#dimensional colony

[gear-project]

So with Anji stealing the Zessen which powered the Japanese Colony's barrier, what does that mean for the colony? Is the barrier fully gone? And has anything significant entailed from that?

GGXtra isn't very specific about what Colony had the barrier, but according to Xrd, the largest Japanese Dimensional Colony is Miyabi.

Around the year 2187, "Former" Pope Ariels issued a decree that the Japanese could leave their colonies for the first time in many years, basically overturning any rules that said the Japanese survivors were quarantined.

Of course, we all know that was a "trap" to try and destroy Humanity.

But even so, it marked the end of the Quarantine, so that Japanese people could finally leave the colony without a sense of worry that they had any disease compared to the rest of the world (though that might not have changed other peoples' opinion of the Japanese people... it still is a step in a better direction).

At any rate, with regards to the Barrier:

1. By the time Ky Kiske went to investigate the Zessen's whereabouts, the Barrier had already been replaced by a substitute. The elderly monk running the temple that held the Zessen was already using an imitation of it.

2. That same monk was the one who permitted Anji to use the Zessen, even though the rest of the world deemed the OutRage Jinki to be stolen.

3. The reason we know that the Barrier was replaced was because Ky still had to use a talisman he obtained from Kliff Undersn in order to enter the currently existing barrier. If the barrier no longer existed, he would not have needed to use the talisman to enter the colony.

So in other words, there's still a Barrier over the Colony now, it's just an imitation of the one the Zessen originally generated.

Since the events of Revelator, there hasn't been any public statement on the current status of the Japanese people, though I'm sure in private chambers there is still the concern about Gear D.N.A. in connection with the Japanese people (i.e. Ki Overflow syndrome), but those who are in the know are slowly working on solving the issue.

Kum Haehyun (and possibly) Faust would be on the case to solve that issue if necessary. Even Chronus appears to be working on atoning for past events, so he might be involved as well.

Lastly, given Nagoriyuki's recent interactions with Baiken and Anji Mito, it appears that there hasn't been any issues having access to the Colony, though instead of Miyabi, their meeting place was the Lap of the Kami.

[gear-project]

According to the Guilty Gear wiki, The thunderseal is capable of suspending the flow of time within a given area or individual. Is this power similar to how Axl Low's abilities work?

In terms of function, perhaps, but not in terms of cost.

Most OutRage Jinki require a base amount of Mana (Houriki) to be used and even controlled.

In terms of what the Thundersealed Sword did, even Ky himself is not aware the reason it activated in response to his need in saving Dizzy.  If anyone would know the real powers that the Jinki have, it would be Sol, who built them.

Compare/contrast with the Ouroboros Loop "theory" that Sol spoke of, which undid the seal on Ky when he was sealed away by Valentine when she first attacked Illyria.

It's unclear exactly why she spared Ky, only that the end result caused him to be sealed away in a similar seal to that of Dizzy, though in her case, even if the seal was undone, it could not stop the sublimation that was affecting and eating away at her body.

To undo the sublimation would require Valentine to be defeated, or so it was suggested at the time, since the spells were tied directly with Valentine's powers.

Most dimensional-based theories (spells) and even barrier seals (like the one that sealed up Justice at the end of the Crusades) usually follow certain rules to be activated and triggered.

A very powerful seal would require a slow activation, or at the very least a great deal of mana to be used to make up for the amount of time it would usually take for the spell to activate.

Since Valentines are already blessed with a great deal of mana capacity, casting such spells in quick succession would be an easy feat for them compared to humans (this was also true of Justice, whom Valentines are based off of).

In Ky Kiske's particular case... because he did not have the base mana to establish the Time Seal spell to halt Dizzy's "time".... the Thunderseal itself was used up as part of the cost.

Again, why this happened, and what exactly triggered it, aren't fully known yet.

Moving on... in regards to how Axl Low's powers influence time... they have an even greater cost, greater risk, and there's less capability for them to be controlled.

The "cost" in Axl Low's case, relates to how this world's Timeline is asserted.

Throughout much of Axl Low's misadventures, any time he time slipped, it was somehow connected with his memories and emotional state.  He wasn't aware of it at first, but now he has some idea of how to control these powers at will.

Axl himself would never time slip in places where he could not exist or had not existed previously in terms of logical placement.  Even if he visited a place completely abandoned by humans or any other living creature... said place was still connected with past memories of places he had been before, or would later visit, or connected with people he once knew.

But as it happens, each time Axl Time Slipped... the Timeline he left previously would cease to exist, asserting a new timeline each time.  That itself was the cost... and it was a hefty cost at that.

While Axl can slow down and halt time temporarily, there's an exchange involved whenever he does this.  For example, if someone died in the previous timeline, so long as he asserted this current timeline, there would be no means to bring them back or alter their fate.

It's also not possible for Axl to visit previous timelines he has left behind, so even if he can "slow time", he cannot change or halt it forever, at least without consequences.

By slowing down time in "this timeline", he asserts his influence and power within this timeline itself, but because of the heftiness of his powers, he currently has no control over "how much" he can use or how much he can influence.

While Dimensional Seals (or Dimensional Prisons) can halt/isolate an individual's "space/influence", they cannot entirely halt a person's "time".  A good example of this is when Zato=ONE was having a conversation with Eddie while he was imprisoned by the Conclave after his revival.  Even Justice was able to temporarily influence Testament while she was inside her Dimensional seal.

Even in the case of Miyabi, the Japanese Dimensional Colony, while the barrier itself does affect space around it, and even has artificial weather and seasons within the barrier... all the Japanese residents inside aren't fully sealed, and continue their personal lives as they normally would, albeit in a quarantined state.

While the Thunderseal did, in fact, temporarily slow the progression of Dizzy's time, it still came at the cost of the sword itself.

It's still a mystery in fact that the Thunderseal was able to regenerate itself after the fact, since the cost of activating such a spell was very high.

We also do not know if the spell was later undone by itself, or if Dizzy simply broke the spell herself (VastEdge's story was vague in telling us the result).  The latter of which would normally not be possible without outside influence (even if Dr. Paradigm was or was not involved).

In general, most Isolated Spaces or Barriers (like the Cube for another example), are a kind of space magic that isn't normally established without some high cost to begin with.

In Testament's case, he not only needed the blood of several victims, but his very own blood to undo the seal placed on Justice, so even he paid a very high price as well.

It is also said that the blood of Japanese people was required to activate the Zessen OutRage fans, which were the source of the Japanese Dimensional Colony Barriers for many many years.

[gear-project]

Japan's GG History Thus Far

2074 - Asuka R. Kreutz aka "That Man" discovers a massive Information Flare is copying the Gear Justice' D.N.A. from the Backyard, he suspects it is the same Merciless Apocalypse of 1999.

This Information Flare creates two massive genetic replicas of Justice dubbed "Variable X1 and X2" and has them manifest in Japan while continuing to replicate the DNA inside the Japanese people.

Knowing this mutation might spread to the rest of humanity, Asuka has no choice but to give Justice the order to fire a Maximum Output+40 Gamma Ray on Japan, destroying the giant creatures, however the survivors continue to experience "Gear-like symptoms" of mutation, later dubbed "Ki Overflow Syndrome".

After these events, some Japanese mutated in to Antimatter Gears and exploded.

Seeing both the Japanese and Asuka as a threat, certain unknown countries dispatched Gears to attack them.  The Japanese survivors, with no means to defend themselves were nearly massacred to extinction.  Certain other parties (even fellow Japanese kinsmen, like Crow Kuruwaba) were sent in to rescue/quarantine the Japanese people who were "still human".

Frederick responded to the situation by anonymously donating the Zessen OutRage Jinki to the Japanese people as protection from the Gears.  The Zessen was soon after used to Seal the Japanese away in several "Dimensional Colonies".

When Justice was blamed for the attack on Japan, she was attacked by her own Gear kind, but afterwards she took control of the Gears around her and began a rebellion.  That rebellion was the Crusades, a 100 Year long War against Humanity.

2140/2160 - The Conclave began several experiments involving Anti-Gear technology in response to Justice, though few were successful, the dangerous failures were dubbed "War Relics" and sealed inside the Colonies alongside the Japanese like a "dumping ground".  This caused an internal conflict between the Japanese refugees and Gear-like Ogres later sealed in Stone at Ogre Valley.  Another relic dubbed "Fenrir" became a dormant stone dragon.  The Japanese saw Fenrir as a heroic deity, so the statue was kept in a shrine along with the Zessen.

2174 - Inexplicably, the Japanese girl May is found outside the Colonies.  She is adopted by the Pirate Johnny.

2179 - The Conclave realize the Seal they created to Seal Away Justice is coming undone.  Hearing word of this, Baiken escapes the Colony to destroy Justice.  A Bounty is later put on Baiken's head by the Postwar Administration Bureau.

2180 - The Zessen Seal over the Japanese Colonies breaks and with it, the Zessen is reportedly stolen by one Anji Mito.  This causes an Electromagnetic signal emitted from the Gear Asteroid "Mothership" to get attracted to the Earth's Orbit.  "Mothership" is drawn to the Japanese and begins dropping Gear parts on the Planet surface.

Zepp uses their technology to restore the Japanese Seal and has Tyr along with Mizuha repel Mothership and destroy it.  Meanwhile, a Bounty is placed on Tyr, Mizuha, and Anji Mito's heads by the Bureau.  Tyr and Mizuha disappear to parts unknown.

218X - The Japanese are periodically given medicine to treat their symptoms but these become less and less effective.

2187 - May begins to feel symptoms similar to the other Japanese.

October 2187: Ramlethal Valentine appears in Japan's ruins, May confronts her and is told Humans think the Japanese are a "disease".  May flees in sadness.

November 2187: Maximus Ariels releases the seal on the Japanese, permitting public travel.  This, however, was a conspiracy to use the Japanese as weapons of Terrorism.

December 2187: Baiken, Kum Haehyun, May, and Answer successfully defend the Japanese Dimensional Colonies from outside influences with assistance from other countries.

[gear-project]

Volcanic Fighter on Twitter

“Lap of the Kami (3 Sections) The name of the Stage seems to be a reference to Queen's "In the Lap of the Gods". #GGST #GuiltyGearStrive #GUILTYGEAR”

In case you also missed it @nincopyjasb recently covered the new stage  “Lap of the Kami”.  Check out his photos when you have the chance!

[gear-project]

Why does Anji so desperately wish to know about the Crusades and the Gear Maker? What would he do with that knowledge?

It’s been a while since we heard about Anji and his situation in Japan’s Colony.

Based on what we know so far, in 2074 “something appeared in Japan”.  Something BIG.

And then, Japan was destroyed by Justice.

Anji might have seen that something (assuming he was alive back in 2074 like Baiken was).

Variable X1 and Variable X2 are a big “mystery”.  They might be human, they might be Gear, they might be something else entirely… regardless to the witnesses who saw them… they looked like Human Giants.

If it has any connection at all to the current situation and to Gears it’s this: The Universal Will had something to do with it!

Since that time, the Japanese appear to age very slowly… almost like Gears or something not human.

The public at large seem to think the Japanese are rare treasures… and sealed them away for safety in a Colony.

“Safety”, but… to the Japanese it was more like being quarantined.  Confined.

The Japanese living in the colony suffer from Ki Overflow Syndrome… a mysterious ailment that doesn’t seem to have any known cure at this time.

Even their Tuner (medic) Kum Haehyun of the Kum Clan does not know of a way to undo the situation and has asked Dr. Faust for help in the matter.

Something is going on… something Pope Ariels hasn’t revealed yet!

Maybe Anji and Baiken know something…

What will Revelator reveal to us, I wonder?

[gear-project]

Was there a specific reason why Tyr was sealed in the Japanese colony?

I would assume it has to do with the Power he has to absorb Magic and convert any physical matter in to other matter, and even disassemble matter itself.

That’s a very dangerous power, actually… and a deadly weapon if gained in the wrong hands.

As for why he was sealed in the Colony itself… it may have to do with how the Zessen functions as a barrier.

The Japanese were less simply “living there” as much as being Quarantined under a Dimensional Barrier to be kept separate from the rest of Humanity for a hundred years.

The reason behind the quarantine is currently unknown.  Despite this, they are still called ‘National Treasures’, as they are survivors of the Crusades.

Since the Zessen was stolen by Anji Mito, the barrier disappeared and caused some problems with the Japanese… after that someone seems to have “replaced” the Barrier.  I assume the Kum family had something to do with restoring Order in the Colony.

[gear-project]

So, is it possible that hypothetictly, Baiken, Anji, and Mizuha is suffering Ki Overflow Syndrome like May is at the time Revelator happens? P.S. how come Haehyun is affected, did she reflow her own ki already?

Any Japanese “outside” of Japan might not be as affected by Ki Overflow Syndrome as those who live inside the colony.

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from those three, so it’s unclear how they are of late.

Though May was treated for her condition, and she was living outside the colony, she was also exposed to the Ki swirling around Babylon and Japan, so that may have affected her somewhat.

Chances are good that the Ki event at Babylon may have something to do with the Japanese.

As for the Tuners of the Kum family, they probably know all too well the importance of keeping Ki under control, so that may have helped them from getting sick in any major way.

[gear-project]

Can one age when sealed inside a dimensional prison, or are they rendered immune to the effects of time? Theoretically, is it possible for one to be sealed for a century or more and be released in another and appear the way they were when they were sealed?

This question has been asked before but the full answer behind what happens doesn’t seem to be clear yet.

Zato=ONE was seen inside a Dimensional Prison at the beginning of his Arcade Story Mode (in Xrd:Sign), in a vast pitch-black realm it seems (keep in mind though, Zato is still “blind” so that just may be what it was like for him in that situation).  He was floating in space.

Time seemed to pass ‘inside’ Zato’s prison to some extent as he was re-teaching himself how to talk to pass the time (since resurrecting him left him an empty shell with hardly any identity, only memories).  Zato was somehow able to sense Millia Rage’s presence when she drew near, and he escaped the prison on his own… from this I can draw a few conclusions:

—The Conclave put him in a relatively weak prison on the assumption that Zato wouldn’t have any motivation to escape.

—Prisons can vary in complexity, some of which aren’t necessarily forming a Dimensional Barrier around the victim… in Millia’s case (during Night of Knives), her hair was sealed and her body was weakened so she could barely move and was hung in chains.

—The Seal that Kliff and the Sacred Order put on the Hydra Megadeth Class Gear was described as a “giant set of boulders” wrapped in 13 special sealing chains.  The Boulders were put on the remaining heads of the Hydra that hadn’t been cut off by Kliff and the rest of the body was quarantined (due to the Gear Parasites that infested the Hydra).

—There are “time freeze” seals… as with Ky Kiske and Dizzy (and possibly Justice), but to what extent they work, or if time is slowed or passes at all is unclear.  

—In Justice’ case… her prison seal was weakened by Testament which (seemingly) allowed her to control Testament to some extent in order to facilitate her escape (though Testament was also motivated with reasons of revenge against humans at the time as well).  Still, it was because Testament had to use his own blood (in addition to the blood of other victims) that her powers appeared to have been weakened.  The U.N. reports that Justice was not as strong (or as big) upon leaving the seal, which helped in Sol killing her.  In that case, Justice might have been weakened by the seal itself for a time (since it was designed by Crow Kuruwaba).

—The Colony Dimensional Barrier for the Japanese (while it has existed for over 100 years after being established after 2074) does not seem to be a Time Barrier of any kind, as human survivors lived in it for generations, and Baiken and Anji have been seen to enter and leave it.  Ky Kiske was shown to have a special “token” medallion that allows him to enter and exit the barrier… the original barrier was established by the Zessen OutRage, though it seems some other device replaced it.  The Colony is described as having artificial weather environments in various places within it.

—I-No might have been in a prison at one point, but “That Man” seems to have let her out or sent her out on an “unspecified” mission during the interim between 2181-2186 (it might be related to monitoring Jack-O’ though).