Lunar Threads

Okay, OLD thread, and it's only been revived by this guy's random post on it, but I'm really loving those last couple posts... about Ghaleon being in love with Althena.

It really puts an even more demented spin on how Dark Althena dressed/acted, all dominatrix-like and snuggled up next to Ghaleon, since she was under his control. Yikes.

I was about to reply to that post, but when I quoted it I noticed that the smiley is a link to levitra dot cba dot pl, which is also the only bit of information in the user's profile. Spambot, or just spam?

Weird...

Well, either way, I think the Ghaleon in love with Althena angle makes a lot of sense. It fits in with his actions, and adds a certain extra-crazy slant to his villainous deeds.

Post taken care of.

It seems likely that Ghaleon wasn't so much in love with Althena herself, but what she represented to him - a world that is fading away. The age of heroes, as (I think) Dyne said at the very end of the game, the end of which is assured by Ghaleon's defeat and Luna's eventual death.

About evil Luna's behavior - I think Luna may have had a bit of a crush on Ghaleon. After all, the first time they met, she blushed when he met her eyes.

I'm not really talking about Luna's behavior in the beginning, when she was in her right mind. I'm talking about at the end, when she's in her Dark Althena form, and under Ghaleon's control: He dresses her up like a dominatrix and has her snuggle up next to him. The fact that he has her dress and act like that implies certain things about how he views her.

I'm not saying that all of Ghaleon's motivations were out of being in love (lust?) with Althena, but that there was a subtextual attraction to her, on top of his belief that the world needs a higher power.

I know you're not talking about about Luna's behavior in the beginning. Are you then asserting that it's impossible that the prior influenced the latter? That it's out of the realm of possibility that on some level, Luna's actions may have been inspired by her own feelings? It's speculation of course, (Luna's reaction when meeting Ghaleon could've just as easily been motivated by unease, instead of attraction) but where there isn't detail, there's speculation.

Well, I already listed all the reasons I don't think there was any such attraction. Really, the whole thing reminds me of Star Trek fans' efforts to involve Spock in romance. Besides which, who says that Dark Althena's outfit had anything to do with Ghaleon? Seems like standard evil garb, like Xenobia's and Royce's.

Actually, maybe I didn't list those reasons. Ghaleon shouts out to Dyne, not Althena. It's Dyne he remembers in EB, not Althena. And doesn't he say something about how Althena will die once he gains his full power? I know the guide summarizes a scene like that. I really don't think there's anything suggesting an interest on his part in her at all.

I don't recall him mentioning her death in SSSC. Must be a TSS thing.

I don't either, but I'm almost certain the SSSC guide summarizes a scene that way. Can someone check? I can't find my open copy. It may be that the scene was changed after the guide was written, if I'm remembering the guide correctly.

Alunissage wrote:I don't either, but I'm almost certain the SSSC guide summarizes a scene that way. Can someone check? I can't find my open copy. It may be that the scene was changed after the guide was written, if I'm remembering the guide correctly.

I've got it right here. At the top of page 155 it says "As you enter the chamber, Ghaleon is busy convincing Luna that taking over the world is in her best interests. Being brainwashed and all, she agrees. While the Magic Emperor gloats, Luna starts absorbing the same magical energy Althena cast away. As Luna gathers more and more otherworldly juice, Ghaleon grows stronger...and reveals that once all the world's magic is under his control, Luna will croak. This inspires your party to make dramatic speeches before entering into the game's final battle."

Except he never revealed that...silly Book.

As Alun said, it may be that the scene was rewritten after the guide was made. There are several screenshots in the guide that include different dialogue than what's found in the game itself.

What might be interesting would be to know if there's anything suggesting that in the Japanese version of SSS. Does anyone here who's played it remember any such reference?

If anyone wants to translate this and see if there's any such thing, I *think* it's the same part.

アルテナ……　いや
ルーナによってみちびかれた
魔法力は　私のものとなる?
……すべての魔法力が
集束したとき?

ルーナの消滅とともに
私が　この世界の
新たな神となるのだ！

As far as we know in English, though...

My theory is, if it's not in TSS, and it's not in SSSC, and it's not even in Legend...then we can't prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, and the book's just speculating...like I normally do.

Alunissage wrote:If anyone wants to translate this and see if there's any such thing, I *think* it's the same part.

アルテナ……　いや
ルーナによってみちびかれた
魔法力は　私のものとなる?
……すべての魔法力が
集束したとき?

ルーナの消滅とともに
私が　この世界の
新たな神となるのだ！

That's almost verbatim what ended up in the final English version.

Spot translation 'cause I'm at work and don't have time to pretty it up:

Will the power to which I was guided by Althen--no, Luna, be mine? Once all her magic power was focused? As Luna ceases to exist, I shall become this world's new god! KF

The book was written by the primary scriptwriter for SSSC, Zach Meston, so it's hardly speculation; he wrote the in-game dialogue (though not the cutscenes) as well. Or didn't you realize that this is the official guide we're talking about?

My guess is that the sense of the phrasing is that Luna will cease to exist and the guide was implying as a physical body while the in-game dialogue is focusing on the disappearance of her personality. For that matter, "[Luna] will croak" could mean the latter.

I had understood it as the latter, myself. I always took much of the comments Ghaleon made to mean that Luna, the person, would croak, but Althena would still remain, in some form. Just in that the person of Luna, that Alex knew and loved, would disappear forever.

Alunissage wrote:My guess is that the sense of the phrasing is that Luna will cease to exist and the guide was implying as a physical body while the in-game dialogue is focusing on the disappearance of her personality. For that matter, "[Luna] will croak" could mean the latter.

It could go either way based on the Japanese dialogue, just as in the English. It all depends on how metaphorical you want to be. KF

I certainly agree that Ghaleon's final speech goes on about 'tearing your one true love away from you forever'. Which means 'Luna' would die, to become Althena full time again.

And, sorry, I'm used to Bradygames strategy guides who get things wrong.