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From the goddess Flora's grace, three hallowed artifacts guard the kingdom. |
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| —Artifact plaque, Ballad of Rapunzel | ||
The Three Artifacts of Floralia play a major role in the seventh Dark Parables game, Ballad of Rapunzel. They are magical items bestowed to the kingdom by the Goddess Flora. These objects determine how the game ends for the player.
The artifacts appeared again in Swan Princess and the Dire Tree, where they had been combined into a single powerful weapon and used by Princess Elise to slay Flora.
Appearance and Mechanics[]
There are three individual artifacts, each with their own appearance and attributes.
- The Jewel of Repose: A jewel that will seal a Guardian and their power.
- The Shattering Sword: Has the power to sever any plant and seal off all chances of regeneration.
- The Mirror of Inversion: A mirror that will strengthen one Guardian's power while weakening its counterpart.
History[]
The Three Artifacts of Floralia were originally the creations of the Goddess Flora. When the Chief of a weakened clan implored the Goddess for her help in defeating his rival, she bestows the artifacts onto him. But she also warned him that although the artifacts could change his destiny, in doing so he was disrupting the fates and would pay a heavy price. Flora's grim warning proved to be true: although the artifacts gained the Chief victory, he also lost too many loved ones in the process. With a solemn heart, the Chief brought the two rival clans together and crowned himself the first King of Floralia.
Thereafter the Artifacts were sealed away by the King. The only way to unlock them was with a special Flora ring and even then only one Artifact could be used at a time.
When the Fairytale Detective was sent to investigate the spread of Nightbloom pollen, she saw many depictions of the Three Artifacts throughout the ruins of Floralia. Eventually, the Detective confronted Belladonna, the Guardian of the Nightbloom, as she prepared to destroy the world and used the Shattering Sword to destroy Belladonna's giant Nightbloom flower.
For reasons unclear, after the events of Ballad of Rapunzel, the Artifacts were scattered: Prince Ross Red took possession of the Shattering Sword, the Mirror of Inversion went to a Master Tailor named Desmond McBride and the Jewel of Repose was found by an unnamed poor man. For a few years, the Artifacts remained separated, but they eventually came to the attention of the Swan Princess, Princess Elise.
Elise, who desired to become the new Goddess of nature's balance, realized that the Artifacts together were capable of killing their creator Flora. She gave the poor man riches in exchange for the Jewel, stole the Sword when she imprisoned Ross Red, and took the Mirror when Desmond McBride came to Dire Island at her request.
With the Artifacts combined into one weapon, Elise waited her chance until the restoration ceremony and slew Flora, usurping her place as the nature Goddess. But during a confrontation with the Fairytale Detective, she dropped the Artifacts into Swan Lake and it is presumed they remain there as the Detective was never seen to retrieve them nor anyone else currently.
Relevant Parables[]
The Three Artifacts of Floralia (from Ballad of Rapunzel)
Long ago, two rival clans inhabited a piece of land together. Under the Goddess Flora’s patronage, one clan thrived while the young Chief of the weaker clan saw the end of his people draw near. He decided to implore the Goddess, overcoming harsh trials in his quest. Touched by his sincerity and determination, the Goddess gave the man three artifacts: a sword, a mirror, and a jewel. The Goddess told him to use the artifacts if he was determined to change destiny of his clan. But she warned him that the price would be steep for disrupting the fates. After a long, drawn-out battle, with the artifacts in hand, the Chief was victorious. But in the midst of it all, he had lost his family, his lover, and too many of his people. He now understood the Goddess’ warning. Though their destiny had changed, the cost had been paid was too dear. With a solemn heart, he joined the two clans together, crowning himself King. The King lived on to become a wise ruler. He sealed the artifacts, turning over their guardianship and history to his heir before he died. So goes the tale of the first King of Floralia.
The First Tree (from The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree)
Long before our time the Goddess Flora planted the very first tree on an island that would later become the Swan Kingdom. From this tree the roots spread throughout the whole planet linking every plant to a central life force. Flora soon realized that the tree could not defend itself against the dangers of the world, so she created the Swan Guard to protect the Dire Tree with their lives. In gratitude, every year the Dire Tree produces a magical seed with the power to rejuvenate Flora in a ritual of rebirth. Ross Red, one of the Guardians of the Goddess, was tasked with supervising the annual ritual, from the birth of the seed to the full rejuvenation of the Goddess. At one such ceremony, while everyone was looking at the Goddess, one pair of eyes remained focused on Ross Red's weapon, known as the Shattering Sword. Little did Ross Red know of Swan Princess' plans to destroy the Goddess, for which she needed his weapon.
The Jewel of Repose (from The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree)
At the far outskirts of what once was the Kingdom of Floralia, there lived a very poor family. The father took pride in the one precious thing he had, a jewel he had found when he was a boy. One windy night, a strange visitor came to the poor family's home. The riches she had in exchange for the fathers jewel changed their circumstances forever. They never came to realize they had conversed with a Princess, or that they had parted with the Jewel of Repose. The Princess had long coveted the jewel, one of the three legendary artifacts of Floralia. Now the Princess set her sights on the two artifacts that were owned by Ross Red and the Master Tailor. The Swan Princess still mourned her parents and other victims of conflict "What kind of Goddess lets her people die in vain?" asked the Swan Princess, "I shall be a different kind of Goddess, one who cares for her people!" But to become a Goddess she had to destroy Flora. And to do that she needed Flora's creations: The Three Artifacts of Floralia.
Trivia[]
- In the game, Ballad of Rapunzel, whichever weapon or artifact you choose is the ending you get, no redo unless you play the game all over again to unlock the other endings.
- It is very likely that these three artifacts are based off of the three "Imperial Regalia of Japan", which are:
- The "Kusanagi no Tsurugi" (lit. "Grasscutter Longsword")--represent the Virtue of Valor.
- The "Yata no Kagami" (lit. "Eight Hand(span) Mirror")--represent the Virtue of Wisdom.
- The "Yasakani no Magatama" (lit. "Eight-foot Curved Jewel")--represent the Virtue of Benevolence.
Gallery[]
