For those who have not completed games in the Xenoblade Chronicles series, this page contains spoilers regarding the plot. Discretion is advised. |
The Cloud Sea is a point of interest in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Torna ~ The Golden Country.
Overview[]
It is an ocean of clouds overrunning the world of Alrest surrounding the World Tree, where Titans live. The Cloud Sea experiences tidal effects and periodically rises and falls. Some Titans such as Gormott and Mor Ardain undergo these tidal effects, sometimes allowing access to places hard to reach, while others such as Uraya and Indol fly over or under it and do not undergo them. The tide of the Cloud Sea can be changed by taking a long rest at an inn. The World Tree stands in the center of the Cloud Sea. Surrounding the World Tree is the Great Void, an abyss carved by Artifice Ophion where the Cloud Sea is not present and across which passage is nearly impossible.
Physics[]
While the Cloud Sea is made of clouds, its physics are more akin to those of water. The clouds are dense enough to where people and even large objects (such as Titans) are able to float on and swim in it as if it were the ocean. However, Nia exclaims that swimming in the Cloud Sea isn't exactly like swimming in water, but instead feels as if "the clouds are wrapping around you."
The deeper you descend into the Cloud Sea, the denser the clouds become, gradually turning the already dense gaseous clouds into liquid water and making it appear and feel as if you are underwater. This phenomenon is similar to what occurs on gas giant planets in the outer solar system. Rex also states in a Heart-to-Heart that the Cloud Sea's surface isn't always flat and that sometimes mountains of clouds are formed, as is the case in Leftheria.
Story[]
It is revealed that the Cloud Sea was created by Klaus in order to restore life to the world in the aftermath of his experiment with the Conduit. The Cloud Sea contained particles that would eventually create the Titans. In the ending of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Rex and company fly past the Cloud Sea on Azurda's back, revealing an endless ocean. The Titans then move to this newly revealed ocean and join together to create a gigantic landmass for all the inhabitants of Alrest to live on.
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[]
The Cloud Sea appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a DLC stage, known as the "Cloud Sea of Alrest". It is the second stage from the Xenoblade Chronicles series, released alongside Pyra and Mythra. The fighters ride on Azurda as he swims through the Cloud Sea. Various other Titans pass by in the background as the fight goes on, including Gormott, Mor Ardain, Indol, and Uraya, as well as the Argentum Trade Guild and the World Tree. As with the Gaur Plain stage, time passes by from day to night.