the human brain, this is the area that rules over the thoughts and imagination, and where the Cosmosphere master's ego is displayed the strongest, which also translates to it being located in the [most superficial stratum]. As everything the Reyvateil herself thinks of will instantly influence this world, she is also capable of consciously concealing aspects she dislikes about herself. So normally, this world is the closest to her normal self, in which she talks and smiles as always.
As Misha was raised and trained on very advanced techniques, she has gotten a deep grasp on the structure of the Cosmosphere, making it a simple task for her to edit her Imaginary World. This is the reason why she was capable of showing Lyner a "faked" world in the Lv. 1 of her Cosmosphere. On the other hand, Aurica knew absolutely nothing about these techniques, reason why she couldn't modify her Lv. 1 Cosmosphere to show it to him as an Imaginary World. Instead, her own stormy Memory World was exposed to him from that same level.
Memory World
The place where past memories are locked away. While the Cosmosphere's master can hide them, she can't modify or erase them away. As this world is caused mostly by incidents called [mental scars], generally this [Memory World] is what most people encounter when they Dive into a Reyvateil. As the Memory World is composed of mental scars that cannot be erased, once the Reyvateil has become capable of healing (letting go of them), that will allow her to grow spiritually. Within the game, this Memory World has the greatest weight in Aurica's Cosmosphere, while for Misha the Imaginary and True Nature Worlds have the higher weight.
True Nature World
The world where what the Reyvateil [truly wants to do] is locked away, even if she herself hasn't realized it consciously. This world contains the ego that has transcended all that shackled her: her very true nature. Everything that is displayed in this world is unquestionably the true nature of the Cosmosphere master, no matter how much she herself tries to deny it, so it is also a selfish, egotistic and dictatorial world containing her true desires. Generally, if this world is represented in the most extreme way, it depicts facets of the Cosmosphere master that she would never show normally, displays secret dreams no one but her knows about, and it even exposes desires not even she herself might be aware of. All of that is depicted here as truth, and in such a clear way it even becomes cruel.
Boundary Gate
The Reyvateils receive energy from the Tower, which then they use as the power source to manifest their Song Magic. Due to this, the Reyvateils and the Tower are always connected by something similar to an umbilical cord. And in the middle of that Symphonic Power (magical power) transmission line, the [Boundary Gate] can be found, with its outer side being the Reyvateil's individual region and the inner side being the shared region of the Tower. The individual region is where each Reyvateil's individuality is refined, and while strictly speaking there are some special characteristics that differ between the Origins, Pureblooded Beta-Types and Third Generations, they only become clear when the Tower's power is put into suspension. Third Generations have a living body and a normal brain, which is why the suspension has next to no effect over them, while given that the Origins are one in body and soul with the Tower, they are suspended alongside it. The Origins' brains are 100% inside the Tower's Memory, so when the Tower is suspended, the Memory enters a sleep state as well. Additionally, the Boundary Gate exists to prevent fellow Reyvateils from corroding the privacy of each other, and it also serves as the wall without which the Reyvateils would be unable to form their own individual selves, even though the human qualities of each Reyvateil can't be controlled by the Tower's administration.
Memory Bus Inside the Tower
This is something the Reyvateil herself isn't aware of, as to begin with, this part is located very far away from her own thoughts and feelings. This Memory Bus serves as the concentration server that gathers the thoughts of all the Reyvateils and also acts as their power source. Entering this place from the Soulspace, or actually hacking Ar tonelico from here is impossible. Of course, Mir managed to do so, but it would have been completely impossible for her if she lacked the knowledge and technical skills for doing so.
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Airships
In the case of the airships that cover regular routes, the Flipper is made to rotate by receiving the Symphonic Power it receives from a circular discus called the Liku Disc. But given the Symphonic Power goes haywire within the Blastline, the Liku Disc is rendered unable to provide a consistent rotation under these conditions. It is due to this that the [Nabite Cap], a kinetic energy source external to the Liku Disc is needed. So in summary, the new airship models that can go beyond the Blastline are hybrid machines that use the Liku Disc for normal flight and switch over to using the Nabite Cap as their kinetic energy source within the Blastline. However, this means they also must fly through the Blastline during the time the Nabite Cap can keep supplying the airship with energy.
The Sharing Core is a system that allows a divergent conversion of the energy received from the Liku Disc into either propulsive power or Symphonic Power, which is the reason why it serves to control the Flipper's rotation speed and maintain the airship's balance. It also contains inside itself an item called the Gravard Compass, which keeps measuring accurately the airship's horizontal level, direction, and power center changes (speed). All of these are essential components to control an airship, and thus are items whose patents [Tenba] is proud to own.
An airship of the People of Horus
The airship capable of crossing the Blastline, which exists in Platina.
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Grathmeld
A new technology system that Shurelia developed so people wouldn't put Sound Science to practical uses directly anymore. It is the act of giving "Granted Magic", or in other words, bestowing the power of the Grathnodes to the items, with "Grathnodes" being the name given to the crystals that possess supernatural powers. These crystals will have differing colors depending on their special properties, with four known colors at the moment: Red, Blue, Green and Purple. The way Grathmeld works is that by allowing the Sylva Horn to read the characteristic wave frequencies (spectra) a Grathnode Crystal emits and running a program in response to them, it is possible to put into motion a magical power that causes a predetermined effect. The people of Horus have made this system their own and developed it to the point that it even allows them to create airships.
This technique was popularized at the dawn of the Third Era by a couple called Gasaki and Leila. Who they were, where they came from and where they went is a complete mystery.
Professor Pochoma, widely known by the name of [Master of Grathmelding]. He lives in the Tower Guardian, located in Karulu Village. If you can learn everything about Grathmeld and pass his final examination, he will give you the hand of his granddaughter Noelle... Or maybe not.
The Naming of the Items
Whenever Lyner does Grathmelding, his partner Reyvateil will also give him a hand with its creation. It's kind of charming, but whenever a new item is created, the heroines will give a comment such as [Can I name this OO?], with the names they think of revealing their own sense and tastes. The queen of naming sense would be Aurica after all, as she comes up with the most unique names when compared to the other two.
The Grathmelding of the Songstresses?
By forging deep bonds with the Reyvateils and going into the higher levels of their Cosmospheres, they will come and present you with items they themselves have made as well as recipes for them. While they will also make strange items such as food made out of questionable ingredients, a sweater with a gigantic heart mark and the like, as they are items that express their "feelings" for their partner, they are honestly glad to make them for you. Could this also be one of the blessings of Grathmeld?
Ar tonelicards
Trading cards that are becoming popular (?) in Ar tonelico. All sorts of rare pieces of information about this world are printed into them, so they could also have some practical value in addition to being mere collector items. The person selling them is an old man stationed at Firefly Alley's Karacola Avenue, who calls himself the [Card Master]. His card stock changes every now and then, so should be diligent when it comes to visiting him. This old man can also give you some valuable recipes.
The fun of collecting the cards doesn't just end with the Grathmelding recipes! Even if it takes all your money, let's aim to complete the Ar tonelicards collection!
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About Tenba
[Tenba] is the corporation that spread Grathmeld throughout the world, brought prosperity to the people and even now continues exposing the secrets of the Tower. The corporation's name comes from the Kanji 天 (Sky/Heaven) and 覇 (Supremacy), which translate together to [the ones who will rule over everything in this sky]. As Sol Ciel doesn't have land anymore, it's common for people to refer to their own world as [sky] instead of [land]. However, even a company of such caliber was no more than a little store in a rural town called the [Sakura Store] many years ago. Said store was opened by an individual called [Houmei], and it was a small retail shop dedicated to Grathmeld. As it can be inferred from his name, he was a man that descended from the people that lived in Sol Cluster during the First Era. He also was the landlord of the Nemo District at the time, and the same man who gave Gasaki and Leila the funds for their Grathmeld research. He was the first shop manager who worked at the Sakura Store, but afterwards, the store went through three turning points and ultimately grew to become [Tenba], the largest corporation in the Wings of Horus.
Entrance
President's Office
Grathmeld and Tenba
[Tenba] holds all the privileges and techniques related to Grathmeld. Any individuals or organizations that wish to use Grathmeld will need to request permission from Tenba first. There is an organization called the Grathmeld Development Council, commonly abbreviated to [GDC], which continually conducts research in order to create more innovative and efficient Grathmeld techniques. All the individuals and organizations that are affiliated to the GDC are made to pay annual fee to Tenbas, which are collected as royalties from their stores and used as funds for further research and development. Then, all new discoveries and developments are distributed among all the affiliates in an equal manner. This scheme allows Tenba to hold a monopoly on Grathmeld and also to gain the greatest benefit for the company. Tenba also has several control mechanisms in place so ignorant people won't be able to put their hands into Grathmeld and use it to cause disasters. However, given that Grathmeld is treated as a natural phenomenon (despite it actually being a program made by Shurelia), anyone can freely use it even if they aren't affiliated to the GDC. However, individuals and organizations that aren't affiliates won't be able to make use of the GDC-managed research facilities nor they will be able to buy any Grathnode Crystals at the shops.
Operation Details
Firefly General Research Center
A general research establishment on Grathmeld operation under the direct control of Tenba.
Public Transport Corporation [Hynemos]
The largest transportation company in Sol Ciel, which manages the traffic network [Tram] that runs through Airport City Nemo and Firefly Alley, the 3 long-distance airship routes and the 7 airship routes that run throughout the continent. The Rotating Flipper, the machine that allows controlling the airships was developed by this company.
Grathmeld Development Council (GDC)
Abbreviated as [GDC]. It is the business entity that sole-handedly takes care all the permissions and rights concerning Grathmeld. If you get a bad record here, you won't be able to buy Grathnodes in the shops, nor you will be able to attend the schools under the jurisdiction of Tenba.
Information Network [Grathnet]
The business entity that manages the public information network [Grathnet]. It establishes contracts with individuals and information shops called Reporters to then distribute the information it holds to the terminals these people own. Its main job is the distribution of information to the information poles that can be found in the streets of all the cities. It also has devices similar to information TV, of which a countless number can be see in Nemo, while the surrounding villages will always have at least one of these.
Firefly Alley Construction Agency
The business entity tasked with the building, management and expansion of Firefly Alley. They spend their days doing maintenance even now.
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The Discovery of the Reyvateils
Even though people knew the word [Reyvateil] during several hundred years after the Third Era started, they didn't know that it actually referred to a different race from them. Back then, the Sakura Store fell in financial difficulties due to the fact they had tried to expand their store branches too much. What served as the key to come back from these difficulties was an hereditary and rare disease called the [Tattoolist Syndrome], as the only treatment that actually worked to alleviate it was an item stocked by the Sakura Store called [Diquility]. Afterwards, it was demonstrated that this disease was actually a marked expression of the Reyvateil qualities that people had in their genes. The Sakura Store made a full comeback in a short time and changed their name to [Tenba], and this allowed them to embark into all sorts of projects and businesses.
Tenba - Reyvateil Workshop
El Elemia administrates the Life Extending Agent to their Reyvateils as well, but if we go back to the source, they can only make use of it because [Tenba] discovered it.
Tenba as an Army
People are constantly being attacked by monsters that come out from the Tower and beasts roaming the continent, and in order to counter them, both [Tenba] and the [Church] have formed Reyvateil squads. Tenba also has teams for carrying out research and combating these abnormal beings that have spread themselves all over the world, so it could be said they have formed the largest army in Sol Ciel, which doesn't even have a national army anymore. Tenba possesses a total of eighteen bases throughout the continent, so they dispatch their forces immediately whenever a town or village has been attacked. As the amount of people deployed varies depending on the attack's scale, the Reyvateils stationed in the nearest base to the attack are also given preferential treatment when it comes to choosing which of them will be sent to fight. Afterwards, they will carry out recovery and reconstruction labors on the site. This is especially true for the region where [Aiport City Nemo] and its three satellite cities are located, which is also called the Special Safe Zone, where by either paying the livelihood and compensation fees for Tenba or the membership fees to the Church, people can draw up individual contracts with them and use them to establish a form of security guarantee. However, this isn't the case for the frontier villages, as the contracts Tenba and the Church draw with them are village-wide. As the fees are so expensive, the costs are generally divided between all the villagers and each of them is assigned to pay a part of them. However, since there are also some households in these villages that don't pay their part, they don't receive the same treatment as the people from Nemo do.
The only opponents that Tenba has ever had were the [Teru]. Given the Teru are the guardians of the Tower and they have attacked the people who were stubborn enough to try to solve its mysteries or discover something, Tenba considers them an enormous obstacle to their goals of pushing civilization forward and bringing the secrets of the Tower to the light. However, given that Tenba has on their side Reyvateils that have been trained as combat personnel, the power of the Grathnode items and results of their research, their power has grown to the point where it would be hard to say that the Teru could still stop them.
The Treatment of the Reyvateils
The Reyvateils that work for [Tenba] have different duties and treatment depending on the Rank they have. Given that the lower Ranks such as the Class-Ds get the worst part of it, they serve as no more as [shields] and their treatment is actually quite rough. And when it comes to partners, while Reyvateils will always get assigned a guardian, there is also a difference about it that depends on the Reyvateil's own Rank. Class-As will always be assigned with an excellent partner and will always have a 1:1 ratio, but Class-Ds will never be given a specific partner. Whenever a mission begins, a Class-B partner may be assigned if there are no Class-A ones available, but even so, generally the arrangements end up with 10 to 20 Class-D Reyvateils being assigned to a single partner.
Class-A Reyvateils and partners are allowed to choose each other freely, and everything is set up so they might fall in love with each other, which will allow them to exhibit the greatest power possible. On the other hand, Class-Ds are treated just as if they were slaves.
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About the Church of El Elemia
The Church of El Elemia possesses 13 bases similarly to how [Tenba] does, so they can deploy right away to any villages or town that have sustained attacks. The history of the Church goes even further back than that of the [Sakura Store] that served as [Tenba's] predecessor. After the war that took place during the Second Era ended, shortly after the Right Wing of Horus fell, almost no one among the inhabitants of the Left Wing had a solid grasp on what actually happened. During this confusing situation, they formed an organization to investigate the truth behind these events, which was what served as the basis for Church of El Elemia. During the course of their investigations, they discovered a series of documents called the [Legends of El Elemia], which described a world that existed long ago and that prided itself on its great glory. An abundant and peaceful world that put to shame by far everything that existed now. But what actually became the key in these documents was that they described three Goddesses that could create land, heal people and even launch fire just by singing, and furthermore, it stated that they actually existed. This is what served as the basis for people to found the Church, whose goals gradually started shifting towards [reviving the Trio of Elemia]. It is said that there is a land in the upper floors of the Tower where the advanced technologies from antiquity are preserved, and this became the ground upon which the Church established one of its main suppositions: that if anyone managed to reach that [Holy Land], Platina, the Trio of Elemia would come back to life. However, this didn't truly serve any purpose but as simple peace of mind for them until 15 years ago, given there no was any concrete proof to the veracity of these legends, so the people didn't even know if the singing Goddesses actually existed or not. This was until Kyle Clancy suddenly appeared under the pseudonym Falss. He declared he was an [Apostle of Elemia], and demonstrated the usage of [Harmonics], the legendary technique that could amplify many times the powers of the Reyvateils. He even went to the point of asserting he knew the process that was needed to revive the Trio of Elemia. Therefore, the leadership of the Church at the time invited him as a [Saint] and gave him a high position in their organization. It was then that he carried out actions to form a squad dedicated solely to actually making a reality the advent of the Trio of Elemia.
Bishop Falss' Secret Chamber
The Three Sages
Kyle Clancy was one of the [Three Sages], the ones who ruled over Platina. He rued the existence of the [Covenant of Elemia], and admired the ideal of using powerful magic to regain a world filled with splendor. And a certain day, Kyle secretly became aware of an important fact: that [Shadow], who he heard from Shurelia as just being the [source for the Viruses in the Tower], actually had a Hymn Code. This Code was [MIR_TEIWAZ_ARTONELICO], a three-word Hymn Code that only Administrator-class Reyvateils could have. He frantically studied Mir and the history of Ar tonelico's antiquity, and thus he came to know about everything: about Mir's great power and the methods for bringing her back to life. He finally came to know that Mir was made to supplant Shurelia as well. However, as he was trying to carry out Mir's revival, the Star Singer at the time discovered him. They both fought due to this, but ultimately he fell off from the Symphonic Reactor and was declared [dead].
Kyle Clancy became Bishop Falss from the [Church of El Elemia], and joining forces with Bourd from [Tenba], he schemes to bring Mir back to life. They had to eliminate the Star Singer first, which was why he made Bourd attack Em Pheyna.
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Function
The roles of the Church are summarized into two points: [giving the people a land of repose] and [searching for the Trio of Elemia]. The Church gives its protection to the towns and villages under the condition that they give [contributions] that are far more reasonable than [Tenba]'s fees and that they allow the construction of a Church inside the settlement's area. So in short, all the inhabitants of the town or village become members of the Church as well once a contract with them is signed. And given the competition with [Tenba] is so fierce, they also support individual contracts in the Special Safe Zone around Nemo in the same way the conglomerate does.
As for the [Trio of Elemia], no concrete methods for bringing about their revival were established until Bishop Falss appeared: the only plans they devised were searching the ruins and studying any valuable items they brought back. What they were the most enthusiastic about though was challenging the [journey to the Holy Land, Platina]. However, the [Teru] used their great powers to guard the entirety of the way to Platina, and even if anyone managed to slip through them, they would only have found a dead end at the [Frozen Eye]. They also tried flying through the sky to it, but their ships would always crash because they would receive electric discharges as they approached the Blastline.
Goddess Tyria
The names of the Goddesses that form part of the Trio of Elemia are Eoria, Frelia and Tyria. These are the names of the three Origins.
Hierarchical Structure
The Church has two main positions: the [Priests] which have the [Bishop] at their top, and the [Cantors] that Reyvateils become upon joining. There are four kinds of Priests in total: the [Cardinals], [High Priests], [Deacons] and [Novices], and High Priests and Deacons all must form a partnership with a Reyvateil that has become Cantor. The Bishop and Cardinals are unable to have Reyvateil partners, so their partnerships are rescinded when they ascend to these ranks. Incidentally, Radolf had a partner called Fayma before becoming Cardinal.
All the Reyvateils that join the Church as [Cantors] will first undergo a training process that lasts for about a month, and afterwards they will be introduced to the Priest that will serve as their partner in a ceremony called the [Baptism]. Generally, this Priest will be chosen from among the Novices, with the person tasked with carrying out the selection being a Cardinal, but because the Church generally respects the wills of the [Cantors], it is a rarity for a Cardinal to be nominating their partners: they only intervene and carry out the nomination themselves in cases such as a Priest not having the appropriate Meld skills to be able to support his partner if she happens to be a particularly strong Class-A Reyvateil. Once the Novices and the Cantors have entrusted themselves to the Church's care, they generally won't be allowed to go back home. And while they basically have their livelihood guaranteed, their wages aren't anywhere near the ones that the [Tenba] Corporation gives their employees. So in contrast to the high-risk high-return lifestyle the corporation gives, the Church gives a lifestyle rife in restrictions, but also stable and simple.
Statue of the Songstress and the Guardian:
The models for this statue were actually Shurelia and Tastiella. The image everyone had of the two people who saved the world was very vague though, and at some point it changed to the shape it currently has.
The Legends of El Elemia and Goddess Mir
The Church that worships the Legends of El Elemia. While they essentially should have been worshiping the [Trio of Elemia], the fact that they were actually putting all their energy into worshiping Mir due to Bishop Falss' schemes was quite disgraceful to the majority of its Priests.
However, the people of the Second Era were all worshiping that same Mir as well, as she was regarded as the second coming of the Trio of Elemia and was also worshiped at the Temple consecrated to the Trio. This was because during the Second Era, Mir single-handedly had made a reality almost everything the legends (from the First Era) said the Trio of Elemia did. Due to this, that people continued worshiping her until the moment she became the cause for the great collapse was seen as something normal for the society at the time.
Ignorant to the truth behind their legends, the Church that pursued the [Legends of El Elemia] was the ideal organization for Kyle.
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Song Magic
The Hymmnos Word
The Reyvateils craft Song Magic in their Cosmospheres, which they can manifest into reality through their singing. That too is one of the blessings from Ar tonelico.
The magic the Reyvateils use is generally divided into two broad categories: Song Magic and Hymmnos. Song Magic is the Songs that they use by channeling power from the Tower, while Hymmnos is the Songs that exert control over the Tower. Song Magic can also be strengthened further through Installs. And there is also a technique that allows a Reyvateil to manifest many times their natural power when they synchronize with a human: this technique is known as [Harmonics]. As [Harmonics] is regarded as a legendary technique in the Third Era, it is thought that only the [Apostles of Elemia] who reside in the Upper World can use it, but in truth even the inhabitants of the Wings of Horus can use it if they learn how it is done. As for their execution, while both Hymmnos and Song Magic are carried out by the Tower reading the Reyvateil's will, it is also a sequential a process that goes along the Time Axis. However, given that the Tower is directly connected to the thoughts of its daughters, it executes the Songs not from listening to their voices, but by searching for a complete picture of the Song they are imagining as they sing them and using it as an order to carry out the execution process. Therefore, a particular Song Magic will always be executed with effects as similar as possible regardless of in which situation or with which melody it is sung.
Song Magic is divided into three kinds: Blue Magic, Green Magic, and Red Magic. The Reyvateils craft new Song Magic in their Cosmospheres.