Observatory

Celestial Shrine
The Observatory
Official artwork
Japanese	天使界
Game	Dragon Quest IX

The Observatory is the heavenly home of the Celestrians in Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies.

It is located high about the Protectorate and is accessible only by those without wings by a portal, or the Starflight Express. The Yggdrasil of the game is located at the pinnacle of the floating citadel, and the portal to the realm below is set in a small garden of flowers on the lowest level.

Appearances[edit]

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies[edit]

The game begins with a brief tutorial of the daily routine for a Celestrian, helping mortal kind below the Observatory and collecting the unseen benevolessence produced by the happiness and gratitude of the aided person. Once this section of the game is complete, the Hero returns to the Observatory alongside their instructor Aquila and is free to explore the building until they are called forth by master Apus Major. After a cutscene involving the benevolessence being offered to Yggdrasil, a mysterious beam of darkness blasts through the Observatory from beneath and rockets to parts unknown above, knocking the player out of the heavens and leaving the citadel in ruins.

Left to wander the world below for some time until enough benevolessence has been collected to get the recently decommissioned Starflight Express up and running again, the player cannot return to the Observatory until the events of Coffinwell are concluded. Here, the player is tasked with collecting the []fygg]]s that have fallen from Yggdrasil's branches during the assault, which have lead to catastrophe in the mortal realm as their incredible powers grant wishes in the most profane ways when in the hands of the wicked. Once these have been assembled and brought before the tree, the truth of the attack on the Observatory is uncovered and the villain responsible, Corvus, is revealed.

After defeating Corvus in the Realm of the Mighty, the Observatory is restored by the grace of the goddess Celestria--the true, restored form of []Yggdrasil]]. With the task of the celestrians now complete, they depart from the Observatory to become stars in the night sky and watch over the world for eternity. The Observatory is self fades from the world, having served it's purpose.

Location Attributes[edit]

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age[edit]

The Observatory is the first location available through the altar of the starry skies in the Echo Chamber. Only the zenith of the building is available to explore, with Aquila, Pavo, and a Slime present. The former two are astonished that a party of mortals made it to the realm, and doubly so that they can see the angels on top of that.

Aquila is concerned over a fygg going missing, and only has a scant clue to work with in finding it. The player is prompted with helping the Celestrian, and he mentions that when he searches his mind, the words "Ruby Path of Doom" are all that appear. With this clue, the Luminary and his companions head out to the Grotto and find that a Liege lizard is the culprit behind the fygg's disappearance. After defeating the dragon, it is revealed to be nothing more than a Slime that wished with all it's heart to become as strong as it could. Sparing the glob of goo, the Luminary returns with the fygg, to Aquila's amazement and give to the player the Benevolessence.

In Fortune Street[edit]

The Observatory appears as a board in Fortune Street, where the switches will move a district around the main board section as if it were the starflight express.

Trivia[edit]

Judging from the two times that the Hero falls, it is above the region between Angel Falls and Wormwood Creek. Probably closer to Angel Falls since the first time Hero falls from the Observatory right into the lake in Angel Falls, while the second time Hero falls from Starflight Express to the river in Wormwood Creek on his/her way to the Observatory. This is assuming that the Observatory is a fixed location and does not move.

Gallery[edit]