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Ming Emperor's Villa
This grand garden was designed to be the Ming Emperor's summer home. It made perfect use of the natural landscape giving visitors the beautiful scenery of the four seasons. Aside from the Emperor and his family only the royal guards, including Xianghua, were permitted to enter the house. When Xianghua received the order to search for the Soul Edge she visited the garden for the first time. The garden, as if celebrating her departure, was in full bloom.
Music: Bloom and Harvest
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Valentine Mansion
With his vast wealth from the profit of trades Count Valentine used his wealth and lifeline of personal contacts to built his great mansion. It was design purely modern and the near daily parties held in the ballroom and its expensive rose marble floors were proof of the Valentine's prosperity.
However the Valentine's eventually fell into ruin as Count Valentine was possess by the mysteries of the Soul Edge. He did anything to obtain the sword and scattered his wealth. The Valentine's wealth vanished, the cheerful laugher from the grand halls disappeared and the servants and maids left. What came into Isabella's mind as she stood in the dark and empty room?
Music: Unblessed Soul
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Hoko-Ji Temple
Hoko-ji Temple was constructed in Kyoto (capitol at the time) in the 17th year of Tensho (1589) under the proposal of Hideyoshi Toyotomi. The temple's was officially created to pray for the peace and stability of the nation but it had an hidden agenda of "katana-gari".
In a secret underground hall there is standing Buddha statue 24 meters tall set within the center of a huge fusui-ban which Yin-Yang masters would consult in their advice to Hideyoshi and his strategies for conquering the country.
It is also well known that the kanji carved on the great bell of the temple became the direct cause of the fall of the Toyotomi Clan.
Music: The Cursed Image
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Remain in the Desert
The prosperous oasis cities in the shirt of the Taklimakan were important relay stations for caravans crossing the Silk Road. Merchants rested and enjoyed these cities as they chased the profits of trade.
This remain construct in a cave deep within a valley lay but one day travel by wagon from a near by oasis city. Rumor has it that a rich merchant fond of life away from the rush of city life built this remain. As if to prove the rumor the halls and floors are decorated with expensive lazurite and malachite.
Music: Beyond the Horizon
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Palgaea Shrine
This shrine is an underground construction for the great god of destruction. It seems to be near a volcano since the grand hall is always filled with lava. In the center, stands a triangle shaped alter where the grand priest "kymm mrl py eltzk" (Kunpaetku) performs various ceremonies. This is also the place of Astaroth's creation and birth. The material of construction remains unknown, but by observing the surrounding statues vomiting lava one would think heat was the source of life. No one knows if the original materials were formed of evil magic or human hands.
Music: Bred from the Gap
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Ostrheinsburg Castle
This large castle stands deep with the woods of Mittelbirge in Germany. Constructed by Sir Stefan, famous as an independent knight, this castle consisted of a quadruple fortress and has been proud of its impregnability. However Sir Stefan had been killed in a war a few years ago, after the lord's death the remaining soldiers were executed, and the crying women and children were killed or taken away as prisoners. After thorough plundering the once proud castle is nothing more than a ruin of death that none dare visit.
Music: In the Name of the Father
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Water Vein
Japan is a lush and green land and large veins such as this one gather the snow and rain from the ground. These veins form a network throughout Japan much like the veins in the human body.
It is said that it takes one year for water to dive into the earth one meter. Thus the water in this deep vein has travel for many years and is deathly cold and ghostly clear. The soft pale blue stones create and illusion amount the walls broke only by patches of warm green moss.
Newly empowered by the Evil Seed the vile ghost Gel-o-Fury shattered the seals in the bamboo forest and made its way into this vein. Taki challenged the ghost in several times in this complex cave. Toki's assassins chasing Taki could not resist Gel-o-Fury's aura and were absorbed into the great ghost. As Gel-o-Fury grew in power Taki became convinced the ghost was planning to exit the vein in Kyoto within the Buddha Hall of the Hoko-ji Temple. She went ahead and planned to ambush the ghost in the hall.
Music: Chasing Downstream
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Money Pit
The Money Pit once proud of its impregnable status faced a humbling conquering at the hands of an act of god. A terrible storm flooded most of the treasure stockyards and even the highest of stockyards could not escape. The highest among the stockyards bore the marble statue of the dead master Vercci, this was the final stand of the Money Pit and the place Voldo placed the coffin of the dead master and slowly gathered the remaining treasure into.
Music: Sweet Illusion
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The Inundated Castle
Mitsurugi was a trusted mercenary in the base of Mori's Murakami Navy on the Noshima Island. Mitsurugi had been assigned defense of the Takamatsu-jo Castle at the front line of the Mori Army. The Takamatsu-jo Castle was centered in a marshy area and due to its geographical features considered impossible to seize. However a clever and resourceful Hideyoshi Hashiba constructed a 3-kilometer bank surrounding the castle to stop the flow of water and the Ashimori-gawa River then flooded the region.
Everything hung in the balance and thus without fear or hesitation Mitsurugi climbed a board a ship, faced an onslaught of arrows and rushed into battle.
Music: Duelists
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Pure Training Spot
This Hindu temple was made in the 9th century and had been forgotten for many years. With its pure waters the place had a holy atmosphere that made it feel as if it was another world. The stone cave and the temple lay deep within India and the small caves that formed the lake like shape out of the river only broke the tranquil scene.
The mysterious old man that appeared in front of Kilik lives here in the small lodge on the hill like a hermit. His mind is full of questions Kilik trains himself everyday to control the evil within
Music: The New Legend
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City of Water
The City of Water, also known of the pearl of Italy, is a maze palace on water constructed by connecting countless islands across a lagoon with over 400 bridges. During the Renaissance, Venice monopolized all the merchants' rights and with this power stretched its colonization into northeast Italy as it expanded into its golden age.
As a city it was adorned with gorgeous mansions, fine works of art, master pieces of architecture and it was heralded as a Mecca for intellectuals of the time. The people admired this city as if it was an illusion. Some came to the city chasing dreams; other attracted by its beautiful art and landscapes. And now Siegfried comes?
Music: Worth Dying
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Maze of the Dead
With his vast wealth from the profit of trades Count Valentine used his wealth and lifeline of personal contacts to built his great mansion. It was design purely modern and the near daily parties held in the ballroom and its expensive rose marble floors were proof of the Valentine's prosperity.
Built before the birth of Christ, according to the legend, the underground city of Cappadocia in Turkey is still shrouded in mystery. Several centuries after Cappadocia was established, a reigning monarch converted a similar underground temple into an extravagant palace. This temple stands above a deep chasm, claimed from ancient times to be a gateway to Hades. The interior of the temple contains a section that was converted into a palace. In addition, a cave exists beyond the palace, followed by more unexplored regions. No one knows for sure what exists down there. The palace itself is in ruins now, thanks to those who turned it into a rock quarry of sorts. However, the lower underground area remains intact. Since the treasure seeking thieves who venture into the lower ruins never come back alive, no one but the most foolhardy enter this place now.
Music: Beyond the Horizon
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Indian Port
This was the Indian harbor Maxi visited to arrange goods. In India the shore is a sacred place so a stair terrace allows for travel to the water. The terrace, which is called a 'ghat', leads to the town with its maze of house, temples and narrow pathways. Visitors unfamiliar with the town are notorious for getting lost. For Maxi this gray sea became a place of destiny where his sworn brother Kyam and shipmates slept. Maxi swore revenge on Astaroth as he stared at his ship in the distance sunken by Astaorth.
Music: Sail Over the Storm
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Shrine in the Air
The gods constructed a circular shrine atop a great sacred mountain. Legends say the gods created this shrine to defy themselves and as if to prove this legend the path to the shrine was a cascade of stairs that human feet could never step upon.
There fore this second shrine stood next to the mountain. All who visited the shrine surrounded by clouds and divine light felt as if they were floating in air. What could have been the hopes and bows of people standing on this shrine looking at the circular shrine of legend in the distance? And of Sophitia?
Music: Wing of Faith
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The Colosseum
Here stands the remains of an ancient coliseum surrounded by canals. Evidence suggests it was once used at a theater as well as an arena since the royal boxes have epitaphs such as "dedicated by the holder of this grand event". It is estimated this theater can hold twenty thousand guests, which is about the same as the Megalopolis in Greece.
The players entered the coliseum by grand boats decorated with gold and silver and the winners were praised atop the alter of sacred fire in the center of the spectator seats.
Music: Fatal Gravity
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The Pure Training Spot - Twilight
With his vast wealth from the profit of trades Count Valentine used his wealth and lifeline of personal contacts to built his great mansion. It was design purely modern and the near daily parties held in the ballroom and its expensive rose marble floors were proof of the Valentine's prosperity.
The harsh daylight gives way to the setting sun that colors the entire area in the soft, gentle rose-colored hues of twilight.
As if forgotten by time, the ruins nearby lie in shadows, weathered and worn away by the unforgiving rain and river. Now, the remaining light of the setting sun reflects off the river's surface. Although this is a place forgotten and abandoned by man, its natural beauty holds an undeniable charm for those who gaze upon it.
Music: The New Legend
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The Edge of Chaos
When Kunpaetku was promoted to grand priest, he schemed to create a troop of grotesque creatures within the dark order who were loyal only to him. He also built a shrine that mirrored the design of Palgaea Shrine. However, in contrast to the hellish heat of Palgaea Shrine, poisonous fumes filled this place instead. Strange, ominous light also filled the recesses of the shrine, generated by the mysterious pools of glowing liquid that produced the poisonous gasses. Though highly toxic to humans, perhaps the environment was intended for the grotesque abominations of nature that dwell here
Music: The Edge of Chaos
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Gap of the World
With his vast wealth from the profit of trades Count Valentine used his wealth and lifeline of personal contacts to built his great mansion. It was design purely modern and the near daily parties held in the ballroom and its expensive rose marble floors were proof of the Valentine's prosperity.
A desolate land created by Inferno, the fire of hell. This land is an illusion of time created by the awakening of Soul Edge's true form. It is also said to be a materialization of the pains and sufferings of the souls devoured by Soul Edge. But some that gaze upon this land only feel the beautiful fluttering colored lights dancing a rondo. . .
Music: Immortal Flame
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