Maple Story Facts & References

Thank you for the correction.
Did some study on the term and realized I make mistake between naming Greek and Rome.
Will make an amend on it.

 

Saw you were doing some research, got any clue as to what this text says on the wall of the Kerning City Defense Store? It seems to be in English but assets seem to be blocking the full image.

 

MapleStory Archeologists, here you go!

 

I didn't bother that since it's blocked and I though it was a random doodle with uncomplete sentence.
Now I learned new thing again


Also speaking about wall text, there's another one on Dr. Naora Hospital. But it's totally unreadable so I have no idea what's the original sentence.


BTW, after the update 65. There's a Royals exculsive only easter egg in the hospital.

 

Hm, my first assumption was that it might read
DANGEROUS
OFF LIMIT
but the more I look at it the more it looks like nonsense.
Rotated+greyscale+brightness/contrast hiked up a bit
Maybe it's
DAN.FROW
OF YNUP

 

A thoroughly enjoyable read! I've never noticed some of these little details, especially that each town had a specific culture referenced.

Great work, I'd really love to see more!

 

I think it says ninja weapon

 

Part 6: Mu Lung, Shanghai & Lushan

Spoiler

Mu Lung

Mu Lung is based on Chinese garden.


The dojo UI is based on typical fighting video game.


Maybe a coincidence, but the dojo angle looks like a scene from movie "Matrix".


One of the Mu Gong's attack skill is also based on Street Fighter's skill "Hadouken".


The transportation bird between Orbis and Mulung is called "Stork".
This is referred to European folklore that believe stork are responsible for bringing babies to new parents.

Shanghai

Shanghai Wai Tan is based on same place in our world.


The big ship here did exist in Shanghai as well.

"冒险岛" is the official name of China Maple Story.
However, it mean "Adventure Island" when translate directly.


There's a "NEXON" building at the background.
天空之城 = Orbis (literally mean "Sky Castle")
金银岛 = Victoria Island (literally mean "Gold Silver Island")
盛大密宝，盛大网络 = Grand Treasure and Internet


药水 = Potion
我爱冒险岛 = I love Adventure Island
冒险饮料 = Adventure Drinks
欢迎进入冒险岛 = Welcome to Adventure Island
东方名柱 = Oriental Pearl Tower (literally mean "Oriental Famous Pillar" in same pronounciation)
好吃好喝 = Great Food and Drinks


中华第一装备店 = China Number One Equip Shop
绝对冒险剑 = Absolute Adventure Sword
冒险十八式 = Adventure in Eighteen Style
天下无双 = Unparalleled in the World

The last vertical text on right side listed all the weapon type of Maple Story. (Not gonna list them)


The Weapon Seller NPC and Owner Jang seems referred to "包租婆 & 包租公 (Landlady & Landlord)" of Stephen Chow's movie "功夫(Kung Fu Hustle)".

Lushan

Lushan town is based on same place in China "嵩山".


嵩山 = Mount Song
美肤 = Beauty Skin
藥師堂 = Pharmacist
自由市场 = Free Market


金刚韦駄 = Skanda (A guardian of Buddhist monasteries)

无我 = Non-self
It mean that there is no unchanging, permanent self, soul or essence in phenomena.

我相 = My image
It mean everything that can prove our self existence will be my image.

佛 = Buddha
禅 = Zen


Shaolin Temple with the same world reference.
少林寺 = Shaolin Temple
藏经阁 = Buddhist Sutras Library


大雄宝殿 = Mahavira Mall.
It's the main hall of Buddhist temple.

普賢身相猶如虛空 = Buddhist itself is a void
如來境界無有邊際 = There is no boundary in Buddhist
It mean Buddhism has unlimited power.


This is a phrase of Buddhism.
However this is only first two sentences and I'll add the rest two of it for better translation and complete meaning.

菩提本无树 = There is no wisdom tree
明镜亦非台 = nor a stand of a mirror bright
本来无一物 = Since all is void
何处惹尘埃 = where can the dust alight

It mean while everything is emptiness (śūnya), and even emptiness is emptiness.
(Thanks @lolo123 for the correction)


The NPC Master Haifeng is actually training "铁砂掌 (Iron Palm)".
It's Shaolin Kung Fu that train your palm hardness by chopping iron sand.
It was believe when this skill is mastered, you're able to break hard steel with bare palm.


Temple Block Monster is based on Wooden Fish.
A wooden percussion instrument and often used by monks during Buddhist rituals.


The "Monk" monster are based on "十八羅漢 (Eighteen Arhats)" of Buddhism.
They are followers of The Buddha and charged to protect Buddhist faith.

However in moderns art now, they are usually adapt into monk with gold/bronze paint body.
Photo taken from Stephen Chow's movie "食神 (The God of Cookery)".


Dharma is the actual historic figure. He is the founder of Shaolin Temple and Zen Buddhism.
Notice that the circle in scroll is actually Zen symbol.

Trivia

Yaoseng boss used level 60 Holy Spear.
Heh, he better did white scroll to goldly stat. Or else I'm gonna blacklist him for doing low damage in bossing.

 

Great work Rinn

 

I like your interpretation of Buddhism part. But I want to point that "明镜台" ("mirror table") is a noun, which indicates "佛性”(Buddha-dhātu) or “真如”(bhūta-tathatā) . It is a very special noun in Buddhism as “菩提树”(podhi tree). So the meaning of “菩提本无树，明镜亦非台” is to illustrate a point in "大乘佛教"(mahāyāna): "空" (śūnya), while everything is śūnya and even śūnya is śūnya (万物缘起性空，空亦是空).

 

Thanks for the correction. These Buddhism things are hard for me.

Yes I can roughly understand the phrases, but I just have no idea how to translate it. While keeping it simple but also not losing the original meaning.

Do you have any idea for better translation? Or this current explanation is good to quote in?

 

I found a satisfying translation online. I think it is better to also add the translation of the last two sentences: 本来无一物，何处惹尘埃。
"There is no wisdom tree; nor a stand of a mirror bright, Since all is void, where can the dust alight?"

 

Sounds better
I will add this and credit you. Thanks!

 

Awesome awesome thread! A couple of other things about Kerning City:

1. To further clarify on Dr. Naora: The word "naora" (나오라) is a command form conjugation used in a traditional dialect of the verb "naoda" (나오다), which means to come out or to appear. Why this word is used I'm not sure, but it may have something to do with its similarity to the word "na-ara" (나아라)--a command form conjugation of the verb "nada" (나다) which is an extremely versatile word. One use of this word is in references to illnesses; for example, to say "my cold is healed" you could say "gamgiga natda" (감기가 났다). All of that said, this is most likely just be a random word used as a name.

2. The word "kerning" itself is a well-known term in typography used to describe the allocation of space between letters in a particular font. Given the aesthetic of diverse signs and billboards throughout the town, the name Kerning City could likely be a direct reference to this art form.

3. I'm not fluent in Greek but based on my understanding of the alphabet SIXTOPIA should in fact be βIXTOPIA in order to properly read "VICTORIA." Is it a typo? Is the proper letter hidden underneath the vines? Who knows?

 

Part 7: Skills

Spoiler

Dragon Blood



The animation of Dragon Blood is based on "Ouroboros".
It was an Ancient Greek symbol that shows a circular snake or dragon that is eating its own tail.
Representing "infinity" and "the cycle of birth and death".


Looking for someone who know the meaning of Greek symbol in this skill.

Beholder

Beholder is based on same creature in tabletop game "Dungeons & Dragons"

Combo Attack



The animation of Combo Attack is based on "Solomon Seal".
The similar animation also applied to combo related skill such as Panic, Coma, and Enrage.

Haste

速 = Speed

Flash Jump

飛 = Fly

Savage Blow

天 = Sky
流 = Flow
血 = Blood
斬 = Cut
殺 = Kill
For full sentence, it mean "Cut the sky until bleeds".

Avenger & Band of Thieves

忍 = Shortform of "Ninja", or literally "Endure"

Chakra



Chakra is based on "Dharma Chakra" with the meaning "maintain".
It was the symbol of Buddhism.


Moreover, all these thief skill above (except Haste and Avenger) have some unknown symbol in the animation.


It doesn't match properly. But they look alike to Sanskrit text. An ancient language that commonly used in Buddhist scripting.
Which is reasonable when ninjas are actually related with Buddhism in origin.

Seal

☥ = Ancient Egypt Aknh
It represent life.

ɤ = Close-mid back unrounded vowel
It's a type of vowel sound, used in some spoken languages.


Literally "Sealing your voice and life".
When your voices are sealed, you can't chant to cast skill. Your life are sealed as well by unable to do anything.
The monster will showed "silent" symbol after being sealed, because they can't "speak" to chant skill!

Mystic Door

Mystic Door uses "Torii" symbol as skill animation.
It's very hard to notice in gameplay because the animation is too quick.

Torii is a traditional Japanese gate commonly found at the entrance of Shinto shrine.
It represent the entrance to sacred space. It was a very good and fitting reference here. While the door did functioned to transfer party member into different space.

Ifrit & Bahamut

Both Ifrit & Bahamut are based on the same name monster in Islamic mythology.

Ifit is a spirits of the dead and often associate with underworld.
And Bahamut is a giant fish that lies deep below that holds up the earth.


However in nowadays, their appearance been changes alot in popular cultures.
*Photos reference from video game "Final Fantasy"*

Piercing Arrow & Sharp Eye



Both skill's animation have the symbol of Tree of Life (Kabbalah)
It represent the evolution stages of life.


Moreover, there's also a symbol of "Illuminati" in Sharp Eye.
Illuminati confirmed! Now you know why everyone asking for SE

Skill reference from coppersan

 

Definitely looking forward to more cool stuffs

 

Things like this makes me love this game...with their little things...is obvious how is made with actual love at the start.....thanks for your asesome job again...

 

So glad I stumbled upon this thread!
Really enjoyed reading all this, can’t wait for next update.
Keep it up