Guild Wars 2

Is there any info about this place? Was it in the first game?

On other unrelated news, why is it called Lion’s Arch when there are no lions in Tyria?

Arkengel RaF.9672:

On other unrelated news, why is it called Lion’s Arch when there are no lions in Tyria?

There are Lions on the planet.

Arkengel RaF.9672:

On other unrelated news, why is it called Lion’s Arch when there are no lions in Tyria?

Dive into the bay and you’ll see for yourself.
And there ARE lions on Tyria. But they are in Elona.

Arkengel RaF.9672:

Is there any info about this place? Was it in the first game?

It is still unknown what happened to the observatory but if Kiel wins the seat from the council she will sponsor the players for a fractal that explains what happened there.

Arkengel RaF.9672:

On other unrelated news, why is it called Lion’s Arch when there are no lions in Tyria?

I couldn’t find an official note telling us why it is called Lion’s Arch but I believe it’s called that way because there are several lion statues in the old Lion’s Arch and because there is a big lion statue “watching over” the harbor.

lordkrall.7241:

There are Lions on the planet.

The planet is called Tyria.

JesseyFranz.8362:

Arkengel RaF.9672:

Is there any info about this place? Was it in the first game?

It is still unknown what happened to the observatory but if Kiel wins the seat from the council she will sponsor the players for a fractal that explains what happened there.

That’s Thaumanova Reactor you are talking about, not the collapsed observatory in Kessex Hills. And we don’t really know anything about it, I’m pretty there wasn’t anything notable there in GW1.

The collapsed observatory is in a location that’s kind of an unknown. Looking at a comparison of the two maps, GW1 and GW2, I believe that the observatory was kind of southeast of the available area only just slightly. Looking at a GW1 map of Kessex Peak you can see a swamp area coming out of the only portal into the area, this looks very similar to what is now a river running down towards the observatory, which would make it bottom right hand corner. So either it was not on the map in GW1, or it was just slightly off map. In my mind, an observatory like that could quite possibly have been built to watch a certain pesky wizard who moved a certain tower to a certain village cough Isgarren cough

As for the lions, there are a few speculations. The most likely, IMO, is that the name is a reference to Elonians who first settled the region. There are lions in Elona.

JesseyFranz.8362:

The planet is called Tyria.

I am fully aware of that, but to avoid confusion I said the planet instead of Tyria, since most people here most likely would assume that Tyria refers to the continent rather than the planet.

Thank you everyone, I guess one of these days I should purchase the first game and play the story to know more about the world of Tyria.

Narcemus.1348:

As for the lions, there are a few speculations. The most likely, IMO, is that the name is a reference to Elonians who first settled the region. There are lions in Elona.

actually Lions Arch fort was some-kind of border gate to Kryta – and that was big gate with two lion sculpture over it (I cannot find that pic unfortunatelly)
so that’s why it was originally called Lions Arch.
new Lions Arch is named Lions Arch because it was builded over the ruins of old Lions Arch

I understand that, but what I am saying Trejgon is that the original naming quite possibly came from it’s connection to Elona. I say this only because there is no evidence of lions in Tyria (continent).

Yeah my question was more of a -where did they get the depictions of a lion when there is no lions around?- Than a -Why is it called Lion’s Arch?- But I suck at English so it’s cool. Besides any an all lore bits are very interesting to me.

Yes Arkengel, that’s what I’m stating. The first humans to settle LA came from Elona. In elona there are Lions, so it was probably named by them, or was named later when King Doric took over the region, in which case it may be named by the association that Doric had with Elona, or perhaps it is just that there were lions in Kryta, but they later were either hunted to extinction or rather just died off due to climatic changes or something of the sort.

There are no definite answers, but there are enough possibilities that it is not a major problem.

Another thing to also keep in mind is that there are gargoyles and statues of dragons in the real world, and yet we have neither gargoyles nor dragons flying around here.

lordkrall.7241:

Another thing to also keep in mind is that there are gargoyles and statues of dragons in the real world, and yet we have neither gargoyles nor dragons flying around here.

Daily lesson: In the above sentence, gargoyle is more analogous to statue than dragon. A gargoyle is an architectural waterspout that can resemble anything – often grotesque, but that’s mostly in the Middle Ages. The statues represented by the creatures in the Disney cartoon aren’t gargoyles at all, but chimera grotesques.

Interestingly, the ancient Egyptians and Greeks frequently crafted gargoyles of lions.

#themoreyouknow

Arkengel RaF.9672:

Yeah my question was more of a -where did they get the depictions of a lion when there is no lions around?- Than a -Why is it called Lion’s Arch?- But I suck at English so it’s cool. Besides any an all lore bits are very interesting to me.

and why King Richard Lionheart was named “Lionheart” if there were no lions in England?
same problem :P