Alright, tell me what you think. I have intentionally not thought of everything, but its a good start. I wish for it to be a building block for further discussion.
Untitled Chrono Trigger Sequel:
PLOT DEVICE: The Chrono Divider – Lost within the Dimensional Vortex (Chrono Trigger DS) the Chrono Divider is a device which may effectively “isolate” a period of time between two points along its axis. An isolated period of time still exists but cannot be perceived (or remembered) by anyone save for those manipulating the Divider. Frightfully in addition to being able to capture time, the Chrono Divider can replicate an isolated organism within time on a small scale. These organisms, however, lack any of the perception of the organism at the time of their duplication, but are still perfect physical copies.
The Chrono Divider was constructed by the Sage Gaspar in Zeal. In his effort to break the bonds of time he accidentally created this device which could isolate time. Gaspar, realizing the dreadful possibilities of the Chrono Divider, hid the item until such a time that he was able to use a prototype Time Egg to hurl it and all of his research and notes into the Dimensional Vortex so that they would be doomed to deletion.
Time isolated by the Chrono Divider is written to a compressed time line parallel to the time line where the Chrono Divider actually dwells. This compressed time line only exists as a composite of whichever time lines that was isolated within it. Time does not pass normally here…any living beings dwelling here simply will not age as there is no part of their time line to allow them to do so. The time line within the Divider is largely AD 1,000 with numerous ruins of AD 12,000 incorporated into it.
Few beings inhabit the compressed time line. An inexplicable collection of Nu seems to be the sole indigenous inhabitants. People who are destined to lose their lives as a result of actions taken within an isolated time line are reprieved of this “destiny” when the time line is separated. For example, if you set the first point of time to isolate and then fire a bullet at a person just as you set the second point of time to isolate the time line, the person about to die will be shifted into the compressed time line as their native time line has already defined them as “non-existent.”
CHARACTER: Shades – These are the name for organisms replicated by the Chrono Divider. They maintain the memories of the original organism from which they were derived but they lack that organism’s perception. They know things, they just do not relate to the things they know. Without emotions as a result, they grow mad from questioning their existence and typically destroy themselves. When a Shade encounters the organism of its origin it is compelled to destroy it. However, it is possible for the Shade to rejoin its original organism making it a stronger life form.
LOCATION: The Dimensional Vortex – The Dimensional Vortex is mysterious dimension where fragmented time lines cross and become merged. An endless world, the Dimensional Vortex is unfathomably large and home to an unknown amount of entities. Within it are aspects from any number of times or places. Unlike the End of Time which is the point of least temporal resistance, the Dimensional Vortex has the most—it is where time goes to decompose.
CHARACTER: Research Group 3A – Originally staffed in the Temporal Research Lab within Chronopolis in AD 2400, they were accidentally phased into the Dimensional Vortex during the Counter-Time Experiment. There they found the Chrono Divider, and after identifying some of its properties, set about studying it. Located within their database are records of the campaign to fight Lavos as well as Chrono and his companion’s role. Detailed information about the entire AD time line has also been recorded. Lastly, though only a portion of the separated Chronopolis, the Temporal Research Lab maintains a precise chronicle of the construction and purpose of Chronopolis as well as a sufficiently equipped arsenal of robot sentinels.
CHARACTER: Sir Dalton – Having been cast into the Dimensional Vortex by falling into his own Golem Summoning Gate, Dalton found himself lost in an endless labyrinth of broken time. Within the Dimensional Vortex Dalton stumbled upon Research Group 3A where he proceeded to muscle his way into control of them. There he discovered the presence of the Chrono Divider and remembered it from when Gaspar claimed it to be a failure. Finding the Chrono Divider fully operational and with all of Gaspar’s research, Dalton began scheming.
EVENT: Escape from the Dimensional Vortex – While under the direction of Dalton, Research Group 3A probed the expanse of the Dimensional Vortex for some sign of an exit. What they found was that places in time with great temporal activity primarily contribute to the contents of the Dimensional Vortex as they are the crossroads where timelines greatly diverge. Dalton encountered Crono, Marle, and Lucca while investigating possible exits but was driven off. This solidified his plans to seek revenge and place himself as new the king of the planet. Dalton used a Golem Gate to transfer back to the Temporal Research Laboratory where he initiated his final escape plan leaving behind Shades of Crono, Marle, and Lucca to destroy them. With a small army of robot sentinels Dalton took leave of his temporal prison and into AD 1,000.
EVENT: The Fall of Guardia – Dalton, armed with technology far in advance of the time period he now stood within, went about fulfilling his ambition. Dalton knew that so long as he did not inflict severe damage to the time line, he could remain impugn to the meddling of time traveling do-gooders. With his army of robots, Dalton activated the Chrono Divider and set about conquering the humble nation of Porre. When the fighting had ended, Dalton installed himself as supreme leader and immediately reformed its government. When he was satisfied, Dalton deactivated the Chrono Divider thus removing his bloody rise to power from the perception of all but him and Research Group 3A. To the rest of the world Porre became a military power seemingly overnight. Dalton created a new identity for himself as President Zeal. He then began a campaign to build a standing army to pursue a goal of manifest destiny. And all this time none could remember the bloodshed of his rise to power.
The battle against Guardia took place in AD 1005 and was by all accounts one-sided. Using the Chrono Divider, Dalton continually redrew the battle field with his opponents incapable of opposing him. Dalton burned Truce Village to the ground and due to the Chrono Divider; there were none to remember it.
The King of Guardia petitioned Crono, now heir to the throne and Lord Protector of the Realm, to find a way to defeat Porre. They mounted the Epoch with a plan to subvert Dalton’s will from the year AD 600…but all did not go well for them. With Guardia Castle surrounded by Porre forces, Dalton observed as the Epoch launched into the air. Before it gated to another time line he activated the Chrono Divider and then deactivated it once the gate had been completed. The Epoch could not take them back in time, as the era they had left from was an era disconnected from any other point in time. Crono and Marle aboard the Epoch became prisoners of an isolated instance within time remembered only by he who had sent them.
In the final hours of the siege of Guardia castle Dalton fought against a knight named Rand wielding the Masamune (Grandleon). Both being relics from Zeal, there was an intense reaction and Dalton, Rand, and the Masamune were subjected to the replication effect of the Chrono Divider simultaneously. Dalton was too slow to react after this and Rand drove the Masamune through him ending his life. The first event Shade-Dalton beheld was the death of his own self. Shade-Dalton struck down Rand leaving his Shade to its own devices. Shade-Dalton, unaware of his own purpose, left the battlefield to parts unknown.
EVENT: The Masamune’s Fate – Porre had defeated Guardia though it had lost its leader, President Zeal, aka, Dalton. Not wanting to drive the people of Guardia into absolute ruin a summit was held between King Guardia and the newly appointed leader of Porre, Gast.
The two nations sign a treaty of no aggression and Guardia officially became a country within the Nation of Porre. The symbols of this agreement were the twin Masamune blades. The original blade returned to its keeping within the Guardia treasury, the Shade Masamune was taken back to Porre.
CHARACTER: Shade-Dalton – The clone of Dalton, having seen its own death, perceived life differently than its original had done. Feeling great regret over its memories and its first ever action of taking a life, it committed itself to the benefit of all living creatures. Without the perspective of its original, Shade-Dalton could not justify the meaning of its memories.
CHARACTER: Shade-Rand – Left a directionless warrior amidst a bloody conflict, Shade-Rand quickly became a killing machine only interested in validating its memories of training for battle. Killing friend and foe alike it carved out a reputation of terror the night of its birth. After sustaining enough injuries while fighting, Shade-Rand escaped leaving behind only rumors.
CHARACTER: Gast – The new President of the Nation of Porre, Gast is a far cry less despotic than the nation’s founder, Zeal. As he is truly ignorant of the machinations of his country’s founding, he governs fairly and passionately.
CHARACTER: The Coordinators - Seeking to return to their own time, the Coordinators realized that they had the potential to construct a machine that could control time. Lacking certain technology, however, progress would be slow.
CHARACTER: Lucca – Not being a direct target of the Porre invasion, Lucca’s orphanage went unmolested during the conflict. Knowing that Crono and Marle had intended to travel back in time to prevent the war, but incapable of knowing about their isolated time line, feared they had met with disaster in another era. Lucca lent her skills to Porre in hopes she would be able to devise a method to create a Time Egg to find Crono and Marle. Events carried out beyond this are as described in Chrono Cross.
LOCATION: AD 1025 – The Nation of Porre encompasses the majority of civilization. Regardless of having left any prior authority to all nations absorbed into Porre, absolute authority is still held by President Gast. Civilization is at its height, the bright future of the planet known to the Coordinators seems to be coming into effect nicely.
This is, however, until an expedition team from El Nido returned with an object most desired by the Coordinators, the Frozen Flame. The original power source for Chronopolis, it gave the Coordinators the power they needed to complete their own version of Chronopolis.
CHARACTER: The Protagonist – As Truce Village burned all around him in AD 1005 this young boy swore that no power on heaven or earth could deter him from remembering. He watched as Porre’s robot soldiers razed the buildings and set fire to the fields. His parents died in the attack and he was left standing alone, watching as the horrors unfolded.
The day after the attack he became an unknown child. There were none who remembered the burning of Truce Village, in fact, few could remember it had been there at all. Alone and afraid, he was found by Lucca and taken in.
One night, years later, the boy watched as Lucca worked on an egg-shaped object. As Lucca slept, exhausted from her work, he crept in and picked the item up. There was a reaction and in an instant the boy remembered it all! He saw the terror and felt the heat of the flames! He alone amongst all others had surpassed the perception dampening powers of the Chrono Divider! He took the Time Egg and fled into the night. He was forever changed, a child living within a varied state of time than all others.
The Premise – The Protagonist will come to learn that current reality is one of a greatly altered perception. Large portions of time have been isolated to some unknown end. These isolated points in time have all merged together to form a parallel compressed time line full of refugees from their own eras. Armed with his Time Egg, the Protagonist can freely go back and forth between the true time line and the compressed time line restoring the damage inflicted by the Chrono Divider.
The Frozen Flame has guided the Coordinators to places in time to where the Chrono Dividers powers may serve its purposes best. As to what the ultimate goal is, I am still unsure. Being veterans of the Dimensional Vortex, the Coordinators have been able to use their Chronopolis to travel in time to AD 2300, AD 1000, and AD 12000 using the crossroads of timelines which were once the exits from the Dimensional Vortex. From these staging grounds they alter events towards a nefarious end.
The truth of the future is hidden away behind false perception. Only when the Protagonist reconciles the timelines will the future be known.
NOTES:
The Masamune – When the Masamune was duplicated, its Shade-Masamune counterpart also contains Shade-Masa and Shade-Mune. They are as all Shades, possessing memory but not purpose. They recall their history but can only find cause for anger. It is this anger which drives them to become a cursed sword as seen in Chrono Cross.
Fixed Positions in Time – Even with the incredible power of the Time Egg one cannot simply pick a point in history and go there. The events in Chrono Trigger were relevant to the year AD 1000. In relative time, each era visited by Crono has similar had 25 years of time pass, as it is now AD 1025. Lavos cannot be stopped from being destroyed, nor can the Time Devourer.
Well, that is what I have written, if anyone wants to add anything or ask questions, please do.
