Gnosis

The Gnosis, also known as the Pilgrimage Fleet are an alien race in the Xenosaga series. They first appeared en masse in T.C. 4753 during the Miltian Conflict and been threatening humanity since then.
==Description==
Gnosis come in a variety of shapes and forms, with the largest on record being the Cathedral Ship. Larger Gnosis tend to resemble sea creatures from Earth such as blue boxed whale-like Carriers, amber colored seal-like Cruisers, and the stingray-like Bombers. In form, Gnosis are a purely non-physical existence. They exist in a unique dimension separate from the physical plane. Only through use of the Hilbert Effect can they be manually drawn into the physical realm. Gnosis also have the ability to possess machinery and make use of the abilities said machinery has. The Gnosis' bodies are comprised of sodium chloride. When translucent, their bodies are mostly made up of water and sodium hydroxide. The color of Gnosis blood is blue.
While the word "Gnosis" is most often used to refer to the mysterious creatures, it more broadly encompasses any metaphysical existence in the Imaginary Number Domain. The creatures known as the Gnosis are, in actuality, consciousnesses who have separated from their deceased physical bodies and attempted to escape or reject returning to the Collective Unconscious. The use of the Hilbert Effect draws these imaginary existences into the Real Number Domain, where they can be physically harmed. Before the Hilbert Effect was developed, the Gnosis could only be damaged by attacking their Klein Point (the point at which Gnosis enter Real Space to attack people), which was detected using the D.S.S.S., a sensory system equipped on the A.G.W.S. and various other weapons.
===The Whitening===
If a human comes in contact with a Gnosis, the victim disintegrates into salt, a process known as the whitening. In some extreme cases, victims will become a Gnosis themselves. Shion Uzuki and Andrew Cherenkov are the only characters known to undergo the process and survive, although Cherenkov mutated into a Gnosis not long after.
====Process====
Whitening touched by a Gnosis.png|The victim being grabbed by a Gnosis.
Whitening.png|The victim's body turns into salt.
Whitening shattering.png|The victim shatters.
==Story==
===History===
Before the Miltian Conflict, Gnosis sightings were rare with the only confirmed Gnosis attack occurring on Michtam only 6 years prior due to a experiment going wrong. It wasn't until the third descent operation of the Miltian Conflict, when poorly-calibrated combat Realians killed the parents of a young Shion Uzuki, causing her abilities to resonate with the in despair, that the Gnosis started to appear en masse. Publicly, it was later believed that it was Joachim Mizrahi who called the Gnosis in the first place.
===Episode I===
The Gnosis are first introduced when they attack the Galaxy Federation cruiser Woglinde, aiming to take the Zohar Emulator within, with Goblin-type Gnosis acting as "shock troops" during the raid. Shion Uzuki is nearly killed by one before KOS-MOS intervenes. Unfortunately, the Gnosis are successful in taking the Zohar Emulator and destroying the ship. A stray Gnosis later attacks Andrew Cherenkov onboard the Elsa but it gets destroyed by chaos with just a single touch.
The Gnosis later appear when they drag the Elsa out of hyperspace and draw it into the Cathedral Ship, the largest recorded Gnosis. While exploring the interior, the party come across Cherenkov who transforms into the Gnosis in which they kill. The Elsa eventually escapes the Cathedral Ship with the party members, but is pursued by the remaining Gnosis. Not even assistance from the Durandal is able to stop their advance. As a last resort, KOS-MOS awakens with blue eyes and uses the X-Buster, effectively absorbing the remaining Gnosis.
The Gnosis later attack the Kukai Foundation, attracted by the presence of the Song of Nephilim, prompting the Dämmerung and its accompanying cruisers to deploy the Rhine Maiden against the Gnosis. After the party rescues MOMO Mizrahi from the clutches of Albedo Piazzolla, the remaining Gnosis are absorbed by Proto Merkabah to power an attack aimed at Second Miltia. After the party bests Albedo at the core of Proto Merkabah, he unleashes a large Gnosis that he fused with the reactor, Sophie Peithos in which they destroy.
===Episode II===
The Gnosis played a relatively minor role in Episode II as enemies. Most of them appeared in the post-game dungeons, , Factory, and Heaven's Ruins.
===A Missing Year===
After Abel's Ark swallows the original , the Gnosis phenomenon intensified. A half a year before the events of Episode III, a man known as Grimoire Verum unleashed controlled Gnosis to attack capital cites on several planets. This event is known to the populace as the Gnosis terrorism.
===Episode III===
The Gnosis are first seen in a flashback at the beginning of the game where they are seen destroying the planet Michtam after a Zohar experiment went wrong. The only survivor was a young Kevin Winnicot whose mother gave him a special crystal before being Gnosified. A swarm of Gnosis later appear in Vector S-Line Division after Shion, Miyuki, and Canaan defeat the Sigrdrifa in an attempt to extract data from the mainframe, prompting them to flee without it.
At the CAT Testing Ground, Vector used several Gnosis to test the capabilities of T-elos, who effortlessly destroyed them all, much to Shion's shock who used a pair of glasses to record the event. While infiltrating the CAT Testing Area to retrieve KOS-MOS, the party unintentionally unleashed a muscular Gnosis called Aludra Calf where it intercepted the party at the testing area which they destroy. The Gnosis later confronts the party's E.S. units as they penetrate the hypersphere over the Floating Landmass to rescue the Elsa's crew. Within Shion's subconscious of Old Miltia, the party learns that it was Shion, not Joachim, as the populace claims that summoned the Gnosis after witnessing the deaths of her parents.
The Gnosis later participate a three-way battle between the Federation, Ormus, and themselves around Abel's Ark as the party infiltrates Merkabah and the hijacked Durandal. On board the Ark, the party encounters four heavily mutated Gnosis guarding three Zohar Emulators. When they were destroyed, so were the Emulators that guards it. The three-way battle continues after the party escapes Abel's Ark and land on Michtam.
Once Zarathustra stirs, the Gnosis phenomenon intensifies even further as they are called to Michtam. After the party destroys Zarathustra, Nephilim and chaos begin gathering the wills of the Gnosis to commence a dimension shift to . However, they don't want to go as they are afraid to join as one and attack them. Jin and KOS-MOS volunteers to stay behind and defend them while they prepare for the task. Jin is later killed by an Armaros, while KOS-MOS sacrificed herself to destroy a Carrier. But their actions gave them the time they need to complete the task, the Gnosis later vanish along with the rest of Michtam in the dimensional shift.
==As enemies==
Gnosis appear throughout the entire Xenosaga trilogy as the main battle fodder.
===Episode I===
Name 	Location 	Type
Drone G1 	KOS-MOS Simulator	
Normal enemy
Drone G2 	KOS-MOS Simulator	
Normal enemy
Drone G3 	KOS-MOS Simulator	
Normal enemy
Goblin 	Woglinde 	
Normal enemy
Golem 	Woglinde 	
Normal enemy
Manticore 	Woglinde 	
Normal enemy
Gremlin 	Woglinde 	
Normal enemy
Sky Fish 	Woglinde 	
Normal enemy
Cerberus 	Cathedral Ship 	
Normal enemy
Unicorn 	Cathedral Ship 	
Normal enemy
Fairy 	Cathedral Ship 	
Normal enemy
Ogre 	Cathedral Ship 	
Normal enemy
Lizardman 	Cathedral Ship 	
Normal enemy
Hydra 	Cathedral Ship 	
Normal enemy
Oudogogue 	Cathedral Ship 	
Normal enemy
Basilisk 	Encephalon 	
Normal enemy
Bugbear 	Encephalon 	
Normal enemy
Kobold 	Encephalon 	
Normal enemy
Larva Doll 	Encephalon 	
Normal enemy
Larva Face 	 	
Normal enemy
Troll 	Encephalon 	
Normal enemy
Sky Fish 	Encephalon 	
Normal enemy
Gel Fish 	 	
Normal enemy
Wyrm 	 	
Normal enemy
Delphyne 	Proto Merkabah 	
Normal enemy
Demon 	Proto Merkabah 	
Normal enemy
Armaros 	Proto Merkabah 	
Normal enemy
Azazel 	Proto Merkabah 	
Normal enemy
Baraqijal 	Proto Merkabah 	
Normal enemy
Jaldabaoth 	Proto Merkabah 	
Normal enemy
Ratatosk 	Proto Merkabah 	
Normal enemy
Drone GX 	KOS-MOS Simulator	
Boss
Cyclops 	Woglinde 	
Boss
Minotaur 	Woglinde 	
Boss
 	Cathedral Ship 	
Boss
 	Cathedral Ship 	
Boss
 	Cathedral Ship 	
Boss
 	Cathedral Ship 	
Boss
Tiamat 	Encephalon 	
Boss
Gigas 	 	
Boss
Ein Rugel 	Song of Nephilim 	
Boss
Doppelwogel 	Song of Nephilim 	
Boss
Great Joe 	Durandal 	
Boss
Mintia 	 	
Boss
Sophie Peithos	Proto Merkabah 	
Boss
===Episode II===
Name 	Location 	Type
Expression 	Subconscious Domain (Summer)	
Normal enemy
Necessity 	Subconscious Domain (Summer)	
Normal enemy
Vacillation 	Subconscious Domain (Summer)	
Normal enemy
Information Type 	Subconscious Domain (Summer)	
Normal enemy
Glare 	Subconscious Domain (Winter)	
Normal enemy
Catharsis 	Subconscious Domain (Winter)	
Normal enemy
Piercing Scream 	Subconscious Domain (Winter)	
Normal enemy
Creation Type 	Subconscious Domain (Winter)	
Normal enemy
Ashmed Bapuz 	Desert 	
Normal enemy
Arvakv 	Desert 	
Normal enemy
Ai Apaec 	FactoryHeaven's Ruins 	
Normal enemy
Aiakos 	FactoryHeaven's Ruins 	
Normal enemy
Deion 	FactoryHeaven's Ruins 	
Normal enemy
Kazfa Jina 	FactoryHeaven's Ruins 	
Normal enemy
Okypete 	FactoryHeaven's Ruins 	
Normal enemy
Armaros 	Heaven's Ruins 	
Normal enemy
Azazel 	Heaven's Ruins 	
Normal enemy
Wraith Virus 	Second Miltia 	
Boss
Wraith Feeler 	Second Miltia 	
Boss
Grips Sister 	Old Miltia 	
Boss
Rod Blondel 	Old Miltia 	
Boss
Dullea Soul 	Factory 	
Boss
 	Heaven's Ruins 	
Boss
 	Heaven's Ruins 	
Boss
 	Heaven's Ruins 	
Boss
Zwerg Kape 	Heaven's Ruins 	
Boss
Nepos Rigas 	Heaven's Ruins 	
Boss
Mad Skelter 	Heaven's Ruins 	
Boss
Phobos RigasExclusive in the English version.	Dämmerung 	
Boss
===Episode III===
All Gnosis have the ability to inflict the Crystallization status effect.
Name 	Location 	Type
Goblin 	Ancient Temple 	
Normal enemy
Manticore 	Ancient Temple 	
Normal enemy
Gremlin 	Ancient Temple 	
Normal enemy
Deion 	Abel's Ark 	
Normal enemy
Ai Apaec 	Abel's Ark 	
Normal enemy
Ashmed Bapuz 	Abel's Ark 	
Normal enemy
Kazfa Jina 	Abel's Ark 	
Normal enemy
Aiakos 	Abel's Ark 	
Normal enemy
Serraninae 	Isolated Research Facility 	
Normal enemy
Crustata 	Isolated Research Facility 	
Normal enemy
Gadreel 	Isolated Research FacilityUnderground Ruins	
Normal enemy
Stribog 	Isolated Research FacilityUnderground Ruins	
Normal enemy
Perun 	Isolated Research FacilityUnderground Ruins	
Normal enemy
Svarozic 	Underground Ruins 	
Normal enemy
Iblis 	Underground Ruins 	
Normal enemy
Armaros 	Underground Ruins 	
Normal enemy
Azazel 	Underground Ruins 	
Normal enemy
Sigrdrifa 	Vector S-Line Division 	
Boss
Aludra Calf 	CAT Testing Ground 	
Boss
Natus Glacies	Abel's Ark 	
Boss
Natus Lumen 	Abel's Ark 	
Boss
Natus Tellus 	Abel's Ark 	
Boss
Natus Flamma 	Abel's Ark 	
Boss
==Database==
==Other appearances==
The Goblin, Bugbear, Armaros, Expression, and Glare-type Gnosis appear as enemy units in Project X Zone. The Golem, Stribog, Perun, and Svarozic-type Gnosis appear as enemy units in Project X Zone 2.
==Trivia==
* Most of the Gnosis enemies are named after creatures from various mythologies.
==In other languages==
==Gallery==
Fairy Artwork.jpg|Fairy.
Lizardman Artwork.jpg|Lizardman.
Gel Fish Artwork.jpg|Gel Fish.
Bugbear Artwork.jpg|Bugbear.
Basilisk Artwork.jpg|Basilisk.
Azazel Artwork.jpg|Azazel.
==Notes==
Category:SpeciesCategory: Lore (XS)*Category:Races (XS)