•• Spoiler Warning: this page contains detailed plot information ••

Speculation & Conjecture

Table of Contents:

Chapter 01: Who are the Radical Dreamers?
Chapter 02: What is the Black Omen?
Chapter 03: The existence of demi-humans
Chapter 04: How did the timelines merge?
Chapter 05: Who originally rescued Melchior?
Chapter 06: How did Lavos help to guide evolution?
    


Chapter 1
Who are the Radical Dreamers?

There is some confusion as to just who the Radical Dreamers are, what their cause is, and how many members make up the group. Since there is no mention of the Radical Dreamers in Chrono Trigger it is logical to assume that the group was formed sometime after 1000 AD. Keep in mind that after Crono's adventure ended Porre had become quite the powerhouse. We do not know if the Radical Dreamers were created in order to combat this force, or if they would have formed even in the original timeline in which Porre was still a small community. I prefer to think the former. After the fall of Guardia in the year 1005, the remaining survivors of the kingdom were undoubtedly very bitter toward Porre. As a result, revolutionary groups likely formed in order to enact some type of justice against their attackers. Though the Radical Dreamers are described as being "thieves", I suspect the group's true objective is to repel the forces of Porre from the northern continent and commence a restoration of Guardia. If in fact they do steal, it is probably through necessity considering they must remain hidden and have no other source of income. They have likely gained such a destructive reputation due to Porre officials exaggerating the truth. This would be done in order to make the Radical Dreamers appear more vicious than they really are in order to discourage sympathizers and other resistance groups from allying with them.

My reasons for thinking the gang is inherently good lies mainly with their name. "Radical Dreamers" has an air of hope associated with it. In the context of what I described above, they dream of a world in which peace prevails. Given the recent circumstances and bloodshed of 1005, this must indeed seem like a "radical" plan. Also, Kid appears to be a kind-hearted individual. She is intent on achieving her objectives, but willing to sacrifice herself if any innocent person comes into danger. This personality does not fit the criminal image Porre has propagated.

Most astonishingly, there is some speculation that perhaps Lucca was a founding member of the Radical Dreamers. If this proves to be true we can rest assured that Kid was apart of a benevolent organization determined to bring about change. In Chrono Cross there is a scene in which Kid asks Nikki why the name of his band is the "Magical Dreamers". He tells a story of how a woman came to speak with him one day when he was feeling depressed. She urged him to continue with his music in order to reach people through song. Kid notes that she has a feeling she knows who that woman was. Is it a coincidence that the name of Kid and Nikki's bands share such a striking resemblance? It is entirely likely Lucca formed her orphanage after 1005 in order to take care of the many children who had lost their parents in the battle. Wanting to restore her homeland, but unable to leave her commitments, Lucca may have set the ball rolling for what would soon become the Radical Dreamers. During this time she may have happened across Nikki, and inspired the naming of his band. After Lucca's abduction Kid is left homeless. Determined to rescue her "big sister" if at all possible, she vows to hunt down Lynx. Eventually she would join up with the Radical Dreamers, gather information, and have a support system to teach her the ropes of survival. When the pieces fit, Kid would leave the mainland and follow Lynx to El Nido, where we meet up with her in 1020 AD.

There is, however, some dispute as to just who actually belongs to the Radical Dreamers. The Chrono Cross Ultimania Guide suggests the sole member is Kid. This is quite ludicrous for numerous reasons. The foremost being that even the citizens of El Nido, who live half a world away from Porre, have heard of the exploits of the Radical Dreamers. It is said that even almighty Porre can't quell the Radical Dreamers. It is rather hard to believe one 16 year old girl (or possibly even younger, depending upon how far back the existence of the Radical Dreamers goes) will be able to cause so much havoc that such a powerful reputation will be created. Throughout the game people refer to the Radical Dreamers as being a "fearsome band of thieves", of which Kid happens to be a member. Even Lynx, who has visited Porre, mentions the Radical Dreamers in this context. For this reason, and those listed in previous paragraphs, I believe Kid is just one member of a larger organization. The rest of the group remains on the Zenan mainland to focus their efforts on Porre.


Chapter 2
What is the Black Omen?

Some confusion has arisen as to just what the Black Omen is and how it came to rest in the skies over 12,000 BC. In short we can rest assured that the Black Omen is in fact the remains of the Ocean Palace taken to the skies. The architecture in both remains constant, some enemies are found in each structure, and Queen Zeal is found to be in control of both. I believe the simplest explanation is to say that Crono indirectly causes the Black Omen to appear.

At this point we can think of what happened in the "Original Timeline", that is the events leading up to the year 1000 and the course of history as it appeared before time travelers altered it. We know that the Ocean Palace incident would have happened either way, and in fact Crono was only fulfilling a history which had already occurred. If Crono had not jammed the knife into the Mammon Machine it is entirely possible Melchior did, as he was the blade's original creator and had possession of it at the time. The surge of energy from the Mammon Machine was channeled into the Dreamstone knife, which caused it to become the Masamune. As this sword had already existed in the Middle Ages earlier in Crono's adventure, we can rest assured it was formed in the stated manner. So during these said events the three gurus and Janus vanished into Gates. Shortly thereafter it is very likely Schala transported herself and Queen Zeal out of the palace to safety as it collapsed. With no queen present to revive the palace, no Black Omen would appear.

However after Crono shows up events re-play themselves. Crono forces the red knife into the Mammon Machine, causing the formation of the Masamune. Lavos briefly awakens and causes havoc which again brings disaster to those inside the Ocean Palace. This time Schala instead uses the last of her power to transport Crono's friends out of the Ocean Palace. Because of this, she and the queen remain trapped inside. At this point a Gate forms which envelopes Schala and transports her to the Darkness of Time, whereupon she would merge with Lavos into the Time Devourer. At the same time the queen has a chance to possibly save her failing fortress. Retreating into the depths of the palace, she likely utilizes any remaining energy to levitate the palace above the waves, wherein it then becomes known as the Black Omen. Some time passes between the actual disaster and the rise of the Omen, but this should have been no more than a day. During this time the queen would have survived within the Ocean Palace as it rested on the sea floor until she could get it working again. Some people say the Omen appeared through a massive Gate, as is noted by Crono's friends when it first appears. Whether the Omen rises from the ocean or is teleported to the skies from beneath the waves is of little concern, as if the structure has enough power to stay suspended in air it surely has the ability to teleport itself short distances. Afterall, the same technology was used in the Skyways and Land Bridges of Zeal.

In either scenario, Lavos still destroys Zeal. I imagine Zeal absorbed most of the fireballs, many more fell into the ocean, and since Lavos was not up to full power the world was not destroyed during 12,000 BC. So we see that not only does Crono in fact cause the appearance of the Black Omen, but ironically he gets the wheels turning (albeit unintentionally) on what would become the Devourer of Time, an even larger threat to the planet than the Lavos he was currently battling.


Chapter 3
The existence of demi-humans

A common question people ask about Chrono Cross concerns the existence of the demi-humans. Many don't realize that this species did not just appear out of nowhere. Rather it is likely the demi-humans are nothing more than futuristic Mystics - the same race that were devout followers of Magus.

It is very likely the demi-humans of 600 AD (labeled as Mystics) lost their faith in both Magus and Ozzie after Crono's interference with the timeline. In the present age the demi-humans of Medina are willing to make amends with the humans, as evidenced by the fact that a citizen wishes to build a ferry between Truce and Medina. In Chrono Cross it is said that Chronopolis was allowed to function under the supervision of the Central Regime. We do not know who governs this regime, what its goals are, or when it was created. However if there is a central governing body it stands to reason a lasting peace was reached between humans and Mystics that allowed them to work together. We know for certain that at least one Chronopolis worker was originally from Medina, implying demi-humans were indeed employed at the facility. If this is true, then these demi-humans surely were pulled into the past during the Time Crash along with their human co-workers. After venturing out into the islands the demi-humans would have reproduced. It is in this way that demi-humans came to populate El Nido. In fact, before the year 900 AD all humans and demi-humans on El Nido were the ancestors of those Chronopolis workers.

Let us then be clear on what the term "demi-human" refers to. Obviously it can mean any creature that has similar features or mannerisms to that of a normal human. We can all agree that the Mystics were intelligent in that the were able to speak, build their own community, and carry on their own customs. Some (like Flea) were able to become proficient magicians. Slash, though odd in appearance, resembled a human in form and could move about in the same manner as one. He was also educated enough to speak the human language and had been trained in swordsmanship. The only thing separating him from humans was his purple skin and pointy ears. Other Mystics, like the Hench, seemed more beastly, yet the overall form of a human was still present (walking on two legs in an upright manner, etc). Yet others, like the Diablos and Imps, were even more animalistic in appearance. So it appears that out of the entire demi-human race there are different degrees of how human one can look. In Chrono Cross some demi-humans appear almost human. The sage of Marbule, for example, might be mistaken for a human had he not the feathery features protruding from above his ears. Others, like Lynx, resemble animals more than people, yet are still regarded as being demi-human.

There seem to be five distinct classes of demi-human:
 

Class

Description

Examples

A

Near Human Appearance

  Marbule sage, Janice, Flea, Harle

B

Classic Demi-Human

  Slash, Ozzie, Sprigg, nameless*

C

Animal in Appearance

  Frog, Lynx, Irenes, bug/lion types

D

Beastly or Primitive

  imps, hench, naga-ette, kilwala, yakra

  

E

Plant-like in Appearance

  Funguy, NeoFio, Turnip


* In the introduction of the Final Fantasy Chronicles release of Chrono Trigger Crono can be seen fighting an unnamed green demi-human warrior that would fit the description of Group B. Here are three images of this character. The same demi-human can also be seen in this piece of Squaresoft artwork.

The most probable explanation for how the first group can exist (excepting Flea and Harle as they are special cases) is because of the fact humans and demi-humans were allowed to co-exist in El Nido. You see, it is not unreasonable to think over the years some mated with normal humans. If this inter-racial breeding occurred, then over the course of 9,000 years some demi-humans would begin to take on more human features and loose their beastly visage. It is possible demi-humans from Groups B and C mated with humans to achieve those found in Group A. This makes even more sense when we consider the Group A type of demi-humans seem to be absent from Chrono Trigger.

Group E is separated from the others because it can be noted that there are only three specimens of that class in existence and none hold any relation to the Mystic race. Rather each was artificially created - Funguy from eating a mushroom; NeoFio by Luccia; and Turnip as a manifestation of a dream. Regardless of this fact, they still exist and can technically be called demi-humans. As of yet no naturally born demi-humans take on a floral appearance, so in that sense Group E is a bit of an oddity. Do note that other species such as reptites, dragonians, beebas, etc. can be classified separately and have not been included in the above chart.

As for how demi-humans originated in the first place we know very little. It is interesting to note that the Mystic town of Medina seems to be situated near where the Mystic Mountains were in prehistoric times. Perhaps the species took shape in that region and so were named for their birth-place. It is hard to say. In fact the first we ever see of the Mystics is in 600 AD. It's rather odd they don't appear in 12,000 BC - although there are creatures that look very similar to them residing on Mt. Woe. Perhaps these creatures were the start of the Mystic race. It is unclear whether the term "Mystic" refers only to those demi-humans who allied themselves with Magus, or if it can apply to all demi-humans in general. The words "demi-human" and "Mystic" seem to be interchangeable as they both refer to the same race, but it can be noted that the term "Mystic" is missing from Chrono Cross. With the intervention of Porre I should think the term would have come up had the demi-humans still been called Mystics, but I could be wrong about this. If some in the present still fancy themselves as "Mystics" then chances are it has very little to do with Magus anymore but rather because the term has taken on new meaning to them and so they prefer to remain labeled as such. It is difficult to tell, but whether they are called Mystic or demi-human doesn't change the fact that they are of the same race.


Chapter 4
How did the timelines merge?

After Chrono Cross drew to a close people became divided on the issue as to whether or not Kid lived, and if so, how she continued to do so. It is common belief that after rescuing Schala from her imprisonment both Home World and Another World "merged" into a single timestream, thus clearing up any dimensional distortions that had arisen due to the Time Split of 1010 AD. As simple a notion as this is, it inherently makes very little sense. If two dimensions are to become one, which contains the dominant factors? Imagine the case of Fargo. In Home World he has become a depressed man bitter at the loss of his wife. As a result he suppresses his pain through causing suffering to others, namely the enslavement of the demi-humans. Yet in Another World Fargo has retained his bold buccaneer attitude and fights on behalf of Serge if the need arises. Now if these two completely opposite scenarios are to become one, which will prevail? Will the fearless pirate override the coward? Will it be the reverse? Who is to decide which dimension is ultimately "better" than the other? Many speculate that this responsibility rests with Schala alone as she makes the claim that time will be unified again. If indeed this is the case then she could likened unto a goddess, with the fates of humanity lying in her hands. As can be seen, this presents a horrible dilemma. As noble a character as Schala is, do we really want her in complete control of a decision which will dictate the course on which civilization will take? Suppose she chooses wrongly. Not a pleasant scenario.

Another option is to decide the event which initially split the timeline in twain is prevented from ever occurring. This in turn would restore the timeline to its original condition at and avoid the complications arising from Schala's subjectivity. Though there is some confusion as to just how such an event could be avoided. We know the split happened as a result of Serge's murder at Opassa Beach (1010 AD). Lynx had killed him due to the fact that Serge had become the arbiter and his continued existence posed a threat to the future of the planet. The solution now would be to prevent Serge from ever having been taken to Chronopolis. Schala's initial interference allowed for this to happen, so it stands to reason that after she is freed the event is struck from the pages of history. This is because Schala was able to contact Serge's dimension from a point outside of the original timeline where a linear time flow did not exist. Removing the Time Devourer (even from a point in the future) would cause it to disappear in the past, thus removing the influence Schala originally had on that dimension. The question then arises whether Wazuki was able to make it to Marbule, as that was his original destination before the magnetic storm blew him off course. If he did arrive there we can also assume Serge was safely cured of the panther's poison as he is alive in the present. Returning home to Arni, Serge never contacted the Flame and was therefore never sought out by Lynx since Wazuki never became Lynx. The entire Chronopolis incident of 1006 was entirely averted and the timestreams was restored to its original condition. That said, the split of 1010 was prevented and neither Home World nor Another World continued to thrive as each was over written with a new future. Though this explanation also forces one to accept FATE is still functioning within Chronopolis, people's lives are still being governed, and General Viper's devas are still very much alive as they never ventured into the Dead Sea as Lynx never proposed the idea. Though this assumes a lot, it inherently works, though we do not yet know whether this plan causes disaster for anyone on the mainland, as the activities of Lynx in Porre during the past 14 years are unknown to us.

Regardless of which of the two proposed ideas you prefer, there is still the matter of what happens to Kid. Many believe that once Schala was freed from her imprisonment she and Kid "merged" into a single person. This makes little sense. It is explicitly said in Chrono Cross that Kid is a clone of Schala. Schala was held within the Time Devourer while Kid was discovered by Lucca and went on to lead her own life. Kid knows nothing of Schala until she is told so, nor does she retain any memories of Schala. In short, there is no link between her and Schala as they are now separate individuals. Why then, should there be any reason for the two to merge? If any one of us had a clone we would not absorb our clone upon contact; that is just silly. Rather, our clone is a separate person that just happens to have been created using our bodies as reference. Many will cite as proof Schala's letter in Chrono Cross' ending in which she signs her name as Schala "Kid" Zeal. This leads many to believe the two have become one.

However a signature is not proof enough. It is more likely that Schala was merely expressing a subtle attempt at humor by including "Kid" in her name as Kid represents a part of her that was never brought into existence. Kid is, in a sense, Schala's alternate personality - what she would have been like without her royal upbringing. Though the two have identical bodies, Schala was raised as a princess while Kid suffered in her youth and became a thief. Given the different scenario of each's life we can see how the environment shaped the personality of each. This fits the theme of Chrono Cross by showing "what is" compared to "what might have been", just as the alternate dimensions present opposing situations. Kid and Schala are just different facets of the same person. It would seem many are missing this meaning as they take the signature too literally. After the events of Chrono Cross Schala may have adopted the name of Kid as a nickname of sorts, and included it in her signature in quotes - showing us that while she is not literally Kid, she still acknowledges Kid as being a part of her in essence. Quite simply, outside of this signature there really is nothing to indicate Schala and Kid physically join. 


Chapter 5
Who originally rescued Melchior?

In 12,000 BC we see Melchior has been imprisoned atop Mt. Woe for opposing Queen Zeal. Many have come to the conclusion that in the original timeline Schala was the one to rescue Melchior from his imprisonment atop Mt. Woe. Yet when we take the time to think things through we can arrive at the conclusion that this need not be the case. We know the events surrounding the Ocean Palace disaster: someone uses the red knife on the Mammon Machine. The knife is transformed into the Masamune due to a surge in Lavos' energy. Lavos appears, sending Janus and the three gurus to points in the future shortly before he destroying Zeal. We can be sure that all of this did happen in the original timeline since the Masamune exists in the Middle Ages (as well as Janus), the gurus reside in their respective new eras, and the floating continents of Zeal are no more. But in the original timeline Crono was not present at the Ocean Palace disaster. The question then arises: who used the red knife against the Mammon Machine? In all likelihood it was Melchior. There is reason to believe he was never banished to Mt. Woe to begin with. Go with me on this assumption as we will see it explains things nicely.

In the original timeline Crono was absent from the Ocean Palace, as was Magus. In this timeline Magus was destroyed by Lavos after the summoning ritual at his castle in 600 AD went awry. Since neither character could be present during the palace disaster we must conclude another party was at fault for causing it. Of those present Melchior seems the most likely to have been the one who took action. Schala was fearful of disobeying her mother so would not strike and Janus did not arrive until after the machine had been attacked. Either one of the gurus or and unnamed bystander initiated the incident. Since there is no evidence of the latter I conclude Melchior to have been the guru who struck the Mammon Machine. He was in possession of the red knife from the beginning for it was he who crafted it. Growing concerned and wishing to stop the madness, Melchior thrust the knife into the Mammon Machine. The blade instantly formed into the Masamune and shortly thereafter Lavos appeared. We know the rest of the story as Janus and the gurus were propelled forward through time via the Gates that formed. In the Middle Ages Janus grew up, all the while remembering what had happened in the Ocean Palace.

However Crono's meddling in time changed all this. Back at Magus' Castle, Crono's sudden presence interrupted the summoning before it could be finished. As a result an immense Gate formed which sent Crono to the Prehistoric Age and Magus to the Dark Ages (see the Inquiries page for more information on this). It is unknown what year Magus arrived in, but to be sure he had ample time to garner the queen's trust and become one of her top aides. He adopted the guise of "The Prophet" and worked to manipulate the queen for his own goals, the foremost of which was the destruction of Lavos, something he had been planning since his youth. Magus, now fully aware of what would happen if events were to repeat as they originally had, takes measures to ensure Lavos will not awaken. He is aware of Melchior's disagreements with Queen Zeal and so advises her to banish him for the good of the kingdom. As a result Melchior was imprisoned on Mt. Woe. Magus was then free to carry out his plans for as far as he was concerned the disaster had been averted.

However Crono was also able to make it to 12,000 BC, and at the request of Schala was able to rescue Melchior from his imprisonment. Crono was then given Melchior's red knife after volunteering to stop the queen. From this point forward, Crono would adopt the role Melchior originally played by thrusting the knife into the Mammon Machine and causing the chaos which would result. We might also assume that after Melchior's liberation he sought the help of the remaining gurus and all three ventured to the Ocean Palace to reason with Queen Zeal, with young Janus in hot pursuit. We know they were present this time because not only are we told Gates enveloped them, but we can view for ourselves each is still present in his respective new era, thus confirming they were again sent through time, just as before. Because of Crono's presence the events which took place inside the Ocean Palace were allowed to repeat, thus averting a potentially devastating paradox.


Chapter 6
How did Lavos help to guide evolution?

This is a question which never really received a definitive answer. In all the years of analyzing Chrono Trigger I was never sure what to make of the party's comments regarding Lavos and their claims of how he influenced the various species on the planet. It is unfortunate the subject only came up in the last few minutes of the game and was not expanded upon.

Magus begins by saying "since the dawn of time, [Lavos] has slept underground, controlling evolution on this world for its own purpose." He later adds, "All people...... and all living things." This clearly seems to imply Lavos played a role in manipulating the evolution of all creatures, not just humans. On the other hand Lucca only says "it combined the DNA it found here with its own," choosing not to clarify to what type of DNA she is referring. If we look to Lavos’ final form we see it is humanoid in appearance, suggesting its primary source for growth material was the human gene. Although one could likewise say Lavos chose that form above all others due to humanity being at the top of the evolutionary ladder; that form was the most powerful compared to that of the rest of Earth’s species.

What is troublesome is that if one chooses to believe Lavos exerted an influence over all creatures it is difficult to find an explanation as to how Lavos went about this. Buried beneath the planet's crust, he seemed to be isolated from all other forms of life.

One way to make sense of this is to use information from Chrono Cross. The only definitive detail we're given is that Lavos mutated primitive humans into a more intelligent and sophisticated breed until they became like the people of later eras. This was done through contact with the Frozen Flame at roughly 3 million BC. When one accesses the Flame a bond is formed between that person and Lavos who is deep underground. We know this due to Belthasar's comment: "The one who connects with the Frozen Flame, in effect, links with Lavos itself." This statement is undeniably clear. This method seems to be the only way Lavos could gather data on the holder's DNA, and furthermore, to change it. It is as though the two form a symbiotic relationship in which Lavos draws information it can use to evolve itself and in turn advances the user in his own genetic makeup. Without this connection Lavos is cut off from the surface dwelling creatures and is helpless to affect them.

This hypothesis answers the human aspect of evolutionary change, but it does nothing to solve the question of whether Lavos also did the same to other animals. It is possible one could say lesser species touched the Flame in the millennia it had existed and therefore felt the effect of Lavos' manipulation. On the other hand it might be an argument to say a certain degree of intelligence is required to form the bond with Lavos. Perhaps a mere field mouse would not have the ability to activate the Flame in the first place. Since throughout Chrono Cross the Frozen Flame is only seen being utilized by humans this question really cannot be answered. Despite this, there are other ways in which Lavos changed the lifestyle of all other forms of life.

By modifying humans Lavos indirectly brought about the destruction of other creatures. Throughout the eons humans went on to alter their surroundings, most often in a negative way. This environmental destruction is a prevailing theme in Chrono Cross and is illustrated in a number of ways. The dwarves especially felt the effect of human pollution to their habitat. The extinction of the hydra in Another World's marshes is a notable example. Eliminating one of the keystone species in an ecosystem had profound repercussions on all other surrounding life. Plants and animals that relied on the hydra for survival began to fall as dominoes; food webs collapsed and the entire region become inhospitable to most forms of life. Thus it is reasonable to say humans were responsible for not only eliminating the existence of the hydra, but also in a handful of other species that were driven out of their habitat but had nowhere else to flee. Even Serge, the story’s hero, is guilty of causing harm to nature. He purposefully slaughters infant komodo dragons, and later their mother, so that his girlfriend might have the scales she desires in order to make a necklace. Serge’s selfish actions in this regard are appalling. The human versus dragonian element of the story certainly brings this theme to light as the guardians in Terra Tower continually comment on humanity’s desecration of nature and the killing of the planet for millennia.

Though on rare occasions the opposite can be said of humans; we have the capability to preserve life. Around 7600 BC FATE constructed the El Nido island chain in a region of the world that had previously been barren. This action resulted in a variety of new habitats for both flora and fauna. It is entirely possible that these new ecosystems served as a haven to species that may have otherwise gone extinct. In an ironic twist human technology actually helped to harbor certain creatures. It is pure speculation as to whether this actually occurred but we must not yet rule it out as a possibility.

Lastly we mustn’t forget Lavos' impact to the planet destroyed the Reptites. They would have been the prevailing species (rather than humans) if not for the extraterrestrial interference. One could say in that moment Lavos single-handedly brought forth a new evolutionary path by causing mammals to inherit the Earth rather than the reptilians.

So we can see that whether intentionally or not, Lavos did indeed succeed in controlling all evolution on the planet.
 

Affiliation  •  Cartography  •  Conjecture  •  Encyclopedia  •  Essays  •  Illustrations
Inquiries  •  Misconceptions  •  Mysteries  •  Script  •  Timelines  •  Timetables