The lore of Batora: Lost Haven is rich in hidden symbols and meanings, and gathering them is a fundamental stage of your journey as a Keeper of Balance.
So, without further ado, let’s dig deeper into another unrevealed facet of the game: the Four Elements governing the universe!
In Batora: Lost Haven, the universe is the expression of a well-ordered whole, arranged according to a fragile balance between opposing and complementary elements that depend on each other.
Originated from primordial chaos, the four elements of fire, air, water, and earth are the basis of this order of things. The myriad ways they combine determine the nature of everything that surrounds us, both in its physical and non-physical manifestations, including even living creatures, from primordial to higher forms of life.
Many scholars attribute the invention of the four-element theory of matter to Empedocles (5th century BC). But almost all ancient cultures across the World (Ancient Egypt, Persia, Babylonia, Japan, Tibet, and India) accorded great importance to them, even a long time before!
The four elements were even used to describe the four temperaments a person could have. These theories stated that a person needed to balance these temperaments to be strong both mentally and physically. And this, as you probably know, is also a core principle in Batora: Lost Haven.
From Persian philosopher Zarathustra to Babylonian mythology, from the catudhatu (“four elements”) in Buddhism to Medieval alchemy, the elemental system, though with some differences, has always had a powerful symbolism that keeps echoing down to the present.
Today, the classical elements are still fundamental pillars of many modern religions and cultures, even though science does not support them as the material basis of the physical world. However, in a way the four elements align with the four states of matter that modern science has agreed on: solid (earth), liquid (water), gas (air), and plasma (fire).
As for the guiding principles behind the conception of these elements in Batora: Lost Haven, alchemy plays the most significant role, but it’s easy to find references to cultures and religions from all over the globe.
Alchemists used four triangular symbols to represent the four elements. In their view, since each of them shares one of its qualities with another element, leaving one completely unrelated, they generate two couples of opposites: fire and water, air and earth.
Moreover, the combination of the symbol of fire, an upward-pointing triangle, and the symbol of water, a downward-pointing triangle, creates a six-pointed star (hexagram), the symbol of evolution and involution, of the eternal union of energy with matter, the product of which is harmony and balance.
Both the six-pointed star and the alchemical symbols are present in the game’s logo!
As previously stated, the four elements are the foundations of life in Batora: Lost Haven and the main principles that allow for cosmic balance: each of the four planets Avril will cross along her journey indeed guards an elemental force and adapts to it, determining, in this way, its appearance and features.
Even the various forms of life that inhabit these heavenly bodies take their shape after the elemental essence which generated them.
Let’s see in more detail each of the four elements and how we portrayed them in the game!
EARTH
Earth is dense, passive and fertile. It provides shelter and protection but can be destructive and hostile as well. Its alchemical symbol is a downward-pointing triangle, bisected by a horizontal line.
The planet guarding this element is Gryja, a rocky and desert planet forged by recurrent earthquakes, defined as Gryjaquakes.
AIR
The air element can be as soft and gentle as a breeze or violent and forceful as a tornado. Its alchemical symbol is an upward-pointing triangle, bisected by a horizontal line.
Huav is the planet that hosts the elemental essence of the air. Built on a huge hurricane, its sharp rocks, apparently heavy, can float like clouds.
WATER
Water is accorded a purifying power. It is life-giving but can also be destructive. The alchemical symbol for this element is a downward-pointing triangle.
Mahdzam is the planet marked by the elemental essence of the water. It encompasses water in its three states: solid, liquid, and gas. Its fauna resembles a coral reef, and the wise beings that inhabit it fluctuate as if they were swimming.
FIRE
Fire is attributed to transformational and purifying powers. It can give warmth and enable life, and it can also burn and destroy. Its alchemical symbol is an upward-pointing triangle.
The planet that hosts the essence of fire is Lume, a world that harbors primordial forms of life but seems to have no trace of inhabited villages.
We’ll go deeper into the main features and early steps in the design of each planet later on, but you can already have a closer look at Gryja’s World-building.
Keep following us for more details and insights into the universe of Batora: Lost Haven and don’t forget to wishlist the game on Steam!
