Hi. I'd say welcome, but there's not much to see. In the beginning, NC was going to host work I did related to Xenosaga. Since the site has been sitting without updates for two years, I think we can all assume that I've abandoned the project. So! Below is the incomplete list of references I gathered. Links to my Livejournal have been removed, because I'm rather tired of seeing people have old arguments via comments. Don't contact me to complain about this or that entry, or about the lack of material on the site. I'll ignore you. Have a nice day. Albedo "White." An astronomy term, having to do with the reflection of light from celestial bodies. As stated in the game's database, also alchemical. Armaros May also be "Araros." One of the eleven Watchers who fell in Genesis 6. He taught humans the use of enchantments. He is a Son of Fire, as are all angels. Azazel "God Strengthens." One of the eleven Watchers who fell in Genesis 6, second in command. He taught mankind the art of war, and how to utilize cosmetics. He is a demon with seven serpent heads, fourteen faces, and twelve wings. Sometimes equated with Satan (as Iblis of Islamic lore), other times named as his second in command. He is a Son of Fire, as are all angels. Baraqijal One of the eleven Watchers who fell in Genesis 6, who is now a demon and teacher of astrology. He is a Son of Fire, as are all angels. Basilisk A mythical beast which can turn its victims to stone with its gaze. Usually reptilian. Cerberus The three-headed dog of Greek legend. chaos There's more to this than the obvious - which is a complete lack of order. You might hear somewhere that the universe was born from chaos. It'll require more study. Cyclops A one-eyed creature of Greek legend. He was particularly screwed over in the Odyssey. ^.^ Delphyne Possibly "delphi." Home of the Greek oracles. Demon Also daemon. Commonly known as fallen angels or evil spirits born in Hell, but the original definition meant "messanger" and was interchangable (and in fact, a better term for) "angel." Additional information from Fael: "The split between angels being "good" and demons being "bad" happened during the Aryan split in the Fertile Cresant. The Aryans that went southeast towards India began to worship the demons as good and the angels as bad, while the opposing set of Aryans (who happened to be the ones known as Persians that spread the Angellic belief to Israel) chose the angels as the good messengers and the demons as the bad. Since the Hebrew tradition of angels directly sprouts from the Persian belief, we tend to believe in a holy angel and a damned demon." Durandal Roland's sword; The Song of Roland. (I knew it sounded familiar. Thanks, Encyclopedia Mythica. ^.^) Gnosis A term used to refer to Gnosticism, a religion in direct opposition to Judeo-Christian thought which names the god of the Old Testament a false god. But don't take my word for it - this might be too general. ^.^ Hemlock Poison! ^.^ Don't eat this if you find it in your backyard, children. Hydra An eight-headed serpent from Greek legend, usually a water-elemental in other games. Jaldabaoth The false god of Gnostic tradition. I know him better as "Ialdabaoth". The great archon, created by Pistis Sophia. He may be equated with Satan, who is again equated with the serpent that tempted Eve and doomed his kind. And, since this is apparently too simplistic of a description for some people, here's the slightly more detailed version: Ialdabaoth is the first archon, created by Sophia Pistis. He took the shape of a lion-faced serpent, and she cast him away into the world. He created other archons and humans on his own, and dominated as "God," claiming he was the creator of the universe. The commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" has been interpreted as jealousy, or insecurity, since he knows he is not truly God at all, and that there are others. I think "false god" fits him, but that's just me. A better, more accurate version is forthcoming. Right now, you only get what I can come up with off the top of my head. ^.^ Jerusalem (Lost Jerusalem, Fifth Jerusalem) The center of Hebrew thought and culture. It has been destroyed twice, but legend says it will return in the end times. A reflection also exists in Heaven, under the supervision of the archangel Michael. Joachim St. Joachim. kosmos Order, or the universe. This has been the conclusion of her nature, either because of fan rumors or something from the promotional material. Nephilim The nephilim are the giants of lore, present in the early books of the Bible. They are the children of the fallen Watchers and human women, and they were destroyed in the Flood. Proto Merkabah Usually just merkabah. The chariot of God. Rhianon Se "Rhiannon." A figure in Celtic mythology; another name for Epona. Rubedo "Red." Can I be any more vague? (Probably.) Salt It's that stuff you use on food. ^.^ In its more symbolic aspect, salt refers to the Pillar of Salt; Lot's wife, when she looked back at the destruction of Sodom, is said to have been turned into a pillar of salt when she beheld the face of the Shekinah/Metatron, who was carrying out the punishment. It is washed or eaten away every day, but reappears whole every morning in an eternal cycle. If the gnosis truly exist on another plane, or are perhaps the souls of the dead, they may regenerate after they're defeated - not right away, but eventually. Of course... that would make them nearly infallible. ^.^ Seraphim Sisters The seraphim are the highest order of angels, possessing six wings and four faces. Their element is fire. Simeon A son of Jacob, and also a Tribe of Israel. It seems to be a popular name aboung the rabbi from what I can see in history - maybe there's a tradition behind that. Sophie Peithos Should be "Sophia Pistis" - an aeon according to Gnostic mythology. She created the world and Jaldabaoth, whom she cast away from her for his pride. To quote Paul, "'Sophie Peithos', as I just said, means 'Enticing Wisdom' when translated from Greek..." He argues the corruption of the name might have been intentional, and he may be right. ^.^ unicorn A mythical, horse-like creature with one shining horn on its head. Unus Mundus Network Mundus: a demon lord. Supposedly Lucifer's son. (In Devil May Cry. ^.^) As Kreliana pointed out at the Zenosaga boards, 'unus mundus' means 'one world' in Latin, so this would be the "One World Network." Veil In Hebrew legend, there is a "veil" separating heaven and earth that hides the light of God from humanity, and a similar veil shrouds the throne of God in heaven from the sight of the angels. This is a bit obscure; in the game, the "veil" status would cut down ether effect by 25%, while an anti-veil status would increase the effect of ether. I have no idea if Takahashi was actually thinking of the divine veil when he decided on that facet of gameplay, but the reference fits pretty well. It also shows up in Xenogears. Virgil The author of the Aeneid, also Dante's guide through Hell and Purgatory in the Divine Comedy. Ziggurat Usually a massive structure of some kind (towers, pyramids, etc.). It implies great strength and an ability to stand up to any force or challenge. Zohar Sefer ha-Zohar, the Book of Radiance. An expansion on the Torah. Zohar Emulators Insert Zohar's definition here. ^.^ The Heberw letters may or not mean anything, but on the surface, it looks as if they're used as numbers here. The Emulator we see most often in the game (the one captured in the beginning) is marked with the letter "aleph", which can stand for the number one. In progress: Wyrm Tiamat Rhine Maidens Pleroma Ogre Mythril Mercurio Manticore Minotaur Kobold Gargoyle Fairy Ether Daemmerung		Links Guardian Angels Divine Seal Lea Monde
The Nephilim Collective is written and maintained by Amber Michelle. Xenosaga is (c) Namco and Monolithsoft. Please contact the author if you want to use something on this site.