Guild Wars 2

Seriously, doesn’t anyone wonder how the Giganticus Lupicus still has flesh and, heck, even bones attached after being dead for 11,327 years (or, if you want to say that it’s been living in Arah and undocumented for some reason, then 252 years). I’m quite sure the bones, flesh, and, well, everything in between, would have decomposed.

Heck, we should be fighting a Giganticus Fossilicus…

And all of the Risen Orrian should not have bones/flesh unless they were recently deceased. Pliss Anet, biology is part of public schooling in America.

It was explained in an interview that it was a minion from the previous dragonrise, not corrupted after Zhaitan rose this time.

And being submerged in ice-cold water like the waters of Orr after the Cataclysm could easily preserve dead flesh from rotting, especially if there’s a lack of oxygen in the water.

It should be noted that even the freshest of corpses turn rotten and decayed – even in the novels – when corrupted by Zhaitan. So the rotten and decayed appearance is more of Zhaitan’s corruption rather than “they were corpses already.” Just like how Jormag’s minions get covered in ice – it’s magical transformations. Not biology.

real world explanation: shouldn’t exist
anet explanation: magic
biology has no place here when you have magic

A quick google search shows that some of the oldest frozen woolly mammoths date back to about 40,000 years. Although I’m unsure the water was that cold. Still doesn’t seem so unrealistic.

According to the novel Sea of Sorrows:

“They say the water there is as black as night, like ink’s been poured in the waves. It never gets lighter, and the sun never warms it. Sailors have used Orrian water to freeze things even in the Maguuma Jungle’s heat. Just one drop turns meat into jerky. A canteen could ice over even the fires of Sorrow’s Furnace!” Page 44 and 45

If that were true, then you can bet your kitten that corpses would be preserved in it. And given the rest of the description of the waters and sky over sunken Orr, it seems that Zhaitan or the Cataclysm had effects ever since it sunk.

It could be just a sailor’s ghost story that spread like wildfire among the superstitious folk, given the terrible fate that befell Orr. I find it rather hard to believe that area was shadowed by storm clouds for 150 years and the waters were colder than the arctic seas. Yes, storms may have developed more frequently over the broken archipelagos due to either the Cataclysm’s lingering energy in the atmosphere or some damaged magical contraption(s) dealing with air magic (Orrian wizards love using lightning strikes and co.), but I’d take those sailor tales with a pound of salt.

As for the preservation of the corpses: I agree with the Justiciar’s to-the-point insight. Especially when we take into consideration that the vast majority of the Lich Lord’s armies were skeletal undead, and their invasion into Kryta happened a mere year (or less) after the sinking of Orr.

In the game, there are various dialogues about how the air is different – thicker, denser, etc. – and claiming it’s part of Zhaitan’s magic and influence over the area (this description is also used in other areas with heavy risen concentration, mainly swamps). And you can even see this in the game itself. So there is some merit to the sailors’ descriptions of Orr.

As for the Lich Lord’s mostly-skeletal army, I always took those as those not submerged, and that Zhaitan’s magic does restore some flesh (he corrupts ancient dead whom were buried in tombs as well, such as Mazdak, after all).

The description of the atmosphere is that of post-rise Orr. And true, active dragon corruption does weird things to the sky/air. However, unless the Cataclysm did affect Zhaitan or harnessed his energies in great amounts, I doubt that the sun above the waters of Orr were blotted out 24/7 for 150 years before it could become justified thanks to Zhaitan vomiting his corruption into the air. Given that dragons don’t seem to corrupt during their sleep, and Big Z was under earth and sea at that time, I doubt his powers could twist the waters and the sky to such extent. A ghost story born of the magical, mysterious nature of Orr and the tragedy that destroyed it.

(Not a definitive proof, but I think it’s worth taken into consideration: in the release trailer, Orrian waters are sunny with even some ruins visible on the shattered archipelagos. Seagulls are squealing and stuff, and a ship’s sailing right above the thickest of wreckage and ruins — probably Arah, given that the camera descends upon Zhaitan.)

That restoring flesh to centuries-old-dead thing was always a huge WTF factor of Z’s corruption to me…

I belive OP did read on his biology but forgot the geology class. Fossiles takes millions of years to create, and is just a print of the animal plant on rock (former seafloor) created under high preasure under millions of years to make to the surface.

I still think its fair that we fight risen as not totally decomposed, both with reallife arguments and gw universe magic. So i say lore is solid enough on this point

Mentioning that ship made me realize: planned or not, that ship would have to be the Indomitable, as Sea of Sorrows says they were the only ship in the area. Unless my memory fails me – which is possible.

If the waters of Orr were indeed that cold, I doubt we could swim through them without taking some form of damage, or lotus would grow in them.

No doubt there’s some eerie magical vibe in them, but the whole freeze by pouring Orrian water on it would have to be a myth.

Eh, that’s a separation of gameplay mechanics from true in lore conditions I suppose, I mean we can swim in frostgorge without receiving any form of chill debuff.

Heck, there’s even some lava and fires folks can stand in without burning.

But if the Ice was that good at preserving, wouldn’t Orr not be that decrepit? (By that, I mean as decrepit as it is, I mean, everything would be a minion of Zhaitan and before then it was all frozen and preserved. Sure things might be unkept, but they wouldn’t be falling apart.)

Also, if the water was that cold, how would they get samples?!

ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS!

The Cataclysm’s shown in the Arah story instance, showing Orr sinking in pieces. When it rose, it wouldn’t have risen perfectly. And ever seen what happens when you pour warm water over ice? The ice cracks; going from ice cold water to warm air would do the same. As for getting samples: tie a rope onto a bucket and toss the bucket overboard then haul it up.

But if you’re that close to the frozen water, you won’t be able to sail away.

Also, the rope would fray and break, would it not?

The water wasn’t frozen. It was just magically insanely cold. There’s a difference.

Which is still unconfirmed and more like the myth of frightened sailors than reality.