ForwardWhen I say exhaustive, I mean that this is exhaustive. Researching the topic alone required reading 10ish different threads on Porre and Guardia. If you want to see the quick and dirty results of my analysis, please look at the very bottom of this post, under Conclusions. Please do feel free to comment, contradict me, etc.
IntroWhat caused the Rise of Porre and the Fall of Guardia? Masato Kato has specifically said (in the Game Pro interview;
http://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/GamePro_Interview.html) that Porre received some sort of influence origination outside of the original flow of history, and given the cut-scene at the end of the re-release of Chrono Trigger on the Play Station, it is implied that in turn Porre was responsible for the Fall of Guardia. Unfortunately, the exact nature of this influence is unclear; what, exactly, was the influence and how did it effect the world?
Perhaps more than most topics, the question of the Rise of Porre and the Fall of Guardia has been discussed extensively; however, a unified and complete analysis of the subject has not yet been accomplished. Such an analysis is what I intend to present in this article.
It should be noted that, though Porre invaded Guardia around 1005, the Rise of Porre and Fall of Guardia may have different causes that just happened to culminate in the conflict seen at the end of the PS version of Chrono Trigger. This article attempts to examine all possible scraps of evidence for one or the other and evaluate them, resulting in perceived ratings of probability and significance. To do so, a wide range of evidence is considered, across times, mediums, and games.
Of a degree of interest, the implication of Kato’s statement is that this influence was intentional, revealing that in all likelihood the Rise of Porre was the result of some deliberate intervention of a time traveler (or one with the ability to similarly manipulate time). However, such an interpretation is resting on the assumption that the translation is good and accurate.
The Original TimelineA fundamental question associated with Porre and Guardia is in what timeline did these events take place? If Marle had never stepped onto that telepod, would Porre still have invaded Guardia? Or, in other words, in the timeline that existed before the events of Chrono Trigger (usually referred to as the Lavos Timeline), would Guardia have been overthrown?
A definite answer cannot be given as no conclusive evidence is presented in the game; however, a comparison of the various over world maps implies that Guardia was in fact no longer a major world power before the Day of Lavos in the Original Timeline.
First, it should be noted that Time Gates exit to the same (or near same) physical location on the planet as the entrance, but in a different time period. That is, a Gate in Truce Canyon in 600 AD will lead to the exact same location, but in 1000 AD (now Leene Square). Therefore, it is possible to fix a location in one time period with a location in another time period by merely matching up the two gates. The physical location consistency is indicated by the Leene Square/Truce Canyon gate and generally accepted. Unfortunately, not all time periods may be connected in this manner since after Robo joins the party, time gates usually lead to the End of Time (usually, but not always; the one exception is when Schala sends the party through the game back to the prehistoric period and seals it in turn). This principle, however, allows 600 AD, 1000 AD, and 2300 AD to be linked directly with each other (though 600 and 1000 are similar enough not to need it), as well as 65000000 BC and 12000 BC to be linked together.
From that, consider the gate that leads from Guardia Forest to Bangor Dome. Given that the gates open to the same physical location, Bangor Dome must occupy the same physical location as the Guardia Forest gate. Therefore, in the future, Bangor dome came to occupy a location that should have been taken up by Guardia Castle (or, at least, a partially overlapping location). Bangor Dome was presumably built before the Day of Lavos, so Guardia Castle was apparently before the apocalypse.
While it is not terribly surprising that, given the destruction associated with the Day of Lavos, the castle would not be present in 2300, knowing that the castle should be right next to a dome allows one to correlate this to the 1999 partial world map. On this map there are a few things to note: Lucca’s island is fairly easy to find (with its own dome), there seems to be a large dome representing Truce (or a city that was built in the same place, which would have either replaced or incorporated Leene Square), etc. but look at the top-left portion of that map. In 600 and 1000 AD, Guardia castle is nestled next to those mountains. In 1999 AD, the castle is gone, replaced by two small domes, one of which is (presumably) Bangor Dome (as we know that Bangor dome should be in the same location as Guardia castle, and those domes are in the same location as Guardia castle). To note, if Bangor dome is one of those two domes seen in the 1999 map, then the apocalypse seems to have caused significant continental movement (possibly indicating that the tectonic plates have been shattered, resulting in usually land movements); Bangor dome is further south than should be expected. However, to note, it appears that the Medina continent itself shifted significantly, so this is not beyond reason.
To note, one objection to using the 1999 map for analysis is that it does not perfectly match up to the 2300 map; not just in terms of geography but also in terms of structures. None of the domes in 1999 looks exactly like domes in 2300, Lab 16 is not clearly present in 1999, domes aren’t in the same location, etc. However, every time period has significant differences from one another, even the 600/1000 maps. Dorino goes magically missing in 1000 AD, replaced by a mountain, Magus’ island shrinks and gets connected to the Medina continent, Giant’s Claw disappears, and even the peninsula that Toma’s grave would be placed on changes shape. Apparently the face of the planet is highly malleable. It should be noted that every time Lavos ascends or descends from within the planet, the face of the earth changes (this is seen most dramatically in 65,000,000/12,000, but also from 12,000/600, even slight changes from 600/1000, and more dramatic changes from 1999/2300). It may well be that these changes are specifically caused by Lavos traveling through the various strata of the planet’s crust. As for the appearance of new buildings in 2300 that are not present in 1999 AD, that is not known for sure. Lab 16 may be the ruins of the dome that occupies the Truce Village location, or they may be the result of an underground structure being unearthed, or perhaps just a general amalgamation of destruction. At its heart, however, the 1999 AD map is quite similar to the 1000 AD map, and in turn is also similar in numerous ways to the 2300 map.
This absence of Guardia Castle seems to be akin to England with the absence of Parliament, or the United States region with the absence of the White House; without those buildings, one could well assume that the nation those buildings represent is likewise absent.
However, it appears that “Truce village” is still around in 1999AD, possibly indicating that Guardia continued to exist, albeit in a different form. A few other features of note are also present on the 1999AD map that will be discussed here, though their full relevance may be addressed later in the article.
For one, it appears that Dorino has made a return; there is a large dome, rivaling that of “Truce,” right next to the Denadoro Mts. Perhaps this dome later became Trann Dome.
Also of note are the mountains themselves next to this “Dorino Dome”; there is a clear cave entrance. There does not seem to be any reason for this cave entrance to exist: it doesn’t reflect any feature in 600 AD or 1000 AD. It may just be an artifact from earlier stages of development, merely serving to represent the entrance to the Denadoro Mts. However, as there are no caves in 1000 AD, one appears in 1999 AD, and one appears in 2300 AD, it is possible that the 2300 cave is the same as the 1999 AD cave. That cave in 2300 AD is the Sun Palace (if so, then again significant land movements must have occurred). The palace may have risen after the Day of Lavos, or it might have already been excavated in 1999 AD. A curiosity, if nothing else, yet potentially a source of Porrean Power, which in turn may merit a closer look at this possibility.
If one compares the map of Zeal to the map of the Earth from 12000 BC, using the Skyways and Land Bridges to match up the two, and then using the Northern Palace and the Sun Keep to compare that to 600 and 1000 AD, then Medina may be near the buried remains of Enhasa (though these ruins might also be around the northern part of the Choras Continent; tracking the drift of shattered sky-continents is not an exact science), Truce/Guardia may be near the buried ruins of Kajar, and the Sun Palace would in turn seem to correlate well with the southern continent; the Denadoro Mts., specifically.
Additionally, if one attempts to match the map of 12000 with those of 600/1000 AD, the Magic Cave (600 AD) appears to be the same cave that Chrono & Co found themselves in after first coming to 12000 BC (and comparing 600 to 1000, the exit of the Magic Cave correlates to the Heckran Cave). However, this cave might also be what will eventually become Giant’s Claw, as the location also correlates to the Tyrano Lair that Lavos smashes into via gate (the question, then, is how the Fall of Lavos influenced the physical location of the Tyrano Lair; is the Tyrano Lair even in the same physical location where Lavos fell?). Also, and most curiously, Lucca’s island matches the island that the chain for Mt. Woe came out of (and, in turn, the land mass to the north of that does resemble portions of the Guardia region, and the land mass to the south resembles portions on the Porre/Dorino region). While roundabout, if landmarks from the planet in 12,000 map can be connected to 1000 (and similar) maps, and the Zeal map can be connect to the planet map, the Zeal Map can also (with decreasing certainty, unfortunately) be connected with the 1000 AD map. It is not an impossible conclusion, then, that the Sun Palace (and all the resources contained there in) may be present in 1000 under the southern Zenan continent (and, in turn, Porre, but the significance of this will be discussed below).
Importantly and perhaps most shockingly, in 600 and 1000 AD the northern landmass of the Zenan continent is rather lush, but in 1999, “Truce” dome is built on top of a desert. Also, where Guardia castle used to be is a desert and the southern landmass’s desert seems bigger, as does the desert on Melchior’s Land Mass. Apparently, 1999 was having ecological problems, but it appears particularly bad around Truce.
From these map comparisons, we see that Guardia Castle is gone, Leene Square has, at the least, undergone significant changes, and the northern portion of the Zenan continent is suffering from what appears to be an ecological disaster. These factors indicate a decline of the Guardia kingdom itself.
The possibility of the Sun Palace on the southern portion of the Zenan continent and the increased population implied by “Dorino” dome indicates a potential increase of power on that land mass.
Of a brief note, it is sometimes said that since Doan is the leader of Arris Dome, Guardia must have continued into the future. However this is a false assumption; merely being a descendant of royalty and in a position of leadership does not in turn signify the continuance of former power structures. All Doan’s existence tells us is that Marle’s line continues, not that they continue to rule at the head of a state (or rule at the head of the same state).
For the sake of a complete map analysis of these related time zones, allow me to make a few other observations, though they do not directly relate to the present discussion.
1) Another interesting element on 1999 is that the area that had contained Melchior’s house and the Heckran cave have moved closer to the Zenan continent and now are themselves modestly populated (a medium sized dome with a few smaller ones). This area then corresponds to the Keeper’s Dome fairly well.
2) On the 1999 Map, there are roads leading to the western portion of the northern Zenan continent, which implies cities or other structures were in that direction. Additionally, there appears to be no bridges between land masses but a road does dead-end towards Lucca’s island, which possibly indicates flying cars or some other means of traveling that didn’t require a bridge.
One other bit of information that helps us establish a picture of Guardia and Porre in the Original Timeline is the Human/Mystic war. It should be noted that the southern Zenan continent was cut off from the northern landmass for an extended period of time, after Magus’ troops took the Zenan bridge. However, the towns of Dorino and Porre, though cut off from Guardia, survived relatively unscathed. While Magus may have had no reason to specifically address these towns, the Mystics clearly dislike humans enough that some razing of unprotected towns should have occurred. This did not happen, which in turn implies that the towns were not protected (Guardia was poor at guarding Porre, it seems). It may be that a second military force was present on the southern landmass protecting human settlements. Though speculative, the lack of Mystic assaults on Dorino and Porre may indicate that Porre, even in the Original Timeline, had a military presence, and that such a military was, at the least, competent.
From all this it would appear that Guardia was not a solid superpower in the Original Timeline and Porre was not an incapable minor city.
As Kato specifically stated that the rise of Porre was the result of time travel, Porre’s rise couldn’t have happened in this timeline, but Guardia’s fall still may have occurred (especially given enough time).
After Chrono Trigger: Keystone Timeline 1After the events of Chrono Trigger, as seen in the original release, but before the Time Crash, there have been a lot of changes to the timeline, possibly satisfying Kato’s comment regarding time travel aiding Porre’s rise. Most of these possible influences have already been discussed in the “Rise of Porre” article on the compendium, however allow me to discus these changes in detail to properly establish their significance.
Fiona’s ForestMost dramatically, Fiona’s Forest is present in 1000 AD in the Post-CT (aka, Keystone T1) timeline it was absent in the Original Timeline (aka, Lavos Timeline). Would this change then have resulted in providing Porre with a boost in resources, allowing them to become a powerful nation? Maybe, but probably not.
Robo’s influence was to cultivate the forest and a shrine was built to Fiona for her efforts in turn. Robo’s inactive form was placed on an altar in that shrine. This indicates that the people of the area supported Robo and Fiona in restoring the forest and saw the forest’s return as a good and desirable thing. In turn, it is quite unlikely that the people of the area would have allowed Porre to strip the forest of its resources. Assuming the nuns and their supporters (and having a shrine suggests a significant degree of support) were reasonably, however, Porre probably was able to perform limited logging and other resource gathering activities.
However, merely having access to resources does not in turn necessitate that a nation will utilize them or utilize them effectively. Africa, for example, is rich with resources; however it has not been since ancient Egypt that a major world power has come from that continent.
One should also note that in 1000 AD, Porre does not appear to have any more room than it did previously for farm lands and the city appears to be the same size. With a slight increase in wood but no increase in food or usable land, Porre seems barely better offer. The forest itself is less of a barrier than a desert between the north and the south, so one would actually expect Guardia and Porre to be on better terms as well.
The Probability of Influence is Medium
Assuming that this even was an influence, then the Significance of Influence is Low
RoboIt has also been suggested that Porre was able to study Robo as he sat in Fiona’s shrine. Again, this is probably not a significant influence contributing to the Rise of Porre. It is unlikely that at any point did Porre take Robo for intensive study, as it would also be unlikely that such an amazing artifact would be returned to its proper place. Likewise, it is unlikely that the nuns would have let researchers examine him extensively on site (for a real world example, consider how difficult it is for researchers to study the Shroud of Turin). Passive observation is the most likely means of Porre studying Robo, but such can only provide a slight inkling of insight and information; hardly enough information to significantly advance robotics and weaponry in Porre.
The presences of robots and cyborgs in 1020 AD (El Nido) are sometimes used to justify this particular influence; however, such in no way requires that Porre (or anyone else) studied Robo while he sat in the shrine. One should not forget that Lucca worked with Luccia (and thus, it is in turn implied, Porre). Lucca herself appears to be the world’s foremost expert on robotics, resulting from her natural talent and experiences while time traveling. The robots in 1020 are most likely just the result of old Dragonian technology studied by the Acacia Dragons (specifically, Luccia and maybe her brother) and possibly Lucca’s own research (but Lucca’s research would still count as an extra-temporal source, so Lucca may be partially responsible for the Rise of Porre).
Probability of Influence: Very Low
Significance of Influence: High
Rainbow Shell, Sun Stone, Masamune, and other Objects of PowerNext, Guardia notably has several powerful artifacts in its possession at the end of Chrono Trigger. Among these are the Masamune (it is unclear if Chrono kept it or if Frog did, thus Guardia acquiring it through the normal progression of time, and it is unclear of when it was cursed), the Rainbow Shell, the Sun Stone, and various items Chrono and Co acquired. Crono, Marle, and Lucca should probably be added to this list as well, as they represent significant sources of power. It is suggested, then, that Porre became jealous of these items, which in turn caused it to become a military power in the hopes of acquiring them.
Yet, at the end of Chrono Trigger, the Sun Stone is of questionable worth; Lucca, Taban, and Melchior already used it to create weapons and armors, so was there anything left? If there was, then it would have been a powerful energy source (it apparently fueled Zeal for a significant portion of time). Yet Lucca is also one of the few individuals in 1000 AD who has a significant understanding of the Sun Stone and how to utilize it; it is not assured that Porre would have recognized its value (or that Guardia would have recognized its value). Indeed, Guardia itself may not have been in control of the Sun Stone at all; last we see of it, it is in Lucca’s house! She may have given this to Guardia or Porre, but more likely, she kept it and studied it. Anyone benefiting from her research, however, may have in turn benefited from the Sun Stone. Considering Lucca’s connection to Luccia, it may be Porre, not Guardia, that benefited most.
Probability of Influence: Very Low
Significance of Influence: Medium
Porre and Dorino could potentially lay claim to the Masamune, which presumably came to be stored in Guardia’s castle (though this isn’t itself definitively stated). The Hero Medal and part of the Masamune were in Porre in 600 AD for a while and the rest of the sword was in the Denadoro Mountains. However, given that the common perception of the time was that the entire sword was in the Denadoro Mts, Dorino, not Porre, had a larger claim to the blade. But it is sometimes thought that Porre absorbed Dorino, and in turn it may have absorbed Dorino’s claims.
Additionally, while in the general geographic region, Porre never actually possessed the blade. It is, to a degree, strange for a nation to go to war over a sword that was never actually in its possession. Indeed, other than being a legendary blade, would Porre have had much of a use of it as anything other than a symbol and possibly a museum relic?
A single sword, even a magic one, is of limited value for nations. It is a large stretch to say that Porre would have invaded over this sword alone.
Probability of Influence: Medium
Significance of Influence: Medium
The Rainbow Shell is interesting as Dorino could lay claim to it, as they funded the finding of it. If Porre absorbed Dorino, then Porre might also feel it has a claim to this artifact and may “want it back.” However, the shell isn’t particularly useful without individuals capable of processing it into weapons and armor. Melchior is the only one, it clearly stated, who can do this easily (Zappa can apparently also process Rainbow Shells, but his work requires shiny materials as well, which can only exist in the Keystone T2 timeline, and it may require for the rainbow shell to have been shattered).
Curiously, it seems that by 1015 the shell had been shattered and pieces of it taken across the land (indicating huge amounts of force were applied to it, possibly during the fall of Guardia, or possibly while researchers were attempting to learn how to process it). This date can be established by the presence of Rainbow Shells in Lucca’s House during the fire (possibly indicating that the shell shattered before the invasion of Porre, as it would otherwise be strange for Porre to leave pieces of such a coveted item in the hands of individuals who are sympathetic to Guardia. However, it is also possible that the shattered Rainbow Shells are not from the Keystone T1 timeline. Some are found in Terra Tower, a Dragonian stronghold that hadn’t been active since the Dragon God was split (or so it is implied). These shells, presumably, were placed there, then, before the Rainbow Shell was found in the Original Timeline. Thus, this might be the rainbow shell from the future (taken back in time by Chronopolis), another rainbow shell altogether, or the rainbow shell from a different dimension.
While the Rainbow Shell would have undoubtedly been pretty, it is incredibly unlikely that Porre would have realized its potential beyond mere myth. Even if Porre did realize the uses of the Rainbow Shell, it is curious that it would have any need for it. Either it could obtain it by invading the world’s strongest superpower, and therefore not need spectral weapons and armors, or it needed it to invade the world’s strongest superpower but didn’t have access to it.
Probability of Influence: Very Low
Significance of Influence: Low
Crono, Marle, and Lucca are potentially the greatest resource to come out of CT; Lucca’s exposure to new ideas propelled her research (she started working on time travel, apparently, and made advancements in robotics) while all three of them developed incredibly potent magics. With spells like Life 2, Haste, Flare, and Luminaire, those three alone could take on large fighting forces. One of the great conundrums of the Porre invasion of Guardia is how these three were overcome. Porre may have desired to eliminate these individuals, but if so, why leave Lucca alive? The three are a good reason why Porre would have been unable to invade Guardia and Lucca’s survival is a good reason why Porre wouldn’t have invaded over them.
Probability of Influence: Low
Significance of Influence: Counter-Productive to the Fall of Guardia or Rise of Porre
All in all, in 1001 AD Guardia was doing quite well, potentially having powerful warriors, powerful energy sources, and maybe potent weapons and armor; this would seem to make it all the more difficult for Porre to invade.
Which, actually, may have been the entire problem.
Guardia’s development may have stopped in 1000. With Chrono, who needs to perfect the Dragon Tank (a prototype so poorly designed that a punk-convict was apparently able to defeat it)? With the ability to create powerful armors, and weapons, who needs to concern themselves overly with developing new forms of warfare? With peace between Guardia and the Mystics, who would have even turned their thoughts towards war?
While Guardia had access to powerful artifacts, those artifacts may have lead Guardia into a state of stagnation.
Political Power from 600 to 1000 ADThere are three other important changes from the original timeline; the Northern Ruins, the Outcome of the Mystic War, and Frog himself.
The Northern Ruins near Choras were haunted in the original timeline yet it became the Hero’s Grave after CT. This change may have led to an increased sense of patriotism and independence, which in turn could have weakened Choras’ dependence on Guardia (reducing the latter’s influence in the world).
Probability of Influence: Low
Significance of Influence: Low
In the original timeline, the Mystic War was won through dumb luck; Magus happened to get himself killed by summoning Lavos, so Guardia was able to pull victory out of the toothless-gums of defeat. But instead, Guardia (in the form of Crono and Co) confronted and defeated him. Perhaps this became for Guardia what the Battle of Marathon was for the Athenians; an important victory, but one that the state would relieve instead of seeking new glories. Athens relived and retold countless times to excuse their failures and actions; perhaps Guardia did likewise, annoying Porre and all its foreign contacts by constantly justifying itself for defeating Magus. This may have had a negative impact on Guardia’s relationship with Porre.
Probability of Influence: Low
Significance of Influence: Low
FrogAnd finally, Frog himself returns to his era either as a human or still a frogman, but he has undergone a significant change. He is no longer racked with guilt over Cyrus’ death or hatred for Magus, he is free to be an active force in the world. The effects he then had on the world are immeasurable. However, one might compare the nature of these actions to counterfactual history; how would history have been different if Patton’s carrier had ended with him as a low-level officer? How would history have been different if Napoleon didn’t return from exile? Etc. Frog is 600 AD’s greatest swordsman, a bit of a leader, and he has the ear of Guardia. After Chrono Trigger, he became a powerful individual.
It should not be forgotten that, from the PS release of CT, it appears that King Guardia also “knighted” Frog, which in medieval societies usually included titles to land. Frog may have been a powerful land-owner by the end of CT.
Probability of Influence: Very High
Significance of Influence: Undeterminable (see further discussion below)
Before Chrono Cross: Keystone Timeline 2After the Time Crash and the establishment of El Nido, new extra-temporal elements come into play. Particularly, all those associated with El Nido. These are usually identified as dragonian technology and elements. However, these items are incredibly unlikely to have caused either the Fall of Guardia or the Rise of Porre. Curiously, despite this unlikelihood, these theories generally seems to be the most accepted ones.
This is not to say that Elements and Dragonian (or possibly even Chronopolian) technology do not have a high significance in the changes that could result from introducing them to the timeline. Both Elements and Technology from El Nido have a very high significance factor.
Yet with the introduction of the possibility of Elements and Dragonian technology, one must remember that FATE is controlling the actions of the people on the islands. For the majority of time since the Time Crash, FATE was specifically manipulating the thoughts and actions of the people of El Nido to prevent them from influencing the rest of the world and possibly changing the time line. Introduction of Elements or Dragonian technology to the mainland, at that time period, would have presented a significant change in history, therefore FATE was, presumably against it, resulting in the people of El Nido being resistant as well.
However, it should be noted that preserving history was not FATE’s foremost goal; Lynx, the physical avatar of FATE, visited mainland Zenan, torched Lucca’s house, and enticed Porre’s interest in the Frozen Flame (and, subsequently, El Nido). FATE’s primary concern was with domination and preserving its own power; preserving the timeline apparently came second. Still, Porre’s influence in El Nido is easy to trace; in Another World it had to send spies into the region to gather any information and it could only invade after the incident at Viper Manor. In Home World, Porre established a presence in El Nido after 1017, when the Acacia Dragoon’s went to the Dead Sea and never returned. Both of these dates are well past the Fall of Guardia. Before that there is no indication that Porre had an influence on the islands; indeed, their behavior towards the Acacia Dragoons indicates that as long as the Dragoons were powerful in El Nido, Porre had to keep out.
Elements also do not correlate well to Porre’s military strategy, it appears. Porre employs heavy weaponry, cannons, metal reinforced ships, and steam power. It is said that necessity is the mother of invention. If Porre had access to a significant number of elements, it would not have needed this technology. When one can cause the earth itself to tremble under an enemy’s feet, one does not need cannons. Indeed, there is no firm indication that Elements are even well known about outside of El Nido. To note, those who come to El Nido from the mainland have a curious tendency to stay in El Nido, possibly indicating that they tried to sample the local color, tried a Record of Fate, and fell under FATE’s control.
Probability of Influence: Incredibly Low
Significance of Influence: Very High
The State of Political AffairsCuriously the Politics of the world are seldom used to explain the Rise of Porre or the Fall of Guardia, even though the invasion of Guardia was very much a political action (though it was also a military action).
Before talking about the political state of 1020 AD, a look at the political state of 600 AD before, during, and after CT may be useful.
Choras had its own castle, complete with a throne room (included in the pre-release), indicating it had, at one point, been its own nation. However, by 600 AD the region seems to be nominally associated with Guardia (again, in the pre-release the Zenan bridge is noted as being able to be repaired only by the carpenter from Choras). This status appears to be more strongly confirmed in 1000.
It has been suggested that Cyrus may have been from this region, as when he was buried Frog brought him to that location. It is noted, after the ruins become the Hero’s Grave, that Cyrus is the guardian spirit of the region. This could be taken a step further; Cyrus may have been a noble from that area, even possibly a descendent of the ruling class. It is not unusual, historically speaking, for defeated nations and vassal states to send their ruling class to the court of their conquerors, both to serve as soldiers and hostages. Cyrus wasn’t just buried in the Choras region but the ruins of a castle specifically, even in what might have been intended for a throne room (from the middle ages, it was generally only the upper class who were buried in buildings, such as churches).
That Cyrus was sent to Guardia (possibly at a very young age; 5 or so would not have been unheard of) could well conform to such a political system. That Cyrus rose in the ranks and became a trusted officer does not preclude this possibility either; Germans served as body guards for the Roman Emperors, for example. Ability and perceived loyalty is more important than origin.
Given that Cyrus was on good terms with the King and Leene implies that he himself was of noble birth.
The same may apply to Frog; Glenn had significant ties to the Porre Region. He lived in the Cursed Woods when he felt disgraced, visited the city, and even took particular concern for Tata. Like Cyrus, Glenn may have been a noble sent to the Guardia Court.
As noted previously, King Guardia also appears to have knighted Frog, implying that, even if he was not a noble to begin with, he became landed (and Porre would be a likely place for his land to have been).
In the Lavos Timeline, Frog never regains his confidence and, if he was a noble, the Porre region may have been left without an upper class after his death (well, technically since his original disappearance). But after Chrono Trigger, Frog could have returned to the area and lead it. With a leader like Frog, it is quite likely that the Porre region would have prospered. Despite Frog’s role, however, there is no guarantee that relations with Guardia would have continued to be on solid ground after he passed away.
Amended from above:
Probability of Influence: Very High
Significance of Influence: Medium
In Chrono Cross, Garai is noted as being the 13th Grandmaster, Dario being the 14th. This is quite similar to the numeral difference between Yakra I and Yakra XIII, Toma I and Toma XIV, and King Guardia XXI and King Guardia XXXIII, etc. This strongly implies that the 1st Grandmaster was around the 600’s (and thus, that the Acacia Dragoons were established around that time period). This group does not appear to be present in the Original Timeline, but are important to the Keystone 2 timeline. Given that El Nido is unlikely to have effected Porre in the 600’s (possibly, however, given the inherent changes to the future that El Nido’s mere presence may have caused), the Keystone 1 timeline seems to be the most likely timeline for the Acacia Dragoon’s origins. It should be noted that we are quite familiar with the world’s most renown swordsman from that time period; Frog.
We are also told by Karsh that “any dragoon would be hyped” to see the masamune. While legendary, why would the sword hold particular interest for a dragoon? Possibly because it was held by the first Grandmaster. The Einlanzer became the symbol of the grandmaster, but that sword could have only been obtained in the 920’s (when the Acacia Dragoon’s first came to El Nido); therefore, it could not have always been the weapon of the grandmaster. It would be particularly fitting if the Einlanzer had just replaced its “sister sword” as a symbol of power and authority.
Given Frog’s political power and connection to Porre (where the Acacia Dragoon’s came from), it is possible that he is actually the founder.
One might then wonder, if the Acacia Dragoons were founded by Frog, why was the Masamune in Guardia’s possession? The simplest answer is probably in who could wield the Masamune; Frog’s innermost qualities appear to be fairly rare. It is quite likely that between 600 AD and 1000 AD that some Grandmaster wasn’t actually able to wield the sword. Given Frogs relation to Guardia, it is not unreasonable to suppose that the sword would have been sent there for safe keeping, assuming that Frog didn’t just leave the sword with Crono, rather than taking it back to 600 AD.
If Radical Dreamers can be taken as a valid source, the Viper Clan would have come from the “Gerzbeuhle” region, a western territory to the south of Guardia. The cursed woods region is a very probable location of RD’s Viper Mansion, then, as indicated in the Compendium’s own analysis of Radical Dreamers.
It should also be noted that the events surrounding Garai’s Ghost are quite similar to the events surrounding Glenn and Cyrus (seeking the sword resulted in the death of one of the people seeking it, the spirit of that individual was unable to rest causing his burial place to be haunted, that spirit had to be confronted to be put to rest, after that spirit was confronted the Masamune powered up and become the best weapon for that character, etc).
It is also useful to question the relationship between the Acacia Dragoons, the Viper Clan, and Porre. It was the Viper Clan that established themselves on El Nido when the archipelago was discovered by the outside world in 920. It was the Viper Clan, not Porre, that colonized the area. Given that Porre is reduced to spying on the Viper Clan and can only invade El Nido when the Acacia dragoons are distracted or gone, they do not seem to be on good terms. Flash back to the Keystone T1 timeline and the Acacia Dragoons probably existed there as well, and in Porre (as they are from the outside world and the outside world wasn’t aware of El Nido until after the Dragoons were founded). The Acacia Dragoons did not leave the Zenan continent in 920AD, but in the T2 Timeline they did. The removal of a political power from the region is a significant change to history, possibly providing the freedom that the Porre Government needed to develop in a radically new direction and invade Guardia.
It should be noted that the Viper Clan, if Radical Dreamers can be considered a valid source, would have probably existed near the city of Porre. Given the enmity between the two seen in Chrono Cross, the political tensions between the expansionistic elements of the Porre Government and the Viper Clan may have hampered Porre’s militaristic tendencies in the Keystone T1 timeline. With the removal of that tension in the T2 timeline, Porre was left free to develop into a military powerhouse. One might well imagine a real world situation like this if opposition to War Hawks in a nation were to suddenly disappear from the political landscape.
Probability of Influence (removal of Acacia Dragoons): Very High
Significance of Influence (removal of Acacia Dragoons): Very High
Probability of Influence (Frog founding the Acacia Dragoons): Medium
Significance of Influence (Frog founding the Acacia Dragoons): Very High
However, merely being free of a restraining element in the government may not fully explain Porre’s Rise to Power.
Kato indicated that the ultimate cause was outside the original flow of time. Frog’s presence as a restored acting figure in 600AD fits that criteria, barely, as does the appearance of El Nido and the removal of the Viper Clan from Guardia. However, neither of these seem to merit the same sense of an acting agent that Kato’s statement implied. While the above two factors may have been significant, a third influence most likely was required.
Time TravelerThough the situation was ripe for Porre to become a military powerhouse, there still needs to be that spark that set the Zenan continent ablaze with war.
It is notable that Crono and Marle (and presumably Lucca) were present in Guardia after CT but, though powerful enough to stop Lavos, they were seemingly unable to stop Porre from invading. The simplest explanation for this is that the three did not participate in the ensuing battle.
The cause of this is undeterminable, but possible explanations can be proposed:
If Porre’s rise to power was caused by an influence outside of the original flow of time, these three, better than most, would know the dangers of directly challenging such an influence. By directly opposing this influence, the three might have set themselves up as targets for this influence and, in turn, their personal histories may have then been at stake for being altered. Knowing this, the three instead kept out of the battle (possibly hoping to restore Guardia at a future date from anonymity.
To note, in Lucca’s letter to Kid, she specifically expresses fear that other time travelers may attempt to hurt the three; this fears may have been well founded and born out by reality.
Probability of Influence: High
Significance of Influence: Very High
The three may have already been disposed of by that period (it is notable that none of them are seen in the ensuing battle, yet the ensuing battle isn’t really covered well in canon materials). Perhaps a time traveler already did away with them before Porre even invaded. Or perhaps it was just dumb luck but they may have been visiting Robo, Frog, or Ayla (as CC implies that the various team members continued to meet from time to time, as evident in the pictures in Lucca’s house) when the battle happened.
Probability of Influence: Low
Significance of Influence: Very High
The three may have been directly told not to interfere by a time traveler (the most likely candidate being Belthasar).
Probability of Influence: Medium
Significance of Influence: Very High
Also to note, any such option would satisfy Kato’s comment that Crono and Marle befell some kind of “incident.”
Kato did state that the Fall of Guardia and Rise of Porre were only tangentially related to the story of CC, which is why more about it was not included. To follow this tangent, however, may prove useful.
Guardia, until around 1005, was presumably in possession of the Masamune. A cursed Masamune was needed by Lynx to delay Serge & Squad, and a restored Masamune was needed to cure Kid while also saving Schala, as the Chrono Cross could not be used for both. For Project Kid to work perfectly, then, the Masamune needed to be in the El Nido archipelago. Belthasar is a master planner, he would have presumably been aware of this (indeed, he may well have shuttled back and forth through time, tweaking events until the project was a success, even if he didn’t foreknow the need of the Masamune). It is likely, then, given that the Masamune plays a role in the events of Project Kid, that Belthasar needed to likewise ensure that the Masamune was present for that role. He, then, may well have been the force behind the Rise of Porre and the Fall of Guardia.
Before this possibility is further discussed, objections may be raised. Belthasar, after all, does not appear to be an evil man; he wouldn’t have sacrificed the kingdom of Guardia just to get the Masamune into El Nido. However, Belthasar is responsible for the Time Crash and the subsequent manipulation of the human population in El Nido for around 10,000ish years (not to mention the ruined lives of the original staff of Chronopolis). He is essentially then responsible for the Chronopolis/Dragonopolis war that ensued and any destruction that the Dragonians and Dragon Gods did (and, in turn, any destruction that Humans and Chronopolis did). He engineered FATE, so he could even be said to be responsible for the burning of Lucca’s house. And he manipulated Serge and the others, resulting is Serge loosing his body, Kid getting stabbed, and so forth.
While Belthasar is generally taken to be a “good guy,” his actions far from support this assumption. Above anyone else present in the games, he is the most capable and able of setting in motion the events that led to the Fall of Guardia and the Rise of Porre. Everything else may have just provided him with the tools necessary to conduct his plan.
Probability of Influence: Extremely High
Significance of Influence: Definitive
Alternate Time TravelerDalton is sometimes put forward as a possible cause for the Fall of Guardia as well. I am somewhat reluctant to even include him in a discussion, however for the sake of completeness a few words should be said.
Dalton has no known way of getting to the “modern era,” either 600AD, 1000AD, or anything of the sort.
Dalton has no known charisma. Even if he reached the modern era, how would listen to him and put him in a position of power?
Dalton can use magic, however. This could be used to impress individuals and build a power base.
Dalton was repeatedly defeated by Crono & Co. Causing the Fall of Guardia would have broken his loosing streak.
Chrono & Co defeated Dalton several times before. Even if Dalton attempted to cause the Fall of Guardia, they could have easily stopped him.
Dalton is not himself an unusually intelligent individual. He was sucked into his own gate. He lacks the understanding, knowledge, and finesse needed to bring about the downfall of Guardia or to engineer the Rise of Porre.
Probability of Influence: Nearly Non-existent
Significance of Influence: Low
ConclusionTo conclude, the most significant factors towards the Rise of Porre and the Fall of Guardia are (in no particular order):
1) Guardia was already likely to fall, so that the subsequent realization of this in 1005 is not as drastic as is sometimes assumed.
2) Porre was already somewhat militaristic, so that its subsequent rise is not as drastic as is sometimes assumed.
3) The presence of a redeemed Frog post Chrono Trigger.
4) The presence of the Acacia Dragoons on the Zenan mainland in Keystone T1 and their subsequent absence from the Zenan mainland in Keystone T2.
5) Belthasar.
