User:HungryPaperweight/Project Quintessence

I noticed that Erik shared his own ideas for the future of the Golden Sun series, so I thought I'd do the same. As you probably noticed, it's called Project Quintessence. Originally it was just a code name, but it indirectly changed the entire direction of the story, so I will probably keep this name. This idea actually started forming in my mind years ago, and over time it's evolved into what it is now. GS:PQ started as a random idea for Golden Sun 3, but lately I've been thinking of turning it into a fan fiction-type thing (I'm not too familiar with how fanfics work, though). The main problem is that it's moving very slowly (the plot's only about half complete: most of the first half, and some unsorted ideas for the second half, including the beginning and end). Another problem is that many of my original characters are currently unnamed (and there's a lot of them...I have an overactive imagination). Plus, this whole thing is something I want to do more for myself than for the sake of fandom. I don't want to tell you too much about it now, just in case it ever hits the internet (this page would be a major spoiler if I spilled the beans and it gets online). Still, I felt like letting you know about it, so here's the basics (plus a little extra). More will be revealed as the story progresses (assuming this ever joins the world of Golden Sun fandom). Feedback (and name suggestions) will be appreciated.

Fifth element
As the name kind of suggests, a major "plot element" is a sort of fifth, final element. A while ago I found a Wikipedia article on Japanese elements, and they already have five. First there's the four we're familiar with, so I felt the fifth should be included. The problem is that the fifth element goes by several names: Sky, Heaven, and Void. Sky sounds like it would go with Wind, so I had to choose between Heaven and Void. Heaven is...kind of used, I just can't tell you why (spoiler). So I went with Void, which was easier than you might think.

In GS:PQ, the empty area beyond Gaia Falls is called the Void, which is basically eternal emptiness (or at least it looks eternal). Just like how Weyard draws its energy from Alchemy, the Void grows stronger by absorbing matter. I guess you could say that Weyard and the Void were in a constant war for survival. When Alchemy was sealed, Weyard was unable to keep fighting and the Void slowly ate away at the edges. When Alchemy was released, Weyard began growing again, essentially cutting the Void off from its "food supply." Unfortunately, the Void has already grown strong enough to develop a consciousness, and by the time PQ begins it has decided to fight back.

The "final boss" is supposed to be a physical embodiment of the Void. (No, I don't know how emptiness can take on a form. Just deal with it.) At first he was going to have a straightforward, simple-minded type of personality. Now, however, he's grown quite intelligent and manipulative, kind of like Alex (only my guy's far more willing to get his hands dirty). Like other final bosses, I'm thinking of giving him a dragon form. I’ll probably skip four heads and go straight to five, but I'm still trying to figure out who two of the other four

Background
The game/story takes place 100 and some years after the first two games. Before you start complaining about how "it's too far in the future and everyone we know will be dead," just keep this in mind: Lemurians age very slowly to begin with, and now Alchemy has been released, so major characters will still be alive (like Hama, Maha, and even Hydros). Back on track here: As a result of Alchemy's return, everyone can use Psynergy (things like Move, Lift, and Pound are pretty basic and can be used by pretty much everyone). Vale has been reconstructed, and Weyard has been slowly expanding, returning to it's original form (it’s still a long ways away from that, it doesn't even look much different yet). Lemuria has essentially been split into two factions: those who side with Lord Conservato and think Alchemy should have remained sealed, and those who support King Hydros and believe that Alchemy's return will bring about a new Golden Age (or something like that). The teams from the games (plus Kraden) have left on a new quest (I haven't decided what that quest is yet, but I doubt it matters) and they haven't been seen or heard from ever since. Eventually, a Council was formed to try and prevent Alchemy from being abused like in the past.

Confirmed council members include Hydros, Maha, and Puelle. There will also be representatives from Vale, Imil, Lalivero, Contigo, Izumo, and possibly Kibombo and the Apojii Islands (since they're near Magma and Aqua Rocks), among others.

To help keep the peace, a tournament is held every few years (probably 5, but it doesn't really matter). Adepts from all across Weyard gather in Vale and form teams of four (one for each element, obviously). Each team travels to all of the Elemental Lighthouses. At the top of each Lighthouse is a proctor-like person who gives teams a replica of that lighthouse's Elemental Star (relax, it only looks like the Stars, they don't have any power). The first team to collect all four "Stars" and return to Vale wins. Prize money is awarded to the winning team, which acts as an incentive for many competitors (including two members of the current party, but for different reasons).

Main Characters
One team competing this year is the focus of the story. If this was a game, they would be the team you control. Everything typed below (from Karin to Stevan) are slightly modified versions of a Character Data sheet I created on my computer a while ago. It's a bit wordier and more official-sounding than how I like to type (except when actually editing), but it's pretty detailed and accurate, so I figured I'd rather use the almighty power of Copy and Paste than typing up a brand new summary. (Oh, and my Michael was named long before I joined the Wiki, so he has nothing to do with the Michael who recently got his own article (which I see was deleted during my week and a half absence) ).

Karin

 * Gender: Female
 * Age: 17
 * Element: Venus
 * Hometown: Kolima
 * Preferred Weapon: Light Blades
 * Bio: Karin is the unofficial leader of the team. She's a quiet but cheerful girl who spends much of her spare time daydreaming about exotic locales. Despite her usually sunny personality, Karin has a strong sense of justice and won't stand by when there's something she can do to help. The only thing she can't stand more than injustice are the people who do nothing to stop it. This has been the starting point of many of her fights with Michael. Having grown up in Kolima, Karin specializes in plant-based Psynergy and is close friends with the forest's guardians, Tret and Laurel.
 * Reason for entering the tournament: Karin has spent her entire life in Kolima, but has always wanted to explore Weyard and see all of its different lands. She's mostly using the tournament as an excuse to do just that.
 * Known Psynergies: Growth, Cure, Quake, Thorn

Michael

 * Gender: Male
 * Age: 17
 * Element: Mars
 * Hometown: Naribwe
 * Preferred Weapon: Long Swords
 * Bio: Michael is a skilled but short-tempered Adept, not surprising considering his element. He is very determined in whatever he does, making him a reliable ally in any situation. However, this determination can make Michael appear selfish and somewhat self-centered, refusing to help others when it "slows him down." Because of this, he's often butting heads with Karin. On the other hand, this determination, combined with his natural skill and his loyalty to his new friends, makes Michael a truly frightening opponent.
 * Reason for entering the tournament: (Censored to prevent spoilers)
 * Known Psynergies: Flare, Fire, Beam, Heat Wave

Ryan

 * Gender: Male
 * Age: 12
 * Element: Jupiter
 * Hometown: (Spoiler)
 * Preferred Weapon: Staffs
 * Bio: Ryan is a shy young boy who (big spoiler). Like other people in (spoiler), he rarely leaves the village, making him seem quite naïve at times when in reality he's quite intelligent. His Psynergy is unusually potent compared to other kids his age, making him a prodigy in his village. Ryan's Psynergy becomes even more powerful (condition, but a spoiler), but he has trouble controlling this (previously mentioned condition) due to his age. However, this incredible potential is offset by his horrible luck; he rarely succeeds at the tasks given to him, and he always seems to be getting into trouble. Ryan can best be described as a well-meaning klutz. Ryan really looks up to Karin and Stevan since they don't blame him for his bad luck like most people do. He will do anything for his friends because of this, even if it's something he doesn't like.
 * Reason for entering the tournament: (Censored to prevent spoilers). However, Ryan has been forbidden from telling anyone why he entered the tournament.
 * Known Psynergies: Mind Read, Whirlwind, Bolt

Stevan

 * Gender: Male
 * Age: 19+
 * Element: Mercury
 * Hometown: Champa
 * Preferred Weapon: Axes
 * Bio: Stevan's a fairly gung-ho sailor who's almost never seen in a bad mood. He's been almost everywhere on Weyard, making him the most experienced (and mature) member of the team. As a result, he's one of the few people who can stop Karin and Michael from fighting. Due to his age and experience, he serves as a sort of father-figure to the team (or at least Karin and Ryan), and does whatever it takes to make sure his friends are safe. And well fed. And clean. And, well, you get the idea. He also serves as a source of information to the rest of the team, like Kraden did in the last game.
 * Reason for entering the tournament: (Censored to prevent spoilers)
 * Known Psynergies: Douse, Frost, Ply, Prism, Cutting Edge

Suzuki
Suzuki isn't actually part of the team, and doesn't (officially) show up until Jupiter Lighthouse. However, she's vital to the plot and each Lighthouse has a little bit of foreshadowing to her arrival, so I felt like mentioning her now. I can't really tell you much about her, though, since that would be a major spoiler. All I'll say for now is that she has incredibly powerful Psynergy (healing is her specialty) as well as near-complete amnesia. I don't know if she would be a playable character in a game version of GS:PQ, but you would at least be able to use her healing abilities outside of battle.
 * Gender: Female
 * Age: 17...maybe
 * Known Psynergies: Ply, Wish, Revive, Cure Poison, Restore

For Suzuki's name I looked up Japanese names online. If I remember correctly, Suzuki means "bell of life" or "bell of light," both of which suit her perfectly.

Other characters worth mentioning
Anyways, there's another team that keeps getting in the way of Karin and Co. (Golden Sun tradition has Venus Adepts being the leaders, so I'll usually refer to the gang as Karin's team, if not some variation). I haven't come up with names for any of them yet. At first only the team's Mars Adept was worth mentioning, but now they all have their own mission and story. I can't really afford to tell you anything about the Jupiter and Mercury Adepts on the team, because their goals aren't supposed to be revealed until near the end and I'm trying to keep spoilers to a minimum. (Don't believe me? Check Ryan again.) I'd be more than willing to talk about the Venus Adept, though, since he's the least important person on the team. For now I will refer to him as ??Kibo??, since he's from Kibombo (It's kind of like a code name). He's actually an old rival of Michael's, so you can expect some tension between the two. ??Kibo??'s older brother was just recently appointed witch doctor of Kibombo, so ??Kibo?? entered the tournament to prove that he's just as good as his brother (if not better). Perhaps the most important member of the team is the Mars Adept, who comes from Prox and serves as the new Saturos (just like Agatio in TLA). For now I'm calling him ??Satur??. (Sensing a trend in code names yet?) As you can probably guess, he entered the tournament for "questionable" reasons. Like his predecessors, he has a female partner, currently code named ??Menar?? (I'll give you one guess why). ??Menar?? follows this team but prefers to remain hidden and work behind the scenes. ??Satur?? is in the tournament so that ??Menar?? can sneak into the lighthouses. Don't think that ??Satur?? is an idiot, though. It's just that ??Menar?? is the smarter of the two (one of the smartest in Prox, in fact), while ??Satur?? is more of a fighter.

There are three other characters I want to mention. Originally they were fairly minor, but now they have at least some important role, especially near the end. Each was directly inspired by the class-changing items. First we have Juan, who was based off of the Pierrot class series. His name is French, I think. Even if it isn't, it's pronounced kinda like "Wan." He's a traveling performer who uses his Psynergy to entertain people. He's the most important of the three, but telling you why would be a spoiler. Next is Tammy, who's a monster Tamer. She travels the world simply for the chance to meet rare monsters. Some of the creatures she's searching for aren't even from the Golden Sun world, such as a rare being her father told her about when she was a child. So far the only truly important role she plays is near the end. I can't tell you all the details without making it a spoiler, so for now I'll only say this: Phoenix. Finally we have ??DM??. Yeah, he doesn't have a name yet, but he's based on the Dark Mage class series. ??DM?? is ??Kibo??'s older brother. You know, the one who's Kibombo's new witch doctor. He can't leave Kibombo often, so he won't show up often. He still has an important role in the end, which was inspired by Call Dullahan (for a hint, see The Guardians (just scroll down a little) ).

Returning Characters
Not everyone in GS:PQ are new characters. Like I said, this was originally an idea for GS3, so Isaac and Felix and the others will team up with Karin's team near the end. Alex also plays a role, I'm just not sure exactly what yet. I do know that he will show up from time to time, but I won't say what he's up to just yet (and not just because it would be a spoiler). I also decided to incorporate my theory about Alex since, well, this is my story in the first place so I can do whatever I want with it. Other old faces will show up, including some you might not expect (click here for a spoiler), but I doubt many of them will be important to the plot. I also have a surprise for a certain stubborn Lemurian, but I shouldn't say any more than that. I probably shouldn't have even said that much.

The Guardians
The Guardians are an organization I created. Well, technically, the Guardians are the members of the organization. I haven't come up a name for the organization itself. In fact, it's more like a group or team than an organization. Anyways, the Guardians fought to maintain the balance between the four elements. One day a war broke out (which ultimately led to Alchemy being sealed away, whether directly or indirectly). During this war, the elements were severely unbalanced, so the Guardians finally had to get involved. The Guardians were far stronger than most Adepts, and it looked like the war would be over soon. Then one day, several Alchemists got together and began fighting back by opening portals to different dimensions. Many Guardians were scattered among the dimensions during this war.

Finally, when Alchemy was sealed, only five Guardians remained. Their leader, the Master Guardian, remained near the Elemental Stars, hoping to prevent future disasters. The remaining four Guardians traveled Weyard, keeping themselves hidden from the human eye, serving as the Master Guardian's eyes and ears. They also tried to find a way to contact the other Guardians. Eventually they discovered that the Alchemists left behind special stone tablets that could temporarily call the lost Guardians back to Weyard, with the help of the Djinn.

It didn't take long for the Guardians to discover that Weyard was dying. However, since most Guardians were still trapped outside of Weyard, they couldn't risk letting Alchemy be unsealed until mankind proved that they could prevent it's abuse on their own. When Alchemy finally was released, the Master Guardian decided to resign from his position, and passed on the title of Master Guardian to his pupil.

Karin's team finds some (hopefully all) of the tablets throughout GS:PQ, but don't find out about the Guardians for quite a while (Gaia Rock at the soonest).

Story
You're probably thinking something like: "Finally! He got to the good part. Now tell us what actually happens." Well, like I've been saying, I can't really tell you much of what happens, since GS:PQ may actually hit the internet some day and I don't want everyone to know what happens before it actually happens. Plus, I still only have about half of the plot completed. I'll tell you as much as I can without telling you too much, though.

The first half of the story follows a path similar to the games, simply because it's the most logical path to the lighthouses. First of all, the tournament starts in Vale, and the nearest lighthouse is Mercury Lighthouse. After going north then turning around, most teams pass through Kalay and Tolbi on their way to Venus Lighthouse. Boats are provided in Madra for competitors in the tournament, so people usually pass through Gondowan and Indra before reaching the Western Sea. After that most teams will have to head north to reach both lighthouses, so it's only logical to hit Jupiter Lighthouse before Mars Lighthouse.

One of the first things to happen is that Karin's team goes to Mercury Lighthouse. ??Kibo??'s team beat them there, though, and a couple members stay behind on the Aerie, one of which is ??Satur??. When Karin and Co. reach the top, there's a short fight before the lighthouse beacon starts acting up and one of the Guardians appears to try and fix it. On their way back they have to take a detour in Kolima (not really important to the plot, but it introduces some minor characters that keep showing up). They then head south, meeting Juan in Kalay and Tammy in Suhalla. I can't say much else without giving anything away, but I will say that something similar to Mercury Lighthouse happens at the other Lighthouses. Before reaching Madra, they stop in Kibombo and meet ??DM??. The gang winds up taking a detour to Izumo later on, and make a return trip to Lalivero after Mars Lighthouse. So far I have things planned out up to the return to Lalivero, but there's still a few holes to fill before then.

Things I will include later:
 * A visit to Garoh sometime after Mars Lighthouse (you'll understand why long before we get to this part)
 * A little surprise in Lemuria (I mentioned this earlier)
 * Sheba's Anemos heritage (can't have a GS3 without this)

Things I hope to include later:
 * The statues in the Altin mines (something odd about them)
 * Something about Ankohl (we've got the Ankohl Ruins and the Trident of Ankohl, but just who are they?)
 * Deadbeard comes looking for revenge on Isaac and Co. (I just figured: "Why not?")