On this page I'll be posting entries translated from the guidebooks and Tales encyclopedias. I will compile items from several different books, with each entry's origin indicated by an abbreviation at the end. I'm choosing entries to include at random depending on what seems interesting or useful at the time, and adding them to this page in English alphabetical order. Eventually I hope to include every Eternia-related encyclopedia entry from all of the official guidebooks.
Entries for characters and other sources of character profiles will go on their own page (coming soon).
The localization conventions used here will be a mixture of the one used by the official Namco script, and one that I'm currently devising for use in my script retranslation project. My aim is to bring the spellings of nouns closer to how they are pronounced in the Japanese script, while taking their euphony in English and etymology into account. This is a work in progress, so the spellings of nouns might shift over time. For words in Inferian or Melnics whose pronunciations aren't immediately obvious, I'll provide parenthetical phonetic guides in US English that are based on the original pronunciations.
The sources for this page are listed as follows:
Namco/Famitsu Editorial Dept. Tales of Eternia Official Guide Book. Enterbrain, 2001. ISBN 9784757703254. (henceforth referred to as Famitsu)
Namco Official Guide Book Tales of Eternia. Namco, 2000. ISBN 4907892080164. (or Namco)
Fighting Studio. Tales of Dictionary: Tales of Phantasia, Destiny, Eternia, Fandom Vol. 1, Narikiri Dungeon. Futabasha, 2003. ISBN 9784575163582. (or Futabasha)
VJump Editorial Dept. Tales of Eternia Complete Guide. Shueisha, 2001. ISBN 9784087791297. (or VJump)
All of the text in the entries below is translated directly from these sources. If I add my own comments, they'll be in colored text like this.
Aerial Board [magic/technology]: An arte that enables practitioners to travel at high speeds while levitating their bodies up to 30cm from the ground, using the power of the wind craymels. This is extremely useful in the early stages of the game, but when Sylph grants this technique to the main cast, he leaves them with these words, "But only in a world with wind craymels," hinting ominously at their destination to come. (Famitsu, p19)
Aurora War [history]: 2300 years ago, Nereid's machinations caused interplanetary war to break out between Inferia and Celestia. As this happened to take place during an era of advanced technology, the destruction wrought by both sides launching ceaseless barrages of attacks with powerful weapons and magical artes ultimately led to the downfall of the Melnics civilization. The war incurred Seyfert's wrath, provoking Him to seal off both worlds with the Seyfert Ring. (Famitsu, p21)
Baten Kaitos (or Vatenkeist) [story background]: The nonmaterial world created by Nereid 10,000 years ago. It is a world devoid of substance that exists in a perpetual state of flux, where all visible forms are part of a landscape of pure mental imagery. Until Seyfert manifested Himself and created the material plane 8000 years ago, Baten Kaitos was the only world that existed. (Famitsu, p26)
Bridge of Light [structure]: A mechanism that enables transport to Celestia, discovered thirty years ago by Balir when he was a researcher for the Royal Observatory of Astronomy. Located on the summit of Mt. Farose, the Bridge can only be activated with the power of Rem. In fact, when Rem determines that certain humans should be sent to Celestia, they are allowed to operate the Bridge without having to first go through a series of procedures; thus Ras was also able to use this bridge to cross over. Incidentally, Roen and Zosimos used the Bridge of Expedition, not the Bridge of Light, for their travels. (Famitsu, p27)
Calendar Era [unit of measurement]: The prehistoric era is referred to as B.S. (pronounced "bis") = Before Seyfert, followed by the Seyfert Era = S.E. (pronounced "soon"), and then the Inferian era, also known as Inferia Rule = I.R. (pronounced "ul"). For reference, Nereid created Baten Kaitos 10,000 years before the present, around B.S.6000. 8000 years before present, around B.S.4000, Seyfert manifested Himself and created the material world. 3800 years ago, the Melnics planetary union was formed, marking the epochal year for the S.E. calendar era, and the start of what would become known as the Melnics Era. The Aurora War broke out 2300 years ago in S.E.1500. 2200 years ago in S.E.1600, Seyfert closed off Inferia and Celestia. The I.R. era began when the Kingdom of Inferia was founded 198 years ago. And now, in this tale, the year is I.R.198. (Famitsu, p26)
Chambard [toponym]: Its full name is "Chambard, the Town of Hot Sand." As it is located near the valley of the fire craymel, Chambard is exceptionally hot even by the standards of Inferia's warm climate. The temperatures are so extreme that the town appears to the eye as if it were swaying in a haze of heated air, causing Meredy, who as a Celestian is sensitive to heat, to faint. (Famitsu, p22)
Colin [story background]: Meredy's cherished mascot doll that she keeps attached to her parasol. Its true origins are unknown. (Famitsu, p22. This mystery is solved in Tales of Fandom Vol. 1.)
Craymel Cages [item]: An apparatus containing a mineral known as craymelite that is encased in orje. Originally created during the Melnics Era, in Inferia the technology to manufacture them is no longer known. Cages come in Inferia-type and Celestia-type configurations, both largely similar in functionality but differing in their design. Inferians are capable of performing an array of craymel artes depending on the types of craymels housed within the craymelite inside the cage. As for Celestians, while they do retain the ability to manufacture cages, they are unable to use them to perform craymel artes. Instead, by combining cages with weapons such as firearms, they can achieve effects similar to those of craymel artes. The standard craymel cage is around 10cm long, but on Celestia where they are used for industrial purposes, larger units in the 10m range have also been fabricated. (Famitsu, p21)
Craymel Dust [phenomenon]: A craymel light vortex. This is a phenomenon in which glimmering craymels ascend in the air, causing them to appear like countless lights rising into the sky. (Famitsu, p21. See also Snow of Happiness, a somewhat similar phenomenon on Celestia.)
Craymelite [mineral]: A crystalline substance that can be used to house craymels. Craymelite serves as the core of a craymel cage. (Famitsu, p23)
Craymelmancy [culture]: Also known as a "craymel-check." This refers to a form of divination based on personality typing that is performed at the Church of Seyfert at the foot of Mt. Farose. A fortuneteller asks the player a series of questions, and then tells them what sort of personality they have, which type of craymel they match, and which of the characters with whom they share the most in common. (Famitsu, p22)
Craymels [story background]: (lit. "crystal spirits") Neither animate nor inanimate, craymels dwell within all things, and govern all phenomena. They are controlled by their respective Greater Craymel and are not sentient in themselves. Capable of freely moving between the spirit world of Baten Kaitos and the material world, they belong to neither realm, as they consist of neither matter nor spirit. What can be determined is that craymels of water, wind, fire, and light exist in Inferia, and craymels of earth, ice, lightning, and darkness exist in Celestia. You might then wonder how the wind can still blow in Celestia despite the lack of wind craymels, and how there can still be soil in Inferia despite not having earth craymels—but one may regard the wind in Celestia as mere wind, rather than living wind. It is possible that there are also craymels for sound and spirit, but their existence has not yet been discovered. According to one theory, craymels have existed since time immemorial, long before Seyfert or Nereid appeared on the scene. (Famitsu, p22)
Dark Aurora [magic/technology]: The form of Aurora magic that Nereid created for the purpose of destruction. Users can obtain the power to annihilate matter by absorbing craymels into their spirits and performing a fringe. For those who are born with the ability to use Dark Aurora artes, they can easily learn the skill if they have the need, but using it puts themselves at risk of becoming possessed by Nereid. (Famitsu, p28)
Dark Orb (or Dark Matter) [structure]: Also known as the "Nereidoid," the Dark Orb is a black sphere floating in the center of the Seyfert Ring. One day the Orb abruptly emerged and began to grow at a rate of 300 rangues (approximately 90 meters) per year, reaching a current diameter of 300 meters. Given the fact that it encapsulates Shizel Castle, the Dark Orb is thought to consist of an energy field or shell. It possesses the ability to generate Orverse bursts, which can be controlled by Shizel, but may also activate when under external attack. In the eyes of believers in Seyfert, who are unaware of the truth behind the Dark Orb, it is a sign of the Second Coming of God. (Famitsu, p22)
Doenys (or Donies) [plant]: (pronounced "do-wen-neece") A plant in the aster family that is used as one of the dye ingredients for Rachouan-dye. It produces small flowers that emanate a sweet scent. Vast doenys fields lie to the west of Barole, and in springtime, the winds kick up the flower petals into a fragrant whirlwind that envelops the city. In the language of flowers, the doenys carries the meaning of "unfulfilled longing." This also happens to be the type of flower that Ras wears on his hat. (Famitsu, p25)
Elara [story background]: Also called the "gleamsight." The elara is a light-emitting organ that is present on the heads of Celestians from the time of birth. It normally emerges from the forehead, but the size and location can vary, sometimes even appearing on the back of the head. For reference, Chat's elara is around the standard size. The elara not only provides a convenient light source in dimly-lit areas, its light is also capable of telepathic transmission of thoughts. Usually, elaras emit a faint, milky-white light, which turns to a bluish glow when in telepathic mode. When someone is experiencing intense feelings of anger, their elara is said to be stained crimson. The elara grows along with the rest of the body, and while there are differences from person to person, larger sizes tend to correspond with stronger aptitude for magical and telepathic abilities. According to Kuklor's theory, the elara originates in the reaction of craymels dwelling in the body to changes in organic ions. On the other hand, Keele hypothesizes that it might consist of a crystalline substance with attributes similar to orje. (Famitsu, p19)
Emotional Balloon [system]: The name for the system that expresses character emotions using symbols such as !, ..., ?, sweatdrop, blush, squiggles, etc. Apparently abbreviated as EB. (Famitsu, p19)
Eternia [world]: The collective name for the world that encompasses Inferia, Celestia, and the Orverse Boundary. (Famitsu, p19)
Food Preferences [story background]: Reid and his adventuring companions were all designated their own favorite foods, and when eating their favorite dishes during camping meals, they experience greater healing effects compared to the rest of the party. It is also easier for them to raise their recipe skill level when they are the ones cooking their favorites. The characters have diverse tastes, ranging from Farah who prefers her food on the healthy side, to Chat who likes anything sweet, plus Meredy who loves seafood. Incidentally, Ras' list of favorites was intended to feature Bitter Tofu and Sour Sushi. One can assume that he might have developed a taste for them while eating Galenos' cooking after crossing over from Inferia to Celestia. For someone like Ras, with his eccentric palate, getting the chance to try out Celestian cuisine must have surely been a special treat. (Famitsu, p21)
Gald [unit of measurement]: A unit of currency. 1 gald is equivalent to approximately 10 yen. (Famitsu, p20)
Gummies (or Gels) [item]: An indispensible healing item in the Tales series. In this game, the tuna gummy makes its debut, showing the eagerness of the development team for creating new products. Unlike in Phantasia, their manufacturing process is shrouded in mystery. (Famitsu, p21)
Holy Bottle [item]: A type of bottle filled with holy spirit. Its components and method of manufacture are unknown. Using one has the effect of lowering one's probability of running into monsters for a limited period of time. Although Keele needed to use these when traveling between Mintz and the mountain observatory, all of the bottles inside the observatory were empty. Perhaps the real reason Keele stayed there for so long was because he had run out of bottles and was simply unable to return. (Famitsu, p27)
Inferia [story background]: One of the worlds that forms Eternia. Inferia is blessed with abundant bright sunshine because of its light craymels, and the influence of the wind craymels gives rise to year-round gusty winds as warm as a spring breeze. As a result, Inferia has a comfortable climate that is temperate enough for plants to grow quickly. The inhabitants belong to a single country, the Kingdom of Inferia, and live under the reign of its King. Their level of civilization and technology are lower than those of Celestia, but this is a consequence of their belief system that regards craymels as sacred, and thus they have not made the leap to using them in research for developing new tools or energy. On the other hand, Inferians do possess a sophisticated culture of arts and academics, due to the importance they place on history. (Famitsu, p18-19)
Light Craymel Research Laboratory [structure]: As one of the laboratories established at the University of Mintz for craymel research, this laboratory focuses on light craymel science, including the related discipline of astronomy. The light craymel science department only admits students with exceptional academic capabilities, even by the standards of the elite students of Mintz, and those who distinguish themselves with their accomplishments in this laboratory are strongly favored for recruitment by the Royal Observatory of Astronomy. Keele is also a member of this laboratory, but he came into conflict with the dean Carlisle over his scientific theory, and was forced to leave the university. (Famitsu, p21)
Luishka [toponym]: Its full name is "The Ruined Village of Luishka." When Balir was killed by Birial, Shizel's Dark Aurora activated and destroyed the village. The ruins of the former Balir residence are currently occupied by Galenos, who uses it as a research facility as he continues his search for a way to overthrow Balir and halt the Grand Fall. (Famitsu, p29)
Melnics Language [culture]: Originally the language used by the Greater Craymels, humans began to use Melnics as an official language during the Melnics Era. It is currently still used as a common language in Celestia, but is regarded as an ancient language in Inferia, mainly used by craymel mages in the form of spell chants that are memorized verbatim. (Famitsu, p28)
Messaging [magic/technology]: According to the developer Mr. Toyoda, the messages that Ras sent from Celestia to Arende in Inferia were transmitted via Morse code signals using mirrors. Now, this explanation does raise a number of questions, but we would like to acknowledge that it is at least a very lovely and romantic idea. (Famitsu, p25)
Mintz [toponym]: Officially named "The Academic Town of Mintz." Youthful intellectual elites from all over Inferia are gathered in this college town, the home of the University of Mintz. (Famitsu, p28)
Monsters [story background]: It is said that during the time of the Aurora War, Nereid created monsters by wielding the power of Baten Kaitos upon wild animals. To this day these creatures still exist under Nereid's dominion. (Famitsu, p28)
Name Origins [story background]: Most of the character names or terms used in the game are inspired by the names of physicists, astronomers, alchemists, or celestial objects. For example, Herschel is taken from the British astronomer (William Herschel), Oersted from the physicist whose work laid the foundations of electromagnetism (Hans Christian Ørsted), and Orverse from the name of a German astronomer (Heinrich Wilhelm Matthias Olbers). Seyfert is based on the real-life Seyfert galaxy, and Nereid on one of the moons of Neptune. Additionally, Zosimos and Libavius are the names of alchemists. The developer Mr. Toyoda's passion for learning can serve as an explanation for his naming methods, but let us put that aside for now. If you were to ask him, his response would be that he attempted to do something similar with Destiny, but when no one noticed that he had actually based the name Berselius on the chemist Berzelius who invented chemical formula notation, he had to shake his fist at the Japanese school system in chagrin. Will he find more success this time around? (Famitsu, p23)
Nereid [story background]: The god of the nonmaterial world Baten Kaitos. Long ago, Seyfert defeated Nereid in battle and sealed him into Regulus Knoll. When the seal was broken, Nereid took control of Shizel, who possessed latent Dark Aurora ability, and plotted his revenge against Seyfert. This time Nereid chose the Grand Fall as his method of vengeance. His aim was not only to destroy Eternia and return it to the nonmaterial world, but also to capture all of the craymels within his body, and to perfect his harnessing of the Dark Aurora. (Famitsu, p26)
Orje (or Orz) [mineral]: (pronounced "or-zheh") A translucent crystalline substance that acts as a catalyst to extract the power contained in Craymels. This material is used in the manufacturing of objects such as orje earrings and the outer vessels of Craymel cages. However, in present-day Inferia, knowledge of the technology for processing orje has been lost. (Famitsu, p20)
Orverse Boundary (or Orbus Barrier) [toponym]: The plane of demarcation between Inferia and Celestia, and the point at which the gravity of both worlds is held in equilibrium. Originally located at 10,000 meters into the sky, it has been moving closer in relation to the ground with each successive Orverse burst. Due to certain effects exerted upon it by the Seyfert Ring, its surface is constantly shifting and undulating like an oil slick. (Famitsu, p20)
Orverse Bursts (or Orbus Wave) [phenomenon]: An explosive phenomenon generated by the Dark Orb as it floats in the Orverse Boundary. The bursts cause shock waves to ripple outward from the Orb in concentric circles, spreading across the surface of the Boundary like a tsunami. This in turn triggers diastrophic movement that shifts Inferia and Celestia closer towards each other, substantially narrowing the distance between the two worlds with every burst. This event occurs four times over the course of the game. (Famitsu, p20)
Peepit [creature]: A type of small bird with adorable big round eyes. This time they are only mentioned by name and do not appear as one of the monsters. They seem to be quite popular in Inferia, as their eggs make frequent appearances in the form of tasty omelettes, and as material for a spooky story, and also as an item dropped by Hyades. (Famitsu, p27. In Japanese, peepit is "piyopiyo," which is onomatopoeia for a baby chick's peeping cry.)
Quickie [creature]: A rare species of animal that inhabits Celestia. Their bodies are small at around 15cm long, but their ears are 12cm long and tail 45cm long, reaching a total combined length of 72cm. However, they weigh very little at 200g, and their distinctive fluffy blue fur, perhaps one of their most famous traits, is feather-light. They not only excel in jumping power, but can also stand up on their tails as if they were legs. Moreover, they possess a special ability to sense threats and turbulent auras, and emit a cry of "kukee-kukee!" to signal when danger is nearby. The name "Quickie" was coined by Meredy, but their scientific name is "pottorabiccinus." Allegedly delicious when eaten. (Famitsu, p21)
Royalty [culture]: The class at the top of the social hierarchy, with the King at its apex, that possesses absolute authority over Inferia. They believe unquestionably that the masses exist to serve them. (Famitsu, p20)
Seyfert [story background]: The God who created the material world. He has an antagonistic relationship with Nereid, the god of the nonmaterial world. Seyfert is seen as a benevolent deity by those who dwell in Inferia, in contrast to Nereid who is considered to be evil. Seyfert actively intervenes in human history in various ways, whether through His own powers or through His servant, Seyfert's Messenger. He also used His power to envelop Inferia and Celestia into an enclosed space by means of the Seyfert Ring. Seyfert's name evokes dread in the people of Celestia, who had been taught an inaccurate view of history by Nereid. (Famitsu, p23)
Seyfert Key [item]: 12cm in length, 5cm in diameter at its widest spherical portion. If someone grasps the Key and prays intently, it will emit a ray of light to indicate the proper path, or direction, that the person should follow. As a national treasure of the Kingdom of Inferia, the Key had been stored in the treasury since the state's founding, but recently it suddenly began to radiate light in a particular direction. It may also be used as a key in the literal sense to open doors in the ruins left behind by Seyfert. (Famitsu, p24)
Snow of Happiness [phenomenon]: A natural phenomenon that can only be observed on Celestia, in which light from the rising sun appears to radiate through the air. It is called "snow of happiness" because the light resembles snow. According to legend, two lovers who watch this sight together will live happily ever after. Keele believes that it might be caused by the diffused reflection of sunlight on suspended particulates floating in the atmosphere, or possibly by the interaction of craymels in response to changes in temperature. (Famitsu, p21)
Sodi (or Satay) [culture]: The general term for the seasonings used in Celestian cooking. The flavors of sodi pack a powerful punch and can be held responsible for the eccentric character of Celestian cuisine. As Celestians may adjust the amount of sodi they add to their cooking according to their inclinations, the same dish can take on many unique and wildly idiosyncratic flavors. Red sodi, which originates from a pepper-like red fruit ground into a fine powder, is extremely spicy. White sodi is a syrupy, milky fluid made from processed tree sap; the flavor is intensely sweet. Black sodi comes from a small black fruit that is crushed before adding to food, and has an incredibly bitter taste. Finally, there is purple sodi, which is extremely spicy, intensely sweet, and incredibly bitter at the same time. The origins of this mysterious spice are entirely unknown, other than the fact that the main ingredient appears to be some sort of plant life. (Famitsu, p24)
Suom [unit of measurement]: A unit of time, said to represent the number of days that Seyfert spent creating the world. One suom presumably corresponds to one week, but the exact number of days in a week has been deliberately left undetermined. This design choice may have been meant to take into account the fact that the speed and length of time it takes to progress through the game differ depending on the player, and that the number of days that pass within the game itself is subject to variation. (Famitsu, p23)
Underpants [culture]: Something that appears several times in the skits and has its name uttered repeatedly. (Famitsu, p27)
Undersea Art [arts]: While exploring the ocean floor, you may discover words and pictures drawn underneath the sea. On Inferia's seabed, you can find a picture of someone resembling Meredy at 159.175, a map of Inferia with an arrow pointing to the current location at 61.90, and the words "Tales of Eternia" etched onto the Celestian seabed at 165.80. Other markings besides these, including Aifread's logo, are also hidden at other sites. (Famitsu, p20)
University of Mintz [structure]: Among the several universities established in Inferia, this institute of higher learning occupies the top rank. Wearing its white school uniform is said to be the aspiration of many young people. The university contains both undergraduate and graduate colleges, and Keele was granted a special exemption to be admitted to the former when he was 13 years old. He is currently enrolled in a doctoral program at a mere 17 years of age. As a point of trivia, his student identification number is 34604. (Famitsu, p28)
Waiiru [culture]: A slang term in the Melnics language, meaning "cool." (Famitsu, p29)