Jeane and Zerase and Eresh... (Spoilers for V)

[Exclamation]

When Zerase meets with Jeane, she comments on how powerful Jeane is. About if Jeane couldn't give the rune to anyone, then no one could have done it.

When you first meet Eresh, she acts like Jeane is her superior, her senior officer or something like that. She says something about how if Jeane had to do it, then there's nothing anyone could have done. There is obviously some connection there. They are of the same race, tribe, species, whatever. Eresh says something along the lines of "I don't know of how much assistance I can be of in this vessel."

Any ideas as to what she's talking about. I know little is known of Jeane and she doesn't have a true rune and what not. But I would lose lots of respect for Konami if they went with all the Jeanes looking the same because they're a family. That's a REALLY cheap cop-out.

[Chaos_Zero]

Though I spoiled myself by reading this (I haven't made it that far yet), from what you have just told me, Eresh sounds like she takes control over someone else's body (vessel is definitely a term for the body she's currently in).

So if Jeane is to be of the same 'species', it would explain why she's been alive all this time. They probably leap from one body (maybe a homunculus/soulless body) or just take over someone's body. So they could be either Spirits that control others, or since this is Suikoden, it'd make sense if they were runes themselves. Runes that take over the hosted body and change their physical form to what we know them as.

[hatebobbarker]

seems more like jeane and eresh are something not human, and zerase seems like a human thats just special, since leknaat is human and isnt afraid to boss zerase around.
Its possible jeane and eresh are true runes, but unlikely since they arent more powerful, perhaps they are the true creators of the runes, ive always seen the sword and shield thing more as mythology. would make sense if were all just an expirement of jeanes.

[Yuki Tenkai]

Well, it was stated by one of the directors of the Suikoden series that Jeane is not a true rune, and does not have a true rune. Eresh is from another nation known as Nagarea, which is south of Falena. Zerase....is another story. Let's just say, that Zerase is Leknaat's subordinate.

[Desides]

Well, it was stated by one of the directors of the Suikoden series that Jeane is not a true rune, and does not have a true rune. Eresh is from another nation known as Nagarea, which is south of Falena. Zerase....is another story. Let's just say, that Zerase is Leknaat's subordinate.

Nothing was said about Jeane not being the incarnation of a True Rune, just that she doesn't bear a True Rune. Eresh's clothing is that of an over-age-40 priest (lending credence to the whole transmigration/possession thing for Eresh only), but not specifically from Nagarea.

The connection between all three seems to be that they take orders from Leknaat. There's no reason for Zerase to be familiar with Jeane unless Jeane had the same kind of connection to Leknaat that Luc and Zerase do. In fact, given how Jeane is in every single Suikoden title, she may be a spy of sorts for Leknaat.

When you first meet Eresh, she acts like Jeane is her superior, her senior officer or something like that.

No, no, no. Eresh uses the term "comrade," implying that her relationship with Jeane is that of an equal, not a subordinate. It makes more sense to figure that Jeane and Eresh are somehow working for Leknaat, rather than Eresh working for Jeane.

She says something about how if Jeane had to do it, then there's nothing anyone could have done.

Eresh is referring to Jeane's accidental unsealing of Shepcesska.

When Zerase meets with Jeane, she comments on how powerful Jeane is. About if Jeane couldn't give the rune to anyone, then no one could have done it.

You're mis-remembering the scene. Zerase said that since Jeane attached the Twilight Rune to Alania, then Zerase would have to accept Alania's ownership of the Rune. This implies a familiarity between the two, and the game allows us to infer that since Zerase takes orders from Leknaat, it is reasonable to assume that Jeane and Eresh are also Leknaat's subordinates.

[BunnieSwan]

Heyas, I just joined the forums and decided to add my two cents in the whole Jeane mystery.

Suikoden V has by far the most hints as to who or what Jeane might really be, however, they all just lead to more questions.

I haven't heard anyone mention the letter from Rania about Jeane. It goes like this:

"The Rune Mistress" -
"Her sounds are quite unusual. There are many of them, overlapping, pure...Quite beautiful as well."

Now, usually when speaking to Rania or even when you recruit her, she refers to someone's sound (singular), however in her letter she mentions Jeane having many of them.

Now throw in Eresh, who speaks of Jeane as her comrade and that she herself is speaking or acting through a vessel (which usually hints at possession). Could it be that Jeane herself is also a vessel? Remember back to Suikoden III when Jeane says to Koroku to keep her 'True Form' a secret from everybody. There is a common myth that animals can see souls or spirits.

And if there is a connection to Leknaat, who might these souls be? Perhaps the souls of her slain sisters from the Village of the Gate Rune...(I don't know, just throwing out theories here, lol)

As for Zerase, I don't think she herself is a vessel, although Oboro mentions that she never sleeps, and she referred to herself as "What" rather than "Who", in the bath scene with herself, Nikea, and Bernadette leading to Nikea being freaked out because she thinks Zerase is a ghost. (But that may be looking into things that don't mean anything).

Of course this is all just purely speculation. I was hoping for her mystery to be solved at least partially in this game (5 installations is a pretty long time to be wondering who or what the heck she is, lol), not to mention the whole business with Viki (anyone else wonder whether or not she teleports through time ACCIDENTALLY or is SENT there on purpuse by someone else without her knowledge...awfully big coincidence her ending up in wars where True Runes are at stake...)

I hope I just made sense.

[Mr. Toasty]

This is a theory of mine I now considered outdated, thanks to 4 and 5.

Jeane: really Terra Branford. Her artwork from Suikoden 2 bore an uncanny resemblance to Terra, and since Terra was half-Esper, I surmised that it was this natural affinity with magic that led her to become immortal. Of course, Espers were wiped out after the deaths of the goddesses, but the World of Ruin in FF6 "could" eventually become the Suikoden world. Either way, she is probably immortal.

Viki: The teleportation and the magic is real, but everything else is an act. She is actually an angel, sent by the "god" of the Suikoden world to watch over the Tenkai stars (wonder if this means "watching him bathe" ^_^). And Viki is insanely more powerful than she lets on.

I have a different theory about Viki now, but more on that later.

As for Jeane, another theory of mine was that she lived in some ancient civilization, thousands of years before the events of the main games. This era was very similar to our own ancient Egyptian dynasties; one fanfic I made had her and a few others entering a pyramid (underneath a Sindar ruin) to fight a Pharaoh. After playing Suikoden 5, I was tickled to see how close to my theory this was. Doesn't ancient Armes (I'm guessing that's the culture she refers to) look a bit like ancient Egypt?

I read a theory saying that Jeane might actually be old, but she uses her magic to stay young. This theory is supported here and there in 5, most notably during a bath scene where Lu thinks Jeane got hit with an ugly stick at a young age (Jeane just laughs it off as always, maybe because Lu is right!). But Lu...well, she's not exactly "stable".

[Desides]

I haven't heard anyone mention the letter from Rania about Jeane.

I mentioned it in the other Jeane thread. I think someone else also mentioned it. Your analysis is something new, but it's not really enough to say that Jeane transmigrates. Eresh is somewhat of a likely candidate for that, but Jeane still seems to be like Leknaat: she merely lives from game to game. Still an interesting theory, and we don't know enough to discount it. There is certainly enough evidence to support such a theory, especially the mural of a winged snake (an ourobolus?) in the ruins, and Jeane's comment about "leaving something behind."

Doesn't ancient Armes (I'm guessing that's the culture she refers to) look a bit like ancient Egypt?

Not really. The ruins are an amalgamation of ancient Mideast/Mediterranean civilizations. You've got the Egyptian hieroglyphs, but there are also Greek columns, a few architectural hints of Sumeria, and the ruin itself seems to be laid out like the city of Babylon. The inner ruins are definitely meant to resemble an Egyptian pyramid--and let's not mention Shepcesska's design.

Jeane: really Terra Branford.

So you're the guy who wrote that fanfic. No offense, but it's really an... unlikely theory.

[Yuki Tenkai]

Doesn't ancient Armes (I'm guessing that's the culture she refers to) look a bit like ancient Egypt?

Not really. The ruins are an amalgamation of ancient Mideast/Mediterranean civilizations. You've got the Egyptian hieroglyphs, but there are also Greek columns, a few architectural hints of Sumeria, and the ruin itself seems to be laid out like the city of Babylon. The inner ruins are definitely meant to resemble an Egyptian pyramid--and let's not mention Shepcesska's design.

also, Jeane's clothing and the hero's clothing are very middle eastern, and the Sun Rune and the Crimson Bird Clan tie back to Ancient Egyptian culture and mythology. Many names are middle eastern and Greek (Arshtat, Ferid, Zerase's original name of Dzerassa, etc), so I think most of the ideas of this game were inspired by mostly just Ancient Civillizations. I also noticed some Ancient Roman, Mesopotamian, and Chinese-looking costumes and names, also some of the history and mythology tied back to ancient civillizations.

As far as Jeane and Viki, their story will be something completely unbelievable that we will never ever guess until we see it. Same with Leknaat. Zerase's past we have a pretty good idea of, but it is not 100% certain. Also, I'm surprised no one mentioned that Zerase knew Jeane before the storyline during the Doraat siege. She mentioned that she "expected Jeane to be a part of it". This could answer some things, since Zerase and Jeane are both tied together by runes, and Jeane seems to know Eresh for whatever reason, and Viki seems to know Jeane from every video game. So, Jeane, Viki, Leknaat, Zerase, and Eresh are all connected somehow.

And Eresh's past and being will probably be explained if we see another game pretty soon that is taking place on the same continent as Falena, Nagarea, Armes, and Zairland...since Eresh comes from Nagarea. Also, just to put this out there, it was mentioned at one point that Nagarea is a place south of Falena that is more religious than the Holy Kingdom of Harmonia. We can sort of see this from Eresh's personality and dress.

[Desides]

And Eresh's past and being will probably be explained if we see another game pretty soon that is taking place on the same continent as Falena, Nagarea, Armes, and Zairland...since Eresh comes from Nagarea. Also, just to put this out there, it was mentioned at one point that Nagarea is a place south of Falena that is more religious than the Holy Kingdom of Harmonia. We can sort of see this from Eresh's personality and dress.

We don't know that Eresh is from Nagarea. While it's the likely candidate, it's not the only candidate. Regardless, Eresh's country of origin is less important than what exactly her intentions are.

As for Viki, she knows Jeane from prior Suikodens--that isn't a big mystery, or a hint at Viki's secrets. While it's possible that Viki is part of Leknaat's group, it's just as likely that she isn't.

I get the feeling that Leknaat's activities are somehow tied in to what Yuber and Pesmerga are fighting over.

[Sun of a Studio]

Y'know personally I think the creators of Suikoden never had an idea about what to do with Jeane, but with all these theories everyone is thinking up (some of them aren't bad) I think the creators of Suikoden only have one place to look to explain Jeane.

[Desides]

Y'know personally I think the creators of Suikoden never had an idea about what to do with Jeane

Apparently they were going to say that every Jeane is different, and she's always around because everyone in her family looks and acts the same... which is one of the worst character revelations EVER THOUGHT UP. Suikoden V makes it impossible for that theory to be true, meaning Konami ditched the idea.

[ClearCanvas]

Eresh's clothing is that of an over-age-40 priest (lending credence to the whole transmigration/possession thing for Eresh only), but not specifically from Nagarea.

Actually, in the Japanese version, it says her clothing *is* that of an age-40 priest from Nagarea.

Actual text:

彼女が着てるあの服はナガール教主国の上級
聖職者の衣装なんですけどね、その地位にな
るのはどんなに早くても４０歳くらいのはず
なんですよ。

Basic translation is the same, but it specifically says "Those clothes she's wearing are that of a high-level priest from Nagarea." Dunno why they left it out of the English version (space limitations? Those Oboro boxes are kinda small). Luckilly, Shula makes a coment in the Coment Box asking if she's from Nagarea in the English version, so it should hopefully be clear that it at least *appears* as if she's from Nagarea.

Now, whether she *is* or not...I think that, like others have said, this is just her current form, and she probably has had others in the past. This might be why Genoh doesn't make a comment about her when you take her to him (or does he? Not sure, but I don't think he does). Her spirit may be old, but her body is not.

[Sun of a Studio]

I know I know I was only kidding and throwing out one of those, "What If...?" type things. I don't know what Jeane is but I'm glad that Konami has went through so much trouble to define this one person. I give Konami a thumbs up for that.

[Desides]

Now, whether she *is* or not...I think that, like others have said, this is just her current form, and she probably has had others in the past. This might be why Genoh doesn't make a comment about her when you take her to him (or does he? Not sure, but I don't think he does). Her spirit may be old, but her body is not.

If Genoh is only commenting on old bodies, rather than old spirits, that confirms that Jeane doesn't transmigrate.

And thanks for the clarification on Eresh. Nagarea was the likely candidate, but since the game wasn't specific, we couldn't be exactly sure.