Maso

Maso (魔素, lit. "magic element") is an extra-dimensional particle brought forth from the realm of Drakengard.

Characteristics

Maso is a mystical element that can be manipulated to harness energy from other worlds. This process, known as "magic," allows for the creation of something from nothing.

When humans come into contact with maso originating from The Giant, they become infected with White Chlorination Syndrome (WCS). Absorbed maso can be further transmitted through saliva or coughing, equating the condition to an airborne disease. The progression of WCS forces a pact to be formed with the God of another dimension. Such maso is therefore responsible for the creation of Legion.

The fabrication of a Gestalt uses a similar process, though a pact is instead formed with The Dragon. As pacts are an exchange of souls, and the Dragon is deceased, the human soul is simply transferred to the Gestalt form. Because their souls are separated from their original bodies, and White Chlorination Syndrome only infects humans, contact with The Giant's maso does not cause Gestalts to enter the same god-pact.

The Original Gestalt is able to produce "purified" maso which is required by other Gestalts to prolong their stability.

Background

Maso originated as remnants of The Giant, whose destruction and subsequent disintegration during the 6/12 Incident propagated particles across Shinjuku, Tokyo. However, the presence of Maso was not observed until well after the onset of White Chlorination Syndrome.

In an effort to eradicate the Legion invasion and White Chlorination Syndrome outbreak, nuclear strikes were used across Japan in August 2009. While effective, the strikes unknowingly caused maso (and therefore the disease) to spread globally.

By June 2010, research on The Dragon's remains led to the discovery of maso and proved the "Multiple-Origin Theory" that suggested the existence of a world in a parallel universe. The same research confirmed maso from The Giant to be the origin of White Chlorination Syndrome. Chlorination-causing maso was discovered on The Dragon's corpse, but was later determined to be from The Giant.

Despite the known risks, technological breakthroughs occur in various fields. In March 2014, Project Gestalt is initiated in an effort to prevent the spread of White Chlorination Syndrome. Two months later, the ability of maso to extract energy from other worlds is discovered and titled "magic."

In 2018, the National Weapons Research Laboratory is created in order to explore the weaponization of maso. However, in June 2026, an incident occurs involving the rampage of experimental weapon "Number 6", and maso experiments on humans are halted. Maso research continues as part of Project Gestalt, and further human experiments are kept secret.

By 2032, the publicly-revealed Replicants are ordered to gather Chlorination-causing maso. The amassed maso is given to a special "Celebrant Android" who then performs a ritual to transfer the particles to a parallel world. After 1255 years, in 3287, the remaining infected maso is returned to the other world, finally "purifying" the world.

By 11945, little maso remains in the world. However, both Emil and certain YoRHa unit technologies make use of maso.

Trivia

• The massive underground network known as "Sleeping Beauty" is powered by maso.
• Across multiple sources, it is unclear whether The Dragon had its own maso separate from The Giant for the purposes of magic and Gestalt research.
  • The creation of a Gestalt is known to involve forming a pact with The Dragon, as opposed to the God associated with The Giant. As the God-pact is caused by contact with maso originating from The Giant, forming a pact with The Dragon might therefore use maso originating from The Dragon.
  • It is stated that "cultured" Dragon tissue was used in the creation of Gestalts. If this refers to maso, it is possible that The Dragon's corpse inhibited the growth of new, separate maso, or contained its own maso to begin with.
    • Conversely, the Original Gestalt was known to have been harvested for its production of "purified" maso. The cultured Dragon tissue may instead refer to a similar purification process, or be entirely unrelated to maso.
  • Regardless, it is made clear that strictly maso originating from The Giant is the cause of WCS.