References - Names (N-Z)




Oboro
[One of Shitan's brothers (only on Clio Saga's website).]

Mist Veil Through Which Only a Shade of the Moon is Visible", or "Haziness Diffusing the Moonlight".





Peniel [Penel]
[Sophia's adopted father (only in Perfect Works).]

"Face of God." - Peniel is given as both 'the angel Jehovah' who restled with Jacob, and as an angel of Friday who cures humanity of stupidity. It is also a place, in the book of Genesis. In the game, Penel is a leader of the Nisan sect in Nimrod, and Sophia's caretaker.





Ramsus/Ramses
[Commander of Gebler.]

If you're familiar with the Bible or Egyptian mythology, you know that Rameses II is considered one of the greatest kings of Egypt. In the story (to make it short), he refused to believe in the god of Moses, or to free the Hebrew slaves. After the Seven Plagues ravaged Egypt and killed his first-born son, he released the slaves and admitted defeat.

This is similar in some ways to the story of Ramsus. His troops revered him, and true to Solarian nature, he refused to see the truth of the situation until it was too late. He then admitted defeat and disappeared. (Or so we think......)

'Ramsus' also means "beloved little champion," which is rather ironic.





Raodikia (romanized: Ladocicea)
[King of Nimrod in Episode IV.]

Quote: "It's the name of one of the seven Minor Asia Churches that got a letter from St John at the beginning of the Apocalypse (I think it's chapter III, 14-21)."

This king was ruling Nimrod during the rise of the Nisan church, and the country fell while under his leadership.





Rico
[Mutant champ of Nortune.]

"Monarch" -- its spanish origin. Considering Rico's heritage, this is very close to the mark.





Sandalphon (Sundel)
[One of the four pillars of Deus.]

In mythology, this is Metatron's twin and the angelic incarnation of the prophet Elijah. He likes sandals! He's a prince and one of the tallest angels in heaven, and when he's not wandering around on earth, he stands behind God's throne to weave humanity's prayers into garlands. Sometimes he's also a warrior, and takes Michael's place in battling Satan.

In the game, Sandalphon was translated as "Sundel" (for reasons completely unknown to me), and it was the carrier of Deus's Healing ability.





Satsuki
[One of Shitan's Brothers (only on Clio Saga's webpage).]

"Month of First Buds".





Seraphim (Seraphita)
[One of the four Elements of Solaris.]

Plural for "seraph." This is the highest order in the Dionysian hierarchy, and usually the highest in general lore. They surround the throne of glory ceaselessly singing praises to God, and stand for love, light, and fire. They are possessed of six wings and four faces.

In the game, Seraphita was the Element of Fire, and supposedly the head of the Special Forces division of the Gebler military (which matches up with her missions, but not her demeanor, eh?). Though she did not have six wings or four faces, she did represent the correct element. If I wanted to stretch things I could say that her obviously demi-human nature reflects the oddity of 'multiple faces', but... nah.





Shaitan (Citan)
[Fei's mentor throughout the game.]

Satan, a fallen angel. This has almost nothing to do wuith the game, or Shitan as a character, but the resemblence of names has popped up more than once in message board discussions.





Shigure
[One of Shitan's Brothers (only on Clio Saga's webpage).]

"The Frequent Rains of Fall and Winter" (Autumn Shower).





Sigurd
[First mate of the Yggdrasil.]

(Old Norse) -- "Victorious Guardian".
Aside from what you'll find on his profile, Sigurd is also the name of a great Norse hero. Both of the personas fit, in places, at least. The legends also connect him to Andvari, which turned out to be a family heirloom... so to speak. ^.^





Sophia
[First Holy Mother of Nisan.]

The greatest aeon in Gnostic lore, and mother of the great angels. Also associated with the Shekinah. See the full explanation for more detail. In the game, Sophia was the First Mother of Nisan and leader of the rebellion against Solaris. She was also an incarnation of Elly.





Stein
[Bishop of the Ethos.]

This name means "stone" in German. He is known as "Bishop Stone" in the game, before you find out who he really is.





Throne (Tolone)
[One of the four Elements of Solaris.]

The Thrones rank third in the Dionysian hierarchy, and they are the bringers of God's justice, residing in the fourth heaven. In the game, Tolone is the Element of Air, probably third in the rank of command (because I have a sneaking suspicion that Seraphita is last - wonder where that idea came from). ^.^ Other than that, however, I don't think there's much here to really analyze. I'm sure Tolone is supposed to bring God's (read: Solaris's) justice down upon anyone who deserves it, but then again, most of the Elements serve the same purpose.





Uzuki
[Shitan's last name.]

"Month of Blooming Makinos"





Yayoi
[One of Shitan's Brothers (only on Clio Saga's webpage).]

"Month of Growing Plants".





Yizkor
[Dominia's last name (only in Perfect Works).]

"Yizkor" is a special prayer for remembering the deceased (usually the immediate family), recited on Yom Kippur, and the seventh days of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. It has been recited to honor the six million Jews that died during the Holocaust.

In terms of the game, well... Dominia's entire race was wiped from the face of the planet because their abilities were a threat. While it is not the same situation, there are definite similarities.





Zephyr
[Queen of Shevat.]

"The west wind". In Greek mythology, Zephyr caused Apollo to accidentally kill Hyacinth out of jealousy for the god's attention. But to balance this, Zephyr (termed the "sweetest and gentlest of winds") also rescued Psyche from the misrable fate thrust upon her by Apollo and Venus.

(This shows perfectly Zephyr's part in the history of Xenogears. She was on the "good side" more often than not, but committed crimes because of her greed - 500 years ago.)