Guild Wars 2

So a friend and I have been working on this theory because he wants to RP using one of those Sylvari swords, but we’ve been attempting to figure out just what their qualities are.

We’ve come to the conclusion they might be like mineral or amber in consistency, created from Pale Tree Sap and hardened temporarily, but with the supernatural origin of the tree, likely capable of greater sharpness almost akin to diamonds.

Here’s why.

1. Due to the story quest revolving around Caledbolg [sp], we know Sylvari weapons come from the Pale Tree herself.

2. When the weapon is put away, it has no blade. When it’s drawn, the blade appears. The Sylvari show no evidence of using energy weapons like the Asura, and we know that the Sylvari use plants and stone for all their materials. So the more likely explanation is that the wood of the weapon contains sap that magically hardens when it is drawn.

3. My theory of the consistency being diamond-like is that amber is not strong enough to make a good blade from, while diamond can be extremely sharp. However, diamond is also BRITTLE. It’s easily smashed apart. Let’s take a look at the Sylvari blunt weapons, the kind that would have to absorb impacts.

The Warhammer, seen here: http://www.guildhead.com/item/55097/sylvari-warhammer#model-viewer

It doesn’t even use the crystal for the head. It’s made of rock.

The mace, seen here: http://www.guildhead.com/item/55100/sylvari-mace

Again, the crystal is never used to strike. It floats in the center of the vines.

With the crystalline material so prominent in the blades, it seems to support the theory that the substance is very sharp, but very brittle, well-suited to cutting but not to smash with.

Thoughts? Counter-points? Support?

1. Due to the story quest revolving around Caledbolg [sp], we know Sylvari weapons come from the Pale Tree herself.

Just because the Mother Tree made Caledhbolg doesn’t mean she’s the Sylvari weapons manufacturer. You’re generalising an entire industry from a single point of reference.

2. When the weapon is put away, it has no blade. When it’s drawn, the blade appears.

Not sure what weapons you’re looking at, but my Warden’s Greatsword isn’t a Lightsaber; the blue translucent blade remains even when “sheathed”.

3. My theory of the consistency being diamond-like is that amber is not strong enough to make a good blade from, while diamond can be extremely sharp. However, diamond is also BRITTLE. It’s easily smashed apart.

Consider a typical scenario with a brittle blade that’s “easily smashed apart”. Take a moment and imagine how silly it would be to have a large piece of death in your hands that you can’t parry or block with. Cumbersome is the first word that comes to mind.

As for your first point: It’s a feasible assumption to make, seeing as they look exactly the same and are so rare even few Sylvari Wardens wield them.

Secondly, well, my blade disappears when sheathed, so I dunno which model you have.

And third: You mean like a katana? Or a rapier? Or a scimitar? I said ‘brittle’, not ‘glass’. All sharp swords are easily broken with a blunt blow to the flat of the blade; that’s the price of sharpness. They can still parry light attacks and deflect strikes, as long as one is prepared to dodge heavier blows. No one willingly takes a warhammer to the flat of their blade, and all sharp blades utilize movement-oriented combat styles precisely so they can avoid strikes that would damage their sword.

Come on, man, that’s basic swordsmanship.

Sylvari have blacksmiths, but they do seem to make armor out of leaves, bark, and the wood of trees. So it’s entirely possible they can either coax trees into growing stronger wood(Like the Ironwood from Dragon Age), leaves, or other materials, or they know ways of refining these things(Along with mundane metals) into usable and effective weapons.

We also know that they’re able to create powerful enchanted arms and armor.
In the Green Knight questline, if you rescue the smith you find out that he created powerful enchanted armor for Bercilak that prevents his death.

So, while the Pale Tree -is- capable of creating weaponry from herself, we also know that the Sylvari themselves are perfectly able to arm themselves without her direct help.

Very true, Illushia. My main reason that I suspect the cultural weapons are from the Pale Tree is because they’re clearly very rare and expensive, as evidenced by their cost and how you almost never see Sylvari NPCs wielding them. Only the occasional high-level warden seems to sport one.

That doesn’t automatically mean they’re from the Pale Tree though. The -only- weapon we know of that she made was Caladbolg, and the weapon makes you nearly invincible.

The Firstborn who originally wielded it was only injured after fighting off an entire army of undead alone, and was stated to have been able to easily kill off a very powerful Lich, or at least would have stood a chance, if the weapon hadn’t been stolen.

We know of no other weapons she’s made. And since the cultural weapons are lacking any of these mystical, nigh invulnerable qualities, I’d say that’s proof that they’re in fact -not- from the Pale Tree, and likely crafted by highly skilled Sylvari weapon and armorsmiths, hence their cost and power.

This is a very good point!

Would you say it’s likely that the blades of these cultural weapons is some kind of magical amber-like substance, though? I’m not too obsessed with them being from the Pale Tree, I’m just trying to identify the texture and qualities of the substance itself.

Well, I can’t see the greatsword’s blade in the model viewer for whatever reason, and there weren’t any readily available pictures of it that I could find in google, so I can’t see it to tell you one way or another.

It’d say it’s possible for them to be made of sap. But it’s also just as possible, at the moment, for them to have been made of some sort of metal, magically enhanced or otherwise.

I don’t know about that. I don’t think the Sylvari use metal. All of the Sylvari-made gear looks to be exclusively crafted of plant materials and occasionally stone.

Disastersaurus.3146:

I don’t know about that. I don’t think the Sylvari use metal. All of the Sylvari-made gear looks to be exclusively crafted of plant materials and occasionally stone.

There’s metal in the Grove in a few places, so they definitely use it.

Aside from that, they don’t seem like they limit themselves on anything as far as I can tell. If it grows in the dirt, in a tree, or comes out of the ground, they seem like the type to find a use for it.

Aside from that, unless you can make wood or leaves into something as hard or sharp as metal, not using it would just be dumb.

Sylvari may be somewhat naive and new to the world, but they’re certainly not idiots.

Ah. I’ve never seen the metal, wasn’t aware. Thanks for that!

I suppose I can’t rule out it might be enchanted metal, but it definitely doesn’t look it. It looks more like some kind of crystal to me, at least.

Disastersaurus.3146:

Ah. I’ve never seen the metal, wasn’t aware. Thanks for that!

I suppose I can’t rule out it might be enchanted metal, but it definitely doesn’t look it. It looks more like some kind of crystal to me, at least.

That’s possible too.

I would simply prefer to leave my options open rather than try to rule something out with so little evidence one way or another.

Yeah. I wish they’d say one way or another. As a roleplayer who wields a Sylvari weapon and takes realism of combat seriously, it’d be nice to know what kind of weight, consistency, and strength I can expect.

Disastersaurus.3146:

Secondly, well, my blade disappears when sheathed, so I dunno which model you have.

Incidentally, somebody else posted a screenshot of the Warden Greatsword I also have:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/races/sylvari/Cultural-Weapons/first#post65979

As noted, it’s sheathed and the blade remains. Exactly which weapon did you say you have again?

I have this one.

http://www.guildhead.com/item/55108/sylvari-blade#.

When you put it away, the blade part disappears and only the vines are left.

Look at this greatsword model. It does the same thing.

http://gw2.unfair.co/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/warden_weapon_set_gw2.jpg

I haven’t looked into the sylvari weapons and armor to much more inclined to there race but based off there magically enhanced vines(Including the Asura enhanced ones found later in-game) it could be the same sap like substance within them as one of the NPC (forget what outpost) states anything that comes close to the vines will be impaled

Like a mold able store-able crystalline sap or sorts related to the gems seen in the weapons.That would be completely debatable as I don’t pay to much mind to there engineering as much as I do to there biology.

Disastersaurus.3146:

I have this one.

http://www.guildhead.com/item/55108/sylvari-blade#.

When you put it away, the blade part disappears and only the vines are left.

Look at this greatsword model. It does the same thing.

http://gw2.unfair.co/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/warden_weapon_set_gw2.jpg

That sounds intriguing. Any chance you have a screenshot of your character with the sheathed blade? I know the Preview panel is misleading because it doesn’t render the blade of the Sylvari Cultural T3 Weapons.

Considering how close the sylvari are to the Asurans (they have the same first two tiers of weapons) it might be possible that the blades are the result of asuran influence somehow. The blades bear some resemblance to the crystals found in asuran structures and golems. Alternatively such crystals could be found naturally in the jungle area (that both of them share) and while the asura use them in their inventions the sylvari adapted them for combat.

I got rid of the blade! I will note that whenever I see/preview one now, the blade’s already out, however, so it may have just been an early glitch they ironed out.

Doesn’t the Pale tree say the only weapon she has ever made was Caladbolg? And it took a lot of energy to make.

In that sense I don’t think Sylvari weapons come from the pale tree. I could be wrong though. They could be made from dead branches maybe?

Reevac.1748:

Doesn’t the Pale tree say the only weapon she has ever made was Caladbolg? And it took a lot of energy to make.

In that sense I don’t think Sylvari weapons come from the pale tree. I could be wrong though. They could be made from dead branches maybe?

I covered this if you read up. =p