Heart of the World: Difference between revisions

* ''This article is about the place itself. For the level in [[Rayman: Hoodlums' Revenge]], see [[Heart of the World (Rayman: Hoodlums' Revenge)]].''

[[File:HeartOfTheWorld.jpg|thumb|320px|right|The Heart of the World, as seen in a chamber with [[the Fairy Council]] in ''[[Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc|Rayman 3]]'']]

'''The Heart of the World''' (also known as '''the Primordial Core''') is a mystical object mentioned in ''[[Rayman 2: The Great Escape]]'', though it is not shown until ''[[Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc]]''. Comprising one thousand [[Yellow Lum]]s, the Heart is a glowing conglomeration of light whose energy sustains the harmony and balance of [[the Crossroads of Dreams]].

At the beginning of ''[[Rayman 2: The Great Escape|Rayman 2]]'', the Heart of the World is destroyed by the [[Robo-Pirate]]s and their leader, [[Admiral Razorbeard]]. The 1000 [[Yellow Lum]]s which formed the Heart (only 800 in the PlayStation version) are scattered about [[the Crossroads of Dreams]]. This cataclysmic event destroys the natural order, plunging the world into chaos and robbing [[Rayman]] and [[Ly the Fairy|Ly]] of their powers. The shattering of the Heart has serious negative repercussions for the Crossroads; dangerous creatures such as [[caterpillar]]s, [[spider]]s, [[piranha]]s and [[Zombie Chicken]]s begin to appear and multiply. [[Foutch]], the Guardian of the second [[Four Masks of Polokus|Mask of Polokus]], is driven insane. Over the course of the game, Rayman must gather the 1000 Yellow Lums, ultimately reconstructing the Heart and restoring the world's balance.

At the beginning of ''[[Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc|Rayman 3]]'', [[André]], the villainous leader of the [[Black Lum]]s, infiltrates [[the Fairy Council]]. He wishes to reach the Heart of the World and convert its energy into an army of [[Hoodlum]]s with which he can take over [[the Crossroads of Dreams]]. [[Globox]] puts a stop to André's plans by inadvertently swallowing him, thus putting the Heart out of immediate danger; for the remainder of the game, André pursues another power source, [[the Sceptre of the Leptys]].

In [[Rayman 1|the original ''Rayman'' game]], a mystical orb named [[the Great Protoon]] appears. Like the Heart of the World, it maintains the harmony and balance of the world. When it is stolen by the villainous [[Mr Dark]], the world is plunged into chaos, and unpleasant creatures begin to appear and multiply. After this game, the Great Protoon is never mentioned, and its position in the story is subsequently filled by the Heart of the World. Since the Heart largely has the same function as the Protoon (and even resembles it in ''[[Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc|Rayman 3]]''), it has been speculated that they are in fact the same object.

In ''[[Rayman 2: The Great Escape|Rayman 2]]'', [[Rayman]] can unlock a number of cosmic secrets relating to the nature of his world by gathering the [[Yellow Lum]]s. This information is collectively known as [[the Knowledge of the World]]. The Knowledge contains a number of statements relating to the Heart of the World. It says that the Yellow Lums are ‘the most important ones’, and that ‘one day, the Lums focused their energy into thought, and their consciousness brought to life a strange and marvellous creature: [[Polokus]]’. This shows that the Yellow Lums – which are synonymous with the Heart – had a significant hand in the birth of Polokus, the [[god]] who dreamt [[the Crossroads of Dreams]] into existence. In ''[[Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc|Rayman 3]]'', [[Murfy]] states that ‘the Heart is where all the world’s energy comes from’ – if [[Lum]]s are counted as ‘energy’, this implies that the Heart is wholly responsible for the creation of Polokus, and thus the entire universe. The Knowledge of the World also mentions that ‘the universe is made of energy’.

[[File:RR-PS2-BBDisk.jpg|thumb|left|320px|The Heart of the World is represented as a fountain of yellow energy in the ritualistic [[Globox Disc|Game of the Gods]]]]

[[File:RR-PS2-Japanese-ManualFragment-HOTWExplosion.JPG|frame|centre|The destruction of the Heart of the World, as depicted in the manual for the Japanese version of ''[[Rayman Revolution]]'']]