Do asura colleges accept other races?

Do asura colleges accept other races?

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Posted by: M Steel.2574

M Steel.2574

I read that Scarlet Briar received “special dispensation” to study at all three asuran colleges (Dynamics, Statics, and Synergetics), but I am wondering if the special dispensation was given to allow a non-asura to attend an asuran college or to allow a student to apply/be accepted to all three colleges. I can’t recall any examples of non-asuran college members other than Scarlet, but I might not have been paying close enough attention. I am curious for role-playing/fanwork reasons, etc.

Is it unusual for an asura to be part of more than one college?

Has anyone seen any examples of non-asura npcs talking about being part of (or applying for membership in) one of the asura colleges other than Scarlet Briar?

Has anyone seen any examples of non-asuran members of asuran krewes?

How do you think asura would respond to non-asura joining a college or a krewe?

Do asura colleges accept other races?

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Posted by: Aaron Ansari.1604

Aaron Ansari.1604

Asura can transfer between colleges, but they’d never really be a part of more than one at a time. I’ve never heard of any non-asura but Scarlet joining a college, and I believe it was stated somewhere that she was the first. For role-play reasons I suppose you could join at any point after her- just be aware it might meet the same kind of reaction that Scarlet did. Krewes aren’t so much an institution as a format- anyone working with an asura krewe could be considered part of that krewe, and there was even a point in GoA where it was mentioned that Dougal’s group, which at the time didn’t have any asura, might be called a krewe. Scarlet seems to have been met by the wider asura with disgust, or as an interesting experiment, but she wasn’t considered an equal either way. Joining an asuran krewe would be less contentious, if done in a labor or otherwise hands-on capacity. I could imagine being part of the krewe’s brains, however, might tarnish the project’s reputation.

R.I.P., Old Man of Auld Red Wharf. Gone but never forgotten.

(edited by Aaron Ansari.1604)

Do asura colleges accept other races?

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Posted by: M Steel.2574

M Steel.2574

^ This is really helpful. Thank you!

Do asura colleges accept other races?

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Posted by: Louveepine.7630

Louveepine.7630

Knowing that asura highly intelligent, spends his life in a school … What would a human or another there? it may be an excuse to Asuras to experiment on him. =’)
I always thought that the Asuras have xenophobic tendencies when it comes to share their knowledge.

# Asura because I’m worth it!

(edited by Louveepine.7630)

Do asura colleges accept other races?

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Posted by: M Steel.2574

M Steel.2574

I always thought that the Asuras have xenophobic tendencies when it comes to share their knowledge.

That is the impression I got as well from reading the lore I could find, though I would say they have a superiority complex rather than “xenophobic.” They seem to honestly think that they are more intelligent, and therefore better, than all the other races combined. If a member of another race was to join one or more of the colleges, then they would have to demonstrate exceptional intelligence by asuran standards or have something that the asura wanted badly.

I can definitely see them hiring/recruiting other races as test subjects. Their first encounter with the sylvari ended in experimentation and I’ve seen them experiment on skritt and other races in game.

You are giving me a lot to think about.

Do asura colleges accept other races?

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Posted by: CureForLiving.5360

CureForLiving.5360

Joining an asuran krewe would be less contentious, if done in a labor or otherwise hands-on capacity. I could imagine being part of the krewe’s brains, however, might tarnish the project’s reputation.

To me it feels that in most of the dynamic events in which we work with or help krewes out we’re essentially being treated as contracted labor (i.e. why we get paid upon completion).

I can definitely see them hiring/recruiting other races as test subjects. Their first encounter with the sylvari ended in experimentation and I’ve seen them experiment on skritt and other races in game.

They do have a kinda ethics policy though, for the most part mainsteam Asura tend not to experiment of sentient creatures (or at least not the sort of experiments that explicitly involve long term harm) while Inquest have little to no moral qualms about cutting open anyone they come across (for science of course).

Do asura colleges accept other races?

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Posted by: Kulvar.1239

Kulvar.1239

Scarlet Briar received an unusual permission, but it’s Omadd who negotiated with the Arcane Council for her to be able to attend the teachings of Asuran Colleges. She was then banned from Rata Sum and, considering what happened next with Scarlet, the Arcane Council will probably not make these exceptions anymore.

Don’t take this dark Mary Sue as an example. And she’s the only known.

Asura definitely are able to work with other species, we see that a lot in the Pact, but Asura tends to keep their secrets for themselves, even among them. It’s better to sell a fish to an hungry man everyday than sell him a fishing lesson! Asuran krewes also hire other species as secretary, hunter, messenger, … Anything that can let them focus on the intellectual part without taking time to manage golem workers or do it themselves.

Do asura colleges accept other races?

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Posted by: Windu The Forbidden One.6045

Windu The Forbidden One.6045

I don’t think Scarlet, who we all know is a mary sue, is a good example. I mean she succesfully managed to become an expert in every field in just a few years. Yeah right..

It would be like someone in our society studying at 10 universities at once and majoring in all the courses they have to offer in just a few years. Unless you’re an android or god that isn’t happening.

Dear A-net: Please nerf rock. Paper is fine
~Sincerely, Scissors

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Posted by: Konig Des Todes.2086

Konig Des Todes.2086

I always thought that the Asuras have xenophobic tendencies when it comes to share their knowledge.

Less xenophobic and more paranoid. Asura don’t like sharing their discoveries in general, including to other asura – and this was more so before they were forced to the surface (which resulted in a LOT of lost knowledge, which in turn was the original motivation for the creation of the Inquest). Nowadays, anything learned, discovered, or made before graduating from a college is considered the college’s property (and thus Rata Sum’s property and the Arcane Council’s property), similar to what we saw between Taimi and Phlunt (what’s uncommon is taking credit for it, which Phlunt also tried but other people are too smart to know he didn’t make it – according to Zojja and per her he can’t even reverse engineer the device). So all designs, experiments, discoveries etc. from before college graduation since Rata Sum is stored in the Rata Sum archives (which is part of the second chapter for the asura personal story).

But as Aaron said, Scarlet was the first and only stated case of a non-asura studying at a college – let alone three – and was a major source of the disdain some players have towards her (that, and her other lore breaking actions like uniting an enslaving xenophobic race/group with a anti-slavery race/group – twice – via bullying and ‘silver-tongued trickery’ of “well the other group already agreed to it!”).

I don’t think Scarlet, who we all know is a mary sue, is a good example. I mean she succesfully managed to become an expert in every field in just a few years. Yeah right..

It would be like someone in our society studying at 10 universities at once and majoring in all the courses they have to offer in just a few years. Unless you’re an android or god that isn’t happening.

Thankfully a later retcon came about to “clarify” that she only took crash courses at each university. Which would hardly make someone an expert – she was just “knowledgeable enough” (which apparently is very knowledgeable even if you take out the ‘expert’ part – which is still very mary sue-y).

Dear ANet writers,
Stop treating GW2 as a single story. Each Season and expansion should be their own story.

Do asura colleges accept other races?

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Posted by: M Steel.2574

M Steel.2574

Scarlet Briar received an unusual permission, but it’s Omadd who negotiated with the Arcane Council for her to be able to attend the teachings of Asuran Colleges. She was then banned from Rata Sum and, considering what happened next with Scarlet, the Arcane Council will probably not make these exceptions anymore.

. . .

Asura definitely are able to work with other species, we see that a lot in the Pact, but Asura tends to keep their secrets for themselves, even among them. It’s better to sell a fish to an hungry man everyday than sell him a fishing lesson! Asuran krewes also hire other species as secretary, hunter, messenger, … Anything that can let them focus on the intellectual part without taking time to manage golem workers or do it themselves.

This is all great information! I’m finding it very helpful. I’m fleshing out the back story of my sylvari engineer who is fascinated by asuran technology and culture. If non-asura joining one of the colleges was permissable pre-Scarlet, I was going to have my engineer join the college of dynamics, but now I see that’s totally against lore. I like the idea of the asura being extremely guarded and my sylvari engineer trying to wear them down or grow on them (sorry I can never resist a pun) and failing—it creates more tension. Maybe she petitions to study at one of the colleges and is rejected, but she’s stubborn and determined, so she takes every opportunity to work with/for an asuran krewe she can to learn that way. Then when she moves on and joins the Durmand Priory, then the Pact, she hears about Scarlet. Hmmmm. Basically I just want my sylvari to be a huge asura fangirl who is not deterred at all by the asura and sylvari’s trouble past. She’s really curious about the asura, but I don’t want her to be all mega-genius-brilliant and mary-sue like Scarlet. I like the idea of her trying and failing to impress the asura because they don’t think she has anything of value to offer them, but being determined to prove them wrong.

So I have a few more questions:

Around when did Scarlet start studying with the asura? Was it a secret or would people have heard about prior to Scarlet going all psycho? I’m just wondering if my sylvari could have heard about Scarlet being admitted to the colleges at the time and gotten all excited and maybe a little jealous or if she would have only found out later after Scarlet went all rampagy??

Also, is the Inquest technically a college? Is it recognized by the other colleges as anyting other than a splinter group? How does it fit into the structure of Asuran society?

I’d be curious to know more about Scarlet’s relationship with the Inquest and asura in general. I missed out on much of the early living story.

Do asura colleges accept other races?

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Posted by: ArtemisJade.9068

ArtemisJade.9068

This is an incredibly good question. It makes me wonder what other prerequisites the Asurans might have to join their colleges. Its always been quite clear that the Asurans firmly believe themselves to be the most brilliant race in Tyria however do Asurans think they are brilliant because they are Asurans or do they think they are brilliant because they are brilliant? I believe this is the question that would be a deciding factor in whether or not they allowed other races into their colleges. I personally believe Scarlett was a rare exception, one the Asurans may not be keen to allow again after what happened.

To survive this world you must be mad as a hatter. Luckily for me, I am positively insane.

Do asura colleges accept other races?

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Posted by: Aaron Ansari.1604

Aaron Ansari.1604

She went to Rata Sum about 1315- ten years before the start of the game. It wasn’t a secret, but it wouldn’t have been common knowledge either- that kind of trivia would only really be known by asura with an interest in the goings-on at the Arcane Council or the colleges, or the ones that found themselves studying with Ceara. It wouldn’t be something that your character could just overhear, but maybe she’d know if she had been doing a little digging of her own about getting accepted.

For the Inquest, the short answer is they’re considered a krewe, or a meta-krewe. For the long answer I’m going to copy-paste from a pretty good official pre-release article.

“Although not actually a college, the Inquest is the largest krewe in asuran culture, and is a relatively new organization.

Where traditional asura training goes through an apprenticeship at one of the three colleges, the Inquest has begun a system of corporate training that is structured rather like a series of progressive aptitude tests. When an asura can pass a test, she is immediately given the next, and her clearance among the Inquest is upgraded accordingly. This leads to a great deal of cheating, of course—both for and against the aspirants.

An asura never graduates from the Inquest, as they do from the other colleges of the asura. Once you join the megakrewe, you’re a member for life… even if the other Inquest members are forced to make sure that life is a necessarily short one. An aspirant is given a krewe assignment and expected to work on their individual task regardless of whether they understand that task’s purpose in the greater schema. They sacrifice their own desires for the greater good of the Inquest’s body of knowledge, like it or not.

The Inquest combines the strengths of the various college disciplines, but they use only what they need, abandoning deeper understanding of those theories in favor of a quick and profitable return. They are more than willing to burn out their young inventors, souring them on their work, rather than waste time with rest—an unprofitable accounting of time.

Unlike the three asuran colleges, which delight in sharing newly completed discoveries (if only to victoriously rub them in one another’s faces), the Inquest do not share their information beyond the Inquest itself. Indeed, they occasionally even go so far as to sabotage the promising research of college krewes that impinges upon what the Inquest sees as proprietary design.

Where the colleges see power as a useful tool toward understanding the Eternal Alchemy—the Inquest sees power as a goal in and of itself. Inquest founders looked upon the amount of knowledge lost when Quora Sum was wiped out by the destroyers, and judged such a signal drop to be complete anathema to their purposes. Gathering information in its pure, crystalline form is their intention, and they will stop at nothing less than the sum of all knowledge. Indeed, the ultimate goal of Inquest research is to achieve control of the Eternal Alchemy, and with it, all of Tyria."

The best source for Scarlet’s relationship with the asura is What Scarlet Saw. Other than that, Vorpp (jump to the bottom of the page) and Yahk are the only ones I know who talk about her before her supervillainess phase, and I’m pretty sure Yahk’s not trustworthy on the matter.

R.I.P., Old Man of Auld Red Wharf. Gone but never forgotten.

(edited by Aaron Ansari.1604)

Do asura colleges accept other races?

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Posted by: Louveepine.7630

Louveepine.7630

I do not really see a good eye strangers from stealing the knowledge Asuras. (can be with what I actually have a crush on Asura race.)

@ Konig:
\o/ KONIIIIIIIG!!

@ArtemisJade:
It seems to me that an interview explained that the Asura Race base is biologically and intellectually more advanced than all the others. With their brains, the Asuras also excess, the affirmation of the sense of superiority.

… View Vorpp name in post Aaron Ansari, it makes me wish that the character is not more searched by ArenaNet. I find it interesting, and I’d love to see him in a dungeon to “missions” for the asura supremacy.
Or learn more in that. Moreover, I regret at all, for all races, we learn not asser element on them. And that we do not move their capital.
You learn a lot in gw2 that could be assumed by the asura developed for their research.
  Moreover, I find that a good hero repetitive dose soyent Human. Even Ellen m’enerve the ark, I would like to see a Norn, or Charr, Asura or
. Same for the lesbian couple, who would have been interesting in a different race. I confess want to see non-human races developed and strong.

Finally, it is another story. Sorry for the drift of the subject.

# Asura because I’m worth it!