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Introduction

"What A Beautiful..." is a Steampunk Series created by Hikaru Sakurai and developed by Liar-soft. The Series is set in an early 20th Century Steampunk Universe that is quite similar to ours but has many changes and consists of Lovecraftian elements. The following blog would provide an in-depth explanation of the timeline of events, the cosmology of the verse, and the different concepts present in the series from the Visual Novels, Light Novels, Websites, and Guidebooks.

Timeline

The chronology of the series starts with the first VN "Souten no Celenaria" which is set in 1902 and is currently in 1909 with "Ourai no Gahkthun". The chronological order of the series so far:

  • Souten no Celenaria: ~What a Beautiful World~
  • Sekien no Inganock: ~What Beautiful People~
  • Shikkoku no Sharnoth: ~What a Beautiful Tomorrow~
  • Hikari no Valusia: ~What Beautiful Hopes~
  • Shiei no Sona Nyl: ~What Beautiful Memories~
  • Ourai no Gahkthun: ~What Shining Braves~
  • Ourai no Gahkthun: ~What a Shining Night~
  • Kaijin no Karsheel: ~What a Beautiful Sanctuary~
  • Shunkyoku no Tyrhhia: ~What a Beautiful Dawn~

Some information on the timeline as well as the story of the VNs from the guidebook (The events of Inganock Takes Place from 1903-1904 despite being listed 19XX in the guidebook which can be accredited to Grimm Grimm's Time Slowing effect on the City):

However, the actual timeline starts from 1822 AD when Randolph Carter goes on an expedition and comes in contact with the Land of Kadath from where Earth and Kadath develop a mutually beneficial relationship that not only rapidly develops the technological progress and societal conditions of both worlds but also brings bizarre paranormal events to them. A Timeline of events in the series till 1908 (Begininning of Gahkthun) from the guidebook:

Cosmology

The entire verse is a Multiverse so far that consists of different Universes and at one point, the verse had Infinitely growing/multiplying Infinite upon Infinite series of multilayered and stacked Universes (Some of which was absorbed/devoured by the Jet Black beyond space, time, and causality).

たとえば遙かな過去、永久無限に連なり重なり増殖する無限複層宇宙の幾つかを、時間と空間と因果を超えて奴の“漆黒”は喰らったが、それさえ、或いは.
— Sharnoth Promo Story


Moreover, there are mentions of New World in Ourai no Gahkthun from where the Thunderbird entity originated but no further info is given about it except for the fact that it exists outside of Reality where Nikola Tesla was able to come into contact with the Ancient Spirit Thunderbird.

Furthermore, in the "Engine Dictionary" book, there is also mention of a "World of Histories" from where The Moon King aka Thomas Alva Edison came from.

「あれは」

「第1に、氷河が大地覆う頃」

「第2に、灰燼が大空覆う頃」

「第3に、1822年」

「我か身と同じ "存在" を有し、我か身と同じ "機能" を備え、我か身と同じ "御名" さえをも伴って」

「三度、遙か《史実》の果てから顕れた」

「──異空の《私ニャルラトテップ》だ」

— Sharnoth Fandisk
人は、月の王を覚えているだろうか。

時計仕掛けの神。

チクタクマン。

這い寄る混沌。時間人間。昏き意思。発狂の時空。異空より来たる月の王。

それは、史実の世界から訪れた外なる神の一柱だ。宇宙における形質のひとつ、時間と空間を司りし外なるものヨグを喰らい、あらゆる時空における連続体となることを選んだ、残酷なりし歯車と混沌の時の神だ。

カダスの月を支配せしものだ。

すなわち、並行し偏在する宇宙における黒の王ではあるが、まったく異なり、こちらの黒の王とは違う。違うのだ。何もかもが違うのだ。

人よ、忘れてはいけない。月の王は、あらゆる知的生物を、精神動物を、ひとを、人々を、特に類人猿から進化を果たしたこの星の人類に対して残酷な興味を抱いているのだ。月の王があなたを観察する時、あなたの精神が幸福を得ることは二度とないだろう。

誰も月の王から逃れることはできない。

月の王が認識した宇宙は、もう、駄目だ。

あの瞳に見つめられてしまえば、誰も彼もが、月の王の、夢の辿り着く箱庭(ソナーニル)で蠢く人形に過ぎない。大機関時計が、終末時計の突き立った惑星は、もう、駄目だ。人よ、せめて、それを知らずに死んでいくがいい。知ってしまえば、そう、選択肢は多~ない。痛みの大司祭クライブのように狂気へと落ちたるは人の敗北だ。そうなるぐらいであれば、そうだ、私は……。

私は……。

— Steampunk Engine Dictionary


However, there are two main places in the series where all the events of the VNs and Novels take place. They are Earth and Kadath which are two planets. Earth is our regular world where Steam Engine has developed tremendously and has significantly changed the lives of the people. Kadath is a planet that's stated to be bigger than the Earth and where beings of different species as well as humanoids are found. Kadath was first discovered by Randolph Carter in 1822 and since then, both planets and their people have been able to develop a state of co-existence and mutually beneficial relationships with each other in terms of business, travels, import & export, and so on.

Some information on both Earth and Kadath from the guidebook as well as from the Visual Novels:

Concepts & Terminologies

The following section would give information on the various important concepts and terms found throughout the series to help the readers understand them properly as they are essential in the storyline of the entire series.

Engine

Engine is the term given to machines in the series, specifically and most Steam-Powered machines. They are used in the daily lives of the people for various purposes ranging from as simple as cooking to as complex as building and controlling giant mechas.

Crack Engines

Crack Engines are Engines or machines that are modified by the infusion of the Phenomenon Equation. They are mostly used as artificial limbs and replacement organs/body parts, however, they are also used to strengthen the mind as well as the body of the user and are capable of bending the Laws of Physics due to the presence of the equation in it.

Information Space

Information Space is a realm where information consisting of various events and things are connected. Information Space is technically not space and is more reminiscent of The Internet or Digital World where information is accumulated and stored from various engines. Individuals can easily copy the stored information from the Information Space into their brains just by looking at them even enabling them to memorize information worth thousands of pages long in mere seconds. The only way to access Information Space is to connect it with a connector machine and upon which not only the Subconsciousness of the individual would be sent to the Information Space, but they would also be recognized as High-Density Information Entity. Time is dilated in Information Space where one second in the realm is 1/10,000 second in Real Life.

Phenomenon Equation/Cracking

Phenomenon Equation aka Cracking or Cracking Effect or Astea Theory is a Formulae that has been developed by the Grand Priest Astea and was given to him initially by the Tick Tok Man aka Thomas Edison. Its an ability using which an individual would be able to produce phenomenon akin to Fairy Tale Magic that surpasses the Laws of Physics.

現象数式

かつての閉鎖都市インガノックで生み出されたとされる力。

1903年のインガノックで発生した《復活》と呼ばれる異常現象の理由と原因を研究していた大公爵アステアによって発見された怪理論であり、ある種の《数式》を真に理解し、脳裏に描くことで、おとぎ話に登場する“魔法”にも似たさまざまな現象を操ることができるとされた。

本来は大機関メガ・エンジン級の大計算機オルディナトゥールを用いた実験でのみ実現がなされるというが、都市インガノックにおける "空白2年もしくは10年" に於いては、脳内変異を起こした一部の人間たちが “おとぎ話の魔法使いののように” 個人の技術もしくは能力として括用したという秘匿記録の存在が囁かれている。

これらの能力者たちは、熟達すれば火器を超える破壊の炎を操ることも、欠損した肉体を治癒することさえ可能となるが、脳内変異を引き起こしていても、尚、複雑で奇怪なアステア理論を習得できる人間はごく一部であり、使用者は都市人口の1%にさえ満たないという。

──以上が、合衆国をはぢめとする大国の中枢や諜報組織で密かに伝えられる現象数式の知識だが、ある筋の情報では、そもそも現象数式の大規模実験こそがNY及びインガノックの惨事を引き起こしたものと認識されている。ならば、現象数式を生み出したのはインガノックのアステア大公爵であるはずがない。

疑問の回答となる説も存在する。大公爵に現象数式の知識を与えたのは、各国中枢から恐れられる巨大結社《西インド会社》の盟主であるとも、世界最高の頭脳のひとりとして讃えられた大碩学ロード・エジソンであったともいう説である。 これらの説は、世界の、ある種の暗がりに於いては主流の見解となっている。

— Steampunk Engine Dictionary


The use of the Equation can allow individuals to achieve various effects such as creating explosions and destructive force that exceeds firearms and explosive, destroying someone's nerves, restoring damaged body and cells, emitting lights, substituting matter, control flames, bending physics, stealing possibilities from people, creating Kikais and Critters, and so on.

However, not every Phenomenon Equation user is capable of performing all the desired effects and at most, they can perform two to three effects. Case in point is Dr. Gii (Protag of Sekien no Inganock) who can heal individuals as well as substitute matter and biological parts but is unable to perform any destructive type activity or even warp reality. Moreover, Phenomenon Equation is unable to change the nature of one's existence itself.

Cracking Field

Cracking Field is a dimension that exists within a rift in reality with the use of the Cracking Effect aka Phenomenon Equation and is capable of twisting the very fabric of the world. An integral aspect of Ourai no Gahkthun's story, the Cracking Field can be summoned from beyond reality by the members of the Governing Council of the Academia where they are to defeat their enemy within a specific time to get their wish granted.

Kikai

Kikai or Kikais are beings who are an extremely important part of Sekien no Inganock's story. They were created due to the Phenomenon Equation experiment (as shown above) 10 years ago and they are the possibilities of the 41 Unborn Children and as such, they never die, rot or decay as they have no material form and exist as possibilities. Kikais are the same as Critters/Creatures where both complement the other and as such, they can kill the latter.

Kikais are not a Life, but a possibility representing that, and as such, they have no life or death, and moreover, the concept of time does not exist for them.

Kikais are very similar to Stands from JJBA or Personas from Persona, however, some Kikai's are mass-produced using Amnerol called Zahhak and these are 33 in number but they are raw power with no individuality.

Critters/Creatures

Critters or Creatures are beings or entities who are also an extremely important part of Sekien no Inganock's story while making appearances in Ourai no Gahkthun and Shiei no Sona Nyl. They were also created due to the Phenomenon Equation experiment 10 years ago and started killing the people of Inganock. Formed from the 41 toys that were supposed to be given to the 41 Unborn Children, Critters/Creatures are powerful phenomena who are also the fearsome form of Death that can exist in Information Space.

Being a Phenomenon, Creatures are impervious to physical laws as well as being intangible existences and since they are the same as Kikais (as shown above), they also get the same physiology and basic abilities as the Kikais and vice-versa.

Critters/Creatures cannot be physically harmed, let alone defeated, except for their unique weaknesses. A trait of Critters/Creatures is that they imitate the forms of fairy tale beasts and have a spring-screw in their bodies that can be easily identified.

Critters/Creatures are capable of interacting with each other as well as with Kikais, Human Minds, and Souls.

Critters/Creatures also have the ability to release a sound that stiffens human minds by destroying their cranial nerves or collapsing their brains thereby inducing panic and insanity even if the humans' have their minds strengthened by Crack Engines. Moreover, critters can spread the Phenomenon of Death itself while they can also infect information and absorb them.

It is interesting to note that different Critters have different abilities and its difficult to survive their attacks because even if someone dodged their attacks, they would be affected by the passive abilities present in the nearby space or Area of Effect.

Metacritters/Metacreatures

Metacreatures or Metacritters are similar to Critters as they are Paranormal Phenomenon and Illusions existing in Reality. They are monsters born from Darkness and too warped to exist in the world and shouldn't exist outside of a fairy tale. They too are unaffected by human attacks such as guns, explosives, chemical reactions, etc much like Critters.

However, Metacreatures are not natural occurrences and are born from human hosts as these beings are forms of human passion and wish.

Metacreatures are capable of evolving and they can link their memories and mind with their hosts so that the hosts can see and feel their actions as well as pain. Moreover, when a Metacreature dies, the host not only loses their connection with Sharnoth forever as Metacreatures are born from Darkness, but they can also die as the minds are connected to the Metacreatures whereupon changes in mind can affect the matter/body as well.

Sharnoth

Sharnoth is a realm that is home to the fearsome being called the Black King, a entity not of this world controling the eternal chaotic world of Sharnoth and who himself is incarnate of an entire dark universe. The king rules the eternal world on his own and is completely alone.

Sharnoth itself is an eternal and infinite sized realm of complete blackness and nothingness where anyone (or even anything including sound itself) coming in contact completely ceases to exist and becomes nothingness and part of Sharnoth itself.

The colorless and soundless world of Sharnoth itself has no time and as such, time never passes in this realm, and neither its effect on human beings is present in it. Moreover, there are countless Sharnoths where one is for each human, and as many Sharnoth exists as there are humans.

However, the world of Sharnoth (or the countless Sharnoths) itself is an extension of the Black King and the black city of Sharnoth exists in the eyes of M, an avatar of the Black King. Sharnoth is the way it is (aka Nothingness) because of M/Black King who feels nothing.

However, at the end of the VN, when Mary made the Black King feel love and hope, Fissures of Light ran through the worlds of Sharnoth and the Jet Black Sharnoth completely disappeared while destroying Baron Münchhausen who was the dark aspect of the Black King.

Art

Art is a crucial part of Ourai no Gahkthun's plot. In simple terms, Art is a superpower or supernatural power bestowed upon to the students in the Academia, and those who wield or use Arts are called Art-Bearers. However, Arts are beyond the bounds of logic itself and this is due to the fact that Art is an expression of the Cracking Effect itself.