Guild Wars 2

Sylvari are begotten by the Pale Tree, they do have knowledge of sorts of the world over, they have some mastery of gardening techniques, and they have metaphysical beliefs the supremacy of nature over destruction. Is that enough to make them a civilization?

This is from dictionary.com

civilization
noun
1. an advanced state of human society, in which a high level of culture, science, industry, and government has been reached.
2. those people or nations that have reached such a state.
3. any type of culture, society, etc., of a specific place, time, or group
4. the act or process of civilizing or being civilized
5. cultural refinement; refinement of thought and cultural appreciation

I kinda think that the Sylvari meet all of the dictionary definitions of civilization. So ya… They are.

Though they aren’t human, they have culture, science, industry, and a governing body. I’d say they qualify.

Wait, do they have a governing body outside of the Pale Tree? She doesn’t really order people around (outside of giving advice that everyone has to follow). The only other NPCs that would come close are the teachers.

That’s them. They defer to the wisdom and guidance of the firstborn.

The firstborn kind of serve as a governing body in that they tend to make decisions for all the other sylvari.

They also have smaller groups like the Wardens and the different Cycles who are all lead by one or more individuals.

The Wardens aren’t a governing body anymore than the police are. I didn’t see any real governing body from the cycles either outside of education. Essentially, are the sylvari anarchists?

Nageth.5648:

The Wardens aren’t a governing body anymore than the police are. I didn’t see any real governing body from the cycles either outside of education. Essentially, are the sylvari anarchists?

The wardens, like the police, are an enforcement agency (they also serve a similar purpose to an army in protecting the sylvari from outside theats). In order to have enforcers you have to have rules for them to enforce and at some point someone has to have made those rules. That would be a system of government.

Sylvari are certainly civilized. However, I would argue that most of their culture and technology is adapted from humans and other races. Therefore, in my mind they are part of Tyrian civilization, not a civilization unto themselves.

Eh, Rome borrowed alot from other cultures but the specific combination was uniquly Roman.

Q: Are there any sort of familial systems for this race? Are newborn sylvari taken under the wing of older, more experienced sylvari or do they go off on their own right away?

Ree: The Firstborn are seen as ‘elders,’ wise counselors and mentors. Four of the Firstborn lead the various cycles, the internal factions of the sylvari (Dawn, Noon, Dusk, Night). Those four, in particular, are seen as authority figures, and run the government of the Grove. The other Firstborn are also seen as guides and leaders, and are given a great deal of respect because of it, but these four ‘elders’ actively turn their attention to the day-to-day running of the city and the political interaction with other races on behalf of the sylvari. http://www.talktyria.net/2011/08/11/sylvari-lore-interview-with-ree-soesbee-kristen-perry/

So the sylvari really do have a government entrusted to the wisened and most experienced members. Similar to some of the Native Americans or the gold miners of early America who defered all disputes to a council of elder miners in any given mining town. We tend to see this system with small communities.