2013-04-06, 09:46 AM
This is sweet...
The Google translator is getting a bit better with Japanese...
"King was watching the eastern forest forever staring into the distance as far away from the window of the castle, or to predict possible future tragedy."
Also the place where the evil assaulting the king is coming from a hick village (with a purposely unpronounceable name I think... there is so much word play in the names I tell you. I remember looking, and I couldn't find anything resembling this name in Japanese) in the east. The east is a place the three kingdoms fear, like I suspected. I think of it as mainland China, and suspect there is an isolated kingdom just like Japan on an island off the mainland that even the three kingdoms doesn't have any kind of relations with, or know anything much about (I think maybe Jean is on the eastern border of Verdite, or maybe its just a really really small place, but the east of wherever he is at is described as a untamed thicket incompatible with civilization... to be honest it seems like Elegria can't be that big to be able to see Melanat in the KF2 intro from a tower off the island, presumably the tower is even wherever the main castle of Verdite is situated, which could be in the north, but not in the north of the continent... but were it up to me I'd say the tower in the FMV was just an outpost that allowed for the best view of Melanat for purposes of teleporation, possibly a lighthouse)
This kind of seals it to me that Seath is a dragon with Shinto like qualities. And I think like Shintoism, he represents old conservative ways, that can't even be compared to modern western values. In other words he is magical, and also represents nature. I like to liken him to Satan, but your mileage may vary. There is a long tradition of ascribing nature to the devil. Because it is so brutal and harsh and inhospitable, but most of all devoid of morality mainly. Might makes right. But I think this is offensive to a lot of peoples sensibilities, so I prefer to describe Seath as a Shinto nature dragon of magic and the four elements. Still that links him to paganism which is also linked to Satan, but never mind. People turn pale when you say Satan nowadays. I don't think its the same in Japan though.
Casting Seath that way kind of changes the tone of the High Elves too. They could be more like hopelessly rigid pre-WW2 Japanese socialites than bankrupt holy roller aristocrats (which if nothing else would feel more elfin to a western audience)
Also Google's translation reminded me that its best to spell Egrek with a Y. I'm going with Ygrech, to make it appear more Grecian. That's the esthetic I like for it.
Also the last bit in the manual mentions that Aleph is a friend of Jean. Both being royalty. Even though presumably Jean is new royalty, so I am not sure they could've been friends for all that long. I think casting Aleph as a royal also gives him dubious qualities. Because we tend to not think highly of royalty. I think he's a Parsifal figure honestly. The idea of giving a player a game where if they really know the story arc know that everything they are doing to progress it is really a fools errand is very interesting. It really drives home that you are playing a role. As in, "This is first and foremost a story telling medium (as art should be and has always been) and not a vessel for your ego."
The Google translator is getting a bit better with Japanese...
"King was watching the eastern forest forever staring into the distance as far away from the window of the castle, or to predict possible future tragedy."
Also the place where the evil assaulting the king is coming from a hick village (with a purposely unpronounceable name I think... there is so much word play in the names I tell you. I remember looking, and I couldn't find anything resembling this name in Japanese) in the east. The east is a place the three kingdoms fear, like I suspected. I think of it as mainland China, and suspect there is an isolated kingdom just like Japan on an island off the mainland that even the three kingdoms doesn't have any kind of relations with, or know anything much about (I think maybe Jean is on the eastern border of Verdite, or maybe its just a really really small place, but the east of wherever he is at is described as a untamed thicket incompatible with civilization... to be honest it seems like Elegria can't be that big to be able to see Melanat in the KF2 intro from a tower off the island, presumably the tower is even wherever the main castle of Verdite is situated, which could be in the north, but not in the north of the continent... but were it up to me I'd say the tower in the FMV was just an outpost that allowed for the best view of Melanat for purposes of teleporation, possibly a lighthouse)
This kind of seals it to me that Seath is a dragon with Shinto like qualities. And I think like Shintoism, he represents old conservative ways, that can't even be compared to modern western values. In other words he is magical, and also represents nature. I like to liken him to Satan, but your mileage may vary. There is a long tradition of ascribing nature to the devil. Because it is so brutal and harsh and inhospitable, but most of all devoid of morality mainly. Might makes right. But I think this is offensive to a lot of peoples sensibilities, so I prefer to describe Seath as a Shinto nature dragon of magic and the four elements. Still that links him to paganism which is also linked to Satan, but never mind. People turn pale when you say Satan nowadays. I don't think its the same in Japan though.
Casting Seath that way kind of changes the tone of the High Elves too. They could be more like hopelessly rigid pre-WW2 Japanese socialites than bankrupt holy roller aristocrats (which if nothing else would feel more elfin to a western audience)
Also Google's translation reminded me that its best to spell Egrek with a Y. I'm going with Ygrech, to make it appear more Grecian. That's the esthetic I like for it.
Also the last bit in the manual mentions that Aleph is a friend of Jean. Both being royalty. Even though presumably Jean is new royalty, so I am not sure they could've been friends for all that long. I think casting Aleph as a royal also gives him dubious qualities. Because we tend to not think highly of royalty. I think he's a Parsifal figure honestly. The idea of giving a player a game where if they really know the story arc know that everything they are doing to progress it is really a fools errand is very interesting. It really drives home that you are playing a role. As in, "This is first and foremost a story telling medium (as art should be and has always been) and not a vessel for your ego."