Continuing from last time, we’ll be focusing on the Crystrons and Metalfoes.
The Crystrons
Just what is up with their names (and some of the designs)? Well the non-Tuners are based on the Guardian beasts of the directions, a group of creatures who feature in Chinese and Japanese legend and mythology, who are said to be the guardians of the 4 cardinal directions.
The names of the monsters are all based on varieties of Quartz, a highly common mineral composed of Silicon and Oxygen.
Crystron Quon (クオン)
Simply put, its name is a corruption on the word Quartz (クォーツ).
Crystron Thystvern
Its name is a combination of the words Amethyst and Wyvern. Visually, it is based Qinglong/Seiryu, the Blue Dragon that guards the East. Amethyst itself is a Purple variety of Quartz.
Crystron Citri
Its name is a corruption of Citrine, a glass-yellow variety of Quartz.
Crystron Smoger
Its name is a combination of Smoky Quartz and Tiger. Visually it is based on Baihu/Byakko, the White Tiger that guards the West. Smoky Quartz is a grey-brown variety of Quartz.
Crystron Prasiorator
Its name is… well, we’re sure it’s based on Prasiolite, a green form of quartz also called Green Amethyst, but the animal is unsure. It might a Gator, but it doesn’t fit the image of the card being a snapping turtle with a snake for a tail. Incidentally, its design is based on Xuanwu / Genbu, the Black Turtle-Snake hybrid that guards the North.
Crystron Rosenix
Its name comes from Rose Quartz, a pink-ish type of quartz. Visually it’s based on Zhuque/Suzaku, the Bird that guards the South. The creature does look like a pheasant perpetually on fire, but most Japanese media tends to simplify Zhuque/Suzaku as being more or less a western phoenix/firebird.
Crystron Quondam
Thematically this card is based on Cryston Quon, but it likely takes its name from Quantum Quattro Silica, a healing stone that contains Quartz. (Based on its Quattro element, is the reason it’s Level 4.)
The Metalfoes:
First Off, Why “Metalfoes”?
The original name for the Metalfoes in Japan, Metalphose, is a portmanteau on Metal and the Germanic word Metamorphose, which means Metamorphosis (the act of transforming from one thing to another). Why German? Because Metamorphose became a loan word in Japan (a word they picked up) based on Germanic/Dutch speakers trading in the country during periods of isolation. So why Metalfoes?
They might of chosen the localization to be an easy pronunciation of the term for TCG Players unsure of how to pronounce the name.
Rare Metalfoes Bismagia
Its name is a merger of Bismuth and Magia. Bismuth is an odd and brittl metal best known for its artificially made 90 degree angular designs with rainbow coloration (formed via oxidation). Magia itself is the Latin term for magic or scorcery.
Bismuth itself has an unknown etymology (i.e. a history of meaning), but it’s suspected to come from Bi Ismid, Arabic for “Having the properities of Antimony” or the German term Weiss Masse, White Mass, (Translated in New Latin as Bisemutum), due to the metal’s white flaky nature in its natural form.
Its design is obviously based on the artificial alloy form.
Metalfoes Mythriel
This card is based on mythril, a legendary metal that originally originates from the Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkein. It’s essentially described as being like silver, but stronger than steel.
The name comes from two words from one of Tolkein’s self constructed languages: “mith” (grey) and ril (glitter), so “Grey Glitter”.
Full Metalfoes Alkahest
This card has two components its name comes from.
First is Alkahest, the term for the universal solvent desired by alchemists to dissolve any substance. Now obviously the issue is if you have a substance that can dissolve anything, what container can possibly hold it since the solvent would dissolve the container. The term was coined by Paracelsus, the father of known alchemy.
The other half of its name is blatantly a reference/shout out to Full Metal Alchemist, a popular manga from Japan that ran from June 2001 to July 2010, as the Alkahest sounds similar to Alchemist and is one of the goals of the alchemist.
Well.
That’s it for this time.
For next time, I might do the Darklords.
