Sylphid

Sylphid

Origin:	Latin
Japanese:	シルフィード
Appears In:	Xanadu, Eiyuu Densetsu, Zwei, Kiseki Series, Xanadu Next, Vantage Master Portable, Tokyo Xanadu, Ys VI, Ys Origin, Ys VIII

Origin

Sylphid or Sylph is a word for an air elemental coined by Paracelsus in the sixteenth century. The word is not attested in ancient sources but a proposed origin is a portmanteau of the words Silvestris Nympha (Forest Spirit'), where Paracelsus used the former word sometimes in place of Sylph. Silvestris used alone appears in Virgil's Aeneid as a stand-in for Nympha Silvestris, which supports the idea that Paracelsus derived his word from it. The word has entered popular culture as a generic term for an air spirit.

Appearances

• The Sylph (シルフ) is a monster encountered in Xanadu on Level 10, it is classified as a Karma Monster, meaning that the player is penalized for killing them.
• In the first Eiyuu Densetsu game, Sylphie (シルフィ) is a boss encounter which can confuse male party members.
• In Ys VI the Sylphen Boots (シルフェンブーツ) are an accessory that prevents the Heaviness condition. They reappear in Ys Origin as footwear for Yunica.
• The Sylphen Boots reappear in Sora no Kiseki FC as the strongest footwear for female characters.
• In Ys VIII, Sylphid Kiss (シルフィードキス) is a Skill usable by Laxia.
• In Xanadu Next, Sylphide (シルフィーユ) is the first Guardian obtained by the protagonist.
• In Zwei, the Sylphs are a race of spirits with a hidden forest village (シルフの森) which must be visited.
• In the Sora no Kiseki trilogy, three Wind-elemental Arts are named after the sylphs; Sylphen Wing (シルフェンウィング) which raises MOV for a single target, Sylphen Guard (シルフェンガード) which raises AGL and starting in SC Sylpharion (シルファリオン) which raises MOV for multiple targets.
• Scherazard in the Sora no Kiseki trilogy has a Craft called Sylphen Whip (シルフェンウィップ) which creates blades of air to strike multiple opponents. This Craft was transplanted to Vantage Master Portable as her regular attack when she appeared as a guest Master.
• The Sylphid is a bowgun usable by Kevin in Sora no Kiseki SC which is said to fire projectiles at near the speed of sound.
• In Zero and Ao no Kiseki, Sylphid is a wide-area Wind-elemental Art that greatly raises MOV.
• In the Sen no Kiseki games, Fie Claussel earned the nickname Sylphid (西風の妖精（シルフィード）) when she was a member of Zephyr and she retains a modified form of it after she becomes a Bracer.
• Fie's first S-Craft usable in Sen no Kiseki I and II is Sylphid Dance (シルフィードダンス).
• In Sen no Kiseki III, Fie's two gunswords are the Sylphie Edge (シルフィエッジ) and the Sylpharion. The former was localized as the Sylphid Edge.
• In Tokyo Xanadu, Kugayama Rion's Strong Skill is Sylphie Cyclone (シルフィサイクロン).

Trivia

• Sylphie is the name of the heroine of the 1875 story The Lord of Moss Tarn, written by Charles Howard.
• The kanji underlying Fie's jaeger title literally means 'Fairy of the West Wind', a reference to Zephyr representing the west wind. As a Bracer, her title drops the latter element of the kanji and simply uses 'Fairy' for the underlying text (妖精（シルフィード）).