Psynergy Vortex

A Psynergy Vortex is an anomalous phenomenon that appears one of the first causes for concern in Golden Sun: Dark Dawn. First described in Nintendo's official press release at E3 2010, Psynergy Vortexes are phenomena that "suck the elemental Psynergy from both the land and power-wielding Adepts alike,", and "are spreading across the world."

Psynergy Vortexes apparently originated recently as a side effect of the healing powers of the Golden Sun when the seal on Alchemy was broken and the physically declining world of Weyard was resustained. In the first trailer for Dark Dawn shown at E3 2010, a Psynergy Vortex - resembling a dark sphere of pulsating energy that remains stationary at a single point in space, and somewhat resembling and functioning as a miniature black hole - appears right in the vicinity of Carver's Camp that the playable characters Matthew and Karis are seen watching the vortex from, along with various other NPCs. They are theorized to be pure anti-Psynergy that appear in places where especially dense concentrations of Psynergy sources like Psynergy Stones are gathered. It is known that an especially massive one that has happened ten years before the start of Dark Dawn in the center of Angara is named the Mourning Moon.

Despite being introduced by official press releases as a main threat, Psynergy Vortexes are not a main story focus in Dark Dawn, seen only in three instances early on - one at the Abandoned Mine, one at Carver's Camp, and one in Konpa Cave - and once in the game's ending. The ending of Dark Dawn shows an enormous one - most likely the Mourning Moon - that manifests right near the Lookout Cabin, and a cliffhanger takes place at this exact moment, perhaps indicating that the speculated fourth Golden Sun will focus on resolving the issue of Psynergy Vortexes.