#lythos

Lythos... Characters, clothings...

The castle?

I find Lythos is a very beautiful place. Too bad we can't freely traverse it in-game.

But I especially adore the Garden of Memories with its statues, hedges and wisteria.

Now, see, I just curiously looked into the meaning of wisteria in terms of flower language. And according to a website about "flowermeaning", wisteria is seen as a symbol for:

- start of marriage

- welcoming someone to a new home

- expressing your affections after meeting someone special for the first time

- serious devotion

...among other points, which also fit perfectly into the lore of Engage (or rather the character Alear but also as a celebration for the anniversary).

After all, you find the Pact Ring (or in japanese: the Promise Ring) in the Garden of Memories. Which you give someone important to you.

...I've drawn them all!!

The architecture of Lythos.

Lythos castle was built in a precipitous location, some areas are fortified by strong white stone walls, other areas rely on The criticality of the cliff face for protection. The towers could be used for observation, ranged attacks and refuge. 

There are features of both Roman and Byzantine architecture. The external use of Roman style arch and domes, and internally vaulted ceilings, and the segmentation of the domes with recessed arches to provide more light and space inside. 

The battle map for 'chapter 3 Hostilities' shows a cross design plan. The intersection of two arms of the church results in a square floor space in the centre with a crowning done overhead. This plan allocates three areas inside the main castle building . The most important area is The vault where The Emblem rings are stored. There is symbolic meaning behind this lay out plan. The done represents God in heaven overseeing the imperfect earth represented by the square / rectangular shape of the castle. 

The ring chamber in the Somniel and the ring vault in Lythos Castle are domed building. The Byzantine style of the done is supported by triangular operative infill that sit above and between the arches. Once aside the roof is designed to increase light and space. The use of frescoes and murals also demonstrate the Byzantine influence.

Throughout the Somniel there are also nods to Gothic and Baroque designs such as ornate decoration, intricate details and sculptural elements. 

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. 

The cuisine

The dishes of Lythos seen to fall into three categories:

Cheap and easy to cook peasant dishes

Desserts and treats.

Inspired by the other kingdoms.

The cheap and simple peasant dishes could be because of the lifestyle of the clergy who chose to live a simple life and not splurge on luxuries. Since Lythos and The Somniel rely on donations they are careful with how to use money and resources. Some of the dishes might have been necessary during the first war with Lord Sombron because of the lack of resources. The meals could also be precautionary, just in case they cannot rely on trade and fertile land forever. 

The Peasant Dishes:

Peasant Bread - This dish refers to a rustic style bread that has few ingredients, doesn't rise and is easy to create. The is used because it has greater nutritional value and is more filling than wheat. The tends to prefer cold and rainy places to grow so I wonder if the eye used is imported from Brodia or Elusia.

Mutton Stew - This dish is inspired by Irish stew or Welsh Cawl. Elusia is the UK without Scotland (I will explain why in future chapters) and the stew is likely to be a recipe imported from there. It is a dish using cheap ingredients, sometimes leftovers and is traditionally fed to people in bulk. 

Very Veggie Stew - This dish is inspired by Stovie. A stovie is a Scottish dish made with potatoes and leftovers. This recipe likely came from Brodia.

Cod Dip - This dish is inspired by Brandade De Morue which is a local speciality of Nîmes in Southern France. In the old French language of occitan 'Brandade' comes from the word 'brand's which means to shake. Brandade De Morue literally means 'Shaken Cod.' It is a fishy mash dish. The recipe could have done from Firene.

Pickles - The pickles Clanne loves are an important way to preserve fruit and vegetables.

Desserts

Croissant - This is not strictly a dessert but I consider it a celebratory dish. The Croissant shape is a crescent which is the same shape as the island of Lythos. The croissant is more difficult to make and uses a few luxury ingredients such as butter. I believe this dish was created by the Firense as a dish to honour The Divine Dragon because of the shape and more upper class nature of the dish in mediaeval times.

Hot Crepe - This dish is inspired by Crepe Suzette. The fancy and celebratory version could include alcohol so that it could be set ablaze (flambeed). A peasant version would remove the alcohol and just use local fruits.

Berry Custard Tart - This dish is inspired by egg tart. This dish has religious roots. In the 18th century monks at the Jerónimos Monastery in Santa Maria de Belem used to use Egg whites to search nuns' habits. Using white eggs leaves a lot of leftover times which were made into egg tarts. I wonder if the people of Lythos used white whites in the same matter.

Peach Sorbet - This dish is a mixture of ice and fruit juice. The peach is locally grown and the ice would have been stored in caves or ice cellars. 

Apple Beignet - People who eat this dish are eating a 'nun's fart'. This dish is made from pâte à choux and called pets-de-nonne, which means 'nun's fart' in French. Cheap filling pastry made with local fruits.

Chocolate Orange - This dish is inspired by glacé fruit coated with chocolate. This would have been an expensive, luxury dish. The chocolate would have been imported from Solm and sugar would have been a higher price item. 

International inspiration

The fashion of Lythos and The Somniel.

The cassock is a garment worn by priests when performing religious duties. The fact there are three versions to represent Lythos demonstrates that there are a vast number of clergy who live in Out his serving the Divine Dragon. The garment covers most of the body so that there are no bodily distractions from one's work. 

Frost, Stark,and Lake cassock / dress -The frost garments are covered in triangles, there are triangular patterns on the stark and lake garments as well, and these symbolise God / Divine Dragons.

Bible O.T. Genesis 1.1-2. 'God is represented as a triangle, symbolising the Trinity.'

The idea behind a garment being stark is that there is nothing to distract from one's duties, however the Stark cassock does have some golden detail. 

The meaning behind the lake cassock is that of stillness. Stillness helps someone focus on prayer and spiritual meditation. 

The stark, lake and the frost cassocks have symmetrical designs in gold. Reflection Symmetry is important in the bible as is demonstrated by the birth, death and rebirth of Christ and the Creation theory. Symmetry represents balance, beauty and truth. (I will discuss symmetry and the story of Engage at a later date.) 

There appears to be no dress code like you would find in holy places in the real world. Women and men do not have to hide any part of their bodies and are free to display whatever part they like. The colours do not have to be sombre. The swimming garments are in bright celebratory colours of red, yellow, gold and blue. 

The meaning behind the colour red in Christianity - red is a symbol of the blood of Christ. For 100's of years the teachings and words of Christ were written in red to set them apart from the rest of the Scripture. 

Blue and red are also important in the story of Moses. Red represents the spiritual awakening of Moses when he is visited by God. Blue represents the hope and faith Moses has in God.

The inspiration for the Somniel and the land of Lythos comes from Meteora monastery complex in Thessaly, central Greece.

The Monastery of Great Meteoron is located in a rock called Meteora or Platylithos, (note the word 'lithos' in platylithos,) which is 415 meters above the valley floor so it looks like it is suspended in the sky.

Platis Lithos translates to 'Between God and Earth'.

The stained glass window matches tile work in the Varlaam monastery/ All Saints monastery. There were 12 saints honoured. The rosette in the centre of the Vergina Sun represents purity, beauty, fertility and the earth. I believe the rosette represents the Divine Dragon. There is disagreement about the meaning of the 12 points. Some historians argue that the 12 point variant of the vergina sun represents the 12 Greek gods. In the case of the Somniel, the 12 points represent the 12 emblems.

Namely, why aren't any of the other countries doing something about Brodian invasions on Elusia?

Well, for Firene and Solm, it's very simple: those two fighting keep them from being threats to their own nation.

Firene is a bountiful land, one that a more rugged country like Brodia would probably love to conquer... if they could. Judging by Celine, despite their peaceful image, Firene doesn't slack on security/military. Combine that with more productive farmlands, etc and it's possible Brodia could get their ass kicked if the war goes on longer. That's probably why Brodia picks on Elusia instead, as the comparatively easier target that still has resources they want.

Still, Firene isn't unaware of Brodia's general attitude on foreign policy, so they choose to let Brodia stay distracted with Elusia instead; why risk trying to make them stop if they might turn to you instead, you know? It helps that Firene is religious and Elusia worships the Fell Dragon, so they have an extra excuse to continue letting that happen (even if they don't outright dispatch their own troops for it).

As for Solm, I think they've seen Elusia as a threat for a while. During the Solm chapters, Timerra says they've already gathered intel on them reviving the Fell Dragon, which probably means they've been spying on/monitoring Elusia pretty extensively while gauging them as potential enemies. And if Brodia keeps that potentially-enemy neighbor in check from the opposite side of the continent for free, why refuse it? Also note that in the Fell Xenologue, where Brodia isn't attacking Elusia, Solm is the one that does, in a very "strike them before they strike us" way.

(Speaking of, you might notice that Timerra pokes at Alfred and Ivy in their A supports from a more political position/as a future ruler— like asking if Firene would invade Solm or admitting she was also trying to find out Ivy's weakness. But she doesn't do that to Diamant in their A support because Brodia doesn't border Solm.)

Now for the biggest question: why didn't Lythos, both the geographical and spiritual center of Elyos, step in? Even as Elusia worshipped the Fell Dragon?

My headcanon is that it's a combination of two reasons:

One, on principle Lythos and the Divine Dragon(s) only steps in when the threat is unmanageable by humans. The war with Sombron was one; there was no way humans could win against that by themselves, that was a war for the dragons. But in a conflict between humans, it's possible that one wrong intervention by the dragon-pope-god could actually make the situation worse; accused of being biased by certain parties, others riding on it to push their own nefarious agendas, etc, which could shake people's faith even more than if they'd just stayed quiet. At most I think they send humanitarian (dragonitarian...?) aid to the affected areas, but I don't think they'd go for military intervention.

You could argue that letting Elusia worship the Fell Dragon on state level ultimately led to the revival of Sombron, but judging by the fact Solm doesn't seem to be super religious to Divine Dragon(s) either + Pandreo wanting to pray to Veyle, it might be considered acceptable (like Lythos doesn't send orders to hunt them down or anything; albeit some people might still be prejudiced against the faith) to worship Fell Dragons if it's just a purely spiritual thing, and not, you know, literally trying to revive Sombron and also stealing the magic ghost ring nukes that help balance power between the nations.

Again, up until Elusia was puppeteered into reviving Sombron, the whole thing was 1000(+) years ago; I'd say that's enough time that figures from the war, no matter the side, could be treated and revered as more of an abstract folk deities (or formalized deities) than real historical figures. It probably helps that Sombron was "dead," so that put even more distance between humans born post-war and the actual threat that he was.

Second is: Lumera, who appears to be the last of her kind (until Alear steps up), has grown weaker due to transferring her powers to Alear. She still seems to be pretty strong because, well, she's still a dragon, but it's possible that she's not "singlehandedly stop a war" strong anymore.

Meanwhile most legends/scriptures about her are probably from when she was at full power. So, uh... it's probably a bad look if she chooses to intervene directly, only for it to just show how much she's weakened. I think Four Hounds/Fell Dragon worshippers trying to revive Sombron would probably have gone around recruiting and causing havoc earlier and on a far wider scale if they learned of this.

In other words, something like "let humans figure out their own problems, dragons will step in if it's a threat they can't handle alone" is both a good policy for the development of humanity in general + doesn't make Lythos, Lumera, and Alear look incompetent/weak and therefore give room for legitimately dangerous groups to recruit more openly.