Otranto Eyesman
Otranto Eyesman (オトラント・アイズマン,[2][3] Otoranto Aizuman), named Otrant in the English releases of Shining Force with the spelling Eismann used in the English versions of Resurrection, is a powerful spellcaster who administers the country of Manarina and its magic school.
Otranto also appears in Doom Blade, where the character is identified as a Star Eye of Metaphaluna and titled the Tactician of the Gods of Light (光の神々の軍師, Hikari no Kamigami no Gunshi), and in Shining Soul as an Ancient of Rune. These roles span a period of two thousand years, making Otranto one of the Shining series' longest-lived characters alongside Dark Sol.
Otranto was designed by original series illustrator Yoshitaka Tamaki, who drew the character's artwork for every appearance.
Name
The name Otranto is presumed to be based on The Castle of Otranto, a horror novel published in 1764 that heavily influenced the genre of Gothic fiction. The name of the book's setting is itself derived from a location in Italy.
Otranto's last name, Eyesman spelled out in katakana (アイズマン, Aizuman), is a facetious reference to the character's three eyes.
History and Authority over Manarina
In the Shining Force Strategy Guide published by ASCII, Shining Force writer Masaki Wachi writes the character as being the youngest in a series of magic users bearing the same name. The following text is translated from the book's Manarina country profile.[2]
Its long history is recorded within the Book of Genesis. Some three thousand years ago, the country was established by the first Otranto (the current Otranto is the thirty-fourth to hold the position—real name Otranto Eyesman, also known as the Guardian of One Thousand Eyes) after arriving in this land to study magic and founding a hermitage. After its founding, wizards from all over who admired the magic powers of successive Otrantos immigrated and formed a commune of sorts. It was the beginning of a communist state with a loose religious hierarchy determined only by magical prowess. Even in the present, its status as a state is unclear and Otranto is the only person remaining with any authority. The citizens need only pay taxes toward public works and are not obliged to participate in politics.
歴史は古く「創世記」には、およそ3000年前に初代のオトラント(現在のオトラントは34代目、本名はオトラント・アイズマン、別名「千の目の守護者」)がこの地に魔法の修行のために庵を作ったのが国の起こりだと記されている。その後、歴代のオトラントの魔力を慕って各地から魔道士達が入植、一種のコミューンを形作っていった。言わば魔力の優劣のみが緩やかな宗教的階級を持った、原始共産主義国家であった。現在も国家としての成り立ちは曖昧で、オトラントの権威だけが存続されている。国民は公共事業費の納税義務だけを負い、参加すべき国政はない。
Powers of Divination
In the V Jump guide for Shining Soul, Otranto is given the following profile.[1]
A mysterious seer who guides the Fleet of Light. Ever watchful of the Warriors of Light.
光の船団を導く謎の予見者。光の戦士たちをつねに見守っている。
The word used in this text for "seer" is the Japanese yokensha (予見者), which is also used in some Japanese translations of the Bible in place of the Hebrew word translated to English as "seer".[4] An example of this occurs in 1 Samuel 9:9.
Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.
昔，イスラエルでは，神の導きを求めに行くときに，「さあ，予見者の所に行こう」と言った。今の預言者は昔，予見者と呼ばれていたのである。
In Chapter 9 of Doom Blade, Dark Sol addresses Otranto as a fellow Star Eye with the power of foresight.[5]
You and I are Star Eyes, beings with powerful magic and the talent to perceive the future. Otranto . . . ! You should be the only one!
強大な魔力も未来を見ることのできる力も
星目族 である私とオトラント・・・！ お前だけのものだったはず‼
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Shining Soul V Jump Books Game Series (シャイニング・ソウル Vジャンプブックス ゲームシリーズ). Shueisha, April 2, 2002. [Multiple Formats on Internet Archive]
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Shining Force Strategy Guide (シャイニングフォース 攻略の手引き, Shainingu Fōsu Kouryaku no Tebiki). Famicom Tsuushin Editorial Department. ASCII, April 1992. [PDF]
- ↑ Japanese script, Shining Force: Resurrection of the Black Dragon. Amusement Vision, Climax Entertainment. Sega 2004.
- ↑ "Seer", 「予見者」, JW.org.
- ↑ Doom Blade, Chapter 9ː "Heir of the Stars", p. 1. Mega Drive FAN, October 1992 edition, p. 53. October 1992.
Shining Force Character Directory
| Protagonists and Supporting Characters | |
|---|---|
| Shining Force Members | Max・Rag・Ken・Tao・Hans・Lowe・Gong・Goth・May・Chip・Anri・Arthur・Balbaroy・Amon・Diane・Zappa・Pale・Yogurt・Kokichi・Vangarde・Gantz・Ernest・Domingo・Lyle・Baryū・Musashi・Taurus・Aleph・Adam・Hanzō |
| Supporting Characters | Balios・Nova・Otranto |
| Antagonists and Monsters | |
| Primary Antagonists | Cain・Ramuradu・Mishaela・Dark Sol・Elliot・Barbazak |
| Monsters | Dark Dragon |