Iselia, the Village of Oracles (神託の村イセリア Shintaku no Mura Iseria?) is a place in Tales of Symphonia. It is the hometown of Lloyd Irving, Colette Brunel, Genis Sage, and Raine Sage, as well as the place where Colette receives her Oracle.
History[]
Background[]
Despite being the hometown of the four party members, Colette is the only one born in the village. Lloyd lives on the outskirts of the village with the dwarf, Dirk. Genis and Raine came to the village years ago, claiming to be elves in order to live there, as half-elves are commonly discriminated against in Sylvarant. Raine serves as the teacher of the local schoolhouse; Lloyd, Colette, and Genis all attend school there. When the Chosen, Colette, was born, Iselia made a treaty with the Iselia Human Ranch that stated: As long as the two locations do not interfere with each other, the half-elven Desians of the ranch will leave the village alone. This was for the purpose of protecting Colette, as it is believed that the Desians oppose the Chosen. The village is later destroyed under the Desian Grand Cardinal Forcystus' command; due to Lloyd and Genis breaking the treaty-based on the belief that the Desians had broken it first. Lloyd and Genis were subsequently banned from the village for their actions.
Tales of Symphonia[]
The story begins with what is known as the "Day of Prophecy", which marks when the Chosen will receive his or her Oracle. When the Oracle appears, Raine, who is teaching a class of students, leaves to investigate, prompting Lloyd, Genis, and Colette to follow. After the events at the nearby Martel Temple, Lloyd and Genis return to Iselia and visit the Brunel home, witnessing the family speak with Kratos Aurion, whom the two met at the chapel, about the Journey of Regeneration. Despite Lloyd's insistence on accompanying Colette on her journey, Kratos rejects his offer. Lloyd and Genis then leave, agreeing to make a small detour on Lloyd's way home. The following day, Genis goes to retrieve Lloyd, claiming that Colette and her companions have left without saying goodbye. When the two return to the village, they find it in flames.
Forcystus reveals to the village's mayor and its residents that Lloyd broke the peace treaty with the Desians, prompting the attack on the village. As a punishment, the Desians release a monster that Lloyd and Genis are forced to fight, only to discover after the battle that the monster is Marble, Genis's friend. Marble manages to subdue Forcystus and seriously injure him before dying, and Lloyd and Genis are banned from the village as a result of their actions, leaving them with no other choice but to find Colette and accompany her on her journey. Later in the story, after having tamed the Giant Kharlan Tree, the group returns to Iselia. At the Brunel home, Phaidra, Colette's grandmother, explains how the Tower of Salvation disappearing is a disaster because it served as a beacon of hope for devout followers of the Chosen.
She further explains that all Chosens have paid their failure with their lives, but Colette is still alive, which leaves the people with no one else to blame but her. Outside, Lloyd witnesses the mayor's anger upon learning that he and Genis have returned to the village despite their ban. The mayor also makes a remark about Raine and Genis's status as half-elves, having lied in order to live in the village. Despite the mayor's public rant, the citizens of Iselia take the group's side, forcing the mayor to allow Lloyd and Genis in the village again. Raine is touched by the moment and leaves in order to avoid being seen crying, and Kratos is later asked by Phaidra and Frank, Colette's father, to escort Colette to Dirk's House so that Dirk can inspect Colette's illness.