The Day of Doom when all good heroes will die...
After the disastrous rout suffered by Memner's war host against the Enemy assailing the Oldworld, Roth devised a prophecy about the end of days where Thangien and Thunthen would have to lay aside their ancient rivalries and join forces to fight a common foe, hoping to manipulate them into behaving. The arrival of Aleksander Vanstandtvoort revealed that the Oldworld endured, but not until decades later when Chi Chi Lina, Danae returned with a restored Pegasus that Roth learned how. Even gods are but spectators on the Stellar Stage, and prophecy dictates the Enemy will meet their final end at the hands of a coalition of three superpowers, inspired by the fighting spirit of ten legendary warriors and the mystical armors they wield. Thangiens refer to this futuristic Ragnarok as Entide: the End Tide. If all righteous folk are to withstand the coming wave of evil, they must stand like a rock upon which the waters of wickedness will break.
Summary
Roth created a rudimentary structure in that Thangiens and Thunthen would join forces to defeat the Enemy, but only after learning of the hermit Greytorata, Goddess of Time, and the Prophecy Wall she created did Roth uncover additional fragments of the tale. Each verse seems to reference specific events either currently in motion or set to occur in the near future.
Spoiler Warning: Planned Content!
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Entide represents the "changing of the guard" late in Age of Defiance with the Day of Doom and apparent death of the current Core Cast roster occurring "off screen" in the gap between Last Dance and Generation Nexxus. The torch is passed to a new team led by Ryo's adult son Ryu Sanada. Despite the great evil of the era being utterly defeated, they still have their hands full with Dynasty stragglers and a bitter Myr Chedryn and his forces.
The Three Allies
Warrior folk with righteous might
Dragonmen shall join the fight
Last not least he comes at night
A silver shadow seeking light
Thangiens are introduced in Aftermath and become the earliest and staunchest of the Ronins' allies. Thunthen arrive in the latter half of Foes From Another World and deploy their technological expertise to assist the Ronin in their battles against Mal Daggur and the Dynasty. The Reptilloids are not revealed until much later in the first half of Spacequake but Trakar is currently the only representative on Earth, sharing his insight to the Totalitary's strengths and motivations.
Taming the Avatar
When Rock and Fire stand opposed
And Wind drifts on afar
The Spirit Springs and Rune Waters
Will tame the Avatar
Clear references are made to Ryo of Wildfire, Kento of Hardrock, and Tanya of the Typhoon, but not until the finale of Foes From Another World is the true meaning realized with the manifestation of Kento's Avatar form.
"Spirit Springs" is thought to reference the Ancient cisterns, but it is unknown whether the "Rune Waters" are one and the same or if it might be the antigen Tar Uhnin attempted to use to cure Kento.
Death of Light
With a crack and a groan fell the ground to the hollow
As he fell his friend dove but he bade him not follow
He vanished from sight to a darkened abode
And his departure inflicted much sorrow
Drawings recently uncovered by Jamine O'Connor indicate this explicitly references the apparent suicide attempt of Sage of Halo. Jamine O'Connor shares with Shannon a drawing apparently depicting Ryo's attempt to save him.
He is presumed KIA and Shannon takes up the Armor in his stead, but he is found alive sometime later albeit in extremely poor mental and physical health. While he declines to go into detail, he insists he's seen the future and the fated End Tide. Shannon relinquishes the Armor back to him in time for the final push against Beastlord and the Menagerie entrenched in the Pit.
The Cataclysm
Fire born of madness shall consume the city from below
On a floor of metal the people shall sleep
From the Pit the hosts of the Beast King shall flow
Thus begins war to make The One weep
A soul in turmoil shall be saved by a voice of scorn
Three words reveal love amid the commotion
Through a kiss and a stone will the city be reborn
And a Leap of Faith will test true devotion.
These fragments were not provided by Suzunagi or Roth, but actually Phitdaitiarona, Empress of Night while conversing with Mal Daggur. She seems to have some knowledge of the Prophecy Wall and Greytorata's presence on Earth.
It references the detonation of a Nether-empowered nuclear device, the holding of civilians in magical stasis aboard the Argonauth, and Beastlord's arrival and his attempts to sway Kento to his side as well as the final duel where he risks his life to save Tanya from a fiery death.
"Kiss" obviously refers to their newfound romance, but the "Stone" apparently meant the curious artifact Ryo received from Monster Slayer in Gurvangoth, an item he only referred to as "Metra's Tear" which had the miraculous power to restore the ruined city to its pre-Cataclysm state.
"Metra" is a mysterious figure referenced often by Thangiens, sometimes called the literal "Mother of Roth". It does not seem to directly tie into the overarching Entide Prophecy, but since Beastlord is one of the foes Cye saw in his vision, it represents yet another trial they must overcome.
End of Armor
Foes great malice flares aglow
Into burning pools they go
Stronger, different, not as before
Ronin Armors are no more
Perhaps the most unsettling fragment thus far, not only does it seem to foretell the destruction of the current iteration of Armors, but it is the only fragment to explicitly mention the Ronin Warriors by name despite their Armors not even being created until a thousand years ago with the formation of the original Nine. Carbon dating of the earliest drawings in the Prophecy Wall indicate they are at minimum six thousand years old.
The Three Wars
Three wars you’ll fight before you go
Wars of Rage, Wrath, and Woe
The things you’ve learned, do not forget
Your duty is not over yet
The most puzzling of the fragments since the Ronin up until recently operated under the assumption that the "Three Wars" referenced conflicts against the resurgent Dynasty, Mal Daggur, and Beastlord.
Roth insists none of the Three Wars have transpired, so this indicates that Entide is some time away, but also that there are even greater threats they must face as a final test of their strength and resolve.
Historical Basis
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Scene from FFAW Ch1 (Sketch)
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Events of Aftermath
In Ch. 11 "Eurbasadur", King Torke relates the tale to Ronin Leader Ryo of the Wildfire, describing to him their ancient conflict with the Dragon-Men of neighboring Planet Thunthen and the prophecy that they must join forces to stave off catastrophe at the hands of a mysterious Enemy. The Watch-Rider expresses hope that seeing their strength will encourage the Thunthen to abandon their desire for conquest. No stranger to world-ending crises himself, Ryo offers support of the Ronin Warriors for whatever conflict arises in the near future.Events of Foes From Another World
After being knocked unconscious during a battle in Ch. 1 "The Last Ronin Warrior", Cye of the Torrent is treated to a vision of a nightmarish future of what would happen if the Ronin Warriors fail. Roth, disguised as Suzunagi, shows Cye fragments of the prophecy, mentioning they must first join with Three Allies and that the Thangiens reprsent the First. In Ch. 14 "Secret of the World Armor", Ryo is shown events that occurred centuries ago and how the Enemy tried attacking Earth only to be repelled by the original Armor Bearers. In Ch. 23 "Truly Noble", Bak Thraplek comes forward along with his crew of dissidents, the Thunthen becoming the Second Ally.Events of Fight Alone
The Ronin manage to recover a handful of artifacts created by the Mystic Alliance such as the Oracle and the Dekahedron, but their purpose in the prophesized conflict remain unknown. While recovering from recent trauma in Ch. 9 "Knife Through Nerves", Sage apparently sees a glimpse of future events covering the upcoming Cataclysm to the End Tide. In Ch. 15 "The Black Unicorn", Cye learns that it was not Suzunagi who gave him the prophecy, but the real Suzunagi is forced to retreat before she can elaborate further.Events of Cataclysm War
According to Captain Caroline Wendell in Ch. 7 "A Good Mother Pirate", nearly every sapient race in High Space knows how the Totalitary got whipped by the original Armor Bearers centuries ago on Planet Earth. The loss of Memner and his vast war host remains a sore spot for Thangiens and seeing even the gods humbled by the defeat alarmed the Thunthen. Even though the Totalitary have not been since then, the gnawing fear remains that they are simply biding their time, marshaling their forces, before bringing everything to bear on the world that dared to defy them."Now, it seems like an awful lot of effort to go through on your account." Witheren braced her knuckles against her jaw and shrugged. "This is an 'elder race' after all. WHY SHOULD THEY BE AFRAID OF A BUNCH OF MONKEYS LIKE YOU!!?" Witheren bellowed, furrowing her wild eyebrows in a scowl. Then she casually laid her arm across her knee and leaned forward, baring her teeth in a giddy grin. "...Because you're a wild card...they're scared SHITLESS of you! You think they want to lose all that knowledge, all the power they've accumulated over billions of years! You are the One's perfect instrument of vengeance! You are divine retribution made MANIFEST!!"
Events of Spacequake
In Ch. 4 "Wrawthe of the Gods", Cye learns it was actually Roth who provided him the prophecy. Regardless of his personal animosity towards the Queen of Triumph, the overarching threat of the Totalitary still remains. The arrival of Trakar immediately afterward in Ch. 5 "Seeking Light" confirms that not only are the Totalitary still at large, they still harbor deep seated resentment for the Humans who refused their "gifts". In the "Flawed Future" mini-arc, the Ronin encounter Greytorata who dispatches some of them into the past to stop interference from unknown forces. Greytorata refuses to elaborate but she is shown afterward facing a panel of the Prophecy Wall depicting the End Tide. In Ch. 10 "Confluence", Cye becomes host for an alien consciousness with a surprising amount of info concerning not only the Four Queens but the Totalitary and their origin as a Guardian Class race and their fall from grace. In Ch. 11 "Challenge of Roth", Witheren states that the "shadowy beings" they faced in the past were actually Totalitary agents trying to change the future to a more favorable outcome. Eyurodin says just as the Ronin are fated to fight and die, so too will the Totalitary meet their ultimate end despite their scheming and plotting.Spread
Through the efforts of the Master Playwright and the archivists of Raaezen, most of the general public in Bainshaebo is aware of the looming threat. Even though they live their lives as they always have, they know they will be called to fight and die to secure the future.
The Thunthen, on the other hand, scoff at the idea of prophecies, omens, and portents. While they admit there are great Powers that maneuver in the Vault of Stars, the concept of predestination and fate is deemed silly. The Dragon-Men instead place stock in the tangible, their physical might and technology they can create and control.
The Reptilloids who suffered first-hand under the tyranny of the Totalitary consider this as an irrefutable fact, and they know it's not merely a matter of if, but when.
Humans on Planet Earth have myriad myths, legends, and entertainment revolving around "end of world" scenarios, whether divine, extraterrestrial, or man-made. Thanks to the comprehensive censorship efforts surrounding the Totalitary's first incursion, the average Human has no idea the planet suffered a brush with defeat against the Dread Enemy.
Other species abroad such as the Redali know what happened because their own histories are replete with ancient tales of powerful beings that used technology to enslave their victims, Powers that once stalked the stars in their quest for control.
The Traghdoash apparently knew of not just the prophecy itself but its future outcome and actually tried to interfere but were destroyed without any neighboring superpowers fully understanding what happened.
The Dynasty suffered a serious setback attempting to retaliate against the Totalitary, but they view them as a nuisance rather than a potential threat. Because Talpa covets the Mortal Realm for himself, he simply refuses to entertain the idea of a "common good" and would prefer a Realm under his rule than theirs.
Variations & Mutation
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Fall of the Argonauth
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Raurgoth's Fate
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Cye's Vision
Cye awakens to find himself in a ruined city. Raurgoth and the Incarnations are apparently dead, the other Ronin slain, and civilian Humans are being rounded up like cattle for an unknown purpose. After escaping hostile forces he encounters an elderly woman-the then-unnamed Renee Sanada, Ryo's biological mother-who relates the grisly details of what happened. Determined to put an end to this mysterious enemy or die trying, Cye embarks alone into the enemy stronghold. There he encounters Rowen-still alive but Converted into an agent of the Enemy. Cye is forced to kill him but is mortally wounded. Determined to see his mission through, he approaches the core and is presented with visions of future enemies such as Talpa, Mal Daggur, Beastlord, and Phitdaitiarona. Using the last of his strength, he summons an apocalyptic Power called the Panthalassa Wave and calls forth all the oceans of the world to wash away wickedness and remake the Earth free of corruption. Cye is greeted by "Suzunagi" who shares with him pieces of the puzzle and encourages him to keep up the fight but never forget his kind spirit. Cye awakens in the hospital and relates parts of his vision to Ryo and the others but does not disclose his vision of Rowen out of personal fear. They already know the Thangiens are the First Ally, and it takes an emphatic rebuke from Cye against a hot-tempered Chi Chi Lina, Azuro to get him to accept that the Thunthen are the Second Ally.Sage's Vision
A meandering maze of mysterious moments, Sage apparently witnesses the onset of the Cataclysm, the destruction of the Armors, a series of bizarre engagements against the Japanese military, and the onset of the End Tide itself. Thangien and Thunthen allies are shown engaging foes on the ground with Ki Ki Crol, Rona and Dhr Aurir noticeably absent due to their deaths in Cataclysm War and Spacequake respectively. Raurgoth is shown engaging enemies in the air alongside fellow titans Vaughisdrough and Dragon Master but is fatally shot by a city-ship's capital weapon, suffering an injury identical to Cye's vision. Sky Platform Argonauth is shown suffering catastrophic damage before exploding violently. Ryo is heard lamenting the death of Bak Thraplek and the senior-most of his crew. Rowen's voice is heard in the background as well, indicating he is alive and well and an active participant. Other similar vessels are mentioned: Illiad, Hellespont, Odessyeur, and Vesuvian. While Sage does not get a clear view of them at first, he sees shadowy beings flooding the field, later revealed to be Reptilloids under the leadership of Trakar. When all seems lost, a Thangien Mega-Gate is deployed directly above the battlefield, bringing in a new war host and the twin supercarriers Ramahatesguad and Huzonthunorthplier descend from on high, heralding the arrival of additional supercarriers led by a then-unnamed Myr Chedryn. Only then does the tide truly begin to turn.Explosions wracked the outer hull of the air platform and it shuddered, struggling to stay aloft. Swarms of triple-winged craft harried the dying vessel, and Sage caught a glimpse in his mind of valiant Bak Thraplek shouting desperate orders to Naz Dassyr, Ita Tarmvun, Rgn Chorrez, Koi Udsarrin, and Bau Daophyn as the bridge erupted in flame. Argonauth began to listing to one side, and with a piercing groan, a single large explosion split the ship asunder, sending flaming wreckage showering down over the battlefield. “Oh my God…Bak…the crew…” Sage heard Ryo’s grief-laden voice over the open channel, and it clicked: This was the End Tide. The prophesized Day of Doom. There would be no turning of the tide, no dawn’s triumph. This would be a ruinous, bloody battle of attrition.While Cye has divulged most of the details of his vision to the others, Sage largely remains mum except for a cryptic warning about his supposed death in the Cataclysm. He takes note of the presence of Vaugh and Dragon Master as the Argonauth prepares to evacuate to the Nether Realm in Spacequake Ch. 1 and comments to himself that "pieces are coming into play". Seeing Trakar in person confirms the role Reptilloids have to play in the final battle. Even though they are said to die in the end, it seems more adventures yet await them in a far flung future where there are no Ronin Warriors and heroism and righteousness are but distant memories.
Cultural Reception
Most races hope that the Totalitary were actually defeated in the past and fled never to be seen again. They have become the bogeyman of tall tales shared throughout High Space, a caution against rising too fast and falling too hard. But there are those learned in the ancient lore that know the truth and warn against complacency.
Spoiler Warning: Planned Content!
Last DanceTrakar pulled the metallic skull off of the neck and turned it over in his hands to examine it, his eye implants lighting up as he ran a scan. "I don't get it...how could something like this have happened under the Gods noses? I thought the Totalitary hadn't been seen for centuries!" Rowen argued.
"Just because they have not been 'seen' does not mean they have been idle. This seems to indicate they have steered their efforts to undermining your support structure and weakening your allies."
"It is entirely likely that due to Banguk's relative size and the spread of its cities that the populace were slowly being Converted without anyone realizing it. My guess is the only reason Almethea avoided contamination was because of the remote location of her village," Anubis commented and glanced at the Last Bangukian, who obviously looked distraught at the recent revelations.
"The Totalitary do not 'give up', Rowen. They do not slink off into the corner and think upon what they have done. They never stopped trying, and will never stop trying to achieve their goals. I believe now that is the true reason why Planet Runjen was brought to this system. While the Queens had their attention on the Oldworld, we would be used as an invasion force against the entire system. A planet-sized 'Trojan horse', if you will. The Totalitary, however, did not account on their power being broken by your ancestors. My scan turned up negative...the nanotech is completely inert. There is no risk of reactivation."
"I'm still trying to figure out how something as simple as fire could destroy such advanced tech..."
"Even metal will melt if hot enough. The Vyerrdeklagn just so happened to be hot enough."
In Literature
Official YST Lore
The original manga progressed vastly differently from the popular anime. To my knowledge it was never distributed outside of Japan nor translated into other languages. The gist of it as I understand is the three Dark Warlords are fused into a powerful monster but ultimately defeated and the original guys actually die in the finale. In the aborted sequel, Kayura returns as the Staff Bearer and a mentor to a new team of younger Armor Bearers fighting a new set of warlords led by a revived Talpa. There is an "Anubis-like" character named Ashura who wears a new version of the Ogre Armor and is either an antihero or bodyguard of Kayura, I'm not entirely sure as he is shown speaking to her in a panel. The only site I have found with explicit details about the manga is toyprison.onmitsu.jp. Not even Theria's Yoroiden Temple has much information about the manga. Even though the sequel sported new interesting Armor designs, it failed to gain traction with the fanbase and was canceled after a single volume, likely being overshadowed by the anime and expanded lore in audio dramas and OVAs. Apparently they tried to pull the "Transformers: the Movie" treatment by killing off the Core Cast to sell more merchandise, but fans had gotten so attached to the guys the "new adventures" just didn't catch on. To my knowledge the sequel is not considered canon to the OAS or OVAs
In Art
The only concrete clues to events leading up to the End Tide are found on on the Prophecy Wall located in Arizona in the United States. According to Roth, they are the work of Greytorata, the enigmatic Goddess of Time who shares no affiliation with the Four Queens. She claims to serve a much higher Power and only emerges from her self-imposed exile when the Totalitary attempt to manipulate the past.
"If we are to forge a pact with our ancient enemies, it can only mean that something will occur…something I have known about and dreaded ever since I was old enough to speak." Ryo watched, curious as the Watch-Rider drew in a sharp breath, his body shuddering with anxiety. "Entide." The word rattled out of his mouth in a labored sigh. "The End Tide….the last great battle, when all good heroes will die, and yet, the future of the next age is secured, and evil scoured from the stars.
Date of First Recording
Between 4000 B.C.-1900's A.D. Earth-Time
Date of Setting
Near-distant future
Related Species
Related People
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"The second ally will appear soon, but you will need all three for the last great battle.” “End Tide…” “When all good heroes will die. As I said, the cycle is endless, but with the passing of one generation, a newer, younger one shall take its place. Even if good can never reign forever, its reign can last for centuries. Your death will ensure such peace.”
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