Since I'm a bit of a masochist, I love La-Mulana very much. The difficulty is brutal, but the game is a rewarding experience. We have an update for you from the fellows at Nicalis in the form of a journal update by the game's protagonist, Lemeza Kosuki. The journal titled "The 7th Village" sheds some light on the game's story. Check it out.
- Kyle K.
"Hi! A lot of lectures were cancelled due to my vacation.
Let’s talk about ｔhe village outside the La-Mulana ruins and go over the meaning.
My father was lead to the La-Mulana ruins by the residents of a nearby village. It seems they are ones who grant permission to enter. There are some who have snuck in to the ruins for loot. The villagers weren’t able to prevent all looters from entering. When I entered the ruins, there was a seal at the entrance. It appears that this seal was in place because the looting had increased.
The villagers are a peaceful bunch; they don’t look like a group that would chase and kill looters. Oh, but there was one girl who ran a shop in the village. She chased me around because I didn’t have money for some equipment. When she finally caught up to me, she grabbed my arm and twisted it pretty hard. That was the only person in the village who was aggressive.
Even though the villagers are the protectors of the ruins, I understand why they didn’t pursue the looters, but only after I entered the ruins–there were human remains lying about. Upon inspection of the remains I could tell that they’re not remains of the ancients who built the ruins, but of people from modern day. Many looters have lost their lives here and there are remains that date back a few hundred years. It is not necessary for the villagers to chase after the people who enter the ruins. There are several traps placed to kill those who enter the ruins in hopes of stealing treasure. People who enter the ruins without the villagers will only find death.
The natural environment around the village is very strange. There are never before seen animals roaming about. A strange bird caught my eye, so I asked the villagers about it. They told me it was a, “cockatrice”. Isn’t a cockatrice a monster that only exists in European folklore? Aside from that, outside the village is a Giant with eyeballs all over its body. The sight of such a thing would be unsettling to anyone but the villagers go about their daily business as if it’s no big deal.
The village is rather small and it’s difficult to find anything on their origins, race or civilization. I believe they come from a civilization that is self reliant and co-exists with nature similar to Native Americans, Aztecs or even the Mayans. The small pyramid shrine, lifestyle, clothing and stone totems around the village can be considered evidence of this. Although I could not find it at that time, there was a reason why they haven’t adopted the ways of a modern industrialized civilization.
The village elder is a curious individual. Despite the village’s way of life and co-existence with nature, the elder is a big fan of the PC. His manner of speaking is strange, as well as his tattoos. When I asked what those tattoos meant he said it was “seven” in the La-Mulana alphabet. I wonder if he’s really all there.
Despite his eccentricity, if he wasn’t there it would’ve been impossible for me to get a chance to brave the traps and puzzles in the ruins. He believes that the puzzles in the ruins are a test of strength and wit and must be solved on your own. It seems like he is waiting for such an individual to come. It would be a big event for the ruins to declare a victor over its puzzles. Despite the elder’s feelings on the matter, he helped me gain the confidence to solve the ruins’ puzzles. I wonder if my father also braved the challenges of the ruins.
There is something of a bit more importance in this village.
This is a gigantic lithograph that is at the entrance of the La-Mulana ruins. One is in the shape of a broken gate from Indonesia, but the style is different. The relief is portrayed by a story. In the lower portion there is a snake-like human and another human with wings. In the upper portion there is a fish-like human. Compared with what I saw inside the ruins this looks like it was done more recently so maybe the people learned how to engrave the history of La-Mulana over time.
The other lithograph stands out the most, with the relief of a giant with a huge female face; other information is also interwoven. There appear to be four males, two of which are like an instrument with one positioned at the top of the pyramid and the other at the bottom. A one-eyed monster and a fourth saving the first two. I believe the most important is the relief with the one-eyed monster.
At first glance it might not look important but this one-eyed relief is scattered across the ruins in several locations. There are many cultures that use the “eye” as a symbol. There are some that view it as a meaning of looking, looking past to everything in the perspective of a god. With that said it gives the feeling that someone or something from within the ruins is watching over you.
This lecture might sound like a puzzle, but remember this one because it relates to the next one. When I saw the puzzles detailing the history I saw for the first time something which I understood. The ones who know everything about the ruins are the village’s ancestors. The imagery in the ruins were probably left by the ancestors as a guide.
Speaking of which, I’m particularly upset to see the stone statue of the elder added to the shrine at the ruins’ entrance. But let’s end today’s lecture/journal entry here. Next lecture/journal entry will be about the Sun Temple. Please do a review on the Egyptian civilization."
Lemeza Kosugi
No comments:
Post a Comment