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Faith in god... Do not look for it on the outside... For it is something one must build from within oneself...
—Sophia to her Nisan followers.

Mother Sophia (ソフィア, sofia), also known as Elly and Elehayym, is a woman who lived 500 years before the events of Xenogears. She is the first Mother of the Nisan Orthodoxy and is the third chronological reincarnation of Elehayym Van Houten that the game portrays.

Sophia is but a given title name to her status, as her proper birth name was also "Elehayym".

Biography[]

Sophia was born as the second daughter of three sisters of the Bishop of the Nisan teaching's "Ashera Monastery" in the year 9475.

When she was seven years old, she manifested a rare talent and was sent as the adopted daughter to Cardinal Penuel as a future candidate for the Holy Mother of Nisan.

However, suffering from congenital illness, she was transferred back home to the Ashera Monastery at the east side of Ignas about a year later to get treatment as it had a clinic. There, she met Lacan, although they were moreso acquaintances than friends. A few months later, after recuperating, she returned to Penuel convent. At their parting, Lacan gave Sophia a sketch of herself.

At thirteen, she was chosen, effectively changing her name to "Sophia". However, this was in the midst of battle between factions over the selection of Holy Mother. Fighting among the Church factions was a bloody battle for the choosing of Mother based on heredity within the Church. The Penuel faction also was not immune to this and gradually Sophia would begin to feel responsible for it, bringing upon the desire to take her own life to end the suffering. When the attack on the monastery occurred by Nimrod, Sophia was faced by Karellen, leader of Nimrod's Corps, who was there to kill her by the Nimrod Emperor, Kusel Laodicia. She simply smiled and said "...thank you", as if he were about to release her burden. Having been taken by her smile, Karellen instead chose to take her away and protect her.

For seven years, Karellen and Sophia were in exile and their whereabouts were unknown.

In 9495, upon returning to Nisan with Karellen, Sophia had learned that public interest in Nisan teachings were waning. Sophia, as a candidate for the Holy Mother of Nisan, appeared before the Nisan members. Because of the former Penuel's sponsorship, Sophia becomes the Mother. As a result, she restructured the organization and renamed it the "Nisan Orthodox". In the process, she changes many of the teachings as well. Jaquelinde becomes the Mother's assistant adviser.

In 9496, Sophia became reacquainted with Lacan at Ashera Monastery.

Shevat-Solaris War[]

Sophia

Lacan's unfinished portrait of Sophia.

Upon the outbreak of the Shevat-Solaris War in 9496, refugees poured into Nisan. As part of the Anti-Solaris Alliance, with Sophia at the head of the Healing Corps, she became revered as "Holy Mother". After that, when Nisan entered battle, Sophia's will stood as a symbol for the surface-dweller's army, and a symbol of unity and hope among the Lambs.

In 9499, at the urging of Karellen, Lacan began painting Sophia's portrait. Lacan avoided painting the bottom right corner as much as he could just so that he could spend more time with Sophia, so the painting was never actually finished. Lacan even lied about not having enough paint.

There was a complicated relationship between Sophia, Lacan, and Karellen. Sophia and Lacan had unrevealed romantic feelings for each other. Karellen had unrequited feelings for Sophia as well.

Xenogears_-_42_-_The_Story_of_500_Years_Ago,_Part_Three

Xenogears - 42 - The Story of 500 Years Ago, Part Three

Sophia dies as she rams the Excalibur into the Merkava.

Shevat and Solaris had been plotting in secret, in exchange for ending the war and having Myyah Hawwa sealed in carbonite, Solaris wanted Sophia.[1] The ground forces fell under heavy siege by the forces of Solaris and in order to save her people Sophia, aboard the airship Excalibur, made a suicide attack on the enemy's main force, Merkava, and the ship's debris scattered above the skies of present-day Kislev.[2]

The grief and emotional pain caused by Sophia's death led a devastated Karellen to question the existence of "God" and begin his quest in hopes of creating one. It also spurred a regretful Lacan to obsessively seek the Zohar to obtain the ultimate power without knowing his was a Contact, leading to the birth of the alternate personality Grahf. Grahf's constant search for power is the will of Lacan, who felt powerless after losing Sophia.[3]

Etymology[]

El

In several theologies and philosophies, Sophia (Greek Σoφíα, "wisdom") is an idea of wisdom and intelligence, and In some Christian traditions, a feminine personification of divine wisdom.

In Gnostic lore, Sophia is a partial aspect of the divine Pleroma and the mother of the Demiurge. Wanting to create something separate from the Absolute, Sophia gave birth to the Demiurge. Being ashamed of her deed, she hid him in a cloud, placing him on a throne she created within it. The isolated Demiurge was ignorant of anything outside that cloud, concluding that only he existed.

Quotes[]

  • "You are the sweetest person... You are someone who cannot bear to see others hurt by your own actions. So you hold everything in and bear all the burden. If you get hurt in the end, you think that it is fine... That's... what I like about you." (to Lacan)
  • "Humans... aren't so frail you know. They don't need a symbol who is just appearances only. I believe that if you have light in your heart, you can overcome any hardship. What I have been doing is simply showing people that such light exists in the hearts of everyone... I'm just a woman. And to fulfill my womanhood I am prepared to throw away everything... even this position.
  • I'm just playing the role of Sophia. But I am still me. I haven't changed... A cowardly, selfish crybaby... I am still the same. Could you live a lie like that and still be happy...? I... don't want to do that. Oh, Lacan... I want to live more honestly with myself... To be able to tell the man that I love that I do love him. And I don't care if I get hurt or rejected. You only have one life. I don't want to turn around later and regret not having done such things..."
  • "I am ending this... You won't need to fight anymore... So, Karellen... Please open your fist... and with your own hand gently hold the people who will continue to live..."
  • "People support each other to live... It's what brings us happiness... So share that happiness, and please... Lacan! Live!"
  • "Of course, once you enter their umbrella of protection... you can avoid absolute death. But is that human life? Even if you are the only one left, if you're devoid of a heart, what does it all mean?"
  • "To relieve your pain, I'll give however much of my flesh you need. Therefore... don't throw away your dignity as humans... Don't let go of your human heart..."

Trivia[]

  • There is a mysterious cutscene of Abel seeing twelve figures, and then meeting one of Elly's incarnations. It is likely these are the Gazel Ministry, and this is Abel first meeting the first incarnation of Elly. However, this Elly incarnation has a pendant of Nisan, making her resemble Sophia.
  • Sophia represents the fourth and final phase of anima development.
  • There is an error regarding when Elly's name was changed to Sophia. In the timeline of Perfect Works page 14 it said it occurred in 9483. Later in her biography section, it says it occurred in 9488.

Gallery[]

  1. Perfect Works, pg. 15.
  2. Perfect Works, pg. 165.
  3. Perfect Works, pg. 161.
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