Just What Is The Core???

Careful...

It's commonly agreed that the Island floats by itself, but when Ballos was imprisoned, his magic became a 'negative' energy on the Island and caused it to fall, and so Jenka created the Core, which countered Ballos, causing the Island to become neutral again. {And thus, rise again}

Well, it's fairly commonly agreed upon within the MiraiGamer Forums but that doesn't necessarily mean it's commonly agreed upon in general (i.e. among most/all Cave Story fans).

 

Heh, I've never heard a satisfying answer to the Island's levitating properties, myself. {I like that stalactite point, though}
There could be something else deep within the Island, causing it to float. I don't think it likely Quote explored the entirely of the Island during the game.
Maybe a floating Island isn't that uncommon in whatever world Cave Story takes place in {Never for sure mentions Earth}, as we've already got several new types of sentient beings....
But, I can't really answer this with anything solid....

You suddenly gave me an idea. The planet the Island is floating above should have some sort of magnetic field, right? Like Earth. Well, maybe the Island has a magnet in it that generates the same field of whatever part of the planet it's floating over (like if it were at the south pole, it would generate a field like it, and vice versa).

 

Logical theories

Well, it's fairly commonly agreed upon within the MiraiGamer Forums but that doesn't necessarily mean it's commonly agreed upon in general (i.e. among most/all Cave Story fans).

Of course, I'm only speaking for the forum..
Although, that raises the question, how many other Cave Story-based forums are out there, like ours?
There could be some interesting theories out there....
{But most likely in Japanese }

You suddenly gave me an idea. The planet the Island is floating above should have some sort of magnetic field, right? Like Earth. Well, maybe the Island has a magnet in it that generates the same field of whatever part of the planet it's floating over (like if it were at the south pole, it would generate a field like it, and vice versa).

While I like this idea a bit, Magnetism isn't an overly strong force. {Or strong at all}
At ground level, our Earth's magnet field is 1 Gauss; a refrigerator magnet has 100 Gauss >.>;
Unless the Surface in Cave Story is superbly magnetic or something, gravity would just take over and win, again. {There's a reason the universe is so dominated by gravitational pulls}

 

Creating a giant floating piece of land complete with it's own unique ecosystem, completely by yourself? That's too much for you to even say "It's magic!"

No it's not. There's even precedent for it, for example in the Myst series.

If the Island was originally apart of a larger land mass, that means Jenka must've lifted it an incredibly long time ago, as the Mimigas and such would've had to evolve over time. {The way the game talks about, the Mimigas have never gone to the Surface before, except for possibly that last enraged group}
That would give Jenka a lifespan of hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, of years...
That seems far-fetched for me, even with her magic.

Why? You have no idea how magic works in the Cave Story world, and magic in other settings has been known to give people greatly expanded lifespans. It's not far-fetched at all.

Really, when magic is involved, nothing is far-fetched unless you know of rules that the magic obeys.

{There's also the fact that you can see it floating above a forest and some mountains during the game, so the remote island idea is kaput}

Yeah, because you can't move the island from above it's original location.

The witch they're talking about would obviously be Jenka, who built the Labyrinth to protect the Core, because it's the only thing now keeping the Island afloat.

Actually, no. It's most likely the witch is Jenka, but it could also be someone else.

You suddenly gave me an idea. The planet the Island is floating above should have some sort of magnetic field, right? Like Earth. Well, maybe the Island has a magnet in it that generates the same field of whatever part of the planet it's floating over (like if it were at the south pole, it would generate a field like it, and vice versa).

This is a great idea, with one major flaw. Such a system is inherently unstable, so the island would wobble about for awhile before finally falling to the ground.

Basically, there is no way for a magnet to hover above another magnet while being in a stable equilibrium. Eventually it will inevitably fall.

I'm not even sure how plausible it would be to generate a magnetic field exactly opposite to whatever's below. I don't think magnets can randomly change the field they generate like that. I could be wrong though.

 

While I like this idea a bit, Magnetism isn't an overly strong force. {Or strong at all}

This shows the depth of your understanding, eh? Magnetism actually is quite a strong force. Certainly stronger than gravity.

At ground level, our Earth's magnet field is 1 Gauss; a refrigerator magnet has 100 Gauss >.>;

This however is true; that the Earth's magnetic field is quite weak. We could postulate that the Cave Story planet has a much stronger field, but that could cause other problems.

Unless the Surface in Cave Story is superbly magnetic or something, gravity would just take over and win, again.

More or less correct here. Plus, the system wouldn't be stable, so that's another reason it would fall.

{There's a reason the universe is so dominated by gravitational pulls}

Yes, and the reason is not that gravity is stronger. It's more like electromagnetism doesn't work as well at long ranges as gravity does.

Look at it this way. If gravity were stronger than electromagnetism, you would fall through the ground. Electromagnetism, however, is sufficient to counter the gravitational force on you and keep you on the surface.

 

I'm not even sure how plausible it would be to generate a magnetic field exactly opposite to whatever's below. I don't think magnets can randomly change the field they generate like that. I could be wrong though.

I think you can reverse the polarity of an electromagnetic field generated by direct current by inverting the direction in which the current that generates the field travels. However, such a field has it's own + and -, and that would only change the location/orientation of the two.

And yes, of the four elemental forces, gravity is by a long shot the weakest. They are, in order of magnitude,
Gravity, Electromagnetic, Weak Nuclear, Strong Nuclear. Electromag is the force that binds atoms to one another (Via electron bonds, which are used to join atoms to make molecules) and Strong Nuclear is what binds the subatomic particles of the constituent parts of an atom (Quarks). I'm a little fuzzy on Weak force, but I know it is involved in the decay of large species electrons and quarks into smaller species and neutrinos.

 

Dead ends!

No it's not. There's even precedent for it, for example in the Myst series.

Why? You have no idea how magic works in the Cave Story world, and magic in other settings has been known to give people greatly expanded lifespans. It's not far-fetched at all.

Really, when magic is involved, nothing is far-fetched unless you know of rules that the magic obeys.

Well, when you get tackled by a Toaster without putting up a bit of a fight, it makes you look weak.
Maybe Jenka could've really done such things in her prime, but it's just so completely oppisite of her powers, currently... {Unlike Ballos, who's still a one man army}
But, it again just mostly ends up as fan-fic, as there's not a whole lot to support anything in the Island's history...
{As you also pointed out with the magic}

Actually, no. It's most likely the witch is Jenka, but it could also be someone else.

Besides Misery, who's expressed dislike at the inhabits of the Island, Jenka's the only real logical choice...
Unless you're saying some random witch the game never enlightens on did it, but there's nothing to go on with that....

This however is true; that the Earth's magnetic field is quite weak. We could postulate that the Cave Story planet has a much stronger field, but that could cause other problems.

Like the main character's ability to move? ;
{Going on the idea that whatever he's made could be affected, but it's just a joke}

 

My friend's fantasy book series (currently in the stage of the first book being written) takes place on a giant flying continent. The backstory says that it became floating when a powerful wizard put an enchantment on it. Since then, the continent stays up in the sky. Just don't think too hard about it...
This is what I think happened here, too. The Island's origin is "A Wizard Did It", however nobody makes it float anymore, it floats all by itself. Think of it as a "+100 Island of Floating".

 

Re: Just What Isn't The Core?

The Core's attack pattern as drawn by Pixel.

What if the core was possessed?

 

I think you can reverse the polarity of an electromagnetic field generated by direct current by inverting the direction in which the current that generates the field travels. However, such a field has it's own + and -, and that would only change the location/orientation of the two.

I think you're right, but that's taking an existing field and changing it. We're talking about generating a new field that directly and completely counters an existing field.

I'm a little fuzzy on Weak force, but I know it is involved in the decay of large species electrons and quarks into smaller species and neutrinos.

I'm a little fuzzy on it, too, and I think it's because it doesn't really bind anything. It's involved in interactions (for example, neutrinos can only interact via the weak force because they have no electric or colour charge and their mass is negligible), but it doesn't seem to be an attractive force that plays a significant part in the structure of the universe.

Well, when you get tackled by a Toaster without putting up a bit of a fight, it makes you look weak.

I see your point. However, maybe she is a pacifist and wants to avoid violence. Or perhaps she simply doesn't want to hurt Balrog. Or maybe she's a seer, and has seen that if she lets Balrog take the key, Quote will be able to kill Ballos.

Besides Misery, who's expressed dislike at the inhabits of the Island, Jenka's the only real logical choice...
Unless you're saying some random witch the game never enlightens on did it, but there's nothing to go on with that....

That is what I was saying, yes; my point being that if there's one witch, there's probably others. But you're right that Jenka is the most logical choice.

 

I was always under the impression that the Core was a very large, very angry, slightly decayed corn husk.

 

@ Lowell: Spontaneous evolution. In an 'adapt or die' situation, many species will change very rapidly (over a few hundred or thousand years; as compared to the millions). That. And maybe there was a Coca Cola bottling plant that leaked caffiene (+1 point if you get the reference).

As for the origin of the core...
It's either artificial or natural...
If it's artificial, it's either engineered (science) or created (magic).
If it's natural, well. I bet Jenka found it under a waterfall and bribed it with cupcakes.
As to what it is...
It's an SCP-grade enigma.
Personally I considered it to be an organism similar to the Pokémon Shuckle ie. A large mass of rock inhabited by a semi-inteligent fungusoid.

Also.
inb4 Fortress/Pineco

 

If it's natural, well. I bet Jenka found it under a waterfall and bribed it with cupcakes.

Ahah! That's what happened.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

True story.

 

[Yakov moment]

In Soviet Russia, guardian dude bribes you!

 

Well, when you get tackled by a Toaster without putting up a bit of a fight, it makes you look weak.

I think it's safe to assume Jenka in her present state is weak, weak, weak!
She states it plainly, "Even a witch like me grows old and frail..." or something.

As for the Core, I think its ... a biological living seed thing with immense power. Jenka setup the labyrinth in order to protect it. I think it must be exactly what all the characters state it is. It makes the island float. EVEN Misery says it. Personally I think it has been there even well before Jenka's time. The Core is made up of the MAIN seed, with plenty of immature seeds floating around it.
Perhaps Ballos is trying to make the island fall, maybe either by controlling the seeds directly or by applying massive force on the island...

But as long as the main seed is up it can resist Ballos. But once the main seed is destroyed it begins to fall... Until Ballos is defeated. Which then the immature seeds have enough strength to make it float on their own [without the force of Ballos on it] An idea anyways...

Another thing to think about is, Kazuma says another way to turn the enraged Mimigas back to normal would be killing the Core. That must mean the Core must have some kind of connection to magic and the Red Flowers. Maybe the flowers connect you to the power of the Core by magic or something....

Oh and what about the Undead Core? Well, applying my theory that Igor had been feeding the Sky Dragon Eggs red flowers stuff (Except for egg00) which when hatched they ended up as Zombie Dragons. Well, the Doctor probably used the Red Flower / Crystal to do the same to the Core. Turning it into the Undead Core...

If you agree on that theory that means the Red Flowers are like super magic steroids in someways. They make Mimigas insanely big and strong, they can turn the Doctor into the Muscle Doctor... They make the Sky Dragons into Zombie Dragons... They make the Core on the verge of death into the Undead Core...
They can made the dead alive or increase the living's power and size...

Even when the Doctor died or should have died, he continued to live thanks to the concentrated power of the Red Flower (the Red Crystal). But, when it was destroyed the Flower's power gave way, the island started to fall...

Also, maybe the Core safely feeds on Ballos' power, acting as a kind of natural defense. Either that or more likely Ballos' influence or magic affects the island somewhat.


Anyways ...

 

Re: Well... You're ugly!

http://www.cavestory.org/forums/threads/1938/
You guys got kind of carried away with the red flowers. This is a thread about the Core, which as far as I can tell has no connection with the flowers. Great discussion, but it should be moved to that thread I linked.
As for the Core, what have we determined so far? It counteracts Ballos's will to destroy the island, it controls the island's plumbing (and quite possibly electricity as well), and Jenka created it. Not much for five pages of reasonable discussion. Stay on the ball.
The Core doesn't actively use its powers, they are emitted just by the Core being alive. It was nearly dead before it became "undead" (I don't think Pixel has a very good idea of what "dead" is: see "Zombie Dragons"), and the Island floated normally.

 

Yeah, a move would be nice. Anyway:
We know that the Core is organic. It is called an "organism" in the game, it becomes "undead" and the Doctor is able to

Hidden text highlight (or click) to view:

possess it

, just like Misery, which is a spoiler, by the way. The question is: What does that mean? Does it mean anything at all? And is it a sentient life form, or just a corn husk?

 

Yeah, a move would be nice. Anyway:
We know that the Core is organic. It is called an "organism" in the game,

An organism doesn't necessarily need to be organic, though all known ones are.

The question is: What does that mean? Does it mean anything at all? And is it a sentient life form, or just a corn husk?

I would suspect it's a non-sentient life form, but I have no idea really.

Random theory: Perhaps the Core is a fungal life form that feeds on magical energy. Over the past thousands of years, it has feasted on Ballos's magical energy and grown huge, but when killed it is no longer able to consume Ballos's magic, which then makes the island fall. (Though the Doctor is able to keep it alive for a bit before this happens.)

When Ballos dies, his energy no longer tries to crash the island, so it stays up on its own. And perhaps there are some surviving smaller Cores, but they'll never again grow so large since Ballos, their primary food source, has gone.

 

Well, its aparent sense of self-preservation would suggest at least some degree of sentinence. Then again, if it's a magical fungus...

Also, if I thought something was worth spoilering, I would spoiler it hard. By your logic, we would have to spoiler every single detail about the final battle (or any other part of the game) in every theory thread.

 

Well, its aparent sense of self-preservation

...wait, what?