The Gardens (
Organization[]
The Gardens are divided into four units that are known as the Four Gardens (
Garden of Swords[]
The overseer of the Garden of Swords (剣の庭園) was the Emperor prior to his death. He wielded the Monarch's Regalia set of artifacts that enabled him to manipulate gravity in combat. He had three known subordinates:
- One of Swords (Ace Rayne, deceased)
- Three of Swords (Swin Abel, defected)
- Nine of Swords (Nadia Rayne, defected)
Garden of Thorns[]
The overseer of the Garden of Thorns (棘の庭園) was Melchior prior to his death. His artifacts included his dagger and a method of endlessly creating bombs, each considered an artifact in their own right.
Ixs and Jorda were both members of Melchior's Garden. Prior to his death, Melchior ordered all of his subordinates to kill each other, and only they were left standing. It is also stated that these two had been raised in the Garden following the destruction of the cult that they were born in.
Garden of Aurum[]
The overseer of the Garden of Aurum (金の庭園[Note 1]) was Olympia prior to her death or capture, depending on the player's choices in Trails through Daybreak. Her artifact was Ishtanti, a doll that assisted her in combat and absorbed all her emotions.
Garden of Rust[]
The overseer of the Garden of Rust (錆の庭園) was Arioch prior to his death. His artifact was the Fangs of Rahu, a special halberd and suit of armor that bolstered his resilience, strength and longevity through the taking of others' lives.
Background[]
Origins[]
Following the destruction of the Order of the Moonlight Horse, one of its members, Ellroy Harwood, became the Fourth Anguis of the organization that destroyed the Order; Ouroboros. When the D∴G cult was exterminated not long afterwards, Harwood facilitated the remnants of the Order merging with the remnants of the Cult to form the Gardens. Despite his involvement in its creation, Harwood allowed the Gardens to do as they pleased.[1]
Trails of Cold Steel IV[]
The Gardens gather children with special circumstances and trains them as assassins in places called factories. After enrolling, their names are discarded and the mere mention of their real name will lead to severe punishment.
Members of the Organization can be divided as low-ranking and high-ranking members. Low-ranking members who graduate from the factories are given a name based on the Minor Arcana, hence Swin and Nadia being known as Three of Swords and Nine of Swords. They are bound by the Garden's strict rules requiring them to cooperate and requiring them to rat out their partner if they attempt to betray or escape the Organization. If two members are caught betraying the Organization, they are purged; however, if one of them exposes the other attempting to betray the Organization, then that person will be spared and granted freedom while the exposed person is purged.
Before the events of Three and Nine, Swin's (Three of Swords) partner was the One of Swords. When the two of them failed in an attempt to escape the Organization, the rules dictated that if one of them betrayed the other, that person would be spared. Ace made it look like he was betraying Swin, but in reality, he allowed Swin to kill him thinking he was defending himself against a traitor, because he didn't want Swin to feel the guilt of betraying a partner.
Within the next three years, Nadia, Ace's younger sister, became Swin's next partner. During the events of the book, Nadia is aware of the truth about Ace's "betrayal" of Swin who falsely thinks Nadia seeks to kill him in revenge. The two of them fool their Overseer who is supervising them, the Emperor, into thinking Nadia is about to betray Swin, but this is all a ploy; thanks to Swin's sword's properties and Nadia's analysis techniques, they are able to overcome the Emperor's gravity manipulation tactics and defeat him. They execute him before leaving the Organization for good.
Trails into Reverie[]
Due to Swin and Nadia's betrayal, the Gardens send assassins after them, including Ixs and Jorda of the Thorns, but they are able to escape into Crossbell, apparently losing their pursuers.
A simulacrum of the Emperor wielding copies of the Monarch's Regalia serves as an obstacle to Swin, Nadia, and their new allies during the events of the game.
Melchior later mentions stealing a spare of the mask used to control Ilya Platiere during the events unfolding in Crossbell, implying he was present unseen. It is possible that he was initially there seeking to kill Swin and Nadia.
Trails through Daybreak[]
The known remaining Overseers of the Gardens, Melchior, Olympia, and Arioch, ally themselves with the Almata mafia group throughout the course of the game. Melchior is loyal to the leader Gerard Dantès, while Arioch and Olympia are working under a contract. They come into conflict with the Arkride Solutions Office multiple times. Ouroboros seem to have a vested interest in taking the Gardens' personnel out, with Walter Kron pursuing Melchior and Ellroy enlisting the Solutions Office's services in their elimination.
Melchior comes up with the idea of destroying the town of Creil and Gerard ends up going through with its destruction. Following this, factions on both sides of the law including the Arkride Solutions Office, the Bracer Guild, the CID, Heiyue, Ikaruga, Marduk Company, and Ouroboros all cooperate to take them down. In the ensuing conflict, all members of Almata, including the cooperating Garden members, are killed or imprisoned.
Trails through Daybreak II[]
A new figure becomes active in Calvard with the appellation 'Gardenmaster.' This individual is said to have risen to power as the Gardens' new leader following Nadia and Swin's departure from the Gardens and the death of the Emperor. Ellroy personally thanks Swin and Nadia for taking the Emperor out, stating that it removed a quarter of his workload, referring the the leaders of the four branches.
It is revealed shortly before his death, Melchior sent an order out to all remaining members of the Gardens. The order was for them all to kill each other and the last ones standing would be free. Ixs and Jorda relish in this opportunity and emerged as the ultimate victors. With this action, the Gardens were effectively dissolved and ceased to function as an organization. The Gardenmaster, later revealed as Auguste Aldan, a soul saved from death at the time of the Revolution and inhabiting a clone body of Ace Rayne, is later killed. He made use of the phase space the Vanity Garden guarded by the artifacts of Olympia and Arioch. Ixs and Jolda remain as the sole survivors; however, they have joined Ouroboros.
Trivia[]
- There are 56 Minor Arcana cards. This would imply a limit on how many members there may be.
- When the Emperor was confronted by former Moonlight Horse member Sharon Kreuger, he remarked on her former affiliation. This foreshadows the connection between the Gardens and the Order of the Moonlight Horse.
- As the Gardens were created by Ellroy Harwood, he may have decided to name the four groups after the suits of Minor Arcana to reflect the Ouroboros Enforcers, who are named after the Major Arcana.
References[]
Notes
- ↑ 金黄の園 is also used as alternative spelling in Trails through Daybreak, Chapter 5: "The Restless Carnival".
Sources
- ↑ Trails through Daybreak, Chapter 5: "The Restless Carnival".
