Charr on Religon
when the six brought humans to Tyria Balthazar was all like “do battle and conquer in my name!” so a decent amount of humans went to Ascalon the homeland of the Iron legion the Charr fought well but couldn’t compete with the humans use of magic given to them by the six and were driven out of Ascalon.
So very specifically the Flame legion made a deal with the titans to get magic for the Charr to strike back against the humans and retake Ascalon the Flame legion also instituted the shaman caste and basically enslaved the other legions with the help of the titans.
the titans are then destroyed so the Flame legion has to quell unrest while they work something out to stay in control they find this in the form of Destroyers.
so Ascalon is mostly under Charr control the Flame legion is happily being kittens to everyone and in the north a Blood legion ranger by the name of Pyre Fierceshot with the help of a human hero or two rescues his warband who are being held prisoner by a prominent Flame legion shaman and his lackeys killing said prominent scumbag legion shaman in the process inciting a revolt against the Flame legion with his famous speech eschewing the false gods (Destroyers and essentially all other gods while he’s at it) because the Charr need no gods.
but the losers in the Sucktown fizzle legion don’t have the spines to think for themselves and still even to this day try to control the other legions and will worship just about anything uglier than they are to achieve that goal.
so it’s a combination of cultural political and historical reasons why the Charr eschew religion.
However, there is evidence of a handful peaceful Charr who are religious.
However, there is evidence of a handful peaceful Charr who are religious.
Really? Where did they wind up, because I now need to go poke them with sticks. I mean, say hello.
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uhh, the one I know of is kinda in jail lol
They basically were tricked by the old flame legion into believing that their titans were really invincible and godlike. This was untrue as ascalonians (GW prophecy heroes: YOU) killed them. Pyre Fierceshot revolted and was sent to prison for this. In eye of the north you found pyre somewhere and saved him. He told you (half threatening the mesmer that he would eat the “mouse”) that he’ll help you as long as you’re against the flame legion and thus a whole story started with you saving his warband.
He started a revolution that ended with Kalla Scorhrazor (statue in black citadel) who restored the society to it’s old ways: Female and male warriors in warbands. This doubled their bodies in battle and caused them to outnumber the flame legion and led to their demise. She was after assassinated by some flame legion imperator.
Ring of Fire
GL – “The Afternoon’s Watch” [OATH]
GL – “The Afternoon’s Watch” [OATH]
Thousands of years ago, the charr were the dominant race in Tyria. They believed in Gods, but their warlike culture said that Gods should be dominated and slain in combat—not worshipped. This was not out of hatred, but because the charr believed they were superior and were meant to rule all.
When humans came to the southern coast of Ascalon, they saw the charr as beasts—not people. A human hero assassinated their Khan Ur (their king, basically), to weaken the charr. Under the direction of the war god Balthazar, the humans attacked the charr and the war began. Even though the charr were powerful, they had no magic. For this reason, they were driven out of Ascalon and defeated.
The charr were desperate to regain their land and turn the war around. They recognized that the humans had gods who gave them magic—and wondered if the charr should worship gods too.
A Flame Legion warband found the Titans—minions of an evil, fallen god (Abbadon). The warband made a deal with the titans—to worship them in return for magic. When the warband returned to charr society with the Titans for worship, Flame Legion saw it as a chance to gain power and rule over the rest of the charr. Flame Legion became the mouthpiece of the gods, and claimed they were superior.
A female warrior named Balthea rebelled against the Flame Legion because she realized they were trying to enslave the rest of the charr. She spread her rebellion through a network of female allies, and nearly overthrew Flame Legion. But she failed, and Flame Legion executed her. After this, all the charr submitted.
Because the rebellion had been started by women, Flame Legion declared that women were untrustworthy and inferior to men. They forbade women from combat training and made them slaves to men—often forced to serve in chains. For hundreds of years, the charr lived this way, under Flame Legion. The titan’s magic allowed the charr to win the war against the humans, but their once-free race was changed. Although the females were treated the most horrifically, every charr was enslaved to the will of the Flame Shamans.
In Guild Wars 1, our human heroes defeat the titans. This forces the Flame Legion to find new fake gods—the destroyers. By this point, a charr named Pyre Fierceshot realizes that Flame Legion has been lying to enslave the rest of the race. He rebels against Flame, and is imprisoned to be executed, but our human heroes rescue him.
Pyre Fierceshot starts a huge rebellion among the charr. Years later, it is carried on by his daughter, Kalla Scorchrazor. For hundreds of years, many women had been training to fight in secret, waiting for the chance to rebel and gain freedom. Kalla became the leader of these women, and formed a female army. Kalla’s army joined the male rebels and convinced them of female equality. With the combined female and male forces, the charr rebels overthrew the Flame Legion.
After Flame Legion was defeated, the charr swore to never be deceived by religion again. Females regained their equality, and the charr returned to their old view—that gods were to be conquered, not worshipped.
The oppression by Flame Legion and the abuse of women for religion is such a huge part of charr history, it affects their race even now. Charr associate religion with abuse of power, and use of deception to enslave others.
Worth noting I’m aware of the lore concerning the religon of charr and how it turned into anti-theism. Not atheism since they acknowledge there are powerful beings who are gods to other races . . . just not for the charr. “There are no gods for the charr.”
Of all the races on Tyria, the charr have decided they make their own fate, and carve their own destiny out regardless of who stands in their way. It’d be almost admirable if I didn’t have to look out on a similar mind’s mark on the world where Ascalon City used to stand.
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I think that the important points here are that
1. many Charr did believe what their shamans told them and were let down
2. their “gods” were actually false, not as powerful as the human gods and
3. they were trying to control the Charr (it was Abbadon through the Titans, but the Charr do not seem to be aware of that), and the Charr dislike the idea of outside control over their destiny.
From the Quest “A Flickering Flame”, GW1, Realm of Torment:
Scorch Emberspire (a lost soul): “The Charr have always found strength in the flames. When the Titans appeared before our people in a towering inferno, we knew that surely these must be our gods.”
Scorch Emberspire: “Through our gods our people found a purpose, one that bound us together and drove us onto a path of conquest.”
Scorch Emberspire: “Following signs from the gods, we cut a swath of destruction into the lands of men. Victory was our birthright. Fire and steel became the hands with which we would grasp it.”
Scorch Emberspire: “Always toward Arah, where the gods once lived. All that awaited us there was death. What sort of god would lead its people to destruction?”
On reaching the Titan:
Scorch Emberspire: “To think that I would ever be graced by the presence of a god….”
Scorch Emberspire: “I have come all this way to prove my faith. We have done all that you have asked, and yet I still find myself in this purgatory. How have we failed you?”
Ignis Cruor (a Titan): “Impudent creature… I have no further use for you. Your presence offends my sense. Begone!”
Aftermath
Scorch Emberspire: “How can this be? We worshipped them as gods. Have we been used all along? I need time to think on this… but that’s the one thing we have in abundance here. You have been of great assistance, human. I will remember this.”
[Yak’s Bend]
(edited by Frosch.7809)
Even though the charr were powerful, they had no magic.
Small correction. The charr probably did have magic before they found the titans. but it would have been primitive magics similar to the grawl since the charr were also primitive.
The Ecology of the charr describes how they Titans gave the charr new magic and in GW1 they have charr chaots who had Mesmer magic that was unrelated to fire titans or the cauldrons.