Guild Wars 2

Since Anet has not posted about it on the forums. (again)

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/short-story-what-scarlet-saw/?utm_source=client

Yep, she’s definitely crazy.

Now this is actually interesting. I like the notion that Scarlet rejects the deterministic notions of the Pale Tree, but still it leaves a lot of her actual motives unclear.

But I have to wonder, why none of this is told to us in-game? Scarlet could actually be an interesting character if you’d constructed her backstory using all you have written in that short story via dialogue and in-game text. This is the kind of exposition we need for the storyline, if we are meant to enjoy it.

Great read. Thanks for the link.

I really wish they would just have a separate area for the short stories. It would be nice to find them quickly instead of digging through the news feed.

That’s, um. Wow.

Did… Did Scarlet just become directly responsible for the first 20 levels of the asura personal story?

Great, just great… she stares into the face of everything and now wants to redesign the world!

Actually that sounds kind of fun. Give me my axe, I’m going to mess her up.

These short stories are always great to read, and are a huge slap in the face for all the people who claim the writing around this game is poor. I do agree that it would be nice to see this information presented in-game.

The depth I was missing around Scarlet is here now, and I’m eager to find out more.

Did I just…get some character depth? Niiiiiiiiiiiceeee.

well that was interesting. Still wished they kind of provided this in the game first.

“Her skin was hot to the touch, and the faint golden glow that surrounded her had shifted to vivid crimson.” This was a line from that story about Scarlet…

Now, here’s a screenshot of Kormir after she took Abaddon’s powers: http://i.imgur.com/TOt1MIa.jpg

Very similar to the description of Scarlet.

Here is the rest of the scene with Kormir: http://imgur.com/a/YM1D0

Scarlet, like she calls herself now, is somewhat of a different person after seeing these powers; perhaps she took over one of the god’s powers like Kormir? Kormir acted like a new person after she took Abaddon’s powers, almost not even recognizing her own name it seemed.

Well Scarlet has ties to Teyo which is an Asura you deal with in the personal story.

She also (I assume) saw the Eternal Alchemy? Basically it was like peering into space and time.

Ingame:
-Hurrdurr, I’m Scarlet! Diediediedie!
Site:
Not bad story.
Maybe we will get PVE and PVP content on site too?

Oh, and closing plot gaps such way. What a fail, Anet.

Not likes its hard to notice. its there when you start to log in.

Beetle.2476:

Not likes its hard to notice. its there when you start to log in.

Not everyone logs in everyday. Also some people might have auto-play on.

Caveth.3268:

“Her skin was hot to the touch, and the faint golden glow that surrounded her had shifted to vivid crimson.” This was a line from that story about Scarlet…

Now, here’s a screenshot of Kormir after she took Abaddon’s powers: http://i.imgur.com/TOt1MIa.jpg

Very similar to the description of Scarlet.

Here is the rest of the scene with Kormir: http://imgur.com/a/YM1D0

Scarlet, like she calls herself now, is somewhat of a different person after seeing these powers; perhaps she took over one of the god’s powers like Kormir? Kormir acted like a new person after she took Abaddon’s powers, almost not even recognizing her own name it seemed.

Sylvari have a bioluminescent glow. I think it’s just referring to the fact that she used to have a golden glow, but changed it to crimson after awakening to reflect her new self.

According to the story she’s at least 15 years old… what an ancient sylvari.

Caveth.3268:

“Her skin was hot to the touch, and the faint golden glow that surrounded her had shifted to vivid crimson.” This was a line from that story about Scarlet…

Now, here’s a screenshot of Kormir after she took Abaddon’s powers: http://i.imgur.com/TOt1MIa.jpg

Very similar to the description of Scarlet.

Here is the rest of the scene with Kormir: http://imgur.com/a/YM1D0

Scarlet, like she calls herself now, is somewhat of a different person after seeing these powers; perhaps she took over one of the god’s powers like Kormir? Kormir acted like a new person after she took Abaddon’s powers, almost not even recognizing her own name it seemed.

Interesting Idea, The adding a last name made me think maybe its an anagram for something .

http://www.ssynth.co.uk/~gay/cgi-bin/nph-an?line=ScarletBriar&words=2&dict=antworth&doai=on

Bonefield.9813:

Caveth.3268:

“Her skin was hot to the touch, and the faint golden glow that surrounded her had shifted to vivid crimson.” This was a line from that story about Scarlet…

Now, here’s a screenshot of Kormir after she took Abaddon’s powers: http://i.imgur.com/TOt1MIa.jpg

Very similar to the description of Scarlet.

Here is the rest of the scene with Kormir: http://imgur.com/a/YM1D0

Scarlet, like she calls herself now, is somewhat of a different person after seeing these powers; perhaps she took over one of the god’s powers like Kormir? Kormir acted like a new person after she took Abaddon’s powers, almost not even recognizing her own name it seemed.

Sylvari have a bioluminescent glow. I think it’s just referring to the fact that she used to have a golden glow, but changed it to crimson after awakening to reflect her new self.

The story on that part is talking about when Scarlet saw the Eternal Alchemy; an asura in game (the one that helps you into Scarlet’s Playhouse I think) mentions that Scarlet claims to have seen the Eternal Alchemy, and that’s what the beginning of this short story is talking about.

Here read this: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Varajar_Fells_Notebook

“I believe Varajar Fells will be my tomb, for I have no desire to leave this valley of tumbled gods.”
“The facets have been revealed, and the cipher as well. I have mastered them.”
“A greater understanding of the Eternal Alchemy is within my reach.”
“Human gods, charr gods, norn animal totems-they are part of the all-encompassing Eternal Alchemy.”
“I am humbled as never before by the grandeur of it, and by my own ability to conceive such vasness.”

Another asura from 100’s of years ago (named Kerrsh) came to understand that all of the gods and other things worshipped were part of the Eternal Alchemy; it’s likely Scarlet saw this as well.

Macadate.1850:

According to the story she’s at least 15 years old… what an ancient sylvari.

Still fits, though. The firstborn were born 25 years as of the beggining of the game story (26 years ago?), according to the wiki the secondborn came 6 or 7 years later (19 or 20 years ago), and sylvari started to be born at an increasing rate right after them.

Caveth.3268:

Bonefield.9813:

Caveth.3268:

“Her skin was hot to the touch, and the faint golden glow that surrounded her had shifted to vivid crimson.” This was a line from that story about Scarlet…

Now, here’s a screenshot of Kormir after she took Abaddon’s powers: http://i.imgur.com/TOt1MIa.jpg

Very similar to the description of Scarlet.

Here is the rest of the scene with Kormir: http://imgur.com/a/YM1D0

Scarlet, like she calls herself now, is somewhat of a different person after seeing these powers; perhaps she took over one of the god’s powers like Kormir? Kormir acted like a new person after she took Abaddon’s powers, almost not even recognizing her own name it seemed.

Sylvari have a bioluminescent glow. I think it’s just referring to the fact that she used to have a golden glow, but changed it to crimson after awakening to reflect her new self.

The story on that part is talking about when Scarlet saw the Eternal Alchemy; an asura in game (the one that helps you into Scarlet’s Playhouse I think) mentions that Scarlet claims to have seen the Eternal Alchemy, and that’s what the beginning of this short story is talking about.

Here read this: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Varajar_Fells_Notebook

“I believe Varajar Fells will be my tomb, for I have no desire to leave this valley of tumbled gods.”
“The facets have been revealed, and the cipher as well. I have mastered them.”
“A greater understanding of the Eternal Alchemy is within my reach.”
“Human gods, charr gods, norn animal totems-they are part of the all-encompassing Eternal Alchemy.”
“I am humbled as never before by the grandeur of it, and by my own ability to conceive such vasness.”

Another asura from 100’s of years ago (named Kerrsh) came to understand that all of the gods and other things worshipped were part of the Eternal Alchemy; it’s likely Scarlet saw this as well.

well asura allways predicted thakittens even in the manuell. but the glow the story mentioned has good connections to kormir anyways.
kormir is the god of truth with the power immortality AND MSOT IMPORTANTLY KNOWLEDGE of abbadon.
abbadon wa the god of secrets, he drove the three major villians crazy with his touch, the nowledge he had presented it self in twisting images, pain, suffering and madness in the realm of tournment.
scarlet has seen secrets far beyound a mortal beeing should comprehend. her mortality drove her crazy with the knowledge of everything, she suffered and expirienced the great amoutn of pain there is.
from this angle scarlet could not jsut be a filler villian.. she could end up the real end villian at the end. she might threaten to collaps the pillar of reality and we have to stop her.
night fall comes my friends.
story wise it was good that we not have gotten abbadon fractle because I DONT WANT TO KNOW WHAT SCARLET WOULD HAVE DONE WITH ACCES TO THE GOD OF SECRETS!

While a somewhat interesting read, this once again begs the question of why it couldn’t be found in-game. It would’ve been a little neat to have a side-quest from Vorrp or the Order of Whispers/Durmand Priory to look into her background and find this out, see it in cut-scene and voice rather than just read it. I still have a hard time believing that they just kicked her out and no one bothers to keep an eye on her at all. And I don’t see what defying whatever “system” entwining the Dream and Nightmare has to do with..well, anything she’s been doing up to this point. She probably just went completely insane and just imagined what she saw.

E knew the Aetherblades were coming.
Evon wanted to research the history of Abaddon.

Interesting.

I’m sure some will love it no doubt, but for me that was really quite poor.

Uruz Six.6594:

E knew the Aetherblades were coming.
Evon wanted to research the history of Abaddon.

Interesting.

or Ellen wants to research the thaumanova to under stand the technology she is using to stop her.

So now she’s a genius (with the personality and charm of a psychotic ten-year-old) who’s seen into the Eternal Alchemy. Genius writing. Really. Just…top-notch writing. Totally. Completely defuses the feeling that she’s just a Villain Sue. Well, no, it isn’t. And it doesn’t.

I guess it’s not Logan Thackeray walking into a bar in full battle regalia, trying to clandestinely contract a pseudo-noir private investigator and going ‘No names, I was never here’ like he’s not one of the most recognizable people in the city especially with that armor on trying to secretively chat up some chick with floofy shoulderpads and a woman with more of her dress floating in shreds than covering her skin in a dive bar. Not setting the bar high there, of course.

Or what’s-her-name, the one in charge of the watchknight battle with Logan, deciding that a fitting ‘last opponent’ for the demonstraton was, specifically, Rytlock…and here I could’ve sworn that the Queen had, not five minutes before, said the demonstration would be of the might of Kryta’s champions against its most steadfast foes (including, apparently, the quaggans?). Not like they’re trying to build a peace with Rytlock’s people at all, one that could be put in jeopardy by implying that one of the most well-known Charr around is a foe of Kryta by using him as an opponent after that speech.
Bit reminiscent of Eir Stegalkin deciding that the best way to get Logan and Rytlock off each other’s throats was to put Rytlock’s home at stake by stomping down into the Ascalonian Catacombs to get Logan, somebody Rytlock already has a grudge against, a fancy sword to match Rytlock’s, really.
I half-expect there to be a war on the horizon triggered by everybody but Rytlock and Logan trying to do anything regarding the pair. Is that where this is all heading? ‘cause that’d actually, all sarcasm and snark aside, be hilarious.
I think I might actually like that bit of Living Story if that were to actually happen. Well, I would if they decided to comment on how they actually are quite content to just stay the hell away from each other, but everybody else seems to want to push them into conflict. Maybe they go to a bar after, talk it all out.

this is the kind of story that needs to be put in the game. i am not sure i like the story, but at least i know a bit more about Scarlet and some things make a bit more sense after reading this.

I went completely “OH kitten ” when I came to the “and her krewemate Teyo” part.

But all in all, this was a very, very interesting read. I liked her character, but this just increments it. This really should be put in the game, in some way.

Anymras.5729:

So now she’s a genius (with the personality and charm of a psychotic ten-year-old) who’s seen into the Eternal Alchemy. Genius writing. Really. Just…top-notch writing. Totally. Completely defuses the feeling that she’s just a Villain Sue. Well, no, it isn’t. And it doesn’t.

I guess it’s not Logan Thackeray walking into a bar in full battle regalia, trying to clandestinely contract a pseudo-noir private investigator and going ‘No names, I was never here’ like he’s not one of the most recognizable people in the city especially with that armor on trying to secretively chat up some chick with floofy shoulderpads and a woman with more of her dress floating in shreds than covering her skin in a dive bar. Not setting the bar high there, of course.

Or what’s-her-name, the one in charge of the watchknight battle with Logan, deciding that a fitting ‘last opponent’ for the demonstraton was, specifically, Rytlock…and here I could’ve sworn that the Queen had, not five minutes before, said the demonstration would be of the might of Kryta’s champions against its most steadfast foes (including, apparently, the quaggans?). Not like they’re trying to build a peace with Rytlock’s people at all, one that could be put in jeopardy by implying that one of the most well-known Charr around is a foe of Kryta by using him as an opponent after that speech.
Bit reminiscent of Eir Stegalkin deciding that the best way to get Logan and Rytlock off each other’s throats was to put Rytlock’s home at stake by stomping down into the Ascalonian Catacombs to get Logan, somebody Rytlock already has a grudge against, a fancy sword to match Rytlock’s, really.
I half-expect there to be a war on the horizon triggered by everybody but Rytlock and Logan trying to do anything regarding the pair. Is that where this is all heading? ‘cause that’d actually, all sarcasm and snark aside, be hilarious.
I think I might actually like that bit of Living Story if that were to actually happen. Well, I would if they decided to comment on how they actually are quite content to just stay the hell away from each other, but everybody else seems to want to push them into conflict. Maybe they go to a bar after, talk it all out.

first of play cof story they on the best ways to become bromance again so much zojia was about to puke in COE.
secound anniese is an kitten to logan for some reason. maybe she likes jennah jsut as he does and she sees a rival in him. she doesnßt even inform him of a ruse for scarlet in the closing ceremonie, which would HAVE NOT been a problem.

I scrolled down through the pictures but I can’t be bothered to read the story. If it were in-game, I would read it.

Nilkemia.8507:

While a somewhat interesting read, this once again begs the question of why it couldn’t be found in-game.

The simplest answer is development time, I think. Short stories on the website are the quickest and easiest and cheapest way to get that lore out there.

I would guess it also makes sure we can access that lore outside the game, rather than putting it into a one-time quest we won’t get to replay.

Nilkemia.8507:

While a somewhat interesting read, this once again begs the question of why it couldn’t be found in-game.

Because they just wrote it, after everyone complained about what was in-game.

It doesn’t make the college situation any better, they really could have done without that and would have had a half decent character.

The colleges are such a focal point of the Asuran way of life, to have an outsider come in and turn everything on it’s head like that would have had a significant and long lasting impact on their culture that would have resounded throughout the Asuran story. Everything would be compared to her and she would have been held up as a goal for all Asura to overcome.

To add a human culture comparison, it would be like if they suddenly added a character who was the king of DR, and had always been the king. While the new NPCs introduce him as if he’s always been there and everyone but you knows about it, while all the old NPCs still say absolutely nothing about him ever. That’s how big a deal this is, and how absurdly shoehorned into the story it is.

What I find most perturbing in all of this is that THERE IS A MACHINE THAT ALLOWS ONE TO SEE THE ETERNAL ALCHEMY.

Why do we care about Scarlet instead of THAT?

Cyan.6904:

These short stories are always great to read, and are a huge slap in the face for all the people who claim the writing around this game is poor. I do agree that it would be nice to see this information presented in-game.

The depth I was missing around Scarlet is here now, and I’m eager to find out more.

The writing around this game IS poor. Is this info in the game? No thereforth I do not care and it is non existent in the game world. I would read a book if I wanted to read stuff like this. I play an RPG game to RPG in the game, not tab out to read the website.

We need this in game!!!!
It’s the motivation players need!!
I say this in every new LS chapter: You need to incorporate stories IN GAME.
Its the STORY part of the Living Story. We have the living, we need the story!

This brings all the sense to the game.
I am even mad.

Meriem.3504:

I play an RPG game to RPG in the game, not tab out to read the website.

This.

MakubeC.3026:

We need this in game!!!!
It’s the motivation players need!!
I say this in every new LS chapter: You need to incorporate stories IN GAME.
Its the STORY part of the Living Story. We have the living, we need the story!

This brings all the sense to the game.
I am even mad.

I completely agree. Every time I see a new short story on the GW2 website, I want to cut the tails off baby Skritt or drop some Asuran prodigy from a very tall cliff.

I hate that they publish these stories on the website and explain ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in-game.

WoW try to this stuff and it was terrible because you didn’t have much of a clue if any what was going in game! Who is this new king? Why is he acting and looking like a barbarian? No idea cause I didn’t read some comic strip about him!

So, people shout about how this should be in-game.
HOW would this be in-game?
The only one that could tell us all this would be Scarlet (if she even can due to the experiment) and I have rather major doubts she would tell us.

lordkrall.7241:

So, people shout about how this should be in-game.
HOW would this be in-game?
The only one that could tell us all this would be Scarlet (if she even can due to the experiment) and I have rather major doubts she would tell us.

They can do it differently then literally take what is written there and put it in game. Games have done it, its not a new concept, its about how you execute it.

The Mad King is a perfect example! The way he was portray and talked about did not tell us every little detail but it was enough to really show his character. Then if you wanted you could cheat and go outside and read his story!

Easily. There could have been a quest chain to talk to each NPC involved with her story, follow the history of her life and get each one’s side. The dead guy could have left one of those holographic journal devices. I mean if I ran into some crazy evil chick out of nowhere that threatened the world, I’d do my homework and figure out what I was dealing with.

Katran.9186:

Ingame:
-Hurrdurr, I’m Scarlet! Diediediedie!
Site:
Not bad story.
Maybe we will get PVE and PVP content on site too?

Oh, and closing plot gaps such way. What a fail, Anet.

Indeed, there’s such a big gape between storytelling ingame and on the website.
Website should contain informations gathered from the game, not all the information that the game lack (and sadly it’s a majority).

I think the reason they don’t put this in-game is so we see the world through our character’s eyes, and we aren’t going to know her complete backstory just by being there.

However, that doesn’t excuse them from at least doing more with it in-game to make it feel part of the world. They could have added a couple of NPCs over the last couple of months to Rata Sum, around Hoelbrek, to the hylek, hell even a mysterious dead asura covered in vines, or at least an asura saying that they found one covered in vines, with each of them mentioning tales of what’s in that short story.

That would have been a lot of fun for the lore/story community. Piecing together different stories from NPCs. Even had one of them mentioned a Caera, it still wouldn’t have spoiled it until today. Today could have been the day that theories would have been proven right by the small little hints and clues about Scarlet’s background that were placed in the game back when F&F was released if they were there.

I could be wrong – they may have been added, but I haven’t seen anyone in the lore section or in the general section mentioning any text referencing Scarlet in the past couple months.

lordkrall.7241:

So, people shout about how this should be in-game.
HOW would this be in-game?
The only one that could tell us all this would be Scarlet (if she even can due to the experiment) and I have rather major doubts she would tell us.

This.

I see plenty of people saying this, but few ever give ideas on how to pull that off.

How would this particular lore story be included in game? This is all prelude info to the current story. The only ones besides Scarlet herself that would know anything about this (Omedd and Teyo) are dead.

The only possiblility I see is something involving the Pale Tree.

lordkrall.7241:

So, people shout about how this should be in-game.
HOW would this be in-game?
The only one that could tell us all this would be Scarlet (if she even can due to the experiment) and I have rather major doubts she would tell us.

Some ideas

lordkrall.7241:

So, people shout about how this should be in-game.
HOW would this be in-game?
The only one that could tell us all this would be Scarlet (if she even can due to the experiment) and I have rather major doubts she would tell us.

there are a number of ways a story like this could be told in the game. cut-scenes, journal entries players collect for completing missions, or maybe the player journeys around the map to interview the various NPCs Scarlet held her apprenticeships with. all of those people hold valuable information, and talking to them could make for some very interesting in-game detective style storytelling.

I don’t mind getting short stories, but I do enjoy reading in general. While I would prefer seeing more of this in game, I understand it’s much easier and faster to write up a short story than it is to put it in the world. They would either have to spend a (presumably) good amount of extra time creating cutscenes, or give us watered down information in NPC text dialog.

I am totally fine with getting major plot points and supporting snippets in game, and getting the depth of those snippets from short stories like these. This is especially true when those details are from other characters’ perspectives.

BTW, thank you Anet for listening to us about wanting more info and then so quickly putting this out. It would have been easy to entirely ignore the complaints.

Tad.4109:

lordkrall.7241:

So, people shout about how this should be in-game.
HOW would this be in-game?
The only one that could tell us all this would be Scarlet (if she even can due to the experiment) and I have rather major doubts she would tell us.

there are a number of ways a story like this could be told in the game. cut-scenes, journal entries players collect for completing missions, or maybe the player journeys around the map to interview the various NPCs Scarlet held her apprenticeships with. all of those people hold valuable information, and talking to them could make for some very interesting in-game detective style storytelling.

And that is assuming they are still alive and/or willing to actually talk about her. We do know that she didn’t have much trouble at least killing off one of them, so why assume the others are safe?

Some of them are already in the game.

So my asura’s years of study in the College of Dynamics could have actually been completed in under a year?

How dare this lesser race show up all the asura, acing every test and exam!

I know that Guild wars has never been known for its grand writing, but… I guess they’re not paying their writers enough anymore. I haven’t seen a Sue this bad since 2007. I wonder if Arenanet even cares about the quality anymore.