Guild Wars 2

Disclaimer: I’m not being entirely serious about the whole Living Story thing, but I find all of this rather amusing given the amount of work put into the Guild Wars Lore through the three novels, the story events added in original Guild Wars during the GW2 pre-release hype, and the tie-ins such as Ogden, the Vizier’s Tower, etc.

So, the Queen’s Jubilee is a part of the Living Story yet people seem focused entirely on the gameplay — which is fine and I’ve seen some valid concerns which should be addressed. That said, I’ve been thinking about this Living Story segment and the implications of Queen Jennah’s rule within the context of the Living Story.

1. Queen Jennah’s spent an extravagant amount of money gathered from her subjects to build a “Pavilion” which is, in reality, a Colosseum dedicated to having people fight to the death for her own amusement. (Ignoring the malfunctioning watchknights and thinking entirely of their purpose plus the gauntlet which kills you if you fail.)
2. Her “Champions” out in the world are all forced to wear pink in her honour and I’ve seen them kill friendly NPCs (in a story context these are farmers, hunters, traders, and other commoners) during their “duels” with the challenging players.
3. Jennah’s had balloon towers built in other countries. Are we even sure that the Asura and the other races gave permission for these towers? The Asura even harass their own merchants within Rata Sum over licensing and paperwork!
4. The balloon towers are often in very dangerous zones, putting the pilots in peril. I’ve seen one in the middle of an inquest zone, some surrounded by dangerous and aggressive beasts, and another surrounded by icebrood (dragon minions!). What kind of queen orders her non-combatant pilots to stand ready in a hostile zone at all times?
5. Her watchknights were made with her permission, so their function as naked-female looking battle robots had to pass her approval and she probably gave her own artistic direction to their building.
6. Queen Jennah seems to have an endless supply of battle-ready watchknights, which could be used against her enemies, be they dragons or another nation. I’m sure Seperatists on both sides will be wanting to either steal them or destroy them, depending on if they’re human or charr.
7. The sovereign weapons are in her own honor and thus are probably carved in her own image (albeit not looking much like her, but after spending all that money on balloons, Pavilion, and an endless army of watchknights, what can you expect?) further glorifying herself in this event.
8. All of this is in celebration of her own 10th anniversary as ruler.
9. All of this at the cost of her subjects’ taxes and labor.

I’ve truly enjoyed the lore involved in Guild Wars and just thinking about this particular Living Story segment has had some disturbing implications if applied to the Guild Wars actual story. Queen Jennah seems to be a self-absorbed tyrant, all things considered. She had stated that the Colosseum/Pavilion was to represent Kryta’s success in fending off enemies, but all of her actions combined in this segment of story speak more of her lust for violence and her disregard for the lives of the heroes who have volunteered to fight dragons in order to keep her and everyone else safe.

She is a monarch. Monarchs derive their power from “Divine Right” and thus believe that anything they do is just.

As far as monarchs go, she is certainly one of the least offensive, but she is still a monarch.

Maybe…this isn’t Queen Jennah, but some doppleganger or disguised/memsmer-magic-using usurper.

Maybe the leader or a high ranking member of the Aetherblades or the Separatists or other faction has managed to take Queen Jennah hostage and has replaced her.

Maybe the watchknights have gained sentience and are trying to take over Kryta.

Or maybe the people who say she isn’t fit to rule are all correct and Jennah has officially gone coo coo for Cocoa Puffs.

I am hoping all this violence has a purpose, like to empower Balthazar somehow.

Not to mention the Colosseum is built where the “Cantha-influenced” district used to be.

Basically all those made homeless from the collapse, are just amazed the Queen built that blood-sport arena over their former homes.

Can anyone say “Emperor Nero”?

MadDemon.7548:

Maybe…this isn’t Queen Jennah, but some doppleganger or disguised/memsmer-magic-using usurper.

Maybe the leader or a high ranking member of the Aetherblades or the Separatists or other faction has managed to take Queen Jennah hostage and has replaced her.

Maybe the watchknights have gained sentience and are trying to take over Kryta.

Or maybe the people who say she isn’t fit to rule are all correct and Jennah has officially gone coo coo for Cocoa Puffs.

Haha, those are some amusing theories. Who knows, really? I just find it fun to think about. On the note of Queen Jennah being taken hostage, perhaps Logan will finally have a chance to be a hero rather than her lapdog. :P

Avatara.1042:

I am hoping all this violence has a purpose, like to empower Balthazar somehow.

Maybe she’s just desperate to get the gods to become active again. “Oh Great Balthazar! Behold our tribute to you!”

Soulstar.7812:

Not to mention the Colosseum is built where the “Cantha-influenced” district used to be.

Basically all those made homeless from the collapse, are just amazed the Queen built that blood-sport arena over their former homes.

Can anyone say “Emperor Nero”?

I had forgotten about that! The poor dispossessed Canthans.

Soulstar.7812:

Not to mention the Colosseum is built where the “Cantha-influenced” district used to be.

Basically all those made homeless from the collapse, are just amazed the Queen built that blood-sport arena over their former homes.

Can anyone say “Emperor Nero”?

The Canthans were never there…..They developed it as a Canthan area but then removed it before the game was released. Technically at no point was it ever specified that anyone lived there let alone Canthans. So nobody was displaced.

Avatara.1042:

I am hoping all this violence has a purpose, like to empower Balthazar somehow.

Even though the nearby Balthazar shrine was removed, leaving no trace.

Zomaarwat.3912:

Even though the nearby Balthazar shrine was removed, leaving no trace.

The shrine is still alive and well. Are you talking about the small statue?

Plot Twist: the Watchknights in the Pavillion aren’t actually robots. They have a second mesmer illusion cast on them to hide the fact that they are really the former residents of the Canthan district and the refugees from the war with the centaurs. Jennah saw them as a financial burden on her empire so she set up the whole Pavilion to fool adventurers into culling off all the displaced people, solving her refugee problem while throwing a party in her own honour. The mysterious disappearances in Divinity’s Reach that Marjory was investigating are actually the work of the Shining Blade, gathering up all the displaced people and anyone who discovered Jennah’s sinister secret.

Shiren.9532:

Plot Twist: the Watchknights in the Pavillion aren’t actually robots. They have a second mesmer illusion cast on them to hide the fact that they are really the former residents of the Canthan district and the refugees from the war with the centaurs. Jennah saw them as a financial burden on her empire so she set up the whole Pavilion to fool adventurers into culling off all the displaced people, solving her refugee problem while throwing a party in her own honour. The mysterious disappearances in Divinity’s Reach that Marjory was investigating are actually the work of the Shining Blade, gathering up all the displaced people and anyone who discovered Jennah’s sinister secret.

Intriguing. So, what you’re saying is, queen jennah is actually hitler with boobs. And illusion magic. And an endless army of steam robots.

A terrifying combination for sure, I can’t really decide which part scares me the most.

Shiren.9532:

Plot Twist: the Watchknights in the Pavillion aren’t actually robots. They have a second mesmer illusion cast on them to hide the fact that they are really the former residents of the Canthan district and the refugees from the war with the centaurs. Jennah saw them as a financial burden on her empire so she set up the whole Pavilion to fool adventurers into culling off all the displaced people, solving her refugee problem while throwing a party in her own honour. The mysterious disappearances in Divinity’s Reach that Marjory was investigating are actually the work of the Shining Blade, gathering up all the displaced people and anyone who discovered Jennah’s sinister secret.

Haha, awesome!

Fits overall with the way I see Jennah and her Logan the Lapdog anyway. I mean, just outside the massive, massive gates of DR there is a tiny field getting raided by centaurs and what not, and there are no soldiers spared to do anything about it. Yet she is suddenly boasting a city full of not only soldiers everywhere, but also mechanical fembots in high heels. Who do the same thing. Which is guard. They couldn’t spare any of those fembots to help the villagers at all? Really? But I guess a giant metal eagle is more important than a few peasents anyway.

And boy those Sovereign weapons. Why would I want to have the face of a monarch on my shield who does nothing to protect the common man?

Honestly, apart from the peace treaty with the Charr I don’t really see what Jennah has done that’s so amazingly wonderful. She’s fishy, and I hope it turns out that she’s really evil so we can slay her once and for all. Serves you right, Logan. You bet on the wrong horse.

im sorry but when i was pharoah i had this monument build called a pyramid that a loft of people died making and cost so much. that the expenses spent by queen jenah is nickel in the barrel stuff to me and citizens should put their lives on the line when doing stuff for royalty. we are like descendants from the gods and like dude

Well, you know what they say about power corrupting.

It’s only natural for monarchs to live in riches off the misery of their own people. The same with the rich. If they weren’t miserable and doing all the work, then they’d have to do work. This isn’t anything special, really.

Or it could be that she knows that the heroes that saved Tyria aren’t really heroes but actually bloodthirsty mercenaries that know nothing but greed and wealth, and since they were the ones with the power to defeat the dragon, she must appease them with things that would satiate their sick desires, lest they start whining about the lack of an “endgame” thanks to their endless hunger for wealth, violence, and challenge. They’d start taking it out on the citizenry, the wildlife, and even each other.

Hmmm … idea for ye. IIRC, Jennah did touch Kralk’s mind. It could be possible that she … “inherited” some of his nature by doing so. Being only human, it’s twisting her desires around, and in her mind, she’s doing what is “right.”

I’m 90% sure that she’s actually a man disguised as a woman using mesmer magic.
Unfortunately, the enchantment has been persistent for so long, it’s caused his brain to deteriorate so his mind has become warped.

I think this would explain the design of the watchknights. Obviously, he’s designed the watchknights to have ‘feminine’ bodies, because it’s something that he doesn’t possess. It’s how he ultimately desires to look, but can only achieve that through enchantments and building these things.

Hedge.8760:

Honestly, apart from the peace treaty with the Charr I don’t really see what Jennah has done that’s so amazingly wonderful. She’s fishy, and I hope it turns out that she’s really evil so we can slay her once and for all. Serves you right, Logan. You bet on the wrong horse.

You forget that Queen Jennah is the one who helped Save Ebonhawk during the http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Ogre_Revolt. By creating a massive mesmer illusion of Kralkatorrik transforming the humans, the real attacking branded left.
It’s important to note, for those who will say that it is all Logan’s fault, that EVEN if Destiny’s Edge had defeated and killed Kralkatorrik, that would have not stopped the branded attack. (although it might have lessened a bit, as in the examples of Arah Explore dungeon, which is after the defeat of Zhaitan)

Hedge.8760:

Fits overall with the way I see Jennah and her Logan the Lapdog anyway. I mean, just outside the massive, massive gates of DR there is a tiny field getting raided by centaurs and what not, and there are no soldiers spared to do anything about it. Yet she is suddenly boasting a city full of not only soldiers everywhere, but also mechanical fembots in high heels. Who do the same thing. Which is guard. They couldn’t spare any of those fembots to help the villagers at all? Really? But I guess a giant metal eagle is more important than a few peasents anyway.

And boy those Sovereign weapons. Why would I want to have the face of a monarch on my shield who does nothing to protect the common man?

Honestly, apart from the peace treaty with the Charr I don’t really see what Jennah has done that’s so amazingly wonderful. She’s fishy, and I hope it turns out that she’s really evil so we can slay her once and for all. Serves you right, Logan. You bet on the wrong horse.

I think that since the Living Story is meant to take place after the Personal Story, those centaurs are considered beaten already. While the zones outside do not change (so to not affect/confuse new players), by that point, the centaurs were mostly beaten back and their leader killed, so they’re not a big problem now.

That’s kinda a problem with the Living Story. Things change in certain spots but things don’t really change the entire world itself. I’m actually trying to imagine those Watchknights being out in Queensdale, fighting the centaurs or bandits alongside the Seraph, maybe hearing people talk about them in towns and other places where they’ve shown up. Some NPCs might be ok with them, some may be creeped out by them, and there’d be that one NPC with a fetish for them…eh, wait what?

Perhaps she’s just unveiling them now and waiting until later to send them out. Still, some of the other things, like all the people who lost their homes, and the gauntlet itself, really do imply that something’s off with the queen. But, we’ll have to wait and see.

Aiglos.2907:

I’m 90% sure that she’s actually a man disguised as a woman using mesmer magic.
Unfortunately, the enchantment has been persistent for so long, it’s caused his brain to deteriorate so his mind has become warped.

I think this would explain the design of the watchknights. Obviously, he’s designed the watchknights to have ‘feminine’ bodies, because it’s something that he doesn’t possess. It’s how he ultimately desires to look, but can only achieve that through enchantments and building these things.

This would be awesome. Imagine Logan discovering this after finally gotten the queen in bed. Priceless!

These theories are getting rather nefarious. Who is Queen Jennah, really, and what are her (or his?!) hidden goals?

ArchonWing.9480:

Or it could be that she knows that the heroes that saved Tyria aren’t really heroes but actually bloodthirsty mercenaries that know nothing but greed and wealth, and since they were the ones with the power to defeat the dragon, she must appease them with things that would satiate their sick desires, lest they start whining about the lack of an “endgame” thanks to their endless hunger for wealth, violence, and challenge. They’d start taking it out on the citizenry, the wildlife, and even each other.

Aww, you had to go and break the fourth wall, didn’t you? :P

Nilkemia.8507:

I think that since the Living Story is meant to take place after the Personal Story (snip)

That’s kinda a problem with the Living Story. Things change in certain spots but things don’t really change the entire world itself. (snip)

This bothers me as well. I’d like to see a stronger impact on this Living Story in the outside world. I’ve seen threads about it, but in this instance, I would like to see watchknights on patrol. They don’t have to be super powerful and be able to single-handedly crush those centaurs in Queensdale, but I’d like to see an “effect” beyond one watchknight standing outside the Colosseum, erm, Pavilion.

you don’t die in the pavilion. or ever, for that matter. “defeated” state isn’t “dead”, which is why you can be back on your feet by the power of fondling.

Hedge.8760:

I mean, just outside the massive, massive gates of DR there is a tiny field getting raided by centaurs and what not, and there are no soldiers spared to do anything about it.

To be fair, that is the usual dilemma with computer games: the NPCs are made to look uncaring and/or incompetent because otherwise, the player would have nothing to do (and fly into a frothing rage over NPCs “stealing our glory”).

Still, I don’t like it either. Even if we assume that the old threats have been pacified for the moment, there must still be lots of rebuilding, resettling and re-enforcing to do. Orphans and crippled people to take care of. The watchknights, at least, could bolster the depleted ranks of the army — if they weren’t a colossal security risk, as proven immediately upon their unveiling (not to mention the disgraceful design). But the Pavillion is a huge, useless waste of money that does not benefit anyone.

shrug Par on course for “nobility”, though. The egos of a tiny, inbred, hyperprivileged minority will always come first.

1a – The only things dying on the arena floor are watchknights – transformed or not.

1b – There is probably a hidden safety net… Like the one that caught the Graysons.

1c – THe pavilion acts as a training ground, improving those who would also be called upon to fight the dragons.

4 – They have safety in the fact that if anyone REALLY comes after them… they can fly away.

5 – The female form to the Knights is to make people underestimate them.

Can we add “All the watchknights are regular (female) humans infected with SCP-217 (a.k.a. the clockwork virus)” to my list of conspiracy theories?

MadDemon.7548:

Can we add “All the watchknights are regular (female) humans infected with SCP-217 (a.k.a. the clockwork virus)” to my list of conspiracy theories?

Haha, would that be some new asuran invention?

Let’s not forget the mesmer magic she put on Logan to manipulate him which resulted in the failure to kill an elder dragon and the death of Snaff which broke up Destiny’s Edge, a guild based on defeating the dragons.

Queen Jenna = Final Villain

Jenna is also controlling Liandri.

And that is how she can be so fickle about extra bosses, butt camera, and other sudden glitches against players not so “Logan in love” with her.

Coining/Registering phrase LiL now. ;-)

As the famaous Lore Enthusiast Konig would say;

Konig Des Todes.2086:

GG Anet, kittening up the lore for non-lore reasons.

Antara.3189:

As the famaous Lore Enthusiast Konig would say;

Konig Des Todes.2086:

GG Anet, kittening up the lore for non-lore reasons.

That made me laugh. Good one. :P