This is all fascinating. Are you on the discord server? I would love to talk with you more about these theories and your translations. It’s long bugged me that some parts of the lore are inconsistent in the American version.
Would you have any interest in helping with other translations? Such as lore from guidebooks?
Thank you very much, @Skiad_Ops_Retro!
I’m not on Discord server. Unfortunately, lately I don’t have much time, due to some circumstances, and it is difficult to choose time for online conversations, so ask questions here or via private messages. I will answer as soon as I can.
About other translations – yes, I am planning on translating lore parts from the guide and poster for the first Panzer Dragoon game, some bits of information from “Die Welt Von Panzer Dragoon Zwei”, and information from the Japanese manual for Panzer Dragoon Saga.
Also, if it is possible to get scans, I would like to translate important parts from “Azel: Panzer Dragoon RPG Official Guide” (Panzer Dragoon Legacy - Azel: Panzer Dragoon RPG Official Guide Front Cover).
And maybe even something from “Panzer Dragoon Azel Novel”, if there are scans (Panzer Dragoon Legacy - Panzer Dragoon Azel Front Cover).
And if there are other official lore-related materials about any Panzer Dragoon games, I can help with translations.
But I don’t promise to do everything at once, though.
Atolm descriptions
Atolm Dragon
アトルムドラゴン1
禁止区域で戦った。
このドラゴンも、伝説と同じく、敵を追う光の矢を武器にしている。
一度に数十本もの光の矢を放つ攻撃が、特に危険だ。
Translation:
｢Atolm Dragon 1
Encountered at the Forbidden Zone.
This dragon, similar to the ones from the legends, also uses arrows of light, that chase enemies, as a weapon.
The attack with shooting dozens of arrows of light at once is especially dangerous.｣
Atolm, Orbs
アトルムドラゴン2
こいつとは、ウルで再び戦うことになったが、この時も決着をつけることはできなかった。
出会うたびに、新しい力を身につけているようだ。
Translation:
｢Atolm Dragon 2
I had to fight with this thing once again in Uru, but this time too, I wasn’t able to settle the dispute.
Each time we come across, he appears to have new powers.｣
Atolm, Ancient
アトルムドラゴン3
アゼルが乗るアトルムの最終形態。
巨大な雷撃兵器を装備して襲ってきたが、どうにか倒すことができた。
彼女の唯一のパートナーを奪うことになってしまったが…。
Translation:
｢Atolm Dragon 3
The last form of Atolm that Azel rode.
He was equipped with a huge lightning weapon and attacked with it, but I was able to defeat him somehow.
She ended up being deprived of her only partner… .｣
Atolm, Orbs II
アトルムドラゴン4 – “Atolm Dragon 4”, the description is the same as for Atolm Dragon 3.
Arangata description
マサーン
塔から生まれ出た純血種がゾアの森に根づいたもの。
森の上空に出ている部分を攻撃しても、力の源である根が活動している限り効きめがない。
Translation:
｢Masaan
Pure blood class that was born by the Tower, took root in the Forest of Zoah.
Attacking the part that is in the skies above the forest won’t have any effect as long as the roots, that are the source of energy, are active.｣
Infested Grig Orig description
寄生グリグオリグ
帝国軍旗艦グリグオリグに攻性生物がとりついた姿。
皇帝砲はまだ生きていたが人間が操っているわけではなく、ただやみぐもに撃っているだけだった。
Translation:
｢Parasitized Grig Orig
The Imperial flagship Grig Orig, possessed by aggressive creatures.
The Emperor Canon was still functional, but it was not operated by humans, it was just shooting mindlessly.｣
[Note: “mindlessly” may also be translated as “blindly” or “aimlessly”].
Glide Dragon description
量産ドラゴン
ゾアの森で戦った。
これは帝国アカデミーでの呼び名だ。昔、ドラゴンが帝都に現れた時、
大量に目撃されたらしい。
こいつも、旧世紀生まれの血統書つきなのだろう。
Translation:
｢Mass-produced Dragon
Encountered in the Forest of Zoah.
The name – is a common name used at the Imperial Academy. Seemingly, the dragons were sighted in large numbers when they appeared in the Imperial Capital a long time ago.
I think they are also with a pedigree that originates from the Old Century.｣
Glide Dragon description from the Official Guide for the first Panzer Dragoon game, page 89
量産型ドラゴン
ドラゴン系攻性生物の量産タイプ。
空中戦用に開発された生物兵器だ。
Translation:
｢Mass-produced Type Dragon
Mass-produced type of dragon group of aggressive creatures.
It is a biological weapon developed for aerial combat.｣
About aggressive creatures, from the Japanese manual for Panzer Dragoon Saga, page 57
攻性生物
旧世紀の残した人類の天敵。元々は、旧世紀の戦争に利用された道具といわれるが、定かではない。
確かなのは、彼らの存在が人間の生存を脅かす凶悪な生物ということだけである。
その多くは硬い甲皮に覆われ、高度な知能と戦闘能力を併せ持つ。
近年研究が進むにつれ、攻性生物に「純血種」と「変異種」の2種類が存在することが判明している。
純血種はハンターの間で「血統書付き」などと呼ばれ、遺跡の側に生息し、白い甲皮と強力な攻撃方法を持つ。
一方、変異種は群で周回し、移動先の環境に適応したさまざまな近似種が見受けられる。
Translation.
｢Aggressive Creatures
Natural enemies of mankind, left behind by the Old Century. It is said that originally they were used as tools in the war in the Old Century, but it is uncertain.
What is certain, is that they are atrocious creatures, whose existence is threatening to survival of humans.
Many of them are covered with strong shell, and have both advanced intelligence and combat abilities.
With progression of studies in recent years, 2 categories of aggressive creatures have been defined, - “Pure Blood Class” and “Mutated Class”.
Pure Blood Class aggressive creatures are called “with a pedigree” among hunters; they live near ruins, and have strong white shell and powerful offensive techniques.
Whereas Mutated move around in groups, and various similar species, that adapted to the environment to which they migrated, can be seen.｣
Wow. Thank you so much for this. I feel relieved the translation was good in and on itself. I also heard for years it was supposedly bad and that the two translators often just guessed. Which would seem weird as who would hire translators who didn’t master the language they were translating from? Also this game was the most expensive video game in history until shenmue so I doubt they would’ve cut on this.
I’m glad it helped!
The official translation is good, but unfortunately the translators decided to rewrite some parts of the lore.
From “Azel – Panzer Dragoon RPG Official Guide”
About Azel, page 17
Text in English – “Character of Azel”
Paragraph 1
数千年の時を越えて目覚めたアゼルは、自分を解放してくれた者のために戦い続ける。
Translation:
｢Awakened after thousands of years, Azel fights for the person who freed her.｣
Paragraph 2 - 発掘所で眠りにつくアゼル, -「Azel, sleeping at the Excavation Site」
ベッドに半分身を沈めるようにして、旧世紀の時代から数千年間の眠りについていたアゼル。
クレイメンはどこからかアゼルの存在を聞きつけ、帝国の手に渡るよりも早くアゼルを連れ去ることに成功する。
そんな外界の動乱を気づく様子もなくアゼルは眠り続ける。
クレイメンの手によって長い眠りから開放されるときまで…。
Translation
｢Half-submerged in the bed, Azel has been sleeping for thousands of years since the Old Century period.
Craymen had learned about Azel’s existence from somewhere, and succeeded in kidnapping Azel before the Empire could get hold of her.
Unaware of the upheaval in the outer world, Azel continues to sleep.
Until the moment she is freed from the long sleep by Craymen…… .｣
[Note:
“learned […] from somewhere” may also be translated as “heard […] from somewhere”].
Paragraph 3 - ウル・地下遺跡にて, - 「In the Underground Ruins of Uru」
塔に向かおうとするエッジを阻止するためにアトルムドラゴンで迎え撃つアゼルだったが、ふたりともドラゴンから投げ出されて地下遺跡に落下してしまう。
遺跡内でエッジと出会ったアゼルは、この地から脱出するためにふたりの力を合わせることを提案した。
アゼルが旧世紀から受け継いでいる知識が、ふたりで協力するほうがいいと判断したのだ。
Translation
｢To prevent Edge from going to the Tower, Azel intercepted him with Atolm Dragon, but both of them were thrown off from the dragons and fell down in the Underground Ruins.
After crossing paths with Edge in the ruins, Azel suggested to join their forces in order to escape from that place.
Azel inherited the knowledge from the Old Century, and it was decided that it would be better for both of them to cooperate.｣
Paragraph 4 - ウル脱出、そして… 「Escape from Uru, and then……」
地下から脱出したアゼルは、エッジをただの敵とは思えなくなっていた。
それでも自分を解放してくれたクレイメンに刃向かう限り、エッジは倒さなければならない存在となる。
そのことを告げると、アゼルはアトルムドラゴンと共に去ってしまった。クレイメンの元へ。
この先、いったい何が待ち受けているのかもわからぬままに…。
Translation
｢After escaping from the underground, Azel could no longer think of Edge as just an enemy.
Nevertheless, Edge will have to be killed if he opposes Craymen, who freed her.
After telling him this, Azel left with Atolm Dragon. To Craymen’s location.
Not knowing what awaits her in the future…… .｣
About Edge, page 18
Text in English – “Character of Edge”
Paragraph 1
仲間の仇を追うエッジの旅は、運命の流れによって大きく変貌することになる。
Translation:
｢Edge’s journey to avenge his companions will be greatly transformed by the flow of fate.｣
Paragraph 2 - ドラゴンとの出会い, - 「Meeting with the dragon」
ツァスタバの銃弾を受けながら奇跡的に一命を取りとめたエッジだったが、発掘所地下で攻性生物の群に囲まれてしまう。
その危機を救ってくれたのがドラゴンだった。
翼を持つ巨大な姿におびえるエッジに対し、ドラゴンはその背に乗るようにうながすのだった。
Translation
｢Miraculously survived after being hit by Zastava’s bullet, Edge was surrounded by a group of aggressive creatures at the bottom of the Excavation Site.
It was the dragon who saved him from that critical situation.
Edge was frightened by the huge figure with wings, but the dragon urged him to ride on its back.｣
Paragraph 3 - 少年時代のエッジ, - 「Edge’s childhood」
傭兵部隊の隊長だった父親を幼い頃に亡くし、傭兵の仲間に育てられた。
傭兵部隊がエッジの家族であり、なかでも隊長は父親がわりとしてエッジに接したのだった。
隊長のエッジに対する思いは、彼の日記から読み取ることができる。
そんな強い絆で結ばれた仲間を目の前で失ってしまったからこそ、エッジはクレイメンを追い続けるのだ。
Translation
｢Edge lost his father, who was the captain of the mercenary group, at a very young age, and was raised by the mercenary companions.
The mercenary group was Edge’s family, and the captain tried to be as a father to Edge.
Captain’s attitude towards Edge can be learned from his diary.
Edge saw his companions, with whom he had such a strong bond, killed in front of his eyes, - because of this he pursues Craymen.｣
About Craymen, page 24
Text in English – “Character of Craymen”
Paragraph 1
策士か、反逆者か帝国に反旗をひるがすクレイメンの真意どこにあるというのか
Translation:
｢A tactician? A traitor? What are the true motives behind Craymen’s rebellion against the Empire?｣
[Note: “tactician” may also be translated as “intriguer” or “schemer”].
Paragraph 2 - クレイメン率いる特務部隊, - 「Special Forces led by Craymen」
帝国軍特務部隊を率いるクレイメンは隊員のから信頼が厚く、忠実で優秀な部下が数多くいる。
なかでも副官であるアーウェンは、常に冷静な判断を下す職業軍人である。
他の部隊で問題を起こしたツァスタバがクレイメンに恩義を感じているのも、彼の信頼度の高さを物語っている。
Translation
｢The leader of the Imperial Army Special Forces, Craymen is highly trusted by the troops and has many loyal subordinates, including outstanding ones.
Among them, Arwen, his aide, a professional soldier who always makes rational decisions.
What also tells about high level of confidence in Craymen, - is that Zastava, who caused problems in other unit, feels indebted to him.｣
Paragraph 3 - 若かりし日のクレイメン, - 「Craymen in his younger days」
かつてのクレイメンは、技術研究を帝国軍特務部隊のアカデミー審査官であった。
そのためにクレイメンは旧世紀の遺物に詳しくなり、そのときに得たなんらかの情報が、今回の反逆に結びついたのではないかと思われるのだが。
Translation
｢Formerly, Craymen was the Academy Patent Examiner in the field of technical research for the Imperial Army Special Forces.
Thus, Craymen had become very knowledgeable of the artifacts of the Old Century, and it seems that some information he acquired at that time resulted in his rebellion in the present.｣
Paragraph 4 - クレイメンとの再会, - 「Reunion with Craymen」
仇と狙っているエッジと対面するクレイメン。
彼の口から語られる意外な事実が、エッジをさらなる戦いへ導くことになる。
Translation
｢Craymen faces Edge, who seeks revenge.
Unexpected facts told him by Craymen lead Edge into another battle.｣
Correction of translation, post #34
Parasitized Grig Orig description
“The Emperor Canon” is “The Emperor Cannon”.
About Aggressive Creatures
The last sentence.
Instead of this: “Whereas Mutated move around in groups, and various similar species, that adapted to the environment to which they migrated, can be seen.”
this:
“Whereas Mutated move around in groups; and various kinds of related species, that adapted to the environment to which they migrated, can be seen”.
Alternative translation:
“Whereas Mutated travel in swarms; and various groups of related species, that adapted to the environment to which they migrated, can be observed”.
Drone Record, the Japanese version
Description in inventory (from COMMON.DAT)
ﾄﾞﾛｰﾝﾚﾎﾟｰﾄ, – ｢Drone Report｣
旧世紀の人型創造物に関するシーカーの研究書, - ｢Seekers’ study of humanoid creatures of the Old Century｣
The main part (from MENUBK.BIN)
ドローン自律構造体に関する記録
はじめに
スキアド・オプス・ランディと「編み人」ピネハスによる記録。
以下に記すのは、ウル近辺で発掘した情報系構造体に収められていた記録の解読である。
その内容は、「ドローン」と呼ばれる創造物に関するものである。
しかし、このようなものが実際に発掘されたという記録は、「編み人」の間には伝わっていない。
ドローンの機能
他種自律構造体との同調・制御。
複雑かつ巨大な構造体と同調するにはそれに比例して高度な思考レベルが必要となる。
しかし、思考レベル８０以上の個体の生産は、自我発生の可能性が極めて高いので、全面的に禁じられている。
自我発生による障害
自我発生症状をきたしたドローンは、以下の障害を併発する。
１）同調機能障害
２）論理パターン混乱
３）命令認識障害
これらの障害の修復は極めて困難であり、ほとんどの症例が廃棄処分となっている。
ただし、同調機能障害については、強度の心理的ショックによって修復する場合がある。
エネルギー補給
エネルギー消費量が極めて低いため、特定の場合（休眠状態からの再起動・ショックによる機能停止時など）を除き、外部からのエネルギー補給は不要である。
生産・稼動状況
思考器官の複雑さゆえに、生産数は微々たるものであり、重要度の高い生産施設の統括用として、優先的に配備されている。
また、高機能攻性生物の頭脳として利用する計画も進行中である。
Translation
｢Records about Drone Autonomous Structures
Preface
Records by Sukiado・ Opusu・Lundi and “Compiler” Pinekhas.
What is written below is a deciphering of the records that were stored in the Information System Structures excavated in the vicinity of Uru.
The contents are about creatures known as drones.
However, no records have been circulating among “Compilers” about such objects have actually been excavated.
Function of Drones
Synchronization with other Autonomous Structures and control of them.
Synchronization with complex and huge structures requires a proportionally high thinking level.
However, producing individuals with thinking level higher than 80 is strictly prohibited because of extremely high possibility of genesis of ego.
Disorders due to the Genesis of Ego
Drones in condition of genesis of ego have the following disorders.
１）Synchronization dysfunction
２）Confusion in logic patterns
３）Order recognition impairment
Correcting these disorders is extremely difficult and in most cases such drones are discarded.
However, synchronization dysfunction can be corrected in case of strong psychological shock.
Energy Replenishment
The amount of energy consumption is extremely low, and aside from some specific circumstances (for example, rebooting from dormant condition, stopping functioning due to shock, etc.) energy replenishment from outside sources is unnecessary.
Status of Production and Operation
Because of complexity of their thinking organs, their production rate is very low, and they are prioritized for deployment to control highly important production facilities.
Also, plans are underway for using them as brains of advanced aggressive creatures.｣
Notes
“Humanoid” may be translated as “human-shaped”.
“Deciphering” may be translated as “decoding”.
“Genesis of ego” may be translated differently, for example “development of ego/self”, “emergence of ego/self”, “outbreak of ego/self”, or any synonyms that suit better.
“Control highly important production facilities” may be translated as “supervise/coordinate highly important production facilities”.
“Advanced aggressive creatures “, - more literal is “high-performance aggressive creatures”.
Addition
Drone Report is mentioned in the list of all items in V-Jump’s unofficial guide for Saga
[Panzer Dragoon Legacy - V-Jump's Azel: Panzer Dragoon RPG Guide Front Cover].
It is on the page 34, line 7 from the bottom of the page.
Name: ドローンレポート, - ｢Drone Report｣
Description: 旧世紀の人造生物に関するシーカーの研究書, - ｢Seekers’ Study of artificial creatures of the Old Century｣
Drone Report is not listed in an unofficial guide with black cover.
About an unofficial guide for Panzer Dragoon Saga (black cover; written by Famitsu)
[Panzer Dragoon Legacy - Azel: Panzer Dragoon RPG Guide Book Front Cover]
About Azel, page 154
1 ) Most of the information on the page 154 is taken from the Japanese version of Drone Record (Drone Report), - text from the file MENUBK.BIN that is absent from the game.
There is nothing said about “drone autonomous structures” and genesis of ego in the game, and I haven’t seen anything like that in official materials.
In most cases slightly different terms are used in the guide:
in Drone Report - “genesis of ego” (自我発生), in the guide - “ego-genesis disorder” (自我発生障害);
in Drone Report - “thinking level” (思考レベル), in the guide - “thinking quotient/index” (思考指数).
It is said in the guide that drones can be repaired completely from the ego-genesis disorder in case of psychological shock, but in the Drone Report it is said only about correcting synchronization dysfunction.
2 ) In the guide it is said that Azel listened to Craymen because of ego-genesis disorder, but it is not true: until the last part of the game she was more like a simple drone, “no island to cling to”. It is straightforwardly said several times in the game, and even by Azel herself.
And, according to the logic from this guide, if she had ego-genesis disorder from the beginning of the game, it would be impossible for her to control Atolm; and she wouldn’t listen to Craymen, because of order recognition impairment. This is self-contradictory.
And I seriously doubt that Edge’s eye in inverted colors was shown for no reason in the FMV in the Tower before Azel lost consciousness. But there is nothing written about it in the guide.
Moreover, there is nothing said about Azel’s incomplete imprinting, which must be the reason why she listened to Craymen.
3 ) I doubt that Azel was reprogrammed by the “Destruction Faction”, and that they added a will to destroy the Tower and functions to open the path to Sestren.
Azel was created to control the Tower, - Zadoc, and Azel herself, said so.
Craymen thought that she was created by the opposition to take away control of the Tower, not to destroy it.
In the Tower everything is designed for Azel, she was stolen with her “bed”, where her name was written, and she was named not by the opposition.
She didn’t have a will for destroying the Tower; at least there are no signs of it in the game, as far as I can see.
Judging by the information from the memory units from Uru, it is not an easy task to create a drone (before Azel was created, there were at least 16 failed prototypes), and I suppose reprogramming is also not easy.
She was stolen when her imprinting was still incomplete, - maybe the opposition timed the moment of stealing, so they could just “brainwash” her into thinking what they needed without doing any technical alterations.
So, it seems that she had all her abilities from the beginning, without the opposition’s reprogramming.
Azel was left in the opposition’s laboratories in the state she was stolen.
And, to be more precise, maybe the opposition couldn’t even bring her to the laboratories, since they are located much further underground, and the opposition just brought Azel to the vicinity of their hideout and had to leave her there for some reason.
4 ) About “Edge’s will”.
In the last part of the game, in the Tower, it is clear that Edge didn’t want to go to Sestren, he went only because of Azel.
And in the Control Room before going to Sestren, Edge offered Azel to go away. He didn’t want to go to Sestren, it wasn’t his will.
Excavation Site
Excavation Site #74 is actually Excavation Site #4, “4番発掘所”.
It is called so 2 times in the first cutscene.
The number may be important.
Also, the location that is called “Excavation Site #4” in the English version, is “発掘所周辺”, - “Near the Excavation Site” or “Periphery/Outskirts of the Excavation Site” in the Japanese version.
About Solo Wing forms, page 14 of the second part of the guide
Prototype Dragon is listed in the paragraph about the forms from Zwei. But the description is correct, that he is an enemy from the first game.
Maybe it was done just for aesthetic reasons, but still.
Skydart is spelled as “Skydirt”. It is not a big deal, but it is a bit strange, since this guide is by Famitsu, and Famitsu worked on “Die Welt Von Panzer Dragoon Zwei”, where it is spelled correctly several times.
About Craymen
The theory that Craymen is Kyle Fluge originated from this guide.
In my opinion, taking into account that this guide is unofficial, and that there are inaccuracies, just the fact that this theory is mentioned there, cannot be a proof that Craymen is Kyle.
Even the authors themselves question their own theory and don’t insist that this is true.
The theory is not baseless, there are clues (written information and visual “symbolism”) in the game and in some official materials that support it, and I investigate it myself.
I don’t know how long it will take me to figure it out (and I am not sure that I will be able to, or that there will be any results), so I will write some facts that potentially may be useful.
[Note: all facts are taken from the official materials, mostly from [ sega.co.jp ]. I will post full translations along with corresponding posts or separately sometime later]
1 ) Before enrolling in the Imperial Academy, Craymen was a simple Imperial citizen.
Kyle Fluge was a hunter. However, it seems that hunters are not considered to be “simple citizens”.
It is written on [ sega.co.jp ] that those, who want to make a fortune quickly or just to go away from the Empire’s control, run away and become hunters or join caravans.
In the same time, it is said that hunters, since they hunt aggressive creatures, have some knowledge of the Old Century.
The first Panzer Dragoon game begins in a remote area, at the frontier.
That area is called “竜の遺跡”, “Dragon’s Ruins”; it is about 97 km from the Imperial Capital, if I am correct.
From the Japanese version of the first game, from the first FMV, when the hunters saw the Imperial battleship:
すごい…
帝国の空中戦艦か。
でも、なんでこんな辺境に?
Translation:
｢Wow…
The Imperial Army aerial warship?
But why in such a remote area? [/or “But why at the frontier?”]｣
So, if Craymen was Kyle, - then, before enrolling in the Academy, a hunter Kyle somehow had to become a “simple Imperial citizen” Craymen.
There can be many assumptions, - for example, that Kyle gained resources, changed his identity (or not) and returned to the Empire.
On [ sega.co.jp ] it is written that Kyle has not been seen after the events of the first game.
Something similar is written about all protagonists.
About Lundi – that he was sighted among Seekers.
About Edge – that his whereabouts after the events at the Excavation Site #4 are unknown, but he was sighted in Garil Desert and in the Town of Zoah.
Edge was alive after the Town of Zoah, - he was in the Tower, Seekers’ Stronghold (both are hidden locations), burning forest of Zoah, and then again in the Tower.
It may be written this way just to avoid spoilers.
Or those who were monitoring everything lost a sight of Edge, and it may be a hint that they also lost sight of Kyle after the events of the first game.
Also, Edge is usually called a hunter.
Or maybe Kyle was transported to a very remote area and couldn’t get back, or decided not to go back.
But it also may be that developers just silently removed him from the future events.
2 ) To activate the Tower from the first game, all engines from all aerial battleships of the 2nd Armored Regiment were attached to it.
The unit, where Zastava caused problems before he was taken to Special Forces, - is the 2nd Air Cavalry Regiment.
Maybe the 2nd Armored Regiment was restructured into the 2nd Air Cavalry Regiment, since there were no more engines for heavy battleships.
3 ) On [ sega.co.jp ] it is written that since many soldiers supported Craymen’s ideas and left the Empire, there must be some serious reasons behind his actions.
4 ) Excavation Site from the episode 3 from the first Panzer Dragoon is #9.
If the numbers are given sequentially, then excavations at the Excavation Site #4 began earlier.
5 ) In the first FMV in Saga, during the footage of detonation in the Imperial Capital, the first flash is coming from the water, seemingly from the same direction where the Tower was in the first game. This flash has a “broken” pattern that is very similar to the pattern of exploding Tower from the first game.
And maybe it is not a coincidence.
Judging by what the Emperor’s subordinate says in the first FMV in the Japanese version of Saga, Craymen destroyed the Imperial Capital by detonating the underground ruins.
Maybe these ruins were a part of the Tower from the first game, and it is what is left after the destruction of that Tower.
Also, Craymen was not a renegade before the events at the Excavation Site #4.
In the Japanese version Captain said to Edge that he heard about Craymen, the leader of the Black Fleet, and that he thought it was him; and that Edge should pursue him and bring back the “artifact” (Azel), in order to survive.
There are other facts, but I will write about them sometime later, - there is a lot of information to recheck.
There may be other inaccuracies in this guide, but I also need to recheck information regarding them.
According to Wildman, that guide is not really inaccurate. Li Vis is mentioned there before it was in Panzer Dragoon Orta.
From Wildman on our Discord:
The book’s credits say that Sega supervised and provided material support.
In addition, more than 10 Team Andromeda core staffs are listed in the credits under their personal names, including Mr. Futatsugi, Mr. Kusunoki, Mr.Sakai, Mr. Iwade, and Mr.Yokota, Mr. Okunari, Mr.Mukaiyama, etc.
For example, the nation Li Vis was first published in this book and is included in Orta. If this is a writer’s fan-fiction, then there are copyright issues, which means that almost all of the material is sourced from material by Team Andromeda.
Of course, not all of the text was produced by Team Andromeda, as it was written by the Famitsu editorial team. However, they are not mere fan-fiction either, as they were officially supervised by Team Andromeda.
For example, Kyle-Craymen is mentioned in official documents as a manual for PS2 AGES.
I apologize if I wrote something wrong, I just wanted to understand what has happened.
As I know, Wildman works for Sega, and I’m not going to argue with him, - of course, he knows better about the situation.
I’m not saying that everything in the guide is incorrect, but… Still, there are inaccuracies that contradict the game: information about Azel, even if Drone Report is taken into account; the number of Excavation Site is incorrect, - #4 mentioned not only in the game, but on
[https://web.archive.org/web/20010902224542/http://www.sega.co.jp/sega/saturn/andro_hp/yougo/yougo_a.htm ] (the last paragraph, about Edge, “第４発掘所”).
And I’m also suspicious of some other things, for example, that Sestren is an AI.
As I see it, Famitsu were given some arts, information, including what was cut from the game, but still canon to the Panzer Dragoon universe (Drone Report may be an example).
And Famitsu did a plot analysis, but they made some mistakes.
Can it be something like this?
As I understand, the developers of Orta also took some concepts that were cut from Saga.
For example:
Elder Ponta – concept of Juba [ Panzer Dragoon Legacy - Juba ];
Spherical Wormriders’ helmets – in the official guide on the page 111, upper screenshot, the Town of Zoah, there is a humanoid figure with a round helmet (at the background, near the reddish tent). This screenshot is also in this unofficial guide on the page 20, but it is very small.
In the interview from the official guide, about concepts of Azel:
“[…] the earlier versions of Azel were much more frightening and intimidating […]”;
“[…] in our first illustrations, she had a hole in her torso […]”.
Abadd’s design suits the description: Panzer Dragoon Legacy - Abadd
If I am correct about it, can it be the same with Li Vis?
I’m not sure how it works from the legal standpoint, it is a collaboration, so maybe it is a normal practice to supervise unofficial, but still not fan fiction, content that is going to be sold, to ensure that there won’t be anything that may harm the image of the original work. But if it is really an unofficial plot analysis, then the owners of the original work can’t insist on correctness of everything.
But I know that usage of official content is allowed under license.
Also, I didn’t say that the theory about Craymen was not true.
As the developers said in the interview in the official guide: “[…] there were many things we couldn’t include in the game. But because we did depict other things with great detail and care, I think players who diligently gather all the info and hints scattered about the world will be able to imagine what was left unsaid.”
It is what I tried to do, - to find clues in official materials, outside of Famitsu guide.
And there is something else, I wanted to write about it later, thought.
On [ sega.co.jp ], in the block with questions to developers, someone asked about the release of Famitsu guide. And in the answer there is a phrase “Who is Craymen?..”. It may be an indirect confirmation, but, I’m not sure if the answer was serious.
I haven’t seen SEGA AGES manual, but if there, and, especially, in internal Sega documents, Craymen is directly (not indirectly) called Kyle, - then, my “investigation” is really meaningless, I guess.
And, once again, I apologize if I wrote something wrong.
No worries. Also from Wildman, about Azel:
This is a translation problem.
“自我発生” → “(Drone) will become self-aware (ego occurs)”
"自我発生"障害 → “(Drone) will become self-aware (Drone’s ego occurs)” + failureDrones having an ego is a failure for developers. It acts like Azel and Abadd, without following Sestren.
The nuance is different from the disorder of the disease.The guidebooks are written in the style of historical documents and require a high level of Japanese vocabulary (and knowledge of science fiction terminology).
And as for Sega Ages, we have this translation from Wildman:
p5.
青きドラゴンに騎乗したハンターのその後の行いを知る者にとって、彼らの無法さは根深く、帝国を揺るがすほどの危険性を持ったことは明白である。↓
For those who know the subsequent deeds of the hunter who mounted the blue dragon(Kyle), it is clear that their(a hunter) lawlessness was deep-rooted and dangerous enough to shake the empire.
This translation is basically DeepL with my correction of the singular-plural difference and the addition of a subject supplement. Older translation machines may miss some nuances and mistranslate.
I understand about the translation.
I’m really not into science fiction terminology, but I wrote that it can be translated differently.
And I tried to “coordinate” translations of Drone Report and guidebook, since I haven’t posted my version of translation.
There is some medical terminology:
症状 “symptoms/condition of a patient”;
思考指数 “thinking quotient/index” is seemingly based on IQ concept, which is 知能指数 (and numbers 80 and 120);
ego-genesis disorder, or ego-developmental disorder, seems to be connected to the real life “Loevinger’s stages of ego development” theory, and there is even an “autonomous” stage of developing of ego in this theory.
So, I decided to stylize it like a medical document.
Also, I translated it closer to the dictionary meaning “genesis", since it may be important somewhere.
I’m rechecking information between all official guides, and there may be some correlation in terminology, etc.
Actually, there is a correlation between Drone Report and “Die Welt Von Panzer Dragoon Zwei”, the term “individual”, I left it on purpose. And not only this term.
Also, honestly speaking, I don’t take Orta’s canon into account when making translations, and I haven’t thought much about listening to Sestren.
But, I don’t understand something: if they are “Autonomous Structures” shouldn’t they listen not to Sestren but to humans, and be able to act on their own, at some small degree in case of emergency situation? Like Abadd, for example. I don’t think he had developed ego/self.
As I understand, Sestren controls aggressive creatures via the Tower, not directly. And Azel was created to control the Tower… Sestren was created to serve the people of the Old Century, not vice versa.
About Sega Ages, - it is indirect.
Once again, I’m not saying the theory is not true, I just wanted to find something more substantial.
I read in another thread, Wildman wrote that there is not much unpublished information about Craymen.
The most obscure part of the theory is what happened to Kyle after the first game, and how he became Craymen. There is also some visual “symbolism” that I mentioned, but it is a bit long story.
I also think that is not that simple as Craymen just loathes the Empire’s ways. There must be something else.
Just to avoid misunderstanding.
“Medical document”, - I was talking about the Japanese version of Drone Record (Drone Report), post #39:
Timeline. From “AZEL -Panzer Dragoon RPG- Official Guide”, page 89
Link: Timeline. AZEL -Panzer Dragoon RPG- Official Guide_page 89.docx - Google Documenten
Notes
This timeline is from the official guide, however there are some mistakes in years, but I left the original text and dates without changes.
In the timeline from the official Sega site these years are correct, and inaccuracies in the guide seem to be because one entry was removed, and the authors of the guide didn’t correct the years (years 100-119).
There are other inconsistencies between the official timelines (and something else), but I’ll skip it for now.
The link to the official timeline on Sega site:
https://web.archive.org/web/20010903000103/www.sega.co.jp/sega/saturn/andro_hp/nennpyou.htm
In the year 102 (the correct year is 110) it is written about failed testing of Special No. 0 Missile.
In the Japanese version of Saga, Deathmaker is “特0号噴進弾ヴァラーハ”, ｢Special No. 0 Missile Vallarha｣.
Both official timelines end on the year 123, while the timeline in Famitsu guide for Saga ends on the year 121, - the year when the guide, which is Seekers’ compilation, was completed.
So, something must have happened in the year 123. It may be the year when Edge returned from Sestren.
It is written in Famitsu guide (page 92) that narrators heard about a girl riding a coolia, who looked similar to Azel, but they doubt that she was Azel; in the same time they believe that Azel and Edge are alive, and that they will appear someday.
In post scriptum (page 156) it is written that a few years after the events of Saga, a woman, who looked very similar to Azel, was sighted by a Quester. Narrators write that if she was really Azel, then they sincerely hope that she is reunited with Edge.
Addition
Li Vis was first mentioned in the official guide for Saga, not in the guide by Famitsu.
Entries are the same: year 45, “オアシス国家リ・ヴィスを併合。”, that Li Vis was annexed.
However, Li Vis is not mentioned in the official timeline from Sega site; there is ド・ボイス (“Do Boisu”) instead of Li Vis in the year 45.
Dido was first mentioned in the official timeline on Sega site, and the entry is the same as in the official guide and in Famitsu guide: the year 43, “オアシス国家ディドを併合。”, that Dido was annexed.
As I understand, there are inaccuracies in some maps in Famitsu guide for Saga.
On pages 152-153 there is a map with starting points and routes of the main characters.
Lundi’s starting point during the events of Zwei is near the mountains, - “ランディ師の住んでいた村”, - ｢The village where master Lundi lived｣. The events of Zwei began in October of the year 71.
However, on the map in the middle of the page 11, which shows the Imperial territory in years 36-71, this area is already shown as the Imperial territory. But it should not be so, - Lundi was not from the Empire.
Also, this area seems to be already shown as Imperial territory on the first map on the page 11, which shows the Imperial territory in years 0-35.
Besides, the Empire and Meccania don’t even share borders on maps in Famitsu guide; and the border of Meccania is shown to be somewhere in the middle of the desert.
The borders must be similar to how they are shown on the map from the page 54 in “Die Welt Von Panzer Dragoon Zwei”, where the border seems to go along the mountain ridge:
( Empire (Pre-Great Fall) | Panzer Dragoon Wiki | Fandom )
In Famitsu guide for Saga, on the page 122, the “radar” images of Golia Hunter and Golia Tracker are mixed up.
It is not a big deal, though.
In Famitsu guide for Saga, on pages 146-147 (comment to the images with Lagi), and on pages 148-149, it is written, that this dragon, Lagi, is the same dragon from Saga (Basic Wing).
But it cannot be him, - it is understandable from the events of Saga, especially from the Japanese version, - Lagi was inside Shellcoof.
On the official wallpaper for Orta it is shown that Edge’s dragon is not Lagi, but the Blue Dragon.
In “Panzer Dragoon Orta Complete Guide” (seems to be unofficial, also written by Famitsu) it is written several times, that Edge’s dragon is the Blue Dragon, which correlates with the official wallpaper for Orta.
Personally, I think it was another, the third dragon, but both official and unofficial materials show that he is, at least, not Lagi.
According to “Panzer Dragoon Orta Complete Guide”, “Shellcoof” translates from a local language at the frontier of Meccania as “White Nightmare”.
Another instance where the Excavation Site #4 is mentioned, - on the official Sega site, the 3rd paragraph, about Azel:
(用語集 ア )
Excavation Site #4 is mentioned at least 2 times in the game and 2 times on the official Sega site.
The entry from the year 99 in the timeline seems to be about this excavation site. And it seems that excavations began before the year 99, but targeted searches for a “certain” weapon began at that year, after the “Report on Towers and dragons” was submitted.
It is 20 years of searches by the beginning of the events of Saga (the year 119).
About Sestren, Azel & Edge, and Orta
About Sestren (before Panzer Dragoon Orta)
In the Japanese version of Saga, Zadoc describes Sestren with words “the vessel of the soul” and “unworldly passages”, as it was described in the records of the Old Century.
In the end of Saga, Sestren anti-dragons conduct Edge and the dragon though these unworldly passages, to areas they, seemingly, oversee.
In the Japanese version of the “Tower Report 3” it is said that Sestren is hidden behind a spatial rift (空間断層).
Also, in the English version of this report it is said that the Towers are “Azel Sestren”, but in the Japanese version it is “アレル・セストレン”, - “Areru Sestren”, which is “Servants of Sestren”.
アレル – Areru.
It may be somehow connected to the song “Sona Mi Areru Ec Sancitu”, but I’m not sure.
Also, in the prototype of Saga (30 December 1997) it is written as “Arel Sestren”.
There is no useful information on Sestren in the official guide for Saga (Sestren dragons and Sestren itself are not even listed in the enemy list), but there is something in “Die Welt Von Panzer Dragoon Zwei” that correlates with Sestren.
On the page 84 in “Die Welt”, in the paragraph 2, it is written about the dragon’s arrows of light. It is a laser, and a laser will go straight until it meets a mirror or water surface. But the dragon uses homing lasers, and in the Imperial Academy there is only one explanation for this, – there is space bending system (空間歪曲システム) that is linked to the dragon’s vision.
In addition, it is said that, from the standpoint of aerodynamics, it is impossible for the dragon to reach such outstanding flying performance by just flapping wings, and it is thought in the Academy that the dragon utilizes some unknown gravity control system (重力制御システム).
“System” (システム, “shisutemu”), a technical word, is used to describe the dragons’ abilities.
This word is also used in the names of two “attacks” of the main Sestren dragon in Saga:
“Unleash Ghost Dragons” is 周回探知システム作動, -｢Activation of Perimeter Detection System｣;
“Activate Vibration Detection System” is 震動探知システム作動, -the same as in the English version.
Deactivation of these “systems” is システム解除, - ｢System Deactivation｣.
It is written in the “Tower Report 3” that Sestren is a “place of the control will of the Old Century”.
In Famitsu guide for Saga, on the page 143, Sestren is called a “system that controls the functions of Towers”.
On pages 144-147 it is written that the Black Dragon (Anti-Sestren?) was created by the will of the “Destruction Faction” as a result of a “formless/intangible attack” on Sestren; and is called a “program” (プログラム, “puroguramu”) and a “bug” (バグ, “bagu”); but in the game he is called “error” (エラー, “eraa”), not “impurity” as in the English version.
It is all connected to “will”, which is very similar to the materialization of thoughts.
The word “program” was used in the official guide for the first Panzer Dragoon, in the description of the Blue Dragon and Prototype Dragon (page 26, paragraph 2); that they were “programmed” with functions that are related to the Tower, but in a way that their “programs” give them completely opposite missions.
Also, in the first game, in the first cutscene, a voice says about “activation” (起動) of dragons, and in Saga Azel says that if the rider dies, the dragon will be “deactivated” (機能解除), - these terms are also technical.
Technical vocabulary is used towards dragons. But dragons are not flying robots, they are living biological creatures. All hi-tech in Panzer Dragoon universe is based on biotechnology. And “programs” may mean “artificial instincts” in this case; and “system” is also not in a technical sense. And programming is “bio-programming”.
The same is for Sestren, but in this case technical vocabulary is used to describe esoteric/metaphysical concepts.
From “Panzer Dragoon Orta Complete Guide”
1. Page 8
In the second paragraph it is straightforwardly said that Azel set out on a journey to find Edge, who had gone to Sestren and disappeared from the physical world.
In order to find Edge, Seekers were monitoring Azel, but she went into another Tower, that still was not deactivated, and has never been seen again since then. And in the last sentence they wonder if Azel also disappeared in Sestren.
This paragraph is based on records by “Compiler” Fei (「編み人」フェイ).
2. Page 15, “Genes”
It covers many things. Among what is mentioned: mating, forwarding of genes, and that something from parents will live in their children.
It is all connected to “genetic bases” (遺伝基) that Abadd mentioned after Azel’s message to Orta.
3. Page 45, about mythology
In general, it correlates with what is written about mythology in “Die Welt”, except the last paragraph, which is about a folklore story that was widely used by the Empire for propaganda purposes as a proof of the Emperor’s power.
A retelling of the story.
A young man, a descendant of gods, went to the Sacred Land of Gods to replace broken sacred treasures with something new. There, in the Sacred Land of Gods, he met a beautiful maiden. The maiden invited the young man to a world that is beyond time and is free from the fetters of flesh.
In that world the young man and the maiden performed the act of “connecting of souls”, and a child was born to them. Later, the young man died, but the child, who was also considered to be a descendant of gods, returned to humans and brought new sacred treasures, which were more powerful than the old ones, and which brought peace to everyone. The child was called a hero by everyone.
This story is an allusion to what happened between Azel and Edge: how Edge (the young man) found Azel (the maiden) at the Excavation Site (Old Century ruins, “Sacred Land of Gods”), and to how Orta was born (in Sestren), and was brought to the physical world; and to Azel’s message, that Orta has the power to change the world (the child that is called a hero).
And there is one more fact that makes this story even more similar to these events.
It is written that this story was used until the time of the enthronement of the 3rd Emperor, because by that time a rumor had widely spread that the maiden from the story was not a human, but a demi-human (a drone)…
It was very dangerous for the Empire’s ideology, so they decided to “forget” about this story.
4. Page 72, “Stars”
In addition to allusions.
On this page it is written, among other things, about star-divinations by forecasters from Dido.
Nobody listened to them, but the predictions turned out to be true.
And one of their predictions of the future is about the events of Panzer Dragoon Orta.
This prediction confirms that Orta was born in Sestren (in a place that is “a heart/mind that controls all life”); but rather than this, there is nothing important to retell, and the prediction is not very cryptic, so I will skip it for now.
5. Page 50, “Circuit”
5.1.
The first paragraph is an excerpt from the “Tower Report 3” from Saga, which was written by Zadoc.
Spatial rift and “Areru Sestren” are mentioned in this excerpt.
So, the concept of Sestren from Saga is applicable to Orta’s canon, and Sestren is either an unworldly place that is hidden by a spatial rift, or a computer network. It can’t be both in the same time.
Sestren is not supported by “hardware”, technologies. It exists independently of Towers and other technologies of the Old Century.
Towers’ proper functioning depends on Sestren, not vice versa. Even if all Towers are destroyed, Sestren will still exist; it just will not be possible for Sestren to control anything in the physical world, since it can manifest itself in the physical world only through some technologies of the Old Century.
5.2.
The second paragraph is based on Gash’s records.
It is written that it is thought that Azel succeeded to reach Sestren, but Seekers cannot explain why she has not returned. And it is assumed that, since there are active Towers, Azel partially reactivated Sestren for some reason.
5.3.
The third paragraph.
In the beginning of the paragraph it is said that all beings, that are in Sestren, are “computerized”.
Then, suddenly, for “some” reason, it is said that mating in Sestren is the same as mating in the physical world, and offspring can be born.
And that when someone goes to Sestren from Towers, the “physical existence/being” is “transformed” into “informational existence/being”, - and that vice versa is also possible.
It is written, that an example of this – is how Orta went to Sestren and returned back to the physical world during the events of the game. And it is written, that based on this fact, it should be possible to send offspring, which were born in Sestren, to the physical world.
I hope this information further clarifies that Azel went to Sestren for Edge, not for anyone else, and that they really met there (physical structure is preserved in Sestren; Orta and the dragon were the same in Sestren as in the physical world), and how Orta was born.
There is also something in the official guide for Saga that implies that Azel and Edge meeting during the events of Saga was not exactly a “coincidence”. It is not much, just a single word, but still. I will write about it later, with full translation of that part.
Taking into account all this information, “computerized” in Abadd’s phrase after Azel’s message to Orta should be applied to both Azel and Edge, since they were both “computerized”; and “genetic groups” are “genetic bases”:
｢I see… You must be a cross-species between genetic bases of a human and a demi-human, who were computerized in the world circuit｣.
Also, Azel’s costume is not a part of her body.
Addition, about Sestren
In Saga, the laser attack of the main Sestren dragon is called レーザー, - ｢Laser｣.
But in the profile in “Data on Defeated Enemies”, it is called アンチレーザー, - ｢Anti-Laser｣.
“Fused” attacks of Sestren Exsis are not exactly “Fused”, but 意識融合体, -｢Consciously Fused｣.
For example, “Fused Shellcoof” is 意識融合体シェルクーフ, - ｢Consciously Fused Shellcoof｣.
However, in the English version, in the profile in “Data on Defeated Enemies”, these attacks are called “Consciousness Fusion”.
In the Japanese version of Orta, Sealance Image is 意識融合体シーランス, - ｢Consciously Fused Sealance｣;
and Central Data Unit Ofnir is 意識融合体オヴニール, -｢Consciously Fused Ofnir [/Ovnir]｣.
(the names are on the page 144 in “Panzer Dragoon Orta Complete Guide”)
This also shows that the concept of Sestren from Saga is applicable to Orta’s canon.
In Famitsu guide for Saga, page 143, it is written that Sestren is in a place that can be said to be another dimension.
In “Panzer Dragoon Orta Complete Guide”, on the page 11, the last paragraph, it is written that Sestren is in another dimension, and that ruins are its “terminals [/access devices]” (端末)…
Taking into account all that information: Sestren is an unworldly place, another dimension, that is hidden behind a spatial rift. It is not a computer network, but technical vocabulary is used to describe it, the same as for describing the dragons.
It is also similar to “haunted technology”, but not exactly this. However, the term 旧世紀の亡霊, - “Ghost of the Old Century” is used sometimes towards Old Century technologies. For example, on the page 69 in “Die Welt”, Shellcoof is called so. But it is not in a literal sense.
More cybernetic vocabulary in Orta could be used to fit the style of the first Xbox.
In this interview with developers of Orta it is said about design changes, not exactly about Sestren, but I think it can be applied to it; the link to the interview:
(https://www.ignboards.com/threads/famitsu-interviews-smilebits-panzer-dragoon-orta-team.23367647/)
It seems that there is an implication in the guide for Orta that Sestren can affect the physical world not only via ruins, but with what seems to be connected to time and space, which also tells that conceptually it is not a computer network. But I’m not entirely sure about it, and it is related to another theme, so I will skip it for now.
Also, Light Wing floats in the air – it may be the “gravity control system” that is mentioned in “Die Welt”.
And how Azel and Atolm appeared in Uru may be connected to spatial rifts or something similar.
About “Cradle”
In the Japanese version of Orta “Cradle” is 生命炉, which is “Life Reactor” or “Life Furnace”.
It may be linked to Sestren.
Abadd created Dragonmares using “Life Reactor”; and maybe he created them on non-physical plane, in Sestren (may be similar to “Consciousness Fusion”), and then materialized them into the physical world.
It is just an assumption, though.
About “Panzer Dragoon Orta Complete Guide”
This guide can be used for explanation of the events of Orta, since it is the only source of background lore information for the game, but there is information that contradicts the previous lore, and even what is written in Famitsu guide for Saga.
I will write more about it sometime later, but one contradiction is already in this post.
In short: judging by the materials before Orta, it was not known about the existence of drones at the time of enthronement of the 3rd Emperor (and several decades later), especially to the public.
Also, there are paragraphs based on records by other characters from Saga, and it also partially contradicts the lore of Saga.
From “Panzer Dragoon Official Guidebook”
Page 24
Text in purple rectangle: “基礎知識編”, - ｢The Chapter of Fundamental Knowledge｣
Title: “主人公とドラゴン”, - ｢The Protagonist and the Dragon｣
Paragraph 1. “青きドラゴンを託された少年”, - ｢The Boy Who Was Entrusted with the Blue Dragon｣
この物語の主人公の名は、カイル・フリューゲ、年齢16歳。
帝国の勢力圏から遠く離れた辺境に住む、攻性生物専門のハンターだ。
まだ若いが、幼い頃から同じハンターだった父に鍛えられたため、その腕は確かである。
そんな彼が「塔」をめぐる戦いに巻き込まれたのは、ほんの偶然からだった。
帝国が「塔」の封印を解いた結果、「塔」から数千キロ離れた場所にある遺跡に眠る、2体のドラゴンが目覚めた。
カイルは、ドラゴンの復活時に偶然その遺跡にいたため、旧世紀人から青いドラゴンを託されることになったのだ。 「塔」を目指して飛び去ったもう1体のドラゴンを追うため、カイルは青いドラゴンに乗って飛び立った。
だが、ドラゴンたちの真の目的を彼はまだ知らない。
Translation
｢The name of the protagonist of this story is Kyle Fluge, age 16.
He lives at the frontier, far away from the Empire’s sphere of influence; he is a hunter, who specializes in aggressive creatures.
He is still young, but from an early age he was trained by his father, who also was a hunter, and his skills are very solid.
It was just an accident that he became involved in the battle for the “Tower”.
The Empire unsealed the “Tower”, and, as a result, two dragons, which were sleeping in the ruins many kilometers away from the “Tower”, awoke.
Kyle accidentally happened to be near those ruins when the dragons resurrected, and he was entrusted with the Blue Dragon by a person of the Old Century.
In order to chase another dragon that was already flying to the “Tower”, Kyle took off on the Blue Dragon.
But he still doesn’t know the true purpose of the dragons.｣
Paragraph 2. “攻性生物ハンター”, - ｢Hunters of Aggressive Creatures｣
攻性生物の外骨格や内臓などは、武器や薬品の材料となり、高値で取り引きされる。
そのため、この世界には職業として、攻性生物専門のハンターが存在する。
彼らは数人のグループを組んで、獲物を求めて旅を続け、ーカ所に長く留まることはない。
攻性生物ハンターたちは、その職業柄、攻性生物はもちろんのこと、旧世紀の遺跡に関する知識は一般人よりも多い。
ドラゴンについても伝説で語られており、カイルも聞いたことがあった。
Translation
｢Exoskeletons, internal organs and other parts of aggressive creatures are used as materials for weapons and medicine, and also can be sold at high price.
For this reason, such profession as hunters, who specialize in aggressive creatures, exists in this world.
They travel in small groups of several people in search for prey, and they don’t stay in one place for long.
Due to the nature of their profession, hunters of aggressive creatures have much more knowledge of aggressive creatures and Old Century ruins than other people.
There are also legends about dragons circulating among them, and Kyle has heard these legends.｣
Comment to the upper left screenshot (Kyle and other hunters are on coolias)
この動物は、この世界ではごく一般的な乗り物として使われている。
我々の世界でいえば「ラバ」のようなものらしい。
Translation
｢These animals are very commonly used as vehicles in this world.
It is possible to say that they are like mules in our world.｣
[Note. In the first sentence coolias are called “animals” (動物)].
Comment to the lower left screenshot (Kyle is holding a “crossbow”)
オープーニング・デモの中でカイルが狩りに使用していた銃。
矢を撃ち出すボウガンのような武器だ。
Translation
｢The gun that Kyle used for hunting in the opening cutscene.
This gun shoots arrows, and is similar to a bowgun.｣
[Note. “Bowgun” or “modern crossbow”.
“Opening cutscene” is literally “opening demo”].
Page 25
Small text at the top of the page: “主人公とドラゴン”, - ｢The Protagonist and the Dragon｣
Paragraph 1. “最強の攻性生物、ドラゴン”, - ｢The Strongest Aggressive Creature, the Dragon｣
ドラゴンもまた、旧世紀の兵器であり、攻性生物の一種である。
ただ、他の攻性生物が量産品なのに対して、ドラゴン系の攻性生物は試作品的なものであり、その生産数は少ない。
また、無人兵器である他の攻性生物と異なり、戦場においてドラゴンの乗り手となる人間を護衛する役割も必要なため、目には見えない形でさまざまな機能が追加されている。
ドラゴンの体表は、防御力を強化するための装甲で覆われている。
この装甲は、旧世紀の遺跡の構造物や、帝国が発掘して使っているエンジンの表面の装甲と同じ材質でできている。
セラミックに似た材質だが、高度、耐久カともに高い。
Translation
｢Dragons are also Old Century weapons and a species of aggressive creatures.
Usually, aggressive creatures are mass-produced, but the dragon-type aggressive creatures are more like prototype models, and a small number of them was produced.
In addition, unlike other aggressive creatures that are unmanned weapons, dragons need to defend their riders on the battlefield; and to do so, various functions that are invisible to the eye have been added.
To strengthen the defensive power, the surface of the dragon’s body is covered with armor.
This armor is made of the same material as structures of Old Century ruins and the surface armor of engines that the Empire has been excavating and using.
This material is similar to ceramic, but much more advanced, with higher level of durability.｣
Paragraph 2. “生体レーザー発振器”, - ｢Bio-Laser Oscillator｣
主人公・カイルがゲーム中で使用する銃は、ドラゴンと同じく旧世紀時代のものである。
ドラゴンのもとの乗り手が使っていたもので、材質はドラゴンの装甲のそれに近い。戦闘において、ドラゴンの乗り手は銃による射撃を行うが、さらにドラゴンそれ自体にも、兵装として生体レーザー発振器が装備されている。
ドラゴンの生体レーザー発振器の機能は、その乗り手の持つ銃によってコントロールする。
敵に銃の照準を合わせ、トリガーを引き続けてロックオンすると、それがドラゴンの知覚神経に伝わり、銃のトリガーを離すと同時に、敵を追尾するホーミングレーザーがドラゴンの口から発射される。
Translation
｢The gun that the protagonist, Kyle, is using in the game is also from the Old Century period, as well as the dragon.
It was used by the dragon’s original rider, and, in addition, the material it is made of is very similar to that of the dragon’s armor.
In battle, the dragon’s rider shoots with the gun, but the dragon itself has battle equipment, too, - a Bio-Laser Oscillator.
Functions of the dragon’s Bio-Laser Oscillator are controlled with its rider’s gun.
Aiming at enemies with the gun while holding the trigger will lock-on the enemies, and this information will be transmitted to the dragon’s sensory nerve; then, simultaneously with releasing the gun’s trigger, homing lasers that chase after the enemies will be shot from the dragon’s mouth.｣
Comment to the screenshot (the Blue Dragon is shooting lasers)
ホーミングレーザー発射‼
レーザーの青い軌跡が弧を描いて、ロックオンされた敵を追いかける。
Translation
｢Shooting homing lasers!!!
Blue traces of lasers form arcs while chasing after locked-on enemies.｣
Page 26
Text in purple rectangle: 基礎知識編, - ｢The Chapter of Fundamental Knowledge｣
Title: ２体のドラゴンと「塔」, - ｢Two dragons and the “Tower”｣
Paragraph 1. “旧世紀文明滅亡の謎”, - ｢The Mystery of the Fall of the Old Century Civilization｣
帝国によって封印を解かれた「塔」は、帝国の人間たちが考えているような要塞などではなく、実は惑星の地表面制圧用の巨大兵器であるらしい。
保存状態の悪い他の遺跡と異なり、「塔」は今もなお、その機能を完全に保っている。
はたして、数千年前にこの星でどんな戦いがあったのか、今となっては知るすべもない。
しかし、この星が一度滅びかけて文明が後退してしまったことに、「塔」が関係していることは間違いない。
Translation
｢The “Tower” that was unsealed by the Empire is not a stronghold or something similar, as people in the Empire think, but, in fact, it is a huge weapon for controlling the surface of the planet.
Unlike other ruins that are in a poor state of preservation, the “Tower” is still fully functional.
As could be expected, there is no way to know now what conflict took place on this planet several thousand years ago.
However, there is no doubt that the “Tower” is connected with the fact that this planet was once almost destroyed and the civilization collapsed.｣
Comment to the screenshot with Sky Rider
カイルにドラゴンを託した旧世紀人。
彼とその青いドラゴンは、旧世紀の時代の戦いに何らかの形で関係していたのかも知れない。
Translation
｢A person of the Old Century who entrusted the dragon to Kyle.
Perhaps he and his Blue Dragon are somehow connected with the battle from the Old Century period.｣
[Notes.
“Person”, or “human”, or “man”.
I noticed on Panzer Dragoon Wiki that, for some reason, there seems to be some “uncertainty” about Sky Rider. But in the guide he is straightforwardly referred to as “he” (彼), “he and his Blue Dragon” (彼とその青いドラゴン)].
Comment to the screenshot with the Tower
数千年の眠りから覚めた旧世紀の「塔」。
かつて、この星を滅ぼしかけた戦いが、今再び始まろうとしているのか？
Translation
｢Old Century “Tower” awakened from thousands of years of sleep.
Is the battle that once almost destroyed this planet about to begin again?｣
Paragraph 2. “主人公のドラゴンとプロトタイプドラゴン”, - ｢The Protagonist’s Dragon and the Prototype Dragon｣
「塔」の復活と同時に目覚めた２体のドラゴンは、単なる戦闘用の兵器として造られたものではない。
２体のドラゴンには、「塔」と密接な関係を持つ、ある機能がプログラムされているのだ。
このプログラムによって、２体のドラゴンにはそれぞれ、まったく逆の使命が与えられている。
すべては、ゲームをクリアしたときに明らかにされるだるう。
Translation
｢Two dragons that awoke simultaneously with the resurrection of the “Tower” were not created just as simple weapons for battles.
These two dragons are programmed with certain functions that have a strong relation to the “Tower”.
In accordance with these programs, each of two dragons is given a completely opposite mission.
Everything will be revealed when you complete the game.｣
Regarding the previous post “About Sestren, Azel & Edge, and Orta”
“The enthronement of the 3rd Emperor”, - I explained it incorrectly.
The year is not stated in that paragraph about the folklore story, but it seems to be about the year 35, when the 3rd Emperor officially proclaimed himself so, and founded the Empire.
The actual enthronement was, seemingly, in the year 20, according to the timelines from the official guide for Saga and the guide by Famitsu.
But in the timelines from Sega site and from the guide for Orta it is the year 25.
The year 20 seems to be the correct year.
About “Ghost of the Old Century”.
I overlooked it, but Sestren itself is called so on the page 50:
“旧世紀の亡霊とでも呼べる、非物理的な遺跡。”, - ｢Non-physical ruins that can be called a “Ghost of the Old Century”｣.
Also, I forgot to add that on the page 22 in the guide for Orta, a Compiler compares Sestren to God. But it is a long story, so I will skip the details for now.
In the official guide for Orta by Prima Games, page 14, it is written that the dragon (Edge’s dragon) appeared from the ether.
And Sestren space is referred to as ether; for example, “Interception Program Ver. 2.60 appears in the ether”.
Abadd’s form in Sestren is reffered to as “half-ethereal Abadd”, page 80.
On the page 74 it is written that what Azel said in the message to Orta was her “final wish”: “Orta is a
child created by Azel, whose final wish was that her will be passed on to a descendant”.
However, I’m not sure that the information from the guide by Prima Games is reliable.
Regarding Wildman’s comments about Famitsu guide for “Saga” [Part 1 of 2]
I decided to explain my opinion about these topics, since they are connected with important parts of the lore.
Li Vis
Li Vis was first mentioned in the official guide for “Saga”, not in the guide by Famitsu. And entries are the same.
So, there are no legal issues, and it doesn’t prove reliability of the information from Famitsu guide.
There are inaccuracies in Famitsu guide. But I don’t mean that everything is incorrect.
There are some facts that are very difficult to “imagine”. For example, additional information in the timeline, where not only events are mentioned but also dates. It was obviously provided by Sega; Famitsu had to know these facts for sure to “pinpoint” the years.
But the problems are in what seem to be analysis parts of the guide.
There are typos and mistakes even in the official guide for “Saga”, and it is no wonder that supervising of Famitsu guide by Sega may have been not very thorough. And it may be connected with difficulties during the development of “Saga”: maybe the developers were just very tired and burned out to properly supervise something, especially something non-official.
Another example of inaccuracies in the guide: I mentioned, in the post #46, that it is written that Edge’s dragon is Lagi, which contradicts materials for “Orta”.
To be more precise, on the page 146 in Famitsu guide for “Saga”, above the images of Lagi (Pup) and Windrider, it is written that it is Lagi and one of his forms; and that it is the same dragon that appeared in “Azel Incident”, but, for some reason, his appearance is completely different. And there is an assumption that it is because some of his abilities degenerated/regressed when he was sealed in Shellcoof.
But in the Volume 2, page 12, it is straightforwardly said that the dragon from Shellcoof is Lagi from “Zwei”; it is said that Lagi follows the dragon and brings items, and that he disappears in Red Ruins. His name is mentioned in almost every sentence in that paragraph.
On the page 21 of the Volume 2 it is written that it is possible to control Lagi in “Lagi Ranch” where Lagi are grazing.
So, one part of the guide contradicts the other part of the same guide.
There is something else, about the ghost of the dragon from Shellcoof. Volume 2, page 12, comment to the screenshot with the ghost:
シェルクーフ内部で、アインのドラゴンの亡霊(?)に導かれる。
Translation: ｢Inside Shellcoof, guided by the ghost(?) of the dragon from “Ein”.｣
If this fact is correct then Edge’s dragon is really another, the third, dragon, not the Blue Dragon from the first game.
Also, there is information that exists only in Famitsu guide and, seemingly, doesn’t contradict the lore of “Saga” and the previous games; for example, more in-depth description of Seekers’ life, or that the pendant that Gash gave to Edge was actually a surveillance device.
But, taking into account that there are inaccuracies in the guide, it is difficult to tell what information is true and what is not.
障害 as “failure” (Famitsu guide for “Saga”, page 154)
In general, 障害 means “obstacle”, “hindrance”, “impediment”, “disorder”, “malfunction”.
However, in technical fields, including IT, it often translates as “failure” and “fault”.
“Fault” in this case is a synonym to “malfunction”, but, as I understand, this type of “failure” is also closer to the English meaning of “fault” or “malfunction”.
Moreover, as I understand, the translations as “fault” and “failure” in this case are strictly technical and are not used outside of technical fields; and were accepted in order to correspond the Japanese technical terminology with the English one. But the general meaning of “obstacle” is still preserved in many (if not in all) cases if the Japanese text is taken without translating it into English.
These terms seem to be not what Wildman said about, because they are synonyms to the “standard” meanings of 障害, and then there is nothing to argue about.
As I understand, Wildman meant a more “global” meaning, that drones are failures of their creators; and then this “自我発生障害” is a synonym for such drones. But I doubt that it is applicable in this case.
There are several terms on the page 154 that contain 障害, and in all instances the meaning of 障害 can be generalized as “some problems”.
So, just for convenience reasons, only in this post, I will make “strange” translations:
自我発生 – ego emergence / emergence of ego;
障害 - 〘problem〙 (singular or plural);
機能障害 - 〘functional problems〙; 機能 is “function”.
Other translations in this post also may be “strange” and unnatural, but this way it will be easier to explain.
There are 5 sentences on the page 154 in Famitsu guide for “Saga” that contain the needed terms.
だが、高すぎる思考指数には問題があり、自我発生による機能障害を起すことだった。
In this sentence the part “自我発生による機能障害” can be taken without the context.
自我発生 – emergence of ego / ego emergence;
による – the meaning is similar to “due to”, “because of”. It can be expressed differently in English, but the meaning should be preserved;
機能障害 – 〘functional problems〙.
So, in general it is “〘functional problems〙 due to the emergence of ego”. Rephrasing and stylization may be different, but the meaning should be the same.
Translation of the whole sentence:
｢However, there were issues with too high thinking quotient, - it caused 〘functional problems〙 due to the emergence of ego.｣
So, in this instance “failure” doesn’t suit at all.
And, as I understand, since this sentence is the first where 障害 appears, it somewhat implies, hints at the “theme” of the word, how it should be understood.
自我発生障害を起こしたドローンは同調機能障害、つまり攻性生物をそのブレーンとして操作することが不可能となってしまう。
Translation:
｢Drones, who incurred ego emergence 〘problem〙 [/or “Drones, to whom ego emergence 〘problem〙 occurred”], had 〘functional problems〙 with synchronization; in short, it was impossible for them to handle the role of brains of aggressive creatures.｣
In the beginning of this sentence, both “ego emergence 〘problem〙” and drones (ドローン) are mentioned. So, this means that the term “自我発生障害” alone cannot be used as a synonym for drones that are “failures”.
Also, such “failure” cannot be “incurred”, or cannot “occur” to drones. As I understand, it would mean that drones incur themselves upon themselves; or that they themselves occur upon themselves.
So, here “ego emergence problem” seems to be about drones that experience a specific “problem”, not that they are “failures”.
また、論理パターンに混乱をきたしてしまい、命令認識障害、つまり指示を与えるものへの絶対服従を拒否することもあった。
Translation:
｢In addition, it induced confusion in logic patterns, which caused 〘problems〙 with order recognition, that is to say, making them to reject complete obedience to the ones giving them the orders.｣
The same 障害 〘problem[s]〙 as in the previous sentences, but everything else is understandable.
そしてそれゆえに自我発生障害が起こり、己のとるべき行動を認識できなくなっていた。
This sentence goes after an explanation that Azel had a very high thinking quotient.
Translation:
｢Because of this, ego emergence 〘problem〙 had occurred, and she was rendered unable to realize what actions she should take.｣
It is written that “ego emergence 〘problem〙” occurred/happened, not that Azel became a “failure”.
自我発生障害は心理的ショックが起こった場合のみ修復されるケースがあり、アゼルもクレイメンの死をまじかにした際の心理的ショックで変化が生じた。
Translation:
｢There had been occurrences when ego emergence 〘problem〙 could be repaired [/mended], but only in the case if psychological shock occurred; and Azel experienced serious psychological shock, because of Craymen’s death, which caused changes in her.｣
In this case “failure” is somewhat suitable.
Then it would be something like “There have been occurrences when [drones that are]-ego-emergence-failures could be repaired, but only in the case if psychological shock occurred […]”.
However, if the previous sentences are taken into account, it still doesn’t fit here. This sentence is about “fixing” some specific “problem” in drones, not about making them “non-failures”.
There is another word for “failure” in “Saga”, and even in the text on the page 154, - “失敗”, - and it really translates as “failure”.
In the guide it is in a sentence about “recurring failures in production” of drones (the third sentence from the beginning of the text).
And in the game it is in messages from the memory structures from Uru:
『ドローンF07… 思考指数98… 失敗』, - 『Drone F07… Thinking quotient [/index] 98… Failure』;
『ドローン F16… 思考指数94… 失敗』, - 『Drone F16… Thinking quotient [/index] 94… Failure』.
In Panzer Dragoon Orta, Abadd used the same word when he tried to resurrect his masters:
“蘇生プロセス 再実行… …失敗…”, - ｢Resuscitation process re-execution… …Failure…｣.
This is understandable as “failure”. And in the phrases from memory units from Uru is even in a similar “global” meaning.
There is a translation of the page 154 by another person, GlitterBerri.
( Panzer Dragoon Legacy - Azel Panzer Dragoon RPG Guide Book - Page 154-155 )
As I know, she is a professional translator, has lived in Japan, and worked on the official translation of “The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia”, among other translations.
Excerpts from GlitterBerri’s version (the same sentences as I listed above).
(1)
“However, if their level of cognition were too high, problems would occur, with the emergence of an ego inhibiting functionality.”
(2)
“Drones that incurred handicaps to functionality as the result of emergent egos suffered hindrances to their sympathy cortex, in short, rendering them incapable of acting as the brains behind the bio-engineered monsters.”
(3)
“In addition, there were occurrences wherein drones would experience confusion in their logic patterns, be hindered in their ability to recognize orders, that is to say, rejecting complete obedience to the ones giving them the orders.”
(4)
“It was due to this that she suffered the impediment of an emergent ego, and became unable to recognize the actions she was meant to take.”
(5)
“Only in the event of a psychological shock have there been cases where the impediment of an emergent ego was mended, and Azel was transformed by a psychological shock around the time of Craymen’s death.”
As I understand, there are no such implications of “failure” that Wildman told about.
In addition, an excerpt from the official translation of the “Drone Record” from the prototype of “Saga”, 30 December 1997 (it is slightly closer to the Japanese version):
｢The Drones with a developed self had the following problems:
So, in the official translation 障害 is “problems” and “difficulties”.
There are 4 terms that contain “problem” (障害) in Famitsu guide:
自我発生障害 - ego emergence 〘problem〙;
機能障害 – 〘functional problems〙;
同調機能障害 – 〘functional problems〙 with synchronization;
命令認識障害 - 〘problems〙 with order recognition.
To me it seems that there is a “system”, and all these “problems” should be translated in a similar manner. And I think that “ego emergence 〘problem〙” is about an “obstacle” that prevents drones from functioning in a way that was intended by their creators.
In the guide for “Orta” it is written in a slightly different manner.
A couple of excerpts from the guide for “Orta”.
Page 7, paragraph 2.
The name of the paragraph – “亞人の自我発生”, - ｢Demi-humans’ Ego Emergence｣.
“Ego emergence” is written without a “problem” part.
A sentence from this paragraph:
アゼル事件を追っていた探索兵メハリの記録によれば、攻性生物の乗り手となる亞人は思考指数120以上で、高い思考指数を持つ亞人には自我発生による障害が起こる可能性があるという。
Translation:
｢According to the records of a “Quester” Mehari, who was monitoring “Azel Incident”, thinking quotient of demi-humans, who act as riders of aggressive creatures, is not less than 120; and for demi-humans who have a high thinking quotient there is a possibility of occurrence of 〘problems〙 due to the emergence of ego.｣
In this sentence there is “自我発生による障害”, - ｢〘problems〙 due to the emergence of ego｣. It is the same as in the sentence (1) from Famitsu guide for “Saga”, but without “functional” (機能) part. And “failure” doesn’t suit here either.
If the translation of 障害 as “failure” is connected with the understanding that drones listen to Sestren, then I completely disagree.
Regarding Wildman’s comments about Famitsu guide for “Saga” [Part 2 of 2]
Drones and Sestren
One of the “problems” that drones experience in case of ego emergence is a problem with recognizing orders.
Judging by how it is described, “be hindered in their ability to recognize orders, that is to say, rejecting complete obedience to the ones giving them the orders” (Glitterberri’s translation), they are given orders by humans. Drones in “normal” condition act as servant humans, they are not directly controlled externally, but they are given orders. And they are given orders by humans, not by Sestren.
This already tells something.
Then, drones are called “Drone Autonomous Structures” (ドローン自律構造体).
What does the term “autonomous” (自律) mean?
In the post #44 I mentioned a psychological theory, and it is not a coincidence.
The term “autonomous” is used in disciplines of science such as philosophy, ethics and psychology (and in developmental psychology, in particular), etc. It is usually used for referring to a person who can think, decide, and act independently of others, - something like a self-sufficient person.
[Disclaimer. Without going into details: mentioning these scientific theories doesn’t mean that I support these theories or people who develop them].
In science and science fiction this term is used towards all kind of “robots” and “artificial life-forms” in a very similar manner, in case if they can act on their own, independently, without any external control. Also, in such cases “autonomous” often translates from Japanese as “sentient”.
The use of such term towards drones already implies something, but there is something else.
In “Saga”, Zadoc says about “wild” aggressive creatures (Mutated) and “controlled” aggressive creatures (Pure-blood Type). Mutated are also called “wild” in “Data on Defeated Enemies” in the Japanese version of the game.
In the guide for “Orta”, pages 30-31, Mutated aggressive creatures are called “wild” and “autonomous” (自律). Because they are not controlled by Old Century ruins, and, therefore, by Sestren. They got away from the control.
An example, from the title of the page 30:
遺跡の支配下にある純血種は兵器的存在で、自律する野生種は生物的存在である。
Translation:
｢The existence of Pure-blood Type aggressive creatures, which are controlled by ruins, is the existence of weapons; while the existence of wild species, which became autonomous, is the existence of living beings.｣
But, taking into account that drones’ “technical” name is “Drone Autonomous Structures”, they are created as “Autonomous Structures”, and they are autonomous by design, from the moment of their creation. They are free from Sestren’s control.
Sestren controls aggressive creatures only via ruins. It cannot control them directly; otherwise there would not be any Mutated aggressive creatures if Sestren could control them all directly across the entire planet.
Azel was created to control the Tower, not vice versa, and she didn’t know anything about Sestren, just its name. It seems that she was given only the bare minimum information that she would need in order to operate the Tower.
After activating the Tower in “Saga”, Azel didn’t fall under its control, while it is logical to assume that she would if drones are controlled by Sestren. She was synchronized with the Tower, and information from it was transmitted to Azel, but Sestren had no influence on her.
In general, the implication that drones are controlled by Sestren doesn’t fit with the logic that Sestren controls aggressive creatures only via the ruins, not directly.
Also, I doubt that Abadd had emergence of ego.
In the guide for “Orta” (page 9) it is said, from the Empire’s viewpoint, that he had emergence of ego (however, a different term is used there, 自我意識, - “self-consciousness”).
But I think it is not as simple as it seems.
Prior to the events of “Orta”, Abadd was working for the Empire, and it seems that he acted according to plans of his masters from the Old Century, and he tried to resurrect them. But, when he understood that it was impossible, he decided to act on his own (some of his phrases in that cutscene after Altered Genos are different in the Japanese version). It is different from the emergence of ego, since the emergence of ego is not a “decision”.
Then, if Abadd was controlled by Sestren prior to the events of “Orta”, it turns out that drones can go away from its control just by their decision, but it doesn’t make sense.
In addition, Abadd can’t be compared to Azel and Orta. He possesses a high level of intelligence, but he is primitive and inhumane.
His goal was primitive, and he killed Els-Enora in Eternal Glacies, while Orta spared her. And Azel felt sorry for Guardians in the Tower in “Saga”, and decided to destroy the Tower so that Seekers could escape.
And there is a problem with all that. On the page 7 in the guide for “Orta” it is written:
自我発生という状況は、冷徹に目的を遂行することを重んずる場合に「障害」となる。
Translation:
｢The situation of ego emergence becomes a “〘problem〙” when it is needed to accomplish a task with a hard-headed [/cold-blooded] approach.｣
It seems that one of effects of ego emergence is that it makes drones humane.
But Abadd was hard-headed, cold-blooded, and violent. He was calculative, acted very logically, coherently toward his goal, and he didn’t care about anything or anyone else. And maybe he was plotting to betray the Empire in advance.
It undermines the assumption that he had emergence of ego.
Also, the translation of 障害 in this sentence is also closer to the meaning of “obstacle”. However, “failure” is also seems to be suitable, but as a synonym of “standard” meanings of 障害.
In addition, in this sentence “ego emergence” is said to be 状況, which is “situation”, “conditions”, “state of affairs”, “circumstances”.
Addition 1, about Azel
Regardless of how the term 障害 should be translated, the main issue with what is written on the page 154 in Famitsu guide for “Saga” is the logic of the text.
It is said that drones with ego emergence have “problems” with synchronization, logic patterns, and recognition of orders.
Which of these problems did Azel have in the beginning of “Saga”?
Azel didn’t have any of aforementioned problems, which means that she didn’t have emergence of ego in the beginning of the game. And Edge said that she was different, “no island to cling to”, and Azel answered that it was “normal” for drones to be so.
Also, I think that what happened to Azel is more than just emergence of ego. After the events in the Tower she became somewhat “extrasensory” (which is similar to Alita from “Panzer Dragoon OVA”). I think it is the concept of spiritual “awakening”, “enlightenment”.
There seem to be many details that were brought from OVA to “Saga” (and at least one detail to “Orta”).
Another example of such details is when in OVA Kyle attacks the Prototype Dragon without a gun, standing on the Blue Dragon. This attack is similar to Berserk Techniques; and it is similar to how Azel rides Atolm (standing on him).
And after the battle with Edge in Uru, Azel attacks with a similar looking “enraged” move, after which Atolm shoot several arrows of light.
This scene from OVA seems to be adequate to the lore of the games, especially if the information from Famitsu guide for “Saga”, about how riders control dragons and about dragons’ abilities, is taken into account (I will skip the details for now).
I think that what is happening in OVA makes sense (mostly, at least); and, if there are ideas that were removed from the first Panzer Dragoon, maybe it can explain something, or hint at something.
Back to the “emergence of ego”.
Abadd also didn’t have any of these problems. He controlled a dragonmare, operated the Cradle (Old Century equipment), and even enhanced his dragonmare, which means that he had no problems with synchronization. There is even a straightforward comparison between these his and Azel’s abilities on the page 7 in the guide for “Orta” (except enhancing a dragonmare, of course).
And, although he wasn’t sure what to do with his life (and experienced “glitches” in Eternal Glacies), he had a plan, and had no problems with logic.
These facts also undermine the assumption that he had emergence of ego.
I think that other information from Famitsu guide for “Saga”, - that the “Destruction Faction” made alterations to Azel so she could open a path to Sestren and destroy the Tower, - is also questionable.
It is very difficult to create drones. The “Destruction Faction” had to steal Azel, they couldn’t create a drone with the same capabilities as her (and it seems that they were not able to create drones at all); and making alterations to drones seems to be not an easy task. And besides, they could have accidently damage Azel.
If she was created to control the Tower, then it is logical to assume that she was given full control over its systems, including destruction; and was given abilities to open a path to Sestren by her creators, the “Preservation Faction”. Maybe the “Preservation Faction” needed a “manager”, who could open the path to/from Sestren, and someone who would oversee everything (and having a human appearance) while they were absent from the physical world.
In various materials it is said that dragons were created to be the guardians of Towers.
So, maybe Azel and Atolm were created as guardians of the Tower from “Saga”.
Addition 2
However, I think I understand why there can be an understanding that drones are controlled by Sestren.
In the guide for “Orta”, page 7, it is written, in Seekers’ records, that some materials were found about villages/settlements of drones (demi-humans) that existed even before the Empire was founded.
And there is an assumption that the situation with such drones, who form villages and live like humans, may be something similar to how Pure-blood aggressive creatures become wild.
But I think it is not that simple.
At first, where did this information on such villages come from?
In materials for “Saga” it is written that the number of completed drones was insignificant. And even Seekers didn’t know anything about the existence of drones until they discovered information about them in the memory structures near Uru. So, it was not known about drones, and, judging by that information, there just would be not enough drones to form villages.
And it is very strange that for about 200 years (at the moment of the events of “Saga”) the first Seekers on the continent and then Seekers and the Empire haven’t found any traces of such villages. The first theory about the existence of drones appeared after the events of the first game; and Seekers found information about drones for the first time in memory structures near Uru, during the time when Lundi was their leader.
It is also said, in the guide for “Orta”, that the Empire now excavates many drones, which also doesn’t make sense. All of them were “dead”, though, except Abadd.
About similarities between drones and Pure-blood aggressive creatures.
The ones who wrote that record just wonder if it is something similar/the same.
＜中略＞人間に酷似した外見の亞人たちが、帝国成立以前に、小規模の村落を形成し、人間であるかのような生活を営んでいたという資料が発見されている。
このことから、亞人の自我発生と村落の形成は、攻性生物の野生化と同様の変化と考えられないだろうか。
Translation:
｢ Materials were discovered that before the Empire was founded, there existed demi-humans who looked strikingly similar to humans, formed small villages [/settlements] and lived as if they were humans.
Taking into account this fact, is it possible to think that demi-humans’ emergence of ego, and formation of villages by such demi-humans, is something similar to changes that happen to aggressive creatures that become wild?｣
But drones are created autonomous, they don’t become autonomous as how Pure-blood aggressive creatures go away from Sestren’s control and become so.
Also, drones are not exactly aggressive creatures. There is no direct confirmation of this, but it seems to be so (I will skip the details for now).
Similarity in situations between drones and other aggressive creatures may be that they go away from their “duties”, away from what they originally were created for. They stop being “weapons”, and begin living a life of “living beings”.
But the substance of these situations is different.
As an example: in “Saga”, in the dialogue in the camp between Azel and Edge, after Edge saved her in Uru, Azel said about data transmissions from the Tower, that “Once I am synchronized, it will be transmitted …Even if I don’t want to”.
This, and how she behaved later in Seekers’ Stronghold before going to the Tower, shows that she wasn’t alright with her “duties”, with what she was created for.
In addition, on the page 39 in the guide for “Orta”, under the image of a drone (it is a picture from a circus flyer), it is written that some information of Empire’s researches related to drones leaked to the public. And general public began to see drones and dragons as monsters from fairy tales.
So, maybe the materials about villages of drones originated from modern (or not so modern) legends and fairy tales.
Something else.
As I understand, drones are basically immortal. If it is so, then where are their villages? They should have been preserved up to the modern times.
Then, if drones in such villages were indistinguishable from humans, how it was understood that they were drones, not humans? In the guide for “Orta” it is said that Wormriders didn’t realize that Orta was not a human, except Elder Ponta, - he was the only one who understood it (page 9, paragraph 2).
In the guide for “Orta”, page 45, it is assumed that there were survivors of both warring factions from the Old Century period, and that legends about dragons originated from them, which also explains the difference in views on dragons.
[It may be connected with Sky Rider. His identity is not stated anywhere in the guides, but in the guide for “Orta” it is speculated that he is either a descendant of Old Century people or a drone. But, judging by indirect facts, I think it is most likely that he was a human; and maybe even not a “descendant”, but an actual human from the Old Century.]
So, maybe these villages of drones were actually villages of Old Century people who wanted to hide their identity, and said to some people that they were drones.
In the guide for “Saga” by Famitsu (a chapter about Zoah) it is written that the town of Zoah was not the only town that lived by the Tower’s support. According to that information, Seekers found many similar cities, near some other Towers. They call such cities 塔の街, - “City of the Tower” or “Tower City”.
On the page 143 there is a map with locations of Towers on the continent. Seekers searched through the continent, but there is no mentioning of drone villages (it is also said that some of these cities were already destroyed, for some reason; but, anyway, nothing about drones).
However, on the same page it is assumed that there are about 10 Towers that have not been discovered. So, the only possibility seems to be that villages of drones are connected with cities that could be near these undiscovered Towers, if we assume that information on villages of drones is true.
The information on villages of drones exists only in materials about “Orta”.
But anyway, even if villages of drones really existed, drones are, once again, created autonomous, which means that they are not controlled by Sestren. While Pure-blood Type aggressive creatures are not created autonomous, they have to go away from Sestren’s [/ruins’] control to become autonomous.
According to various materials, there are several types of drones. This is also understandable from Azel’s words from “Saga”, that there are at least two types of drones: standard (“normal”) and non-standard.
But anyway, according to the information for “Saga”, they all are autonomous.
In conclusion to this part, about the guide for “Orta”.
In short, even if some information from the guide is adequate to the canon of the previous games, I still recommend to take “Orta” as a separate canon. There are inaccuracies in the guide, some things don’t make sense, or at least very strange (how Seekers’ are portrayed, for example), and there are retcons, - “demi-humans” instead of drones is one of such examples (there is an “explanation” for this change).
Addition 3
In the post #44 I mentioned terms that correlate with other materials about Panzer Dragoon universe.
The first term is “individual” (個体).
In “Die Welt”, page 84, Lagi is referred to by the Empire as “個体D”, - ｢Individual D｣.
This term is also used (without “D”) quite often in other materials. I didn’t translate it as “unit” because I wanted to avoid potential mixing up between terms like this and “D-Units” which are “D-ユニット” (D-yunitto), literally “D-Units”.
And maybe it was a good idea, since in the guide for “Orta” both terms “individual” (個体) and “unit” (ユニット) are used once in the same paragraph in three sentences in a row.
The second term is “humanoid”, “human-like”, “human-shaped”, or “human-type” (人型).
In materials for “Saga” it is used for referring to drones (maybe somewhere else, but I don’t remember).
In “Die Welt”, page 75, it is written that Hanuman is 人型兵器, - ｢Humanoid Weapon｣.
In the Official guide for the first Panzer Dragoon, page 74, the boss from the Episode 4 is called 人型生物兵器, - ｢Humanoid Biological [/Living] Weapon｣.
If we assume that such “Humanoid Weapons” are some low-level type of drones, then in this case it seems that such “drones” are really controlled by Sestren (via ruins, not directly).
But I don’t think that such creatures can be considered to be drones and compared to Azel and Orta, or even to Abadd.
Concluding addition
There are other “non-mutated” aggressive creatures that are not controlled by Sestren.
It can be understood, judging by the events of the games and by some facts from the guides, that dragons are not controlled by ruins and Sestren.
It is obvious that the Blue Dragon, Lagi, Edge’s dragon, and Atolm were not controlled by Sestren.
I think that the Prototype Dragon and its rider (who is said to be a drone) also were not controlled by Sestren.
The Blue Dragon’s program, “artificial instincts”, was aimed at destroying the Tower, but the Prototype Dragon had the opposite program, aimed at protecting the Tower.
The dragons from the first Panzer Dragoon were awakened not by Sestren, but by their programs as an answer, as a reaction to the activation of the Tower.
In the guide for “Orta”, page 63, it is said that dragons are aggressive creatures that have freedom, they are free in protecting or destroying ruins.
It could be understood that all dragons of both factions, except “pseudo” dragons, like Mass Produced Dragon (Glide Dragon) and Guardian Dragon, are not controlled by ruins and Sestren.
There may be something else that is not controlled by Sestren, but I’m not sure, so I will skip it.
Also, the situation with how ruins and Sestren control aggressive creatures may be more complicated.
It seems that ruins can control aggressive creatures even if Sestren doesn’t have access to ruins, something like “residual effect”, but not only this.
So, maybe it is more correct to talk about not only Sestren’s control, but about both Sestren’s and ruins’ control.
Anyway, if a creature is not controlled by ruins, it means that it is not controlled by Sestren.
The details are not important to the topic of this post, so I will skip them for now.
From Famitsu Guide for “Saga”
Page 26
Title: エッジとドラゴンの出会い, – ｢The Meeting of Edge and the Dragon｣
Subheading 1 – エッジとドラゴンの出会い, – ｢The Meeting of Edge and the Dragon｣
クレイメンによる発掘所襲撃の現場に帝国軍の傭兵としていあわせたエッジは、クレイメン艦隊の部隊長であるツァスタバの弾丸を受け、発掘所の地下へと落下した。
常識的に考えても絶対に助からない高さから落下したエッジだが、奇跡的に命を取り留めた。
落下地点が地下水脈だったとはいえ、あの高さから落ちた場合、水面から受ける衝撃は地面のそれとほぼ同等。
ドラゴンとの直接的接触の前に、エッジはすでに乗り手（第６章Ｐ.１４１参照）として選ばれており、ドラゴンの力の影響を受けていたから助かったとしか考えられない。
発掘所の地下からエレベーターで地上へ戻ろうとしたエッジだが、大量の攻性生物に囲まれてしまった。
だが、そこにドラゴンが現われ、攻性生物を一瞬にして消滅してしまう。
エッジの眼前に降り立ったドラゴンは、自分の背に乗れと目で語り、エッジはドラゴンに乗り発掘所上空へと舞い戻っていった｡
ドラゴンがエッジに見せた行動から察するに、言い伝えにある乗り手とドラゴンの精神的融合―言葉もなく念じるだけで思い通りにドラゴンと意志疎通が取れる―というのは真実であった。
Translation
｢Edge, an Imperial Army mercenary, who happened to be at the Excavation Site that was attacked by Craymen, was hit by a bullet of Craymen’s fleet captain Zastava, and fell to the underground of the Excavation Site.
Thinking with common sense, Edge definitely couldn’t survive a fall from such height; and yet, he miraculously survived.
Even though he fell into the underground waterway, the impact received from the surface of the water from the fall from such height would be almost the same as from falling on a solid surface.
The only explanation we can think of – is that before making a direct contact with the dragon, Edge was already chosen as a rider (see Chapter 6, page 141), and was saved due to the influence of the dragon’s power.
Edge tried to go back to the surface from the underground of the Excavation Site via the elevator, but was surrounded by a large number of aggressive creatures.
However, the dragon appeared there and annihilated those aggressive creatures in an instant.
The dragon, which landed before Edge, told him, via eyes, to ride on its back, and Edge returned to the Upper Excavation Site riding the dragon.
From the actions displayed by the dragon towards Edge, it is possible to presume that what is said in legends about spiritual fusion of a dragon with a rider, – when it becomes possible to communicate with each other at will without words, only via thoughts, – was true.｣
[Note.
From the interview “Panzer Dragoon Saga: An oral history”
( https://www.polygon.com/2018/4/30/17286042/panzer-dragoon-saga-sega-saturn-oral-history )
Saori Kobayashi (composer): “[…] Edge is already dead before the game starts, but is resurrected by the power of the dragon through some form of magic”.
Manabu Kusunoki (director, chief designer): “By the player’s involvement with the game, the player’s spirit brings Edge back to life”.
What is written in the guide correlates with what Saori Kobayashi said, and seems to make sense in general.
But it is possible that one explanation does not contradict the other].
Subheading 2 – ドラゴンとは？ – ｢What is a Dragon?｣
大陸各地で伝説・伝承として伝えられ神秘的な存在とされるドラゴン。
しかし、その実態はまぎれもない攻性生物である。
生産された絶対数が非常に少なく、攻撃力、機動力、防御力に秀でているドラゴンは、そのすべての要素を持つがゆえに、神の使者として、また破壊の権化として、そして神そのものとして崇められていたりもする。
それら伝承の多くは我々が捏造したものであるが、なぜ嘘偽りを並べる必要があったのか。
それはドラゴンという存在が果たす役割（第６章Ｐ.１４１参照）があまりにも重要であり、不用意にそのことが知られてしまうのは危険だと判断したからである。
旧世紀、人間の手によって造られたドラゴンの目的は、この惑星の生命維持装置である塔の破壊であった。
それはつまり、塔の機能で生き長らえているこの惑星を滅ぼすということにも捕らえかねられない。
そのような誤認が大陸全土に広がってしまうのは、望ましい結果をうまない。
塔という生命維持装置を作り出した旧世紀の人間は、なぜその塔を破壊するための存在としてドラゴンを造ったのだろうか。
それは、旧世紀文明が滅んだ直接的原因となった惑星規模の紛争に、終止符を打つべく仕掛けられたワナだったのである（第６章Ｐ.１４６参照）。
ドラゴンという強力な存在は、旧文明が残した究極の生命体であるのだ。
Translation
｢In legends that have been passed down all over the continent, dragons are said to be mystical beings.
In reality, however, it is certain that they are aggressive creatures.
The number of manufactured dragons is very small, and they excel in offensive, mobile, and defensive power, – these qualities are the reason why dragons are worshipped as messengers of gods, the incarnation of destruction, and even as gods themselves.
Many of these legends were fabricated by us; but why was it necessary to make these lies up?
It is because the role of beings that are called “dragons” is so important (see Chapter 6, page 141) that we decided it would be dangerous for this to be inadvertently figured out.
The purpose of why people in the Old Century created dragons was to destroy the Towers, which is life-support system of this planet.
That is to say, it could be interpreted as destroying this planet itself, since it lives due to the functioning of the Towers.
Spreading such misconception all over the continent will not produce the desirable results.
Why did Old Century people, who created the Towers, the life-support system, also created dragons – beings for destroying these Towers?
It was a ploy in order to put an end to the planetary-scale conflict, which was the direct cause of the destruction of the Old Century civilization (see Chapter 6, page 146).
Dragons are powerful beings, the ultimate life-form left by the Old Century civilization.｣
[Notes.
・ “Ploy” is ワナ (wana), - literally “a trap”.
・ If parts from these paragraphs about the role of the dragon/dragons are taken “as is”, without additional information of what has happened in the games, it could be understood as if all dragons were created for destroying the Towers, which is incorrect].
Comments to the images
Image 1 (3D render of Basic Wing; the same as on this image: https://www.panzerdragoonlegacy.com/system/pictures/2945/original/panzer-dragoon-saga-basic-wing-render.jpg?1612277788 )
エッジの前に現われたドラゴン。
成長前の素態ではあるが、並の攻性生物をはるかに上回る運動性能、攻撃力を誇る｡
Translation
｢The dragon that appeared before Edge.
Although it is in a pre-growth base form, it far exceeds an average aggressive creature in dynamic performance and offensive power.｣
Image 2 (The walls of the bottom of the Excavation Site, above the water where Edge fell. FMV cutscene screenshot)
エッジが落下した遺跡内部。
信じられないような高さから落下したのにも関わらず、まったくの無傷であった。
Translation
｢Inside the ruins where Edge fell.
Despite falling from an incredible height, he was completely unharmed.｣
Image 3 (Edge is looking at Basic Wing after it landed before him. FMV cutscene screenshot)
エッジとドラゴンの遭遇。
エッジは、はじめてドラゴンを間近にするが、何の恐怖も感じていなかったらしい。
Translation
｢The meeting of Edge and the dragon.
Edge saw a dragon at such close distance for the first time, but apparently he felt no fear at all.｣
[Note. According to the official guide for “Saga” (page 18), Edge was frightened by the dragon].
Page 27
Title: 兵器としてのドラゴン, – ｢Dragon as a Weapon｣
Subheading 1 – レーザーによる攻撃, – ｢Laser Attack｣
ドラゴンは体内に蓄積したエネルギーを口腔からレーザーという力に変え、放出する。
エネルギーの蓄積にはいくらかの時間を要するが、レーザーを放出する行為にかかる時間はほとんど必要としない。
レーザーは攻撃対象が特殊な妨害（エネルギー回避システムなど、Ｐ.１００〜の攻性生物個体説明参照）をしない限り確実に命中する。
なぜそれほどまでに高精度な命中率を持ちえているのか､ということに対しては「乗り手とドラゴンは視界を共有している」という仮説がある。
ドラゴンが見ている映像は乗り手も見えており、乗り手が見ているものはドラゴンにも見えているというのである。
つまり、お互いがまったく別の攻撃対象を見ていても、その対象の動きはそれぞれの脳に伝わっているのだ。
こうしてお互いの死角もフォローし合えるので、攻撃対象とされたものは、ふたつの視界から逃れられなければ死ぬことになる。
さらにドラゴンの目は、センサーのような機能を持っており、視界に捕らえた対象の温度、速度などを瞬時に把握し、次にどの方向へ動くかというのを予測できるというのだ。
これはかつてドラゴンに乗った経験を持つシーカー前リーダーであるスキアド・オプス･ランディ師の証言、「ドラゴンに乗っている時は、視界に動いているものが次にどこへ動くかというのが完全にわかる」から知り得たことだ。
Translation
｢A dragon transforms energy accumulated in its body into the laser energy, and releases it from the oral cavity.
Accumulation of energy takes some time, but for releasing the laser almost no time is needed.
Unless the target of the laser attack has special jamming (see page 100 and onwards for explanation on things like the energy evasion system of individual aggressive creatures), the laser will certainly hit the target.
Regarding why the rate of accuracy is so high, – there is a hypothesis about it: a rider and a dragon share their field of view with each other.
A mental image of what a dragon sees is also visible to a rider, and what a rider sees is also visible to a dragon.
That is to say, even if a dragon and a rider are looking at completely different separate targets, movements of these targets will be transmitted to the brains of both.
Thus, blind spots back-up each other, and the target of the attack will be dead if it cannot escape both fields of view.
Furthermore, dragon’s eyes have sensor-like functions that allow it to instantly determine parameters like temperature and speed of objects caught in the field of view, and to estimate the direction they will move next.
This is what we learned from the testimony of the previous leader of Seekers, who had experience as a dragon rider, Master Skiad Ops Lundi: “When you are riding a dragon, you understand perfectly where objects that are moving in your field of view will move next”.｣
Subheading 2 – バーサークとは？ – ｢What is Berserk?｣
ドラゴンは、レーザー以外にも攻撃方法を有している。
我々がバーサークと呼んでいるその秘めたる力は、ドラゴンが成長、進化するにつれ強力になってく。
バーサークはいわばドラゴンの最終兵器であり、レーザーをはるかに凌ぐ破壊力を持っている。
しかし、レーザーと違い、バーサークを放つために必要なエネルギーには限界がある。
多用できないからこそ最終兵器であり、とてつもない威力なのだ。
また、バーサークには様々な種類があり、攻撃に適したものや防御に適したもの、また自らの生命力を回復させるものなどがある。
我々はバーサークを放つためのエネルギーを便宜上“バーサークポイント”と呼んでいるが、調査の結果わかったことは、バーサークポイントとドラゴンの生命力はまったく別物だということだ。
つまり、ドラゴンのバーサークポイントが尽きても、移動速度やレーザーの威力にはまったく変化がなく、ただバーサークを放つことができなくなるだけなのである。
まるで機械のように、いや、機械よりもはるかに機能的に分別されているレーザーとバーサークの性質。
“造られた者”の特権だろうか。
Translation
｢Dragons have another method of attacking other than a laser.
We call their hidden power “Berserk”, and it becomes stronger with a dragon’s growth and evolution.
“Berserk” is, so to speak, dragons’ ultimate weapon, the power of which far surpasses that of a laser.
However, unlike a laser, there is a limit to the energy that is required in order to release a Berserk.
It is the ultimate weapon because it cannot be used frequently, and it is certainly tremendously powerful.
Moreover, there are various types of Berserks: some are suitable for attacking, some – for defense, and some – for restoration of life force.
For convenience, we call the energy that is used for releasing Berserks as “Berserk Points”, and, as we have understood from our research, it appears that Berserk Points and a dragon’s life force are two completely different things.
In other words, we can say with confidence that even if a dragon’s Berserk Points are all used up, there is absolutely no change in movement speed and laser power, – it just becomes impossible to release a Berserk.
It is like separate machines, no, – the nature of lasers and Berserks is on a higher level in how they are functionally separated in comparison to machines.
Can it be a privilege of “created ones”?｣
[Note. “Privilege” may be translated as “prerogative” or “advantage”].
Comments to the images
Image 1 (A portrait of Basic Wing firing lasers. Illustration; seemingly by Famitsu)
口腔から発射されるレーザー。
戦闘を経験するにつれ、その威力は上がっていく。
Translation
｢Lasers fired from the oral cavity.
Their power increases with gaining experience in combat.｣
Image 2 (Basic Wing is firing lasers at Pattergo in the valley in the beginning of the game. Gameplay screenshot)
発射されたレーザーは、追尾式で的を外すことはない｡
だが、攻性生物の中にはレーザーがまったく効かない種類（Ｐ.１００以降を参照）もいる。
Translation
｢Fired lasers have a tracking system, and never miss their target.
However, there are also some species of aggressive creatures that are completely immune to laser attacks (see page 100 and onwards).｣
Image 3 (Basic Wing is attacking with “Chain Laser” Berserk. Gameplay screenshot)
バーサークもレーザー同様、口腔から射出される。
だが、エネルギーの蓄積にはレーザーの倍の時間を要する。
Translation
｢Like lasers, Berserks are also fired from the oral cavity.
But it takes twice as much time as lasers to accumulate the energy.｣