The Black Wave

We know from PSIV that the Black Energy Wave can make people fall ill, eventually kill them, and raise their corpses as zombies. In particular this happened on Dezoris when Dark Force was around. Minus the zombie effect, there's also Alys and the town of Mile, where the Wave also damaged the ground.

Having more recently played PSI, I noticed a few similar things. For instance, the Gauron dungeon is filled with zombies. There are also plenty of undead - ghouls and skeleton variants - wandering on Palma. Sopia is encircled by a field of poisoned air, where even the trees are dying. So I was wondering, could these things be a manifestation of the Black Energy Wave in PSI? That name isn't used, of course, so it could be something else - but do you think it is the same thing?

I always thought the gas field was a natural thing that just so happens to be around a village you need to get to. I mean, if the trees don't get any fresh air then they're bound to die.

As for skeletons and zombies, I'm not sure. I'd put it to Lassic being bored and evil and deciding to raise the dead to fight for him. I know the zombies in PS IV were a result of the black energy wave, and one could argue it was the cause in PS I as well, I'm more inclined to believe they came around by magic.

I've wondered about that too.

But Guaron's a morgue, so maybe the workers there are controlled by Dark Force...?

Didn't really think anything of Sopia.

Well, there was a Dark Force present, just like in PSIV, and in there too, LaShiec isn't the cause of Black Energy Wave - it's Dark Force. So yes, it's very possible that the Black Energy Wave went over Palma.
But then again, undead are seen on Dezoris too, and in PS1, no Dark Force is seen there, so there must be another cause for them.

Regarding Sopia, I have always thought there were three possibilities for an in-universe explanation:

1.- There was some sort of natural disaster that unleashed lots of heavy gas. Like, you know, a low depth gas chamber being opened.

2.- The original settlers of Sopia had a very lousy taste in setting up a town.

3.- They were a bunch of hermits...

Dark Force is a kind of supernatural entity who was acting in the whole Algo system causing that evil things (monsters, undead, etc) both in PSI and PSIV. I think Black Energy Wave is just a name given in PSIV for the way Dark Force can act, so it is basically the same thing in PSI and PSIV.

Hey.. Isn't Garuberk tower in PS IV in the same location as that tower in PS 1 on dezo? That Corona tower or close to where Gauron morgue is?

Always wondered..

Gumbious Temple stands where Corona Tower was located in PSI. I'm not sure about Garuberk being close to Gauron... I've never compared the maps. You might be right about that. It would be an interesting connection if so.

After thinking about Sopia and the comments here some more, I agree that was probably the result of some natural disaster. It may have been helped along by Lassic in some way, but it's probably not a Black Wave case. Surely it would take more than just a gas mask to get through, if there was anything more supernatural about the cloud. I do have to wonder why any of those people stayed or survived in the village, though.

I can see where you're going with that, tilinelson, but it is an actual 'wave-like' attack Zio uses to attack Chaz. And it certainly is possible considering the number of times Dark Force spawns this time around.

Anyway, regarding my previous post, I didn't realize, but someone in Skure I think comments on it. So no workers would really exist in the morgue, the case seems to be.

Well reading this makes me think. Lassic kills the party in one shot if you don't have the Crystal. Conversations with people tell you that Lassic takes people's souls with his evil magic unless you have some protection (the Crystal). I think that could, in retrospect, be the Black Energy Wave. Although it manifests itself differently. In PSIV it was a lingering disease, in PSI it was a headshot.