Cello Tree

Close-up of the Cello Tree

"Its real name is the Cello Tree. It has stood on this land for thousands and thousands of years. For the tree, it's as if time is always standing still. For it never grows any bigger, and it also never withers. And that is why the people who live in this land have come to call it, 'the sacred tree.' They think it blessed, because it doesn't age."

—The Fortuneteller woman, describing the Cello Tree

The Cello Tree is a gnarled tree found within the World of Eternal Sonata, found in Baroque territory. A sacred tree, people think it blessed because it does not age, always remaining exactly as it is.

Story

"I'll do it. I'll draw one. There's no way she could know what I'm going to draw before I do it. That doesn't make any sense. No one knows what they're gonna get before they draw, that's why people can have hope for the future."

—Polka expresses disbelief that a fortune could be known before it's drawn.

The Cello Tree is first seen in Eternal Sonata's opening, behind an elderly woman who comments "So, once more, a new journey begins." Much later in the game, Allegretto and the party arrive at the area of the Cello Tree via teleporter from the To Coda Ruins, en route to catch up with Crescendo and Serenade and convince them that their decision to surrender to Count Waltz is misguided. Here, they encounter the woman from the opening, who seems to know Polka and tells her that she knew that she would be coming.

The woman explains the history of the Cello Tree and tells Polka that she's the only one who can draw a fortune there. She further states that Polka will draw a fortune of bad luck and advises her to tie it to the tree, as that will draw away the bad luck. She will remain to witness whether or not Polka ties the fortune to the tree. Polka agrees and draws a fortune. The woman turns to Frederic, telling him that there is no need for him to draw a fortune, but she advises him to go with Polka. Polka arrives at the tree and finds that it has numerous fortunes tied to it, all of which are bad luck.She opens the one that she drew, only to find it entirely blank. After speaking with Frederic and Allegretto about it, she comes to a decision to have faith in the fortune by determining her own destiny. Allegretto suggests that they go and speak with the Fortuneteller to tell her that she was wrong, but she has already left the scene.

Treasure

• Saint's Mirror
• Score Piece 22

Etymology

A cello is a bowed stringed instrument that is a member of the violin family. While Chopin composed mainly for piano, he also wrote some sonatas for both cello and piano.

Behind the scenes

"Now then, my dear, go over to the sacred tree, and if it is indeed a bad fortune, tie it to one of the branches of the tree. Doing so will drive away the bad luck."

—The Fortuneteller woman to Polka

• In the original Xbox 360 version of Eternal Sonata, the Cello Tree is not seen in the game's opening, as the opening begins with the scene of Polka at the cliff. Furthermore, the Fortuneteller woman does not comment on Frederic's presence and Polka instead draws a bad fortune, which she ties to the tree. Following this, the party notices the Fortuneteller woman's absence, but Polka says that she's left, as she no longer has any reason to be there.
• The Cello Tree area contains a Saint's Mirror item, found by inspecting the shack. This extremely valuable item recovers all KOed characters at full HP. In the original Xbox 360 version of the game, this item carried an item weight of 10, while in the PlayStation 3 version, the item weight was decreased to a mere 2, greatly increasing its value. Another Saint's Mirror can be gained by defeating the Tracer opponent in Encore Mode, and they are also a rare drop from the Perfect Melon opponents in Mysterious Unison.

Notes and references