Guild Wars 2

I want to share my opinion of the origin of Ceara’s malady. It is not my intention to address any theories relating to Elder Dragons in this post, however, not so much because said theories are implausible, more so because they are so popular that they are too commonplace for any productive discussion. Nonetheless, theories placing Ceara under the influence of an Elder Dragon are strong and should not be dismissed.

It is my opinion that Ceara is somehow being influenced by the Nightmare. There are a number of reasons why I entertain this idea. Firstly, the recent discovery of a thorn vine scaling the Pale Tree presents us with new information about the nature of the Nightmare. As the Pale Tree represents the Dream, the thorn vine represents the Nightmare. Exactly what the thorn vine really is – the tail of Mordremoth, an Elder Dragon champion or even just a dark entity – is hard to define at this time. However, it appears (for now at least) to be no more than a climbing plant. Granted, it is parasitic and seems to feed on “Dream magic” in like manner to Elder Dragons, who also feed on magic. However, there are a number of other creatures within Tyria right now, including the Pale Tree herself, who feed on magic and are not considered Elder Dragons as a result – the point being that this line of inquiry is easily exhausted at this tentative point and so should not be pursued much farther.

The reason the thorn vine is so important in Ceara’s case is that it is one of a number of prime candidates for the being to which the Pale Tree refers, which looked back at Ceara as she looked at it. Certainly, when Ceara looked at the Pale Tree the Pale Tree engaged her, indicating that the tree, clearly a powerful psychic, was aware of her presence. In other words, you could say that the tree looked back at Ceara – but it wasn’t the only sentient being doing so. The thorn vine also looked back. What if it tried to make contact with her?

Secondly, when she left her ecstatic state Ceara renamed herself “Scarlet Briar”, her demeanor changed from golden to crimson, she became stronger and also grew thorns, with which she quickly dispatched Omadd. This kind of outward change in demeanor is always exhibited by Nightmare Hounds. They become stronger and always grow thorns. Still, it doesn’t seem to be something that Nightmare sylvari do: When they turn to Nightmare, they do not consistently seem to grow thorns. This may be because Nightmare sylvari can control their ability to grow thorns in the same way that they can control their ability to grow clothes and other adornments. That is to say, although all sylvari can grow thorns (consider the female sylvari PC’s statement: “This rose has thorns, here they are”), Nightmare sylvari may have a particular inclination to do so literally – in the right situations of course. Nightmare Hounds on the other hand, who are not self-aware, may not be able to control their subconscious and so cannot conceal their thorns.

Thirdly, Ceara seems to take the place of Faolain in a number of ways. Certainly, Ceara doesn’t lead the Nightmare Court – indeed, she may not even lead the splinter group forming the Toxic Alliance. However, there are parallels between her and Faolain which should be considered. To begin, the pre-Twilight Assault release Twilight Arbor dungeon loading screen depicted a thorny Faolain reclining in a thorn vine flanked by two Nightmare Hounds. The picture conveys that idea that Faolain herself has sprouted thorns in like manner to Ceara. Sure, the in-game models of both characters do not depict this but my former point is that this may be because Nightmare sylvari can conceal/contract their thorns. Again, Ceara seems obsessed with Caithe – a quality formerly only exhibited by Faolain. Her familiarity with Caithe is not just the idol worship of youth – Ceara knows Caithe’s darkest secrets and the Pale Tree didn’t tell her. Furthermore, gaining these secrets is not something one does by viewing a “system” (that is to say that you don’t learn this from the Eternal Alchemy) but by conversing with those who know Caithe, like Faolain and the Nightmare. However, it is clear that Ceara did not consult Faolain because she knows things about Caithe that even Faolain doesn’t know. To continue, Ceara is raving mad, much in the same way as Faolain. In their own ways, the two sylvari differ in the way in which their madness is exhibited, but it is nonetheless evident that both have lost their minds – just consider how both laugh maniacally.

But why would the Nightmare try to consume Ceara? For simplicity, let us try to answer this question by considering the thorn vine as a plant. Unlike the drupe-bearing Pale Tree, the thorn vine produces nothing of value – no fruit. As it represents the Nightmare, this places it at an immediate disadvantage. The Dream has the loyalty of the Pale Tree and as such, the majority of her fruit will be loyal to it. This means that the Dream is over-represented in comparison to the Nightmare. The thorn vine has responded by effectively “stealing” fruit from the Pale Tree: It cannot summon what could be termed “nightmares” (for want of a better word) and so corrupts “dreams”. So far it has managed to win the support of no more than 15% of the sylvari population but this is still not enough to balance the Dream and provide it with the advocacy it requires to achieve it’s goals.

What are the thorn vine’s goals? The vine is a survivor – it intends to outlast everyone and everything. There are indications that it is older than the Pale Tree. There are a number of trees in Caledon Forest through which the vine passes on it’s way to the Pale Tree. One such example of a tree is found at Dreamdark Enclave. This Nightmare Court hideout is part of the trunk of an enormous tree – now dead – into the base of which the thorn vine has grown. Given the height of this tree alone the vine may be as much as twice the age of the Pale Tree or even older (it may have come from west of the Brisban Wildlands, suggesting that it may even be ancient). The point is that the vine may have encountered the Elder Dragons before; even if it hasn’t, it is worried about it’s future. But above all else it intends to survive and has employed some clever ideas to try to.

The Nightmare Tree nurtured by Faolain may well have been one of the first attempts by the vine to secure for itself a formidable fighting force with which not only to defeat the Pale Tree (if need be) but also combat the Elder Dragons. The Nightmare Tree was reared in the heart of Twilight Arbor – in the heart of the vine itself. What appear to be adventitious buds of the vine surround the Nightmare Tree in TA:Story and TA:EXP. The tree, then, may not actually be a “tree” as much as a shoot of the Nightmare Vine, growing from it’s root. Whatever the case, this tree was said to whisper into the minds of three powerful Nightmare Courtiers, amplifying their darkest desires, with the intent of using them to conquer Tyria and possibly also the Elder Dragons. Indeed, the Nightmare Tree is not alone in it’s ability to telepathically communicate. Arboreal spirits in the Brisban Wildlands demonstrate this ability as does the Pale Tree herself.

The problem with the Nightmare Tree of Twilight Arbor is that it did not bear fruit. If it was a real tree, it is possible that like the Pale Tree it would produces drupes of creatures akin to if not sylvari themselves. Still, it did not. What the thorn vine needs are minions of it’s own devising that it can control from awakening – minions that it does not have to expend unnecessary amounts of energy corrupting when it could divert it’s attention to more important matters. Furthermore, it needs minions that are not easily defeated by the riff-raff of Tyria. This is where Ceara may come in. Her expertise is in the creation of things that are under her direct control. Thus, she has created Twisted Nightmares, Horrors, Reavers and Menders for the Nightmare – all of which are superior in their abilities to anything yet to awaken from the ranks of the sylvari (at least in the thorn vine’s mind anyway).

The thorn vine may well see the future, just like the Pale Tree herself. But whereas the Pale Tree may see only some of the darkest possible paths ahead for Tyria, the thorn vine invariably sees all of them. Where the Pale Tree is an optimist, the thorn vine is a pragmatist. Dark times call for desperate measures and the thorn vine may well fear one Elder Dragon above all others: Primordus. With roots reaching deep into Tyria, the vine is no doubt aware of the inevitable fire that is rising to overtake Tyria. It knows that it needs to prepare. It has seen futures, none of which end well; it may well have lived through pasts, none of which have boded well either. It plans for it’s survival…

As I have previously stated this is just speculation on my part. I am aware of a number of flaws in this proposal but thought that I would share it whilst “the going was good” as it were. I note that there is just as much evidence in favor of considering Ceara’s actions as the work of an Elder Dragon.