I can do thirty Five-Dolyak Arm Curls.
Do you even lift, bro?
Do you even lift, bro?
So "what" are Norns?
They’re a separate species from humans.
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Norn
http://ashenfold.com/pax-day-2-from-a-roleplayers-eyes/
Is it better to out-monster the monster or to be quietly devoured?
Dragonbrand – Level 80 – Human Ranger
Dragonbrand – Level 80 – Human Ranger
Race =/= Species
I can do thirty Five-Dolyak Arm Curls.
Do you even lift, bro?
Do you even lift, bro?
you’re right, race =/= species. They are their own species, heck, they can’t even interbreed with humans. Read the wiki that Arsenic linked.
They are men with massive muscles and women with massive boobs. I like.
They have a different chromosome count than humans in their DNA. It seems they can also mate with humans, but the offspring would be infertile. I’m kinda curious if there are any human/norn couples ingame though lol.
P.S Don’t tell me that they are “lycans” or whatever. They’re not. The ability to change into animal form is granted to them from the Spirits, just as the ability to change into a tree is granted to Humans by their Deity Melandru.
Never heard the lycan argument, and while I would agree they derive the ability to transform from the Spirits of the Wild (their guides), it’s actually not cited in the official GW2 wiki. On the other hand it’s very clear that the Spirits of the Wild and the Six Human Gods are not on the same level; it’s a totally different relationship.
It really makes no sense why the norn shapeshifting was converted to work more like the avatars of the dervish from GW, which is further bizarre that every human can now do this, even with the gods being pretty much AWOL since Nightfall. It took the power of lifelong devotees (dervish) to be blessed with the avatar form, it totally distorts the power of the Six in current lore and norn, apparently to maintain skill-balance, have their shapeshifting neutered.
I’d rather like to hear from a loremaster (cough Konig) or Anet to explain these anomalies.
They have a different chromosome count than humans in their DNA. It seems they can also mate with humans, but the offspring would be infertile. I’m kinda curious if there are any human/norn couples ingame though lol.
Both links Arsenic Touch provided have confirmed that Humans and Norn cannot interbreed at all. Not even mule children :P
Awe, I see XD. There was a part that implied some norns could do so in GW1. I guess not :X.
Oh, yeah there was definatly that implication in GW1. It seems A-Net changed their minds.
Doesn’t mean there aren’t any human/norn couples, just that they can’t have children.
Uthgar Stormbringer, elementalist
Sigurd Greymane, guardian
~ Piken
Sigurd Greymane, guardian
~ Piken
Doesn’t mean there aren’t any human/norn couples, just that they can’t have children.
Norn female, human male…. death by snoo snoo.
Is it better to out-monster the monster or to be quietly devoured?
Dragonbrand – Level 80 – Human Ranger
Dragonbrand – Level 80 – Human Ranger
which is further bizarre that every human can now do this, even with the gods being pretty much AWOL since Nightfall
every Human can Shapeshift into an Avatar of the Gods? I thought they could just shapeshift into a tiny little bush or get a small useless stinky aura around them… :p
Doesn’t mean there aren’t any human/norn couples, just that they can’t have children.
Norn female, human male…. death by snoo snoo.
Farewell friends.
I never thought I’d die like this, but I’ve always secretly hoped.
:P
I can do thirty Five-Dolyak Arm Curls.
Do you even lift, bro?
Do you even lift, bro?
every Human can Shapeshift into an Avatar of the Gods? I thought they could just shapeshift into a tiny little bush or get a small useless stinky aura around them… :p
Not shapeshifting, transforming. I don’t understand the inconsistencies, either (lack of other Gods influence, turning every player into an Avatar of Balthazar at one point).
I’d like to think that the norn retain a primitive, animal mind that’s still their own when they shapeshift, whereas transformation takes over the human (possession). Again just more speculation.
And yes I understand sarcasm :P
What are norns?
Norns are impossible to describe. One might as well ask “What are birds?”
Attachments:
What are norns?
Yes.
Awe, I see XD. There was a part that implied some norns could do so in GW1. I guess not :X.
Anet writers got lazy, simple as that, Or someone high up didnt want that to fly – Simple as that.
Take into heart that on the off chance Human/Norn liasons did happen, gw1 is testament to that.
Ranger put into Retirement due to Anet Abuse.
9/3/13 rip
9/3/13 rip
Norn and humans being mechanically able to do and being able to produce offspring are two different things. Considering they both look the same, I guess they have the same way of reproducing. So I don’t see any reason why there can’t be Norn/human couples. And they could still adopt children.
You don’t win friends with salad! Sorry I just got caught up in the rhythm.
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Prenuptial_Disagreement_%28female%29
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Prenuptial_Disagreement_%28male%29
Though they may not be able to interbreed, a Norn might “desire” your hero :P
Human Dervishes in GW1 used to be able to transform into avatars of the Gods, but the human Gods are quieter now, so perhaps that is the reason for only an avatar or two.
Whereas, IMO, the Norn revere the animals and ask for their strengths to help them and they’re also very close to the animals they revere (“in-tune” with them if you will).
Awe, I see XD. There was a part that implied some norns could do so in GW1. I guess not :X.
—
Oh, yeah there was definatly that implication in GW1. It seems A-Net changed their minds.
As the above post says, there is a huge leap from a norn falling for a human to the two actually being able to reproduce. Never mind what Olaf might suggest in his dialogue – it can be assumed that he just doesn’t know it’s impossible. After all, until the Ebon Vanguard showed up, humans were unknown to Norn, and until we showed up, Norn were unknown to all humans except the Vanguard.
As for their transformative abilities, the concept of shapeshifting is an old one indeed, attributed to witches, shamans, and druids at various points in history. In Fantasy, D&D’s druids have had the ability to shapechange, as a natural ability, into certain creatures of the wild (bear being one of those).
The Norn are a shamanistic culture, in the way their belief system is set up. And the spirits they revere DO exist and have power. It is no stretch at all that the Norn have the ability to assume an animal-based form by calling upon this power. (Unlike the human gods, those four Spirits are known to still be present – they guided the Norn to Hoelbrak after Jormag drove them south, and although many spirits were lost in the journey, with at least one confirmed to have been destroyed, Bear, Wolf, Raven, and Snow Leopard were with them the whole time.)
Doesn’t mean there aren’t any human/norn couples, just that they can’t have children.
Once you go Norn you never go back.
From Norse mythology and other games (AD&D I think) Norn are a sort of half-giant (which is purely descriptive, not that they are related per se).
In GW2 their culture is very much in spirit with the old Germanic culture of adventure, heroism, hunting and generally living life large and free. They are the polar opposite of the Kodan, who irritate my Norn enormously with their pithy tripe about “balance” and “harmony”. Ugh!
Triumph! Glory! Large beers and larger women! THAT’S the Norn way!
Actually, Norns in Norse Mythology are creepy old ladies with prophetic abilities. Like those creepy old hags in Disney’s Hercules that had to share an eye, remember?
I can do thirty Five-Dolyak Arm Curls.
Do you even lift, bro?
Do you even lift, bro?
I haven’t seen the Disney version, but it sounds like you’re describing the Grey Sisters (who have an official name I cannot quite remember). Prophetesses who featured in the Perseus myth (and they ARE in both versions of Clash of the Titans, at that), but the Norse norns are more likened to the Greek Fates – the keepers of the fates of all things. (This WOULD give them prophetic ability, in that they know what fate has in store…. it’s just different from the Grey Sisters.)
As for Cirian’s post…. actually, the Norn do share some of those principles with the Kodan. They are very big on being in tune with nature and the natural order – it’s one of the primary reasons that the Sons of Svanir are outcast; the followers of “Dragon” figure might makes right, period, and to the Mists with living with nature.
Sons aside, the Norn have a lot of respect for nature – it comes from the fact that they live in a land where they have to struggle with nature every day of their lives. It REALLY cuts back on the kind of hubris other races get about being able to best nature and the elements. They know that attitudes like that would get them killed by something unexpected. A sudden blizzard, an avalanche, even a Norn knows that nature is one thing it is not stronger than. So they have developed a healthy respect for nature, and therefore TREAT it with respect.
And, indeed, what are the Spirits of the Wild, if not manifestations of nature?
So Norn are not as out of touch with concepts of balance as you might think.
Mind you, their ideologies about self-reliance might clash with the kodan way, seeing as kodan seem VERY community-oriented.
Although I do not know the Disney abomination I, too, would think those are the graiai or grey sisters. They have their counterparts in germanic (and other) legends, but they are not equivalent to the norns (nor are the norns ever described as ugly hags to my knowledge). The mediterranean counterparts to the norns would rather be the moirai, the three goddesses of destiny.