Guild Wars 2

If the sylvari are minions of mordremoth how come they and mordrem look nothing alike? The other dragon minions all look similar but mordremoth’s are different?? I would like some clarification, the only thing i could think of is that the sylvari werent originally meant to lpok like humans and they became humanesque after ronan and ventari or possibly that sylvari came first and after they became ‘purified’ mordremoth changed how he corrupts things?

1st art concept about Sylvari was more human like.
According to Story, Ventrai planted a Seed that gave birth to Pale Tree which later gave birth to Firstborn.
From video, it seems that Firstborn are unaffected by Mordremoth’s Mind Control.

If you review whole Sylvari story, you can grasp the idea that Ventrai found a Seed of Mordremoth.
Maybe he did imbue it with magic or purified it so there are those Sylvari which aren’t under Mordremoth’s control – keep in mind that Glint which was a Champion, not some minion, broke Kralkatorrik’s shackles and freed herself from his control.

It appears, that this whole thing will go back to Scarlet once again.
And they have mentioned, Mordremoth is not fully awake yet.

ronan found the seed and he and ventari nurtured it together – its been proven that with care and attention, something that should serve a dragon can be brought up to be good – just look at maudrey/maudrey II

I can understand them,being good and not undet mordremoth control i just cant understand how mordrem and sylvari look no where near similar when they are both minions of mordremoth it goes against everything we understood about dragon minions

Imagine if someone nurtured Zhaitans undead minions so they become good too. At least the sylvari are pretty.

gereden.6983:

I can understand them,being good and not undet mordremoth control i just cant understand how mordrem and sylvari look no where near similar when they are both minions of mordremoth it goes against everything we understood about dragon minions

Dragon minions are most often corrupted/reanimated versions of formerly living beings whereas sylvari are grown from the start with a certain predetermined mold (human remains) on where Ronan and Ventari planted the Pale Trees seed.

gereden.6983:

I can understand them,being good and not undet mordremoth control i just cant understand how mordrem and sylvari look no where near similar when they are both minions of mordremoth it goes against everything we understood about dragon minions

Okay but why are mordrem made of bones and plant matter yet sylvari are full plant matter on a humanoid shape and the pale tree is a mordrem champion but can produce its own minions why is mordremoth so different from the other dragons? Sorry if people can easily see it but i dont :P

Which dragon minions look similar to the dragons? I’m not seeing it. The ONLY case I can think of is Zhaitan has some dragon looking minions, and the case of the dragon generals like the shatterer and the Claw of Jormag. But other than that, Zhaitan has floating giant eyes, (Eyes of Zhaitan) Giant fatblobs (Mouths of Zhaitan) and of course, the zombies he makes of other races. None of the destroyer monsters look anything like a dragon, even his first general/minion from GW1, the Great Destroyer looked absolutely nothing like the dragon above him. The icebroods, if not corrupted norns or wolves, just look like golem-esque ice constructs. I really don’t see where people get the “It has to look like the dragon that spawned it” idea.

Plus, like it was said, the Sylvari were planted on top of dead humans. I even thought there was a history thing posted by Anet saying that was why they look human when they could have looked like…whatever.

Found a few of the concept art looked pretty awesome, suppose to be the nightmare court I think.

Im not saying they have to look like the dragon that spawbs them but risen look undead like zhaitan mordrem i.e. Husks wolves teragriff are vines and bones yet sylvari are leaves in shape of humans? Does mordrrmoth look similar to mordrem or to sylvari and if he looks like the mordrem why are the sylvari the only ones that are different

aspirine.6852:

Found a few of the concept art looked pretty awesome, suppose to be the nightmare court I think.

Yeah that’s the Twilight Arbor Story loading screen.

I think looking generally plant-like IS being similar to Mordremoth, in the exact same way that the undead minions looked like the undead dragon. We don’t know if the mordrem minions have any bone structure to them, really. Granted, some of them do look awfully fleshy, like the trolls, but some people can make their Sylvari look awfully “skin-like” also. It could just be a really good facsimile. Or they could be corrupted wildlife.

As to the “why are the Sylvari the ones that look different”? again, they took the form of the people they were buried on.

Tao.5096:

And they have mentioned, Mordremoth is not fully awake yet.

That explains why he’s so grumpy! I’m the same way.

I want to understand why some of them are not under his control after all of this.

Knighthonor.4061:

I want to understand why some of them are not under his control after all of this.

It seems the further you go from the source of the corruption, the less it has hold over you. The Pale Tree was grown far away from Mordremoth and as such, was free of his corruption. Also, there is a strong hint that Ventari’s teachings had a great part to play in nurturing the Sylvari out of their possibly murderous nature.

It’s also believed that the Dream protects the Sylvari of the Pale Tree from Mordremoth’s corruption. It could be it is not a solid shield but rather a curtain, that can be pushed aside with a force strong enough (such as the close proximity of Mordremoth).

gereden.6983:

Im not saying they have to look like the dragon that spawbs them but risen look undead like zhaitan mordrem i.e. Husks wolves teragriff are vines and bones yet sylvari are leaves in shape of humans? Does mordrrmoth look similar to mordrem or to sylvari and if he looks like the mordrem why are the sylvari the only ones that are different

Risen look like undead people. Zhaitan is an undead dragon. Sylvari look like plant people. Mordremoth is a plant dragon.

Not sure why you don’t think Sylvari follow the same idea? How do you even know the teragriffs and wolves have bones anyway? Have you ever seen dried out branches? They sometimes can look an awful lot like bones. And vines are plants like anything else, so that is consistent with the theme.

Sylvari look more human than the mordrem because the Pale Tree used Ventari (and humans in general) as a mold to create them.

The main key to the design was developing an obvious anatomy that clearly described the race as plant rather than an offshoot of human. However, because the race tightly relates to the essence of human due to the Pale Tree’s influences from Ronan, the overall form has a human silhouette. But if you look more closely, you’ll see the forms are really quite alien. They are a collection of abstract notions the Pale Tree had about what made up the human, as she really only saw the surface. They are a tree’s interpretation of humans.
Source: http://www.talktyria.net/2011/08/11/sylvari-lore-interview-with-ree-soesbee-kristen-perry/

One thing we wanted to ensure among the sylvari models was a certain sense of the ‘alien’. Yes, sylvari are based (by the Pale Tree’s creation) on a ‘human’ model. But, they are still a representation of the human form by something that is not human. Faces will show these differences, more than they will show general human differences. Rather than go for a ‘human’ ethnicity, we’ve tried to establish a unique visual identity for the sylvari using branches and leaves or features that resemble seeds or other natural plant life.
Source: http://gaygamer.net/2011/10/interview_guild_war_2s_ree_soe.html

Draknar.5748:

… How do you even know the teragriffs and wolves have bones anyway? Have you ever seen dried out branches? They sometimes can look an awful lot like bones. And vines are plants like anything else, so that is consistent with the theme.

Actually, mordrem wolves do have bones… sorta. If you look at them, they seem to be the carcass of a regular dead wolf (or other similar canine) taken over by a mordrem flower, the tendrils wrapped around the bones controlling it. You can even still see fur on their legs.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/File:Mordrem_Wolf.jpg

That brings up several questions about how are they created, though. Does the flower take over a dead wolf it finds, or maybe it actually latches to a live one as a seed and takes over its body as it grows? (kinda like the wasps that put their eggs on live spiders). Is there a reason why it’s only wolves or canines that are like this?… could it be done to other species (as in, sentient species)?… I don’t know, but I’d find it creepier to see a corpse controlled by a plant like that than a regular zombie like the ones Zaithan uses.

locoman.1974:

Sylvari look more human than the mordrem because the Pale Tree used Ventari (and humans in general) as a mold to create them.

Ventari was a centaur.

Tom Gore.4035:

locoman.1974:

Sylvari look more human than the mordrem because the Pale Tree used Ventari (and humans in general) as a mold to create them.

Ventari was a centaur.

Oops.. I meant to type “Ronan” and somehow got them mixed… correcting now..

Tao.5096:

From video, it seems that Firstborn are unaffected by Mordremoth’s Mind Control.

Canach’s not a firstborn. He’s kept his wits. I think it really depends on the individual and their faith.

If you’re strong minded and choose to follow after the dream of the sylvari, the Mother Tree and the teachings of Ventari, you’re likely to keep it together against Mordremoth.

If the sylvari in question were Soundless or Nightmare Court, they’re pretty much doomed to be mordrem.

Considering that the Pact air assault was literally right over Mordremoth, it’s no surprise many sylvari were corrupted.

I don’t believe that all the sylvari (regardless of their ‘birth’) present at the assault on Mordremoth were lost to him, but many otherwise faithful and decent sylvari were.

It certainly wasn’t an odd one off thing or a few Soundless, the Pact fleet was dealt a significant blow.

With the Mother Tree weakened right now, weaker wills and lesser constitutions are at risk of being taken by Mordremoth.

Remember Kekai Kotaki’s concept artwork of Evil Sylvari ? Those might come in handy to portray the change of Sylvari losing control to Mordremoth now perhaps?

Not just alteration in mind but getting all viny (sic) and thorny and stuff as their physical appearance changes under their corruption?

Centaur mages seem to have deep understanding of the earth and nature itself, maybe there was an enchantment involving part of Glint’s body (all the involvement with Zephyrites, and Glint’s legacy, etc). It would be easier to purify when the meant-to-be Mordremoth’s minion is in its seed form, or maybe lock Mordy’s influence away. But the Pale Tree is much stronger, those seeds must’ve been Mordy’s champions, and hence the power of building an entire race. Their appearance remains a mystery for me, just because it was planted and nurtured by a human shouldn’t be a reasonable enough reason, neither would the cemetery.

I invite lore masters to give a reasonable explanation, detailing specifically the magic workings for this.

how not? They are both plants lol

locoman.1974:

Tom Gore.4035:

locoman.1974:

Sylvari look more human than the mordrem because the Pale Tree used Ventari (and humans in general) as a mold to create them.

Ventari was a centaur.

Oops.. I meant to type “Ronan” and somehow got them mixed… correcting now..

Yeah, too bad
It would be kinda cool to play as a plant centaur…

This story began with a human soldier named Ronan whom, while separated from his patrol, discovered a cavern filled with strange seed-pods. This cavern was protected by terrible plant creatures, so he fled, clinging to a single seed to show his daughter when he returned home from war. But, upon his arrival, Ronan discovered the Mursaat had destroyed his village and murdered his family, leaving only ruined houses and mass graves. In agony, he planted the seed on their graves and swore never to return to battle.

Ronan was joined by an aging Centaur named Ventari, who had also begun to lose hope in peace. The human and the Centaur, against all odds, formed a friendship that surpassed the bounds of race. Together, they decided to begin their lives anew and create a refuge for human and Centaur alike. They built their safe haven near the ocean and the budding tree for all those who sought peace and the shelter of friendship.

The pale oak grew under the watchful and gentle eye of Ventari, becoming strong and healthy, and giving the old Centaur great joy. Yet with this bliss came sorrow. The Centaur tribes of the north and west, crushed and driven out by Krytans fleeing from their flooding coastline, grew more and more savage and brutal. As more tribes joined the war, fewer were willing to listen to Ventari’s words, and his new outpost became smaller and smaller.

At last, old and gray, Ventari carved his life’s lessons upon a marble tablet, which he placed at the base of the pale tree so that future travelers might read it and, perhaps, learn the ways of peace and harmony. Then, many years after his human companion had passed on, Ventari laid down beside the tree Ronan had planted, and died. The year was 1165 AE.

The tree, white and sparkling, continued to grow. Over a hundred years later, small cocoons appeared among its branches. These cocoons spun out, shifting and eventually ripping open, birthing a new race of people into the world—fully grown, as if they had awakened from some magical dream. They called themselves the Sylvari, and these “Firstborn” were only the beginning of a widespread emergence, all born from the same massive tree.

The marble tablet still bears Ventari’s last words, and the Sylvari who emerged from the tree found themselves strangely guided by these ancient lessons. Whether the tree, tended by Ventari, somehow became imprinted with the noble Centaur’s morals and ethics, or whether it absorbed both the remains of the Centaur’s flesh as well as his compassionate soul upon his death, no one knows for certain. But it is certain that his influence over the Sylvari is strong, even so many decades after his death. Their race venerates the Ventari Tablet as their most sacred artifact and testament.

CETheLucid.3964:

Canach’s not a firstborn. He’s kept his wits. I think it really depends on the individual and their faith.

I know Canach is not firstborn. But Faolain and Caithe are.

They have shown the fight with Nightmare Court, and I think NC will play a pretty much big role against Mordremoth.

And also, Rytlock will be back, and he’s going on rampage against Sylvaris, so there may be a campaign with him as well.

Tao.5096:

CETheLucid.3964:

Canach’s not a firstborn. He’s kept his wits. I think it really depends on the individual and their faith.

I know Canach is not firstborn. But Faolain and Caithe are.

They have shown the fight with Nightmare Court, and I think NC will play a pretty much big role against Mordremoth.

And also, Rytlock will be back, and he’s going on rampage against Sylvaris, so there may be a campaign with him as well.

Yeah, Rytlock looks like the type to need a little more convincing. He’s loyal though. If someone might convince him not all Sylvari are ‘gone’, it’d be Caithe.

As for what you said about the NC, it’s an interesting thought.

Maybe Mordremoth is giving them a bit more freedom, kind of like what Zhaitan did for his higher ranking generals.

They were still his, but they had a bit more autonomy than the average drone.

It would be actually fun if the Nightmare Court would be of use to defeat Mordremoth even though they are horrible individuals. Would give them more depth as a whole … and really strenghten that teneth that “the weed is brother to the blossom”

Think of it as the star craft Erg. Kerrigan looks nothing like a hydralisk or the overmind but she’s still the queen B. The sylvarI were probably made by mordie in mock of the human gods.

Deim Hunir.8503:

It would be actually fun if the Nightmare Court would be of use to defeat Mordremoth even though they are horrible individuals. Would give them more depth as a whole … and really strenghten that teneth that “the weed is brother to the blossom”

That’s a kitten nice suggestion, man! Nightmare Court are, too, strong-willed. More so than the other sylvari. It seems to me that they share the hatred with Mordremoth, but they look for being free from any kind of influence, so they could be more useful to the battle against Mordy than the Pale Tree’s saplings.

There is a reason why sylvari look nothing like mordrem. That is because they’re meant to infiltrate the sentient races of Tyria and give Mordremoth the knowledge and tools to prevent them from successfuly oposing him. Do remember elder dragons already had their kitten handed to them by Tyrians in the past. Each one of them is aware of the danger surface dwellers may pose, and each one of them is corrupting them into it’s ranks to get his intel and an army. Only exception here being Primordius, but 4 outta 5 (Zhaithan, Jormag, Kralkatorrik, and now Mordy) make the trend clear.