Sylphanian Expedition
The Sylphanian Expedition (シルフ探検隊, lit. Sylph expedition) is a group of researchers lead by Princess Anemone to unravel the mysteries of the floating Draconia islands. They are the sworn enemies of the Thunderous Plunderers, having clashed with the pirates several times in the past.
Appearances[edit]
Dragon Quest Treasures[edit]
The Sylphanians are a well organized team of explorers lead by Captain Levanter, under the authority of Princess Anemone. Sylphania is not described in detail, only being referred to as a land of gusts and eddies. It can be inferred that the nation is a meritocracy where one's competency takes precedent over species, and even one's age―several children are shown to be fully-fledged members of the expedition and are given responsibilities similar to the adults. This is best exemplified in Wyndy, who is the captain of the expedition's flying ship despite being no older than Erik or Mia, and by Gayle who is the rising star of the Sylphanians in terms of treasure hunting.
The Sylphanian uniform is styled after real world military uniforms in contrast to the Plunderers, the men's being a sleeveless single-breasted coat with a high collared, waist-length cape, with the women's being a skirt with long sleeves and a shoulder-length cape that resembles a cassock which covers a slender cape that extends to their heels. The younger members wear diminutive copies of the men's uniform with the exception of Gayle, who prefers a skirt. Aside from the Princess and Levanter, all Sylphanians are seen wearing hats: the men wear captain's hats, the women wear garrison caps, and the children wear chauffuer hats.
As the purpose of their work is to conduct research instead of harvesting the abundance of treasures that litter the islands, the group maintains a friendly acquaintance with Erik and Mia and does not consider them to be hostile to their ventures. This will change when the player completes all five of Levanter's training quests, which results in the the Sylphanians being added to the ranks of gangs that will attempt to raid Eggshell Island for the player's displayed treasure. The captain states this is to keep the blue-haired, blue-eyed children's skills sharp, and the infamous cursed-equipment jingle plays during the dialogue exchange to further highlight the silliness of extra difficulty being the reward for so much work.
Bait-and-switch humor at the expense of the player aside, the Sylphanians become genuine allies to the siblings over the course of the adventure, particularly Gayle and the Princess herself through their personal questlines. This comes to a head in the finale, where the Sylphanians escort Erik and Mia to La Isla Dorada for the confrontation with Long John Silverbones, the captain of the Thunderous Plunderers.
Known members:
Base raiding members:
Trivia[edit]
- It is possible that Silverbones' firstmate Gustav may be of Slyphanian descent, owing to the tri-lobed knots that adorn his clothing that he shares with Gayle, his wearing of a Japanese-style sash, and his name following the convention of wind-themed puns typical of the nation. Captain Levanter states that he and Silverbones once worked alongside one another directly under the king of Sylphania several years before the beginning of the game; considering Gustav's fierce loyalty to his captain, it is possible that Silverbones was able to sway him to become a member of his crew when he deserted the kingdom.
Etymology[edit]
- Sylphanian is derived from the Sylphs, a type of air elemental first documented in the 16th century writings of Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim.
Gallery[edit]
Princess Anemone
Captain Levanter
Gayle
