List of terms in Tales of the Abyss

The following is a list of terminology that is used regularly within the Namco Bandai console role-playing game, Tales of the Abyss.

A
*Absorption Gate: The second Sephiroth, and the second part of the Planet Storm (see: Planet Storm). The memory particles of the planet flow back into the planet's core through here.

D
*Dawn Age: An era 2000 years prior to the start of the game. In this day, scientific research and fontech were highly advanced--even creating entire buildings (the Tower of Rem) and cities (Yulia City) that self-operate using fon machinery. It's not clear at exactly which point this age ended, but it seems to coincide with the appearance of the miasma and the creation of the Outer Lands.

F
*Field of Fonons ("FOF"): An accumulation of Fonons that appears on the ground. Each FOF represents a specific element. By using a Fonic Arte that corresponds with that element, the level of the FOF will increase, allowing some Fonic Artes to multiply in strength.

*Fomicry: A field of science created by Dr. Jade Balfour, or now known better as Jade Curtiss, as a means of cloning people and objects. Originally, fomicry was performed using the first six fonons, but after the results proved unstable, the Seventh Fonon began to be used exclusively. Replicated objects almost always have some sort of inherent flaw that makes them inferior to the original, and, on most occasions, even the "fonon frequency" differs between the original and replica.

:However, on rare occasion, it is possible to create "perfect isofons" which share the exact same fonon frequency. This is only seen twice within the story: the first isofons being two cheagles and the second being Asch and Luke. Perfect isofons are granted a number of useful conveniences, such as the ability to communicate telepathically over great distances or to lend one-another power. However, at the same time, it comes with a heavy price: the Contamination Effect in which the the fonons and elements of matter separate and fuse together. Perfect isofons are subject to this effect and are therefore unstable. Eventually, perfect isofons become one through a fusion event known as the "Big Bang."

*Fonic Artes: Abilities which draw upon a person or thing's innate Fonon and allows them to cast spells, heal, or attack with power provided by that Fonon.

*Fonic Hymn: Hymns sang by Seventh Fonists which use the only the chanting portion of Fonic Artes, combined with melody. Because of this, they are generally weak, but there are special hymns which contain power equal to or greater than normal Fonic Artes. (See: "Grand Fonic Hymn")

*Fonist: One who uses Fonic Artes.

*Fonon: The basic particles which make up all living and non-living matter. There are seven types of fonons altogether, each representing a different natural element.
:*First Fonon: Shadow -ã€€Dark
:*Second Fonon: Gnome -ã€€Ground
:*Third Fonon:ã€€Sylph - Wind
:*Fourth Fonon:ã€€Undine - Water
:*Fifth Fonon: Efreet - Fire
:*Sixth Fonon:ã€€Rem - Light
:*Seventh Fonon: Lorelei - Sound

:With the exception of Lorelei, the fonons are each named in reference to the summon spirits seen in previous games.

*Fon Master: The leader of the Order of Lorelei and one of the most powerful Fonists alive. Also, the Fonmaster is the only person capable of using Daathic Fonic Artes, opening Daathic Seals, or reading the Score from fonstones. Throughout the adventure, the only real Fonmaster the party encounters is Ion.

*Fonslots: The part of a person's body that allows Fonons to enter and exit the body--permitting the use of Fonic Artes. It is possible to close them by use of a special seal, thus hindering a Fonist's abilities. In addition, another special type of fonslot, called a Cursed Slot, can be placed on a victim. This type of fonslot reads the memories of its victim and allows the manipulator to overcome their inhibitions. It then drives the person to act on subconscious feelings, such as murdering someone they have a buried hatred for.

*Fontech: Machinery which make use of fonons.

G
*Grand Fonic Hymn: The seven-part hymn written by Yulia which conveyed a deep wisdom and message hidden within its lyrics. The hymn itself was Yulia's pact with Lorelei. Anyone may learn the lyrics and sing the hymns, but they hold no power unless the singer understands the hidden symbolism of the song. The only two people known to have sang the hymns in the game are Van and Tear Grants, though only Van initially understands the song's symbolism.

:After Van is defeated by the party at the Absorption Gate, he falls into the planet's core, where he is certain to die. However, he begins to sing the Grand Fonic Hymn and, as the pact ordained, Lorelei entered his body to save his life. Late in the game, Tear finally remembers and learns the Grand Fonic Hymn in its entirety, and comes to comprehend the message hidden within. It is revealed that the Hymn is Yulia's warning for the world to find a way to break free of the Score she herself had written. As the party battles Van, Tear sings the Hymn, awakening Lorelei and allowing Van to be defeated.

H
*Hyperresonance: A very powerful ability that is used when two Fonists of the same type use their abilities in tandem. In essence, a hyperresonance allows its user(s) to tear apart the fonons of any matter and then reconstruct them. Normally, it takes two Fonists to cause one, but there are two characters within the story (Luke and Asch) who can cause one on their own.

:A hyperresonance is a very dangerous ability, as it normally cannot be controlled. Jade explains that it's an ability that is so powerful, it is almost useless in battle because it would completely disintegrate everything within range--including the atmosphere. In fact, it was a "quasi"-hyperresonance, which boasts roughly 40% of the power of a "real" hyperresonance, that destroyed the entire island of Hod. Hyperresonance also occurs when the replicated island of Hod begins sharing space with the original world.

:A second form of hyperresonance is second-order hyperresonance. In addition to the capabilities of normal hyperresonace, this has the ability to completely neutralize any Fonon. It is first used by Luke on Eldrant while saving the party from a trap and again used by Luke to defeat Van. Luke is the only character known to be able to use this ability, and he only gains the ability after absorbing Asch's power following the latter's death. Unlike normal hyperresonance, Luke is able to call upon and control this power at will.

J
*Jewel of Lorelei: (See "Key of Lorelei").

K
*Key of Lorelei: A mighty weapon created by Lorelei which allows the user to summon Lorelei when used along with the Grand Fonic Hymn. It also allows the user to use Lorelei's power at will. The complete Key is actually in two parts: A sword, (also called the "Key" of Lorelei) which concentrates Fonons, and the Jewel of Lorelei, which disperses them. Both halves of the Key are almost useless unless combined.

:The Key of Lorelei was given to Yulia as part of the pact. It was used in order to create the Planet Storm, and possibly, the other Sephiroth as well. During his imprisonment by Van Grants, Lorelei sent both parts of the Key to Luke and Asch. Asch received the sword itself while Luke was to be given the Jewel. Luke however, did not receive anything to his knowledge, and both Asch and the party desperately search for it. However, on the Tower of Rem, it is discovered that Luke received the Jewel as he was meant to. It just so happened that Luke accidentally absorbed the Jewel into his body, as both the Jewel and himself (being a replica) are made of Seventh Fonons.

:After defeating Asch on Eldrant, Luke wins the sword, which combines with the Jewel to form the "Incomplete Key of Lorelei". Later, after Luke gains the power of second-order hyperresonance, that ability allows him to fully complete the entire Key. He uses the Key and his own power in order to defeat Van and free Lorelei.

L
*Light of the Sacred Flame: The title given to the "chosen hero" who, upon being born in the year ND 2000, is to inherit Lorelei's power and lead his country into "prosperity". Described in the Score as being a royal Kimlascan boy with red hair, it is assumed by most characters to be Luke fon Fabre.

:When it is discovered that Luke is a replica, the characters realize that is Asch, not Luke, who is named in the Score. (Asch was born in ND 2000, while Luke wasn't created until ND 2010.) Yet, having rejected his former life, Asch has shunned his title as the "Sacred Flame", as symbolized by his new name.

M
*Memory Particles: The particles that exist within Auldrant's core. Resembling falling snow when viewed up close, they are drawn out and used by the Sephiroth in order to push the Outer Lands into the atmosphere, forming Sephiroth Trees. In addition, the Planet Storm radiates and absorbs memory particles through special Sephiroth called "Gates". This allows the particles to enhance fonic energy throughout the world, increasing the potency of Fonic Artes and fontech.

O
*Outer Lands:

:The Outer Lands is the entire landscape of Auldrant, which has been artificially raised into the atmosphere in order to protect its inhabitants from the poisonous miasma below. The original surface of the planet, known as the Qliphoth, has become mostly inhospitable for millennia. When Luke destroys the passage ring at Akzeriuth, he starts a chain reaction which causes the Outer Lands to fall one by one. In a race against time, the party use the Sephiroth to slowly lower the Outer Lands, thus protecting the populace. They then rid the world of the miasma, allowing everyone to function within the Qliphoth normally.

P
*Passage Rings: The support rings for the pillars that support the various sections of the Outer Lands. If destroyed, the Sephiroth will fail and the entire Outer Lands will begin to fall.

*Planet Storm: An artificially constructed cycle that recycles memory particles through the use of two special Sephiroth called the Radiation Gate (which draws out the particles) and the Absorption Gate (which feeds them back to the core). The Planet Storm was constructed as a means of gaining additional fuel for Fonic Artes and fontech.

:It is later discovered that the Planet Storm is what originally caused the core of Auldrant to liquify and transform into miasma, necessitating the separation of the Outer Lands and the Qliphoth, as well as the creation of the Score. In order to save the planet from further liquefaction, the party attempts to counter the core's vibration with the Tartarus landship, though this fails. Ultimately, they are forced to shut down the Planet Storm itself, which will slowly render many Fonic Artes and fontech useless over the next several years.

Q
*Qliphoth: Tear's home, and the location of Yulia City.

:The Qliphoth is actually the original surface of Auldrant. When the Planet Storm caused the land of Auldrant to liquefy and transform into miasma, Yulia created a plan to push the remaining land into the atmosphere, thus keeping everyone safe from the miasma for a time. However, the Qliphoth still remained hidden away underneath the Outer Lands, and was kept secret by all except the maestros of the Order of Lorelei. Late in the game, the miasma is halted and the Outer Lands are lowered back into the Qliphoth, putting things back as they originally were.

R
*Radiation Gate: The first Sephiroth, and the first part of the Planet Storm (see: Planet Storm). The memory particles of the planet are drawn out of the planet's core through here.

*Replica: A clone created by the science of Fomicry (see "Fomicry"). Any matter can be replicated, although the inventor of the procedure, Dr. Jade Balfour, placed a ban on its use on organic matter due to "technical and ethical problems". Despite this, it is revived by Van, Dist and Spinoza some years later.

:Replicated organisms do not share the memories of their originals, and are practically the same as newborns. They must learn to walk, speak, and perform other basic functions from scratch. However, it is possible to "program" them with limited memories and subliminal suggestion. In addition, replicas are not accounted for in Yulia's Score, and it is their existence which causes the Score to inevitably go off-track.

:At the time in which the game takes place, all replicas are made by use of the Seventh Fonon. Because of this, if the Seventh Fonons within the replica begin to separate, it will fade away and die.

S
*Sephiroth: The ten ancient devices used in order to support the Outer Lands. The memory particles spewed forth by a Sephiroth forms a structure called a "Sephiroth Tree".

:The Sephiroth draw memory particles from Auldrant's core, which are used to push up the land that comprises the Outer Lands. Luke accidentally causes them to fail at one point in the game, triggering a chain reaction that causes the Outer Lands to descend. From that point on, the party is in a race against the clock to find all of the Sephiroth and reprogram them to let all of the lands down slowly, so that they will not freefall into the miasma below.

*The Score: A form of prophecy that is given by "scorers". Though there are many different types of Scores, the most pivotal (and, arguably, the most accurate) is the one written by Yulia. Yulia's Score (also known as the "Planet Score") was developed as a last-ditch effort in order to save the world from being swallowed up by poisonous miasma. It dictated the next 2000 years of human history and, in the end, promised to bring prosperity to the world. Because of this, the world at large has begun following the Score religiously, even forming a church (called the Order of Lorelei) to regular read the Score to the masses.

:In truth, the Score is merely the memory of the planet (also known as Lorelei). The Score, as dictated to Yulia by Lorelei, is written in six parts on objects known as "fonstones". At the time in which the game takes place, all of the fonstones, save the Seventh, have been found and read. However, it is later revealed that the Seventh Fonstone does not actually promise prosperity as originally believed. Instead, it actually predicts the destruction of Auldrant and the demise of humankind.

:This revelation, in addition to mankind's controversial dependence on the Score, is what motivates Van Grants into rejecting the score and striving to destroy it. To this end, he intended to replace the entire world with replicated people, creatures, and landscape in order to escape the "Score of Final Judgement" by ensuring that the Score is fulfilled while creating a new world on top of the old.

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