Rykos

[JKBlohm]

Maybe I'm blind but there is like nothing on the internet about the lore of Rykos. Can someone maybe fill me in on that crazy planet? It was from the older games, yes?

[Sinue_v2]

Not really. It's a reference to the older games, but the two are pretty much polar opposites in both their purpose and appearance. There's plenty of lore regarding Rykros in PSIV, but almost none regarding the Rykros in PSU. It's pretty much a diabolus ex machina to provide a reason for the continuation of the SEED after the offline story.

Spoiler!

Rykros in the PS mythos was never a part of the planetary seal which confined the Profound Darkness. It was a "warning" planet that approached the system every 1,000 years to harken the time when the dimensional seal would be weakened. It was also the last bastion of the spirit race that would come to be known as the Great Light, and it's wards held powerful artifacts that would allow the protectors of Algol to exist within the Profound Darkness's dimension so that they could enter into it and destroy the heart of darkness. Until the time was right, the planet was hidden by magic - detectable only by using the Aeroprisim which served as the key to it's power of sorts. However, on the millennial cycle, Rykros would transit the planet Dezolis and cause an eclipse. This mysterious blackening of the sun, combined with the spiritual resonance it caused with the rare Laconium (which made the metal glow) ore on that planet fed and informed Dezolian religious practices. The "Eclipse Torch" that played so prominent a role in the original series is a religious artifact of Dezolian construct - used to light the ceremonial fires which gave them warmth and warded off the darkness during the darkness of the eclipse.

[JKBlohm]

Oh cool. Sooo I know the Falz Memorial is in the older games too, and so is Dark Falz. They the same too orrrrr... Sorry, PSU was the first PS game I ever played, and I haven't been on PSU since 08'. Not that it matters anymore....... I miss Parum...

[Sinue_v2]

Technically, yes, but it's not really well explained. There's plenty of circumstantial evidence for a connection between PS and PSO - but nothing explicitly stating that they are connected. The Falz memorial is never explained, but it's architecture/environment and location within a large spaceship with environmental domes (and artificial suns) suggests that the spaceship in PSO is one of the worldships that escaped Palma's destruction in PSII. Possibly the Alissa III or NeoPalm from Phantasy Star III.

The apparent presence of Dark Falz aboard both the Alissa III and NeoPalm, as well as later confirmationary data, suggests that multiple Dark Forces were released from the seal after Palma's destruction... and the crashed worldship may still be in a different dimension since apparently black holes in PS can warp time and space to exit at other points and in other dimensions. But Dark Falz is merely an aspect of the Profound Darkness. Given it's destruction in PSIV, the Dark Force/Falz released prior to PSIV and scattered throughout the multiverse may have become the new godhead seeking to re-consolidate their power into a new Profound Darkness. As a focus and an anchor in the corporeal world, they apparently need a host to possess to serve as it's core... which in later games was Rico, Flowen, Mother Trinity, and possibly Lumia/Orson/Helga/Howzer/Vivienne depending on the ending you got in Ep III. Dark Falz also possessed people in the original series, though it was less an overt merging and more a subtle manipulation to direct events in it's favor without revealing itself to direct opposition and possible defeat. Lassic and Zio were probably the two most enthralled original characters, and had become in a real sense a part of and conduit of the darkness - like Howzer had for most of PSU.

At any rate, there is no direct connection between each of the series, and it's never explained how Dark Falz/Force is the same being across all the game universes - though it makes obvious references to it being the same entity. Even Sonic Team has come out and stated that the only two consistent "characters" to span the course of all the games is the Great Light and Dark Falz.

At best, I would explain it as the original pocket dimension that the Profound Darkness occupied wasn't just accessible from our* universe, but borders multiple other universes - perhaps relying on a trifactory seal not just in any one particular universe - but across multiple universes. Meaning that Dark Falz had multiple exit routes, leading to it's appearance in multiple different series.

(* - I say "our" universe because in PSII, it's revealed that Algol and Earth exist in the same universe. The main protagonists are future Earthlings fleeing their environmentally wrecked planet, a consequence of trying to control nature/weather/society and failing - perhaps fueled by advanced technology they didn't fully understand. This technology, as well as the Dark Force aboard the Noah, is typically thought to have come from the Alissa III - which traveled back in time to Earth in Aron's PSIII ending.)

Sorry if this is a bit confusing. There's a lot of information and mythos to go over when you start talking about the original series, and I tried to keep it concise as possible.

Edit: I guess I should explain the difference between the Profound Darkness and Dark Falz.

Spoiler!

Millions of years ago, a spiritual race fought a civil war against themselves. There was no distinction between a "Good" or "Evil" side. (Though this would be added by US localization to fit more comfortably with their audience's dominantly judeo-christian beliefs) The losing side were banished to a dimensional prison, and sealed by the creation of the Algol solar system. The winning side - which would later become known as the Great Light, then dispersed and haven't been seen since - aside from those few who remained behind on Rykros. Over the aeons, the traped spiritual beings seethed with hared, despair, and a lust for vengeance. These emotions eventually caused them to congeal into a singular powerful hate-filled consciousness called the Profound Darkness. As time went on, the seal of Algol began to weaken, and knowledge of this being seeped out and into the minds of a few weak willed people who eventually created a cult to worship the darkness. Lassic, the ruler pro-temperate of Palma after the death of the royal family, was originally a good man - but was seduced by this cult by the promise of power and immortality. He preformed the profane rituals which tore the seal and allowed a tiny portion of the Profound Darkness's hatred to seep through. This aspect of the darkness was known as Dark Falz, and it was the task of this entity to destroy Algol. It was eventually discovered and defeated by the heroes of PSI, but the tear Lassic caused did not heal. It was the origin of the millennial rebirth of Dark Falz. In PSII, the seal was nearly rended useless by the destruction of Palma by the Earthlings and the resulting Great Collapse. However disaster was just barely averted, at the cost of the "heroes" lives, and PSIV's event are the final reckoning - the destruction of the Profound Darkness in order to prevent it's escape.

Dark Falz and Dark Force are similar beings, however Falz types tend to be weaker aspects - and only appeared in PSI due to the seal being rather small at that time. You actually fight several weaker PSI-type Falz enemies in the PD's dimension where they are named "Dark Prophallus". I would generally say they aren't emanations of the PD's power, and are instead like lesser demons subservient to the PD. Or, the most powerful of the "Dark Type" enemies... but this wouldn't fit with PSO/PSU's later canon.

So I guess you could say the difference between Dark Force and Dark Falz is the amount of power they possess. All are the same being, part of the same consciousness, but at different power levels. Falz/Force can be defeated, but doing so will only cause them to return to the source. PSIV effectively merely "dispersed" the core of the darkness into multiple smaller entities like Falz. And so, by destroying the PD in PSIV, you have effectively "freed" the Darkness - because you couldn't actually destroy it. Now the fate of the galaxy/multiverse depends upon a handful of heroes who defeat the multitudes of Dark Falz/Force emanations wherever they arise before they can become the new Profound Darkness.

[JKBlohm]

._________________________________________.
Sorry, I had a stroke halfway through that. Perhaps I should try to play the older games no?

[Sinue_v2]

Perhaps I should try to play the older games no?

Couldn't hurt, but you're still going to have to do a lot of reading if you want the whole story. Back when most of the games were made, designers weren't sold on the whole idea of a strong storyline being important to an RPG. So since the PS design team had such a great story to tell (they thought), they told most of it through supplementary material. Turned out the material was so popular, they designed PSIV to have a strong narrative. It was a hit for them, and it became one of the first "modern" JRPGs in that there's a lot of conversations and dynamism between fully fleshed out character personalities, exposition, cutscenes, etc.

And if you want to just skip all that, you could just take my word that there's really no significant link between the various PS series. Knowing all of the back history won't really enrich your experience in the way it would with, say, an Elder Scrolls or Star Ocean game... at least until ST decides to actually attempt to try to tie them all together.

[JKBlohm]

Oh I know it won't enhance my gaming experience, but I love to know about the world I'm fighting to protect. *puts fist to chest then looks up towards the sky thinking about Gurhal*

[aden045]

Given it's destruction in PSIV, the Dark Force/Falz released prior to PSIV and scattered throughout the multiverse may have become the new godhead seeking to re-consolidate their power into a new Profound Darkness. As a focus and an anchor in the corporeal world, they apparently need a host to possess to serve as it's core... which in later games was Rico, Flowen, Mother Trinity, and possibly Lumia/Orson/Helga/Howzer/Vivienne depending on the ending you got in Ep III. Dark Falz also possessed people in the original series, though it was less an overt merging and more a subtle manipulation to direct events in it's favor without revealing itself to direct opposition and possible defeat. Lassic and Zio were probably the two most enthralled original characters, and had become in a real sense a part of and conduit of the darkness - like Howzer had for most of PSU.

[Omega-z]

Like Sinue_v2 said there's really no connection. But there is enough info to make fan theories on connection's. Now the only two that can work are a single timeline with splits or multiple dimensions occupying the same space like Sinue_v2 said too.

And if you want more of the history of PSU Rykos try PSP2 and PSP2I, since they talk alot about it.

Oh one thing also Sinue_v2 didn't mention since it's a more update theory with PSO's Falz Memorial and the crashed ship. Is that it could be the Human ship Noah, Base on info from PSII, PSO* and PSZ. Now the Construction Back then was thought of as a World Ship since it was the more popular possibility, since they had only the Classic's and PSO at the time. But when you take in the newer info. the Construct follow's more of a Hive Ship then a World Ship even how it get's infested in block 3 of the ruin's in PSO. Even tho PSU series gave more question's then answered at times.

lol, right now we have PSO2 and it's a nightmare with it's Lore. The ruin's has a World Ship Crash on it, and the Construct does follow it's design too. How this fit's in will be what makes it a single timeline with splits or multiple dimensions occupying the same space, Only time will tell. Especially, Since Sakai said that PSEP, PSP2I and PSO*(most likely the PSP2I one) would connect to it some how.

* note on PSO, There are two confirmed split timelines for it now which follow different event's after a certain point in time. thanks to an end story in PSP2I. So, When referencing PSO I mean the Original version and not the PSP2I one except for that last statement.