Found! Power Spots are confirmed!

[ZeaLitY]

Found; check replies below! Thanks to Swordmaster.

Things are not going to move smoothly until the quote about Elements drawing energy from natural power points is found. I've even stopped believing in it for the time being; please denounce this as an urban legend and find it within Chrono Cross somewhere. It isn't in the Steena/Direa questions, either.

[V_Translanka]

Aw man, that's the one that I absolutely know is true because I've seen it. It's either from an NPC on White Dragon Isle (at some point) or from the decendant of Toma (also at some point) or perhaps one of his traveling companions...I'm just not sure I remember where or when it was. But it's true! I knew I should have wrote it down when I saw it...

[ZeaLitY]

Even if its just a word like "point," can you remember any of the terms? I'll search that entire script.

[Swordmaster]

I think it is an explorer in one of the Divine water falls that say it.

[ZeaLitY]

Here is the transcribed scene. Disc 1, Another World, Divine Dragon Falls. This is a rare case in which Dragonite is accidentally used instead of Dragonian, but it isn't the only such occurrence.

[Demihuman]

Years ago, these falls were
considered a holy place
by the worshippers of the
Divine Dragon Faith.

Then hordes of humans began
to migrate to these islands
and we were pushed into
the outlying regions.

In the cultural takeover
That ensued, the spiritual
significance of places such
as this was soon forgotten.

[Demihuman]

In the old days, many of
my friends and fellow
believers would come
here to worship.

It was quite lively,
particularly during the
festival seasons.
How I miss those days...

[Explorer]

There didn't seem to be
anything worthy of note
inside of here.

Hey Caaptaaiin!
Let's head home!

[Explorer]

Ancient lore reveals that
the Dragonites knew of
certain land formations
they called Power Spots.

There they are said to
have used the natural
energy of the planet to
generate Elements.

Yo, Captain...!
Can we go home now?

[Captain]

It appears that the altar
at the back of the cave
was made to house the
Dragon Tear.

But the strange thing is
that there was only meant
to be one Dragon Tear in
this land...

...And yet the altar has
two holding stands!
I wonder what that
could indicate?

This place is
unearthly!

[Steena]

By the Great Dragon
Gods!

The sacrarium of the
Divine Dragon Falls
still exists...and
it seems functional!

It's just as the
legends of old said
it would be!
What a blessing!

Utilizing its power, we
just may be able to create
the "Chrono Cross" here!

Try placing a piece
of the Dragon Tear
on this stand.

Great Dragon Gods!
We are yet unable to
utilize the altar...?

I know that we need
the six Dragon Relics
that offer up divine
supplication...

Could 'that' legend be
true... Is there a
seventh dragon, and a
seventh Element...!?

We need the other piece
of the Dragon Tear before
we can accomplish anything.

[Swordmaster]

Thanks

But what conclusion we get with this piece of Information?

[ZeaLitY]

I just wanted to make absolutely sure of it. It'd be better to write the article with tones of fact and authority than "well, they might have forged elements at power spots...maybe."

[GrayLensman]

But what conclusion we get with this piece of Information?

It proves that Elements are artificial.

[Leebot]

But what conclusion we get with this piece of Information?

It proves that Elements are artificial.

Not necessarily (and it also depends on the exact definition of artificial). It could be that all it takes to "generate" an element is to dip your hand into a power spot, focus on magic just the right way, and an element will coalesce in your hand. In that case, it's pretty much natural.

On the other hand, if you have build a reactor on top of the power spot, place a crystal inside, let mana seep into the crystal, then heat to 400 degrees (Celsius, of course) at precisely 3.5 atm, then they're artificial.

[V_Translanka]

Hmm...I guess that's the quote I was talking about...But, I was sure as hell that they called them power points, not spots...Hmm...I wonder if it's another quote I was thinking of?

[razor's edge]

But what conclusion we get with this piece of Information?

It proves that Elements are artificial.

Not necessarily (and it also depends on the exact definition of artificial). It could be that all it takes to "generate" an element is to dip your hand into a power spot, focus on magic just the right way, and an element will coalesce in your hand. In that case, it's pretty much natural.

On the other hand, if you have build a reactor on top of the power spot, place a crystal inside, let mana seep into the crystal, then heat to 400 degrees (Celsius, of course) at precisely 3.5 atm, then they're artificial.

Reptites were unable to use magic. And even dipping your hand in and focusing a certain way is still artificial. Artificial is anything not occuring naturally. Take a stick and tie a rock to the end, and you've made a hammer; you've made something artificial.

[Hadriel]

Anything to which I have to apply any energy to get it to work is artificial.  A bowl of Cocoa Krispies doesn't make itself.

[GrayLensman]

But what conclusion we get with this piece of Information?

It proves that Elements are artificial.

Not necessarily (and it also depends on the exact definition of artificial). It could be that all it takes to "generate" an element is to dip your hand into a power spot, focus on magic just the right way, and an element will coalesce in your hand. In that case, it's pretty much natural.

On the other hand, if you have build a reactor on top of the power spot, place a crystal inside, let mana seep into the crystal, then heat to 400 degrees (Celsius, of course) at precisely 3.5 atm, then they're artificial.

[list=1]

• Unless the planet is spontaneously generating Elements like Materia from Final Fantasy 7, they must be manufactured by some process.  The Dragonians created the Dragon God to control the natural energy of the planet.  Elements must require a similar level of sophistication.
• I realize that's just an example, but I think twenty fifth century technology regarding Elements is a lot more sophisticated than that.[/list:o]

[Leebot]

Well, if we start to focus on the word "generate"...

In the real world, power plants generate electricity. Electricity is a natural process (lightning bolts), but we need to do some work to store it in a useable form (batteries when not constantly generated).

If we extend this metaphor, Elements could be pure manifestations of the planet's energy (the planet has Volcanos, Icebergs, and Tornados naturally, right?). The Dragonians generate Elements, then store them somehow (I'm still thinking crystals/gems of some sort) so they can be cast as spells.

Disclaimer: I can't say if all the implications here were carried over from the Japanese version. Even if we did know what the Japanese version said, we'd probably need a native speaker to puzzle out all the implications.

[GrayLensman]

Well, if we start to focus on the word "generate"...

In the real world, power plants generate electricity. Electricity is a natural process (lightning bolts), but we need to do some work to store it in a useable form (batteries when not constantly generated).

If we extend this metaphor, Elements could be pure manifestations of the planet's energy (the planet has Volcanos, Icebergs, and Tornados naturally, right?). The Dragonians generate Elements, then store them somehow (I'm still thinking crystals/gems of some sort) so they can be cast as spells.

Disclaimer: I can't say if all the implications here were carried over from the Japanese version. Even if we did know what the Japanese version said, we'd probably need a native speaker to puzzle out all the implications.

Let's not argue semantics.

Elements are not simply storage devices for natural energy.  Elements are objects which perform a specific, carefully controlled function.  "Blue Field," "Heal All" or "Diminish" Elements do not represent naturally occurring phenomena.  Elements operate based on natural principles, like electromagnetism, but they are artificial creations, like a power plant or dry cell battery.

I don't think Elements store natural energy so much as control it.  Reusable Elements appear to have infinite lifetimes, even after thousands of years of operation.  Elements must be able to recharge or simply manipulate the energy in the environment,which makes sense considering field effects.  I'd consider Elements to be more like capacitors.  They build up energy over a short period of time and releases it.

According to Zeality, the translation of Chrono Cross is second to none.