The idea of cities floating in gas giants was popularized by the Star Wars movie The Empire Strikes Back, in which a gas mine floats in the atmosphere of the planet Bespin. Another notable example is the antigravity-supported City of Stratos, in the Star Trek episode The Cloud Minders. In Stargate Atlantis the title city floats on an ocean (although it is actually a fully functional interstellar spaceship). The main setting in Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy is a giant dome shaped city that is a spaceship. In the Beast Wars of the Transformers universe, the Vok build an observational flying land structure on which are a garden and a number of buildings.
In Ringworld series, floating cities are all that remain of the ancient inhabitants of the Ringworld. In James Blish's series Cities in Flight, the invention of the spindizzy allows cities like New York to leave Earth and roam the universe.
Below is a list of fictional airborne castles, which does not include pure space stations.
Folk Tales
* The giant's castle in the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, later incorporated into the comic book series Fables
Books
* Laputa in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726)
* The castle in Serbian fairy-tale Castle neither on sky nor on ground (Чардак ни на небу ни на земљи/Čardak ni na nebu ni na zemlji)
* Morrolan's castle "Castle Black" in Steven Brust's books about Vlad Taltos (starting 1983)
* Howl's castle in Howl's Moving Castle (1986) and sequel Castle in the Air (1990) (by Diana Wynne Jones).
* The Flying Citadel used by the Dragonarmies in the Dragonlance novels
* The abandoned flying castle which crashed in the mountains in With A Single Spell by Lawrence Watt-Evans (1987).
* Cloud Club in Another Day, Another Dungeon by Greg Costikyan.
* The flying/moving cities in Philip Reeve's novel Mortal Engines (2001) and its subsequent sequels.
* Heidelberg in Cloud Castles by Michael Scott Rohan
* The Castle in the Air in The Phantom Tollbooth (1961) by Norton Juster
Video Games
* The Flying Fortress/Sky Castle in Final Fantasy (1987)
** The Tower of Zott in Final Fantasy IV apparantly is somewhere in the sky (as seen by the airship going straight up to reach it).
** The Lonka Ruins in Final Fantasy V as well as some of the castles pulled into The Void.
** The Floating Continent of the famous Final Fantasy VI.
** Ultimecia's castle in Final Fantasy VIII (1999).
* Dalaam in Earthbound.
* Township in Breath of Fire 2.
* Zenithia castle in the Dragon Quest series (1986)
* The air castle, known as Air Castle, which once floated above the planet Parma of the Phantasy Star series (1987).
* An unnamed floating tower in Crystalis (1990).
* The Sky Palace, found in the Act Raiser games (1990).
* Fort Bird-man in E.V.O.: Search for Eden (1992).
* The Mana Fortress in Secret of Mana (1993)
* Nimbus Land in Super Mario RPG (1996)
** Bowser's Castle is capable of turning into a floating castle in many of the Mario Bros games, including Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
* The floating Doom Island on which the Fortress of Doom was found in Lufia & the Fortress of Doom (1993) and its prequel Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals (1996).
* The Sky Sanctuary in Sonic & Knuckles (1994).
* The floating kingdom of Zeal in Chrono Trigger (1995)
* The Castle That Never Was in Kingdom Hearts II (2005).
* In the MMORPG MapleStory, the primary "airport" for the Maple World is the city of Orbis, a Greco-Roman style castle area that floats in the sky.
* 'Academy' towns in Heroes of Might and Magic V (2006).
* City in the sky in the Wii game Twilight princess (2006).
* Floating City of Vane in the Lunar Series (1990s-2006)
* In the 1998 PC game Unreal, the natives, known as Nali, have a floating settlement above the planet Gryphon called "Na Pali Haven" complete with a river, farms, and a town center.
* The Citadel in Crusaders of Might and Magic (1999)
* Neameeto-The Castle of Deranged Gods in Shadow Hearts (2001)
** Idar Flamme in Shadow Hearts: Covenant (2004)
* The Castle in the Clouds in the Sky, found in the Kingdom of Loathing (2003).
* The Valuan Imperial Palace in Skies of Arcadia (2000)
* Roper Klacks's castle in The Longest Journey (1999)
* The Darigan Citadel in Meridell in the Neopets (1999) world.
* Faerieland in the Neopets (1999) world.
* The floating island in Cave Story (2004)
Television and Movies
* The castle named Laputa, in tribute to Laputa of Gulliver's Travels, in the 1986 animated film Castle in the Sky.
* Sanctaphrax, both the first and the second in The Edge Chronicles series. Sanctaphrax is actually a giant floating rock with a city built on it fastened to the ground with a chain.
* Helliwood in Now and Then, Here and There (1999)
* Hiranipra and other unnamed cities in the sky in RahXephon (2003).
* The Steam Castle (aka., Steam Tower) in Steamboy (2004)
* Space-faring mountain-castle in Krull (1983)
* Airborne head-shaped rock vessel in Zardoz (1974)
Other
* The castle on a floating rock in The Castle in the Pyrenees, a painting by René Magritte (1959)
* The castle on a cloud from the imagination of Cosette from the musical Les Misérables (1980)
* Castle made of clouds high above the "mucky-muck", inhabited by Tenacious D's Wonderboy (2003)
* The city of Airlandis in the 1996 tv program, Dragon Flyz.
* The upside down castle above the dueling platform in Revolutionary Girl Utena (1996)
* A flying brothel and a flying windmill on a chunk of land in the music video of (2005) by Gorrilaz.
In Ringworld series, floating cities are all that remain of the ancient inhabitants of the Ringworld. In James Blish's series Cities in Flight, the invention of the spindizzy allows cities like New York to leave Earth and roam the universe.
Below is a list of fictional airborne castles, which does not include pure space stations.
Folk Tales
* The giant's castle in the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, later incorporated into the comic book series Fables
Books
* Laputa in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726)
* The castle in Serbian fairy-tale Castle neither on sky nor on ground (Чардак ни на небу ни на земљи/Čardak ni na nebu ni na zemlji)
* Morrolan's castle "Castle Black" in Steven Brust's books about Vlad Taltos (starting 1983)
* Howl's castle in Howl's Moving Castle (1986) and sequel Castle in the Air (1990) (by Diana Wynne Jones).
* The Flying Citadel used by the Dragonarmies in the Dragonlance novels
* The abandoned flying castle which crashed in the mountains in With A Single Spell by Lawrence Watt-Evans (1987).
* Cloud Club in Another Day, Another Dungeon by Greg Costikyan.
* The flying/moving cities in Philip Reeve's novel Mortal Engines (2001) and its subsequent sequels.
* Heidelberg in Cloud Castles by Michael Scott Rohan
* The Castle in the Air in The Phantom Tollbooth (1961) by Norton Juster
Video Games
* The Flying Fortress/Sky Castle in Final Fantasy (1987)
** The Tower of Zott in Final Fantasy IV apparantly is somewhere in the sky (as seen by the airship going straight up to reach it).
** The Lonka Ruins in Final Fantasy V as well as some of the castles pulled into The Void.
** The Floating Continent of the famous Final Fantasy VI.
** Ultimecia's castle in Final Fantasy VIII (1999).
* Dalaam in Earthbound.
* Township in Breath of Fire 2.
* Zenithia castle in the Dragon Quest series (1986)
* The air castle, known as Air Castle, which once floated above the planet Parma of the Phantasy Star series (1987).
* An unnamed floating tower in Crystalis (1990).
* The Sky Palace, found in the Act Raiser games (1990).
* Fort Bird-man in E.V.O.: Search for Eden (1992).
* The Mana Fortress in Secret of Mana (1993)
* Nimbus Land in Super Mario RPG (1996)
** Bowser's Castle is capable of turning into a floating castle in many of the Mario Bros games, including Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
* The floating Doom Island on which the Fortress of Doom was found in Lufia & the Fortress of Doom (1993) and its prequel Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals (1996).
* The Sky Sanctuary in Sonic & Knuckles (1994).
* The floating kingdom of Zeal in Chrono Trigger (1995)
* The Castle That Never Was in Kingdom Hearts II (2005).
* In the MMORPG MapleStory, the primary "airport" for the Maple World is the city of Orbis, a Greco-Roman style castle area that floats in the sky.
* 'Academy' towns in Heroes of Might and Magic V (2006).
* City in the sky in the Wii game Twilight princess (2006).
* Floating City of Vane in the Lunar Series (1990s-2006)
* In the 1998 PC game Unreal, the natives, known as Nali, have a floating settlement above the planet Gryphon called "Na Pali Haven" complete with a river, farms, and a town center.
* The Citadel in Crusaders of Might and Magic (1999)
* Neameeto-The Castle of Deranged Gods in Shadow Hearts (2001)
** Idar Flamme in Shadow Hearts: Covenant (2004)
* The Castle in the Clouds in the Sky, found in the Kingdom of Loathing (2003).
* The Valuan Imperial Palace in Skies of Arcadia (2000)
* Roper Klacks's castle in The Longest Journey (1999)
* The Darigan Citadel in Meridell in the Neopets (1999) world.
* Faerieland in the Neopets (1999) world.
* The floating island in Cave Story (2004)
Television and Movies
* The castle named Laputa, in tribute to Laputa of Gulliver's Travels, in the 1986 animated film Castle in the Sky.
* Sanctaphrax, both the first and the second in The Edge Chronicles series. Sanctaphrax is actually a giant floating rock with a city built on it fastened to the ground with a chain.
* Helliwood in Now and Then, Here and There (1999)
* Hiranipra and other unnamed cities in the sky in RahXephon (2003).
* The Steam Castle (aka., Steam Tower) in Steamboy (2004)
* Space-faring mountain-castle in Krull (1983)
* Airborne head-shaped rock vessel in Zardoz (1974)
Other
* The castle on a floating rock in The Castle in the Pyrenees, a painting by René Magritte (1959)
* The castle on a cloud from the imagination of Cosette from the musical Les Misérables (1980)
* Castle made of clouds high above the "mucky-muck", inhabited by Tenacious D's Wonderboy (2003)
* The city of Airlandis in the 1996 tv program, Dragon Flyz.
* The upside down castle above the dueling platform in Revolutionary Girl Utena (1996)
* A flying brothel and a flying windmill on a chunk of land in the music video of (2005) by Gorrilaz.
The JBpedia () is a an online tool which will serve as an open forum for members of CISV junior branch around the world to share, collaborate, explore histories and create new ideas and projects. Based on a -like model, the JBpedia will be changeable by anyone. This means that the information within the JBpedia will be constantly changing and adapting.
CISV
CISV is an international youth organization, founded on the aim of achieving world peace through cross-cultural understanding and friendship. The organization operates international programs on an annual basis to bring together participants from member countries.
CISV was founded in 1951 by Dr. Doris Twitchell Allen. When her husbond left her to figth in world war two and she decided to create a organisation. If children become friends with children all around the world there will be no war, because no one would ever fire a gun against a friend. Since then, the organization has expanded into 80 countries, and over 150,000 delegates have participated in more than four thousand international CISV activities.
For Dr. Allen and the CISV organization, children and youth were seen as the ideal starting point for peace education. Programmes were developed which offered young people opportunities to meet their peers from other countries and to form intercultural friendships. Locally, programmes give people the chance to learn about the cultures in their own communities and explore important themes related to peace and understanding.
The JBpedia
The JBpedia is a soon to be released online tool of the International Junior Branch which will serve as an open forum for members of CISV around the world to share, collaborate, explore histories and create new ideas and projects. Based on a -like model, the JBpedia will be changeable by anyone. This means that the information within the JBpedia will be constantly changing and adapting.
The JBpedia will be officially released on the 15th of September, 2007. The idea is that following the launch, many members of CISV junior branch will get involved by editing a page - this could be setting up their personal page, helping build an article by adding or correcting the content, putting up their Junior Branch news or writing their own International Junior Branch Conference Story. The possibilities are endless.
External links
*[http://www.ijb.cisv.org/jbpedia JB Pedia Website (launching September 15th, 2007)]
*
*
*
*[http://www.cisv.org/s/contactframe.htm National CISV associations (member countries)]
de:JBpedia
es:JBpedia
it:JBpedia
he:JBpedia
no:JBpedia
fi:JBpedia
sv:JBpedia
CISV
CISV is an international youth organization, founded on the aim of achieving world peace through cross-cultural understanding and friendship. The organization operates international programs on an annual basis to bring together participants from member countries.
CISV was founded in 1951 by Dr. Doris Twitchell Allen. When her husbond left her to figth in world war two and she decided to create a organisation. If children become friends with children all around the world there will be no war, because no one would ever fire a gun against a friend. Since then, the organization has expanded into 80 countries, and over 150,000 delegates have participated in more than four thousand international CISV activities.
For Dr. Allen and the CISV organization, children and youth were seen as the ideal starting point for peace education. Programmes were developed which offered young people opportunities to meet their peers from other countries and to form intercultural friendships. Locally, programmes give people the chance to learn about the cultures in their own communities and explore important themes related to peace and understanding.
The JBpedia
The JBpedia is a soon to be released online tool of the International Junior Branch which will serve as an open forum for members of CISV around the world to share, collaborate, explore histories and create new ideas and projects. Based on a -like model, the JBpedia will be changeable by anyone. This means that the information within the JBpedia will be constantly changing and adapting.
The JBpedia will be officially released on the 15th of September, 2007. The idea is that following the launch, many members of CISV junior branch will get involved by editing a page - this could be setting up their personal page, helping build an article by adding or correcting the content, putting up their Junior Branch news or writing their own International Junior Branch Conference Story. The possibilities are endless.
External links
*[http://www.ijb.cisv.org/jbpedia JB Pedia Website (launching September 15th, 2007)]
*
*
*
*[http://www.cisv.org/s/contactframe.htm National CISV associations (member countries)]
de:JBpedia
es:JBpedia
it:JBpedia
he:JBpedia
no:JBpedia
fi:JBpedia
sv:JBpedia
Presea Combatir is a character from the video game Tales of Symphonia, released by Namco for the Nintendo GameCube and Sony PlayStation 2 (the PlayStation 2 version was released in Japan only). She is voiced by Houko Kuwashima in the Japanese version and played in English by established voice actress Tara Strong.
Although Presea bears the physical appearance of an adorable, pink-haired 12-year-old, and is physically the shortest member of the team, she is an extremely capable warrior. She possesses relatively high HP and wields a very large axe in battle to cut enemies asunder. Presea is the only character besides Lloyd who does not use magic attacks.
Presea is a lumberjack from the small town of Ozette, in Tethe'alla; she earns money selling custom figurines, brooches and lucky charms in Meltokio.
History
Presea's sister Alicia had left for Altamira, and their father Sieg had become too ill to continue work as a lumberjack. Presea wished to be strong enough to use her father's axe in his place, so she agreed to take part in an experiment which involved using herself as a host body in creating a Cruxis Crystal. The Exsphere increased her strength, however without a working Key Crest, it also halted her physical growth and suppressed her emotions. Under the influence of the Exsphere, Presea did not notice when her father died, and so she did not bury him until later when a Key Crest was carved for her out of inhibitor ore.
Personality
Presea's true personality is repressed by her special Exsphere until late in the game, when Lloyd attaches a Key Crest made by Altessa to it. Even afterwards, her emotional response remains somewhat subdued. Her speech is relatively blunt, and she is unfamiliar with the basic etiquette against such directness. She tends to follow along with the group, only stopping to truly take in the situation when it is extremely important. Her lack of social graces makes her unable to recognize her own awkwardness until someone points it out. Examples include Presea still speaking "Klonoan" outside Altimira, and imitating the Gnome brothers when Colette remarks that they're cute.
Although Genis likes Presea, it is unknown that Presea has true interest in Genis beyond friendship. However, in the Japan-only Playstation 2 version in the game, it is possible for the two to go on a date should the player choose Genis as his soulmate during the Flanoir event. Due to the anti-aging effects of her Exsphere, Genis sees Presea as a girl near his own age, unaware that she is actually twenty-eight years old.
Presea's only emotional constant is her loneliness. She constantly counts herself out (with good reason) and assumes she has no one left to be with. This makes her extremely quiet and very reserved, and thus she usually only speaks when addressed. She dwells on the fact that she has lost sixteen years of her life and is loath to speak of her father or sister around others.
Presea has a violent temper, though she is difficult to offend. When she is angered, her already massive strength becomes lethal. This is shown when she attacks Vharley in Meltokio and either Colette or Regal in Welgaia. She is not only deadly, but nearly impossible to calm once roused.
Other
After the party meets Presea in Meltokio, they eventually help her obtain a working Key Crest. It is revealed that the Exsphere slowed her aging process: although Presea appears to be 12, she is actually 28.
The villagers in Ozette ostracize Presea for her unusual past, her dangerous connection to the Tethe'allan clergy, and her lack of physical aging in the past 16 years. Her emotions were suppressed for 16 years, and as such Presea tends to behave like a robot (even analyzing the probability of certain events as a percentage), especially when the party meets her. She begins to age again once her key crest is attached.
Trivia
*Presea can gain the title "Dream Traveler", which will change her outfit to that worn by Klonoa, the star of his own game series.
*Combatir, in Spanish, means "To fight", reflecting her strong axes.
*Presea is referenced in Tales of the Abyss. One of dolls (called "Empty Girl") resembles Presea and unlocks Anise's Beast arte, which is also one of Presea's techs.
*In battle, if Presea has the title "Little Madam" on she can be seen holding a bunny doll as her weapon at random times.
Although Presea bears the physical appearance of an adorable, pink-haired 12-year-old, and is physically the shortest member of the team, she is an extremely capable warrior. She possesses relatively high HP and wields a very large axe in battle to cut enemies asunder. Presea is the only character besides Lloyd who does not use magic attacks.
Presea is a lumberjack from the small town of Ozette, in Tethe'alla; she earns money selling custom figurines, brooches and lucky charms in Meltokio.
History
Presea's sister Alicia had left for Altamira, and their father Sieg had become too ill to continue work as a lumberjack. Presea wished to be strong enough to use her father's axe in his place, so she agreed to take part in an experiment which involved using herself as a host body in creating a Cruxis Crystal. The Exsphere increased her strength, however without a working Key Crest, it also halted her physical growth and suppressed her emotions. Under the influence of the Exsphere, Presea did not notice when her father died, and so she did not bury him until later when a Key Crest was carved for her out of inhibitor ore.
Personality
Presea's true personality is repressed by her special Exsphere until late in the game, when Lloyd attaches a Key Crest made by Altessa to it. Even afterwards, her emotional response remains somewhat subdued. Her speech is relatively blunt, and she is unfamiliar with the basic etiquette against such directness. She tends to follow along with the group, only stopping to truly take in the situation when it is extremely important. Her lack of social graces makes her unable to recognize her own awkwardness until someone points it out. Examples include Presea still speaking "Klonoan" outside Altimira, and imitating the Gnome brothers when Colette remarks that they're cute.
Although Genis likes Presea, it is unknown that Presea has true interest in Genis beyond friendship. However, in the Japan-only Playstation 2 version in the game, it is possible for the two to go on a date should the player choose Genis as his soulmate during the Flanoir event. Due to the anti-aging effects of her Exsphere, Genis sees Presea as a girl near his own age, unaware that she is actually twenty-eight years old.
Presea's only emotional constant is her loneliness. She constantly counts herself out (with good reason) and assumes she has no one left to be with. This makes her extremely quiet and very reserved, and thus she usually only speaks when addressed. She dwells on the fact that she has lost sixteen years of her life and is loath to speak of her father or sister around others.
Presea has a violent temper, though she is difficult to offend. When she is angered, her already massive strength becomes lethal. This is shown when she attacks Vharley in Meltokio and either Colette or Regal in Welgaia. She is not only deadly, but nearly impossible to calm once roused.
Other
After the party meets Presea in Meltokio, they eventually help her obtain a working Key Crest. It is revealed that the Exsphere slowed her aging process: although Presea appears to be 12, she is actually 28.
The villagers in Ozette ostracize Presea for her unusual past, her dangerous connection to the Tethe'allan clergy, and her lack of physical aging in the past 16 years. Her emotions were suppressed for 16 years, and as such Presea tends to behave like a robot (even analyzing the probability of certain events as a percentage), especially when the party meets her. She begins to age again once her key crest is attached.
Trivia
*Presea can gain the title "Dream Traveler", which will change her outfit to that worn by Klonoa, the star of his own game series.
*Combatir, in Spanish, means "To fight", reflecting her strong axes.
*Presea is referenced in Tales of the Abyss. One of dolls (called "Empty Girl") resembles Presea and unlocks Anise's Beast arte, which is also one of Presea's techs.
*In battle, if Presea has the title "Little Madam" on she can be seen holding a bunny doll as her weapon at random times.
SMPlayer is a multiplatform multimedia player based on MPlayer. It is based on Qt version 4, and thus can be run on both Windows and Linux. It includes all the features of MPlayer, plus the ability to remember all the settings of each file it plays.
Distributed under the GNU General Public License, SMPlayer is free software.
Distributed under the GNU General Public License, SMPlayer is free software.