#gradlon

Frigid Reads: The Lost City of Ys

Lythos and The universe.

If you look at the map of Elyso you can see that the kingdoms of Firene, Brodia, Elusia and Solm form a circle around Lythos and Gradlon.  The four kingdoms each represent a season.

Firene - spring

Brodia - autumn

Elusia - winter 

Solm - summer

Each kingdom also represents one of the five 'godia' or elements in Buddhist traditions.

Firene - spring - air - represents growth, open-mindedness, wisdom and freedom

Brodia - autumn - earth - represents foundation, being acted upon, stability and stubbornness.

Elusia - water - represents flow, change, emotion and adaptability.

Solm - fire - represents creativity, motivation, passion, intensity and desire.

Gradlon/Lythos - the void - represents the source of the human spirit, everything, nothing, absence and death.

Lythos and Gradlon form a solar eclipse in the centre of the universe. A solar eclipse happens when the Moon covers the Sun's center, leaving the Sun's visible outer edges to form a “ring of fire” or annulus around the Moon. Lythos is a crescent shape and is the moon in the solar eclipse. Gradlon is the sun forming a 'ring of fire' around Lythos. In Tibetan Buddhism it is believed that during a solar and lunar eclipse that one's good and bad deeds are multiplied by 10,000. The good deeds of The Divine Dragon and the bad deeds of Sombron are multiplied.

A solar eclipse always coincides with the new moon. It is a sign of change and new beginnings. Gradlon rising to form the eclipse signifies new beginnings for Alear and Veyle. Veyle had a new beginning as her true self, a Dragon that helps people and saves the world. Alear has a new beginning as an Emblem. A new family is formed between Alear and Veyle. Each leader has a new beginning in a world of peace and mutual understanding with greater communication between the kingdoms. 

It is important to note that despite Lythos being the shape of a moon, the country's symbol is the sun. It is the same situation with Gradlon, the country is the shape of the sun and their symbol is the moon. This represents yin-yang. Ying and yang are not in conflict, they compliment each other to create balance. The fell and divine in Alear create a perfect balance. Alear and Veyle working together create balance. Yin-yang represents the uniting of opposites to create balance. 

Gradlon and Lythos also represent as above, so below. There is harmony, agreement and correspondence between each plane. What happens in life is reflected in death, what happens in heaven is reflected in earth. The ideal Elyso is one where yin-yang is in perfect harmony and where as above, so below is in agreement. The Xenologue demonstrates what happens without the Divine Dragon and humanity working together in perfect harmony, heaven falls (the Somniel has literally fallen from the sky,) and humanity falls to ruin (all the leaders are dead and the corrupted act like the living). Without the complimentary divine to work with the fell the world cannot be saved. It is only when the Divine Dragon is summoned to the fallen Elyso are they then able to save those who are left. 

Lythos and Gradlon as shadow and light.

Within you is light and shadow, both need to be recognized to understand who you really are.

The shadow is the part of you that you do not want to see, not others to witness. Gradlon as the shadow at the start of the game is hidden under water, hidden from view. The shadow is feared, hated, in denial and projected elsewhere. Sombron's inability to connect with others is projected onto the bonds of others, because his connections are weak and easy to break, which means that everyone else is the same. He loathes his enemies inability to admit failure, weakness and defeat because he cannot admit the same. 

The shadow is not evil but without facing it and recognizing it as evil you allow yourself to do evil deeds without recognising it as evil. Sombron believes he is justified in his actions because of his experience of isolation. People are not people, they are props to be used. His children are manufactured goods made to serve his ego. No one matters except his ego. 

 "Take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to take the splinter out of your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:4-5)

Sombron is never able to face the shadow side of himself. Veyle and Alear are able to. 

Veyle sees the shadow side of herself, she does not identify with the cloaked figure who delights in harming people, however she understands that it only represents part of who she is. Completely identifying as cloaked Veyle would lead to much evil. She brings light to the shadow part of herself by believing in Alear, believing she can make connections and help people and by learning that Sombron is only a shadow of a father figure who wants to use her for his own ends. If the cloaked figure won she would have lived and been driven by fear and malice. Veyle pours light into the shadow side of herself by breaking the helmet from her head. When she first learns of her shadow side she confronts it with anger, surprise and fear. When she stands up for herself and faces her shadow with determination and sadness she sees how broken and needy her shadow self was. Veyle knows she has sinned and is saddened by what she has done and seeks redemption. The final desperate plea for a father that never loved her by her shadow self represents that broken and needy self. Most importantly to move on from her shadow she needs to forgive that part of her. She forgives Zephia and says she will remember her and she says goodbye to her father and holds no malice towards him. With her dark side recognised and faced up to, she is ready to open her heart up to the light of the Divine Dragon Alear. She still has a little way to go to accept her fell dragon side.

Alear faced up to their dark side when they discovered the truth of their identity. At first they were shocked and humiliated, their ego took a knock. The ego does not like the truth about the shadow self being revealed. Alear believed they could not be a good dragon if they were a fell dragon. By recognising and facing the fell part of themselves they are able to embrace the light and transcend to an emblem. 

Flight of King Gradlon (1884), by Évariste Vital Luminais.

The mythical city of Ys, on the coast of Brittany in France, was ruled over by King Gradlon.  A strong dike protected the city from the waves, and a locked gate could be opened to allow the tidal water to flow out.  But only the king held the key.

Gradlon's daughter, Dahut, was responsible for the fall of the city. One night, while her father was asleep, she stole the key and opened the gate to let in her lover, who in some versions of the tale was the devil.  The sea rushed in, flooding the city.

Gradlon seized his daughter, and they tried to escape to safety on his horse.  But the waves were too great, and St. Gwénnolé (Winwaloe) told him that he had to throw Dahut to the waves.  He did so, and managed to escape to found the city of Quimper.

They just plunder shit from Elyos (likely)