Amaterasu's Millions

Post by **Tachyon** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 1:46 pm

In book 9 there's a scene where Aisha is catapulting herself through an airport on Float Temple and complaining about government financial decisions. She talks about how a certain official budget comes from the Emperor's money and not tax revenues. I know Amaterasu is rich but I had always thought his money came from tax revenues. Where does his money come from, then?

The AKD covers a whole planet and when you've got an entire planet of developed nations that's one serious tax base. The opulence of Float Temple hadn't surprised me before but am I to believe that Float Temple is run without tax money?

Zoxesyr · Post by **Zoxesyr** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 1:59 am

that bugged me until I realized a couple of things --

1 - Amaterasu is part of a long line of hereditary rulers, and probably like the ones here on Earth, the scions have (probably by inheritance) their own personal wealth independent of the tax base.

2 - Amaterasu is a god. We haven't really learned the full extent of his powers. What we do know clearly shows that he has connections to other universes, and other god-like entities. Maybe he just has a universe in his pocket that is made entirely of gold.

Nu Soard Graphite · Post by **Nu Soard Graphite** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 2:23 am

Indeed, the Amaterasu family is much like the Windsor family of Britain; wealthy beyond imagining (or at least, they used to be)

Much of the Amaterasu family wealth has been accumulated over several millenia...in fact, the majority of Jokers royal families have similar wealth (Collet family, Fillmore/Lader families, Colus family etc) but Amaterasu is by far the wealthiest.

I'm sure Amaterasu's heavily invested in the majority of the Delta Belunian industrial complex and as long as their economy is golden, Amaterasu probably makes tens of billions each year from that alone....

hitori · Post by **hitori** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:41 pm

If you want to hear a theory, I have one.
When you tell other people about this, please let them know you heard it from me.
Because I would like meet someone who can confirm whether it is really true or not.

I've heard this years ago.
Among Japanese and Korean FSS fans there was a story circulating that the teleportation devices of Joker were invented and sold exclusively by Amaterasu.
Large nations pay to import these devices and also pay to operate them.
Only large nations and Knight Orders can afford them since it costs a lot to teleport, as noted by Dai G Filmore in vol 11.

What they don't know is that the process of teleportation is achieved through Amaterasu's godly powers.
And the teleportation "devices" are merely there to let Amaterasu know what to send and where.
Since the actual "technology" that runs the devices are not made public, everybody has to keep paying Amaterasu.
And reverse engineering probably isn't possible because there is nothing to figure out.

Amaterasu gets rich, and is able to keep tabs on what Knight Orders and Nations are up to.
I'd say it sounds oddball enough to be one of Nagano's ideas.

Or at least it's a fun fan-fiction.

Post by **Tachyon** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:16 pm

Whoa. I'd never heard that before. If I ever have an opportunity to confirm it I'll let everyone know (and I'll say I heard it from hitori).

That would answer a number of questions. A person may say, "A knight order wouldn't use technology of questionable origin." But then, when the opposing side starts scoring victories because of teleportation, the arguments to avoid it go out the window!

hitori · Post by **hitori** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:18 pm

It's not of a "questionable origin".
It's backed by Amaterasu, the longest living monarch in Joker and possibly the brightest MH Meight.
He must know something more than mere mortals

Zoxesyr · Post by **Zoxesyr** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:02 am

It's an interesting theory, but I think there may be a few gaps in it.

1 - I seem to recall that the teleportation technology was part of the technology that came from the Scarlet Empire. Or at least I got the impression from the Skins storyline to that effect.

1a - also wasn't there some mention of this back before the invention of Fatimas?

2 - The dragons have shown teleportation abilities, and even if they didn't give it away...someone would have noticed...

hitori · Post by **hitori** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:12 am

Zoxesyr wrote:It's an interesting theory, but I think there may be a few gaps in it.

Thanks for posting a reply.
I'd love to discuss this topic further if anyone would care to join.

Zoxesyr wrote:1 - I seem to recall that the teleportation technology was part of the technology that came from the Scarlet Empire. Or at least I got the impression from the Skins storyline to that effect.

I hate to put you on the spot, but please point me to the text you are referring to.
If you're talking about the part where Empress of Flame sends Swans to Ladios Focuslight's ship, that's her using the Diver Force.
So essentially that's also magic/divine power. [vol 9, pp80-83]

Zoxesyr wrote:1a - also wasn't there some mention of this back before the invention of Fatimas?

Fatimas are unrelated to the teleportation technology.
Besides, Amaterasu was already 290 years old when the Fatimas were invented. [vol 1: Chronological Table], [vol 9, pp153-154]
Man-made humanoids existed for a long time, but they weren't made from the Fatima genes. [vol 3, p183]

Zoxesyr wrote:2 - The dragons have shown teleportation abilities, and even if they didn't give it away...someone would have noticed...

People of Joker aren't even sure how the dragons achieve flight, let alone how they teleport. [vol 4. pp170-171]
As a matter of fact, they don't even have a clear idea on their physical structure. [vol 4. pp178-179]
Dragons are deities in the Joker Universe.
Therefore their powers are 'godly.'